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Thursday 8 May 2025
Lexington Man Sentenced for Armed Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington man, Drequahn Smith, 19, was sentenced on Tuesday to 128 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On June 24, 2024, law enforcement officers with the FBI and the Lexington Police Department were conducting surveillance on an individual wanted on an arrest warrant. Drequahn Smith was observed with the wanted individual, and fled when the law enforcement officers approached. During the foot pursuit, Smith attempted to throw away a handgun he was carrying before he was apprehended. In a subsequent search of Smith’s backpack and a residence associated with Smith, law enforcement officers recovered 413 grams of pressed fentanyl pills. Smith admitted in his plea agreement that he possessed the fentanyl with intent to distribute it, and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime.
Under federal law, Smith must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by FBI and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Large-Scale Drug Trafficker in Little Rock Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Theotis Thornton, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 20 years in federal prison for his significant role in a criminal organization that was responsible for distribution of methamphetamine and phencyclidine (PCP) in the Little Rock area and being a felon in possession of firearms. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down recently by United States District Judge D. P. Marshall, Jr.
A federal grand jury indicted Thornton, 42, of Little Rock, in a superseding indictment on November 6, 2024. Thornton was charged with possession of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, one kilogram or more of PCP, and being a felon in possession of firearms. On December 4, 2024, Thornton plead guilty to all charges in the superseding indictment.
On January 8, 2021, officers with the United States Marshal’s Service went to a residence in Little Rock, Arkansas, to execute a federal arrest warrant on the defendant’s brother, Thomas Thornton. Upon arrival, officers determined that Thomas Thornton was not home, but Theotis Thornton was in the residence. Theotis Thornton came to the door and advised officers that his brother was not at the house.
Both Thomas Thornton and Theotis Thornton were on active parole, and both had active search waivers on file. Due to concerns for safety, officers detained Theotis Thornton and conducted a safety sweep of the residence. During the safety sweep, officers observed a loaded firearm in plain view as well as drug paraphernalia inside the residence. Officers searched the vehicle belonging to Theotis Thornton that was parked at the residence and found more than 4.5 kilograms methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a magazine consistent with the firearm found in the bedroom. During the safety sweep, officers also observed surveillance equipment and a safe. Typical with the distribution of narcotics, the back room of the home had paraphernalia such as empty pill bottles and glass bottles.
Upon further investigation, detectives obtained a search warrant to search the safe. Upon opening the safe, officers located inside the safe multiple bags of multi-colored pills and tablets. Also discovered inside the safe were 8,826 grams of PCP in six bottles and over $27,000 in cash. The safe also contained documents belonging the brothers. Additionally, officers located in the safe and inside the residence six firearms: three Springfield Hellcat 9mm firearms; two Bushmaster, .223 caliber rifles, and a Glock, model 27, .40 caliber firearm.
In addition to the 20-year federal sentence, Judge Marshall also sentenced defendant to five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Defendant has prior convictions for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and aggravated residential burglary.
This case was investigated by the Little Rock Police Department with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, and ATF. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bart Dickinson.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available on-line at
http://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
Lame Deer man sentenced to over 15 years in prison for rape on Northern Cheyenne Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Lame Deer man who raped a woman on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 188 months in prison to be followed by15 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Adriano Sparkxxx LeBeaux, 21, was found guilty at trial in October 2024 of aggravated sexual abuse as charged in an indictment.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.
In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on March 8, 2023, the victim, identified as Jane Doe, met up with LeBeaux at a residence in Lame Deer, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. LeBeaux told Doe the police were on their way to search the house and that they needed to hide in the basement. Jane Doe had been drinking and did not want to be arrested because Northern Cheyenne is a dry reservation. Hiding in the basement seemed like a good idea to Jane Doe.
While in the basement, LeBeaux told Jane Doe to lie down in a corner on the floor, and she fell asleep or passed out. At some point, Jane Doe awoke to LeBeaux holding a knife to her throat and then he raped her. Jane Doe left the residence and went to the Indian Health Service Clinic where she underwent a sexual assault exam. An analysis of DNA indicated LeBeaux was the contributor to male DNA identified in the sexual assault exam.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Suek and Paul Vestal prosecuted the case, and the investigation was conducted by the FBI, BIA and Northern Cheyenne Investigative Services.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Larry Joe Chapman, 44, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to three years and one month 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 March 28, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to a reported shoplifting at a MacCorkle Avenue business in South Charleston. The officers found that Chapman, the subject of the shoplifting call, had locked himself in the storage room of the business. Chapman unlocked the door for the officers, and officers found him in the storage room with a knife in his hand with the blade open. Officers disarmed and arrested Chapman, took him outside, and searched him. Officers found a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol and over $1,000 in merchandise belonging to the business on Chapman’s person. Officers later determined that the firearm was stolen.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Chapman knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for breaking and entering a building other than a dwelling on February 5, 2018, and conspiracy to operate and attempt to operate a clandestine drug laboratory for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine on November 8, 2013, both in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and former Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh 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-125.
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Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-led Nationwide Crackdown, Including One Arrest in the Eastern District of ArkansasRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—On May 7, 2025, 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.
“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.”
If you harm or exploit a child and we can find a way to federally prosecute you, we will,” said Jonathan D. Ross, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Protecting children from predators is one of the most important responsibilities we have at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The partnership among federal, state, and local law enforcement is crucial to bringing justice to the victims of these crimes.”
“This operation is a testament to the efforts of the FBI and our dedicated law enforcement partners to protect children in our communities,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Corder. “FBI Little Rock will continue to prioritize these investigations, seek justice for victims and hold predators accountable for their actions.”
As part of Operation Restore Justice, on May 6, 2025, the FBI in the Eastern District of Arkansas arrested a defendant that is alleged to have distributed large amounts of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in a chatroom dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children. The day he was arrested, the defendant possessed a cellular telephone that had multiple images of CSAM to include an image depicting a fully nude pre-pubescent female laying on her back. The image also depicted the pre-pubescent female’s hands and feet tied together with a white cord or rope and blindfolded.
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 about 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.
# # #
Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore JusticeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Yesterday, 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.
“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.”
“Protecting children is one of our society’s most fundamental core values.,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “Thanks to the relentless efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners, child predators will find no safe haven in New Mexico. Every child deserves to grow up in safety and with hope—and we will not stop working until that promise is fulfilled for each and every kid in our state.”
"Those who prey on children will find no refuge from justice. These predators pose a serious threat to the safety of our communities, said Philip Russell Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. "The FBI will continue to prioritize these investigations and support our partners in pursuing offenders to the fullest extent of the law."
As a result of the operation, the following individuals are now facing charges in the District of New Mexico:
Noah John Carney, 31: Carney is accused of coercing a minor to engage in sexual activity between July and August of 2024. Carney was previously convicted of attempted coercion and enticement in 2014 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was serving an 18-month term of supervised release at the time of this offense.
Carl Weatherman, 42: Weatherman is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material which was found at his home during a search warrant last year. Weatherman was previously convicted of receipt of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in 2016 and sentenced to 75 months in prison. He was serving a 10-year term of supervised release at the time of the current offense.
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 about 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 or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Two in the Northern District of OklahomaRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – The Department of Justice announces 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.
“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.”
“Over a five-day period in April, the Justice Department charged and the FBI arrested more than 200 offenders of child sexual abuse crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The success of this operation would not be possible without the collaborative effort of law enforcement across the United States.”
FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater stated, “Operation Restore Justice is not just about upholding the rule of law – it’s about standing up as a society for the safety of children and showing predators that we will not allow them to rob kids of their innocence. The FBI is proud to collaborate with our law enforcement partners every single day to ensure anyone involved in criminal behavior against a child is brought to justice.”
Two individuals in the Northern District of Oklahoma were arrested and indicted last week, during Operation Restore Justice.
- Jonathan Gross, 36, of Mounds, was arrested and indicted for Possession of Child Pornography; and
- Kaleb Smith, 23, of Bartlesville and a member of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, was arrested and indicted for Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country, and two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country
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 about 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:
Violent Crimes Against Children
How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kidsJonathan Gross’s case is being investigated by the FBI-Oklahoma City field office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert. Kaleb Smith’s case is being investigated by the FBI-Oklahoma City field office with the assistance of the Bartlesville Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Johnson County Man Sentenced for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – A Hagerhill, Ky., man, Jason Ryan Campbell, 46, was sentenced on Thursday to 40 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, for production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on August 27, 2022, Campbell engaged in the production of child pornography. Specifically, upon searching his phone, law enforcement located two videos taken of Campbell and a minor victim engaging in sexual conduct. Law enforcement also found additional videos and photos of child pornography on his phone.
Under federal law, Campbell must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Jamestown man going to prison for to distributing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Brandon G. Uber, 24, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of distribution of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 210 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that in March 2021, Uber sent a Snapchat user image and video files of a 16-year-old minor female victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Uber also received images and videos of child pornography from other users of social media applications. In addition, Uber had online conversations with another known minor female victim, during which he persuaded the victim to create sexually explicit videos of herself to send to him. Uber stored the child pornography he received and distributed on various electronic devices that were seized during the investigation, including two cell phones and two tablets.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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Jacksonville Man Indicted for Attempted Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Trevor Wood (31, Jacksonville) with attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Wood faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between January 7 and April 18, 2025, Wood used a cellphone and the internet to attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual who he believed to be younger than 18-years-old to engage in sexual activity.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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, Juan Lorenzo-Lorenzo, 24, was arrested by the Robertsdale Police Department on February 16, 2025, for giving a law enforcement officer false information. Homeland Security (“HSI”) was notified of his arrest. HSI was able to determine that Lorenzo-Lorenzo had previously been removed from the United States in 2020 and in 2024.
At sentencing, Judge DuBose imposed a time-served sentence and a 1-year term of supervised release upon his future release. Lorenzo-Lorenzo had been in custody since his arrest on February 16, 2025. Upon his release from prison, Lorenzo-Lorenzo is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Lorenzo-Lorenzo was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and the Robertsdale Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear 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 Aliens Plead Guilty to Illegally Re-Entering the United States after Multiple DeportationsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Three illegal aliens have pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after being deported multiple times.
Luis Alberto Nunez Campos, 41, and Marco Antonio Martinez-Vences, 44, both of Mexico, each face a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. Both also face a fine of up to $250,000 and will be deported after serving their sentence.
Jose Diaz Morales, 30, also of Mexico pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after he was deported following a conviction for a felony offense. Due to his previous conviction in state court for a felony offense, he faces an increased maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He also will be deported after serving his sentence.
Evidence obtained in the investigation and in public records revealed that Diaz Morales was arrested by the North Charleston Police Department on Dec.19, 2014 for criminal sexual conduct 3rd and later pleaded guilty to assault and battery 1st degree. He was deported following his sentence on Oct. 19, 2017. At some point, he again illegally re-entered the United States and was again arrested by NCPD for assault and battery 3rd degree. On Nov. 13, 2024, he was found guilty at a bench trial in the North Charleston Municipal Court of assault and battery 3rd degree.
Martinez-Vences has been removed, or expulsed, or deported from the U.S. at least seven times. The first time was on June 26, 2008. He has had several arrests by state and local police in the U.S. during these re-entries. Most recently, he was arrested by the City of Charleston Police Department for felony traffic violations in November 2024.
Nunez Campos was initially deported on March 13, 2001. Most recently, he was arrested by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 15 on illegal drug charges.
United States District Judge David C. Norton accepted the three guilty pleas and will sentence each defendant after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
These cases were a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These cases were investigated by deportation officers from the Criminal Alien Program and Fugitive Operations from Enforcement and Removal Operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Kittrell is prosecuting the cases.
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Illegal Alien Charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute over 30 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Colombian citizen has been charged with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine in Miami.
According to the complaint affidavit, officers of the South Florida Crimes Strike Force observed Giovanni Cardona Parra, 44, driving a black BMW erratically before parking in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant. When officers approached Parra and asked him for identification, Parra allegedly showed them a New York State learners permit that stated it was “not for federal purposes.” Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents later determined that Parra was residing illegally in the United States. A canine alerted to the presence of a controlled substance in the vehicle. It is further alleged, that during a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers discovered over 30 kilograms of cocaine in the trunk. HSI agents arrested Parra on federal drug trafficking charges and placed an immigration detainer on him.
Parra made his initial appearance on May 6. A bond hearing is set for May 12 at 10:00 a.m. in Miami. If convicted, Parra faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of HSI, Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
HSI Miami and the South Florida Financial Crimes Strike Force are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Fugate is prosecuting the case.
This matter 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).
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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-mj-02945.
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High school student faces federal firearms chargeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 18-year-old Edinburg resident has been charged with possession a firearm on school property, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Kinzey Lira is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano at 10 a.m.
The criminal complaint filed May 6 alleges authorities learned Lira was carrying a firearm on school property. The investigation revealed Lira allegedly had a Glock 9mm pistol and a loaded magazine in his backpack, according to the charges.
If convicted, Lira faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Guerra is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Georgia Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Transporting a Minor Across State Lines to Engaging in Sex ActsRead the Press Release
Montgomery, AL – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the sentencing of a man for transporting a young girl from Alabama to Georgia to commit an act of child sexual abuse. On May 7, 2025, a federal judge ordered that 28-year-old Darvin Jerrell Williams, from Douglasville, Georgia, serve 240 months in prison. The judge also ordered that Williams remain on supervised release for five years following his 20-year prison term and to register as a sex offender. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, in December 2023, Williams established a relationship with a pre-teen girl in the Middle District of Alabama by communicating with her via text messages and a popular social media application. On multiple occasions, Williams communicated his desire to have a sexual relationship with her. Then, in January 2024, Williams traveled to Alabama to pick up the young girl and take her back to Georgia. The victim was reported missing the same day Williams picked her up and law enforcement immediately began searching for her. Law enforcement located the victim back in her hometown the next day.
In August of 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Williams for unlawfully transporting a minor across state lines and for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. On January 29, 2025, Williams pleaded guilty to the charges.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Tallassee Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Tara S. Ratz prosecuted.
Four sentenced in $110 million-dollar kickback conspiracyRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Multiple people have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to pay kickbacks in exchange for prescription referrals, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
John Ageudo Rodriguez, 55, Mohammad Imtiaz Chowdhury, 44, and Hector de la Cruz Jr., 54, all of Edinburg, and Alex Flores Jr., 55, McAllen, had all previously pleaded guilty.
U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Rodriguez to serve 60 months in federal prison. De La Cruz and Flores were sentenced to 46 months while Chowdhury received a 30-month-term of imprisonment. All must also serve three years of supervised release following completion of their sentences.
Rodriguez, a former licensed pharmacist, owned and operated Pharr Family Pharmacy. He conspired with several “marketers” – including Chowdhury, De La Cruz and Flores – to pay kickbacks to medical providers who referred prescriptions to his pharmacy. Rodriguez then billed various benefit programs, including the Department of Labor, TRICARE and Medicare, for millions of dollars in claims. From 2014 to 2016, his pharmacy submitted more than $110 million in claims to federal health care programs for compound drugs.
“Illegal kickbacks are the engine that drives health care fraud,” said Ganjei. “Our office will aggressively pursue fraud, waste, and abuse that cost taxpayers millions, if not billions, every year.”
All were permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General (OIG), Department of Labor-OIG, FBI, Department of Defense-Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Department of Veteran Affairs-OIG, Department of Health and Human Services-OIG and Texas Health and Human Services-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz prosecuted the case.
Founder of Celsius Sentenced to 12 Years for Fraud and Market ManipulationRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ALEXANDER MASHINSKY, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Celsius Network LLC and their affiliated entities (collectively, “Celsius”), was sentenced to 12 years for committing commodities fraud and securities fraud at Celsius. MASHINSKY previously pled guilty on December 3, 2024, before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Alexander Mashinsky targeted retail investors with promises that he would keep their “digital assets” safer than a bank, when in fact he used those assets to place risky bets and to line his own pockets. In the end, Mashinsky made tens of millions of dollars while his customers lost billions. America’s investors deserve better. The case for tokenization and the use of digital assets is strong but it is not a license to deceive. The rules against fraud still apply, and the SDNY will hold those who flout them accountable for their crimes.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:
Celsius, a crypto asset platform, offered customers “rewards” on deposited assets, secured loans, and custody services. Marketing itself as the “safest place for your crypto,” Celsius encouraged customers to “unbank” themselves by transferring crypto assets to its platform. Celsius’s primary offering, “Earn” program, promised to deploy customer assets to generate investment returns. Celsius also provided “Custody” and “Borrow” programs, the latter allowing customers to obtain loans by posting crypto assets as collateral. MASHINSKY, as CEO, directly marketed Celsius to retail customers globally. Throughout his tenure, he repeatedly misrepresented key aspects of Celsius’s business and finances to attract customers and retain their assets. His false claims covered the safety of Celsius’s yield-generating activities, its profitability, the sustainability of high rewards rates, and the risks associated with depositing crypto assets on the platform. As MASHINSKY portrayed Celsius as secure, the platform grew exponentially. By the fall of 2021, Celsius had become one of the largest crypto platforms in the world, holding approximately $25 billion in assets at its peak.
MASHINSKY and others orchestrated a yearslong scheme to mislead customers about Celsius’s proprietary crypto token CEL. They manipulated CEL’s price by spending hundreds of millions purchasing it on the open market to artificially inflate its value. At times, they used customer deposits to fund these market purchases, without disclosing that to customers. Without aggressive manipulation, CEL’s price would have been significantly lower. As Roni Cohen-Pavon, Celsius’s Chief Revenue Officer who later pled guilty to illegally manipulating CEL’s price, privately told MASHINSKY, “the value was fake and was based on us spending millions.”
To further the manipulation scheme, MASHINSKY repeatedly made false public statements about Celsius’s market activity and role in supporting and inflating CEL’s. In some instances, MASHINSKY and other executives personally purchased CEL to artificially support its value. The artificial price inflation allowed MASHINSKY to profit approximately $48 million from his own sales of CEL. He publicly claimed he was not selling CEL, while actually selling large quantities, sometimes to Celsius itself.
Before Celsius halted customer withdrawals on June 12, 2022, MASHINSKY continued assuring customers of Celsius’s strong financial position and liquidity. Meanwhile, he withdrew $8 million worth of his own non-CEL assets from Celsius. When Celsius announced it was halting customer withdrawals, hundreds of thousands of Celsius customers had $4.7 billion in inaccessible assets on the platform. Celsius filed for bankruptcy on July 13, 2022.
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In addition to the prison term, MASHINSKY, 59, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine and forfeiture of $48,393,446.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, each of which has filed a parallel civil action.
The case is being overseen by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Davis, Adam S. Hobson, and Allison Nichols are in charge of the prosecution.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 100 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE–Yesterday, Jakwan D. Braster, 30 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after his guilty plea to maintaining a drug-involved premises, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Braster was sentenced to a total of 100 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Braster maintained a drug house in Fort Wayne from February through August 2020 for the purpose of distributing and manufacturing controlled substances. In August 2020, he illegally possessed firearms despite his prior felony conviction for resisting law enforcement, and he possessed those firearms in order to facilitate and protect his drug trafficking at his drug house.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Also assisting in this investigation were the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory, the Indiana State Police Laboratory, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller and Teresa L Ashcraft.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
This case was also 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.
Former USPS employees indicted for mail theftRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging five former U.S. Postal Service employees with stealing mail.
According to court documents, the defendants all charged with one count of conspiracy to steal mail and one count of theft of mail are:
• Terrence Luster, 49, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri,
• Laura Dantzler, 64, of Kansas City, Kansas,
• Arthur Hook, 49, of Lathrop, Missouri,
• Craig Roland, 54, of Kansas City, Kansas, and
• Cheryl Wankum, 60, of Overland Park, Kansas.The defendants, who were employees at a post office on North 51st Street, are accused of stealing Amazon return packages, mail, and other items of value for their own personal use between early 2023 and mid-October 2023.
The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former School Superintendent Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Owensboro, KY – An Owensboro man was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in federal prison for numerous child sexual exploitation offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement.
According to court documents, Matthew D. Constant, 53, a former school superintendent, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison followed by a life term of supervised release for two counts of online enticement of a minor, three counts of receipt of child pornography, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and two counts of transferring obscene material to a minor.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by FBI Owensboro and the Kentucky State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Former Rock Hill Officer Convicted at Trial of Receiving, Sending Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal jury in Columbia has convicted Daniel Paul Shealy, 36, of Rock Hill, on 18 counts of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.* The jury returned a guilty verdict following three days of testimony and an hour and a half of deliberation.
According to evidence presented during trial, in 2023 investigators with the York County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that three videos depicting the sexual abuse of children were flagged on the social messaging app Kik, under the username “orgasmd0nor.” Investigators with the YCSO and FBI traced the account and IP address to Shealy, a detective and former school resource officer with the Rock Hill Police Department.
Further investigation revealed that Shealy was a member of more than 40 private groups on Kik designed for users to trade child sexual abuse materials, including groups with references to minors, teens, and incest in the titles. According to testimony from a Kik representative, users in such groups often exchange images and videos of rape, sexual assault, bestiality, and other abuse of children. Investigators testified during trial that after receiving the tip, they executed a search warrant on Shealy’s phone and his Kik account. Shealy’s phone was in his patrol car and accessible through his thumbprint and a passcode, which was his badge number.
Agents recovered 126 explicit videos of children from Shealy’s phone and Kik account, which Shealy had received or distributed to others on the internet. The files included recordings of prepubescent minors in bondage and constraints and child sex abuse materials represented the majority of explicit recovered from his Kik account.
When Shealy testified at trial, he admitted that he operated the orgasmd0nor account and that he accessed child sex abuse material on the platform. He also admitted that he never reported the any of the videos to Kik or to law enforcement because he either did not know how to report or was concerned about his privacy related to his intimate life. Shealy taken into custody at the conclusion of the trial.
“The facts alone in this case were disturbing but became even more appalling because the defendant was a police officer, an individual given immense public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We remain committed to holding those who betray public trust accountable and protecting our most vulnerable citizens, our children. We’re grateful to the FBI, York County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case and our trial attorneys that worked diligently to bring this man to justice.”
“The FBI is unwavering in its commitment to safeguarding children from individuals who perpetrate physical and sexual abuse or engage in the exploitation of minors through the distribution of child sexual abuse material, as proved in this case,” said Reid Davis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “We hope this verdict represents a meaningful step toward justice for the victims and ensures that the defendant is held fully accountable under the law.”
He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison and a maximum of 20 years. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, lifetime supervision to follow the term of imprisonment, and sex offender registry requirements. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. presided over the trial and will sentence Shealy after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office, the York County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force at the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case.
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Former Frederick County Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Baltimore Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced William Joseph Murrow, 43, formerly of Frederick County, Maryland, to 25 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a child. Upon his release from prison, Murrow must register as a sex offender for life and was ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Baltimore Field Office; J. Charles Smith, State’s Attorney for Frederick County; and Chief Jason Lando, Frederick Police Department.
According to court documents, Murrow sexually abused and exploited a minor by soliciting images and engaging in sexual acts with her. The abuse occurred for more than 18 months, ending when the child’s mother discovered the abuse and reported it to the police.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. Click the “Resources” tab on the left side of the page to learn about Internet safety education.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, Frederick Police Department, and Brunswick Police Department for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce R. King who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Former Firefighter Sentenced for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material OnlineRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A former volunteer firefighter from Wake Forest was sentenced Wednesday to more than 12 years (151 months) in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for distribution, receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material. Royce Cosmo Fuoco, 49, plead guilty on October 8, 2024, to ten counts of Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material, one count of Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse Material, and one count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Fuoco was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) after receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that someone with the username “ncfirefighter07” on the social media application Kik had distributed at least 30 videos containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement executed a search warrant for the Kik account and found that user “ncfirefighter07” had 441 instances of distribution of child sexual abuse material to both individuals and groups on the Kik platform. Law enforcement linked that Kik account to Royce Fuoco, a former volunteer firefighter for the Wake Forest Fire Department.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Fuoco’s house. Several digital devices seized contained child sexual abuse material and evidence of his distribution of the material. Fuoco admitted to law enforcement that he obtained child sexual abuse material in Kik chat groups. Fuoco said he was bored while working from home, and he would obtain the child sexual abuse material and then send it to other users.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-229.
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Former Federal Bureau of Prisons Official sentenced for federal civil rights violation for failing to obtain medical care for an inmate who diedRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Former Bureau of Prisons (BOP) lieutenant Shronda Covington, 49, was sentenced yesterday to a year in prison to be followed by a year of home confinement and three years of supervised release for violating the civil rights of an inmate in her custody and control by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in the inmate suffering bodily injury, and for lying to federal investigators about the offense. The inmate later died of his injuries he sustained over the course of a 30-hour period spanning Jan. 9 and 10, 2021.
Former BOP nurse Tonya Farley, 54, was sentenced today to six months in prison, six months of home confinement, and three years of supervised release for lying to federal investigators about the circumstances of the death of the inmate, who was entrusted to her care.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Covington was on duty and working in her official capacity at the Federal Correctional Institution at Petersburg on Jan. 9, 2021. She willfully failed to ensure that the inmate, a 47-year-old man identified as W.W., was provided with necessary medical care during her shift, even though she knew that W.W. had serious medical needs, and W.W. suffered bodily injury as a result. Covington was also found guilty of making false statements to federal agents about the incident.
Another BOP official, former lieutenant Michael Anderson, previously pled guilty for his role in the inmate’s death and was sentenced to three years in custody.
“Custody includes a responsibility for safety and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Corrections staff must uphold that responsibility for persons in their care – or they will be held accountable for their failure to do so, like the defendants in this case.”
“Federal correctional officials who fail to do their jobs at the cost of inmate safety should be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Further, officials who obstruct investigations of their misconduct violate the public’s trust.”
“This case is a powerful reminder that BOP officials who disregard their responsibility to provide a humane environment for inmates will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Tim Edmiston of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region.
Evidence presented at trial established that, in the early morning hours of Jan. 9, 2021, W.W.’s cellmate reported to facility staff that W.W. was exhibiting unprecedented behavior, including that he was suddenly disoriented, unable to talk, unable to stand or walk without falling, and unable to control his bladder. Over the course of two days, BOP officials knew of but disregarded W.W.’s symptoms.
Without medical attention to address his medical crisis, W.W. fell into walls and other objects numerous times, causing significant bruising and bleeding to his head and body. Although BOP policy requires staff to provide necessary medical care to inmates, defendant Covington failed to respond to repeated calls for help from the officers she supervised during her shift on the morning of Jan. 9, 2021.
On the morning of Jan. 10, 2021, W.W. finally fell head-first into a wall and then to the floor in an observation cell, where — despite inmate-observers’ continued calls for help — he lay for an hour and 40 minutes before officers rendered aid. An autopsy concluded that W.W. died of blunt force trauma to his head and that the lack of medical assistance he received during his series of falls and after his last fall contributed to his death.
Farley was the last medical provider to see W.W. before his death. Despite BOP policies requiring her to confer with a physician about W.W.’s care, and despite Farley’s admission that she should have conferred with a physician and sent W.W. to the hospital, Farley failed to take these steps. She then falsely told federal investigators that she had conferred with a physician, even though she had not done so. Farley also misled investigators about her conversations with another prison official.
The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Katherine McCallister of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-68.
Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for Federal Civil Rights Crime in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Steven Nicholas Wimmer, 25, of Bluefield, was sentenced to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
With his guilty plea, Wimmer acknowledged that he responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer. The officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. Officers, including Wimmer, then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Wimmer admitted that officers struck Q.B. in the interview room in order to punish him for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Wimmer further admitted that he was a member of the conspiracy who injured Q.B. inside the interview room while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed, and posed no threat.
Wimmer and former Southern Regional Jail corrections officer Andrew Fleshman pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2023, to conspiring with other officers to use unreasonable force against Q.B. Fleshman, 22, of Shady Spring, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14. On Nov. 29, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted six other defendants in connection with the death of Q.B. In November 2024, former correctional officers Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled for June 16. On Aug. 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Q.B.’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled for June 9.
On January 27, a federal jury convicted defendant Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. Lester is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-134.
Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for Federal Civil Rights Crime in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia JailRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in an assault that resulted in the death of an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Steven Nicholas Wimmer, 25, of Bluefield, was sentenced to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
With his guilty plea, Wimmer acknowledged that he responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer. The officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. Officers, including Wimmer, then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Wimmer admitted that officers struck Q.B. in the interview room in order to punish him for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Wimmer further admitted that he was a member of the conspiracy who injured Q.B. inside the interview room while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed, and posed no threat.
Wimmer and former Southern Regional Jail corrections officer Andrew Fleshman pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2023, to conspiring with other officers to use unreasonable force against Q.B. Fleshman, 22, of Shady Spring, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2025. On Nov. 29, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted six other defendants in connection with the death of Q.B. In November 2024, former correctional officers Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled for June 16. On Aug. 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Q.B.’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled for June 9.
On January 27, a federal jury convicted defendant Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. Lester is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-134.
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Former Altana Federal Credit Union employee sentenced to more than 1 year in prison for embezzlement and ordered to pay over $65,000 in restitutionRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings woman who formerly served as the Operations Manager for Altana Federal Credit Union in 2023 was sentenced yesterday to 12 months and 1 day in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release and ordered to immediately pay full restitution of $65,046.37, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Kelly Jo Muzzana, 40, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to embezzlement by a credit union employee.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that throughout 2023, Muzzana served as the Operations Manager for Altana Federal Credit Union in Billings, Montana. In that role, Muzzana had access to customer data and was responsible for managing Altana’s entire fraud-alert process. This included supervising the employees who documented customers’ fraud claims and facilitating what funds were reimbursed by Altana. Muzzana also managed the fraud reporting system and was entrusted to independently authorize bank cards that were re-issued to customers or returned to the bank through the mail.
During her time as Operations Manager, Muzzana created duplicate bank cards for customers’ accounts and took them home with her. She did the same with cards that Altana received in the mail that were undelivered to customers. Muzzana took numerous bank cards from Altana and used them to make purchases online and in retail stores around Billings, Montana such as Target and Walmart. After using their cards to finance her private spending, Muzzana personally handled many of the subsequent fraud claims to prevent detection by law enforcement.
Eventually, an Altana customer reported one of Muzzana’s fraudulent purchases to law enforcement. When a detective called Altana to investigate, Muzzana downloaded a recording of the call and, upon learning of the investigation, fled the building and never returned.
Altana reimbursed its customers all of the money Muzzana stole. In a victim impact statement, Altana’s CEO, Jason Hagadone explained that the credit union “suffered significant reputation risk from this incident. As a financial institution, our members entrust us with one of the most important aspects of their life: their finances. Kelly breached that trust by stealing and using their debit cards.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Hargrove prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Billings Police Department and FBI.
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Foreign National Sentenced for Prohibited Person in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Michael Alexander Ayala-Ramirez, 20, of El Salvador, was sentenced on May 8, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of prohibited person in possession or a firearm or firearms. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Ayala-Ramirez to a total of 70 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ayala-Ramirez’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On July 4, 2024, a pickup truck was reported stolen from the Denver International Airport. On July 6, 2024, an Ogallala police officer observed the stolen truck and attempted to contact it. The stolen truck had three occupants, Michael Ayala-Ramirez, codefendant Pablo Escobar-Alas, and codefendant Selvin Escobar-Rivera. The driver of the vehicle, Ayala-Ramirez, attempted to flee from law enforcement, which lead to a high-speed chase through multiple counties and involved multiple law enforcement agencies. Stop sticks were successfully deployed near the Deuel and Keith County line and the truck ended up in a ditch near a farmyard in Deuel County.
Ayala-Ramirez and Escobar-Alas were the driver and front seat passenger. They got out of the vehicle carrying bags and attempted to hide under another vehicle in the farmyard momentarily. The bags were later found to contain a Smith & Wesson pistol that was reported stolen, a Sig Sauer pistol, a Glock pistol, and a Del Ton DTI-15 rifle. Ayala-Ramirez and Escobar-Alas then stole a pickup truck from the farmyard, which lead to another high-speed chase. They were arrested after stop sticks were successfully deployed once again.
Escobar-Rivera was in the backseat of the first stolen truck and he fled on foot after the initial stop. He was later arrested and a second Smith & Wesson pistol was found on the floorboard of the backseat where he had been sitting. This pistol was also reported stolen.
All three of the defendants have previously been deported and have not been given permission to return to the United States.
Pablo Escobar-Alas and Selvin Escobar-Rivera’s cases are still active and pending.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Nebraska State Patrol, Deuel County Sheriff’s Office, Ogallala Police Department, and the Denver Police Department.
Five-time DUI illegal alien offender ordered to federal prison for 70 monthsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 54-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Isidor Lagunas-Estrada pleaded guilty Jan. 14.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered him to serve the nearly six-year federal prison sentence. In imposing the term of imprisonment, the court considered the dangerousness of his crimes, lack of respect for the law and need of deterrence. The sentence will run consecutively to his state conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI).
Lagunas-Estrada was removed from the United States in 2020 following his fourth DUI conviction.
The investigation revealed he illegally reentered again and was found in the United States in October 2022 when he was arrested and later convicted for his fifth DUI.
He has been and will remain in custody.
Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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.
Five Charged with Trafficking Narcotics in the Waterbury AreaRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo today announced that ZACHARY FOSTER, also known as “Lee,” 58, of Waterbury; KEVIN LUCAS, 61, of Waterbury; PHILLION HARVEY, also known as “Dawg,” 52, of New Haven; RONALD McDOWELL, 58, of Waterbury; and KENYA BROWN, 43, of Bristol; have been federally charged with conspiring to traffic narcotics in and around Waterbury.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on November 26, 2024, Foster was sentenced in New Haven federal court to approximately 35 months of imprisonment, time already served, and four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics. In February 2025, an investigation by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force determined that Foster had resumed his drug trafficking activity. Between February and April 2025, investigators intercepted hundreds of calls between Foster and his associates coordinating the distribution of cocaine, crack, and fentanyl.
During the investigation, a search of a stash location that Foster maintained at a residence on National Avenue in Waterbury revealed approximately one kilogram of cocaine, and a search of a location he maintained on Meriden Road in Waterbury revealed approximately 600 dose bags of fentanyl. Harvey, McDowell, and Brown also were found in possession of distribution quantities of fentanyl.
On April 16, 2025, a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging each of the five defendants with conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, cocaine and fentanyl. If convicted of the charge, based on the type and quantity of drug attributed to each defendant, and based on Foster’s previous conviction for a serious drug felony offense, Foster faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Lucas, Harvey, McDowell, and Brown each faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Foster also faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release.
Foster, Lucas, and McDowell were arrested on federal criminal complaints on April 3, 2025, and are currently detained. Brown was arrested on April 25, 2025, and is released on $100,000 bond, and Harvey was released on April 29, 2025, and is released on a $50,000 bond.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The DEA Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Natasha M. Freismuth.
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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Five Arkansas Residents Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that five Arkansas residents were sentenced for federal drug crimes. The leader of the drug trafficking organization, Rito Alvarado Gomez, age 37, was sentenced to 188 months in prison for one count of Drug Conspiracy.
Alvarado Gomez’s co-defendants were sentenced at hearings held between March 25, 2025, and May 6, 2025. Three were sentenced for Distribution of Methamphetamine:
- Ricardo Villeda, age 26, was sentenced to 151 months in prison;
- Jose Alberto Alvarado Gomez, age 34, was sentenced to 68 months in prison; and
- Iris Yosellin Luna-Herrera, age 27, was sentenced to 41 months in prison.
Co-defendant Ana Isabel Frayre Barboza, age 38, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one count of Misprision of Felony.
According to investigators, beginning in 2018 and continuing until March 2024, the defendants traveled from Arkansas into the Eastern District of Oklahoma to distribute methamphetamine. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants sold over 9 kilograms of methamphetamine. The defendants also traveled into the Eastern District of Oklahoma to collect money owed for methamphetamine sales.
The charges arose from a joint investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration-McAlester Resident Office, along with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Texarkana Resident Agency, Homeland Security Investigations-Texarkana, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the 8th North Drug Task Force out of Hope, Arkansas, and the 9th West Drug Task Force out of Nashville, Arkansas. Additionally, several law enforcement agencies contributed to this investigation, including the Arkansas State Police, the Hope Police Department, and the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings. Rito Alvarado Gomez, Jose Alvarado Gomez, Ricardo Villeda, and Iris Luna Herrera are in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve non-paroleable sentences of incarceration. Ana Frayre Barboza was ordered to report to the U.S. Marshals on June 2, 2025, when she will begin serving a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Cornell and Jordan Howanitz prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
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.
Felon Convicted for Possessing Machinegun in Connection with Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – After a five-day trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Osman Malik Sesay, 32, of Gambrills, Maryland. Sesay was found guilty of a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition; conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; maintaining a drug involved premises; and possession of firearms — including a machinegun — in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.
The conviction for possession of a machinegun in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of 30 years imprisonment. Sesay faces an additional mandatory consecutive sentence of five years imprisonment for possessing another firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking on a previous date.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the verdict with Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan, Federal Bureau of Investigation – Washington Field Office, Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Chief Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police Department; and Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to the evidence presented at trial, between November 13, 2020, and continuing until at least July 16, 2021, Sesay conspired with others in a drug trafficking operation involving the bulk distribution of marijuana. Sesay used multiple fake identifications — and at least four stolen luxury vehicles and seven firearms, including two equipped with machinegun conversion devices — to facilitate his drug trafficking operation. He also leased apartments under fake names to store his drugs, proceeds, and firearms.
Anne Arundel County Police Department and PGPD Washington Area Vehicle Enforcement (W.A.V.E.) Auto Theft Unit detectives observed Sesay operating stolen vehicles in March 2021. On April 29, 2021, W.A.V.E. detectives arrested Sesay in Prince George’s County, Maryland, driving a stolen Land Rover Range Rover Supercharged.
During the arrest, authorities found that Sesay possessed more than $14,000 in U.S. currency and a fraudulent Maryland driver’s license. The fraudulent Maryland driver’s license was associated with a fraudulently rented apartment in Lanham, Maryland, where Sesay stored his drugs. Sesay also had a Glock 26 firearm in the glove compartment of the stolen vehicle, which Sesay possessed in furtherance of his drug trafficking. The Glock 26 firearm had a machinegun conversion device attached.
Then on June 30, 2021, after he was released on bond pending trial, a PGPD Guardian Helicopter captured surveillance footage of Sesay conducting a drug transaction out of a stolen Corvette in a Washington, D.C. school parking lot. On July 16, 2021, law enforcement executed search warrants on Sesay’s fraudulently rented apartments in Lanham, Maryland, and Gambrills, Maryland.
Sesay used the fraudulently rented apartment in Lanham, Maryland as a stash house for his drugs, and used the fraudulently rented apartment in Gambrills, Maryland to store more drugs, cash, and firearms. In total, law enforcement recovered approximately 90 pounds of marijuana. Evidence showed that Sesay transported marijuana across the country on a commercial airplane using fake identification.
Law enforcement also recovered more than $40,000 in U.S. Currency and six firearms, five of which were loaded, from the apartment in Gambrills, Maryland. And officers seized the stolen Corvette, a stolen Audi A7 sedan, and a stolen Land Rover Range Rover Velar that Sesay used as part of his drug trafficking operation. Inside the vehicles, law enforcement recovered more marijuana. Additionally, law enforcement discovered a loaded Glock 30 firearm with a machinegun conversion device attached — which Sesay possessed in furtherance of his drug trafficking — inside the stolen Corvette. As a convicted felon, Sesay is prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
Sesay faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of life in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking on April 29, 2021; a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum of life for possessing firearms, including a machinegun, in furtherance of drug trafficking on July 16, 2021; a maximum of five years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; a maximum of five years in prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; a maximum of 20 years in prison for maintaining a drug involved premises; and a maximum of 10 years in prison each for two felon in possession of firearms and ammunition charges. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox scheduled sentencing for July 29, 2025, at 12 p.m.
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, ATF, Anne Arundel County Police Department, and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick D. Kibbe and Brooke Y. Oki who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Federal Jury Returns Guilty Verdicts Against Two Members of a Firearm and Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
After a three-day trial, a federal jury found Angel Lopez, 47, of Southern California, guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and Rochlem Eric Aquino Yadao, 48, of Santa Maria, guilty of conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents and evidence produced at trial, Lopez and Yadao were involved in conspiracies to traffic drugs and guns respectively. In March 2020, Angel Lopez negotiated the sale of 5 pounds of methamphetamine and directed others to complete the deal. Later, in a dark parking lot outside Disneyland, Lopez’s associate delivered the methamphetamine to the buyer. Shortly after the drug transaction, nearby law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop and seized the drugs. The methamphetamine was packaged in five individual plastic bags, with two of the bags containing “blue” methamphetamine.
Also in 2020, several individuals conspired to deal firearms without a license in Fresno, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties. Throughout the firearm dealing conspiracy, agents seized firearms and ammunition from four different gun deals between March and August of 2020. In April 2020, members of the firearm dealing conspiracy arranged for the sale of two AR-style rifles. The deal took place at Yadao’s residence in Santa Maria. Yadao personally stored and delivered the firearms at his house and took cash payment for the weapons. Both guns were “ghost guns,” and did not have serial numbers. Yadao did not have a license to deal firearms. The guns were seized by law enforcement shortly after the deal occurred.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Justice, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno Police Department, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie M. Stokman and Cody S. Chapple are prosecuting the case.
Lopez and Yadao are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Aug. 25, 2025. Lopez faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. Yadao faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
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.
Federal Jury Convicts Stacey Lancaster for Attempting to Sex Traffic a Minor at a Manchester HotelRead the Press Release
CONCORD – After a 3-day trial, a Hudson man was convicted by a federal jury for attempting to sex traffic a 12-year-old in a proactive federal and local law enforcement operation on November 14, 2024, Acting United States Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Stacey Lancaster, age 46, was convicted of one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor. United States District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro ordered Lancaster detained pending sentencing, which is scheduled for August 18, 2025.
On November 14 and November 15, 2024, in a proactive law enforcement operation, agents posted and monitored an advertisement on a website commonly used to advertise commercial sex. The advertisement contained images of what appeared to be two minor females, and a contact phone number. Law enforcement agents monitored the phone line and used it to communicate with potential sex buyers, including Lancaster. During a text conversation between an undercover agent and Lancaster, the agent stated that he/she had a 12-year-old girl available to perform sex acts in exchange for money. The agent then provided Lancaster with the address of a hotel in Manchester. Once at the hotel, the defendant met with an undercover agent and confirmed that he was in possession of the agreed upon $100 to pay for the commercial sex act, and that he would use a condom.
Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Krasinski and Matthew Vicinanzo are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
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Federal Detainee Admits to Possessing Contraband Inside Wyatt Detention CenterRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A federal detainee found to be in possession of contraband while detained at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center today pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy and to a charge of providing and possessing contraband in prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Anthony Whyte, 50, admitted that on May 21, 2023, he took possession of an envelope containing documents passed to him by a visitor. Upon further inspection, Wyatt officials determined that eight of the pages had the appearance of having been contaminated with some sort of substance. One of the eight pages later analyzed by the FBI was determined to have been treated with synthetic cannabinoids.
Court documents reflect that Whyte arranged for the delivery of the contaminated pages during recorded telephone conversations he made from inside the Wyatt Detention Center. The papers and the manilla envelope they were contained in were seized moments after Whyte took possession of them. At the time, Whyte was detained in an unrelated criminal matter brought in the District of Connecticut.
Whyte is scheduled to be sentenced on August 26, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the Wyatt Detention Center Professional Standards Unit.
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Federal Charges Filed Against Former Local School Music Teacher and Filipino Man for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed charges against a former local school music teacher, as well as a Filipino man living in Baltimore, Md. alleging that the two produced videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minor boys in the Philippines.
Joshua DeWitte, 50, of Cambridge, Mass., and Christopher Allan Tisoy, 27, a Filipino national residing in Baltimore, Md., were charged with one count each of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy).
DeWitte was arrested today and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for May 12, 2025. Tisoy was arrested in Baltimore yesterday and, following an initial appearance in the District of Maryland, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for May 14, 2025.
According to the charging documents, at the time of the alleged conduct, DeWitte was a music teacher at a local school in Massachusetts. Tisoy, a citizen of the Philippines who lawfully entered the United States in September 2024 on a H-1B Visa, is employed as a medical technologist at the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.
According to the charging documents, in December 2024, DeWitte was allegedly identified as the owner of a Snapchat account that uploaded a file of suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting the abuse of a boy who appears to be between approximately eight and 10 years old. Records obtained from Snapchat allegedly showed that, in September 2024, DeWitte engaged in multiple conversations that were sexual in nature with users who presented themselves as minors. In those conversations, it is alleged that DeWitte requested nude pictures from the purported minors; sent pictures of his penis to the purported minors; and discussed previous and potential in-person meetups for sexual relations with minors.
Additionally, it is further alleged that DeWitte paid, and offered to pay, another Snapchat user to obtain and produce child pornography and to recruit minor boys for himself.
Based on that information, state law enforcement obtained a search warrant for DeWitte’s Cambridge residence in January 2025. DeWitte was then arrested and charged in Cambridge District Court with six counts of disseminating obscene material to a child, one count of distribution of material depicting a child in a sexual act and one count of possession of child pornography. He was later released on conditions.
According to the charging documents, forensic examination of DeWitte’s cell phone seized at the time of his January 2025 arrest allegedly revealed a Telegram conversation between DeWitte and another user in which DeWitte allegedly shared three video files and stated: “I was in the Philippines. Most of my vids are from there and that’s where I was with a 10 yo and 12. 16 yo in Japan and Korea;” and “I have a contact there…He only records vids of the boys or arranges for my visit.”
It is alleged that a separate Telegram conversation between DeWitte and Tisoy was located on DeWitte’s phone, in which they discussed four minor boys by name and arranged for the production of videos depicting the sexual exploitation of at least two minor boys in the Philippines.
Specifically, it is alleged that in the conversations, DeWitte and Tisoy negotiated the terms of creating sexually explicit videos involving minors, including which minors should be involved; which sex acts the minors should perform; who should film, including whether a third party or one of the minors themselves should film; what angles should be filmed; and how much DeWitte should pay Tisoy for each video. The negotiation allegedly incorporated the sexual preferences of both DeWitte and Tisoy, with both agreeing on what they would each find sexually gratifying. Tisoy then allegedly relayed instructions to the minor victims to create a video.
DeWitte allegedly paid Tisoy for each video Tisoy produced and sent. It is alleged that, between July 3, 2023 and Dec. 27, 2024, DeWitte sent 87 PayPal payments to Tisoy, in amounts ranging from $27 to $958, to film the sexual exploitation of minors in the Philippines – totaling to approximately $23,752.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact [email protected].The charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy) provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cambridge Police Department; HSI-Baltimore; the Maryland Department of State Police; and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez and Anne Paruti of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
El Salvadorian National Previously Deported or Removed Three Times and a Guatemalan National Indicted for Unlawful Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – An El Salvadorian national, previously deported or removed three times, and a Guatemalan national were indicted on unrelated charges of unlawful reentry into the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Juan Ruiz, 30, an El Salvadorian national unlawfully residing in Manchester, was previously deported or removed to El Salvador three times on June 10, 2016, May 18, 2017, and October 14, 2021. He was located in New Hampshire on April 22, 2025.
Jorge Abelino Roque-Mejia, 36, a Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in the United States, was previously deported to Guatemala on May 22, 2009. He was located in New Hampshire on April 20, 2025.
Both Roque-Mejia and Ruiz are currently in ICE custody. They will appear in federal court at a later date.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement led the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the cases.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Dulce Man Indicted for Federal Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man has been charged by indictment with assault following an alleged incident that left the victim with severe injuries.
According to court documents, on February 1, 2025, James William Julian, 25, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, assaulted and seriously injured John Doe.
Julian is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Julian faces up to 10 years in prison.
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 Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Julian).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dubuque Man Who Attempted to Discharge a Firearm at a Police Officer Sentenced to over a Decade in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who assaulted a police officer by attempting to discharge a firearm was sentenced on May 6, 2025, to more than twelve years in federal prison.
Kentrell Vantrice Powell, age 29, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 20, 2024 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information from a plea agreement and a sentencing hearing showed that, on August 22, 2024, Dubuque police officers encountered Powell at a gas station. Powell was intoxicated and had shoplifted bottles of liquor from the gas station that were returned by one of his associates before officers arrived. Powell walked away from officers as they approached him despite repeated commands to stop, and he resisted arrest. While officers searched him, Powell kept reaching his hands into his back pockets, and the officers repeatedly told him to stop. When he reached his hands into his back pocket again, an officer heard a sound consistent with the action of a firearm. The officer looked down and saw Powell was holding a small derringer-size pistol, and the pistol was pointed at the officer. Subsequent examination of the pistol showed that a round of ammunition inside the pistol had a strike mark consistent with the round having misfired. The pistol also had an obliterated serial number.
Powell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Powell was sentenced to 150 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Powell is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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 case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-1030.
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Dominican National Sentenced for Passport Fraud and Stealing U.S. Citizen's IdentityRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national, residing in Fall River, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to charges related to passport fraud and other offenses.
Hector Eduardo Arias Mejia, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to two years and one day in prison and one year of supervised release. The defendant is also subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In March 2025, Arias Mejia pleaded guilty to misuse of a Social Security number, aggravated identity theft and making a false statement in an application for a United States passport. In December 2023, Arias Mejia was indicted by a federal grand jury.
According to the charging documents Arias Mejia unlawfully used the identity of a United States citizen from Puerto Rico since at least 2011. In 2011, using that stolen identity, Arias Mejia was convicted in the Fall River District Court of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, for which he served an 18 month jail sentence. In 2016, again using the stolen identity, Arias Mejia was convicted in the Fall River District Court of three counts of possession with intent to distribute drugs and was sentenced two years in jail.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo; Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Dominican National Deported in 2014 Following Convictions on Drug Trafficking and Other Crimes Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national, deported in 2014 after being convicted for drug trafficking, identity fraud, and forgery, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of illegal reentry, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Noel Ignacio Moronta, 43, deported in May 2014, again came to the attention of law enforcement in April 2023, when he was arrested on various Rhode Island state charges for drug trafficking and related crimes. He was convicted on those charges in November 2023.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The matter was investigated by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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District Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty in Unlawful Possession of Six FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dewayne Anthony Shorter Jr., 36, a resident of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to two felony charges related to armed drug distribution. The plea, which comes as part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative, was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Shorter pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan to distribution of marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids and to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. Judge Sooknanan set the sentencing hearing for August 28, 2025.
As part of his plea, Shorter admitted that he possessed with the intent to distribute 2.75 pounds of marijuana, two jars of THC wax, and 29.8 grams of suspected dimethylpentylone, a synthetic designer drug also referred to as “boot.” The drugs were recovered by MPD officers on Jan. 28, 2025, inside Shorter’s 2022 Infiniti SUV.
Shorter further admitted to possessing a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol loaded with 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition, an Aero Precision 5.56mm AR-Pistol loaded with 36 rounds, a Del Ton 5.56mm AR-Pistol loaded with 15 rounds, and a “double drum” 100-round capacity magazine containing 94 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition. All were recovered from inside the same SUV.
Shorter also admitted to possessing with intent to distribute 30 grams of synthetic cannabinoids, 28 grams of suspected fentanyl, and 18 grams of suspected “boot” in his apartment which was searched by MPD officers after his arrest. In addition, he admitted to possessing a Ruger 5.7x28mm handgun loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition, an FNH 5.7x28mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with 20 rounds, two disassembled AR-15 style rifles chambered for 5.56mm ammunition, three rifle magazines loaded with a total of 57 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and a handgun magazine loaded with 28 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Shorter is a previously convicted felon and has two prior convictions for assaulting police officers.
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
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Defendants Sentenced in Murder-for Hire ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Four defendants were sentenced for their involvement in a murder-for-hire conspiracy, among other crimes.
On January 10, 2025, a federal jury convicted Judy Owen, 61, and Mitzy Smith, 54, of Fairhope, AL, for conspiracy to commit murder for hire, transfer of a firearm in furtherance of a felony, and murder for hire.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Smith and Owen conspired together and with others to hire a hitman to murder another person. The sisters’ co-defendants, Rebecca Murphy, Sandra Grimes, and Jessica Montgomery previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for hire. The sisters were also convicted of transferring a firearm to another person in furtherance of a felony, murder.
On May 5, 2025, United States Chief District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Judy Owen to 120 months in prison, Sandra Grimes to 70 months in prison, and Jessica Montgomery to 60 months in prison for their roles in the conspiracy. Mitzy Smith was sentenced to time served. Rebecca Murphy was previously sentenced on January 27, 2025, and received a sentence of 60 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill and Tandice H. Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Dealers Sentenced for Supplying Local Fentanyl and Methamphetamine MarketsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A major supplier of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Southwest Virginia—and a pair of related dealers—were sentenced this week to lengthy federal prison terms, dealing a major blow to the drug market in Southwest Virginia.
Bradley Mitchell Chester, 39, of Pound, Va., was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison. Chester previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and two counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Also on Thursday, two methamphetamine and fentanyl dealers, Matthew Addington, 41, and Michael Hicks, 36, of Pound, Va., were each sentenced. Addington was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment and Hicks was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment.
According to court documents, Chester served as a major supplier of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Wise County, Virginia area from approximately March 2023 to March 2024. Chester routinely made trips to North Carolina and Kentucky with co-conspirators to obtain up to several pounds of methamphetamine and a pound of fentanyl at a time from drug suppliers. Chester also supplied Addington, Hicks, and other co-conspirators with fentanyl and methamphetamine, which they the redistributed locally.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Southwest Drug Task Force, Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.
Convicted Methamphetamine Distributor Pleads Guilty to Escape from Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Mark Daly (60, Summerfield) has pleaded guilty to escaping from federal prison. Daly faces a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to records and information presented in court, on February 21, 2025, Daly escaped from the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex prison camp in Sumter County, where he had been serving a 10-year prison sentence for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. DEA agents immediately began to search for Daly and obtained a search warrant for the GPS location information of a cellphone he was using. On February 27, 2025, Daly was located near an abandoned residence in Palatka, along with two others who were also wanted for criminal charges. One of the others was Daly’s girlfriend, who also had escaped from federal prison. Daly and the others were taken into custody.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie K. Boyer.
Cincinnati man sentenced to more than 2 years in prison for federal fraud crimesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Yaw Mintah Afari, 47, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 27 months in prison for fraud. He used a stolen identity for decades, compiling an extensive criminal record, getting married and fathering a child all under the assumed identity.
Court documents detail that the victim of Afari’s identity theft has significantly suffered from having his identity stolen. For example, the victim was arrested in 2009 for a warrant in Georgia for a crime that Afari committed while using his identity. The victim later had to take a DNA test to prove that he was not liable for child support payments for a child that Afari fathered under the victim’s name. Further, the victim lost his job as an Uber driver because of the criminal record Afari compiled under his identity.
Afari was born in Ghana in 1977 and entered the United States on a visitor’s visa in 1999. Afari obtained a Virginia driver’s license in 1999. In July 2001, he was charged with assault in Fairfax, Virginia.
After his assault charges, Afari stole the identity of an acquaintance that lived on his road.
Afari used the stolen identity in connection with various arrests, including on fraud, theft and forgery charges in Georgia in 2007 and 2009. The defendant was convicted and sentenced to prison terms for the crimes in Georgia and was paroled in 2012.
In 2018 or 2019, Afari moved to Cincinnati and then married a woman, using the stolen identity for a marriage certificate in Hamilton County. He also fathered a child while using the assumed identity.
Afari applied for a passport in Cincinnati using the victim’s name in February 2022, which led to an investigation into his true identity.
The defendant was charged and arrested in March 2024. He pleaded guilty in October 2024.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), U.S. Social Security Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Marshals, and Ohio BMV Investigations. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy A. Landry is representing the United States in this case.
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Choctaw County Resident Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Karen Sue Freeman, age 64, of Grant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hugo Police Department, and the Durant Police Department.
On January 14, 2025, Freeman pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 13, 2024, Freeman knowingly and intentionally distributed approximately 50 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Freeman will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Geizura represented the United States.
Chicago residents sentenced to prison for stealing over $100,000 from North Pole business through wire fraud, money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Two Chicago residents were sentenced to prison today for their roles in defrauding a North Pole restaurant of over $128,000 from July to August 2022.
Jacob Centeno, 40, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison and will serve three years on supervised release, while his co-defendant Amber Davila, 36, was sentenced to two years in prison and will serve three years on supervised release.
According to court documents, in August 2022, the owner of the North Pole restaurant noticed funds missing from a business bank account. The victim discovered that between Aug. 4-9, 2022, all of the funds intended for deposit into the restaurant’s account had been diverted to an unrecognized bank account. The total amount of funds diverted was $128,246.05.
An investigation revealed that, Centeno and Davila opened and used two shell companies in Chicago to steal the restaurant’s funds. In July 2021, they registered EROS LLC and opened a business bank account for the company. In July 2022, the defendants used stolen personal information to register ORODMEDLINE LLC and opened another business bank account for that company.
On July 29, 2022, an unknown co-conspirator surreptitiously changed the business bank account information connected to the restaurant to the fraudulent ORODMEDLINE LLC bank account so that the funds could be diverted. An email confirming the account change was sent to the restaurant, but Centeno, Davila and their co-conspirator unlawfully accessed the victim’s email, filled out the confirmation form and returned it to the sender. They then deleted all the email traffic to conceal their actions.
Centeno and Davila used the stolen funds from the ORODMEDLINE LLC account to purchase over $41,000 in money orders in Chicago. Centeno and Davila deposited the money orders into various personal and business accounts in amounts of less than $10,000 to avoid Bank Secrecy Act reporting requirements, and then moved the money to other accounts to further conceal their scheme.
Centeno and Davila were indicted in June 2024 and pleaded guilty on Jan. 31, 2025. Centeno and Davila both pleaded guilty to all 16 counts of the indictment. In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized the lasting impact the defendant’s conduct will have on the victims in this case.
“Mr. Centeno and Ms. Davila orchestrated an elaborate fraud scheme from Chicago to steal over $100,000 from a small business in North Pole, Alaska - 3,300 miles away,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This sentence sends a clear message—we will aggressively pursue and hold accountable criminals in any state who exploit innocent Alaskans for personal gain. I want to thank the FBI and North Pole Police Department for uncovering the truth and delivering justice to the victim.”
“To fund their own fraudulent lifestyle, the defendants’ complex and interstate fraud scheme involved stealing funds from a local business in North Pole, Alaska, affecting innocent victims along the way,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Today’s sentencings demonstrate that distance and complexity are no barriers to justice for the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners in Alaska.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office, Fairbanks Resident Agency, FBI Chicago Field Office and North Pole Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case, with significant legal support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois.
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Cedar Rapids Woman Sentenced for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who was responsible for the distribution of over 150 pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than eleven years in federal prison.
Kris Marie Hagan, age 66, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 3, 2025 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Information from a plea agreement and a sentencing hearing showed that between 2019 and November 17, 2023, Hagan distributed methamphetamine from her residences in Marion and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. During that time, Hagan distributed more than 150 pounds of the controlled substance.
Hagan was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Hagan was sentenced to 134 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hagan is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-60. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Castle Shannon Felon Charged with Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The three-count Indictment named Vaughn James, 40, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about June 14, 2023, James possessed with intent to distribute quantities of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, protonitazene, heroin, MDMA, cocaine, and crack cocaine. The Indictment also alleges that James possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime and possessed a firearm and ammunition after having been convicted of multiple prior felonies, including for state drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 20 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10.5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police Drug Law Enforcement Division’s Southwest Strike Force Unit and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.