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Thursday 8 May 2025
Career Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Bralyn Wadlington, who has numerous prior convictions for drug-related offense as well as other crimes, will spend the next 240 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
On January 22, 2025, Wadlington, 28, of Little Rock, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Miller also sentenced Wadlington to five years’ supervised release. On June 4, 2024, Wadlington was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
On May 29, 2024, an Arkansas State Police (ASP) trooper conducted a traffic stop on a black Kia Optima for speeding. The trooper made contact with the driver, Wadlington, however, Wadlington then fled the scene in his vehicle at a high rate of speed. The trooper then engaged in a vehicle pursuit of Wadlington. During the pursuit, Wadlington evaded police until running the red light at the intersection of Asher Avenue and University Avenue, colliding with a civilian in a white truck. After the collision, Wadlington continued to disobey the trooper’s commands to comply and exited the passenger side of his vehicle and fled on foot. A second ASP trooper arrived on scene to assist and deployed his taser to subdue Wadlington and take him into custody.
Troopers conducted a search of Wadlington’s Kia Optima and in located in the backseat approximately 446.6 grams of methamphetamine, one FN Herstal, model Five-Seven, 5.7x28 mm caliber firearm, multiple rounds of various ammunitions, multiple bags, and a digital scale used in drug distribution.
Wadlington received enhanced penalties for the drug conviction at sentencing due to his status as a career offender because of his criminal history that includes residential burglary, two convictions for theft by receiving, possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, two convictions for possession of a Schedule I/II controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with purpose to deliver a controlled substance, two convictions for fleeing, fraud/deceit to procure narcotics, two convictions for possession of a firearm by certain persons. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Arkansas State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katie Hinojosa.
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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 online at
http://www.justice.gov/edar
Twitter:
@USAO_EDAR
California man sentenced to 12 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine in BillingsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A California man who distributed methamphetamine in Billings was sentenced today to 144 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Sergio Rene Tagaban, 56, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
On November 7, 2022, law enforcement seized approximately two pounds of methamphetamine from a suspicious parcel shipped to Billings, Montana, from Calexico, California. Tagaban was identified as the person who mailed the package. The intended receiver of the package, Angelena LaFave, was sentenced on November 6, 2024, to five years in prison for her role in the offense.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Vestal prosecuted the case, and the investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
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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Blue Springs Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Blue Springs, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.
Jon Hopkins, Jr., 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 14 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Hopkins to serve supervised release for Life following his incarceration and to pay $15,000 in restitution to his victims.
On October 29, 2024, Hopkins pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography. According to court documents, while Hopkins was employed with Honeywell in Kansas City, Missouri, he was discovered to be in possession of an electronic device within the Honeywell facility in a secure classified area which prohibits electronics. His electronic device was lawfully searched, and law enforcement discovered images depicting child pornography during an initial review. A federal search warrant was obtained, and following detailed forensic analysis, hundreds of images and videos of child pornography were discovered on his phone, many of which focused on preteen girls. These images included depictions of 10 previously identified child pornography victims.
Hopkins is also charged in Jackson County, Missouri with the felony offenses of Statutory Rape or Attempted Statutory Rape in the First Degree of a child less than 12 years old, as well Statutory Sodomy or Attempted Statutory Sodomy in the First Degree of a child less than 12 years old. Those charges have been pending while this federal case has been ongoing.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Department of Energy, Office of the Inspector General, as well as the Independence Missouri Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Bay State Resident Charged in Alleged Attempt to Assassinate a Cabinet Member Nominee at the U.S. CapitolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ryan Michael English, 24, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, was charged in a two-count indictment, filed today in U.S. District Court, with the attempted assassination of a cabinet member nominee and carrying a dangerous weapon on the Grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building. The charges are related to English’s Jan. 27, 2025, alleged attempt to take a knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails into the building for the purposes of attacking a presidential cabinet nominee.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police. English, who is in custody, had an initial court appearance this afternoon.
English, aka “Reily,” is charged with carrying a dangerous weapon or incendiary device on the grounds of the Capitol and unlawful possession of an incendiary device.
According to the charging documents, on January 27, 2025, about 3:12 p.m., English approached a U.S. Capitol Police Officer near the South Door of the Capitol Building and stated “I’d like to turn myself in.” English further admitted to possessing a knife and two “Molotov cocktails.”
Officers searched English and recovered a folding knife, as well as two improvised incendiary devices from the inside pockets of English’s jacket. The devices were constructed of 50 milliliter bottles of vodka with a grey cloth affixed to its top. Police recovered a green lighter from another pocket.
During the search, English allegedly confessed to being at the Capitol to kill a presidential nominee who was testifying before the U.S. Senate. Police recovered a note to a family member in a pocket that said, in part, “This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters…Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying.”
English admitted to traveling to the District of Columbia with the intention of killing a government official or burning down a think-tank based in Washington, D.C.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bay Minette Man Sentenced to 17½ Years in Prison for Attempting to Entice a ChildRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Timothy Allen Arthur, age 66, was sentenced today to 210 months in prison after entering a guilty plea to a count of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Arthur entered his guilty plea on September 17, 2024.
According to court documents, during the summer months of 2023, Bay Minette Police Department (“BMPD”) was called to a school to address an issue about a nude photo of a student that was being distributed at a school. As part of the investigation into that incident, BMPD made contact with Arthur. Arthur’s behavior during his interview with BMPD was suspicious. Afterwards, teachers at the school began looking at the social media accounts of a 12-year-old child, and they discovered that Arthur was making inappropriate comments on the child’s social media posts. A teacher took screenshots of those comments and provided them to law enforcement.
The 12-year-old was interviewed and indicated that Arthur had been sending her inappropriate text messages for about a year, beginning when she was 11 years old. BMPD took the child’s phone into evidence and searched the phone. They found the text messages with Arthur. In those text messages, Arthur solicited the child to perform sex acts and produce naked images of herself. Arthur used sexually explicit language to describe the acts he wanted to engage in with the child. She did not encourage or respond positively to these comments. On at least one occasion, the child reminded Arthur that she was 12. After one of his comments about engaging in sexual activity, the child wrote “ur old. That’s rape, right?” Arthur wrote “I think we should get together” and the girl responded, in part, “I’m only 12 I can’t get together with u.” The child also repeatedly told Arthur to stop messaging her.
At sentencing, Judge DuBose imposed the 210-month sentence of incarceration and a 10-year term of supervised release upon his future release. During his term of imprisonment, Arthur will be subject to sex offender treatment, substance abuse testing and treatment, and mental health treatment. Arthur will be required to register as a sex offender and is to have no contact with minors. Arthur was ordered to pay $35,000 in restitution to the victims of his offenses and $5,100 in special assessments.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Bay Minette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources
Baltimore County Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $1.3 Million in COVID-19 Cares Act LoansRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced David Epstein, 46, of Owings Mills, Maryland, to one year and one day in federal prison and 12 months of home incarceration. The sentence is in connection with his previous guilty plea to one count of wire fraud for submitting fraudulent CARES Act loan applications.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It gives financial assistance including forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. Established by the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) — along with the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), helped businesses meet their financial obligations.
According to his plea agreement, and other court documents, beginning in May 2020, and continuing through February 2021, in the District of Maryland, Epstein engaged in a scheme to defraud financial institutions, including Cross River Bank, Bluevine, Celtic Bank, and the SBA, to obtain fraudulent loans for his business PEI Staffing (PEI), a temporary staffing company, under the PPP and EIDL programs.
On April 30, 2020, Epstein submitted a false and misleading PPP loan application in the name of PEI, seeking approximately $1,307,170 in funds. The application contained false statements and omissions relating to PEI including its number of employees. According to the application, PEI employed 382 workers but had only listed 79 on an IRS Form 941 for the second quarter of 2020. Other inaccuracies listed on the application were wages paid to employees and how funds would be used, such as for payroll and business rent and utilities. Epstein also falsely stated that he did not have common management with any other businesses, but he was a common manager of both PEI and Stafquik.
In February 2020, Epstein submitted a fictitious SunTrust Bank statement, claiming the account belonged to PEI. Instead, the account was connected to Stafquik. Epstein admitted that he altered the bank statement to submit PPP applications for PEI.
Then on May 4, 2020, approximately $1,307,170 in PPP loan proceeds were disbursed to the SunTrust Stafquik account. Within four days, Epstein opened four personal bank accounts at two separate banks where he subsequently transferred the PPP loan money that he eventually used for impermissible personal and other unauthorized expenses.
For example, one day after receiving the PPP funds, Epstein transferred $110,356.48 from the SunTrust account to Mercedes-Benz Financial in connection with a payment for a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GT43C4 automobile that he previously purchased. In addition, beginning on May 20, 2020, through August 2020, Epstein transferred approximately $138,522.22 in PPP funds to a contractor to complete extensive renovations on his home, including the installation of a pool. Epstein also admitted he used the PPP funds to pay a $100,000 settlement agreement; $344,341.05 debt to a business partner; and for various other personal expenses, including a trip to a luxury golf resort and personal debts.
Epstein also attempted to repeatedly add individuals whom he owed money to PEI’s payroll to make it appear that they were employees. Epstein attempted to hiding the PPP loan amount he received from family members, PEI employees, and various business partners he owed money.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the IRS-CI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who is prosecuting the case, and recognized Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber and the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force for their valuable assistance.
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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Athens Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Filing $3.5+ Million in False ReturnsRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A tax preparer who admitted to filing more than $3.5 million in fraudulent tax returns tied to a multi-state investigation of a COVID-19 pandemic unemployment benefit scheme in which she received a percentage of the ill-gotten gains was sentenced to serve eight years in prison for her crime.
Jessica Crawford, 34, of Athens, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III on May 8. Crawford previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aiding and assisting in preparing and presenting false income tax returns on Nov. 22, 2024. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Federal law enforcement uncovered a large-scale tax return scheme during the pandemic that was costing taxpayers while benefiting fraudsters,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Alongside our law enforcement partners, federal prosecutors will continue to uphold the law and pursue justice in these cases.”
“Jessica Crawford used her position as a tax preparer to defraud the U.S. government through a CARES Act program intended for those unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Atlanta Field Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Lisa Fontanette. “In addition, she continued her theft of taxpayers’ money by fraudulently filing tax returns on behalf of her clients. The sentencing Crawford received should serve notice to unscrupulous tax preparers that IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners will continue investigating and holding them accountable for their unethical conduct.”
"Jessica Crawford lied and took advantage of funds designed to help those who were truly in need during the pandemic," said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify and hold accountable anyone who defrauds taxpayers."
According to court documents and statements made in court, FBI agents investigating a multi-state unemployment benefit scheme conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic discovered text messages between individuals involved in the scheme and Crawford, a tax preparer with Crawford Tax Services in Athens. Crawford filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits on behalf of those individuals who had created fake businesses or submitted false information to fraudulently obtain benefits. In return, Crawford received a percentage of the ill-gotten gains.
Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) agents executed an undercover operation at Crawford’s business in April 2022 as part of the continuing investigation. The undercover agent (UA) met Crawford to have taxes prepared, and Crawford asked if the UA did anything on the side. At first, the UA responded no, but Crawford said that expenses could be deducted if he did, and the UA said he mowed an aunt’s lawn sometimes, which Crawford said was good enough. The UA did not provide any income or expense amounts. Still, Crawford created a Schedule C business for landscaping on the UA's federal income tax return based solely on that interaction. Crawford prepared a Form 1040 and filed electronically, including a fictitious Schedule C loss of $19,373, and claimed an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a Child Tax Credit (CTC), and a Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction, which were affected by the fraudulent Schedule C loss. As a result, the UA’s return claimed a fraudulent federal income tax refund of $12,359.
The IRS completed a statistical review of 1,261 total tax returns filed by Crawford in tax years 2020 and 2021. Of those, the IRS determined that Crawford fraudulently filed tax returns on behalf of clients, resulting in losses to the IRS exceeding $3 million from falsely claimed Form 7202 credits for sick leave and family leave, tax credits and dependent care credits.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the IRS-CI.
Criminal Chief Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.
Armed repeat illegal alien admits to human smuggling and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 39-year-old Mexican national has pleaded guilty to four offenses related to a human smuggling event that occurred earlier this year, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Alejandro Ramirez-Carranza, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, admitted to transporting and bringing an alien into the United States as well as illegal reentry and being an alien in possession of a firearm. Mexican citizen Issac Azuara-Vasquez, 39, entered his plea April 10 to the same smuggling-related charges as well as selling a firearm to Ramirez-Carranza, an illegal alien.
On Feb. 12, authorities were conducting surveillance in an area notorious for alien, drug and weapon smuggling and heard a boat in the Rio Grande River coming in from Mexico. After hearing an individual in Spanish telling people to run, law enforcement witnessed a truck driving toward the river. It stopped by the river’s edge, and several individuals ran out of the brush and began climbing into the truck bed.
Azuara-Vasquez was driving and had brought an AR-15 type firearm to the scene. Ramirez-Carranza was standing by the vehicle, then retrieved the firearm and began running toward the back of the truck. He ignored multiple commands to stop and drop the weapon.
The investigation revealed Ramirez-Carranza was the river guide and had conspired with Azuara-Vasquez to transport and smuggle the individuals found in the truck bed. One indicated Ramirez-Carranza brought him across the Rio Grande River by boat and that his relatives were paying for him to be smuggled into the United States.
Ramirez-Carranza has felony convictions for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and illegal reentry after deportation. He was last removed from the United States in September 2009.
“The only thing worse than engaging in human smuggling is bringing along a weapon to facilitate your operation,” said Ganjei. “The rifle was there for a reason, and fortunately the scheme was interdicted before the firearm could be used against an innocent landowner or a law enforcement officer.”
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing for Azuara-Vasquez and Ramirez-Carranza July 2 and July 30, respectively. At those times, both men face up to 10 years in prison for the transportation charge and for bringing an alien into the United States as well as a maximum of 15 years for each of their respective firearms offenses. Ramirez-Carranza faces another 10 years for illegal reentry. All convictions also carry potential fines of up to $250,000.
Both have been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI and the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro 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.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Demarius Chamon Johnson, a felon who possessed a firearm located next to a three-year old child, will spend the next 17 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the 204-month sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
A federal grand jury indicted Johnson, 35, of Jacksonville, in a superseding indictment on May 3, 2023. On January 24, 2025, Johnson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On September 17, 2021, officers with the North Little Rock Police Department located a vehicle that had been reported stolen out of El Dorado parked at the Fairview Inn in North Little Rock. The hotel’s surveillance footage showed that an individual had parked the stolen vehicle and entered one of the rooms on the second floor. Officers went to the room, noted the door was open, and saw Johnson by the doorway. When officers entered the room, they noticed a firearm next to a three-year old child who was lying on one of the beds. Johnson was initially detained in relation to the stolen car. While being placed in handcuffs, Johnson stated, “that gun’s mine, it belongs to me.” The Colt Commander, .45 caliber pistol that was located on the bed had one round in the chamber and six rounds in the magazine. The firearm had been reported stolen out of Little Rock.
Johnson has at least three prior convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense and is therefore classified as an armed career criminal. His criminal history includes residential burglary, attempted residential burglary, and felony drug possession and distribution.
Judge Miller also sentenced Johnson to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by ATF with assistance from the North Little Rock Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Jegley.
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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
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
21 Armed and Violent Drug Traffickers and Gang Members from Spokane Area Facing Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced that 21 individuals have been charged following the return of 15 separate indictments alleging dozens of charges against these defendants. Certain of the individuals indicated are not yet in federal custody.
The arrests follow a long-term joint federal investigation that began in October 2024, led by the by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This 7-month long investigation has targeted violent individuals and armed drug traffickers in Spokane as well as individuals operating in what has become nothing less than an open-air drug market on Division Street downtown.. These individuals have been problems in multiple states, impacting multiple communities during their lifetimes, in not only Washington State, but also Texas, Nevada, North Dakota, Montana, Alabama, Idaho, Oregon, and California.
Upon release of the latest indictment, which was unsealed earlier today upon the arrest of several additional suspects, Acting United States Attorney Rich Barker stated, “I am grateful for the coordinated efforts of so many law enforcement agencies, who worked together to coordinate the takedown of this alleged drug trafficking operation.” Acting U.S. Attorney Barker continued, “It is an honor work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners on such important prosecutions, which help remove illegal drugs and firearms from our community. Our community and nation are safer, because of the work of our law enforcement and prosecution teams.”
To date, agents seized just shy of 14-pounds of methamphetamine, over 1 kilogram of heroin, over 16,000 fentanyl pills, over 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, almost $60,000 in drug proceeds, as well as four vehicles and 36 firearms. In connection with the prosecution, the United States has filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the Eastern District of Washington against a local Spokane apartment complex located near North Central High School, which allegedly was being used to distribute illegal drugs and a place for individuals to obtain firearms. Properties such as this one are not only a community safety issue as a free for all of illicit activity, they are also a drain on public resources that could be used elsewhere. For example, in the last 2.5 years, records show there have been approximately 58 separate calls for service at the address.
According to unsealed charging documents, the following individuals, many of whom have ties to various street gangs and who have a history of violence, have been charged in connection with the investigation. Additionally, the names of others indicted in connection with this investigation will be unsealed upon the arrest of those individuals.
Andrew Vincent Auerbach, charged with Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking. Auerbach has a prior federal conviction for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Daryl Edward Boone, 45, charged with Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, Possess with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Distribution of 5 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine
James M. Ferguson, 33, charged with Unlawful Possession of a Short-Barreled Shotgun
Jonathan Jacob Inglis, 40, pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl. On January 30, 2025, he was sentenced to 151 months in prison.
Nathan Carlson Johnson, 44, charged with Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine.
James Lelacheur, 56, charged with Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine.
Christopher Wayne O’Neal, charged with Distribution of 5 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine. O’Neal is currently in Spokane County Jail stemming from a separate drug trafficking investigation.
Gabriella Sherif Rizkalla, charged with multiple counts of Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, and Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine
Roland Dewayne Sanders, 36, charged with Distribution of Fentanyl, Distribution of 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl. Sanders was on federal supervised release at the time of his offense and utilized his minor child to assist in the distribution of fentanyl.
Bernie Ray Shaw Jr., 45, charged with Distribution of Fentanyl
Courtney A. Wheeler, charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking
Andrew Lee Williams, charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking
Anthony Dale Williams, charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, multiple counts of Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Distribution of Cocaine.
Certain of the individuals will be arraigned at the Spokane Federal Courthouse on May 9, 2025, at 10:00am.
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.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation along with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Moses Lake Police Department, Border Patrol, and the Washington Department of Corrections. Additional assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
WILLIAMS et al - 2:25-CR-75-RLP
SANDERS – 2:25-CR-15-MKD
LELACHER – 2:24-CR-16-MKD
FERGUSON – 2:24-CR-158-RLP
JOHNSON – 2:24-CR-159-MKD
AUERBACH – 2:25-CR-16-TOR
INGLIS – 2:23-CR-56-TOR
SHAW – 2:24-CR-163-MKD
BOONE – 2:24-CR-164-RLP
United States of America v. Real Property Known as 625 West Maxwell Avenue Spokane Washington et al, 2:25-cv-00148-RLP
19 Members of a Drug Trafficking Ring Indicted in ClevelandRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Ohio has returned a 29-count indictment against 19 members and associates of a Cleveland drug trafficking ring. Those charged are Derek Brantley, 41, Cleveland Heights; Juan Johnny Colon, 42, Cleveland; Luis Joel Rondon, 44, Cleveland; Sydney Anthony, 25, Parma Heights; Ryan Bell, 39, Brunswick; Mark Byrd, 44, Cleveland; Nicholas Calvert, 37, Avon Lake; Jocelyn Dolan, 22, Newton Falls; Antonio Greenlee, 37, Cleveland; Andre Jenkins, 43, Cleveland; Melanie Crespo, 32, Elyria; Jordan Marsh, 27, Cleveland; Nicholas Malusky, 38, Parma; Sean Masters, 54, Fort Pierce, Florida; Brandon Payne, 32, Cleveland; Lee Pomales, 38, Cleveland; Mason Pulvino, 28, North Ridgeville; Martha Rios, 68, Cleveland; and Kalem Watts, 45, Cleveland.
Federal and local law enforcement agents and officers made the apprehensions in a series of coordinated arrests.
According to court documents, from October 2023 to December 2024, the defendants charged were alleged to have trafficked various controlled substances but were mostly dealing cocaine. Although based in Cleveland, the ring operated throughout Northeast Ohio and as far away as Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Their operations also included attempts to infiltrate the Ohio prison system.
Throughout the investigation, authorities seized thousands of dollars in cash and a number of illegal drugs that included cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. Several illegally possessed firearms were also confiscated throughout the investigation.
During the investigation, several locations in Cleveland were found to be used as stash houses to store and package cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as store firearms.
An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio. The OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is composed of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF), and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Border Patrol, along with task force officers from numerous local law enforcement agencies, including the Cleveland Division of Police. Prosecutions are led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Corts for the Northern District of Ohio is leading the prosecution in this case.
18-Year-Old Philadelphia Man Charged with Possession of Child Pornography, Including Videos He Recorded While Sexually Abusing Two Young ChildrenRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Isaiah Smith, 18, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of possession of child pornography.
The indictment alleges that Smith possessed visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. As detailed in court filings, these visual depictions included videos that the defendant recorded as he sexually abused two different child victims, a six-year-old girl, and a nonverbal three-year-old boy, on multiple occasions, over more than a year. The child sexual abuse material was discovered after a friend of the defendant walked in on Smith orally raping one of the child victims.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of five years up to lifetime supervised release, mandatory financial penalties, and mandatory registration as a sex offender under SORNA and Megan’s Law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Wednesday 7 May 2025
West Bridgewater Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A West Bridgewater man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Juan Levano, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In December 2024, Levano pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Levano was identified as a user of an internet-based communications application used for the trafficking of CSAM. As a user of the platform, Levano participated in groups where CSAM was disseminated.
At the time of the offense, Levano rented a room at a residence that is registered as a residential daycare. Both Levano and the owner of the residence and daycare denied that Levano worked at the residential daycare and denied that Levano had any contact with the children who attend it. During a search of the residence, various electronic devices belonging to Levano were seized.
During the search, Levano admitted to being a member of several groups on the chat application and obtaining CSAM from those groups. A review of Levano’s phone revealed that Levano was a member of several active groups on the platform that included the exchange of CSAM, including children ranging from infancy to 13 years old. Additionally, more than 100 video and image files, most of which appear to depict child pornography, were found stored in a photo application on Levano’s phone.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
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 West Bridgewater Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Virginia Man Charged with Traveling to the District to Have Sex with a Six-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Timothy Brockerman, 35, of Herndon, Virginia, was arrested on April 29, 2025, and federally charged with traveling to the District with the intent to engage in sexual contact with a purported six-year-old girl.
The criminal complaint was announced today by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Chief Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Brockerman is charged with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to court documents, on April 21, 2025, an undercover officer (UC) with the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation Task Force was monitoring an online chat group where individuals were known to trade images and videos of children.
During the conversation with the undercover officer, Brockerman indicated that he has an interest in the sexual abuse of children. The undercover officer told Brockerman that he had a child that he had access to. Brockerman indicated to the undercover officer that he was willing to travel to D.C. to sexually abuse the child.
On April 29, 2025, police placed Brockerman under arrest after he traveled from his home in Virginia and met the UC at a pre-arranged location in Washington, D.C.
This case is being investigated by the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. It was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Charges Three Child Sex Offenders as Part of Nationwide Operation Restore Justice CrackdownRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
“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,” 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. The FBI is relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us.”
“There is no greater responsibility than protecting our children,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. “The arrests made here in the District and across the country reflect our unwavering commitment to pursuing those who seek to exploit and harm the most vulnerable among us. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring these offenders to justice and to support the brave victims and families affected by these horrific crimes.”
In the District of Columbia, three individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes, including:
- Linwood Barnhill, 59, a registered sex offender and former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer living in the District, was arrested on May 1, 2025, and charged with sex trafficking children by force;
- Timothy Brockerman, 35, of Herndon, Virginia, was arrested on April 29, 2025, and federally charged with traveling to the District to engage in sexual contact with a purported six-year-old girl;
- Jamie Greer Spies, 24, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was arrested on May 2, 2025, and federally charged with distributing child sexual abuse materials online.
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.
Two Sentenced for Roles in Eastern Panhandle Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two people have been sentenced for selling large quantities of crystal methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin in Berkeley, Morgan, and Hampshire Counties.
Andrew Ross Hose, age 40, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, was sentenced to 293 months in prison. Bradley Allen Lopp, age 36, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison. According to court documents and statements made in court, Hose and Lopp worked with the drug trafficking organization to sell controlled substances in the Eastern Panhandle.
Hose will serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Lopp will serve three years of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Two Mexican men arrested for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Israel De La Cruz San Juan, 29, and Candido De La Cruz San Juan, 34, both citizens of Mexico, were arrested and charged in separate criminal complaints with illegal re-entry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on April 27, 2025, Buffalo Border Patrol Station agents were conducting plain clothes surveillance, when they spotted an out-of-state work truck with construction equipment inside in Tonawanda, NY. It was determined that the registration on the truck had expired in September of 2024 and a traffic stop was conducted. Records checks determined that all three occupants, including Israel De La Cruz San Juan and Candido De La Cruz San Juan, were illegally present in the United States. Israel De La Cruz San Juan and Candido De La Cruz San Juan were taken into custody. Israel De La Cruz San Juan was previously removed from the United States in November 2017, and Candido De La Cruz San Juan was removed from the United States in May 2012, and July 2013.
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.
The defendants made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroder, Jr. and were detained.
The complaint is a result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Juan Ramirez.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Tooele County Man Indicted After Allegedly Assaulting Two Motorcyclists for “Trespassing”Read the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Utah man with multiple violent crimes after he allegedly zip-tied, kidnapped, and assaulted two motorcyclists who were riding their bikes in Tooele County, Utah, when they unknowingly crossed onto the Skull Valley Indian Reservation.
Russell Allen, 50, of Tooele County, Utah, was charged by complaint on April 28, 2025.
According to court documents, on April 26, 2025, Allen and another person allegedly assaulted the victims and told them they were trespassing on Indian land. The victims were allegedly ordered to the ground facedown, zip-tied, kicked and threatened with a knife. Allen and the other person allegedly took the victims’ belongings, including their motorcycles, purportedly as an impound for trespassing. Law enforcement later recovered the motorcycles in a maintenance shed on Skull Valley Indian Reservation Road. However, a search warrant later showed that many of the stolen items (camera equipment, cash, gift cards, wallets, and cell phones) were not recovered. The victims were then transported in a truck traveling at an estimated 100 mph to a remote desert area. The victims were then released without any of their property and had to walk over 10 miles for help from the Dugway gate guards in a hike believed to have taken six or seven hours.
Allen is charged with kidnapping, assault, and theft while within Indian Country. His initial appearance on the indictment is May 7, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Sam Pead of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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.
Texas and Lafourche Parish Residents Guilty of Federal Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that on April 29, 2025, YOLANDA TILLMAN, (“TILLMAN”), age 42, of Des Allemands, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long to 108 months imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, over 500 grams of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. TILLMAN was also sentenced to four (4) years of supervised release after release from prison, as well as a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court records, beginning on a time unknown, but continuing until at least June 5, 2024, TILLMAN, and others, conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, cocaine throughout Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish, within the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy involved obtaining narcotics from Houston, Texas and transporting them to Thibodaux, Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications, and the use of multiple vehicles. TILLMAN helped further this drug-trafficking conspiracy by using her bank account to help other co-conspirators move money to other drug traffickers and drug couriers.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Acting United States Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Thibodaux Police Department, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
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Texas Man Convicted of Making Threats to Kill Nashville District Attorney Glenn FunkRead the Press Release
David Aaron Bloyed, 60, of Frost, Texas, was found guilty today by a federal jury of one count of communicating a threat in interstate commerce to lynch and kill Glenn Funk, the elected District Attorney General (DA) for Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee.
“The defendant’s heinous threats strike at the heart of our justice system and the safety of those who have chosen to serve. As today’s verdict demonstrates, violent threats and intimidation against government officials and law enforcement will not be tolerated,” said Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and prosecution team for their swift and determined work to bring justice in this case.”
“Antisemitic hate has no place in Nashville or anywhere, and this verdict shows these hateful threats for what they are: a crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Our office will do whatever it takes to defend our community, and the prosecutors who serve it, from being threatened by these hatemongers.”
“The conviction of David Bloyed is yet another example of the FBI's commitment to holding those accountable who threaten public officials and the Jewish community,” said Assistant Director in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division. “This criminal behavior and these disgusting threats will not be tolerated. The FBI will continue to work with our partners across the nation to investigate, identify, and hold those accountable who threaten violence and harm to specific communities and people.”
According to court documents, on July 14, 2024, members of the Goyim Defense League (GDL) – a national and international network of antisemitic provocateurs who espouse vitriolic antisemitism via the internet, through propaganda distributions and in street actions – were protesting in downtown Nashville on their “Name the Nose Tour” where its members travel to cities across the country to protest in the vicinity of synagogues and walk through the downtown hubs of cities with Nazi flags and yell antisemitic slurs at any individuals they encounter. GDL members encountered an employee of a local bar and a fight broke out. A GDL member was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for hitting the bar employee repeatedly using a metal flagpole with a swastika affixed to the top.
While in Nashville, GDL members routinely posted about their activities on various social media platforms, including Telegram. Following the arrest of the GDL member, a Telegram user associated with GDL posted threats against DA Funk that included a photograph of DA Funk with the caption, “Getting the rope,” and an emoji finger pointed towards Funk’s image.
The posts also included a photograph of a person hanging by the neck from a gallows, with the phrases, “The ‘Rope List’ grew by a few more Nashville jews today,” and “Will you survive the day of the rope?”
Law enforcement subsequently identified another social media account with an almost identical username, belonging to Bloyed and containing threats nearly identical to those posted on the Telegram account.
At sentencing, Bloyed faces up to five years in federal prison.
The FBI Nashville Field Office and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department are investigating the case.
Tahlequah Resident Sentenced for ArsonRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Wesley Wayne Sutton, age 60, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for one count of Arson in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On October 23, 2024, Sutton pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 1, 2024, Sutton approached a Tahlequah residence, broke one window, attempted to break a second, then used gasoline to ignite the front door of the dwelling before entering the building and assaulting a resident. The crime occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
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. Sutton 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 Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Stilwell Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Clint Rogers Chuculate, a/k/a Clint Robert Chuculate, age 40, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On December 18, 2024, Chuculate pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on September 19, 2024, Chuculate was stopped for a traffic violation while driving through Stilwell, Oklahoma. During the stop, law enforcement discovered approximately 14 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, along with a 7.62x39mm caliber semi-automatic rifle loaded with a high capacity magazine and a 9mm caliber Luger semi-automatic pistol. During the ensuing investigation, Chuculate admitted to selling approximately 10 grams of methamphetamine in the month prior to the traffic stop.
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. Chuculate 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 Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton on the Convictions of Own Every Dollar “OED” Gang MembersRead the Press Release
Today, a jury held three violent members of a Manhattan-based gang, “Own Every Dollar,” or OED, responsible for four murders, 10 attempted murders, drug trafficking, and gun running. Gang violence is a plague on our city, and today’s convictions make clear that rival gang members are not the only victims. All too often, innocent bystanders are caught in the crossfire, and entire communities are terrorized by gangs, guns, and deadly drugs. This prosecution, in which 24 members of OED have been charged with committing senseless acts of violence, is a testament to the commitment of the Federal Government, this Office, and our law enforcement partners to ending the gang and gun violence that has kept New Yorkers in fear for far too long. Because of the excellent work of our prosecutors and partners, Jowenky Nunez, Jr., Brian Hernandez, and Iyaury Rodriguez-Rosario face mandatory life sentences. They will never again terrorize this city. Other gang members are on notice.
Spiro Resident Sentenced for Possessing an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bryant Dewayne Underwood, age 36, of Spiro, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for one count of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office.
On January 13, 2025, Underwood pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on October 26, 2023, deputies conducting a traffic stop in LeFlore County discovered Underwood in possession of a 5.56 NATO (.223) caliber, short-barreled rifle. The rifle had previously been reported stolen from a location in Arkansas and Underwood was not the registered owner of the rifle in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
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 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. Underwood 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. Attorneys Jarrod Leaman and Edith A. Singer represented the United States.
South Korean woman arrested, charged with illegal re-entry and making false statementsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Youngshin Nam a/k/a Yejin Nam, 41, a citizen of South Korea, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegal re-entry of a removed alien and making false statements, which carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who is handling the case, stated that on April 3, 2024, Nam attempted entry by plane at an airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was refused admission to the United States. She was sent back to South Korea and advised that she was no longer eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program for five years. In July 2024, Nam was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Texas and removed from the United States in September. On May 4, 2025, Nam was riding in a taxi registered in Ontario, Canada, which presented for primary inspection at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls, NY. Nam presented, as proof of identity, a South Korean passport containing the name Yejin Nam. The vehicle was then referred for secondary inspection. Initially, Nam did not comply with routine electronic fingerprinting, before agreeing to submit her fingerprints. This resulted in a positive response revealing that Nam was issued an immigration fingerprint identification number in the name “Youngshin Nam.” The number was issued after Nam’s arrest by Border Patrol agents in Texas in July 2024. Subsequent investigation determined that on paperwork for the Visa Waiver Program, Nam answered “NO” to questions concerning her use of any other names or aliases. She also answered “NO” to having been previously refused admission to 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.
Nam made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge h. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was detained.
The complaint is a result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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South Bend Man Sentenced to 135 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Demetrius Clark, 41 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Clark was sentenced to 135 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in February 2024, Clark delivered 5 pounds of methamphetamine to another distributor. A search warrant was executed at Clark’s home in South Bend resulting in the recovery of an additional 5 pounds of high-purity methamphetamine along with packaging materials, a firearm, and over $8,000 cash.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration including the DEA North Central Laboratory with assistance from the South Bend Police Department, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
Six More Sentenced in Eastern Panhandle Fentanyl Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Six more people have been sentenced for their roles in a major drug trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of large quantities of illegal drugs in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
Gary Brown, Jr., age 39, of Baltimore, Maryland, was the leader of the operation. He was sentenced today to 327 months in prison and fined $1,000,000. The indictment, returned in January 2024 against Brown, Jr., and eighty-one others, charged that the defendants caused substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to be distributed in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
Others sentenced this week include:
- Linda Abshire, age 33, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison.
- Christopher Sterling Cogle, age 42, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced to 96 months.
- Saul Percy Powell, Jr., age 56, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison.
- Nathaniel Frederick Downing, Jr., age 69, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 18 months.
- James Sanford, age 40, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
Of the 82 defendants, 80 have been convicted. Including today’s six, 59 defendants have been sentenced. One defendant, Charles Delroy Singletary, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, remains a fugitive.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office (Virginia).
This investigation 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).
Shooting of 5-Year Old Child and an Adult in 2024 Gets District Man 156 Month Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alante Partlow, 30, of the District, was sentenced today in Superior Court to 13 years in prison for shooting a 5-year-old child and an adult in April 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Partlow pleaded guilty Oct. 18, 2024, to two counts of aggravated assault while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Robert Okun ordered five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, with which Partlow agreed, at approximately 11:20 p.m. on April 23, 2024, the adult victim and a 5-year-old child were walking out of an apartment building in the Fort Totten neighborhood, after the adult had argued with Partlow. Partlow followed the victims outside and then fired multiple shots at the adult victim. The adult tried to shield the child and sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The child also sustained injuries.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Roberts, who prosecuted the case.
This law enforcement activity is part of President Donald J. Trump’s Make DC Safe and Beautiful Executive Order. The Executive Order directs a coordinated federal effort to reduce crime, enhance public safety, and restore pride in the nation’s capital through targeted enforcement, improved policing, and strategic partnerships.
Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Robert M. Harvey, 48, a registered sex offender, pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 29, 2022, Harvey was at Dismas Charities Inc., a Bureau of Prisons residential reentry facility in St. Albans, when facility staff found Harvey in possession of a cell phone. Harvey was not allowed to possess a cell phone without the approval of his probation officer, and any cell phone he possessed was subject to search and seizure.
Law enforcement analyzed Harvey’s cell phone and found it contained images and videos of child pornography. As part of his guilty plea, Harvey admitted that these images and videos include depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Harvey is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
At the time of this offense, Harvey was on supervised release as a result of his conviction for receipt of child pornography in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on March 12, 2007. Harvey was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for that offense. On August 17, 2022, Harvey was sentenced to three years in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 2:25-cr-69.
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Serial Bank Robber Convicted by Federal JuryRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Fayetteville man on Friday on one charge of bank robbery, three charges of armed bank robbery, and three charges of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Karim Brown, 32, engaged in a serial bank robbery spree that spanned a month from December 2021 to January 2022. The robberies occurred in Hope Mills, Angier, Fuquay-Varina, and Fayetteville. Karim Brown was the robber who entered each of the banks and brandished a firearm in three of them. Shiheem Brown, who pled guilty to one of the armed bank robberies and a charge of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison on December 11, 2024.
Karim Brown began his spree by robbing the PNC Bank in Hope Mills. He entered the bank and demanded money from the teller, which totaled $4,674. On New Year’s Eve 2021, Shiheem Brown was captured on surveillance footage scouting the First Bank in Angier, before Karim Brown entered, brandished a firearm, and demanded cash. He got away with $4,611. Two weeks later, on January 14, 2022, Karim Brown robbed the PNC on Main Street in Fuquay-Varina, brandishing a firearm and getting away with $9,000. For the final act in their spree, Shiheem Brown was again captured on surveillance footage scouting the Fidelity Bank on Village Drive in Fayetteville. Karim Brown then entered the bank, brandished a firearm equipped with a laser sight, and demanded cash. During this robbery he passed a note to the teller indicating that he was willing to shoot her. A bank manager at Fidelity exited her office to see what the commotion was about, and Karim Brown pointed his firearm at her and ordered her to walk across the bank to the teller counter while the tellers placed $15,336 in a bag. Karim Brown then fled, but during the flight, Shiheem Brown took a selfie as he drove away, capturing himself driving and Karim Brown removing his disguise in the back seat. The selfie was taken approximately 7 minutes after the robbery (pictured below).
Police broke the case open when they were able to track the vehicle used in the Fuquay-Varina bobbery back to Shiheem and Karim Brown. Shiheem Brown was arrested at an apartment in Fayetteville by Fayetteville PD and the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force on January 27, 2022. During the arrest, Shiheem Brown threw a loaded firearm off the balcony of the apartment, which was recovered. The firearm matched the description of the firearm used in the robberies. Police also recovered $2,650 cash during Shiheem Brown’s arrest. Karim Brown was arrested at this residence the same day.
Karim Brown faces a mandatory minimum of 31 years’ imprisonment and a statutory maximum of life in prison when sentenced on a later date.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the verdict. The Federal Bureau of Investigations, Hope Mills PD, Angier PD, Fuquay-Varina PD, Fayetteville PD and the United States Marshals Service helped investigate the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Kimberly Dixon 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.5:23-CR-251.
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Repeat Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A registered sex offender was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for child pornography charges.
Corey Bouchard, 34, of Douglas, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In January 2025, Bouchard pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with accessing with intent to view child pornography. Bouchard was charged by complaint in April 2024.
During a November 2023 search of Bouchard’s home, a cache file was found on Bouchard’s cell phone, which contained approximately 72 videos depicting child pornography. The file names of approximately 56 of those videos matched the file names from media files shared by others to Kik messenger group chats that Bouchard was in. Bouchard admitted to accessing child pornography with the intent to view it.
United States Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Uxbridge and Douglas Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Registered Sex Offender Charged with Sex Trafficking Children by ForceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Linwood Barnhill, 59, a registered sex offender living in the District of Columbia, was arrested on May 1, 2025, and federally charged with sex trafficking children by force and related counts. The alleged offenses occurred between April 1, 2024, and April 29, 2025.
The criminal complaint was announced today by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Chief Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Barnhill, a former officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, is charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; sex trafficking of children; coercion and enticement; transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; and interstate travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises. According to the complaint, the defendant allegedly recruited a series of minor children to engage in commercial sex acts and financially profited from those commercial sex acts.
This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to over Four Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm While a FelonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on May 5, 2025.
James Ladeaux, Jr., 35, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Ladeaux was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025.
In July 2024, law enforcement observed Ladeaux driving a vehicle and failing to stop at a stop sign. When law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Ladeaux drove off at a high rate of speed and a pursuit was initiated. The pursuit ended when a tire came off the vehicle Ladeaux was driving. Ladeaux fled on foot but was ultimately apprehended by law enforcement. Officers located a firearm and ammunition in Ladeaux’s vehicle. Ladeaux was previously convicted of a felony, making it unlawful for him to possess the firearm and ammunition.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Ladeaux was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to 34 Months in Federal Prison for Being a Drug User in Possession of a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on May 5, 2025.
Jeremy Highhorse, 19, was sentenced to two years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Highhorse was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of a Stolen Firearm by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025.
In April 2024, law enforcement received a report of shots fired. Highhorse was the driver of a vehicle that matched descriptions of a vehicle seen speeding away after shots were fired. Law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop of the vehicle Highhorse was driving. Instead of pulling over, Highhorse led law enforcement on a high-speed car chase. When the car came to a stop, Highhorse was arrested, and inside the vehicle was a firearm. Highhorse discharged this firearm that day, and he had come into possession of the firearm by stealing it. The vehicle Highhorse was driving was reported stolen by the same person he stole the firearm from. Highhorse was using controlled substances that day as well. It is unlawful to possess a firearm as an active user of controlled substances.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Highhorse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Randolph County Man Admits to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Gary Duane Cool, age 41, of Monterville, West Virginia, has admitted to possession with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cool crashed his car in Valley Head, West Virginia and fled the accident on foot. A witness reported Cool dropped some items in a nearby yard. Officers recovered a backpack with nearly 500 grams of methamphetamine and a firearm.
Cool is facing at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ryan Keith Bailey, 47, of Beaver, pleaded guilty today to theft of government money. Bailey obtained $2,166,517.40 in loans through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for his business and instead converted nearly all of the proceeds for his personal use.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 20, 2020, Bailey applied for a $166,517.40 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan available under the CARES Act on behalf of his business, RKB Inc. Guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA), PPP loans were a source of emergency financial assistance provided by the CARES Act to Americans suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bailey certified that he would use the PPP loan proceeds only for permissible expenses, specifically to maintain payroll and cover lease, mortgage interest and utility costs. Bailey’s PPP loan application was approved and the $166,517.40 was deposited in the business checking account for RKB Inc. on May 1, 2020.
On November 30, 2020, Bailey certified that the PPP loan proceeds were used only on permissible expenses when he applied to have RKB Inc.’s loan forgiven. Loan forgiveness was allowed under the PPP program when proceeds went solely to eligible purposes. The SBA ultimately forgave $157,456.50 of the $166,517.40 PPP loan for RKB Inc.
As part of his guilty plea, Bailey admitted that his certifications were false and that only $6,517 of the PPP loan proceeds were spent for RKB Inc.’s legitimate business expenses. Between April 2020 and May 19, 2020, Bailey transferred $160,000 of the PP loan proceeds to his personal bank accounts and a personal brokerage account, using those proceeds for his personal benefit.
Bailey also admitted to relevant criminal conduct as part of his guilty plea. Bailey obtained an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for RKB Inc. from the SBA on January 6, 2021, and later successfully applied several times to increase its amount from $150,000 to the maximum allowable amount of $2,000,000. The CARES Act authorized the SBA to provide EIDL program loans of up to $2 million to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bailey admitted that he transferred over $1,974,900 of the EIDL proceeds to his personal bank accounts, his personal brokerage account and a cryptocurrency exchange platform for his own personal benefit.
Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on September 12, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Bailey also owes at least $2,219,163.97 in restitution, with a final amount to be determined by the Court.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).
NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case.
The United States filed a parallel civil action against Bailey and RKB Inc. and a civil complaint for forfeiture. The lawsuit seeks damages and civil penalties, alleging violations of the False Claims Act and Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act and unjust enrichment based upon Bailey’s receipt of the PPP and EIDL proceeds. The forfeiture action targets $1,348,249.81 in Bailey’s bank and brokerage accounts. Both cases are pending in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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 Nos. 5:24-cr-106 (criminal), 5:24-cv-456 (civil) and 5:23-cv-406 (forfeiture).
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Prince George’s Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of Laurel BusinessRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Clarence Antonio Lynch, 22, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to Interference with Interstate Commerce by Robbery and Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to the guilty plea, on August 4, 2023, Lynch — who was driving a dark-colored sports utility vehicle — traveled to a convenience store (Business-1), located in Laurel, Maryland, with the intention of robbing it. He was armed with at least one firearm.
Lynch entered the store and used physical restraint to force an agent and employee (Victim-1) of Business-1 into an office by pulling Victim-1 by his collar and breaking his necklace. Then Lynch used a hydraulic tool to forcefully open the store’s automated teller machine (ATM). Lynch took $65,780 in cash from the ATM’s trays. He also took Victim-1 into the store office and used a firearm to take $6,940 in cash from the office along with $11,852 in cigarettes. Both the cash and cigarettes were property of Business-1, and the ATM cash was also property of a financial institution.
Lynch faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years and a maximum of life in federal prison followed by up to five years of supervised release for these offenses. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby scheduled sentencing for September 2, 2025, at 1 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rosenthal and William Moomau who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Previously Convicted Violent Offender Sentenced to 18 1/2-Year Prison Term for November 2023 Shooting in Northeast D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jerry Tyree, 46, of the District, was sentenced May 6, 2025, to 18 1/2 years* in prison for shooting the victim once in the genitals on Nov. 29, 2023 in the 5900 block of Foote Street NE, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Tyree was found guilty in September 2024 by a D.C. Superior Court jury of aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction, and attempted possession of liquid PCP. Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur also ordered eight years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant met the victim at the intersection of Eastern Avenue, NE and Foote Street, NE shortly before 2:00 p.m., on Nov. 29, 2023. The two engaged in a consensual sexual encounter in a nearby building shortly thereafter. Tyree then accused the victim of robbing him, and when the victim denied doing so, the defendant pulled out a small silver handgun and shot the victim directly in the genitals. Tyree then fled the scene. Police were called by a neighbor and the victim was transported to the hospital, where the victim underwent multiple surgeries.
A month later, on Dec. 30, 2023, the defendant was arrested in possession of that same small silver handgun less than a mile from the shooting and in possession of several vials, including one that was partially filled with suspected PCP. Tyree was identified as the shooter from Nov. 29, 2023, based on an identification procedure, ballistics evidence, and DNA evidence connecting him to the scene.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Daniel Bromwich, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
*Based on the defendant’s prior convictions, including for voluntary manslaughter, the defendant was subject to a sentencing enhancement under D.C. law, which increased his mandatory minimum sentence to 10 years of incarceration and his statutory maximum sentence to 30 years of incarceration.
Poughkeepsie Gang Member Sentenced to 34 Years in Prison for June 2020 Murder of 16-Year-Old and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ELIJAH BERMUDEZ, a/k/a “Quiet,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román to 34 years in prison in connection with his criminal activities as a member of the violent gang Bully Hard Hunna Blood (“Bully Hard”) for racketeering and firearms offenses. As part of his participation in the Bully Hard racketeering conspiracy, on June 20, 2020, BERMUDEZ stabbed a teenager and shot and killed a second teenager: 16-year-old bystander Frederick Wells, known to his friends and family as “Khabir.” BERMUDEZ’s murder of Wells arose out of a dispute between Bully Hard gang members and members of a rival set of Bloods called the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation (“Gorilla Stone”), which led to, three months later, a retaliatory September 21, 2020, broad daylight murder of a second minor victim, 15-year-old Jalani Jones, in Poughkeepsie. Previously, Gorilla Stone leader Brandon Soto was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in planning and ordering the retaliatory September 21, 2020, murder of Jones. BERMUDEZ previously pled guilty on July 9, 2024, before Judge Román.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Elijah Bermudez murdered Frederick Wells, an innocent 16-year-old bystander who spent his last moments running for his life, trying to escape Bermudez’s gunfire. Tragically, Wells lost his life for simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Today’s significant sentence holds Bermudez accountable for this senseless murder, as well as for his participation in the wide range of crimes committed by the Bully Hard gang, including Bermudez’s stabbing of a second teenage victim. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to relentlessly pursue any gangs who threaten the safety of New Yorkers.”
According to allegations in the Indictment and Information and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
From early 2020 to April 2022, BERMUDEZ was a member or associate of a racketeering enterprise known as Bully Hard, a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in, among other things, murder, robberies, narcotics trafficking, and fraud. Bully Hard operated in New York City and Upstate New York, including in Poughkeepsie. Members and associates of Bully Hard engaged in a series of violent disputes with rivals, as well as those within Bully Hard who they deemed disloyal. During these disputes, members and associates of Bully Hard committed murder, shootings, and assaults against their rivals. They also distributed heroin and marijuana.
On June 20, 2020, BERMUDEZ shot and killed 16-year-old bystander Wells in the vicinity of Charles Street in Poughkeepsie in furtherance of his membership in the Bully Hard racketeering enterprise. Specifically, on the night of June 20, 2020, BERMUDEZ and another member of Bully Hard (“Bully Hard Member-1”) got into a physical fight with members of Gorilla Stone, a rival set of Bloods. During the fight, Bully Hard Member-1 confronted a 17-year-old Gorilla Stone member (“Gorilla Stone Member-1”). At the time, Gorilla Stone Member-1 was standing with Wells, who was Gorilla Stone Member-1’s friend from school, was not in a gang, and was a bystander to the altercation. BERMUDEZ then stabbed Gorilla Stone Member-1, picked up Bully Hard Member-1’s gun, which had dropped to the ground, and shot Wells as Wells tried to run away. Wells was found dead with a gunshot wound to his head.
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In addition to the prison term, BERMUDEZ, 32, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. On July 9, 2024, BERMUDEZ pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, and one count of conspiracy to possess ammunition after a felony conviction.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force. Mr. Clayton also thanked the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department and Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton, Courtney L. Heavey, Shiva H. Logarajah, and Kevin T. Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine within the Pine Ridge Reservation and in Rapid CityRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on May 6, 2025.
Phil Pond, age 42, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
A federal grand jury indicted Pond in January 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 29, 2024.
From 2022 to 2024, Pond and others conspired to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine in South Dakota. Some of the co-conspirators traveled to the Denver area, and/or acquired the methamphetamine locally from Pine Ridge and Rapid City. Pond knew some of this methamphetamine he was selling would be further distributed. Evidence presented at Pond’s sentencing established that he acted as the enforcer and used intimidation, force, and threats of violence against others to acquire money to satisfy their drug debts. Pond was a leader and organizer of the conspiracy and also provided methamphetamine to a person under the age of 21.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, Martin Police Department, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Poppen and Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Pond was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on May 2, 2025.
Eugene Hunts Horse, age 29, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
A federal grand jury indicted Hunts Horse in May 2024. He pleaded guilty on January 17, 2025.
On February 24, 2024, the victim arrived at a residence in Wounded Knee and attempted to gain entry into the home. The victim knew the occupants of the trailer and wanted to get inside. A male from within the home assaulted the victim with a weapon and ushered him down the driveway away from the home. Hunts Horse arrived around the time the victim was being escorted down the driveway and used an object to strike the victim several times in the head and body. Hunts Horse, who believed the victim had assaulted his cousin with a hammer earlier in the evening, became enraged and developed the heat of passion necessary to take the life of another. After killing the victim, Hunts Horse learned the victim was not the person who attacked his cousin. The Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety responded to the residence and found the victim near the roadway and driveway of the residence with a large fracture to his skull. The victim was bleeding extensively from his head. The victim ultimately passed away from his head injury a short time after the officer arrived.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Hunts Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Phoenix Man Sentenced to Prison for His Role in Online Romance ScamsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Kingsley Sebastian Ibhadore, 40, of Glendale, was sentenced on May 5, 2025, by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to 17 months in prison. Ibhadore, a Nigerian citizen and lawful U.S. resident, previously pleaded guilty to Conspiring to Commit Structuring for his role in withdrawing over $500,000 in criminal proceeds from bank accounts, in amounts below federal reporting requirements to avoid detection by authorities.
Ibhadore served as a “money mule” in a criminal scheme by transferring fraud proceeds, in relatively small amounts, between fictitious bank accounts to avoid federal reporting requirements and detection. Specifically, Ibhadore used 24 bank accounts under multiple aliases to conceal and distribute funds obtained through online romance scams that were initiated by other individuals. Romance scams are online scams where criminals impersonate individuals to gain trust and affection from their victims, ultimately with the goal of stealing money. These scammers often build fake online profiles, engage in elaborate deception, and manipulate their victims to send them money under various pretexts, such as medical emergencies, travel expenses, or investments.
Between July 2019 and March 2020, Ibhadore deposited romance scam proceeds into accounts opened with false names and passports, then withdrew sums in amounts designed to avoid triggering financial institutions’ currency reporting requirements. Even after Ibhadore confirmed that the money he was depositing came from romance scams, he continued to withdraw large sums of cash in ways meant to evade federal reporting. Surveillance footage also captured him conducting transactions using fraudulent identities at major banks across Arizona.
The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation in this case. Kristen Brook and Raymond Woo, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01392-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-072_Ibhadore# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Pennsylvania Woman Charged in D.C. with Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamie Greer Spies, 24, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was arrested on May 2, 2025, and federally charged with distributing child sexual abuse materials.
The criminal complaint was announced today by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Chief Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Spies is charged with distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, an undercover officer working with the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was monitoring an online group
where people meet to discuss and trade original images and videos of underage children. While in the group, an individual later identified as Spies messaged the undercover officer indicating that she was interested in images that portrayed the sexual abuse of young children.
Spies subsequently distributed multiple images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including the abuse of infants and toddlers.
This case is being investigated by the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, Allentown Resident Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Bond.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Evans, 35, of Horsham, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization that sold large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Monongalia County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Evans traveled from the Philadelphia area to Monongalia County to sell controlled substances. During the execution of a search warrant on an apartment in Morgantown, officers found Evans asleep with a loaded pistol, three more stolen firearms, more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, more than 150 grams of fentanyl, and cocaine. Evans has prior drug and firearms convictions.
Evans will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; the WVU Police Department; the Granville Police Department; and the Star City Police Department.
This investigation 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).
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Pendleton County Man Facing Child Pornography Charges as a part of Nationwide Initiative “Operation Restore Justice”Read the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jerry Lewis Ayres, age 55, of Franklin, West Virginia, was arrested on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography as a part of the nationwide effort Operation Restore Justice.
According to court documents, the West Virginia State Police, on a tip from the Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, opened an investigation into Ayres. On multiple occasions, Ayres downloaded child pornography depicting minors, some under the age of 12, in sexual acts and positions. Investigators searched Ayres’ home, phone, and computer and discovered nearly 1500 images. He is charged with receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
Ayres’ arrest is a part of the Department of Justice’s 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.
“As a nation, we are measured by how well we protect our most vulnerable citizens including our very young as well as our elderly populations,” stated Randolph J. Bernard, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia. “Operation Restore Justice is a testament to our solemn duty to ensure that our children are safe from those who would exploit and abuse them. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to seek the most serious charges and severe penalties for those who commit these crimes.”
Ayres is facing at least five years and up to 20 years on the receipt count and facing up to 20 years on the possession count. He is currently being held in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christie Utt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The FBI and the West Virginia State Police are investigating.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office works with the FBI and other law enforcement to bring those who prey upon children to justice. In the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 23 individuals with crimes involving sexual offenses against children, one of whom was sentenced this week to 10 years in prison for his crime. See the press release here: www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/brooke-county-man-sentenced-decade-prison-child-pornography-charge
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 FBI urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the tiplines at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Passaic County Man Sentenced to 48 Months’ Imprisonment for Failure to Pay Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 48 months in prison for his role in a $3.5 million payroll tax evasion scheme, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Walter Hass, 63, of Hewitt, New Jersey previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin to an Information charging him with failure to collect, account for, and pay over payroll taxes. Judge Padin imposed the sentence in Newark federal court. Hass was also ordered to pay $3,527,645 in restitution.
“Walter Hass spent a decade failing to pay payroll taxes. Instead paying taxes rightfully due to our Country, he chose to keep the money for himself to fund his extravagant lifestyle. We will not tolerate such blatant disrespect for the law. We also have no tolerance for lying to the Court, lying to the Government, or the lying to the U.S. Probation Office.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“Employment taxes are crucial for funding federal programs millions of Americans depend on every day. For nearly a decade, Walter Hass chose to fuel his lavish lifestyle over paying these taxes to the IRS, turning his employees into victims along the way,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office. “This sentence showcases IRS-CI’s commitment to accountability and enforcing our laws.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Hass was the owner and operator a shipping/logistics company located in Oakland, New Jersey. Since 2014, he has operated the company under three different names. He failed to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over payroll taxes to the IRS on behalf of each of these companies from 2014 to 2022. In total, he failed to pay over to the IRS at least $3.5 million in payroll taxes. Instead of paying over payroll taxes to the IRS, Hass used company money to fund his personal lifestyle, including the purchase of luxury vehicles, including Aston Martins and McClarens, high-end watches and jewelry, designer clothing items and accessories, tickets to sporting events, home renovations, vacations, water sports vehicles, and extravagant meals.
Hass signed his guilty plea in October 2023. He then embarked on a years-long campaign of deceit to avoid accepting responsibility for his conduct. He lied to the Court, to the U.S. Probation Office, and the Government about a purported cancer diagnosis to delay the entry of his guilty plea and the date of his sentencing. In doing so, Hass fabricated three letters from physicians asserting that he had medical conditions—including kidney cancer—that prevented him from attending court proceedings. Hass did not have cancer and attempted to travel throughout the United States and around the world during this time. Only when law enforcement discovered his deception did he ultimately admit to his conduct.
In addition to the prison term and restitution, Judge Padin sentenced Hass to 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Calle, Acting Chief of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit, and Edeli Rivera of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Guillermo Arango, Esq. and Mark Anderl, Esq.
PDS Gang Member Sentenced to 10 Years for Gun Battle in Southeast Washington NeighborhoodRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isjalon Jermiah Armstead, 22, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison in connection with a June 2023 shootout in a residential neighborhood in Southeast.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Armstead, aka “Smaut,” was a member of the Push Dat Shit street crew. He pleaded guilty Jan. 30, 2025, to discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. In addition to the 120-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amy B. Jackson ordered Armstead to serve four years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on June 5, 2023, Armstead was in possession of a half-pound of marijuana and intended to sell it. About 3:15 p.m., Armstead — who was seated in the front passenger seat of a 2005 Nissan Altima near the intersection of Third and Atlantic Streets, SE — engaged in a gun battle with the driver of another car. During the shootout, Armstead fired a .300 caliber AR-Pistol from the passenger seat before the Altima he was riding in became disabled and crashed through a fence and stopped in a grassy area next to an apartment building on Atlantic Street.
Armstead, who suffered bullet wounds to his wrist and chest during the shootout, and the driver of the vehicle both fled on foot through a wooded area between Atlantic Street and Valley Avenue, stopping to discard the AR-Pistol in a trash receptacle. Responding MPD officers apprehended Armstead about 3:18 p.m. at the intersection of Fourth Street and Valley Avenue, SE, retraced Armstead’s steps, and found the AR-Pistol which was later determined to have Armstead’s DNA on it.
According to court documents, PDS maintained gang territory in the 3300 – 3500 blocks of Wheeler Road, SE, and operated an open-air drug market outside a market. In August 2018, PDS allied with a neighboring street gang known as Jugg Gang. The combined gang also conspired to carry firearms – including machine guns – to protect themselves, their drugs, their cash, and their territory from rival crews with whom they had “beefs.”
This sentence is part of an ongoing joint investigation which has resulted in 26 convictions and the seizure of two vehicles, 35 firearms, four machine guns, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, approximately 60 pounds of marijuana, 41 grams of cocaine base, dozens of oxycodone pills, and approximately $500,000 in cash.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office's Cross Border Task Force, the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
23cr379
Ocoee Man Pleads Guilty to Operating Fraudulent Tax Preparation BusinessRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that James Fednor Meristin has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Meristin faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, between 2019 and 2023, Meristin and other co-conspirators operated a tax preparation business, Kings and Queens Multi Services, which prepared and filed false and fraudulent tax returns for its clients. These fraudulent returns were designed to maximize client refunds by claiming COVID-related sick and family leave credits for which the taxpayer was not entitled. Because of the excessive refunds they generated for their clients, Meristin and his co-conspirators were able to charge and receive exorbitant fees for their tax preparation services, including as high as $20,000 per return. Meristin also admitted to deficiencies and fraudulent items in his own tax returns. As part of the plea agreement, Meristin has agreed to pay $2,338,675 in restitution to the IRS.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. Sowell.
New York Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kaziah Matthew White, 33, of Long Lake, New York, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison in connection with distributing child pornography after which he traveled to the District of Columbia for the purpose of engaging in sexual contact with a minor.
The sentence was announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
White pleaded guilty Dec.18, 2024, in the District of Columbia to one count of distribution of child pornography. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered White to serve a lifetime term of supervised release.
According to court papers, on March 21, 2024, an undercover officer with the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in the District of Columbia was monitoring an online dating application. A user who called themselves “EarthenFireMD,” contacted the undercover officer, indicated he was staying in Clarksville, Maryland, and that he wanted to “meet n play” with the undercover officer’s purported 10-year-old boy. EarthenFireMD was later identified as the defendant.
“Broooo I’m only the area til the end of the month, would love to plan a playdate,” he wrote on a messaging application. “We can get lunch somewhere public first if u wanna feel out the vibe. And show u Im not a cop. Have an after school bonding sesh.” He indicated that boys between the ages of 5- to 14-years-old were his favorite.
Between March 22-25, 2024, the defendant sent the undercover officer more than 100 videos depicting the sexual abuse of chldren. During the chat, White agreed to meet the undercover officer and wrote that he would bring a “gift” for the child. He then sent a photograph of Spiderman-themed underwear, writing “They had a multipack.”
On March 28, 2024, White traveled from Clarksville, Maryland, to the District to meet with the undercover officer. Upon his arrival, White was in possession of Spiderman underwear consistent with the image of the underwear he previously had sent to the undercover officer. He was arrested on site.
This case is being 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, please visit justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by FBI-MPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Bond.
24cr340
New York Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes After Repeatedly Assaulting Jewish VictimsRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in the Southern District of New York charging Tarek Bazrouk 20, of New York, New York, with three counts of committing hate crimes in connection with his repeated assaults of Jewish victims in New York City between 2024 and 2025. Bazrouk was arrested this morning and will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.
“The Civil Rights Division will continue to relentlessly pursue allegations of antisemitic violence and will not stop until justice is served for the victims and their families,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under Attorney General Pam Bondi’s leadership, we will use all available resources to investigate and charge those who target and assault others because of their faith.”
“As alleged, on three separate occasions, Tarek Bazrouk deliberately targeted and assaulted Jewish victims at protests relating to the Israel/Gaza war,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “Despite being arrested after each incident, Bazrouk allegedly remained undeterred and quickly returned to using violence to target Jews in New York City. This Office is dedicated to seeking justice for victims of hate crimes and will aggressively prosecute those who spread bigotry and discrimination through violence.”
According to court documents, other public filings, and statements previously made on the record in this case, over the course of approximately nine months, Bazrouk physically assaulted three Jewish individuals at protests concerning the Israel/Gaza war. First, on April 15, 2024, Bazrouk — while wearing a green headband typically worn by Hamas terrorists — attended a protest concerning the Israel/Gaza war in Lower Manhattan, outside the New York Stock Exchange. During the protest, Bazrouk was arrested by officers from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) after lunging at a group of pro-Israel protestors. As Bazrouk was being escorted to an NYPD vehicle, Bazrouk kicked a different individual — Victim-1, a Jewish college student — in the stomach. At the time of the assault, Victim-1 was standing near other Jewish protestors, who were wearing kippahs (that is, brimless skullcaps traditionally worn by Jewish men), carrying Israeli flags, and singing Jewish songs.
Approximately eight months later, on Dec. 9, 2024, Bazrouk assaulted another individual at a protest relating to the Israel/Gaza war next to a university campus in upper Manhattan. The victim of the second assault — Victim-2 — is a Jewish student who attended the nearby university. On the date of the assault, Victim-2 and his brother were wearing kippahs, Victim-2 had an Israeli flag draped around his shoulders, and Victim-2 was singing Jewish songs. As the protest continued, Bazrouk — with his mouth covered — stole an Israeli flag from Victim-2’s brother and fled. After Victim-2 and his brother followed Bazrouk through a crowd to retrieve the flag, Bazrouk snuck up beside Victim-2 and struck him in the face with a closed fist.
Roughly one month later, on Jan. 6, 2025, Bazrouk assaulted a third Jewish victim — Victim-3 — at a protest concerning the Israel/Gaza war near 1st Avenue and East 18th Street in Manhattan. At this protest, Victim-3 was wearing an Israeli flag around his shoulders, a hat with an Israeli flag, and a chain with a Jewish star. During the protest, Bazrouk, who was wearing a keffiyeh on his face, made contact with Victim-3’s shoulder and wrapped his foot around Victim-3’s ankle. Victim-3 attempted to push BAZROUK away and cursed at him. Bazrouk then punched Victim-3 in the nose with a closed fist.
“Over the course of nine months, Tarek Bazrouk allegedly targeted and violently attacked multiple Jewish victims in a series of physical assaults, while demonstrating a pattern of supporting anti-Semitic terrorist organizations,” said Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia of the FBI New York Field Office. “These alleged hate crimes not only violated the victims’ ability to exercise their first amendment rights, but also intimidated and sparked fear among a broader population. The FBI won’t tolerate this behavior and will apprehend any individual who commits a federal crime seeking to harm others for their religious beliefs.”
“As alleged, Tarek Bazrouk deliberately set out to harm Jewish New Yorkers — targeting them at protests, singling them out, and assaulting them for nothing more than their identity,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “The NYPD worked closely with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to track him down and ensure he faces real consequences. Antisemitism and all forms of bigotry have no home here in New York — period. New Yorkers of all faiths are welcome to live and worship in our city freely, and we will never stop fighting to protect that right.”
According to court documents, pursuant to judicially authorized warrants, law enforcement subsequently searched a cellphone used by Bazrouk. Evidence from that device revealed Bazrouk’s anti-Semitic bias and his support for anti-Jewish terrorist groups including Hamas, demonstrating his motivation for repeatedly assaulting Jewish victims. In text messages, for example, Bazrouk identified himself as a “Jew hater,” labeled Jews as “worthless,” extorted “Allah” to “get us rid of [Jews],” called an acquittance a “Fucking Jew,” and told a friend to “slap that bitch” in reference to a woman with an Israeli sticker on her laptop. Bazrouk also told a friend that he was “mad happy” to have learned that certain of his family members overseas are part of Hamas. Bazrouk’s phone was also littered with pro-Hamas and pro-Hizballah propaganda, showing his support for organizations that have murdered thousands of Jews and Israelis.
Bazrouk is charged with three counts of committing hate crimes, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential penalties in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD for their assistance.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg and Jim Ligtenberg for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.