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16 June 2025
Duluth Man Indicted for Threatening Two U.S. Senators and their FamiliesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Robert Davis Forney, 25, of Duluth, Georgia, was arraigned today before a United States Magistrate Judge on federal charges of communicating threats in interstate commerce. Forney was indicted by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia on June 10, 2025.
“Threatening our elected officials and their families is an act of violence that undermines our entire democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Political discourse and disagreements never justify resorting to vile attacks against our nation’s leaders.”
“Targeting public officials with threatening messages is a serious federal crime,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “There is no place for political violence or threats of violence in the United States. We will not hesitate to arrest and charge others who engage in similar criminal conduct.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On January 9, 2025, Forney twice called the office of Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and left voicemails in which he threatened sexual violence against Senator Cruz and the senator’s family. The following day, Forney called the office of Nebraska U.S. Senator Deb Fischer and left a voicemail in which he threatened sexual violence against Senator Fischer as well.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
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).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray are prosecuting the case.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Capitol Police.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Department of Justice declines prosecution of private equity firm that self-disclosed sanctions and related offenses committed by acquired entityRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - The Justice Department’s National Security Division (NSD) and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) announced they have declined prosecution of private equity firm White Deer Management LLC and its affiliated acquisition entities. The decision follows the firm’s discovery and voluntary self-disclosure to NSD of criminal violations of U.S. sanctions laws, export controls and related offenses that Unicat Catalyst Technologies LLC, a Texas-based company it acquired, had committed.
NSD and SDTX also announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with Unicat. Additionally, on Aug. 19, 2024, Unicat’s former co-founder and CEO Mani Erfan pleaded guilty in SDTX to conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions against Iran and other countries and foreign governments, as well as to concealment and international promotional money laundering. As part of his plea, Erfan also agreed to pay a money judgement in the amount of $1.6 million.
“After acquiring a company with a hidden history of sanctions violations, this private equity firm uncovered the misconduct, stopped it and quickly reported it to the government, leading to the successful prosecution of a senior executive,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Our decision to decline prosecution of the acquiror and extend a non-prosecution agreement to the acquired entity in this case reflects the NSD’s strong commitment to rewarding responsible corporate leadership.”
“Illegally exporting sensitive items to Venezuela and Iran to help them evade sanctions directly undermines U.S. foreign policy and threatens our national security,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Houston. “HSI will not sit by idly while businesses or individuals operating in the U.S. blatantly help our nation’s adversaries procure sensitive technologies or weapons and today’s announcement of a $3 million fine and the imposition of criminal charges is just another example of that enduring commitment.”
According to court documents and DOJ agreements from approximately 2014 to 2021, Mani Erfan conspired with others, including a Unicat employee, to illegally sell products to customers in Iran, Venezuela, Syria and Cuba in violation of U.S. sanctions. Erfan directed Unicat to make 23 unlawful sales of chemical catalysts used in oil refining and steel production, generating about $3.33 million in revenue.
Several sales involved exports from the United States and also violated U.S. export control laws. To cover up the scheme, the conspirators falsified export documents and financial records, misrepresenting the identities and locations of customers. They also assured some Unicat employees the company’s business dealings were lawful.
Efran and Unicat employees submitted falsified invoices to understate tariffs on catalysts imported from China, causing an estimated $1.66 million loss in duties, taxes and fees. During negotiations to sell Unicat, its prior owners falsely certified the company complied with U.S. sanctions and export control laws.
The scheme surfaced in June 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic after White Deer acquired Unicat and a second U.K.-based firm. Once travel restrictions eased, Unicat’s new CEO visited the United States to begin integrating operations. During the visit, the CEO discovered Unicat had a pending transaction with an Iranian customer and immediately canceled the deal.
Over the following month, White Deer and the new CEO hired outside counsel and launched an internal investigation. They discovered Unicat had engaged in multiple transactions with customers subject to various U.S. sanctions programs. Before the investigation concluded, White Deer and Unicat’s new leadership voluntarily disclosed the conduct to the NSD.
The Justice Department determined that White Deer lawfully acquired Unicat and submitted a timely disclosure based on the circumstances, including pandemic-related delays. Both companies fully cooperated with the government’s investigation by identifying key evidence, including foreign-language materials and documents stored overseas and by responding promptly to information requests.
Their cooperation led to the successful prosecution of Unicat’s former CEO. Within a year of discovering the misconduct, Unicat terminated responsible employees, sought reimbursement from the company’s prior owners and implemented a comprehensive compliance program that has proven effective in detecting and preventing similar violations.
Under the terms of the NPA, Unicat agreed to forfeit $3,325,052.10, representing proceeds from violations of U.S. sanctions and export control laws.
In parallel resolutions, Unicat has agreed to pay $3,882,797 to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for violating U.S. sanctions laws and $391,183 to the Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) for violating export control regulations. Customs and Border Protection separately required Unicat to pay $1,655,189.57 in underpaid duties, taxes and fees. Both OFAC and OEE agreed to credit Unicat’s forfeiture payment to the Justice Department toward their respective penalties.
The NSD and SDTX declined to prosecute White Deer after considering the Justice Department’s Principles of Federal Prosecution of Business Organizations and the NSD Enforcement Policy for Business Organizations. The NSD Enforcement policy presumes the division will decline prosecution when a company lawfully acquires another business, voluntarily and promptly discloses potential criminal conduct, fully cooperates with the investigation and remediates the misconduct in a timely and appropriate manner.
The NSD M&A Policy states that when a company lawfully acquires another business, voluntarily and promptly discloses potential criminal conduct, fully cooperates with the investigation and appropriately remediates the misconduct, NSD generally will not seek a guilty plea from the acquiring company and will presume declination of prosecution.
While this presumption does not apply to the acquired entity itself, NSD will consider whether the acquired company meets the enforcement policy’s standards and will credit the acquiror’s timely self-disclosure accordingly.
This case marks the first time since the Justice Department adopted its Mergers and Acquisitions Policy in March 2024 that it has declined prosecution of an acquiring company that self-disclosed misconduct at an acquired entity.
ICE-HSI, Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Mark McIntyre and John Marck are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorneys Adam P. Barry and Yifei Zheng of the NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Note: View a copy of the White Deer declination letter, Unicat non-prosecution agreement, and Mani Erfan's plea agreement.
Corporate Executives Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failing to Report Defective Dehumidifiers Linked to More Than 450 FiresRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two corporate executives were sentenced today to federal prison terms for conspiring to defraud the United States and for failing to report information about defective dehumidifiers linked to multiple fires in the first criminal enforcement action against corporate executives for failing to report required information ever brought under the Consumer Product Safety Act. (CPSA)
Simon Chu, 70, of Pomona, was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison and was fined $5,000 by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer. Judge Fischer today also sentenced Charley Loh, 67, of Arcadia, to 40 months in federal prison and fined him $12,000.
The executives each were found guilty by a jury in November 2023 of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and one count of failure to furnish information as required by the CPSA.
“Federal law requires companies to report potentially dangerous products to the Consumer Product Safety Commission to help protect consumers from harm,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate and bring to justice companies and individuals who willfully evade these requirements and put the public in danger.”
“Corporate executives who choose to ignore the law will be held accountable – especially when death and serious injuries result,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “By putting profits over the safety of others, these defendants created serious risks to consumers, and we will continue to prosecute those who endanger the public.”
“These Chinese-made products were hazardous, and the defendants knew it,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman. “Today’s sentences are a clear message that the CPSC will take a hard line against executives who break American laws and endanger families. I commend the CPSC and Justice Department teams for their work to secure this outcome.”
The defective dehumidifiers sold by Chu’s and Loh’s two corporations were included in multiple recalls of a larger number of defective dehumidifiers manufactured by Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai (Gree Zhuhai) in China. Recall notes stated that more than 450 reported fires and millions of dollars in property damage have been linked to the recalled Gree Zhuhai dehumidifiers.
The most recent recall announcements for the Gree dehumidifiers can be found here and here. The CPSC’s most recent warning about the recalled Gree dehumidifiers is here.
Chu was part owner and chief administrative officer of Gree USA Inc. and another corporation in the City of Industry, that distributed and sold to retailers for consumer purchase dehumidifiers that were made by Gree Zhuhai in China. Loh was part owner and CEO of the same two corporations.
The CPSA requires manufacturers, importers and distributors of consumer products to report “immediately” to the CPSC information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a product contains a defect that could create a substantial product hazard or creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. This duty also applies to the individual directors, officers, and agents of those companies.
By September 2012, Chu, Loh and their companies received multiple reports that their Chinese dehumidifiers were defective, dangerous and could catch fire. They also knew that they were required to report this product safety information to the CPSC immediately. Despite their knowledge of consumer complaints of dehumidifier fires and test results showing defects in the dehumidifiers, Chu and Loh failed to disclose their dehumidifiers’ defects and hazards for at least six months while they continued to sell their products to retailers, for resale to consumers.
The jury acquitted both defendants of one count of wire fraud.
Gree USA was sentenced in April 2023 to pay a $500,000 criminal fine after pleading guilty to failing to notify the CPSC about the problems with the dehumidifiers. The fine, along with provisions to pay restitution to victims, was part of a $91 million criminal resolution with Gree USA, Gree Zhuhai and another related Gree company, Hong Kong Gree Electric Appliances Sales Co. Ltd.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Dennis Mitchell of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Natalie Sanders, Speare Hodges, and Stephen Gripkey of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted this case, with the assistance of Patricia Vieira of the CPSC’s Office of General Counsel.
Conspirators sentenced for engaging in a multitude of fraud schemes, including romance scams, investment fraud, and business email compromise, to steal at least $17 millionRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas –Multiple defendants have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in an elaborate fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Damilola Kumapayi, 39, of Plano, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 109 months in federal prison.
Sandra Iribhogbe Popnen, 50, of Plano, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 365 months in federal prison.
Edgal Iribhogbe, 51, of Allen, was found guilty at trial of conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison.
Chidindu Okeke, 32, of Houston, was found guilty at trial of conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison.
Chiagoziem Okeke, 32, of Houston, was found guilty at trial of conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison.
“Transnational organized criminals targeting the hard-earned savings of elderly and vulnerable populations are simply despicable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “The long arm of the American justice system has no limits when it comes to reaching fraudsters who prey on our nation’s most vulnerable populations. The defendants’ lengthy sentences in this case reflect the seriousness of their crimes and the dedication of law enforcement officers and prosecutors to bring them to justice. I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work on this case.”
“The defendants were part of a transnational organized crime syndicate that defrauded victims collectively out of millions of dollars. For some individuals, this was their life savings, and they were unable to financially recover,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We hope these sentences give them a sense of comfort and sends a clear message that the FBI is committed to pursuing justice for victims."
“The collective sentences of nearly 160 years handed down to these defendants is a testament to the unwavering resolve of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and our law enforcement partners,” said Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office. “Through relentless investigation and prosecution, they have brought justice to the victims, holding these predators accountable for exploiting trust and devastating lives. IRS-CI and our partners are committed to prosecuting criminals for financial crimes, especially those that prey on our elderly and vulnerable.”
The sentencing hearings were held before U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on June 16, 2025, in Sherman.
According to information presented in court, beginning around January 2017, the defendants used a multitude of fraudulent schemes to obtain money from their victims, including online romance scams, business email compromise and investor fraud, and unemployment insurance fraud. The defendants coordinated how to extract money from their victims, and then how to disguise, disburse, and launder that money once they successfully defrauded their victims. The scheme resulted in approximately $17 million fraudulently obtained from at least 100 individual victims, companies, and government entities from across the world. The scheme specifically targeted elderly persons and used various schemes such as online dating sites to lure their victims. Once funds were obtained from their victims, the defendants laundered the money through a network of various bank accounts and sent money to bank accounts, co-conspirators and businesses located in Africa and Asia.
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).
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office; Homeland Security Investigations; Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service; Allen Police Department; Denton Police Department; Dallas County Sheriff’s Office; and Texas Department of Public Safety. This case was prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys in the Plano office.
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Carthage Woman Pleads Guilty to ArsonRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – On June 12, 2025, a Leake County woman pleaded guilty to setting fire to a Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians tribal member’s home located in the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
According to court documents, in September of 2021, Lashandell F. Thomas, 25, attempted to burn down the residence by starting a fire in the interior of the home. Thomas was indicted in January of 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi, made the announcement. The Choctaw Police Department investigated the case.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.
Business Owner Sentenced After Receiving More than $1.6 Million in Funds from the CARES ActRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A former Oklahoma man with business ties in Florida was sentenced today after pleading guilty to four counts of bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Shawn Ray Murnan, 57, of Windemere, Florida, to 33 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Hill further ordered Murnan to pay $1,641,796.47 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
“In 2020, the CARES Act funding was established to provide emergency financial assistance to help businesses that were disrupted,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Investigators and prosecutors are committed to finding those like Murnan who steal government funding and prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law.”
From April 2020 through October 2021, Murnan admitted to falsifying several CARES Act applications to the SBA. Murnan was the owner of numerous business ventures in Oklahoma, Florida, and other states. He submitted 14 applications on behalf of his businesses, including Blujett, LLC, which was based in Broken Arrow. He submitted applications claiming to have several employees and falsified his payroll expenses. Murnan requested more than two million and successfully received $1,641,796.47 from seven Paycheck Protection Program loans and two Economic Injury Disaster Loans. After receiving the funds, Murnan applied for the loans to be forgiven.
Previously released on bond, Murnan was taken into custody following the sentencing today, where he will remain pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Office of Inspector General for the Small Business Administration, and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Whipple prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
Brazilian National Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully residing in Worcester, Mass. pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Thiago Aquino-De Paula, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Aug. 28, 2025. In April 2025, Aquino-De Paula was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Aquino-De Paula was deported from the United States on three previous occasions including on or about Nov. 4, 2021. Sometime after his removal, Aquino-De Paula illegally reentered the United States without permission. Aquino-De Paula was found in Massachusetts after being arrested in Uxbridge for allegedly operating under the influence.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Bath Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Bath man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to being a felon in possession of firearms.
According to court records, in October 2024, the Bath Police Department received information that Noah Sibole-Little, 29, had potentially threatened an individual at a residence with a firearm. Bath officers and Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office personnel responded to the area and set up a perimeter. Officers observed Sibole-Little exit a rear door to the residence with a backpack and toss the bag over a fence on the property into a bush. Police seized the backpack and located three firearms—two 9mm pistols and a .380 caliber pistol—inside. Sibole-Little had previously been convicted of Robbery and Aggravated Assault in 2016 in Cumberland County and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
Sibole-Little faces up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Bath Police Department and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: 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 Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
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Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with Murder-For-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Matthew Hightower, 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to using a firearm during and in relation to a violent crime resulting in the death Latrina Ashburne on May 27, 2016.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD).
According to the plea agreement, Hightower solicited others and conspired to kill Ashburne’s neighbor — a female federal witness — in retaliation for providing information to a law enforcement officer and to prevent her from testifying against him at an official proceeding. Hightower learned that the federal witness provided law enforcement with information about his involvement in a health care fraud scheme and the murder of David Wutoh. At the time, Hightower was under federal indictment for both matters. While incarcerated pre-trial, Hightower used jail calls and letters to communicate with others to conspire to kill the federal witness.
Ashburne, who was the next-door neighbor of the federal witness and was similar in age and appearance, was shot and killed as she entered her car outside of her home. Davon Carter, the shooter, and Clifton Mosley, the accomplice, were previously tried and convicted for their roles in the murder plot.
Hightower faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Pursuant to his plea agreement, the parties agree that if the court accepts the plea agreement, the government will recommend that the court impose a sentence of 60 years in prison to run consecutive to the sentence Hightower is currently serving for Wutoh’s murder.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HHS-OIG, FBI, ATF, BPD, and BCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Y. Hagan and Paul E. Budlow who are prosecuting this case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Armed Robber Gets Seven Years for 7-Eleven RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevon Holston, 27, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court for robberies he committed on two separate dates at 7-Eleven stores in Northwest, Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Holston pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025, to one count each of armed robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and robbery. Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno sentenced Holston to seven years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately, 11:27 p.m., on November 27, 2024, Holston entered a 7-Eleven store located in the 1600 block of 7th Street, Northwest, and pointed a gun at a store employee and demanded money. The victim complied and gave the defendant $200 in cash. Holston took the money and fled the store.
On December 28, 2024, at approximately 8:05 p.m., Holston entered a different 7-Eleven store located in the 500 block of K Street, Northwest. The defendant brandished a gun and told the victim, “give me all you got.” The victim did not have the PIN to the cash register and called over another employee to assist with opening it. The second victim opened the register and handed $5 in cash to the defendant. Holston took the money and fled the store.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Rashmika Nedungadi, who prosecuted the case.
Arizona Woman Faces Assault Charges for 2023 IncidentRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona woman is facing federal charges for allegedly assaulting two individuals.
According to court documents, on December 30, 2023, Shaina Shorty, 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 and the assaults resulted in serious bodily injury.
Shorty is charged with two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Shorty faces up to eight years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Shorty)_0.pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Alleged Members of Major Guatemalan Drug Trafficking Organization IndictedRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – A federal grand jury indictment was unsealed in San Diego Friday alleging that 13 Guatemalan nationals are part of a Guatemala-based cocaine trafficking organization operating out of La Mesilla and Democracia, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, which is on the Guatemala-Mexico border.
The indictment was returned on May 31, 2019. Among the individuals charged are Baldemar Calderon-Carrillo, aka “Don Valde,” and his son, Walfre Donaldo Calderon-Calderon, aka “El Teniente Jr.”
On June 13, 2025, federal agents in San Diego received information that Calderon-Carrillo, the lead defendant in the indictment, had been killed during a June 8, 2025, shootout with Mexican authorities. U.S. agents continue to obtain information confirming the details of Calderon-Carrillo’s death. Video of the incident was posted on various news outlets and in social media showing Mexican law enforcement in a shootout with members of a drug trafficking organization.
In January 2023, one of Calderon-Carrillo’s sons, Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon, aka “Panon,” who is charged in the same indictment, was arrested in Paris, France. Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon was extradited to the United States from France in March 2024 and pleaded guilty in February 2025 to international cocaine distribution conspiracy charges.
As part of his plea agreement, Calderon-Calderon admitted that since at least 2017, up to and including May 31, 2019, he conspired with others to distribute cocaine in Guatemala and elsewhere, knowing and having reasonable cause to believe the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States.
Calderon-Calderon admitted that he participated in the distribution of large quantities of cocaine in Guatemala on behalf of a drug trafficking organization based in La Mesilla, Huehuetenango, Guatemala. From Huehuetenango, the cocaine was transported to co-conspirators operating near the Guatemala-Mexico border, into Mexico, and ultimately smuggled into the United States. As part of his plea agreement, Calderon-Calderon admitted that the conspiracy involved at least 550 kilograms of cocaine. On May 30, 2025, Calderon-Calderon was sentenced to 87 months in prison.
The remaining defendants charged in the indictment are fugitives.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mokhtari. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and French authorities provided substantial assistance to secure the arrest and extradition of Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 19-cr-2025-DMS
Baldemar Calderon-Carrillo, aka “Don Valde” Age: 67 Guatemala
Amado Calderon-Calderon, aka “Don Juan” Age: 46 Guatemala
Walfre Donaldo Calderon-Calderon, aka “El Teniente Jr.” Age: 43 Guatemala
Ceidner Ivan Calderon-Villatoro, aka “Chene” Age: 35 Guatemala
Edgar Yovani Calderon-Calderon, aka “Panon” Age: 45 Guatemala
Boris Brandon Calderon-Villatoro, aka “Leon” Age: 31 Guatemala
Fredy Estuardo Villatoro-Calderon, aka “Nalo” Age: 31 Guatemala
Juan Carlos Escobedo-Herrera, aka “Ducati” Age: 34 Guatemala
Marvin Waldemar Mendez-Aldana, aka “Don Pelado” Age: 44 Guatemala
German Zaldana-Lima, aka “Gorgo” Age: 50 Guatemala
Arnoldo Bexsael Morales-Aguilar, aka “Bex” Age: 57 Guatemala
Ranferi Godinez-Vasquez, aka “Chilo” Age: 31 Guatemala
Maximo Morales-Godinez, aka “Max” Age: 37 Guatemala
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Count 1 – International Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy - Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, 963
Maximum penalty: Life in prison; a maximum $10 million fine
All defendants
Count 2 – Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine – Title 46, U.S.C., Sections 70503, 70506(b)
Maximum penalty: Life in prison; a maximum $10 million fine
Defendant Walfre Donaldo Calderon-Calderon only
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
After Two-Day Manhunt, Suspect Charged with Shooting Two Minnesota Lawmakers and Their SpousesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Vance Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, Minnesota, has been charged by federal complaint with stalking and murdering Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, in addition to stalking and shooting Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of June 14, 2025, Vance Luther Boelter put into effect a calculated plan to inflict fear and violence upon Minnesota elected officials and their families. Boelter equipped himself with firearms and body armor, disguised himself as a law enforcement officer, and drove to the home of Senator Hoffman. Boelter knocked on the door repeatedly, claiming to be a police officer. Shortly after the Hoffmans opened the door, they were alarmed to realize Boelter was wearing a facemask. The Hoffmans tried to close the door on Boelter, but Boelter repeatedly shot both Senator and Mrs. Hoffman.
Boelter then traveled to the homes of two other Minnesota elected officials, still disguised as a law enforcement officer. Boelter did not manage to make contact with either of those officials or their families.
Next, Boelter drove to the home of Speaker Emerita and Representative Melissa Hortman. Meanwhile, local law enforcement, having heard of the shooting at the Hoffman residence, drove to the Hortman household to conduct a safety check. Upon arriving, officers saw Boelter’s car, a black Ford Explorer SUV designed to look at a law enforcement vehicle. It was equipped with police-style lights that were on and flashing. Officers saw Boelter, standing several feet from and facing the front door of the Hortman home. Moments later, Boelter fired several gunshots into the home, repeatedly striking Mr. Hortman. As Boelter did so, he rushed into the home and fired several additional shots, repeatedly striking Representative Hortman. Officers provided medical aid to the Hortmans and attempted to pursue Boelter, who abandoned the SUV and fled, initially, on foot. Both Hortmans died from their wounds.
Law enforcement searched Boelter’s SUV and recovered five firearms, including semi-automatic, assault-style rifles, a large quantity of ammunition, and several notebooks filled with handwritten notations. Those notes listed out the names of dozens of Minnesota state and federal elected officials. The notes often identified those officials’ home addresses.
A two-day manhunt, coordinated among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies across the state, ensued. As a result of those efforts, at approximately 9:15 on the evening of June 15, law enforcement located Boelter in a field in Green Isle, Minnesota, approximately one mile from his family residence. Law enforcement officers then took Boelter into custody.
“The horrific, targeted murders of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, as well as the shooting of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, have shocked the nation and united us in grief. These horrific acts of violence will not go unanswered: the Department of Justice will prosecute this suspect to the fullest extent of the law and if convicted deliver severe consequences for his alleged crimes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“Vance Luthor Boelter went on a violent rampage against our elected officials,” said Acting United States Attorney Joe Thompson. “These were targeted political assassinations the likes of which have never been seen in Minnesota. It was an attack on our state and on our democracy. We will not rest until he is brought to justice.”
“This was a horrific act of targeted violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “A gunman, impersonating a police officer, deliberately lured public servants to their own doorstep and opened fire. A Minnesota lawmaker and her spouse were murdered in cold blood, and others wounded, simply for serving as elected officials. This is not only unacceptable—it is an attack on the democratic values that define this nation. This marked the largest manhunt in Minnesota’s history, and it would not have been possible without the extraordinary partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The tireless coordination and commitment ensured Boelter was located and taken into custody without further incident. The FBI remains steadfast in our pursuit of justice. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the communities they served.”
“The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office is grateful to all of the local, state, and federal agencies responsible for justice in this case. I am thoroughly humbled by the response from law enforcement across the state. Our community is shaken by this violence, which strikes at the very heart of our democracy. Our hearts are with the victims, their loved ones, and our community. Today, we are one step closer to justice as Vance Boelter faces federal charges for his heinous crimes. Our Office stands united in grief and resolve, determined to honor the lives affected and ensure that our communities can begin to heal,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Whitt.
"The violence inflicted upon the Hortman and Hoffman families sparked a manhunt unlike anything we've seen in Minnesota," said Mark Bruley, Brooklyn Park Police Chief "Our investigation with partner agencies is ongoing and we will work to the fullest degree to bring this suspect to justice."
“The deliberate targeting of elected officials and their families is an appalling act of political violence that has no place in our country,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle, of the St. Paul Field Division. “We extend our deepest condolences to the victims, their families, and all those affected by this tragedy. In response, ATF brought forward key investigative resources, including firearms tracing, NIBIN analysis, and a specially trained K-9 team, to help recover evidence and generate leads. Our agents contributed their full expertise and manpower to the search and continue to support the ongoing investigation. I’m proud of the role ATF has played and commend the extraordinary work of all law enforcement partners who came together to bring the suspect into custody.”
Boelter will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today, before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty.
This case is a result of a criminal investigation conducted by the FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, ATF, Brooklyn Park Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sherriff’s Office, Champlin Police Department, and New Hope Police Department, together with several other state and local partners. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section also assisted in the investigation. This investigation has proceeded with the U.S. Attorney’s Office strong partnership with Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs, Bradley M. Endicott, Matthew D. Forbes, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
After Two-Day Manhunt, Suspect Charged with Shooting Two Minnesota Lawmakers and Their SpousesRead the Press Release
Vance Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, Minnesota, has been charged by federal complaint with stalking and murdering Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, in addition to stalking and shooting Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of June 14, 2025, Vance Luther Boelter put into effect a calculated plan to inflict fear and violence upon Minnesota elected officials and their families. Boelter equipped himself with firearms and body armor, disguised himself as a law enforcement officer, and drove to the home of Senator Hoffman. Boelter knocked on the door repeatedly, claiming to be a police officer. Shortly after the Hoffmans opened the door, they were alarmed to realize Boelter was wearing a facemask. The Hoffmans tried to close the door on Boelter, but Boelter repeatedly shot both Senator and Mrs. Hoffman.
“The horrific, targeted murders of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman, as well as the shooting of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette Hoffman, have shocked the nation and united us in grief,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “These horrific acts of violence will not go unanswered: the Department of Justice will prosecute this suspect to the fullest extent of the law and if convicted deliver severe consequences for his alleged crimes.”
“According to the charges, the defendant had a list of possible targets and went to the homes of public officials to conduct violent attacks,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This type of violence is unacceptable, and the FBI stands united with our law enforcement partners to find and hold accountable anyone who commits such despicable acts. I commend all the law enforcement officers who worked throughout the weekend to find the defendant and take him into custody.”
“Vance Luthor Boelter went on a violent rampage against our elected officials,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson for the District of Minnesota. “These were targeted political assassinations the likes of which have never been seen in Minnesota. It was an attack on our state and on our democracy. We will not rest until he is brought to justice.”
“This was a horrific act of targeted violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “A gunman, impersonating a police officer, deliberately lured public servants to their own doorstep and opened fire. A Minnesota lawmaker and her spouse were murdered in cold blood, and others wounded, simply for serving as elected officials. This is not only unacceptable — it is an attack on the democratic values that define this nation. This marked the largest manhunt in Minnesota’s history, and it would not have been possible without the extraordinary partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The tireless coordination and commitment ensured Boelter was located and taken into custody without further incident. The FBI remains steadfast in our pursuit of justice. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the communities they served.”
“The deliberate targeting of elected officials and their families is an appalling act of political violence that has no place in our country,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division. “We extend our deepest condolences to the victims, their families, and all those affected by this tragedy. In response, ATF brought forward key investigative resources, including firearms tracing, NIBIN analysis, and a specially trained K-9 team, to help recover evidence and generate leads. Our agents contributed their full expertise and manpower to the search and continue to support the ongoing investigation. I’m proud of the role ATF has played and commend the extraordinary work of all law enforcement partners who came together to bring the suspect into custody.”
Boelter then traveled to the homes of two other Minnesota elected officials, still disguised as a law enforcement officer. Boelter did not manage to make contact with either of those officials or their families.
Next, Boelter drove to the home of Speaker Emerita and Representative Melissa Hortman. Meanwhile, local law enforcement, having heard of the shooting at the Hoffman residence, drove to the Hortman household to conduct a safety check. Upon arriving, officers saw Boelter’s car, a black Ford Explorer SUV designed to look like a law enforcement vehicle. It was equipped with police-style lights that were on and flashing. Officers saw Boelter, standing several feet from and facing the front door of the Hortman home. Moments later, Boelter fired several gunshots into the home, repeatedly striking Mr. Hortman. As Boelter did so, he rushed into the home and fired several additional shots, repeatedly striking Representative Hortman. Officers provided medical aid to the Hortmans and attempted to pursue Boelter, who abandoned the SUV and fled, initially, on foot. Both Hortmans died from their wounds.
Law enforcement searched Boelter’s SUV and recovered five firearms, including semi-automatic, assault-style rifles, a large quantity of ammunition, and several notebooks filled with handwritten notations. Those notes listed out the names of dozens of Minnesota state and federal elected officials. The notes often identified those officials’ home addresses.
A two-day manhunt, coordinated among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies across the state, ensued. As a result of those efforts, at approximately 9:15 on the evening of June 15, law enforcement located Boelter in a field in Green Isle, Minnesota, approximately one mile from his family residence. Law enforcement officers then took Boelter into custody.
Boelter will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today, before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty.
The FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, ATF, Brooklyn Park Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sherriff’s Office, Champlin Police Department, and New Hope Police Department, together with several other state and local partners, are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs, Bradley M. Endicott, Matthew D. Forbes, and Daniel W. Bobier for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin and Deputy Chief Joshua Champagne of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
13 June 2025
Whatcom County man sentenced to 4+ years in prison for brutal and lengthy assault of intimate partnerRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 50-year-old member of the Lummi Nation was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 51 months in prison for assault resulting in serious bodily injury, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jason Sieber Sr. was charged federally in February 2024, for the October 20, 2023, assault of his then intimate partner. Sieber has been detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac since his arrest in February 2024. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “This was a horrific attack over a long period of time – it could have ended her life.”
According to records filed in the case, Sieber became angry with the victim over the amount of time it was taking her to cook dinner. He struck her repeatedly in the face and head and kept her from leaving the home to get help. The blows with his closed fist caused the victim to suffer facial fractures, extreme pain, and disfigurement.
Prosecutors described the assault in their sentencing memo: “Sieber’s assault of Victim 1 on October 20, 2023, was brutal and prolonged. Over the course of multiple hours, Sieber repeatedly beat his intimate partner, breaking her nose and fracturing bones in her face. As Sieber himself admitted, his actions ‘caused her to suffer extreme physical pain, as well as protracted and obvious disfigurement.’ In addition to punching and slapping Victim 1, Sieber tied Victim 1’s feet to hooks in his bedroom ceiling, leaving her suspended and trapped for 45 minutes. He burned her using a cigarette and strangled her, while telling her how easily he could end her life.” In court today, Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Forstein recounted those threats Sieber made to the victim. “He said ‘I could kill you right now and stuff you in a crab pot and no one would ever find you.’”
The victim reported the assault to Lummi Nation Police ten days after the assault. Sieber was originally charged in tribal court. The case was ultimately referred to federal prosecutors.
Even after Sieber was charged with the assault he attempted to have the victim change her account of what happened. For that conduct the judge determined that he had tried to obstruct justice.
Sieber will be on three years of supervised release following prison.
The case was investigated by the Lummi Nation Police Department and the FBI as part of the Safe Trails Taskforce.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Forstein and former Assistant United States Attorney J. Tate London.
Western District of Texas Adds 331 New Immigration CasesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO –United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 331 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from June 6 through 12.
Among the new cases, Guatemalan national Geremias Ambrocio-Vicente was arrested for illegal re-entry less than four miles west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso on June 8. Ambrocio-Vicente is a felon with multiple convictions including a 2020 conviction in Albany, New York for rape, and an illegal re-entry conviction in 2022 in Rio Grande City. He was previously deported on July 13, 2022, through New Orleans, Louisiana.
The El Paso Division also filed multiple cases for charges of transporting or harboring illegal aliens. Miguel Angel Enriquez-Ramirez is a Mexican national who, according to an affidavit, admitted to working for the Transnational Criminal Organization La Linea. On June 9, he was arrested during an immigration inspection conducted by U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations at an El Paso residence. During the inspection, agents allegedly encountered a total of nine individuals—eight of whom who were determined to be citizens of Mexico, one a citizen of Guatemala, and all illegally present in the United States. The affidavit alleges that Enriquez-Ramirez admitted to getting paid $600.00 per week to harbor illegal aliens at the apartment and had been harboring between eight and 12 illegal aliens since arriving at the apartment earlier this year.
Mexican national Ranferi Alonso-Osorio was arrested for allegedly picking up several illegal aliens in a pickup truck near the International Boundary fence and transporting them further into the U.S. Alonso-Osorio was pulled over by Texas Department of Public Safety, after which, the DPS troopers and partnered USBP agents allegedly observed seven individuals flee from the vehicle. A criminal complaint alleges that five of the individuals were quickly detained and the sixth was located and detained shortly after. The seventh individual, Alonso-Osorio, was allegedly located inside the recycling bin in the backyard of a residence. The complaint alleges that Alonso-Osorio admitted to picking up and transporting the illegal aliens and that he would be paid $50 for each alien he picked up. He also allegedly claimed to have picked up illegal aliens on about 15 previous occasions and believed he had picked up about 30 illegal aliens in total.
In Del Rio, Salvadoran national Alberto De Jesus Moran-Mejia was arrested by USBP agents for illegal re-entry. Moran-Mejia is a twice convicted felon, with an illegal re-entry conviction in 2010 and an assault on a law enforcement officer in 2024, which coincided with a DWI conviction. He has been deported five times, the last one being to El Salvador on Aug. 30, 2024, through Washington DC.
Mexican national Luis Cesar Carmona-Lopez is also charged with illegal re-entry, having been deported six times—the last one being to Mexico on Dec. 21, 2024, through Del Rio. Carmona-Lopez has been previously convicted for illegal re-entry felonies three times, and had also been found to have violated the terms of his felony probation in August 2024.
Marlon Catalino Diaz-Flores, a Honduran national, was arrested in Eagle Pass and charged with illegal re-entry. He was recently removed for the fourth time on March 16 through El Paso, after being convicted in January for illegal re-entry.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Waterbury Woman Pleads Guilty, Admits Multiple Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARLENIN VITO, 46, of Waterbury, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to an offense stemming from multiple fraud schemes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Vito was employed as Medicaid Coordinator at an assisted living facility (“Company A”) located in Stamford. Vito’s responsibilities included assisting the residents in applying for nursing home level Medicaid reimbursements, monitoring the residents’ patient trust accounts, and ensuring compliance with Medicaid regulations. She was also responsible for keeping journal entries for the residents’ trust accounts and to credit their accounts when funds were received, and for debiting patient accounts when payments were made on behalf of the residents or when cash was given to residents for incidental expenses.
Between approximately December 2019 and May 2021, Vito defrauded Company A and its residents by generating checks from Company A’s system, forging a fellow employee’s signature on the checks, negotiating the fraudulent checks purportedly to give the cash proceeds to certain residents, and keeping the cash for her own use. Vito then made false entries into Company A’s accounting ledger by debiting the fraudulently obtained cash from the residents’ respective trust accounts. Many of the residents were not healthy enough or mentally capable of tracking their own expenses or monitoring the balances of their own trust accounts.
In certain instances, Vito cancelled residents’ supplemental health insurance coverage, but continued to deduct funds from the trust accounts and took the funds for herself. Also, when certain residents’ trust accounts were credited with Economic Impact Payments (“COVID-19 stimulus payments”), Vito took the funds for herself and then debited the residents’ accounts at a rate of approximately $60 a day until the stimulus funds were depleted.
During the scheme, Vito fraudulently negotiated approximately 500 checks, stealing approximately $310,820. When she was confronted by family members of certain residents, Vito created and provided to those family members false account statements that misrepresented the balances in the residents’ trust accounts.
After she was terminated by Company A, Vito obtained employment as a bookkeeper and scheduler at an alarm company (“Company B”) located in White Plains, New York. Vito stole from the company by making false representations about overtime for herself and her daughter, and by using company funds to order more than $10,000 worth of products to be delivered to her Waterbury residence. Company B was defrauded of approximately $23,558 through these schemes.
After she was terminated by Company B, Vito was employed as a bookkeeper at a law firm in Hartford (“Company C”). Vito took fraudulently generated checks drawn on Company C’s bank account and issued as “Pay to the Order of ‘Petty Cash, ’” forged the signature of an authorized employee on the checks, cashed the checks, and kept the funds for herself. She then recorded the fraudulently negotiated checks in Company C’s books and records as “Petty Cash.” Vito stole approximately $27,179 from Company C.
Vito pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. She is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10.
Vito is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Stamford Police Department, Hartford Police Department, Ridgefield Police Department, and the Putnam County (N.Y.) Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael S. McGarry and Nathan J. Guevremont.
WMATA Train Operators Arrested in Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michelle Shropshire, 54, of Waldorf, Maryland, and Harlisha Jones, 49, of Clinton, Maryland, and Washington, DC, were arrested this morning on health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy charges filed in U.S. District Court.
The arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Inspector General Michelle Zamarin of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Office of Inspector General.
Both defendants are expected to make their initial appearance today in the District Court for the District of Columbia.
According to the indictment, from June 2021 through January 2024, Shropshire and Jones, both Train Operators employed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), conspired to use Jones’s insurance policies with American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (AFLAC) to submit fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims for injuries, medical treatments, and disability periods that did not exist.
Court documents allege that the defendants used the information of real doctors to create fraudulent medical excuse notes and physician’s statements, including forged doctors’ signatures, that were submitted to AFLAC in support of the insurance claims. Then, shortly after AFLAC paid each claim to Jones, she paid a kickback to Shropshire using a percentage of the total claim payment. As a result of those fraudulent insurance claims, AFLAC paid Jones approximately $58,750, of which Jones paid approximately 20% back to Shropshire.
The indictment further alleges that in addition to Jones, Shropshire assisted numerous other WMATA employees with submitting fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims to AFLAC. As a result of that scheme, AFLAC paid at least $362,035.14 in phony insurance benefits to Shropshire, Jones, and other WMATA employees.
Those employees included Sharon Washington, 53, of Woodbridge, VA, Selethia Blake, 53, of Waldorf, MD, Brady Turner, 56, of Clinton, MD, Lushawn Foreman, 51, of Upper Marlboro, MD, and Margot Jackson, 52, of Hughesville, MD, among others.
Washington, Blake, Turner, Foreman, and Jackson have each admitted to their involvement in Shropshire’s scheme, including paying kickbacks to Shropshire using a portion of the claim payments they received, and have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Each is currently awaiting sentencing.
If convicted, Shropshire and Jones each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for the charged offenses, with an additional mandatory sentence of two years in prison for the offense of aggravated identity theft. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided for informational purposes. If convicted, the defendants’ sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
These cases are being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the WMATA Office of Inspector General. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Kelly and Diane Lucas.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
shropshire_indictment_final.pdf25mj95
United States Attorney’s Office Statement on Upcoming ProtestsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Ahead of planned protests in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the United States Attorney’s Office will uphold the central principles of freedom of expression and the rule of law.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has been in communication with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to offer our support, and our assurance that violations of federal law, to include inciting a riot, engaging in civil disorder, destroying federal property, assaulting police and federal personnel, or unlawful possession of firearms, will be met with federal charges.
“The guarantees of the First Amendment end at the point of violence against persons or property,” said United States Attorney David Metcalf. “Those who cross that line against any federal officers or facilities in upcoming protests should expect arrest and prosecution. The Department of Justice is committed, as always, to working with our partners at all levels to uphold public safety, including the safety of law enforcement officers.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 116 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 116 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On June 9, Alejandro Garcia Rivera and Angel Bel Tran Zamora, both Mexican citizens, were arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting after they were intercepted by the U.S. Coast guard off Point Loma as alleged captains of a smuggling boat; Gerardo Bejarano-Velazquez - who was also aboard the boat and had been previously deported to Mexico in 2018 in Nogales, Arizona - was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry After Deportation. Two other passengers were being held as material witnesses.
- On June 10, 2025, Jose Pablo Lopez Lopez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, when the defendant attempted to cross the border in his vehicle at the Tecate Port of Entry, Customs and Border Protection Officers found 113 packages containing 122 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the door panels, spare tire, firewall and passenger seats.
- On June 10, Juan Moreno Morales, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, he tried to enter the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry aboard an ambulance. The defendant eventually admitted to using a bogus medical emergency as a scheme to enter the United States illegally. Moreno Morales was previously removed from the United States in 2000 and 2023.
Also recently, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:
- On June 9, Reymond Arias Valdez, a national of the Dominican Republic, who has multiple felony convictions for narcotics distribution in Massachusetts, was sentenced in federal court to 18 months in custody for illegally entering the U.S. In addition, Arias-Valdez has a previous felony unlawful reentry of a deported alien conviction from 2020.
- On June 13, Carlos Fernando Gallegos-Camacho, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of being a deported alien found in the United States in 2022 and 2010, was sentenced in federal court to nine months in custody for again reentering the U.S. illegally.
- On June 13, 2025, Monica Valdivia Ramirez, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 56 months in prison for importation of over 86,000 fentanyl pills into the United States, with an estimated street value of more than $800,000. She was found guilty by a federal jury in February.
- On June 13, 2025, Francisco Luevano-Casillas - a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony cocaine trafficking - was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for illegally reentering the U.S. after deportation in May 2008. For the 2008 drug offense, Luevano-Casillas was sentenced to 96 months in prison.
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending June 13, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 78 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 10 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 36 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 66 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for burglary, alien smuggling, DUI, and reentry of a deported alien.
In one significant case, Georgina Ramirez was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a two-count indictment charging conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and high speed flight from a checkpoint. In September 2023, Ramirez was transporting four illegal aliens from El Paso, Texas to Deming, New Mexico, when she fled from a Border Patrol checkpoint on I-10 west of Las Cruces, New Mexico. After traveling several miles, she stopped the vehicle in the median of the interstate, telling the group of aliens to run. While fleeing, one of the aliens was struck and killed by an oncoming semi-truck.
In a similar case, Ulysses Uriel Chanez was arrested and initialed on charges arising from an incident on April 8, 2025. Chanez entered the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Otero County, New Mexico at a high rate of speed, failed to stop, and fled from agents at speeds exceeding 100 mph. Because of the risk to the agents and the public, the chase was discontinued and Chanez was not apprehended. Chanez was charged by criminal complaint with high-speed flight from checkpoint and was arrested on June 6, 2025.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Two Nevada Residents Charged for Conspiring to Engage in Voter Registration Fraud in MinnesotaRead the Press Release
Minneapolis, Minn. – Two Nevada residents, formally of Minnesota, were charged by Information with Conspiracy to Engage in Voter Registration Fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“Election fraud strikes at the heart of our democracy,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Thankfully, the FBI stopped this fraud in its tracks, before anyone successfully cast a fraudulent ballot. But we will stay vigilant. Whether its jury bribery, witness tampering, or now election fraud—crimes that threaten our democracy have no place in Minnesota.”
“Nothing is more central to our democracy than fair and impartially conducted elections,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Through their actions, Combs and Williams attempted to deprive the citizens of Minnesota of a secure and reliable election process. Along with our partners, the FBI will stop at nothing to identify and bring to justice anyone who threatens the security of our electoral system.”
According to court documents, beginning in 2021 and continuing through 2022, Ronnie Williams and Lorraine Lee Combs participated in a conspiracy to generate fictitious names and information that they used to fill out Minnesota voter registration applications. Williams and Combs then signed a form certifying that they “have read and understand this statements” and “that giving false information is a felony punishable by not more than 5 years imprisonment or a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.”
According to court documents, Williams then provided the completed voter registration forms to Foundation 1, an entity seeking to register voters in Minnesota, which submitted the false voter registration applications to county election offices across Minnesota. Foundation 1 paid Williams for the registrations, and Williams split the proceeds with Combs.
Williams is scheduled to appear for an arraignment and change of plea hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Laura M. Provinzino on July 8, 2025.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office wishes to thank the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section for partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also wishes to thank the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State and the Carver County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance and full cooperation with this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Jacobs and Trial Attorney Jonathan Jacobson of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting this case.
Trinitarios Gang Leader Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Triple Shooting in QueensRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Pedro Serrano, also known as “Papo,” the leader of the Ozone Park (or “OZP”) set of the Trinitarios street gang, was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano to 183 months in prison for carrying out a June 29, 2021 shooting that injured three victims. The shooting was part of a long-running conspiracy to murder members of a rival Trinitarios gang set. Serrano pleaded guilty in March 2024 to assault in-aid-of racketeering and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“Serrano was ruthlessly committed to a dangerous criminal enterprise, and he and his co-conspirators shot multiple victims in furtherance of a senseless gang rivalry to advance his enterprise,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Such warfare jeopardizes public safety and underscores the importance of my Office’s mission to eradicate violent gangs from our communities.”
"Pedro Serrano, a leader of a Trinitarios sect, waged a reckless shootout, targeting, and injuring rivals to bolster his gang’s hierarchical status," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. "His actions not only jeopardized the safety of a residential community, but also perpetuated the gang’s years-long territorial feud. May today’s sentencing reflect the FBI’s dedication to crushing any gang violence that threatens our city."
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department for their work and assistance on the case.
According to court filings, Serrano, along with other members of the gang, engaged in a series of violent feuds with rivals, including rival sets within the Trinitarios. Beginning in at least 2021, disputes arose between OZP and other sets of Trinitarios from Queens and Brooklyn, including the Southside set, resulting in back-and-forth shootings between sets. On June 29, 2021, Serrano carried out a retaliatory shooting—while driving through a residential neighborhood in Queens—targeting Southside members.
Serrano enlisted fellow OZP members—including co-defendant Albert Santana-Fernandez, also known as “Pipa,” a Pennsylvania-based member of OZP—to help attack OZP rivals. After departing from Serrano’s house, the co-conspirators drove around until they located a rival group of Trinitarios on 77th Street near Jamaica Avenue near the Queens-Brooklyn border. Serrano and Santana-Fernandez were armed with firearms and after locating their rivals, fired shots at them from their moving vehicle. At least 13 shell casings were recovered at the scene, and three victims were wounded—one of whom sustained a gunshot wound to the back of his head. Santana-Fernandez pleaded guilty to his role in the shooting in October 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey R. Oken and Benjamin Weintraub are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
PEDRO SERRANO (also known as “Papo”)
Age: 24
Brooklyn, NYALBERT SANTANA-FERNANDEZ (also known as “Pipa”)
Age: 27
Philadelphia, PAE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-28 (ENV)
Three Indicted for Elaborate $24 Million Transnational Gold Smuggling and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal indictment unsealed today charges Beatriz Eugenia Hernandez (B. Hernandez), 57; her son Carlos Mathias Gonzalez, 26; and her brother Esteban Hernandez (E. Hernandez), 47, of an elaborate transnational gold smuggling and money laundering scheme that involved the wire transfer of over $24 million from the United States to Colombia.
According to allegations in the indictment, B. Hernandez, Gonzalez, and E. Hernandez received shipments from a Colombian company that purported to contain various types of metal widgets when, in fact, half of the packages would contain undeclared gold cylinders that were inserted within the widgets and painted over to avoid detection. B. Hernandez, Gonzalez, and E. Hernandez would extract the gold cylinders, sell the gold through two U.S. corporate entities, and then wire the funds between the entities’ bank accounts before ultimately wiring the funds to the Colombian company’s accounts in Colombia. The scheme’s systematic cycle of gold importation, followed by international wire transfers, resulted in approximately $24,628,943 being wired to Colombia from the United States between December 2018 and May 2022.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI investigated the case with assistance from Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller is prosecuting this case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20236.
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Texas Man Guilty of Drug and Racketeering OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JULIO CESAR DELGADO (“DELGADO”), age 39, formerly a resident of Brownsville, Texas pled guilty on June 5, 2025, before United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, 846; and Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1952(a)(3).
The charge of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribute Cocaine, now carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years and up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $8,000,000 and a term of supervised release of at least 8 years. Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Each offense also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
Sentencing will occur on October 9, 2025.
Court documents reflect that the Defendant was part of a sophisticated conspiracy that smuggled cocaine from Mexico into the United States at Brownsville, Texas and transported it to customers in Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Michigan. DELGADO, and others, would also collect payment from the customers. During the investigation, the Louisiana State Police seized approximately $31,000 from DELGADO and another individual during a traffic stop. The money was payment received for cocaine delivered to a trafficker in Michigan. This money is subject to forfeiture.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit is assigned the prosecution.
Tennessee Man Sentenced in Kentucky to 25 Years in Prison for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A Tennessee man was sentenced yesterday in the Western District of Kentucky for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; conspiracy to commit sex trafficking; obstructing a sex trafficking investigation; interstate transportation for prostitution; and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Portier Q. Govan, 37, of Memphis, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release after a jury found Govan guilty in December 2024.
Evidence presented during the trial established that Govan and his co-defendant, Brittany R. Howard, 25, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, recruited and enticed the victim to engage in commercial sex by preying on her young age and financial situation, and by making false promises of easy money. To establish his control over the victim, Govan threatened to kill her by pressing a pistol against her head while she was in the front passenger seat of a car, and then lowered and discharged the gun, firing a bullet across her lap and missing her body by inches. Govan also showed her a video of himself torturing a defenseless man tied to a chair. He sexually assaulted her and compelled her to engage in commercial sex acts for his profit by making her fear for her life.
“The defendant used brazen acts of violence to compel the 18-year-old victim to engage in commercial sex, even holding a gun to the victim’s head,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This significant sentence reflects the severity of the defendant’s conduct and sends a clear message that the DOJ will relentlessly prosecute and hold accountable human traffickers who abuse and exploit others for financial gain.”
The FBI Louisville Field Office, Bowling Green Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Bowling Green Police Department.
“This sentence is the culmination of a tremendous joint effort between the Bowling Green Police Department and the FBI’s Bowling Green Resident Agency,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky Kyle G. Bumgarner. “Thanks to their efforts, Portier Govan will spend a significant portion of his adult life in federal penitentiary for his depraved conduct. While his sentence is lengthy, there is no sentence that sufficiently remedies the trauma he inflicted on his victim—who will continue to have unwavering support from our office”
“Depriving an innocent victim of their civil rights by violently forcing them to engage in commercial sex is unconscionable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Portier Govan’s criminal activity. The FBI, in collaboration with our state and local law enforcement partners, will never stop working to identify and hold accountable violent criminals and to help victims receive the support needed as they recover from significant trauma.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
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Social media finance influencer pleads guilty to orchestrating $20 million Ponzi schemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A social media finance influencer pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to federal crimes related to a real estate Ponzi scheme.
Tyler Bossetti, 31, of Columbus, received more than $23 million in investments from victim investors throughout the United States and abroad. In total, dozens of investors lost more than $11 million.
He pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and aiding in a false tax filing.
According to court documents, from 2019 until 2023, Bossetti widely publicized what he described as a real estate investment program. The defendant, through his company Boss Lifestyle LLC, guaranteed large rates of return for short-term investments. He advertised the investments, often promising thirty percent or more rate of return, through social media, especially Facebook and YouTube.
The plea agreement further details that Bossetti also caused the issuance and filing of approximately 14 false and fraudulent 1099-INT tax forms. The defendant filed the IRS forms to report interest income for investors who did not earn interest. Bossetti claimed he had reinvested victims’ interest earnings when in fact he did not.
Bossetti admitted to misappropriating investor funds to further his lifestyle and make purchases like rental payments on a condo in downtown Columbus, frequent travel, a $150,000 Mercedes SUV and various cryptocurrency investments.
Bossetti was charged by a bill of information in April 2025.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and aiding in a false filing carries a potential maximum penalty of up to three years in prison. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences and sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation; announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case.
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Meth PossessionRead the Press Release
Jon Waugh, age 55, from Sioux City, Iowa, a man who possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it within 1,000 feet of a protected location pled guilty June 12, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
On August 14, 2024, law enforcement officers contacted Waugh outside his apartment for an outstanding arrest warrant, while he was on his way to sell methamphetamine. Officers searched Waugh and found and seized approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine and $854 in cash. Law enforcement officers searched Waugh’s residence and seized over one kilogram of methamphetamine, a scale with meth, drug paraphernalia, and four firearms, one of which was stolen. At the plea hearing, Waugh admitted he planned to distribute the methamphetamine to other individuals in Sioux City. Waugh’s residence was within 1,000 feet of a protected location, specifically a local elementary school in Sioux City.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Waugh remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Waugh faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
Seven defendants charged with trafficking drugs from Lower 48 to AlaskaRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned two unrelated indictments last month charging seven defendants with trafficking drugs from California and Nevada to Alaska for distribution.
“These cases are a reminder that our office takes seriously the threat of drug traffickers targeting Alaska, and we will be relentless in working with our law enforcement partners in stopping the flow of dangerous drugs to keep Alaskans safe,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska.
U.S. v. Miles et al.
According to court documents, beginning in at least March 2024 and continuing through February 2025, Kinarla Miles, 67, of Highland, California, Jerome Larue, 51, of Juneau, and Edie Seslar, 60, of Juneau, allegedly conspired with each other to traffic meth to Alaska and knowingly and intentionally attempted to possess meth with intent to distribute it in Alaska.
During the same offense period, Miles, Larue, Seslar and Travis Lind, 38, of Juneau, also allegedly conspired to launder money from their drug trafficking activity.
Miles, Larue and Seslar face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for their drug trafficking charges. Lind faces up to 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy.
The USPIS Juneau Domicile, Juneau Police Department and Alaska State Troopers, as part of the Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs Task Force (SEACAD), are investigating the case, with assistance from the USPIS San Bernadino Domicile.
U.S. v. Rodgers et al.
According to court documents, beginning in at least September 2024 and continuing through March 2025, Christian Rodgers, 33, of Kenai, Helmut Mey, 37, of Las Vegas, and Jonhatan Lau-Osuna, 37, of Las Vegas, conspired with each other to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl in Alaska.
Rodgers is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At the time of the alleged conduct, Rodgers had two prior felony convictions for misconduct involving controlled substances and misconduct involving weapons in Alaska Superior Court, Kenai.
Mey is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Lau-Osuna is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
If convicted, all three defendants face between 10 years to life in prison.
The charges are a result of an investigation conducted by the USPIS Anchorage Domicile, FBI Anchorage Field Office, and Alaska State Troopers through the Alaska High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Initiative’s Southcentral Area-Wide Narcotics (SCAN) team, with assistance from the Anchorage Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson is prosecuting these cases, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central District of California, District of Nevada and District of Idaho.
These cases were brought as part of the Alaska Parcel Interdiction Initiative, a statewide partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Alaska State Troopers and other local law enforcement to disrupt the flow of dangerous narcotics into Alaska through the mail. Together, the agencies work tirelessly to interdict suspicious U.S. Postal Service and other carriers’ parcels, with a goal of seizing narcotics before they enter communities and prosecuting those responsible for trafficking drugs to Alaska.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and drug trafficking. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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San Antonio Man Sentenced to More than 12 Years for 2 Counts of Enticing, Coercing a MinorRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court to 151 months in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release for attempted online enticement and coercion of a minor.
According to court documents, between June and August of 2023, Stephen Eugene Hall, 41, communicated with two undercover law enforcement agents whom he believed to be 12- and 14-year-old girls. Throughout their conversations over the Kik app, Hall attempted to entice them to engage in sexual activity and to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Hall was arrested by FBI agents on Aug. 23, 2023, when he traveled to a hotel in San Antonio with the intent to engage in sex with the individual whom he thought was a 14-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2025, to two counts of attempted online enticement and coercion of a minor and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez.
“These proactive law enforcement operations, using the social media apps many children use today, are vital and necessary in order to catch child predators before they can cause their irreparable intended harm,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to the work of our FBI partners in Boston and in San Antonio, we were able to put another child predator in federal prison for over a decade, with another 20 years of supervised release to follow.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message that neither the FBI, our law enforcement partners, nor the American people will tolerate those who seek to sexually abuse or exploit children," said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI's San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank our colleagues at the San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for their outstanding work and ongoing partnership as we continue to seek justice on behalf of the victims in this case.”
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Mangels prosecuted the case.
This case was 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.
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San Antonio Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court to 180 months imprisonment to be followed by 15 years of supervised release for attempted production of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to court documents, between May of 2022 and June of 2023, George Isaac Del Bosque, 33, made a surreptitious recording of a 15-year-old minor while the child victim was undressing and nude. A search of Del Bosque's phone revealed 16 sexually explicit images and three sexually explicit videos of the minor. Del Bosque was arrested Sept. 5, 2023. He pleaded guilty to the charge on March 11, 2025, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery. Prior to his arrest, Del Bosque was a licensed clinical vocational nurse. As a result of the charges, he voluntarily surrendered his license.
“Protecting children has been and will remain one of the highest priorities of law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “I appreciate the handling of this case by our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the San Antonio Police Department, and I also want to express how important it is—as demonstrated in this case—for child victims and their families to be vigilant and not hesitate to report sexual exploitation when it occurs.”
"This sentencing sends a clear message that HSI is committed to holding accountable those who exploit the most vulnerable members of our society,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in internet crimes against children.”
HSI and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Mangels prosecuted the case.
This case was 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.
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Sacramento Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Postal Robberies While Armed with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
William Carl Jackson, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison for robbing a postal carrier while armed with a dangerous weapon, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Jackson robbed two postal carriers in Sacramento, one on July 11, 2024, and a second on July 31, 2024. During each robbery, he brandished a fake pistol at the victim and then ordered the victim to turn over his postal keys. After taking the victim’s keys, he then fled from the scene on a bicycle. He advertised for sale at least one of the stolen keys after the robbery.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot C. Wong prosecuted the case.
Rwandan Immigrant Arrested for Concealing Role as Perpetrator of Genocide After Fraudulently Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Note: see indictment here.
A federal grand jury in Ohio has returned a three-count indictment unsealed today charging Rwandan national Vincent Nzigiyimfura, also known as Vincent Mfura, 65, of Dayton, Ohio with lying on his U.S. immigration and naturalization applications. Specifically, the indictment alleges that he concealed his role as a perpetrator of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, among other misrepresentations. Nzigiyimfura was arrested Wednesday in Dayton and made his initial appearance yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura participated in the genocide that took place between April and July 1994, when members of Rwanda’s majority Hutu population killed hundreds of thousands of the country’s minority Tutsi ethnic group in an attempt to eradicate the ethnic group. An estimated 500,000 to 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed during the three-month genocide. Nzigiyimfura, a Rwandan businessman and butcher, was allegedly a leader and organizer of the genocide against Tutsis in the area in and around Gihisi and Nyanza. Nzigiyimfura allegedly provided weapons, transportation, and material inducements to other Hutus and directed them to search for and apprehend people to be killed based on their status as Tutsis. He allegedly set up roadblocks to detain and kill Tutsis, using his personal vehicle to transport materials to build the roadblocks. According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura devised a scheme to trick Tutsis in hiding to believe that the killings had stopped only to have them rounded up and murdered.
“As alleged, Vincent Nzigiyimfura directed and encouraged murders during the genocide in Rwanda and then lied to U.S. authorities to start a new life in this country,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The United States is not a safe haven for human rights violators. Those, like the defendant, who commit immigration fraud to hide their violent pasts will be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Mr. Galeotti thanked the prosecutors from the Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), agents from HSI Cincinnati and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio for their work in bringing this important prosecution.
“The indictment alleges this defendant facilitated the killings of Tutsis during the Rwandan genocide and then lied about it on immigration applications in the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio. “This egregious conduct will not be tolerated.”
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) is committed to pursuing justice for victims of genocide by ensuring that those who committed atrocities in foreign lands cannot hide in Ohio or any other community in the United States,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of ICE HSI Detroit. “No one wants a war criminal as their neighbor and these allegations paint a grim picture of the horror Nzigiyimfura inflicted on the Tutsi people. His indictment and arrest is a step toward justice for those victims. ”
When the genocide ended in 1994, as alleged, Nzigiyimfura fled Rwanda and later lived in Malawi. While living in Malawi in 2008 to 2009, Nzigiyimfura allegedly submitted materially misleading applications for an immigrant visa and alien registration, including by falsely representing that he was not an alien who had engaged in genocide. In the presence of a U. S. Consular Officer, Nzigiyimfura affirmed he understood that any willfully false or misleading statement or willful concealment of material facts could subject him to criminal prosecution. Additionally, according to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura submitted an affidavit in which he misleadingly claimed he “left Rwanda in 1994 due to the Genocide,” when in fact, he fled the country because of his participation in the persecution and massacre of Tutsis. His alleged misrepresentations and omissions yielded an immigrant visa to enter the United States in 2009.
Five years later, Nzigiyimfura submitted an application to naturalize as a U. S. citizen. Here, too, according to the indictment, he knowingly made false statements and omitted material facts, including claiming he had never persecuted any person, never committed a crime or offense, and never lied to any U. S. Government official to gain entry to the United States. In a November 2014 interview with a U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer, Nzigiyimfura verbally reaffirmed these false statements, as well as others, according to the indictment. His application for naturalization has not been granted. Nzigiyimfura has lived in the United States since 2009.
In 2018, according to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura submitted an application and supporting documentation for a replacement Permanent Resident Card (green card) that was due to expire in 2019 and obtained a new fraudulently procured green card with an expiration date in 2029. On July 27, 2021, Nzigiyimfura allegedly used his fraudulently procured replacement green card in connection with an application for an Ohio driver’s license.
Nzigiyimfura is charged with one count of visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalization fraud. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U. S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI Cincinnati is investigating the case, with assistance from the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate, and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation, and the use or recruitment of child soldiers.
Trial Attorney Brian Morgan of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U. S. Attorney Rob Painter of the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Analyst Dr. Christopher Hayden and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U. S. law enforcement through the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423) or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also email HRV. ICE@ice. dhs. gov or complete its online tip form at http://www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Prison Term for Unprovoked Attack on a Man at Navy Yard Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rashad King, 20, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in Superior Court to eight and a half years in prison for assaulting a man at the Navy Yard Metro station in July 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
King pleaded guilty March 27, 2025, to one count of aggravated assault while armed. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman ordered five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, just before midnight on July 20, 2024, King approached the victim at the Navy Yard Metro Station and, unprovoked, started to punch him until he fell to the ground. The defendant then stomped on the victim’s head over twenty times. As the victim lay unconscious, King took the victim’s bag and fled the scene. An off-duty FBI Special Agent saw the encounter, followed the defendant, and observed him enter a Metro Bus. The agent flagged down an officer and pointed out the defendant.
King was arrested and has been in custody since. At the time he was arrested, the defendant had the victim’s bag, which contained the victim’s license.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro 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. Attorneys Luke Albi and Mark Levy, who prosecuted the case.
Prime Capital Ventures Owner Indicted for Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kris Roglieri, age 45, of Queensbury, New York, was indicted yesterday on a wire fraud conspiracy charge in connection with the operation and collapse of his purported commercial lending business, Prime Capital Ventures, LLC. Roglieri had been previously indicted on five counts of wire fraud, and yesterday’s superseding indictment added a wire fraud conspiracy charge and seeks the forfeiture of millions of dollars’ worth of vehicles, watches and real estate that Roglieri purchased as part of his fraudulent scheme.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
According to the superseding indictment, Roglieri operated Prime Capital Ventures, LLC (“Prime Capital”) and, between March 2022 and January 2024, conspired with others to fraudulently obtain tens of millions of dollars from Prime Capital’s clients. The indictment alleges that Roglieri and his co-conspirators fraudulently promoted Prime Capital as a lending business capable of making large commercial loans, and deceived clients into sending Prime Capital “Interest Credit Account” (or “ICA”) payments based on false promises that these payments would allow Prime Capital to make these large loans and that the ICA payments would be refunded if those loans did not materialize.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “As alleged, Kris Roglieri perpetrated a massive fraudulent scheme against clients across the country that came to Prime Capital Ventures for loans to fund their business projects. Instead of giving these clients legitimate loans, Roglieri gave them lies, and spent millions of dollars on his made-for-Instagram extravagant lifestyle. He spent millions on exotic vehicles and watches, and on private international jet travel, including a vacation to Anguilla that he took as Prime Capital was in bankruptcy proceedings and with the company’s creditors beset with confusion, anger and grief. But today’s indictment shows that these crimes ultimately did not pay for Roglieri, as he now faces the prospect of many years in prison.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Today’s indictment illustrates the staggering depth of the alleged fraud committed by Mr. Roglieri. The FBI takes very seriously our responsibility to investigate and pursue those who commit fraud for personal gain. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who use illegal means and criminal behavior to take advantage of others.”
The charges in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The superseding indictment alleges that Prime Capital held itself out as a commercial lending business, but never had the ability to legitimately fund loans. As part of contractual arrangements with its borrower clients situated across the country, Prime Capital obtained upfront interest payments from prospective borrowers while it sought to secure loans for those borrowers; these upfront interest payments were characterized by Prime Capital as the “Interest Credit Account” payment, or “ICA” payment for short. ICA payments did not represent fees to Prime Capital. Instead, each borrower’s upfront ICA payment would be debited over time as the loan was funded and accrued more interest. An ICA payment would also be refundable if Prime Capital failed to secure a loan for the borrower client. Depending on the size of the loan that Prime Capital promised, an ICA payment could be in the millions of dollars. Prime Capital obtained ICA payments as large as $20 million.
The indictment alleges that because Prime Capital never had a source of loan funding, Roglieri used ICA payments from newer borrower clients to partially fund loans to, and to refund ICA payments to, older borrower clients, contrary to promises that each ICA payment would be kept in a pledged account and would be used only for the benefit of the client that made the ICA payment. Roglieri also drew on ICA payments to pay his debts and buy the following, all of which the Government has since seized or secured, and is now seeking to forfeit:
- A Ferrari LaFerrari F150, a Ferrari Enzo, a Ferrari 812 Competizione, and a Ferrari engine table (this is a table with a Ferrari engine as its base);
- Eight Mercedes Benzes including a Mercedez Benz SLR McLaren;
- A Porsche Carrera;
- A Maserati MC 12 Corse;
- Two Richard Mille watches;
- Six Rolex watches;
- A multi-million-dollar residential property in Virginia Beach, Virginia; and
- $764,000.83 seized from bank accounts.
Roglieri has been in custody since his arrest on a criminal complaint on May 31, 2024. United States District Judge Mae D’Agostino has set a firm trial date of January 5, 2026.
If convicted of wire fraud or wire fraud conspiracy, Roglieri faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine, as well as up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The Government is also seeking an asset forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $183,818,821.82.
Two co-conspirators have pled guilty in connection with this case. Kimberly Owen, a/k/a Kimberly “Kimmy” Humphrey, age 41, and her brother Christopher Snyder, age 45, both of Virginia Beach, have each pled guilty to a charge of wire fraud conspiracy. Both Owen and Snyder admitted to conspiring with each other and Roglieri to defraud Prime Capital clients.
The FBI is conducting this ongoing investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Michael Barnett are prosecuting this case.
Pierce County man charged with illegally possessing ammunition as part of an investigation over threats to detonate a bombRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 46-year-old resident of Graham, Washington was charged today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma following the investigation into his threats to build a bomb and set it off in a public area, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. David Michael Eddo was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance on the criminal complaint charging him with illegal possession of ammunition this afternoon. He is scheduled for a detention hearing on Wednesday June 18, 2025. He remains detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac.
According to the criminal complaint, Eddo is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammuniti0n because of his conviction for drive-by shooting and assault. In that 2019 case, Eddo fired multiple shots into the cab of a semi-truck that was on the I-5 exit ramp to the Port of Tacoma. He was sentenced to 26 months in prison.
In early May 2025, Eddo came to the attention of the FBI for writing a ‘manifesto’ in which he claimed to be building and deploying a bomb to get ‘justice’ for his father who died approximately 20 years ago at the Port of Tacoma. Eddo allegedly names certain people who were involved in litigation over his father’s death as targets in the manifesto.
On June 12, 2025, law enforcement searched Eddo’s Graham home and recovered various items that could be used to make an explosive device including Ammonium Perchlorate also called Potassium Nitrate. Eddo had no license to purchase, use, or store explosives.
Additionally, agents recovered two different types of ammunition. Unlawful possession of ammunition is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI is leading the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elyne Vaught.
Otis Elevator Company Agrees to Pay More Than $600,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegation Related to Invoices for Elevator MaintenanceRead the Press Release
Otis Worldwide Corporation, an international elevator services firm headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut, which is branded and doing business as Otis Elevator Company (Otis), has agreed to settle allegations under the False Claims Act (FCA) related to invoices for preventive maintenance services submitted to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that were not rendered pursuant to the terms of a Contract. Under the settlement, Otis will pay the United States $616,987.02.
“A contractor, like Otis, has an obligation to submit invoices and seek reimbursement solely for work and services that have been performed as claimed,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “This settlement with Otis demonstrates that the United States Attorney’s Office and federal partners like TVA’s Office of the Inspector General are using all tools available to address fraud, waste, and abuse and protect public funds.”
“The TVA Office of the Inspector General is committed to identifying and investigating instances where vendors fail to fulfill contractual obligations as well as false claims and overpayments that negatively impact ratepayers throughout the Tennessee Valley. We would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for their dedicated support of such efforts,” said Assistant Inspector General, Investigations D. Eric Beals of the Tennessee Valley Authority Office of Inspector General.
The United States’ investigation focused on an August 2017 Contract between Otis and TVA. The United States contended that the Contract required Otis to provide turnkey modernization and specified monthly preventative maintenance services related to certain elevators in the TVA Knoxville Office Complex. The United States maintained that it has certain civil claims against Otis arising from its performance of the Contract. Specifically, the United States contended that Otis submitted false claims for payment to TVA for preventive maintenance services that were not rendered.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee and the TVA Office of the Inspector General – Office of Investigations (TVA-OIG).
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating waste, fraud, and abuse impacting federal agencies. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, and mismanagement of TVA resources can be reported to TVA-OIG at 1-855-882-8585 or www.oigempowerline.com
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan G. McGonigal and Alexa Ortiz Hadley for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Okemah Resident Sentenced for Felony AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dustin James Coggins, age 34, of Okemah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Okemah Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On January 14, 2025, Coggins pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on August 2, 2024, while driving in Okemah, Oklahoma, Coggins aggressively tailgated another vehicle and pointed his rifle at the driver.
The crime occurred in Okfuskee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Coggins 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.
Ohio Woman Arraigned on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – Acting United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Kesahia Davis, 32, of Ohio, was arraigned on June 9, 2025, in the District Court of the Virgin Islands on drug trafficking and conspiracy charges following the return of an indictment on May 21, 2025. The indictment charges Davis with one count of conspiracy to commit a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana
According to court records, on March 23, 2025, Davis arrived at the Cyril E King Airport on Spirit Airlines. After her flight arrived, the checked baggage for the flight was unloaded and brought to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) X-Ray machine for routine examination. While conducting checked baggage examinations on the X-Ray machine, a CBP Officer discovered anomalies in the checked baggage that he believed to be consistent with marijuana within. CBP allowed the baggage to be sent through the conveyer belt and monitored who would take possession of the baggage. As the baggage arrived on the conveyer belt in the baggage retrieval area, Davis picked the baggage off the belt and proceeded to walk towards the exit of the airport. CBP Officers then stopped and detained Davis. CBP Officers asked Davis if the baggage was hers, and she replied that it was. Davis was then escorted to secondary inspection. Upon CBP inspection of the baggage in secondary, a lock was identified on the baggage. Davis stated she did not have the key to the lock. CBP used a TSA key and unlocked the baggage. CBP then located approximately 3.89 kilograms of marijuana.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and CBP. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise George.North Fort Myers Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sexual Abuse and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Samuel Villarreal III (25, North Fort Myers) to five years in federal prison for possessing and accessing with intent to view images depicting the sexual abuse of children and possessing an unregistered firearm. He was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Villarreal entered a guilty plea on March 4, 2025.
According to court documents, from on or about December 29, 2022, through on or about June 29, 2023, Villarreal knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view images of children being sexually abused that he sought out and downloaded from the internet.
In December 2022, the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip from an electronic service provider reporting that Villarreal had uploaded files that depicted child sexual abuse material (CSAM). A subsequent search warrant for Villarreal’s social media account revealed CSAM.
On June 29, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Villarreal’s residence in North Fort Myers, Florida, and seized Villarreal’s laptop and cellphones. Villarreal agreed to speak with agents and admitted that he used his computer to access CSAM on the internet and that he had a folder on his computer where he stored CSAM images. He also admitted that he had also used his cellphone to view CSAM and having used the social media application.
During the search of Villarreal’s residence, agents located Villarreal’s unregistered short-barreled rifle, which they seized. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted a record check of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records database and found no records of the firearm being registered, as required since the barrel was less than 16 inches. Villarreal admitted that he got the firearm as a rifle and modified it himself by putting a shorter barrel on it. He told agents that he never applied to have it registered with ATF, and that he was aware of the requirement before replacing the barrel with a shorter one.
The subsequent forensic examination of Villarreal’s cellphones and laptop revealed images of CSAM.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case 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.justice.gov/psc.
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.
Nigerian-Born Man Previously Convicted in an $80 Million Fraud Case Indicted on New Charges of Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on Wednesday charging Omoyoma Christopher Okoro, 51, a United States citizen born in Nigeria, with naturalization fraud. The indictment alleges that Okoro lied about his criminal history on his application to obtain U.S. citizenship.
According to the indictment and previously issued court documents, Okoro is alleged to have made knowingly and materially false statements under penalty of perjury on an application for naturalization. In response to one question “Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were NOT arrested?” he answered “No.” Okoro took the oath of citizenship and naturalized on December 13, 2018.
On September 19, 2024, following a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Okoro was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail, wire, and bank fraud. He was also convicted of two additional counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of bank fraud. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 100 months and ordered to pay over $22 million dollars in restitution. According to the jury’s verdict, Okoro committed those crimes from at least August 13, 2008, through January 1, 2011. He was not arrested until after he naturalized in 2018, so immigration officials were unaware of his crimes prior to granting citizenship.
Okoro is charged in a three-count indictment with naturalization fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison as well as the automatic revocation of his United States citizenship.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations Division is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting 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.5:25-CR-130.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Newton Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Newton man pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025 in federal court in Boston to illegally possessing two firearms and ammunition.
James Welch, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2025. Welch was charged in February 2025.
On Feb. 28, 2025, during a search of the defendants Newton residence a pistol and a rifle, as well as ammunition were recovered. Welch is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions.
The charge of possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of a $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah Foley and Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The Newton Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
New Orleans Resident Guilty of Being Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DERRICK HINES, age 52, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on June 5, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentencing is set for October 9, 2025.
According to court documents, on September 28, 2023, while investigating a shooting, New Orleans Police Department officers discovered that DERRICK HINES illegally possessed a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony.
The maximum penalty for this firearm offense is fifteen years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of one hundred dollars.
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.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Third Drug Trafficking Offense and Multiple Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –ODINE DOMINICK (“DOMINICK”), age 34, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025, the morning his jury trial was set to begin, before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to possession with the intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(D); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, in the fall of 2023, law enforcement officers observed a photograph of DOMINICK with a rifle magazine in his waistband and a video of DOMINICK inside of a stolen car with a handgun. On December 14, 2023, the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant at DOMINICK’s residence and found over 100 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and heroin; vacuum sealed bags of marijuana weighing over a kilogram; eight digital scales; drug trafficking supplies; 400 rounds of various calibers of ammunition; and a loaded Glock Model 23 .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine.
Prior to his most recent arrest, DOMINICK had already been convicted of conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in Orleans Parish, and being a felon in possesion of a firearm, in St. Bernard Parish.
Because of his prior federal drug trafficking conviction, DOMINICK was charged with a sentencing enhancement. As to Count 1, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, up to an $8,000,000 fine, and at least eight years of supervised release. As to Count 2, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to Count 3, he faces up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
Nevada Man Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
MOLINE, Ill. – Luisito Espanola, 65, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced on May 21, 2025, to 32 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons following his convictions for wire fraud and money laundering. United States District Judge Sara Darrow ordered Espanola to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons on June 23, 2025.
During the one-week jury trial, the government presented evidence that on December 2, 2020, and December 22, 2020, Espanola created and sent fraudulent emails to the City of Moline requesting that the City make ACH (payment information) changes for two vendors with which the City conducted business. As a result of that fraud, the City of Moline suffered a loss of $404,764.59.
“We thank the thorough and professional efforts of the Moline Police Department and the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter and bringing this fraudster to justice,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy A. Bass.
Espanola faced a penalty of up to twenty years in prison on each of his two fraud convictions and a penalty of up to twenty years in prison on each of his two money laundering convictions.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bass and Jennifer L. Mathew represented the government in the prosecution.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Travelling to Louisiana to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with Twelve-Year-Old FemaleRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ERIC CHARLES FULLER (“FULLER”), age 55, from Springfield, Missouri, was sentenced on June 10, 2025 by United States District Judge Greg Gerard Guidry to 57 months in prison, after previously pleading guilty to interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b). Additionally, Judge Guidry ordered FULLER to serve five (5) years of supervised release after imprisonment, register as a sex offender, and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to the court documents, on or about December 7, 2023, law enforcement personnel, operating online in an undercover capacity and pretending to be a twenty-nine-year-old mother with a twelve-year-old daughter, met FULLER on a social network and messaging application. Over approximately the next month, on numerous occasions FULLER discussed his interest in engaging in various sexual acts with the “mother” and daughter,” culminating in FULLER making arrangements to travel from his residence in Springfield, Missouri, to the New Orleans area to engage in sexual contact, individually and collectively, with the “mother” and “daughter.” During his conversation FULLER described the contact he anticipated as “highly taboo,” “highly illegal,” “risky,” “not the worst way to be,” and “a way to have a happier life.” FULLER left Springfield, in his red, 2002 Chevrolet Prism, on about January 11, 2024, and arrived at a predetermined location in Mandeville, Louisiana on Friday, January 12, 2024, for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct with the individual FULLER believed to be a twelve-year-old female.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution.
Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 420 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Late yesterday, Jonathan Alan Peters, 33 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Peters was sentenced to 420 months in prison, 15 years of supervised release. Restitution will be imposed at a later date.According to documents in the case, Peters took photographs depicting images of child sexual abuse material. He then distributed the images to other people on the Internet. The investigation revealed he possessed 110 images and 29 videos which depicted child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Indiana State Police and the Mishawaka Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah T Jones.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Xa Xiong, 32, St. Paul, Minnesota, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 10 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Xiong pled guilty to this charge on February 21, 2025.
In July 2024, investigators received information from a confidential source that a large quantity of methamphetamine was being stored inside a storage unit in Eau Claire. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the storage unit and found a backpack with about six pounds of methamphetamine inside, ultimately linked to Xiong. On July 26, 2024, Xiong sold approximately one pound of methamphetamine to an undercover police officer in Menomonie, Wisconsin. A week later, Xiong met up with the same undercover officer to sell the officer two pounds of methamphetamine and Xiong was arrested during the attempted delivery.
At Xiong’s sentencing, Judge Conley expressed concern over the large quantity of drugs the defendant was distributing. Judge Conley remarked that it was far beyond what was necessary to support a personal drug habit.
The charges against Xiong were the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Task Force, Eau Claire Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Levins prosecuted the case.
Midlands Men Sentenced for Injuring Officers During Riot on May 2020Read the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Brandon Jemar Pickett, 38, of Cayce and Luis Rosario, 29, of Columbia, have been sentenced to four years and one year and one day, respectively, in federal prison for interfering with law enforcement officers during civil disorder.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on May 30, 2020, organizers held a peaceful protest at the South Carolina State House to protest the death of George Floyd. After the protest, some individuals continued protesting at the City of Columbia Police Department. However, the protest turned into a violent riot when multiple individuals began throwing objects at police officers, destroying property, and setting police cars on fire.
During the riot, Brandon Pickett picked up a large rock and threw it at a police officer causing the officer to suffer a chipped tibia. Rosario threw water bottles with an unknown substance at officers and picked up a wooden barricade and threw it at an officer resulting in a head injury requiring seven stitches.
Pickett has prior convictions for assault with intent to kill, failure to stop for a blue light, and attempted burglary. Rosario has no prior convictions.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Pickett to 48 months imprisonment, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. Judge Lewis sentenced Rosario to one year and one day followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Fyall is prosecuting the case.
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Michigan Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material on a Military BaseRead the Press Release
A Michigan man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possessing over 41,026 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He was also ordered to pay $63,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, David Mark Bartels, 38, of White Cloud, admitted to purchasing collections of CSAM while he was employed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. Forensic review of a five-terabyte hard drive seized from Bartels revealed tens of thousands of CSAM files within the folder “\NSFW\Nope\Dont open\You were Warned\Deeper\.” These files included 1,500 images and videos of 285 known victims. Bartels used the Tor browser, which allows users to surf the dark web, to access images and videos of CSAM, including content depicting bondage, domination, and sadomasochism.
Bartels pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of possession of child pornography by a person employed by the armed forces outside of the United States.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Birge for the Western District of Michigan, and Special Agent in Charge Norm Dominesey of the NCIS Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
NCIS Resident Agency Guantanamo Bay investigated the case.
Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Doaa K. Al-Howaishy for the Western District of Michigan prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.