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12 June 2025
10-time illegal reentry felon sentenced to 69 months for unlawfully reentering U.S. againRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 47-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced to federal prison again, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Josue Rodriguez-Rodriguez pleaded guilty on March 14.
U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. has now ordered Rodriguez-Rodriguez to serve 69 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Rodriguez-Rodriguez’s previous 41-month sentence for illegal reentry failed to deter him.
Rodriguez-Rodriguez has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as two convictions for aggravated assault-family violence and possession with intent to deliver or manufacture a controlled substance. He was first removed in 2000.
On May 5, 2014, authorities discovered Rodriguez-Rodriguez near Carrizo Springs for a 10th time. Rodriguez-Rodriguez was later sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and removed again. Authorities found him once more on Feb. 23, 2021, in Houston.
“Our nation’s immigration laws are not mere suggestions, they are backed by criminal penalties,” said Ganjei. “The defendant could have easily avoided further prison time by simply remaining in Mexico, but he instead chose to break the law…again…and again…and again. Perhaps with today’s sentence, Mr. Rodriguez-Rodriguez will finally understand the lesson he should have learned long ago.”
Rodriguez-Rodriguez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franklyn prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.
11 June 2025
Wasilla man indicted for distributing carfentanil resulting in two overdoses, one fatal and one non-fatalRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment yesterday charging a Wasilla man with distributing carfentanil to two individuals, resulting in the non-fatal overdose of an adult victim and the fatal overdose of a minor.
Per court documents, the Alaska Bureau of Investigations (ABI) discovered that between Nov. 14 and 15, 2024, Sean Mobley, 45, allegedly distributed what appeared to be powder fentanyl to two different people, one adult and one minor. Both victims allegedly used the substance and overdosed. The adult victim was successfully revived by Narcan, but the minor victim died. Further analysis revealed that the substance causing the overdose and death was not fentanyl, but carfentanil. Carfentanil is a highly potent opioid not approved for human use. It is used by veterinarians to sedate large animals and is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Court filings indicate that on Nov. 14, 2024, Mobley and an unnamed individual allegedly sold a small quantity of what appeared to be powdered fentanyl to the adult victim. Later that night, the unnamed individual received a telephone call informing them that the victim was overdosing. The individual returned to the victim’s residence where Narcan was administered to revive the victim.
These same court documents further allege that Mobley later distributed the same carfentanil to a minor victim, causing her to overdose and die. Specifically, during the late evening of Nov. 14, 2024, Mobley drove to a gas station and met the minor victim. The minor victim entered Mobley’s truck, and at roughly 11:54 p.m., texted a friend that she was, “banging one out with Sean” (a slang phrase that allegedly means using drugs).
The court records then allege that Mobley drove the minor victim to a remote ATV trail in Wasilla, arriving around midnight on Nov. 15, 2024. While at the trail, the minor victim used some of the carfentanil that Mobley allegedly provided to her, which resulted in the minor victim fatally overdosing in his truck. He then allegedly dumped her body at the trail, all between 12:00 and 12:13 a.m. Court documents additionally allege that after discarding the minor victim’s body, Mobley left to distribute more narcotics.
On Nov. 15, 2024, a man walking his dog found the body of the minor female on the ATV trail. The state medical examiner found the minor’s cause of death as acute combined toxic effects of carfentanil and methamphetamine.
“Unfortunately, this indictment marks a troubling milestone – the first federal prosecution in Alaska for the distribution of poisonous carfentanil. To make matters worse, Mr. Mobley is accused of distributing this toxic substance to two people, resulting in the near deadly overdose of one and the heartbreaking fatal overdose of a local minor whose body he then dumped onto a secluded trail in the middle of the night,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Aggressive prosecutions of individuals peddling deadly drugs to our communities, including our children, is a national priority, especially when those narcotics kill and the perpetrator acts with callous disregard for his victims. I want to commend the ABI and the DEA for their diligent investigation, and to the Alaska Department of Law for their continued collaboration as we pursue justice for the victims and loved ones impacted by this tragedy.”
“The callousness and cowardice of poisoning then dumping a young woman goes way beyond the pale, even for an alleged drug distributor,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This case cries for justice and I am proud that DEA and our partners helped bring federal charges in this case.”
“This is a tragic reminder of the deadly consequences of dangerous drug use and distribution in our great state—especially when it involves our youth,” said Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes. “Your Alaska State Troopers remain committed to holding those accountable who deal deadly drugs like carfentanil. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice for victims and disrupt drug trafficking in Alaska no matter where it occurs.”
“The tragedy of this case highlights the urgent need to protect our Alaskan communities from the deadly impact that the illicit sale of controlled substances has on our state,” said Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor. “The Department of Law is resolved to aggressively prosecute those who traffic in these dangerous drugs and to work closely with our criminal justice partners to deter anyone who seeks to bring this harm into Alaska.”
Mobley is charged with one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury and death, one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of distribution of a controlled substance to a person under the age of twenty-one. The defendant will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 20 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA Anchorage District Office and the ABI are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Bradley and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case, with assistance and collaboration from the State of Alaska Department of Law.
Learn more: Carfentanil: A Synthetic Opioid Unlike Any Other
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.
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Virginia Man Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
A Virginia man was sentenced today to 33 years in prison for transporting a teenager across state lines with the intent to sexually abuse her.
According to court documents, in 2022, Daniel Wayne Kidd, 50, of Powhatan, spent thousands of dollars to entice a teenage girl to come to Virginia so that he could sexually abuse her over the course of a week. Kidd and his co-defendant, Rosalinda Delgado Rosas, schemed to obtain custody of the minor in order to ply her with expensive gifts and experiences and coerce her into engaging in sexual acts with Kidd. Prior to the nightly sexual abuse acts, the minor was given medications, including medications that made her drowsy. Kidd and Rosas also recorded Kidd’s sexual abuse of the minor. Rosas was sentenced on Sept. 4, 2024, to 25 years in prison for her role in the scheme.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Washington made the announcement.
ICE-HSI investigated the case with the assistance of the Powhatan Sheriff’s Office.
Trial Attorney Alicia A. Bove of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather H. Mansfield for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Vian Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Stephanie Leigh Rodgers, aka Stephanie Larsen, aka Stephanie Yoder, aka Stephanie Ward, age 40, of Vian, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 151 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, followed by three years of supervised release.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office.
On January 13, 2025, Rodgers pleaded guilty to the charge. On August 19, 2024, law enforcement officers apprehended Rodgers after she sold approximately 447 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover officer. According to investigators, Rodgers sold approximately 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the months preceding her arrest.
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. Rodgers 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 Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
Veterans Affairs Contractor Agrees to Pay $4.3 Million to Resolve Claims of Overbilling for ProductsRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Omnicell, a company based in Delaware, has agreed to pay $4,366,660 to resolve claims that it fraudulently overbilled the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for medical device hardware and software, announced Richard R. Barker, the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Between January 2017 and February 2023, Omnicell held a federal contact with the VA to sell and lease products at a set price or negotiated discounted price.
According to the settlement agreement, a False Claims Act (FCA) claim arose from allegations that Omnicell did not always charge the correct prices for products purchased and leased by federal agencies.
When Omnicell became aware of certain pricing issues related to specific individual orders, including when federal government customers raised concerns and questions, Omnicell at times issued credits or otherwise corrected prices charged to federal government customers. However, Omnicell did not always timely correct the known issues in its sales and pricing system in a systemic way, nor did Omnicell undertake an analysis to determine whether other federal government customers that may have been previously overcharged due to the pricing issues in order to provide those customers with refunds of overcharges.
In August 2023, a former Omnicell employee came forward with allegations of fraudulent product overcharging. This individual, known as a “Relator,” filed a qui tam complaint under seal in the U.S. District Court (EDWA). When a relator files a qui tam complaint, the False Claims Act requires the United States to investigate the allegations and elect whether to intervene and take over the action or to decline to intervene and allow the relator to go forward with the litigation on behalf of the United States. The relator is generally able to then share in any recovery. As part of the settlement agreement, the relator will receive $785,998.80 of the settlement amount. $2,183,330 of the settlement amount has been designated as restitution, meaning that it will be returned to the VA.
“Veterans who served our country deserve the best health care possible. It is important that companies who do business with the VA and the federal government are accurate in how they charge for goods and services,” stated Acting United States Attorney Barker. “I am grateful that Omnicell quickly accepted responsibility and has taken steps to comply with its billing obligations going forward.”
“This settlement sends a clear message that the VA OIG will actively investigate allegations involving contractors overbilling for products provided to VA,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with the US Attorney’s Office to ensure the integrity of VA programs and services.”
The settlement was the result of an investigation jointly conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the VA Office of Inspector General. The USAO’s investigation and prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob E. Brooks.
U.S. Attorney, FBI vow strong action after federal building defaced in CarbondaleRead the Press Release
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Following an incident in Carbondale on Tuesday evening where criminals defaced a federal building, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson are vowing to protect law and order in southern Illinois.
“There are bright lines separating where speech ends and criminal conduct begins. Those who committed this targeted vandalism to federal property will be pursued and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Our system protects good faith expressions of ideas and opinions, but it abhors lawlessness and violence. Any such criminality cannot, and will not, be tolerated.”
In the evening on June 10, individuals gathered outside the entrance of the Senator Paul Simon Federal Building in Carbondale. During the gathering, some members defaced the outside of the building, from which any damage is being assessed at this time.
“The Senator Paul Simon Federal Building’s houses multiple United States federal entities and has been located in the community since 1978. These offices employ dozens of local residents, and the tenants of this building deserve to go to work without fear or intimidation. The FBI Springfield Field Office respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights, but we will not tolerate individuals inciting violence or engaging in criminal activity and violating federal law. The individuals who defaced the building last night will be identified and charged, as well as those who aid and abet them,” said Christopher J.S. Johnson, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Springfield Field Office.
If you have any information about this incident, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) and reference “Carbondale Illinois Federal Building.” The operator will take down any information you have and contribute it to the investigation.
Two Sentenced for Roles in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in Monongalia CountyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men have been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking organization in Monongalia County.
Jason Davis, 35, of Youngstown, Ohio, was sentenced today to 135 months in federal prison. James Peoples, II, 28, of Pennsauken Township, New Jersey, was sentenced to 72 months in prison. According to court documents, Davis and Peoples worked with others to distribute drugs in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; the WVU Police Department; the Granville Police Department; and the Star City Police Department.
This 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).
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Two Men Charged Federally with Possession of Machineguns related to Graduation Ceremony ShootingsRead the Press Release
St. Paul, Minn. – Hamza Abdirashiid Said, 20, and Amiir Mawlid Ali, 18, have been charged federally with unlawfully possessing machineguns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
According to court documents, on May 30, 2025, at approximately 8:00 p.m., University of Minnesota Police (UMPD) responded to a report of a shooting at the Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota Campus. The arena was hosting the Wayzata High School graduation ceremony at the time of the shooting, with numerous pedestrians and attendees outside. Officers found a chaotic scene in which two victims—both attendees of the graduation ceremony—suffered gunshot wounds. After interviewing witness and viewing surveillance footage, law enforcement located and apprehended the shooter, Hamza Said. Law enforcement also recovered a Glock 9mm semiautomatic pistol equipped with a high-capacity extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device, commonly called a “switch.” Switches turn semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic machineguns. Said has been federally charged by complaint with unlawful possession of a machinegun.
According to court documents, on June 3, 2025, at approximately 3:44 p.m., MPD officers observed a vehicle fail to stop at an intersection. The vehicle then accelerated aggressively through the intersection, and officers noted the windows were tinted to such a degree that they could not observe the interior of the vehicle. The officers initiated a traffic stop and identified three occupants of the vehicle. An MPD officer recognized the front passenger as Amiir Ali. The officer knew from prior investigations that Ali was associated with multiple recent gang-related shootings and was known to carry firearms. The occupants stated they were heading to the Edina High School graduation ceremony at the University of Minnesota. Officers were aware of a shooting that occurred at the Wayzata High School graduation ceremony at the same location just four days earlier. Officers located a Glock 10mm semiautomatic firearm under Ali’s seat. The Glock was equipped with a loaded 33-round extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device, also known as a switch. Ali was arrested when he was located by police responding to the June 6, 2025 shooting at the Burnsville High School graduation ceremony. In recorded jail calls, Ali said that, upon his release, he would need a “button,” a slang term for a switch or machinegun conversion device. Ali has been federally charged by complaint with unlawful possession of a machinegun.
“High school graduation ceremonies are a rite of passage. A time for friends and family to come together to celebrate one of life’s major milestones. To bring machineguns and violence to such a ceremony is immoral and shameful,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “On behalf of all Minnesotans, I want to express a sense of moral outrage at these crimes and assure the public that the perpetrators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Said and Ali made their initial appearance in U.S. District Court yesterday, before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty. Both men are detained, pending detention hearings.
These cases are a result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives and Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the University of Minnesota Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian C. Weir is 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.
Tulsa Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Mark Galen Putnam, age 41, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of Distribution of Fentanyl, 70 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and 70 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Court ordered the terms to run concurrently.
The charges arose from an investigation by the District 27 Drug Task Force, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
On January 24, 2025, Putnam pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on September 6, 2023, Putnam sold a baggie of two hundred pills containing fentanyl to an undercover officer. A week later, on September 14, 2023, law enforcement arrested Putnam after he agreed to sell another 1,600 fentanyl pills. When officers arrested Putnam, they discovered Putnam in possession of more fentanyl pills and approximately sixteen grams of methamphetamine.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Putnam 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 Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
Tulsa Man Arrested at Airport Sentenced for Attempting to Coerce and Entice Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Nicholas Kyle Dietzel, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced Tuesday for Attempting to Coerce and Entice a Minor Child and Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Nicholas Kyle Dietzel, 45, to 210 months imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Dietzel will also be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Hill also ordered Dietzel to pay a $200 special monetary assessment.
According to court documents, Nicholas Kyle Dietzel, used a website and an encrypted messaging app to communicate with a woman Dietzel believed to be a mother of a seven-year-old female child. From November 2023 to January 2024 Dietzel communicated with the mother about grooming and engaging in sexual activity with the seven-year-old child. Dietzel sent videos of child pornography to mother so that she could show them to the child and Dietzel also sent sex toys to the mother for her to use on the child. Court documents indicate that Dietzel believed this woman and her child lived in Phoenix, Arizona and he booked a flight to Phoenix. On January 18, 2024, law enforcement officers arrested Dietzel at the Tulsa International Airport where he was about to board an airplane to Phoenix to meet the purported mother of the child, who in fact was an undercover law enforcement officer. During this same time, Dietzel also possessed child pornography in Indian Country
Nicholas Kyle Dietzel is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation Tribe.
Dietzel will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Homeland Security Investigations – Tulsa and Phoenix offices, the Tulsa International Airport Police Department, the Tulsa Police Department, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, the Creek County Sheriff’s Office, and the Collinsville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Thirty Defendants Charged with Narcotics and Firearms Offenses in Connection with Newark Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
Newark, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced charges today against thirty people for their respective roles in a drug trafficking organization that sold large quantities of controlled substances – including fentanyl and crack cocaine – in the area of the Kretchmer Homes housing complex along Frelinghuysen Avenue in Newark.
Today’s charges and arrests are the result of a long-running wiretap investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office. The charges include conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 280 grams or more of cocaine base, and various firearm and substantive narcotics offenses. (See chart below).
The 17 defendants arrested today are scheduled to have their initial court appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court. 7 defendants were already in custody on state charges, one defendant was already in federal custody and previously appeared, and 4 defendants remain at large.
“These defendants are charged with operating a large-scale drug trafficking organization that poisoned our community with its distribution of massive quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine,” U.S. Attorney Alina Habba said. “Fentanyl remains the deadliest driver of overdose deaths in our nation, devastating families everyday. We will have zero tolerance for violent gangs terrorizing our communities, flooding our neighborhoods with drugs and violence. Let today’s arrests serve as a clear warning — if you bring violence into our state, we will find you, we will dismantle your networks, and we will bring you to justice.”
“This was a sweeping and surgical strike against a violent drug trafficking network that terrorized an elderly community with poison and fear. The scale of this takedown sends a loud and clear message: we will not allow gangs to hold neighborhoods hostage. I commend U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for her bold leadership and thank our partners at the DEA, ATF, FBI, and local law enforcement for their relentless pursuit of justice,” FBI Director Kash Patel stated.
“Over the past year, the Bloods gang has terrorized the Kretchmer Homes public housing complex in Newark, NJ, using violence and fear to operate their drug trafficking business. Thanks to the hard work of our DEA team and our law enforcement partners, we successfully targeted this drug trafficking organization that has plagued and poisoned our community with illicit narcotics. This operation, which resulted in the arrest of over two dozen individuals, removed numerous firearms, and approximately seven thousand grams of heroin and fentanyl from our streets. That’s enough fentanyl to kill up to 500,000 people,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz. “This wasn’t just a bust; it was a life-saving operation. As we know, fentanyl continues to be the leading cause of death in drug overdoses and poisonings. The DEA remains committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners, in targeting the drug cartels and those individuals responsible for pushing these deadly drugs into our neighborhoods. We will continue to hold them accountable.”
“ATF is committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, with unwavering determination and steadfast collaboration, to dismantle these drug trafficking organizations that threaten our communities,” said SAC L.C. Cheeks Jr. “Today’s arrests hold criminals accountable for drug-related activity and the related gun violence in our neighborhoods. We appreciate the dedication of our personnel and our partners who will continue to work tirelessly to protect and secure public safety.”
"When the FBI begins a street gang investigation, we go after the leaders of the enterprise to dismantle it from the top down. We allege these men wreaked havoc in Newark, selling illicit drugs and defending their lucrative turf by using violence and guns. But this case is about more than drugs and guns, it's about removing criminals from a community they have been terrorizing and leaving in their wake a trail of addiction and potential death for their customers. The FBI Newark Safe Streets Task Force and our partner agencies will not stop the work we are doing to rid Newark of violent offenders," said SAC Stefanie Roddy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The defendants are members of a drug trafficking organization that operates an open-air narcotics market in and around the area of Kretchmer Homes – a public housing complex positioned along the 900 block of Frelinghuysen Avenue (the “Frelinghuysen DTO”). Many members of the Frelinghuysen DTO are affiliated with a neighborhood-based street gang, comprised largely of members and associates of the Bloods street gang, who pledge their allegiance, first and foremost, to the neighborhood surrounding the 900 block of Frelinghuysen Avenue.
Law enforcement used investigative techniques including, but not limited to, wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics by confidential informants and undercover law enforcement officers, telephone record analysis, and physical and fixed surveillance, among other lawful means of investigation. The investigation revealed that the Frelinghuysen DTO distributes large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base in this public housing community. Moreover, the investigation revealed, through seizure of multiple firearms, that members of the Frelinghuysen DTO use firearms to protect their drug supply and proceeds.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., detectives with the Newark Police, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sherriff Amir Jones, with the investigation leading to the charges in this case. She also thanked detectives with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel, for their assistance with the case.
The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (“VCI”). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Thypin-Bermeo and Senior Trial Counsel Robert Frazer of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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DEFENDANTS
Defendant Name
Age
Charges
Potential Penalties
Anderson, Noah
33
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Broadnax, Nathaniel
42
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Coleman, Latisha
35
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Cooper, Edwin
23
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Hall, Farard
34
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Hargrove, Alquawi
30
21 U.S.C. § 846
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
10 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Up to 15 years in prison
Harris, Ali
31
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Harrison, Dawan
34
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Harrison, Jaquay
36
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Hoover, Bernard
40
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Jenkins, Khyair
21
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Kalonji, Ajamu
60
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Latimore, Nigel
44
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Leaks, Shaquan
31
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Levett, Anthony
28
21 U.S.C. § 846
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
10 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Up to 15 years in prison
Massenburg, Isaiah
31
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
McClean, Tauheed
38
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Morgan, Raheem
28
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Shell, Lamar
35
21 U.S.C. § 846
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
10 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Up to 15 years in prison
Smith, Jamar
34
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Swinton, Jamaal
32
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Traynmam, Kaidean
28
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Tutler, Radee
41
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Woody, Timothy
47
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Wright, Mario
47
21 U.S.C. § 84610 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Travis, Najee
28
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)Up to 15 years in prison
Reed, Nyerei
24
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C)
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i)
Up to 15 years in prison
Up to 20 years in prison
5 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Martin, Dashawn
32
21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C)Up to 20 years in prison
Kennedy, Divine
25
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C)
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i)
Up to 15 years in prison
Up to 20 years in prison
5 year mandatory minimum; up to life
Overstreet, Tysone
29
18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)Up to 15 years in prison
Texas Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison and Ordered to Pay $2M Fine for Conspiring to Monopolize International Transit Industry, Fix Prices, Extort $9.5M, and Launder MoneyRead the Press Release
Carlos Martinez, 39, of Mission, Texas, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison and a fine of $2 million for his conduct in a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency (TFA) industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region. Martinez and his co-defendants controlled the TFA industry through monopolization and extortion of competitors.
Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale across Central America. There are only a few locations where transmigrantes are permitted to cross from the United States into Mexico, one of those being the Los Indios Bridge in Texas. TFAs are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico. According to court documents and statements made in court, Martinez and his co-defendants fixed prices for TFA services and created a centralized entity known as “The Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services.
“The defendants exploited hardworking professionals in the freight forwarding business using extortion and illegal price-fixing schemes to manipulate the market and inflate the cost of moving goods,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The lead defendant’s 11-year prison sentence reflects the serious economic harm inflicted on the business community along the southern border. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue and prosecute those who threaten fair competition and the integrity of our markets.”
“Today’s sentence reflects the significant danger and harm the American people face from violent and extortive actions aimed at fixing prices and monopolizing the market for essential services in the Texas border region,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to aggressively pursue violent criminals who aim to corrupt America’s free markets and advocate for their incarceration.”
“Price fixing is not a victimless crime; it harms customers in the form of artificially high prices. Consumers need to have faith that the prices they pay are fairly determined by the market, rather than the product of illegal collusion,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “The 11-year sentence Mr. Martinez received reflects the size and scope of his criminal operation, as well as his leadership role in organizing and facilitating the unlawful scheme.”
“All of these defendants used their positions with the TFA to extort hardworking individuals who relied on these services to support their families and livelihood,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI is committed to dismantling criminal enterprises that prey on vulnerable communities, and today’s sentencing sends a clear message that those who abuse systems will be found, stopped and brought to justice.”
“This case underscores the serious threat posed by transnational criminal networks operating at our borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “Carlos Martinez and his co-conspirators orchestrated a violent scheme that extorted small businesses, fixed prices, and laundered millions of dollars — all while threatening the safety and integrity of lawful commerce. HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit legitimate industries through corruption and intimidation, and we remain steadfast in our mission to protect our communities and our economy.”
Individuals in the industry who were not part of the conspiracy were forced to join and pay into The Pool or face financial and violent consequences. Martinez and other members enforced the rules by monitoring whether forwarding agencies were charging the agreed-upon prices and whether the forwarder was making payments to The Pool.
Martinez and some of his co-defendants also conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. Martinez and his co-defendants intimidated, coerced, and used threats and acts of violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies.
Martinez was responsible for collecting at least $9.5M in extortion payments. Cash obtained from the extortions was laundered through bank accounts controlled by Martinez and his family, with the cash deposits disguised to hide the nature, source, ownership, and control of the dirty money.
Martinez is the son-in-law of the former leader of the Gulf Cartel in Mexico, a violent criminal syndicate that operates at the U.S.-Mexico border and elsewhere. Martinez took control of Los Indios Bridge and employed individuals who worked to track TFA transactions to calculate the piso owed by each forwarding agency. Pool and piso payments were made in cash to the individuals working for Martinez. Martinez ordered disciplinary actions against those operating in the transmigrante market without permission, those who violated Pool rules, those who did not charge the fixed prices, and those who did not pay the piso. Disciplinary actions could include clients not being allowed to cross Los Indios Bridge, cars being stolen, or more serious repercussions such as kidnappings, beatings, firebombings, shootings, and murder.
Carlos Martinez pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for TFA services, conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion, interference with commerce by extortion, and money laundering conspiracy. The government will also seek forfeiture of at least one house, luxury vehicles, a boat, and expensive watches.
Prior to Martinez’s sentencing, his co-defendants were sentenced as follows:
Carlos Yzaguirre, 66, of McAllen, Texas, was sentenced to two years in prison, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.
Sandra Guerra Medina, 70, of Rancho Viejo, Texas, was sentenced to eight months of home detention, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for TFA services and conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market.Juan Hector Ramirez Avila, 59, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served, after pleading guilty to one count of structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements.
Jose Tapia, Mireya Miranda, Pedro Calvillo and Roberto Garcia Villarreal pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Three other defendants, Rigoberto Brown, Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto, were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives.
The Court will determine the final restitution amount owed to victims of the conspiracies at a hearing set for Sept. 3, 2025.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI investigated the case.Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section; Senior Litigation Attorney John Davis and Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure, Anne Veldhuis, and Michael G. Lepage of the of the Antitrust Division; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the HSI Tip Line at 866-347-2423; the FBI Tipline at tips.fbi.gov, or by contacting the FBI San Antonio Field Office at 210-225-6741; or the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Syracuse Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing an Assault Rifle at Gas StationRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Richard Bradley, age 36, of Syracuse, was sentenced yesterday to 14 months in prison following his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Bradley admitted that, on September 9, 2024, he possessed a loaded assault rifle in his vehicle, which was parked at a gas station in East Syracuse. Bradley inadvertently fired the rifle several times, but did not strike anyone. As a result of his prior felony conviction for criminal mischief, Bradley could not lawfully possess a firearm.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a three-year term of supervised release to begin following the term of imprisonment and ordered Bradley to forfeit the rifle he possessed.
U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, “When Bradley fired the rifle in the parking lot, he put the lives of everyone at that gas station in danger. Thanks to the quick thinking of the gas station employees and the fast response by law enforcement, no one was harmed.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Miller said, “This case is a powerful reminder of the danger posed when illegal firearms end up in the hands of those who are prohibited from possessing them. We thank our partners at the Manlius Police Department, the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of New York for their work in holding this individual accountable. This shows the impact of Project Safe Neighborhoods and our collective commitment to reducing violent crime.”
ATF and the Manlius Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
St. Michael Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
Fargo – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced today that Ryan Cody Guy, age 46, from St. Michael, North Dakota, was sentenced before Chief United States District Judge Peter D. Welte to 63 months in federal prison for involuntary manslaughter. Judge Welte also sentenced Guy to serve 3 years of supervised release following his incarceration and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $2,000. Guy pleaded guilty on March 10, 2025.
On February 26, 2022, Ryan Guy was driving a vehicle on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation while intoxicated when he rolled it. A passenger in the vehicle died as a result of injuries sustained in the rollover. Guy’s blood alcohol content was 0.164, over twice the legal limit under North Dakota state law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the North Dakota Highway Patrol and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Lee.
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St. Louis Man Faces 20+ Years in Prison After Being Convicted of Drug, Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury on Tuesday convicted a man from St. Louis, Missouri of drug and gun crimes that will result in decades in prison.
Christopher Glen Rhodes, 47, was found guilty in U.S. District Court of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Rhodes provided the methamphetamine that was sold twice to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. That source told investigators that he’d previously purchased both meth and fentanyl from Demetrius A. Ransom, Rhodes’ co-defendant. On Nov. 10, 2022, Rhodes provided 416.9 grams, or nearly one pound, of meth to Ransom, who sold it for $2,000. On Dec. 7, 2022, the confidential source bought 435 grams of meth from Ransom for $2,000.
On Dec. 19, 2022, investigators were planning on conducting a court-approved search of Rhodes’ home in the 4900 block of West Florissant Avenue when they spotted Rhodes leaving. They made a traffic stop, but when Rhodes was asked to get out of the car, he sped away. In his home, agents found a total of 2.7 kilograms of meth, 3.8 kilos of fentanyl, 981.8 grams of cocaine and 129.7 grams of cocaine base. They also found $21,000 in cash, a loaded 9mm Ruger handgun, and drug paraphernalia including a pill press, empty capsules and a money counter. Rhodes is a felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm. Among his convictions is a 2002 case in which he pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base and was sentenced to 294 months in prison as a career offender. His sentence was commuted in 2016 to expire in 2018.
Rhodes is scheduled to be sentenced on November 25. He will face at least 20 years in prison due to his prior convictions, the quantity of drugs involved and his use of a firearm during the drug trafficking crime, and could face more than 30 years.
Ransom, 45, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in May to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9 and faces at least 15 years in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torrie J. Schneider and Don Boyce are prosecuting the case.
Salvadoran National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national unlawfully residing in Chelsea was indicted yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Juan Carlos Gil-Ochoa, 36, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Gil-Ochoa was arrested by immigration authorities on May 12, 2025.
According to the indictment, Gil-Ochoa was deported from the United States to El Salvador in April 2013. It is alleged that sometime after his April 2013 removal, Gil-Ochoa illegally reentered the United States without permission and was encountered by immigration authorities in October 2023.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien with a prior felony criminal conviction provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years 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 Jennifer Zacks of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Rockford Woman Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison for Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford woman has been sentenced to thirty-two months in federal prison for straw purchasing five firearms.
JESSICA BARRERA, 56, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of knowingly providing a false and fictitious written statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. The statement misrepresented that Barrera was the actual buyer of the firearms, when, in fact, she knew she was not the actual buyer.
Barrera admitted that in 2021 and 2022, she purchased five firearms in four separate transactions for her son, ANGEL BARRERA-ESTEVES, who was legally prohibited from owning a firearm and did not have a valid Firearm Owners Identification. Barrera completed firearm-transaction records indicating that she was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms. She then provided the firearms to her son, knowing that he intended to sell the guns to others without a license. Barrera also purchased firearm ammunition for her son at his direction.
Barrera was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston in federal court in Rockford.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincenza L. Tomlinson.
Angel Barrera-Esteves, 27, of Rockford, pleaded guilty to federal firearm offenses and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10, 2025.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney's Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Puerto Rican Man Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl into MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Bayamon, Puerto Rico man was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Rafael Omar Ojeda Lopez, 44, to a term of imprisonment of 57 months, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to court records, in September 2023, at the direction of agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a confidential source negotiated the purchase of a kilogram of fentanyl from Lopez for $40,000, following several smaller “test” buys. While Lopez and the source were working to finalize the transaction in Rockland, Maine, HSI agents arrested Lopez and seized the fentanyl, which was later lab confirmed to contain a mixture of fentanyl, caffeine, heroin, and xylazine, a powerful tranquilizer. The mixture of fentanyl and xylazine is particularly dangerous to drug users: because xylazine is not a narcotic, its effects cannot be reversed by naloxone, which serves to heighten the risk of overdose death.
HSI and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) investigated the case.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: 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.
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Powhatan man sentenced to 33 years in prison for child exploitation offensesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Powhatan man was sentenced today to 33 years in prison for transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to sexually abuse her.
According to court documents, Daniel Wayne Kidd, 50, spent thousands of dollars to entice a teenage girl to come to Virginia in 2022 so that he could sexually abuse her over the course of a week. Kidd and his co-defendant, Rosalinda Delgado Rosas, 36, schemed to obtain control and custody of the minor and to ply her with expensive gifts and experiences to coerce her into engaging in sexual acts with Kidd. Prior to the nightly sexual abuse acts, the minor was administered medications, including some that made her drowsy. Kidd and Rosas also recorded Kidd’s sexual abuse of the minor.
Rosas was sentenced on Sept. 4, 2024, to 25 years in prison for her role in the scheme.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.
The Powhatan Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather H. Mansfield and Trial Attorney Alicia A. Bove of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section 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. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-93.
Polk County Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Polk County man was sentenced on June 11, 2025, to 48 months in federal prison for the possession of child pornography.
According to public court documents, law enforcement seized electronic devices belonging to Andrew Charles Nygaard, 45, when law enforcement searched his Granger residence in September 2022. A forensic examination of Nygaard’s devices showed that Nygaard knowingly and intentionally downloaded files containing child sexual abuse material from the internet from at least September 2018 through June 2022.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Nygaard will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Nygaard was also ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force and Granger Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Pittsburgh Felon Convicted at Trial for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - After deliberating for 15 minutes, a federal jury on June 10, 2025, found Gerald Underwood guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Underwood, 44, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was tried before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan in Pittsburgh.
The evidence presented at trial established that, on November 9, 2022, Underwood possessed a firearm and ammunition at a gas station in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh after police were dispatched to the scene because of a ShotSpotter alert. A spent shell casing matching the firearm taken from Underwood’s pocket was recovered from the scene. Underwood has a number of state felony convictions and two prior federal convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for October 2, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Underwood continue to be detained.
Assistant United States Attorneys DeMarr W. Moulton and Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Underwood.
Pickleball Company Owner Waives Discharge of over $47M in Unsecured Debt After USTP InvestigationRead the Press Release
A pickleball entrepreneur who was forced into bankruptcy by investors he lured with promises of generous returns recently agreed to waive his bankruptcy discharge after an investigation by the Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP), preventing the discharge of more than $47 million in unsecured debt.
On May 14, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana approved a voluntary waiver of discharge by debtor Rodney Grubbs, owner of All About Pickleball LLC, an apparel and equipment company that did business as Pickleball Rocks. As a result, Grubbs remains personally liable for his debts, and creditors are free to pursue payment from him after the case is closed.
Grubbs solicited investments from pickleball players and fans from across the United States, usually in the form of promissory notes with purportedly guaranteed interest rates of 10 percent or higher. In December 2023, several unpaid investors filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition against Grubbs under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. Grubbs opposed the petition, but after a hearing in which he testified to using new investors’ funds to pay back previous investors, the bankruptcy court granted the involuntary petition and ordered the case to proceed. Grubbs eventually disclosed nearly $1.6 million in assets and more than $47 million in liabilities, the vast majority of them unsecured debts owed to hundreds of individuals.
As part of its extensive investigation, the USTP’s Indianapolis office obtained Grubbs’ personal and business financial records and examined him under oath. Ultimately, Grubbs — who also faced allegations from multiple creditors consistent with a Ponzi scheme — elected to waive his bankruptcy discharge.
“The USTP is committed to addressing fraudulent and abusive conduct that threatens the integrity of the bankruptcy system,” said U.S. Trustee Nancy J. Gargula for Region 10, which includes the Southern District of Indiana. “Our commitment to protecting consumers and those who fall victim to various schemes that come to light in bankruptcy is unwavering.”
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
Philadelphia Men Convicted at Trial of Armed Carjacking of FedEx TruckRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ronald Byrd, 37, and Saikeen Dixon, 32, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were convicted today at trial of carjacking, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with their armed carjacking of a FedEx truck in August of 2022. Byrd was also convicted of attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. After the convictions, during a second phase of the trial, Byrd stipulated that he had previously been convicted of a drug offense and also agreed to plead guilty to an additional firearms charge.
The defendants were charged by superseding indictment in September 2023.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, on August 9, 2022, a package weighing approximately 29 pounds was sent from “Karen Boothe” of “Caliber Consulting LLC” in Buena Park, California, to “Universal Medical Inc” at 3401 North Broad Street, Suite 101, in Philadelphia, which is the address for Temple Hospital.
A FedEx Express driver, J.H., was delivering packages to Temple Hospital on the morning of August 10, 2022. J.H. began receiving phone calls and text messages from a former FedEx Express employee, P.A., asking for a package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc” at Temple Hospital.
After J.H. arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock, P.A. met him there and asked him again for the package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc.” J.H. told P.A. he could not give him the package. P.A. continued asking for it, even offering J.H. $5,000 in exchange. J.H. refused and called his supervisors.
J.H.’s supervisors, R.J. and D.J., arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock driving a FedEx van. They took the package P.A. was asking for onto their FedEx van, told J.H. to do his next round of deliveries at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, which is right next to Temple Hospital.
D.J. saw a black Jeep Cherokee come out of the Temple Hospital loading dock and follow the FedEx truck. P.A. then approached D.J. and asked her if he could have the package that he had asked J.H. for; she told him that he could not.
After finishing his deliveries at Shriners, J.H. drove his FedEx truck south on Broad Street towards the FedEx distribution center at 3600 Grays Ferry Avenue, with D.J. and R.J. following behind in their FedEx van. The black Jeep Cherokee that D.J. had seen continued following J.H.’s FedEx delivery truck.
At a red light about a block from the FedEx facility, the black Jeep, driven by defendant Dixon, pulled in front of the FedEx truck. Defendant Byrd got out of the passenger side of the Jeep, pointed a black semi-automatic pistol at J.H., and approached the driver’s side of the FedEx truck. J.H. jumped out of the passenger side door and ran into oncoming traffic, heading toward the FedEx facility.
Byrd climbed into the FedEx truck and drove westbound across the Grays Ferry Bridge before pulling over at 47th and Linmore in Southwest Philadelphia, with Dixon following him in the Jeep. Byrd tried to open the back of the FedEx truck but could not, so he abandoned the FedEx vehicle and got back into the Jeep, which fled the scene.
After the carjacking, a trained narcotics K9 alerted to the package that P.A. had been asking for and investigators obtained a search warrant. Inside were nine individual packages wrapped in plastic and labeled “DSQUARED2,” each of which weighed approximately one kilogram and field-tested positive for cocaine. Lab testing later confirmed that the packages contained a total of approximately 9.005 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $500,000.
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on September 29.
Byrd faces a mandatory minimum term of 22 years’ imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release, and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison and a $20,500,000 fine.
Dixon faces a mandatory minimum term of seven years’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release, and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison and a $500,000 fine.
“When their original scheme to retrieve the package went awry, Byrd and Dixon turned to Plan B,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “They were so determined to get their hands on that cocaine that they stalked and carjacked a FedEx truck at gunpoint, in broad daylight on a busy Philadelphia street. They’ve endangered our community with both their drugs and their guns, and today’s verdict holds them accountable, ensuring each a lengthy stay in federal prison.”
“The brazen acts at the heart of this case — from violent carjackings to plotting the distribution of dangerous drugs — put our citizens directly in harm’s way,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “These convictions underscore the power of collaboration in confronting violent crime and protecting our communities. We’re grateful for the steadfast commitment of our partners in the Violent Crimes Task Force, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Together, we remain resolute in our mission to keep the public safe.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman and Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Lanni.
Palm Beach County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Tyreek J. Clermont, 24, of Boynton Beach, was sentenced yesterday to 90 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Clermont pled guilty to charge earlier this year.
According to the court record, on October 22, 2023, a Martin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by the defendant on South Kanner Highway. The defendant was smoking a marijuana cigarette when the deputy approached the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun, approximately 31.59 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, and 1.58 grams of dimethylpentylone – a dangerous designer drug.
At the time he possessed the 9mm, Clermont had prior Florida felony convictions for robbery, gun, and drug crimes. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon Mallory of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division and Sheriff John M. Budensick of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.
ATF Miami Field Office and MCSO investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted it.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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 24-cr-14042.
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Owner of Long Island Ambulette Services Pleads Guilty to Leading Multimillion Dollar Healthcare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Adnan Arshad, also known as “Eddie,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a scheme to steal approximately $20 million from Medicaid. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields. When sentenced, Arshad faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, restitution of at least $16 million, and forfeiture of over $19 million, including several real properties and vehicles.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York, (IRS-CI); and Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney, announced the guilty plea.
“The defendant was the leader of a massive fraud scheme in which he and his co-conspirators bilked Medicaid out of millions of dollars of government and taxpayer funds intended to help the needy and infirm,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “With his guilty plea today, the defendant admitted that he abused our health care system for his own enrichment. Arshad lived large on his illicit profits—buying expensive homes and driving luxury vehicles—but today’s guilty plea demonstrates there is a steep price for his fraudulent scheme.”
Mr. Nocella also thanked the Office of the New York State Comptroller and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the New York State Attorney General's Office for their assistance in the case.
“For self-serving purposes, the defendant in this case egregiously diverted crucial Medicaid funds,” stated HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Gruchacz. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of federally funded health care programs which relies, in part, on providers billing only for services they actually provide.”
“While Mr. Arshad should have been transporting medical patients as designed, the only people he took for a ride were the American taxpayers. Nearly $20 million was misappropriated by Mr. Arshad and his partners, who used his ambulette service as a backdrop for fraud and deceit - exploiting the Medicaid program and pocketing the illicit gains. With today’s plea, Mr. Arshad will need to give up his life of extravagance funded by tax dollars to face prison time, which is far less luxurious,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.”
“Today's conviction represents a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to protect taxpayer-funded healthcare programs from fraudulent schemes," stated District Attorney Tierney. “Healthcare fraud not only diverts critical resources from those who need them most, but it also undermines public trust in these essential programs. My office will continue to work with our state and federal partners to investigate and prosecute those who would defraud Medicaid and other public healthcare systems.”
As set forth in court filings and facts presented during the plea hearing, Arshad was the owner of MTK Taxi LLC in Montauk, Long Island, and part owner of All-Star Taxi LLC, in Ronkonkoma, Long Island. From approximately December 2020 to his arrest in June 2024, Arshad and his co-conspirators paid illegal health care kickbacks to Medicaid beneficiaries for fraudulent ambulette services. Pursuant to the scheme, the beneficiaries would order medical transportation services specifically from Arshad and his co-conspirators, including for transportation to addiction treatment centers for the beneficiaries’ purportedly necessary methadone treatment. In reality, Arshad’s businesses generally did not provide the medical transportation services ordered by the Medicaid beneficiaries. At least two claims were submitted to Medicaid for individuals who were deceased, and some claims were submitted for individuals who were hospitalized or incarcerated. In total, Arshad and his co-conspirators fraudulently billed Medicaid millions of dollars for these non-existent services throughout the course of the scheme.
Arshad and his co-conspirators also submitted artificially inflated claims to Medicaid. Although there were numerous addiction treatment centers on Long Island the beneficiaries could have utilized, Arshad and his co-conspirators instructed them to order rides to addiction treatment centers in New York City and to list false addresses so they could obtain higher reimbursement rates from Medicaid for longer rides. The transportation companies owned or operated by Arshad and his co-conspirators billed Medicaid over $16 million for trips to three addiction treatment centers in New York City.
Arshad used the illicit proceeds to purchase several additional transport vehicles for use in the scheme and to purchase multimillion-dollar homes and luxury vehicles, including a Ferrari, BMWs, and multiple Mercedes.
Five co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Toporovsky and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Milito of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Janelle Robinson. Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
ADNAN ARSHAD (also known as “Eddie”)
Age: 46
Mount Sinai, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-231 (JMA)
Osceola County Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Julie S. Sneed has sentenced Alex Ramon (34, Kissimmee) to 16 years and 3 months in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Ramon to forfeit the electronic device used in the commission of the offense. Ramon pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025.
According to court documents, a search warrant was executed at Ramon’s residence following cyber tips related to online child sexual abuse activities, which resulted in the recovery of Ramon’s cellphone. The cellphone contained more than 450 videos and 160 images of child sexual abuse material. A further forensic examination of the device revealed that Ramon also shared links and screen-recorded live streams of child sexual abuse, producing his own child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Testerman and Kaley Austin-Aronson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ohio Resident Indicted on Sexual Exploitation of a Minor ChargesRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Garrettsville, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of minors, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The six-count Indictment named Robert Alan Pepus, 26, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from in and around September 2024 through in and around October 2024, Pepus engaged in interstate travel for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a minor and, on several occasions, induced that minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct. Pepus also possessed child sexual abuse material.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life plus 130 years in prison, a fine of up to $1.5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Large-Scale Multi-National Business Email Compromise ScamsRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – An Ohio man was sentenced yesterday to over four years in prison and ordered to pay more than $547,000.00 in restitution for committing wire fraud and money laundering in connection with scamming companies in Mississippi and throughout the country.
According to court documents, Gabriel Waters, 54, of Chillicothe, Ohio, was involved in a wire fraud and money laundering scheme where fraudsters spoofed email accounts which imitated corporate email accounts of employees who control company finances at victim companies. In this scheme, fraudsters bought domain names that looked very similar to the legitimate domain names owned by the victim businesses. The fraudsters used those imitation email accounts to direct employees, customers, or partners of a victim company to send money to a bank account controlled by the fraudsters. The fraudsters directed an employee to wire funds under the disguise of legitimate business transactions.
Gabriel Waters was crucial to the scheme by setting up bank accounts in the U.S., receiving money directly from the victims, and laundering the money around to different accounts before finally converting it to cryptocurrency to send overseas to the emailing fraudsters.
U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Waters to serve 57 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $547,455.80 in restitution to his victims.
Following the sentencing, federal leaders acknowledged the importance of this investigation and prosecution to the State of Mississippi and condemned the defendant’s fraudulent actions.
“Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue criminal prosecutions against scammers who victimize American businesses and individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Reach out to law enforcement immediately if you have fallen prey to an online scam so that evidence can be gathered, and money can possibly be recouped.”
“Elaborate fraud schemes against unsuspecting Mississippi companies will not be tolerated,” stated Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “Mr. Waters' sentencing exemplifies the FBI's commitment to holding individuals accountable for their criminal actions, motivated by greed. FBI Jackson and the U.S. Attorney's Office will continue protecting Mississippi companies and the public from these damaging schemes.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clyde McGee and John Herzog prosecuted the case.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Swatting ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Brayden Grace, 19, of Columbus, Ohio, pled guilty to conspiracy, cyberstalking, interstate threatening communications, and threats to damage or destroy by means of fire and explosives.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the guilty plea, Grace helped create an online group known as “Purgatory.” The group used multiple online social-media platforms, including Telegram and Instagram, to coordinate and plan swatting and doxxing activities and to announce and brag about swats that they conducted.
“Grace and his co-conspirators threatened and terrorized others throughout the country, and then bragged about it online. Make no mistake: swatting and doxxing are not pranks—they are dangerous and illegal acts that put lives at risk and drain critical law enforcement resources,” Hayes said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to relentlessly pursuing those who seek to gain notoriety by abusing our emergency services and striking fear in others. Such unlawful actions will not be tolerated.”
“Brayden Grace admitted he engaged in swatting and doxxing to strike out at perceived rivals, gain online notoriety, attempt to make money, and for enjoyment. May his guilty plea make clear that the FBI and our partners take these threats seriously,” Koldjeski said. “Together, we will make sure offenders do not remain anonymous and face justice for their crimes which drain vital public safety resources, cause undue fear, and put innocent lives at risk.”
“Swatting” is a term used to describe or refer to a criminal incident in which an individual contacts emergency services and falsely reports an emergency, often involving an act of violence that reportedly has or will occur at a particular location to elicit an armed law enforcement response to that location. “Doxxing” is a term used to describe the practice of searching for and publishing on the Internet personal, private, or identifying information about an individual with malicious intent, such as providing the information for the purpose of swatting the individual.
From December 10, 2023, through January 18, 2024, Grace and his co-conspirators placed swatting calls to police and other emergency departments. One or more of the conspirators falsely reported an emergency in the form of a violent act at a particular location to cause an armed law enforcement response with the intent to threaten, intimidate, and harass individuals and entities.
Grace and his co-conspirators often used shared scripts to plan and coordinate their conduct and used Voice over Internet Protocol services to obscure their phone numbers and identities.
As part of this scheme, the co-conspirators called the Houston County Sheriff’s Office (Dothan, Alabama). The co-conspirators threatened to burn down part of a residential trailer park and kill any law-enforcement officers who arrived to respond to the threat.
Additionally, as part of the scheme, a Purgatory conspirator called the Newark Delaware Police Department falsely claiming that he heard a man firing shots in a Newark High School hallway. Moments later, a conspirator called the department again, threatening to shoot a specific Newark High School teacher and to kill unnamed students. As a result of this call, which occurred in the middle of the school day, authorities placed the school on lockdown and police officers responded to the scene. Later the same day, Grace agreed to post content from the incident, including images from news coverage of the incident, onto the group’s social media accounts.
Grace also posted the address of the Hollywood Casino in Columbus, Ohio, the non-emergency telephone number for Columbus Police Department, and the name of a specific doxxing victim. Purgatory conspirators called the Columbus Police Department that day and threatened to “start shooting,” “kill everyone here,” and blow up the Hollywood Casino.
Additionally, Purgatory conspirators called the Albany Police Department (Albany, New York), threatening the use of firearms and explosives at the airport. Police units then rushed to respond to the threats. On the same day, Grace bragged on a Purgatory group website about the group threatening the airport.
Grace faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each count of threatening to damage or destroy by fire or explosive and a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy, cyberstalking, and interstate threats.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, August 14, at 10 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Additionally, Ms. Hayes praised the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Columbus; Ohio Police Department; Newark, Delaware Police Department; Lenoir City, Tennessee Police Department; Albany, New York Police Department; Albany County, New York Sheriff’s Office; Fairburn City, Georgia Police Department; Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Police Department; Giles County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office; Blue Springs, Missouri Police Department; Tarboro, North Carolina Police Department; Boston, Massachusetts Police Department; Dodge County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office; Houston County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office; and the FBI’s Mobile, Richmond, Boston, Charlotte, and Cincinnati Field Offices for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert I. Goldaris and Patricia C. McLane who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Newington Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARTIN DELGADO, 30, of Newington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 13, 2024, members of the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force conducted a court-authorized search of Delgado’s residence on Main Street in Newington and seized approximately 2,500 wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl, approximately 160 grams of loose fentanyl, approximately 21 grams of cocaine, narcotics packaging materials, and a loaded 9mm gun magazine. Delgado, who fled on foot when officers arrived at his residence, was apprehended a short time later in West Hartford. Investigators also located and seized a loaded 9mm handgun near Delgado’s residence that he discarded as he fled, and additional quantities of fentanyl and cocaine from Delgado’s vehicle.
The firearm had been reported stolen in 2019.
Delgado was charged with state offenses and released on bond.
Delgado has been detained since his federal arrest on August 2, 2024. On February 11, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Lembo and Reed Durham through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to $70 Million Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York-based director of operations and sales for the Northeast region of a mobile medical diagnostics company pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.
James Rausch, 57, of Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2025. Rausch was charged in May 2025.
From approximately March 2015 through approximately September 2020, Rausch conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. Rausch and his alleged co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks, some in cash and others by check, based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. Rausch and his alleged co-conspirators created purported rental and administrative service agreements, which on paper made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources of the ordering doctor’s practice based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. These agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test.
The scheme as a whole resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $27.2 million to the TCD company for the fraudulent claims.
The charge of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard Locker and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Involvement in Elder Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Pranav Patel (33, New Jersey) to six years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1,791,301, the proceeds of the offense. Patel pleaded guilty on December 23, 2024.
According to court documents, between October and December 2023, Patel was involved in a fraud scheme targeting senior citizens. Conspirators involved in the scheme called from call centers abroad and fraudulently identified themselves as government agents such as officers from the United States Department of the Treasury. In some instances, the conspirators told victims that there were outstanding warrants for their arrest, and they needed to pay to clear the warrants. On other occasions, the conspirators told victims that they needed to provide their money and gold to the officers for safekeeping.
Patel served as a money mule in the fraud scheme. He drove from New Jersey to pick up money and gold from senior citizens in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere along the east coast of the United States. During the sentencing hearing, one victim from whom Patel picked up fraud proceeds advised the court that because of the scam, he was unable to afford his mortgage payments, had to sell his house, and had to depend on Social Security benefits for all his living expenses.
In December 2023, Patel traveled to a residence in Hillsborough County to retrieve what he believed was a box of gold. Unbeknownst to Patel, he did so while under law enforcement surveillance, and Patel was promptly arrested after picking up the box. In total, Patel laundered $1,791,301 as part of the fraud scheme.
“Preying on vulnerable, unsuspecting elderly victims to rob them of their hard-earned money is despicable. Even worse, the defendant’s co-conspirators posed as government agents to defraud victims of nearly $2 million, threatening them with arrest if they didn’t follow their demands. Thanks to the men and women of the Tampa Field Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida for their diligent work,” said U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Robert Engel of the Tampa Field Office.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer L. Peresie and Maria Guzman.
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Failing to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Andrew Thomas Edwards, age 35, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the United States Marshals Service.
On March 10, 2025, Edwards pleaded guilty to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Edwards was previously convicted by the State of Oklahoma for Lewd Molestation in September 2001, Indecent Exhibition of Child Pornography in November 2001, and Lewd Molestation in January 2015, each a felony conviction requiring the defendant to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) passed by Congress in 2006.
According to investigators, Edwards initially registered an address upon his release from prison in March 2024, but by June 2024 Edwards was no longer living at that address and had failed to update or register his new address as required by law. U.S. Marshals traced Edwards’ new residence to a Muskogee apartment, and on September 21, 2024, law enforcement arrested Edwards.
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. Edwards 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 Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.
Mother Found Guilty of Felony Murder of Her 16-Month-Old DaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Faneisha Scott, 39, of Washington, D.C. was found guilty by a Superior Court jury today of felony murder for the death of her 16-month-old daughter, Rhythm Fields, in March 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Scott was found guilty on charges of first-degree murder and first-degree cruelty to children (willful maltreatment) and second-degree cruelty to children. The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for August 29, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 2:45 p.m., on March 21, 2017, Scott’s friend, who is the child’s godmother, went over to the defendant’s home in the 5400 block of C Street, SE. While there, the friend’s eight-year-old child asked to play with Rhythm. The defendant then found Rhythm in her playpen, unresponsive, and cold. The defendant went out and flagged down a mail carrier, who called 911 and followed the defendant back to the apartment and observed Rhythm on the couch, lifeless. The child’s body was cold, her body was stiff, and her eyes were fixed. While on the phone with 911, the mail carrier followed the operator’s instructions when two other individuals entered the residence to administer CPR – one was an experienced former firefighter and knew that the child was dead immediately upon seeing her. First responders were surprised to learn that the defendant claimed to have no contact with the child since 9:00 a.m. that morning. The child was pronounced dead.
On March 22, 2017, the D.C. Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy on Rhythm’s remains and ruled on February 5, 2018 that the manner of death was homicide and the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. The blunt force injuries included: (1) contusions and abrasions of the head, neck, torso, and extremities; (2) subdural hemorrhage; (3) cerebral edema, subarachnoid hemorrhage and acute hypoxia-ischemia; (4) retinal and optic nerve sheath hemorrhage; and (5) 23 bilateral rib fractures (there was evidence of both healing and new rib fractures).
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma McArthur and Andrea Antonelli.
Monticello Man Charged with 2017 MurderRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia; and the District Attorney for Sullivan County, New York, Brian Conaty, announced the filing of a Superseding Indictment charging DWAYNE JOHNSON with the May 2017 murder of Shaniece Harris (the “Victim”), as well as additional controlled substance and firearms offenses. JOHNSON was previously taken into custody on controlled substance and firearms charges following the recovery of, among other things, marijuana and approximately 30 firearms from his residence in May 2023. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti. Earlier today, JOHNSON was arraigned on the charges in the Superseding Indictment.
“As alleged, more than eight years ago, Dwayne Johnson murdered Shaniece Harris in Monticello, New York, in connection with a long-running drug conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Thanks to the hard work of the prosecutors in this Office and our law enforcement partners at FBI, New York State Police, NYPD, and the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, Johnson will be held to account for this cold-blooded crime. This brutal murder shows the harsh truth that drug trafficking and violence go together, and drug trafficking poses incredible dangers to communities throughout New York. As this Superseding Indictment shows, we work every day to deliver justice for the victims of senseless violence—no matter how many years have passed. We hope this prosecution brings some measure of peace to the victim’s loved ones.”
"Dwayne Johnson allegedly murdered Shaniece Harris as part of his drug trafficking operation," said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. "We are committed to ending the senseless and irreparable damage caused to our communities by violence connected to drug trafficking. The FBI has a long memory. No matter how much time has passed, we will not cease in our efforts to find justice for victims of murder and other violent crimes."
“I am thrilled that this arrest is the first step in bringing closure to the family and loved one’s of Shanice Harris," said District Attorney Brian Conaty. "I applaud the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Southern District of New York. I am proud that members of my office were able to assist these entities in this investigation. I thank all the law enforcement entities involved for their unwavering dedication to investigating and apprehending the individual who was responsible for this heinous crime. It is law enforcement collaborations such as this that send a stark message that the victims of violent crime will never be forgotten.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment and other public filings: [1]
On or about May 29, 2017, JOHNSON shot and killed Shaniece Harris in Monticello, New York, in furtherance of his long-running conspiracy to traffic over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere. Following a series of searches in 2023, law enforcement recovered multiple videos made by JOHNSON in which Johnson displayed his cache of firearms and articulated his intent to shoot anyone who attempted the steal his marijuana or marijuana proceeds. On or about May 24, 2023, law enforcement recovered from JOHNSON’s residence body armor, a large quantity of ammunition, and approximately 30 firearms, including multiple short-barreled rifles.
* * *
JOHNSON, 46, of Monticello, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder through use of a firearm, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of death or life in prison; one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of possession of a short-barreled rifle in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison to be served consecutively to any other term of prison imposed and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of unlawful possession of firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI Hudson Valley White Collar Crime Task Force, the New York State Police, the NYPD, the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, and the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo and Jorja Knauer are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam Ronan.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._johnson_superseding_indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact descried therein should be treated as an allegation.
Mexican National Who Conspired with Son in Cocaine Dealing and Human Smuggling Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio today to 37 months in prison for his role in cocaine trafficking and human smuggling conspiracies. He was also ordered for forfeit over $600,000 in proceeds from his criminal activity.
According to court documents, Jorge Armando Morado, 44, helped his son, Jorge Armando Morado Moreno, 25, complete a sale of cocaine to an undercover Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputy on July 16, 2023. During that sale, Morado arranged for his son to sell a kilogram of cocaine to that undercover deputy at a future date, and then drove in tandem with his son to make that sale on July 25, 2023. Morado and his son were both encountered by law enforcement while driving to make that sale, and approximately one kilogram of cocaine was found in the son’s vehicle.
The investigation led to search warrants for Morado’s and Moreno’s respective residences. During the search of Morado’s residence, approximately $601,302 in cash was found in a cooler located in his master bedroom closet, along with an additional $3,000, a firearm, and a suspected drug ledger in his dresser drawer. Another bedroom—an empty room with only a mattress on the floor—housed five illegal aliens. A bucket full of urine was found in an adjacent bedroom. Moreno’s cell phone was also searched and contained numerous conversations between Morado and Moreno pertaining to their cocaine trafficking and harboring of illegal aliens at Morado’s house.
Morado pleaded guilty on June 26, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. He’s sentenced to 37 months in prison for each count, running concurrent to one another, and in addition to his four months spent in state custody on related charges. Moreno pleaded guilty to the same two conspiracy charges on July 11, 2024, and was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on Jan. 29.
“This case serves as a stark reminder that alien smuggling is not a victimless crime, but rather a for-profit enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Alien smugglers only seek to enrich themselves, in this case to the tune of over $600,000 in proceeds from these criminal activities.”
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock prosecuted the case.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry for Third TimeRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Mexican national pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States following multiple prior deportations and felony convictions.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about March 17, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol Agents were conducting enforcement operations in Rankin County on Interstate 20. Agents conducted a vehicle stop and Luis Simon Acevedo-Rodriguez, 32, freely admitted to being a citizen of Mexico and to being present in the United States without the requisite permission. He was arrested and processed for removal. Acevedo-Rodriguez’s fingerprints were scanned into DHS databases resulting in a computer match to his prior immigration records, including photographs. Acevedo-Rodriguez has been convicted three times in the Western District of Texas – once for improper entry by an alien and twice for illegal reentry by a deported or removed alien. He has been formally removed from the United States three times previously.
Acevedo-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to unlawful return of an alien removed after conviction of a felony. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi; Eric P. DeLaune, Special Agent-in-Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, Louisiana; and Adam M. Calderon, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, made the announcement.
The United States Border Patrol investigated the case with assistance from the Rankin County Sherriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated by the Mississippi Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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).
Mexican Citizen Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Artemio Santiago-Hernandez, age 43, a Citizen of Mexico, was sentenced yesterday to time served (three months) by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for illegally reentering the United States.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, Santiago-Hernandez was previously removed from the United States on March 19, 2015, through Laredo, Texas and reentered the United States without legal permission to do so. Santiago-Hernandez was also previously removed in 2007. Santiago-Hernandez was convicted at least three times of driving under the influence or similar offenses and still faces DUI charges in Franklin County.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Scott Ford prosecuted the case.
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McLaughlin Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Resisting and Impeding a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on June 9, 2025.
Verl Antonie Janis, age 44, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Janis was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025.
On September 23, 2024, in McLaughlin, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, a Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer observed Janis intoxicated by alcohol in violation of a court order. Janis resisted the officer’s attempt to arrest him. As Janis and the officer scuffled, both fell to the ground. Janis’ hands were near the officer’s duty belt. Concerned Janis might disarm him, the officer punched Janis, fracturing a bone in his, the officer’s, hand. Janis was eventually handcuffed and taken into custody. Janis has two prior federal convictions for assaulting law enforcement officers.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Janis was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Man Caught on Missouri Highway with 58 Kilograms of Cocaine Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday admitted being caught with over 58 kilograms of cocaine in a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in Phelps County, Missouri.
Rene Alejandro Valdivia-Gonzalez, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine. On Sept. 21, 2024, Valdivia-Gonzalez was stopped in a Mercedes Sprinter van by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department for a traffic violation. After receiving consent to search the van, the deputy spotted an after-market compartment that had been installed to create a cavity under the original floorboards. The deputy found rectangular bricks wrapped in plastic and tape that weighed about one kilogram each. Investigators also found bricks hidden behind the dashboard. The 53 bricks contained cocaine weighing a total of 58.85 kilograms.
Valdivia-Gonzalez, who was living in Phoenix, is scheduled to be sentenced October 2. He faces at least 10 years in prison.
The Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mahlega Abdsharafat and Creative Hospice Settle Health Care Kickback Claims for $9.2 MillionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Mahlega Abdsharafat, also known as “Mallie Sharafat,” Creative Hospice Care, Inc., and affiliated companies (collectively, the “Creative Hospice entities”) have paid $9.2 million to settle allegations that Abdsharafat and the Creative Hospice entities entered into kickback arrangements with medical directors in exchange for referrals of hospice patients to Creative Hospice in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statue and the False Claims Act.
“A physician’s health care decision should be based solely on the needs of the patient rather than the physician’s financial interests,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Health care providers who place unlawful personal gain above their duty of care to patients must be held accountable for their dishonesty.”
“Patients should not have to wonder if their doctors’ medical decisions are being driven by unlawful inducements,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “We will continue to hold accountable individuals, as well as companies, who participate in kickback schemes that threaten the integrity of our healthcare system.”
“Health care providers that participate in kickback schemes undermine the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This settlement demonstrates HHS-OIG’s unwavering commitment with our law enforcement partners to hold those accountable who put profit and personal gain ahead of the legitimate medical services.”
“Decisions regarding end-of-life care are incredibly difficult and personal, and families must be able to trust the intentions of their chosen providers,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Those who instead take advantage of the system for their own personal gain will be held accountable.”
The government’s investigation began when a former Creative Hospice employee responsible for marketing Creative Hospice’s services to health care providers filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that Creative Hospice paid kickbacks to medical directors to induce them to refer patients to Creative Hospice. These alleged kickbacks included monthly stipends and a signing bonus paid to the medical directors. The compensation allegedly increased when the medical director referred more patients and decreased when the medical director failed to make referrals. Two additional whistleblower complaints were subsequently filed involving similar allegations.
The Government alleges that these arrangements violated the Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b), and caused the submission of false claims in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C. § 3729, et seq.
This settlement resolves three lawsuits brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia: United States of America, ex rel. John Doe, et al. v. Homestead Hospice, et al., No. 1:15-cv-00840-TWT; United States of America and State of Georgia, ex rel. Cletus William Cole v. Homestead Hospice Management, LLC, et al., No. 1:22-cv-04242-MLB; and United States of America, ex rel. Renee Luchtman, et al. v. Homestead Hospice Management, LLC, et al., No. 1:21-cv-04952-TWT.
Under the FCA, whistleblowers, also known as “relators,” may bring suit for false claims on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery obtained by the government. The relators who filed the three lawsuits against the Creative Hospice entities have received over $1.5 million from the settlement.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Medicaid Fraud Division of the Georgia Attorney General’s Office.
The investigation and resolution of this matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeli Ben-David and Georgia Senior Assistant Attorney General Sara Vann. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Akash Desai also worked on the investigation.
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.
Leader in scheme to monopolize transmigrantes market imprisoned for 11 yearsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 39-year-old Mission man has been sentenced for his role in a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency (TFA) industry in the Los Indios border region, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Carlos Martinez, who pleaded guilty Feb. 6, and his co-conspirators controlled the transmigrate industry through monopolization and extortion of competitors.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Martinez to serve 132 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. He must also pay a $2 million fine.
Martinez and others used fear to control pricing, eliminate competition and keep the transmigrante industry profitable through “pool” allocations and piso payments.
Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. Only a few U.S. border crossings, including the Los Indios Bridge, allow transmigrantes to enter Mexico.
Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that help clients complete customs paperwork to export vehicles into Mexico. Martinez and his co-conspirators fixed prices for forwarding services and created a centralized entity, known as the “pool,” to collect and divide revenue among conspirators. They used the pool to eliminate competition and raise prices.
“Price fixing is not a victimless crime; it harms customers in the form of artificially high prices. Consumers need to have faith that the prices they pay are fairly determined by the market, rather than the product of illegal collusion,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “The 11-year sentence Mr. Martinez received reflects the size and scope of his criminal operation, as well as his leadership role in organizing and facilitating the unlawful scheme.”
“The defendants extorted victims trying to make an honest living in the freight forwarding business, and by fixing prices illegally drove up the cost of moving goods,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The lead defendant’s sentence of 11 years in prison reflects the harm caused to the business community along the Southern border. The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division will continue to work to ensure that competition is fairly preserved.”
“Today’s sentence reflects the significant danger and harm the American people face from violent and extortive actions aimed at fixing prices and monopolizing the market for essential services in the Texas border region,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to aggressively pursue violent criminals who aim to corrupt America’s free markets and advocate for their incarceration.”
“This case underscores the serious threat posed by transnational criminal networks operating at our borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio. “Carlos Martinez and his co-conspirators orchestrated a violent scheme that extorted small businesses, fixed prices, and laundered millions of dollars — all while threatening the safety and integrity of lawful commerce. HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit legitimate industries through corruption and intimidation, and we remain steadfast in our mission to protect our communities and our economy.”
“The FBI will remain laser focused on transnational criminal organizations, including organizations that use violence, threats or extortion to fix prices and eliminate competition,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “The American people deserve access to fair markets, free from threats of violence or the corrosive impact of illegal market interference, manipulation, or collusion. Together with our partners, we are committed to protecting our borders and dismantling every component of transnational criminal organizations.”
Martinez, the son-in-law of a former Gulf Cartel leader in Mexico, ran a violent criminal syndicate operating at the U.S.-Mexico border. He seized control of the Los Indios bridge near Harlingen and Brownsville and hired workers to monitor transmigrante forwarding agencies and calculate the piso each owned.
Workers collected piso payments in cash and submitted them to Martinez’s organization. He enforced compliance by ordering disciplinary action against agencies that operated without permission, violated pool rules, failed to charge fixed prices or refused to make extortionate payments.
Forwarders not involved in the conspiracy were forced to join and pay into the pool. Martinez and other pool members monitored whether agencies followed pricing rules and made required payments. Martinez and his co-conspirators also demanded additional extortion fees, including a piso for each processed transaction and a fine for operating outside the pool. They used threats, intimidation and violence to enforce compliance and further their antitrust and extortion conspiracies.
Clients who didn’t comply faced consequences ranging from being denied access to the Los Indios Bridge to having their cars stolen. In more severe cases, they were kidnapped, beaten, firebombed, shot or killed.
Martinez personally collected at least $9.5 million in extortion payments. He and his family laundered the money through bank accounts they controlled, disguising the deposits to hide the true source, nature and ownership of the illicit funds.
To date, seven others have been convicted, three of whom have already been sentenced in the case.
ICE-HSI and FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section; Senior Litigation Attorney John Davis and Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure, Anne Veldhuis and Michael G. Lepage, all of the of the Antitrust Division.
Lake County Man Facing up to 135 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the arrest of Fernando Munguia, Jr. (23, Leesburg) on an indictment charging him with nine counts of knowingly making a materially false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm and nine counts of causing a federal firearm licensee (FFL) to maintain false information in its official records. Each materially false statement charge is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison; each false information count is punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment. In total, Munguia faces a maximum penalty of up to 135 years in federal prison.
According to court records, between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, Munguia illegally straw-purchased multiple firearms in the Middle District of Florida for other individuals. Nine of these firearms—along with other guns—subsequently were intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on May 27, 2023, as another individual attempted to transport them from Eagle Pass, Texas, across the United States’ border into Mexico. Authorities intercepted Munguia’s nine firearms less than a month after he purchased them.
USA v. Munguia - Case 5:24-cr-00082-TPB-PRL Document 1The firearms and ammunition seized at the U.S. border on May 27, 2023.
A record check by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) showed that between January 2023 and November 2023, Munguia had purchased 44 firearms for a total of $23,334.25—an amount representing approximately two-thirds of his reported annual income.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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).
Justice Department and FTC to Host Listening Sessions on Lowering Americans’ Drug Prices Through CompetitionRead the Press Release
As part of implementing President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14273, Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission, along with the Department of Commerce and the Department of Health and Human Services, will jointly host listening sessions to discuss ways to make prescription drugs more affordable for Americans by promoting competition. The three listening sessions will occur under the direction of Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater and FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson.
The listening sessions will focus on improving the affordability of pharmaceuticals by increasing generic and biosimilar availability and promoting competition through drug formularies and benefits. The sessions, which will feature remarks by practitioners and scholars, will cover anticompetitive practices as well as eliminating regulatory barriers and rent seeking. The listening sessions will inform the FTC and DOJ’s joint report on combatting anticompetitive practices in pharmaceutical markets, as mandated by President Trump’s Executive Order.
The dates for the sessions are as follows:
Monday, June 30 at 2 p.m. ET – Anticompetitive Conduct by Pharmaceutical Companies Impeding Generic or Biosimilar Competition
Thursday, July 24 at 2 p.m. ET – Formulary and Benefit Practices and Regulatory Abuse Impacting Drug Competition
Monday, August 4 at 2 p.m. ET – Turning Insights into Action to Reduce Drug Prices
The listening sessions will be streamed on the FTC and DOJ websites, with videos and transcripts posted after the events. Additional information will be posted to the event page prior to each session.
Jury Convicts Felon with Gun Who Ran from PoliceRead the Press Release
A felon who possessed a firearm was convicted by a jury today after a three‑day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Marcus Dejohn Wallace, age 29, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about three hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that on September 5, 2024, Wallace led officers on a high-speed car chase through Cedar Rapids before pulling over in a residential neighborhood and running from officers. He was apprehended by a police K-9 and taken into custody. Law enforcement found a loaded firearm within throwing distance of where Wallace was apprehended. The firearm was missing a magazine. That missing magazine was later located in the path where Wallace had run. Wallace has a prior federal conviction for distribution of heroin resulting in serious bodily injury.
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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Wallace remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Wallace faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devra Hake, Shawn Wehde, and Dan Tvedt, and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-90.
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Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years for Illegally Selling Firearms to A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – Senior U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Ty’shon Damon’n Ramos (26, Jacksonville) to three years and one month in federal prison for selling two firearms to a convicted felon. Ramos pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025.
According to court documents, Ramos came to law enforcement’s attention because he was with the original purchaser of multiple firearms that officers later recovered from individuals who were prohibited from possessing firearms, either because they were convicted felons or adjudicated delinquents. Subsequently, Ramos agreed to sell a confidential informant a firearm that contained a machinegun conversion device, despite the informant’s status as a convicted felon. Ultimately, Ramos sold the informant a rifle and a pistol in exchange for $1,500. Although the rifle did not have a machine conversion device as promised by Ramos, it did have a large-capacity magazine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.
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.
Jackson Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Jackson man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Felix Peire Brown, 38, was found by United States Probation Officers to be in possession of a firearm while staying in a hotel in Jackson. Brown has prior felony convictions, including a prior federal felony conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was on supervised release for that prior federal felony conviction at the time of this illegal firearms possession. As a convicted felon he is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 11, 2023. He pled guilty on September 26, 2024.
In addition to five years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Brown was also sentenced to an additional 10 months in prison for having violated the terms of his supervised release from his previous federal felony conviction.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement.
The ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS– A Jackson, MS man pleaded guilty on June 4, 2025, to possession of a machinegun.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, Atrell Galloway, Jr., 21, pleaded guilty after being indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a machinegun. On June 9, 2024, Officers with the Capitol Police Department performed a traffic stop on a vehicle on Lynch Street in Jackson after observing a traffic violation. After approaching the vehicle and seeing narcotics in plain view, a probable cause search of the vehicle was performed. During the search, Officers discovered a Glock Model 45 handgun with an attached machinegun conversion device or “switch.” Capitol Police seized the firearm and then referred the matter to the ATF for further investigation. After obtaining a search warrant, the ATF discovered photographs of the weapon on Galloway’s cell phone with the serial number displayed. Text messages were also discovered on the Defendant’s phone concerning the compatibility of “switches” with certain Glock handguns. During the change of plea hearing, Galloway admitted to purchasing ten machinegun conversion devices online and installing the conversion device on the recovered handgun himself.
Galloway is scheduled to be sentenced on September 4, 2025. Galloway faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson made the announcement.
The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Capitol Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Goff is prosecuting the case.
Illegal alien felon sentenced to 57 months in federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States after three previous removals, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose Manuel Cruz-Diaz, who had illegally resided in Houston, pleaded guilty March 28.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Cruz-Diaz to serve 57 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Cruz-Diaz had been removed four times previously and was a drug dealer.
He has three prior felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as evading arrest with a motor vehicle. He was also convicted of delivery of black tar heroine and methamphetamines and sentenced to 10 years in state prison. He was first removed from the United States in 2011 and most recently in 2016. However, authorities discovered him in Houston in January 2020 upon his arrest for distribution of controlled substances.
Cruz-Diaz has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and the Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Illegal alien drug dealer sentenced for unlawfully returning to the country for fifth timeRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 36-year-old citizen of Mexico with a felony record has been sentenced for illegal reentry into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose De Jesus Soto-Gonzalez pleaded guilty March 5.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Soto-Gonzalez to serve 21 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence.
In handing down the sentence, the court noted Soto-Gonzalez had a felony conviction for possession with intent to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana and served approximately four years in prison before his removal in 2022. He illegally returned and was removed again in 2023. Authorities had also previously removed him in 2008 and 2014.
On Dec. 20, 2024, authorities encountered Soto-Gonzalez at the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias. They discovered he was a citizen of Mexico without any permission to be back in the United States. The investigation revealed he had illegally reentered the country in July 2024 near Laredo after his 2023 removal.
Soto-Gonzalez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.