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10 June 2025
Slidell Man Guilty of Possessing Files Depicting Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that BROCK TAYLOR GUILLOT (“GUILLOT”), age 27, from Slidell, Louisiana, pled guilty June 5, 2025, before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe, to possession of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children under the age of twelve years old, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2252(a)(4)(B).
According to the court documents, in or around January 2020, Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) investigated the sharing of files depicting the sexual exploitation of children (i.e., Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)) via an instant messaging mobile application. During the investigation, an individual, subsequently determined to be GUILLOT, transmitted a series of files depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children via the mobile application. Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at GUILLOT’s residence in February 2021 and seized several electronic items that belonged to GUILLOT. A review of the GUILLOT’s cellular phone identified at least 1 image and 518 videos depicting the sexual victimization of children. Some of the child victims were less than approximately three (3) years old at the time the CSAM was created. GUILLOT possessed his collection of images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of children on his cellular phone, and in multiple accounts GUILLOT maintained on a social media instant messaging mobile application.
GUILLOT faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years. GUILLOT also faces at least five (5) years, and up to a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. GUILLOT may also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Ashe has been scheduled for September 25, 2025.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Sixth Person Convicted in Connection with Fatal Kidnapping in Wilmington, DelawareRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – Dylan J. Steinberg, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that, on June 5, 2025, a federal jury convicted a Philadelphia man for participating in the kidnapping and murder of a Wilmington resident in July 2021.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dwayne Alexander, 41, was a high-ranking member of the Shotgun Crips street gang. In the summer of 2021, a lower-ranking Shotgun Crip named Kimon Burton-Roberson became embroiled in a dispute with a Wilmington man. A group of Shotgun Crips then invaded the man’s home, beat him with multiple blunt objects, bound his hands behind his back with zip ties, and drove him to Alexander’s home in Philadelphia. After picking up Alexander, the gang then drove the victim to an industrial park in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, where they executed the victim by shooting him in the head. Alexander supplied the murder weapon and approved the killing.
Alexander is the sixth person convicted in connection with the fatal kidnapping. Other persons convicted federally include:
- Kimon Burton-Roberson – pending sentencing
- Stephanie Bultes-Ramirez – pending sentencing
- Rodney Chambers – pending sentencing
- Jamil Salahuddin – pending sentencing
A sixth person, Josiah Rivera, who was a minor at the time of the crime, has been convicted in the Superior Court for the State of Delaware.
Acting U.S. Attorney Steinberg stated, “This conviction marks yet another step forward on the path toward securing full justice for the victim of a brutal and senseless crime. We thank our law enforcement partners for their tireless work on the case. Together, we have sent a message that we hope reaches every corner of Delaware: violent gang activity in this State will be detected, investigated vigorously, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
"We appreciate the continued commitment of the U.S. Attorney's Office to hold each party responsible for their role in this kidnapping and murder," said Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos. "It is our hope that this latest conviction will continue to offer some degree of comfort to the family of the victim, that the law enforcement community will leave no stone unturned in delivering justice in this case."
“Dwayne Alexander committed a horrific and ruthless murder with his fellow gang members. This guilty verdict is the result of years of painstaking investigation and constant collaboration between our dedicated law enforcement partners and the FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Together we will relentlessly pursue justice and ensure that dangerous criminals who target our communities are held accountable.”
The FBI, the Wilmington Police Department, the Yeadon Borough Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Delaware Probation and Parole investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle L. Morgan and Benjamin L. Wallace are prosecuting the case.
Seminole Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Byron Keith Spencer, age 53, of Seminole, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to a one-count Felony Information of Possession of Stolen Firearm, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Felony Information alleged that on May 9, 2023, Spencer knowingly possessed one handgun which he knew or had reasonable cause to believe was stolen.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Wewoka Police Department, the District 22 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Spencer will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly, Joshua Satter, Edith Singer, and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Second Arrest Made Following Montgomery Dry Cleaner Business RobberyRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the arrest of a second man in connection with the March 10, 2025, robbery of a Montgomery, Alabama dry-cleaning business. On May 22, 2025, a criminal complaint was filed in the United States District Court in Montgomery charging 57-year-old Spencer Thomas, a resident of Prattville, Alabama, with armed robbery and carjacking. Law enforcement arrested Thomas on May 27, 2025, after locating him in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thomas’s charging documents were unsealed late last week.
Thomas is the second individual charged in the case. Previously, 58-year-old Zedekiah Sykes was also indicted on charges of armed robbery and carjacking.
The arrests follow a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Montgomery Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Unit, with assistance from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Thomas is scheduled to be arraigned in Montgomery on June 17, 2025. Zedekiah Sykes’ trial is currently set for August 11, 2025.
A criminal complaint and indictment are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted on all charges, Thomas and Sykes each face up to 25 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys T. Paul Markovits and Brandon W. Bates.
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).
Salvadoran National Arrested for Allegedly Selling Firearms Without a LicenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national unlawfully residing in Chelsea was charged with allegedly making multiple illegal firearms sales.
Melbi Ovidio Ortez, 40, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Ortez was arrested this morning. Following an initial appearance this afternoon, he was ordered detained pending probable cause and detention hearings scheduled for July 18, 2025.
According to charging documents, Ortez was identified as an 18th Street Gang associate who supplied firearms and controlled substances to gang members. On four different occasions between April 3, 2025 and May 2, 2025, Ortez allegedly sold firearms and ammunition behind his Chelsea residence. It is alleged that Ortez sold a Glock 9mm caliber pistol; a Sturm and Ruger .22 caliber revolver; a Glock .40 caliber pistol; a Colt .380 caliber pistol; magazines; and over one hundred rounds of ammunition. It is further alleged that the serial numbers on both the Glock 9mm pistol and the Colt .380 pistol had been defaced, and that the Glock 9mm pistol had been purchased only 20 days earlier from a licensed firearms dealer in New Hampshire. Ortez also allegedly sold suspected cocaine on two times during that same period.
The charge of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five 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; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Boston Division; and Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Falmouth, Lynn, Medford, Nantucket and Revere Police Departments; Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Fraud Detection and National Security Unit; Massachusetts Department of Correction; and the Suffolk County and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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.
Pittsburg County Resident Sentenced for Felony AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Larry Keith Mickle, age 50, of Bache, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office.
On May 28, 2025, Mickle pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 18, 2024, Mickle fired a .22 caliber round at the victim. The victim fought off the attack and sustained a laceration to the top of the skull. The crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Mickle will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Pennsylvania Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
An accountant and adjunct business instructor who laundered over $800,000 of the proceeds of a multi-state business email compromise scheme was sentenced today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Margo Ann Williams, age 63, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, received the prison term after a September 12, 2024, jury verdict finding her guilty of one count of bank fraud, three counts of money laundering, three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
The evidence at trial showed that, between December 2022 and July 2023, five victims—a Cedar Rapids church, two businesses, a non-profit, and an individual—had their electronic payments misdirected due to hacked email accounts. The email accounts were hacked while the victims were in the process of making large wire and automatic clearinghouse (“ACH”) transactions to others. The victims received “spoofed” emails that falsely appeared to come from legitimate and trusted sources. The fraudulent emails contained instructions to change the routing information for the wire and ACH transactions. Unbeknownst to the victims, those accounts listed in the new instructions belonged to Williams. After receiving “spoofed” emails, the victims instructed their banks to wire the funds according to the new payment instructions. Williams received the funds into bank accounts she controlled, and then she rapidly transferred the stolen money to other bank accounts that she controlled. Williams eventually transferred stolen funds to two national cryptocurrency exchanges and an individual in Florida.
For example, in June 2023, a Cedar Rapids church was engaged in a $7 million renovation of its campus. The hackers compromised the email account of the project’s architect and caused the church to receive “spoofed” emails in which the email domain of the project’s general contractor was slightly changed. As a result, the church representatives thought they were engaged in email correspondence with the project’s general contractor when, in truth, unknown individuals were impersonating the general contractor’s employees. As a result, the church unwittingly wired over $466,000 to Williams’s shell corporation, “MBCI & Evercorp, LLC.” Other victims in the business email compromise scheme included a hotel manager in Colorado, a large non-profit in Washington state, a self-employed homebuilder in Montana, and a general commercial contractor in Pennsylvania.
During the scheme, Williams repeatedly opened bank accounts at major national banks, including one in the name of her shell corporation. As the banks discovered the fraud and closed the accounts, Williams continued to open new accounts at other banks in an effort to continue to perpetrate the fraud. Williams claimed at trial that she was doing so at the direction of a famous British actor with whom she had formed a romantic relationship. Williams earned approximately $25,000 from the scheme. Williams made many personal purchases with the stolen money, including an Apple Watch and a Louis Vuitton handbag.
Williams was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Williams was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $594,037.41 in restitution to her victims. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy L. Vavricek and Kyndra A. Lundquist and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Williams was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-64.
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Pakistani National Extradited to Face Charges in Connection with Plot to Carry Out ISIS-Inspired Mass Shooting at Jewish Center in New York CityRead the Press Release
A Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was extradited to the United States on June 10, in connection with an indictment filed in the Southern District of New York. Khan was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO), the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. Khan is scheduled to make an initial appearance in court on June 11.
“The foreign terrorist organization ISIS remains a clear and present danger to the American people, and our Jewish citizens are especially targeted by evil groups like these,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice is proud to help secure this extradition, and we will prosecute this man to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Khan allegedly tried to enter the United States to commit an attack on the Jewish community in New York City, planning an ISIS-inspired mass shooting around the one-year anniversary of the attack on Gaza by Hamas,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Thankfully, the great work of the FBI and our partners shut that down, and Khan has now been extradited to New York to face American justice. I want to thank our teams and partners for their diligent work in this case and executing the mission.”
“As alleged, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan attempted to enter the United States to carry out a deadly terrorist attack on a Jewish center in New York City,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “He planned to use automatic weapons to kill as many members of our Jewish community as possible, all in support of ISIS. Khan’s deadly, antisemitic plan was thwarted by the diligent work of our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors in this Office who are committed to rooting out antisemitism and stopping terror. Thanks to their efforts, Khan will now face justice in New York.”
Khan was provisionally arrested in Canada on Sept. 4, 2024 based on a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York. As alleged in the complaint, Khan, who resided in Canada, attempted to travel from Canada to New York City, where he intended to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons to carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. Khan began posting on social media and communicating with others on an encrypted messaging application about his support for ISIS in or about November 2023, when, among other things, Khan distributed ISIS propaganda videos and literature. Subsequently, Khan began communicating with two undercover law enforcement officers (collectively, the UCs).
During those conversations, Khan confirmed that he and a U.S.-based ISIS supporter (Associate-1) had been planning to carry out an attack in a particular U.S. city (City-1). Among other things, Khan said that he had been actively attempting to create “a real offline cell” of ISIS supporters to carry out a “coordinated assault” in City-1 using AR-style rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].” During subsequent conversations, Khan repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified the specific locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place. Khan also provided details about how he would cross the border from Canada into the United States to conduct the attacks. During these conversations with the UCs, Khan emphasized that “Oct 7th and oct 11th are the best days for targeting the jews” because “oct 7 they will surely have some protests and oct 11 is yom.kippur.”
On or about Aug. 20, Khan changed his target location from City-1 to New York City. After initially suggesting certain neighborhoods in New York City to the UCs, Khan decided to target Location-1, a Jewish center located in Brooklyn, New York. Khan told the UCs that he planned to carry out this attack on or around Oct. 7, 2024 — which Khan recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal terrorist attacks in Israel by Hamas, a designated FTO, which, on Oct. 7, 2023, launched a wave of violent, large-scale terrorist attacks in Israel. In support of his choice of New York City as his target location, Khan boasted that “New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population In america” and therefore, “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.” Khan proclaimed that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and sent a photograph of the specific area inside of Location-1 where he planned to carry out the attack.
Thereafter, Khan continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, ammunition, and other equipment for his attack, including “some good hunting [knives] so we can slit their throats.” Khan repeatedly reiterated his desire to carry out the attack in support of ISIS, and discussed planning for the attack, including by identifying rental properties close to Location-1 and paying for a human smuggler to help him reach and cross the border from Canada into the United States. During one communication, Khan noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.”
On or about Sept. 4, as Khan said he planned to do in connection with his attack, Khan attempted to reach the U.S-Canada border. To do so, Khan used three separate cars to travel across Canada towards the United States, before he was stopped by Canadian authorities in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.
Khan is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles Field Offices are investigating the case. The Justice Department is grateful to Canadian law enforcement for their actions in this matter. The Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division accomplished the extradition of Khan from Canada.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Kevin C. Nunnally of the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint or an indictment merely contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ormond Beach Man Indicted for Making Online Threats Against the PresidentRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Sheldon James Biddle (25, Ormond Beach) with threatening to kill the President of the United States. If convicted, Biddle faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on April 2, 2025, Biddle made a threat to take the life of the President of the United States in a series of postings from an online account belonging to him. Specifically, Biddle indicated that the President was going to get assassinated for engaging in treason, a true threat of violence.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by United States Secret Service, the Ormond Beach Police Department, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lasry.
Oklahoma City Resident Sentenced for Making A False Statement During the Acquisition of A FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tamarion Dejhun Adamson, age 31, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On November 18, 2024, Adamson pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 22, 2024, Adamson attempted to purchase a firearm from Sulphur Pawn in Sulphur, Oklahoma. During that visit, Adamson intentionally made a false written statement on the ATF Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 asserting he was not currently charged with a felony information or indictment. In reality, Adamson faced pending felonies in Oklahoma County at the time of the visit.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Adamson 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 Gregory Dean Burris represented the United States.
Okemah Resident Sentenced for Two Counts of Felony AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Victor Wayne Andrew Artussee, age 33, of Okemah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and 41 months for one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Harm in Indian Country. The terms are set to be served concurrently.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Okemah Police Department, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Tribal Lighthorse Police Department.
On January 8, 2025, Artussee pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on May 11, 2024, Artussee kicked in the front door of an Okemah residence and assaulted the occupant with a baseball bat. The victim sustained multiple injuries, including multiple bone fractures and blunt force trauma to the skull. The crimes occurred in Okfuskee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Artussee 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 Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.
Nigerian Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Money Laundering Conspiracy, Wire Fraud Related to the Sexual Extortion and Death of a Local Young ManRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Samuel Olasunkanmi Abiodun, 25, of Nigeria, was sentenced today to five years in prison by United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky for money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud related to the sexual extortion and death of a young man in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Abiodun pleaded guilty to those offenses in December.
He and co-defendant Imoleayo Samuel Aina, aka “Alice Dave,” 27, were arrested on a complaint and warrant in Nigeria, taken into custody by the FBI on July 31, 2024, and extradited to the United States to face charges in this case. They and another Nigerian co-defendant, Afeez Olatunji Adewale, 25, were then charged by indictment in August 2024.
Aina pleaded guilty last month to cyberstalking, interstate threat to injure reputation, receiving proceeds of extortion, money laundering conspiracy, and wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 11 and faces a statutory maximum of lifetime imprisonment.
Adewale has been charged with money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud. He remains in Nigeria, pending extradition to the U.S.
“As the financial middleman, Abiodun played a key role in this sextortion scheme, which thoroughly traumatized the victim and then devastated his family,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “These scammers’ sole aim is to get money from scared and vulnerable young people, with absolutely no regard for their feelings or the potential fallout. In prosecuting this case, we are bringing to justice the men whose actions resulted in truly indelible harm. We also want to send a message to others like them that the Department of Justice’s reach is long, and if they keep extorting innocent Americans, they could find themselves in an American prison.”
“This sentencing delivers a powerful message: those who exploit others through sextortion will be held accountable, no matter where they try to hide,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “The FBI, alongside our domestic and international law enforcement partners, is unwavering in our commitment to safeguard our communities — especially our youth — from predatory criminals.”
“The capabilities of local police departments to expand an investigation beyond the borders of the U.S. is extremely limited. We must rely on the expertise of the FBI and other federal law enforcement partners, which is exactly what occurred in this case,” said Chief Patrick Molloy of the Abington Township Police Department. “We are grateful for the federal agents and prosecutors who worked so hard to bring those responsible for this heinous crime to justice. It should send a clear message to those who choose to prey upon the most vulnerable in our community that we will proactively pursue justice beyond our borders, especially when aggravating circumstances exist. This could have been anyone’s child, and while this arrest and prosecution may provide some measure of relief, the pain and suffering for this family will never go away.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Abington Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Brown.
Aina and Abiodun were extradited to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Abuja, and the FBI. The support and assistance of Nigerian security authorities was essential to this effort, notably that of Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Justice’s International Criminal Justice Cooperation Department, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Attempted Transmission of Obscene Matter to a MinorRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that MARK BROOKS (a/k/a “Baby Nu”) (“BROOKS”) age 35, a resident of New Orleans, was indicted on June 5, 2025 for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2422(b) (Count 1), and attempted transmission of obscene matter to a minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 1470 (Count 2).
According to the indictment, beginning on or about May 1, 2025, and continuing until on or about May 13, 2025, BROOKS attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual he believed to be a fifteen-year-old female to engage in unspecified sexual activity for which a person can be criminally charged. Additionally, beginning on May 1, 2025, and continuing until on or about May 4, 2025, BROOKS attempted to transfer, by means of interstate commerce, obscene matter to an individual who had not attained the age of sixteen years.
BROOKS faces a mandatory minimum of ten (10) years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison as to Count One. He faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years as to Count Two. BROOKS also faces a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and can be required to register as a sex offender. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count.
Acting U. S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Muskogee County Resident Pleads Guilty to Stealing Firearms from A Federally Licensed DealerRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jorden James Thierry, age 21, of Boynton, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Stealing a Firearm from a Federal Licensed Dealer, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on April 17, 2025, Thierry knowingly stole two semi-automatic pistols from Checotah Gun and Pawn, a federal firearms licensed dealer.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Checotah Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Thierry will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Morrison Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Richard Nieto, age 39, of Morrison, Colorado, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $962,438.85 in restitution for engaging in wire fraud and money laundering in connection with obtaining two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the plea agreement, the defendant submitted three fraudulent PPP loan applications to a lender seeking $1,117,903.56 and was successful in obtaining two PPP loans totaling $913,551.88.
In the first successful application for $175,384.83, the defendant inflated the number of employees and average monthly payroll for his business, Denver Pro Painting & Contracting, that had operated before the pandemic and fabricated Forms 941 that did not match the tax returns filed with the IRS. He then submitted a second successful PPP application for $738,167.05 to the same lender for another business, DenPro, that had no payroll or employees and was not operating at all. In this second application, the defendant made up $1,771,601.04 in annual payroll while fabricating fourth quarter tax returns to support the lies on the application.
Before making a single payment on either loan, the defendant submitted fraudulent applications for loan forgiveness. In support of the forgiveness applications, the defendant created a total of 87 fake payroll checks and paystubs that falsely indicated that each check related to a specific pay period and employee and that the defendant’s companies had withheld taxes so that they would qualify for loan forgiveness. One of the defendant’s PPP loans was fully forgiven.
Despite telling the lender that he would use the PPP loan money on business expenses, the defendant transferred PPP loan money through multiple intermediate accounts before using it on personal expenditures and investments. Among other transactions, the defendant used loan money to pay a home mortgage, purchase bitcoin, contribute to an investment account, buy gold and silver coins, and invest in a friend’s startup business.
“This is another case of someone using for personal gain a program meant to help people suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting United States Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “I want the public to know that we are aggressively prosecuting people who stole from this relief program.”
“Mr. Nieto went to great lengths to abuse a program meant for hardworking small business owners, seeking only to enrich himself.” said Amanda Prestegard, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI Denver Field Office. “We are proud to partner with the U.S Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue those who defrauded this and other CARES Act programs and hold criminals like Mr. Nieto accountable.”
United States District Judge William J. Martinez presided over the sentencing.
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Craig Fansler and Martha Paluch handled the prosecution of the case.
Case Number: 22-cr-00262-WJM
Mexican Man and Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Being Found in the United States IllegallyRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who was illegally in the United States pled guilty June 9, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Gerardo Morales-Ramirez, a citizen of Mexico, was convicted of being a felon found in the United States after illegal reentry.
On February 28, 2025, Morales-Ramirez was arrested in Sioux City, Iowa, after an encounter with officers from the Department of Homeland Security. Officers were able to determine Morales-Ramirez is a citizen of Mexico, that he did not have permission to lawfully be present in the United States, and that he was previously removed from the United States on three occasions. Prior to his last removal in 2021, Morales-Ramirez had been convicted of felony operating while intoxicated – third or subsequent offense.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Morales-Ramirez remains in custody of the United States Marshals and will remain in custody pending sentencing. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
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).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-4014. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Being an Aggravated Felon Found in the United States IllegallyRead the Press Release
A Mexican man who was illegally in the United States pled guilty June 9, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa. Jose De Jesus Mejia-Fraijo, a citizen of Mexico, was convicted of being an aggravated felon found in the United States after illegal reentry.
On March 1, 2025, officers from the Iowa State Patrol encountered Mejia-Fraijo in Sioux City, Iowa, when they arrested him for driving without a valid driver’s license and interference with official acts after a brief attempt to flee from officers on foot. Officers with the Department of Homeland Security were able to determine Mejia-Fraijo is a citizen of Mexico, that he did not have permission to lawfully be present in the United States, and that he was previously removed from the United States on two occasions. Prior to his last removal in 2022, Mejia-Fraijo had been convicted of an aggravated felony offense, namely conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Mejia-Fraijo remains in custody of the United States Marshals and will remain in custody pending sentencing. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
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).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-4015. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Manhattan Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Mailing a Letter Containing a Threat to Kill Two JudgesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher McCarty, age 33, of Manhattan, New York, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for mailing a letter that contained a threat to kill two New York State judges.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, McCarty admitted that between May and June 2023, he was incarcerated at the Auburn Correctional Facility in Auburn, New York. McCarty further admitted that on or about May 31, 2023, he mailed a letter to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul. In the letter, McCarty wrote that when he was released from prison, he was going to kill two New York State judges who had presided over his case leading to his incarceration at Auburn Correctional Facility.
U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “When someone threatens a judge, they threaten our system of justice. Those who threaten judges for doing their jobs are going to be prosecuted and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “The FBI will not tolerate threats of violence to any member of our community, but especially those who work hard to safeguard our democratic process. No judge should have to fear their rulings might provoke such a violent response. Mr. McCarty’s actions were dangerous and unacceptable, and today’s sentence ensures he will remain behind bars.”
FBI Albany’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYSDOCCS) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced in the Death and Injury of Two-Month-Old TwinsRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Michael David Gregory from Commerce, Oklahoma was sentenced today for the death of a two-month-old child who died from severe head and eye injuries that a child abuse pediatrician diagnosed as abusive head trauma. Additionally, Gregory was also sentenced for assault related to brain injuries he caused to another two-month-old child, the twin sister of the first infant, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Gregory, 30, to a total of 240 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Hill further ordered Gregory to pay a $200 special monetary assessment.
According to a charging document, Gregory pleaded guilty to one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. According to his plea agreement, Gregory was caring for the twin two-month-old infants at an apartment he shared with his girlfriend in Commerce, Oklahoma. While Gregory’s girlfriend was at work, Gregory forcefully picked up and handled the newborn infants. Gregory admitted that his actions caused traumatic and severe brain and eye injuries in both infants, resulting in the death of one child identified as A.M.R.
Michael David Gregory is not a member of a federally recognized tribe. However, the apartment in which Gregory cared for the twins is located on the Quapaw Nation reservation, and both infants are considered “Indian persons” because they are eligible for membership in the Choctaw Nation.
Michael David Gregory was previously released on bond in this case. Judge Hill ordered him to report to a United States Bureau of Prisons facility on July 22, 2025.
The Commerce Police Department and the Quapaw Nation Marshal Service in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melody Nelson prosecuted the case.
Lowell Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy with Asian Boyz GangRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty yesterday to distributing thousands of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine, including to a member of the Asian Boyz gang.
Scott Fournier, a/k/a “S.G.,” 34, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; two counts of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine; and three counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Oct. 8, 2025.
According to court documents, a long-term investigation identified that Asian Boyz gang members and associates had access to a plentiful supply of dangerous, homemade pills pressed with varying doses of methamphetamine and caffeine and designed to resemble pharmaceutical-grade Adderall.
Between March 2, 2023 and May 12, 2023, Fournier supplied an Asian Boyz gang member with more than 2,000 methamphetamine pills to be used in street deals. Fournier’s fingerprints were identified on one of the bags containing the pills.
The investigation subsequently traced Fournier’s supply operation to a storage unit in Tyngsborough. Security video recordings from the facility showed Fournier routinely accessing the storage unit, including at the times in which he delivered methamphetamine pills to the Asian Boyz gang member. During a search of the storage unit in October 2023, 13,464 counterfeit “Adderall” pills containing methamphetamine were found – with a combined weight of over four kilograms – as well as other types of pills. Upon being approached by law enforcement, following the search of his storage unit, Fournier was found in possession of a bag that contained an additional 1,684 counterfeit “Adderall” pills made with methamphetamine.
Additionally, over the course of five separate occasions between April 2024 and October 2024, Fournier sold approximately 8,000 counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine – with a combined weight of over two kilograms – in recorded deals to a cooperating witness.
The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine each provide for a sentence of at least five year and up to life in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. 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; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Superintendent Gregory C. Hudon of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Little Eagle Man Sentenced to Nearly 3 Years in Federal Prison for Stabbing a Woman in the Standing Rock ReservationRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on June 9, 2025.
Grady Laine Uses Arrow, age 34, was sentenced to two years and 11 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Uses Arrow was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025. He pleaded guilty on February 13, 2025.
On August 2, 2024, at a residence in Little Eagle, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, Uses Arrow’s former girlfriend pushed his mother to the floor. Enraged, Uses Arrow stabbed his former girlfriend in the head with a knife. When she fled outdoors, Uses Arrow gave chase and stabbed her again as several onlookers attempted to disarm him. Uses Arrow only desisted when he saw a law enforcement officer approaching. The victim incurred two lacerations to her head requiring stitches in the assault.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Uses Arrow was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
LeFlore County Resident Sentenced for Failure 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 Brian Jene Sullivan, age 66, of Shady Point, Oklahoma, was sentenced to three years’ probation for one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winston Police Department of Douglas County, Oregon.
On January 13, 2024, Sullivan pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, Sullivan was convicted of Rape in the Third Degree and Sodomy in the Third Degree in the State of Oregon in 2007, and was required to register as a sex offender, but failed to register and update his registration between July 2023 and July 21, 2024, while entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan A. Muzljakovich and Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering and Cocaine ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today to his involvement in money laundering and cocaine conspiracies.
Victor Berroa Mercedes, 32, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy; conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine; and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Sept. 23, 2025.
In January 2024, in Lowell, Berroa Mercedes delivered approximately $70,000 in drug trafficking proceeds for money laundering concealed in a shopping bag to undercover law enforcement. During the exchange, Berroa Mercedes called a co-conspirator to confirm the amount of drug trafficking proceeds he was delivering for money laundering was indeed $70,000.
A few months later, in May 2024, Berroa Mercedes met with a cooperating source in Woburn to obtain 32 kilograms of cocaine. When law enforcement attempted to arrest Berroa Mercedes during the exchange, he fled and dropped a plastic bag containing $32,800 in cash. He was immediately apprehended.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Waltham, Bedford, Middleborough, Framingham, Lowell, Braintree, Haverhill and Wilmington Police Departments and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Ferguson, J. Mackenzie Duane and John Mulcahy of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Kennebunkport Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Kennebunkport man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing child pornography.
According to court records, in November 2024, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at the residence of Kevin Rockwell, 41, in Kennebunkport. In executing the warrant, agents recovered a tablet located on a nightstand; a review of the tablet uncovered numerous image and video files of child sexual abuse material, including prepubescent children. In an interview, Rockwell admitted owning the tablet and acknowledged the presence of the files on it. Rockwell has a prior federal conviction for transporting child pornography, for which he was sentenced to 8 ½ years in federal prison.
Rockwell faces a mandatory term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years with a maximum of 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory supervised release period of at least 5 years up to lifetime supervision. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: 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 Department’s 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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Kansas man indicted for machinegun possessionRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with a firearms offense.
According to court documents, Leonard Rrapaj, 61, of Topeka, is charged with illegal possession of a machinegun.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Debenham and Stephen Hunting are prosecuting 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).
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Alejandro Espinosa-Hinostroza, 32, a Mexican national residing illegally in Topeka, Kansas, was indicted on one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm and one count of reentry of a removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Justice Department Fighting Discrimination Against U.S. WorkersRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Epik Solutions, a California technology recruiting company, to resolve Epik Solutions’ violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by preferring to recruit foreign H-1B visa holders over U.S. workers.
This settlement is the first since the department re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative to enforce the law against companies that unlawfully discriminate against American workers in favor of foreign visa workers. The company will pay $71,916 in civil penalties to the United States, undergo training, revise its employment policies, and refrain from placing job advertisements that unlawfully exclude U.S. workers from employment opportunities.
“A top priority of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is protecting American workers from unlawful discrimination in favor of foreign visa workers,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon. “Companies engaging in such discrimination are on notice that the days of the federal government looking the other way on American workforce protection are over.”
The public can call Immigrant and Employee Rights (IER) Section free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 for workers or at 1-800-255-8155 for employers (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired) for informal assistance; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email [email protected]; or visit www.justice.gov/ier.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Santos Reyes-Garcia, aka Edgar Benjamin Colorado Mora, aka Edgar Colorado-Moran, aka Santos Garcia Reyes, age 37, a Mexican national unlawfully present in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division.
The Indictment alleged that Reyes-Garcia, an alien, was found in the United States on May 5, 2025, after having been previously removed without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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 Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Reyes-Garcia will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Manuel De Jesus Lira Aguilar, aka Jesus Lira Aguilar, aka Manuel Edward Aguilar III, aka Jesus Lira Manuel, aka Pero Marquez, age 51, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Carter County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Carter County Sheriff’s Office.
The Indictment alleged that on October 21, 2024, Lira Aguilar, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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 Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Lira Aguilar will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dak T. Cohen and Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Hooksett Man Sentenced to 7 1/2 Years in Federal Prison for the Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Hooksett man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for distributing methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Erik Pena, age 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 90 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In February 2025, Pena pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of a controlled substance.
“The distribution of methamphetamine devastates communities, fuels addiction, and endangers public safety. Drug trafficking will not be tolerated in New Hampshire. We will vigorously support law enforcement and prosecute offenders to stop the spread of drugs in the Granite State,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack.
“Methamphetamine traffickers must be held accountable for the pain, suffering, and destruction inflicted by their crimes,” said Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Make no mistake, the FBI’s Major Offender Task Force will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue dangerous drug traffickers like Erik Pena in order to make New Hampshire a safe place for everyone who lives and works here.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2023 and 2024, law enforcement purchased over two pounds of methamphetamine from Pena. Investigators identified and searched Pena’s stash house and located distribution level quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, as well as four firearms, ammunition, and body armor. Additional fentanyl pills were found at Pena’s residence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Offender Task Force led the investigation. The New Hampshire State Police and the Hooksett Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherniske 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Honduran man pleads guilty, sentenced for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dimas Bonerge Aguilar Medina, 27, a citizen of Honduras, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara, to illegal re-entry. Aguilar Medina was sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Fauzia K. Mattingly, who handled the case, stated that Aguilar Medina is an alien without any legal status in the United States. In January 2016, he was physically removed from the United States. On April 13, 2025, Aguilar Medina was found in Erie County. He was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by the Erie County Sheriff’s Department. Aguilar Medina did not have any documents allowing him to be lawfully present in the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by the Erie County Sheriff’s Department under Sheriff John Garcia, and U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Martin B. Coombs.
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Honduran man pleads guilty to immigration chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Wilmer Orlando Canelas-Najera, 44, a citizen of Honduras, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to illegal reentry and taking action to prevent his departure from the United States. Canelas-Najera was then sentenced to time served and turned over the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno, who handled the case, stated that Canelas-Najera is an alien without any legal status in the United States. He was born in and is a citizen and National of Honduras. Canelas-Najera was ordered removed from the United States in 1997 but failed to appear at his immigration hearing. He was apprehended in March 2017, and removed from the country. Canelas was apprehended once again in September 2017 and ordered removed.
On April 1, 2025, at approximately 8:15 p.m., Canelas-Najera was found by United States Border Patrol agents in the vicinity of a hotel on Millersport Highway, in Amherst, NY. As agents approached and asked if he was “Wilmer,” Canelas-Najera ran, crossing eight lanes of traffic on Millersport Highway and causing vehicles to have to brake abruptly. A Border Patrol agent chased Canelas-Najera across Millersport Highway but lost sight of him. At approximately 1:30 a.m. on April 2, 2025, Canelas-Najera was again observed in the vicinity of the same hotel. A Border Patrol agent entered the hotel and found him in a hallway on the 5th floor. The agent identified himself and attempted to apprehend Canelas-Najera, who repeatedly pushed the agent away, went around him into a hotel room, and locked the hotel room door. At approximately 12:00 p.m., hotel personnel unlocked the hotel room door and Border Patrol agents apprehended him.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Martin B. Coombs.
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Honduran National Guilty of Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ActingUnited States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JHOSMY JOSUE PEREZ-ALVAREZ (“PEREZ-ALVAREZ”), age 24, a native of Honduras, pleaded guilty on May 27, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey, to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(5)(A) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, on or about January 2, 2025, PEREZ-ALVAREZ, an individual unlawfully present in the United States, was found in possession of a Glock nine-millimeter handgun and was arrested by authorities. PEREZ-ALVAREZ admitted that he was unlawfully present at the time of the offense and due to his status, was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
At sentencing, PEREZ-ALVAREZ faces a maximum penalty of 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing is scheduled for August 26, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Office of the Inspector General Social Security Administration, and the New Orleans Police Department for their roles in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
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).
Havre man sentenced to 14 years in prison on drug chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Havre man who possessed fentanyl was sentenced today to 168 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Isaiah Starr Standingrock, 33, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on August 26, 2023, Standingrock attempted to evade law enforcement, leading to a high-speed pursuit on and off the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. During the pursuit, Standingrock called 911 several times, threatening to shoot officers and/or himself. Officers watched Standingrock throw various items out of his car window throughout the pursuit, including what appeared to be a gun (which was never recovered) and a blue Nike backpack (which was recovered and later searched). Standingrock later threw a pistol holster at officers during a brief standoff. Ultimately, Standingrock was taken into custody without incident.
In a search incident to arrest, officers seized $430 in various denominations of cash, as well as various empty syringes and a plastic bag. Officers observed what appeared to be fentanyl pills in plain view in the vehicle.
Officers then located a .40 caliber S&W round and a .38 caliber SPL +P round, as well as a syringe and tin foil in the blue Nike backpack. They recovered suspected fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder, a tube containing powder residence, a digital scale containing white powder, a flip phone and a gold iPhone from the vehicle search.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol, Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services, and the Hill County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JORDAN FLYTHE, also known as “T,” 32, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a fentanyl and cocaine trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 31, 2021, Flythe was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 36 months of imprisonment for distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine. He was released from federal prison in September 2022.
In August 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and Middletown Police Department determined that Flythe was distributing fentanyl and other narcotics in Middletown. Between August and November 2024, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Flythe. On December 18, 2024, a court authorized search of Flythe’s residence on Adelaide Street in Hartford revealed approximately 240 grams of fentanyl mixed with xylazine and other additives, and approximately 160 grams of cocaine.
Flythe pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
Flythe has been detained since his arrest on March 6, 2025.
This investigation has been conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, the Middletown Police Department, and the Hartford Police Department. The task force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, Middletown, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.
Former Inmate Sentenced for Prison Bribery and Contraband SchemeRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that ANTHONY ELLISON, a former inmate of the Metropolitan Correctional Center (“MCC”), a federal jail, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter to 29 months in prison on each of the two counts on which he was previously convicted—and which will run concurrently to one another and consecutively to the federal sentence ELLISON was already serving on a separate case—for participating in wide-ranging bribery and prison contraband conspiracies with MCC employees, inmates, and others.
“Many good New Yorkers believe our prisons are places for incarceration and, at least for some, rehabilitation,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The hope for rehabilitation is illusory in an environment where inmates and staff are trafficking in drugs and other contraband. Today’s sentence demonstrates that this Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out corruption in our prisons.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings and proceedings, and the evidence presented at trial:
ELLISON, a/k/a/ “Harv,” the defendant, was an inmate at the MCC. ELLISON participated with other inmates and MCC guards in an extensive bribery and contraband distribution scheme within the jail between approximately 2018 and 2021. During the course of the conspiracy, between approximately 2019 and 2020, at least ten MCC inmates, including ELLISON, paid nearly $80,000 in bribes to Perry Joyner, a corrupt MCC correctional officer. The inmates paid the bribes through friends and relatives outside the jail, who used money transfer applications, such as CashApp, to transfer money to associates of Joyner, who then provided the bribes to Joyner himself. In exchange for those bribes, Joyner smuggled large amounts of contraband into the MCC. That contraband included drugs (such as oxycodone, alprazolam, Suboxone, marijuana, and synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as “K2”), dozens of cellphones, and cartons of cigarettes. ELLISON and other MCC inmates then sold much of that contraband to other inmates at a profit as part of a widespread illicit market within the MCC. For example, ELLISON charged other inmates as much as $100 for a single cigarette and as much as $5,000 for a used iPhone.
In approximately early 2020, Joyner left the MCC, and the jail initiated a series of lockdowns, first to search for contraband and then in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of those lockdowns and Joyner’s departure, the contraband market in the MCC dried up until ELLISON found a new source of contraband. In particular, between approximately 2020 and 2021, ELLISON conspired and had a sexual relationship with another corrupt MCC employee, Sharon Griffith-McKnight, who provided contraband to ELLISON, most of which he then re-sold to other inmates.
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In addition to today’s prison sentence, ELLISON, 37, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and $200 in special assessments—$100 for each count of conviction.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General; the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Greenwood, Jonathan E. Rebold, and Daniel H. Wolf are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Columbus police officer sentenced to 3 years in prison for altering recordsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Columbus police officer was sentenced in federal court here today to 36 months in prison for destroying or altering records related to a criminal investigation.
Nicholas P. Duty, 36, of Commercial Point, Ohio, pleaded guilty in January to two counts of the crime.
According to court documents, on two occasions, Duty destroyed, altered or falsified records by purposefully deactivating or removing his police body worn camera. Duty’s actions were intended to impede, obstruct or influence a federal investigation.
In February 2024, Columbus police officers were working street-level prostitution crimes in the area of Sullivant Avenue on the west side of Columbus when a witness expressed concerns about Duty’s on-duty activities with sex workers. Duty was positively identified during the administration of a blind photo array.
Further investigation revealed that, on Oct. 31, 2023, and March 22, 2024, Duty deactivated or removed his body worn camera during interactions with two women, including during a sexual encounter.
During the incidents, Duty was on duty, wearing a police uniform, in a marked police vehicle and assigned a body worn camera. He knew he was required to comply with Columbus Division of Police policies for wearing the division-issued camera.
On Halloween 2023, the first woman had called Columbus police and asked for assistance, stating her boyfriend was attempting to kill himself. Duty transported the woman following the call and disabled his body worn and in-car cameras when he was alone with her. Duty made sexual advances toward the woman while his cameras were deactivated, and they exchanged phone numbers. Duty continued to reach out to her, including in April 2024, a few days before his arrest.
On March 22, 2024, body worn camera footage shows Duty speaking with the second woman near the Sunoco station at Sullivant and Clarendon avenues. The woman confirmed that Duty had money with him and asked if he wanted to go to their “normal spot.” Duty drove away in his police vehicle, relocated to a different alley, and met up with the woman. Duty removed his body worn camera and blocked it from recording video. The camera, however, still recorded audio from the incident. The audio recording reveals Duty asking the woman several times to have sex. She declines but performs oral sex on Duty. The two discuss meeting up later for sex and Duty paid the woman $20 for the sex act. During this time, he was marked “out,” indicating that he was actively working on a police call.
Further review of Duty’s digital devices revealed numerous conversations in which Duty would seek out sex from various women, including victims of crime, whom he met while working on duty as a Columbus Police Officer. He would also send messages to sex workers while working and then meet up with them in his police cruiser, engage in sex acts with them, and then pay them for the sex acts.
Duty was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He had been employed with the Columbus Division of Police since June 2018.
Acting United States Attorney Kelly A. Norris, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas A. Greco, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphy, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison.
Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Kevin W. Kelley are representing the United States in this case, which was investigated by the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission’s Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force.
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Folsom Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Visa FraudRead the Press Release
Marcus Taslim, 70, of Folsom, was sentenced Monday to 15 months in prison for visa fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. Taslim was also ordered to pay the victim $39,000 in restitution.
According to court documents, Taslim brought the victim to the United States from Indonesia in December 2018 to provide caregiving services for Taslim’s mother. He obtained a non‑immigrant visa for the victim through lies and false statements, falsely representing to a consular officer that the victim’s length of stay in the United States would only be one month, that she would be paid minimum and overtime wages under the laws of the State of California, that she would be paid bi-weekly and in full, and that he had paid the victim’s one-month salary in advance. Taslim knew these statements were not true. As soon as the consular officer received proof that Taslim had paid the victim’s advance salary, he ordered the victim to withdraw that money and return it to him, which she did.
According to court documents, the victim continued caring for the mother in the United States for about six months. She typically worked seven days a week, beginning work as early as 5 or 6 a.m. and ending at about 8 or 9 p.m. Taslim paid the victim far less than minimum wage, did not pay her bi-weekly and in full, and also confiscated her passport so she could not leave. The victim was only able to leave in June 2019, following intercession from the Folsom Police Department.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot C. Wong prosecuted the case.
Federal Jury Finds Man Guilty of Posing as a Flight Attendant to Obtain Free FlightsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On June 5, a federal jury convicted Tiron Alexander, 35, of wire fraud and entering into a secure area of an airport by false pretenses.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from 2018 to 2024, Alexander booked free flights on an airline carrier’s website that were only available to pilots and flight attendants. In total, Alexander flew on 34 flights with the airline carrier without paying for any of them by posing as a flight attendant who worked for other airlines. Over the 34 flights, Alexander claimed through the airline carrier’s website application process—a process that required an applicant to select whether they were a pilot or flight attendant and provide their employer, date of hire, and badge number information—that he worked for seven different airlines and had approximately 30 different badge numbers and dates of hire. The evidence at trial also showed that Alexander posed as a flight attendant on three other airline carriers. Ultimately, Alexander booked more than 120 free flights by falsely claiming to be a flight attendant.
U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra is scheduled to sentence Alexander on August 25, 2025, after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Antonio L. Pittman of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Atlanta Field Office, made the announcement.
TSA investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Shepherd, Zachary A. Keller, and Andres E. Chinchilla are prosecuting the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
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-20466.
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Federal Jury Convicts Man of Trafficking Multiple Rifles in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a man of trafficking six rifles, including AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, and a handgun in Chicago.
CEDRIC CURTIS, 32, of Chicago, sold the six rifles and handgun to a buyer in 2018 and 2019. Unbeknownst to Curtis, the buyer was cooperating with federal law enforcement. Curtis was not a licensed firearms dealer and, having been previously convicted of a felony offense, could not legally possess a firearm.
The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago last week convicted Curtis on one count of dealing firearms without a license and six counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso set sentencing for Oct. 1, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.
The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn D. McCarthy and Margaret A. Steindorf.
A co-defendant, DEONTA MOORE, 31, of Chicago, pleaded guilty prior to trial to a charge of illegal firearm possession by a previously convicted felon. Moore was sentenced to three years and a month in federal prison.
Holding illegal firearm dealers accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
FBI Dallas and North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force announce results of Operation Soteria Shield in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
DALLAS, Texas – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas joined the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the FBI Dallas’s North Texas Child Exploitation Task Force to announce the conclusion of Operation Soteria Shield, a month-long collaborative enforcement effort conducted in April 2025 aimed at rescuing children from online sexual exploitation and bringing perpetrators to justice. This operation was run in conjunction with the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and was jointly managed by the FBI Dallas Division, Dallas Police Department, Plano Police Department, Wylie Police Department, and Garland Police Department.
More than 70 Texas law enforcement agencies joined forces throughout the month of April to combat the exploitation of children in the digital space. These agencies leveraged the expertise of highly skilled computer crimes investigators that worked around the clock to identify victims and apprehend offenders engaged in the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Operation Soteria Shield resulted in the rescue of 109 children and the arrest of 244 offenders. In addition to these enforcement actions, investigators seized extensive volumes of digital evidence, including terabytes of illicit data stored on electronic devices that were used in the commission of these crimes. These devices are undergoing forensic analysis and may lead to further arrests and the identification of additional victims.
“The numbers of offenders arrested, and children rescued in this operation are stunning. The numbers leave us breathless because, at some level, we understand that behind every statistic, every number, there is a child with dreams, aspirations, and the right to live a life free from sexual exploitation,” said Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Jay Combs. “We are committed to teaming with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute these cases with urgency and ferocity in order to protect our children.”
In the Eastern District of Texas, this Operation has led to the grand jury indictment of individuals for not only distributing child pornography, but also sexually exploiting children to produce child sexual abuse material.
Operation Soteria Shield stands as a powerful example of what can be accomplished with coordinated, interagency cooperation. It reflects the shared commitment of law enforcement professionals across Texas to relentlessly pursue those who prey on children and to ensure that survivors are no longer silenced or hiding in the shadows.
The participating agencies also extend their gratitude to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) for their unwavering support. NCMEC analysts provided vital intelligence and case coordination that proved instrumental to the success of this operation.
List of Participating Agencies:
Abilene Police Department, Allen Police Department, Alvarado Police Department, Amarillo Police Department, Arlington Police Department, Army Criminal Investigative Division, Aubrey Police Department, Azle Police Department, Bartonville Police Department, Breckenridge Police Department, Cedar Hill Police Department, Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, Cleburne Police Department, Colleyville Police Department, Collin County District Attorney’s Office, Collin County Sheriff’s Office, Cooke County Sheriff’s Office, Crowley Police Department, Dalhart Police Department, Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, Dallas Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Denton County Sheriff’s Office, DeSoto Police Department, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, Elm Ridge Police Department, Ennis Police Department, Euless Police Department, Fannin County Sheriff’s Office, Fate Police Department, FBI Dallas Field Office, FBI El Paso Field Office, FBI San Antonio Field Office, Fort Worth Police Department, Frisco Police Department, Garland Police Department, Grand Prairie Police Department, Grand Saline Police Department, Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, Gregg County Sheriff’s Office, Haltom City Police Department, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Honey Grove Police Department, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department, Hurst Police Department, Irving Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Joshua Police Department, Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office, Kaufman Police Department, Lamesa Police Department, Lone Star Police Department, Lubbock Police Department, McKinney Police Department, Midlothian Police Department, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, North Richland Hills Police Department, Office of Inspector General, Plano Police Department, Prosper Police Department, Richardson Police Department, Richardson Police Department SWAT, Rockwall County District Attorney’s Office, Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office, Rockwall Police Department, Rowlett Police Department, Royse City Police Department, Sachse Police Department, San Antonio Police Department, Snyder Police Department, Tarrant County Human Trafficking Task Force, Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, Terrell Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, University of Texas System Police, White Settlement Police Department, Wilmer Police Department, and Wylie Police Department.
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Exotic Bird Smuggler Busted at the BorderRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Juandaniel Medina, the third individual in the past several weeks to have been charged with illegal trafficking of protected exotic birds through Ports of Entry in the Southern District of California, appeared in court today. Federal agents detained Medina at the San Ysidro Port of Entry after discovering seven live Amazon parrots in a cardboard box on the passenger floorboard. According to a federal complaint, Medina was the driver and registered owner of a vehicle in which U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials found the birds; he admitted paying $700 cash for the parrots with the intention of breeding and or reselling them in the United States in the future.
Cardboard box on the passenger floorboard; one of the captive birds peering out from inside the box
USFWS has identified six of the birds as Red-Lored Amazon Parrots. Fortunately, all seven of the parrots are alive and thriving at a quarantine facility managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The seven Amazon parrots seized from GARCIA’s truck
The arrest follows the recent prosecution of another individual caught smuggling Amazon parrots through the same port of entry, highlighting a troubling pattern of illegal wildlife trade through Southern California.
“The illicit parrot trade reflects a broader crisis in wildlife protection—where profit outweighs preservation.” aid U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Bird smuggling is not a victimless crime. These animals suffer, and the consequences to public health and the environment can be catastrophic. I thank U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their extraordinary coordination and vigilance in protecting both public safety and animal welfare.
According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, Amazon parrots are native to Mexico, the West Indies, and northern South America. There are approximately thirty species of Amazon parrots, and all Amazon parrot species are listed on either Appendix I or Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (“CITES”).
Illegally imported birds bypass health screening and quarantine, which are required to protect the nation from infectious diseases. Avian influenza (bird flu), for instance, can spread through feathers, droppings, or even airborne particles and has previously caused massive culls of farm birds in the U.S. Bird flu is highly contagious and can cause flu like symptoms, respiratory illness, pneumonia and death in humans and other birds including birds in United States poultry farms. Many other diseases that can be transmitted from different animals and can have disastrous effects, that is why it is necessary to quarantine animals entering the United States to limit and safeguard against this potential disease transmission.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Evangeline Dech.
DEFENDANT Case Number 25-mj-3169
Juandaniel Medina Age: 24 Lindsay, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Importation Contrary to Law – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 545
Maximum penalty: 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Homeland Security Investigations
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ecuadoran smugglers plead guilty to trafficking nearly 400 kilograms of cocaineRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two Ecuadoran nationals pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine on board a vessel.
According to court documents, on Jan. 16, a helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Waesche located a go-fast vessel (GFV) that appeared to be dead in the water with two people on board in international waters approximately 544 nautical miles south of Mexico. The GFV displayed no indicia of nationality.
A small boat from the USCG Cutter Waesche approached the GFV and the crew observed Adan Bolivar Arcentales Anchundia, 57, and Frowen Antonio Alcivar Muentes, 56, cutting lines connecting the GFV to bundles of bails in the water. USCG personnel boarded the vessel and conducted tests of the contents of one package taken from the water. The contents tested positive for cocaine. USCG personnel gathered additional contraband from the water around the GFV. In total, ten bales containing approximately 397.9 kilograms of cocaine were recovered.
Arcentales Anchundia pled guilty on May 28 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 30. Alcivar Muentes plead guilty today and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9. Both defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington 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 U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin M. Comstock and Eric M. Hurt are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A 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 Nos. 2:25-cr-59 (Arcentales Anchundia) and 2:25-cr-69 (Alcivar Muentes).
Durant Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Henry Tyler Allen, age 35, of Durant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 77 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm.
The charge arose from investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Durant Police Department.
On January 7, 2025, Allen pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on September 24, 2024, officers discovered Allen in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic pistol after having been convicted of crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Allen will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Drug Trafficker Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Honduran national unlawfully residing in Gresham, Oregon, was sentenced to federal prison Monday for his role in distributing fentanyl in the Portland area.
Borys Rafael Almendarez-Chapas, 45, was sentenced to 45 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on December 4, 2024, as part of a drug trafficking investigation, investigators conducted a controlled buy of fentanyl from Almandarez-Chapas in Portland. When Almandarez-Chapas arrived, investigators arrested him and seized fentanyl powder and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. When questioned, Almandarez-Chapas told investigators that he planned to sell 500 counterfeit pills and two ounces of fentanyl powder during the transaction. Almandarez-Chapas also stated that he possessed multiple firearms at his residence and investigators later recovered three firearms from the residence.
On December 17, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Almendarez-Chapas with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and alien in possession of a firearm.
On January 30, 2025, Almendarez-Chapas pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF). It was prosecuted by Scott Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
CCITF is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.
Delaware Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Wilmington, Del. – Tyler Ramaley, 31, of Wilmington, pleaded guilty today to distributing child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”), announced Dylan J. Steinberg, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. The Honorable Gregory B. Williams accepted the plea.
According to statements made in open court, the investigation into Ramaley began in October 2024 when law enforcement received information that an individual was seen on multiple online video calls with others watching, screen sharing, and masturbating to CSAM. Law enforcement successfully identified the individual in the video calls as Ramaley. Ramaley also admitted to possessing CSAM on his devices and to entering the video calls and broadcasting CSAM to others over the calls.
“Sharing explicit images of children being sexually abused is a heinous crime, and Tyler Ramaley’s actions are a tragic reminder of the persistence of individuals who prey on children,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “My office remains committed to investigating and bringing to justice those who possess and distribute child sexual abuse material. We will continue to work alongside our federal, state, and local partners to protect children and hold offenders accountable.”
“Tyler Ramaley’s crimes are depraved and unconscionable. Viewing and sharing child sexual abuse material online continually victimizes the child. Ramaley thought he could hide behind a keyboard, but the FBI and our partners will work relentlessly to identify and hold accountable predators who exploit innocent children,” says FBI Baltimore Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski.
The FBI investigated this case, with the assistance of the New Castle County Police Department, Delaware State Police, and the Chester County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claudia L. Pare prosecuted this case.
Ramaley is facing a maximum possible sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 5 years. Judge Williams will determine the defendant’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER.
Crow Agency woman pleads guilty to false statementsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A Crow Agency woman accused of making false statements to federal law enforcement admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Micah Taryn Faith LaForge, 24, pleaded guilty to false statement. LaForge faces 5 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set. LaForge was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on January 18, 2023, a gunshot victim arrived at the emergency room at the IHS Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital in Crow Agency. He was pronounced dead upon arrival. He was transported to IHS in a vehicle driven by LaForge.
LaForge lied to medical personnel and a BIA Special Agent at the hospital and then later that same day to an FBI Special Agent and a different BIA Special agent. She told all of these individuals she was driving between Crow Agency and Dunmore when she saw the gunshot victim lying in the road. LaForge claimed she stopped and loaded him into the passenger side of her vehicle and drove directly to IHS. LaForge continued with the lie by traveling to the purported location where she claimed that she saw the gunshot victim lying in the road with a BIA Special Agent. The agent noted there was no evidence, i.e., blood, shell casings, sign of a struggle that would support LaForge’s claim that this was the location where she encountered the gunshot victim.
The gunshot victim was actually shot at a house on Crow River Road. The day after the initial statement, LaForge contacted law enforcement and admitted she had lied the day before. Her lie about finding the gunshot victim in the middle of the road stymied the investigation for over 15 hours as the investigators had only the false information she provided about the location, which kept the investigators from going to the residence where the victim was shot and collecting evidence. The firearm was never recovered.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI and BIA conducted the investigation.
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Convicted Felon Indicted for Operating Enormous Fentanyl Pill Pressing Lab with Weapons StashRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Bartholomew Keeton Harralson, 47, of Atlanta, Ga., was charged earlier today by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Heroin, and Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Harralson allegedly possessed 28 firearms, including a machine gun, and hundreds of thousands of pills containing fentanyl and other illicit drugs.
“Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, DEA, and our U.S. Attorney, Georgians are safer following this drug bust. This defendant was using state-of-the-art pill presses to produce poison on a massive scale — he will now face severe consequences for his alleged crimes as we continue to shut down fentanyl networks across the country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“This armed felon allegedly ran a massive fentanyl pill pressing operation in our community, producing enough deadly fentanyl to potentially kill millions of people,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Due to the quick action and seamless collaboration of our law enforcement partners, Harralson now faces federal drug and firearms charges, his operation has been dismantled, and countless lives have almost certainly been saved.”
“The scale of this fentanyl operation—run by a convicted felon—posed a grave threat to our community,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The presence of high-powered firearms alongside industrial pill-pressing equipment underscores the deadly convergence of drug trafficking and violence. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to dismantling these operations and holding dangerous individuals accountable.”
“The DEA and our partners are working hard day in and day out to protect our communities from the dangers and violence associated with drug trafficking. DEA’s priorities are to save American lives and to keep our communities safe,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “We will continue to leverage every partnership, and every resource available to ensure drug traffickers who distribute poison, like fentanyl and other illicit drugs in our communities, are brought to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On June 5, 2025, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Bartholomew Keeton Harralson’s Atlanta-area residence. Once inside, law enforcement located over 56 kilograms of fentanyl, 84 kilograms of methamphetamine, nearly 10 kilograms of heroin, and approximately four kilograms of cocaine – all in the form of powders and hundreds of thousands of pressed pills. Law enforcement also located nine firearms, including one converted to function as a machine gun, $145,000 in cash, and a book titled “How to Avoid Federal Drug Conspiracy & Firearms Charges.” Harralson was arrested at the scene.
Later that same day, law enforcement executed another federal search warrant at Harralson’s Douglasville, Georgia residence. In that residence, law enforcement found two large pill press machines capable of pressing up to 25,000 pills per hour, three hydraulic presses used to form kilogram-sized bricks of narcotics, more than 37 kilograms of fentanyl, approximately 13 kilograms of methamphetamine, just over eight kilograms of heroin, and more than six kilograms of cocaine. These drugs, like those recovered during the search of Harralson’s other residence, were in the form of powder and hundreds of thousands of pressed pills. In addition, in a machine shop located behind the Douglasville residence, law enforcement found approximately 1,375 pounds of binding agent used to press pills, 564 punch dies to mark the pills, 19 firearms, four drum-style magazines, and a significant amount of ammunition.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, with valuable assistance provided by the South Fulton Police Department and Douglasville Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Forsyth, III is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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).
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.
Congresswoman Charged for Forcibly Impeding and Interfering with Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Representative LaMonica McIver was charged in a three-count indictment today for forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
According to the allegations in the indictment, McIver forcibly impeded and interfered with federal officers as they attempted to arrest an individual outside the Delaney Hall Federal Immigration Facility in Newark, New Jersey on May 9, 2025. McIver and two other members of Congress were present at the facility that day to conduct a congressional oversight inspection. The inspection coincided with an immigration protest rally. After the Congressional Delegation entered the secured area of the facility, the Mayor of Newark arrived and was given access to the secured area. A federal officer then informed the Mayor that he was not authorized to be in the facility’s secured area, and issued the Mayor multiple warnings that he would be arrested if he did not leave. McIver and other members of the Congressional Delegation overheard this conversation and challenged the officer, protesting the Mayor’s removal. When officers moved in to arrest the Mayor, McIver and others surrounded the Mayor and prevented the officers from handcuffing him.
After the Mayor was escorted outside the secured area, law enforcement officers made a second attempt to arrest him. At this time, someone in the crowd yelled “circle the mayor.” McIver then faced the Mayor and placed her arms around him in an effort to prevent HSI from completing the arrest. During her continued attempts to thwart the arrest, McIver slammed her forearm into the body of one law enforcement officer and also reached out and tried to restrain that officer by forcibly grabbing him. McIver also used each of her forearms to forcibly strike a second officer.
If convicted, McIver faces a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison on the forcible impeding and interfering charge set forth in Count One of the indictment. She faces a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison on the forcible impeding and interfering charge set forth in Count Two. She also faces a maximum penalty of 1 year in prison for Count Three.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McCarren of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Defense counsel: Paul Fishman, Esq. and Lee Cortes, Esq.
Commercial Real Estate Broker Pleads Guilty to Obstructing the IRSRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley man and commercial real estate broker has pleaded guilty to a years-long pattern of obstructing the IRS from collecting taxes he owed, leading that agency to collect $770 in tax liabilities when he earned approximately $1 million from his employment during that time, the Justice Department announced today.
Gabriel David Guerrero, of Pasadena, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of corruptly obstructing or impeding, or endeavoring to obstruct or impede, the due administration of the Internal Revenue Code. Guerrero is free on $50,000 bond.
According to his plea agreement, Guerrero is a commercial real estate broker who for years did not file timely federal individual income tax returns, specifically for the years 1998, 1999, and 2001 through 2005. He later owed tax liabilities for the years 2012 and 2013.
After the IRS assessed taxes against Guerrero and attempted to collect them him via the sending of dozens of notices, Guerrero took steps to conceal his income and assets from the IRS. For example, he made extensive use of cash and cashier’s checks; submitted a false form to the IRS that significantly understated his income; and used a nominee bank account to deposit income.
Despite the IRS’s issuance of dozens of levies to bank accounts and brokers with whom Guerrero worked throughout the collection action from October 2013 to November 2017, the IRS obtained only $770 towards Guerrero’s tax liabilities for 1998, 1999, 2001 through 2005, 2012, and 2013 despite Guerrero earning approximately $1 million in income from his work as a commercial real estate broker over that same time frame.
United States District Judge Percy Anderson scheduled a September 15 sentencing hearing, at which time Guerrero will face a statutory maximum sentence of three years in federal prison.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Robert Kemins and Christopher Gerace of the Tax Division are prosecuting this case.
Colombian Money Broker Sentenced to Nearly a Decade in Prison for Role in International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering organization that laundered more than $6 million in drug trafficking proceeds from Colombian cartels through the United States, Caribbean and European banking systems.
Jaime Humberto Mejia-Bencardino, 62, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 115 months in prison. On Dec. 11, 2024, Mejia-Bencardino pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and 16 counts of laundering of monetary instruments. He was extradited at the request of the United States to face the charges in this case and is subject to deportation upon completion of the sentence imposed.
Mejia-Bencardino was among 20 individuals from Colombia, Jamaica and Florida who were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022 in connection with the money laundering conspiracy.
Over the course of the investigation, $1 million was seized from corporate bank accounts and other investigative activity. Nearly 3,000 kilograms of cocaine – with a street value of over $90 million – was traced back to the money laundering organization. This includes approximately 1,193 kilograms of cocaine seized at sea, 60 miles south of Jamaica, in July 2019, as well as 1,555 kilograms of cocaine seized in nine scrap metal shipping containers at the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia, in March 2019.
In or about October 2016, law enforcement began an investigation into a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia. During an extensive five-year investigation, the organization laundered over $6 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States, including banks in Massachusetts, as well as additional proceeds through banks in the Caribbean and Europe by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE). By using the BMPE, the defendants and their co-conspirators sought to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement as well as evade currency exchange requirements in the United States and Colombia through the illegal currency exchange process. As part of the conspiracy, members of the organization held roles and responsibilities relative to the needs and opportunities of the scheme, such as drug suppliers, peso brokers, money couriers and business owners/dollar purchasers.
Through the BMPE, Colombian drug trafficking organizations with drug proceeds generated in the United States use third parties – generally referred to as “peso brokers” that are also based in Colombia – who agree to exchange Colombian pesos they control for the drug supplier’s dollar proceeds. Peso brokers then use money couriers in the United States and elsewhere to physically secure the drug proceeds, often in suitcases or bags on the street, and transfer the proceeds into the United States banking system. To avoid detection, peso brokers deposit the drug proceeds into bank accounts in company or individual names intended to appear as legitimate business activity, or through multiple small deposits into different bank accounts which are then consolidated into larger accounts. As a result, Colombian peso brokers control a pool of drug-derived proceeds in United States bank accounts. These dollar proceeds are then purchased by individuals or companies in Colombia seeking to exchange pesos for United States dollars at a favorable exchange rate and in a manner that avoids currency exchange and income reporting requirements. The dollar drug proceeds are transferred at the direction of the purchaser, and often end up in bank accounts of individuals or companies who appear to have no direct involvement in drug trafficking crimes.
Beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, an undercover agent infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer able to pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through his United States-based accounts and send the money to Colombia through the BMPE.
Throughout the course of the investigation, members of the money laundering organization would contact the undercover and arrange meetings for the undercover and the undercover’s purported associates to collect bulk cash throughout the world. Money brokers, such as Mejia-Bencardino, would negotiate the money laundering contract by hiring a money launderer to pick up the bulk cash drug proceeds throughout the world, and would then direct where the money was to be sent to various accounts in order to conceal the nature of the funds and facilitate the payout of the laundered proceeds in Colombia for the benefit of the drug suppliers. Over the course of the conspiracy, Mejia-Bencardino was personally responsible for the laundering of over $1.95 million in drug proceeds.
Mejia-Bencardino is the 11th defendant to be sentenced in this case. All but one remaining defendant has been convicted.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Aura Liliana Trujillo Rojas, Delegate for Criminal Finance for the Colombian Attorney General’s Office; Ricardo Sánchez Silvestre, Brigadier General of the Colombian National Police Anti-Narcotics Directorate; Jervis Moore, Chief of the Narcotics Division for the Jamaica Constabulary Force; and Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of Cover, Rowe and other co-defendants from Colombia and Jamaica. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.