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Thursday 1 May 2025
Cincinnati Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky.- A Cincinnati, Ohio, man was convicted on Thursday by a federal jury in Covington for drug trafficking charges.
After one hour and twenty minutes of deliberation, following a four-day trial, the jury convicted 30-year-old Devante Garrett of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue with intent to distribute, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
Evidence at trial showed that Garrett conspired with others to distribute more than 275 grams of a substance containing a fentanyl analogue, more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and cocaine. He was arrested in Kenton County on October 14, 2023, with these drugs hidden behind the panel of the driver’s door of the vehicle he was operating. Garrett was previously arrested in Boone County on August 17, 2023, while in possession of $6,440 in cash and a scale containing residue of fentanyl and cocaine. Additional witness testimony showed that Garrett, a Cincinnati, Ohio, resident had been regularly traveling to Lexington, Kentucky, with others to distribute fentanyl and cocaine from May 2023 through August 2023.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department; Chief Bill Birkenhauer, Highland Heights Police Department; and Sheriff Michael Helmig, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, KSP, Covington Police Department, Highland Heights Police Department, and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Spievack and Tony Bracke.
Garrett will appear for sentencing on August 21. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
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California man sentenced to 10 years for sexual exploitation of a minorRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for enticing a 12-year-old minor from Prince William County to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
Cash Taylor Dalton, 30, of Morro Bay, California, pleaded guilty on Jan. 16, 2025, to enticement of a minor. According to court documents, FBI agents began investigating Dalton after the victim’s parents discovered communications on their daughter’s cellphone between her and Dalton. The investigation revealed that Dalton and the victim had been communicating for approximately three months, and that he sent her sexually explicit images of himself and graphic sexual messages via text and email, including directing her to engage in sexual activity. In November 2024, FBI agents searched Dalton’s home and recovered evidence of Dalton’s communications with the victim, as well as with three other minors who were under the age of 16.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano for the Eastern District of Virginia Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1: 24-CR-227.
California Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a MinorRead the Press Release
A California man was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia today to 10 years in prison and 30 years supervised release for enticing a 12-year-old child from Prince William County to engage in unlawful sexual activity. He was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution.
Cash Taylor Dalton, 30, of Morro Bay, California, pleaded guilty on Jan. 16 to enticement of a minor. According to court documents, FBI agents began investigating Dalton after the child victim’s parents discovered communications on their daughter’s cellphone between their daughter and Dalton. The investigation revealed that Dalton and the victim had been communicating for approximately three months, and that he had sent her sexually explicit images of himself and extremely graphic sexual messages via text and email, including messages directing her to engage in sexual activity and directing her to record herself engaging in sexual activity and send those recordings to him. Dalton and the victim also discussed meeting in person in order to have sex. In November 2024, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Dalton’s home and recovered evidence of Dalton’s communications with the victim, as well as with three other children who were under the age of 16.
Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Brooklyn-Based Gang Associate Convicted of Racketeering, Drug Trafficking, and Committing a July 2020 ShootingRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, a federal jury convicted Demetrius Johnson on all counts of an indictment charging him with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firing a gun in connection with those crimes. The defendant was an associate of a Brooklyn-based gang known as the “Bully Gang,” a violent street gang that operated in and around Bedford Stuyvesant. Today’s verdict followed a two-week trial before United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan. When sentenced, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of twenty years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Bryan Miller, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Division (ATF); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdict.
“Today’s verdict holds the defendant accountable for teaming up with a dangerous criminal enterprise that—in the defendant’s own words—was known for money and violence,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Along with other members and associates of the Brooklyn-based Bully Gang, the defendant trafficked massive quantities of deadly drugs up and down the East Coast between New York and Maine, where they were sold for substantial profit. And when conflict arose during the drug operation, the defendant resorted to near-deadly violence, firing almost a dozen shots towards a playground and injuring two victims. As a result of this investigation, more than 50 members and associates of the Bully Gang have been convicted for their crimes, showing that my Office and our law enforcement partners will not rest until violent criminal enterprises are fully dismantled.”
“These convictions put an end to the reign of terror committed by this gang, shattering the myth that criminals can commit atrocious acts without consequence,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Miller. “This is the result of a multi-year investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies spanning multiple jurisdictions. I commend our law enforcement partners—NYPD, NYC Department of Investigations, and our law enforcement partners in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, and prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office—for their relentless efforts in making our communities safer. In particular, I am proud of the men and women of ATF NY and the ATF/NYPD Joint Firearms Task Force, who fight every day to prevent violence in any form, and are committed to dismantling and disarming violent gangs that plague our streets. ATF once again reaffirms its unwavering commitment to protecting the public from violent offenders.”
“These convictions represent the culmination of an extensive investigation combined with a vigorous prosecution,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “The stakes could not have been higher because these gang members were responsible for an assortment of despicable crimes, including murder, robbery, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and bribery. A powerful message has been sent: Our city will not tolerate such criminal activity, and the NYPD and our law enforcement partners will keep working tirelessly to identify and investigate these enterprises and bring the individuals involved to justice.”
Johnson was convicted of participating in the Bully Gang’s years-long narcotics trafficking scheme, in which large quantities of drugs, including cocaine base and heroin, were transported from New York and New Jersey to Maine. There, members and associates of the gang sold the drugs out of a rotating series of stash houses. As proven at trial, the conspiracy was responsible for trafficking thousands of kilograms of narcotics and generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. Johnson personally sold drugs in connection with this Bully Gang racket and recruited other participants to join the scheme.One of those participants was a former fellow gang member (“John Doe”), who Johnson enlisted to travel from Brooklyn to Maine to sell drugs. In 2020, after John Doe returned from Maine, a dispute arose between the two over payment owed to John Doe in connection with the drug scheme. On July 18, 2020, Johnson attempted to murder John Doe, who was seated on a bench at a Brooklyn playground with his one-year-old child. Johnson hit and injured both John Doe and a bystander.
Since 2020, 53 defendants have been publicly charged with a variety of crimes in connection with this investigation. To date, 52 of those defendants have pled guilty or been convicted at trial. One remains a fugitive.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Joy Lurinsky, Victor Zapana, and Michael J. Castiglione are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Special Agent Rebecca Sidhu and NYPD Detective Brian Hilt from the Office’s Criminal Investigations Unit and Paralegal Specialists Elizabeth Reed and Amara Mayo.
The Defendant:
DEMETRIUS JOHNSON (also known as “Q”)
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 20-CR-239 (BMC)
Bread Springs Man Sentenced to Home Confinement with GPS Monitoring for AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Bread Springs man was sentenced to four years of supervised probation with strict special conditions following his guilty plea to assault resulting in serious bodily injury following a confrontation on the Navajo Nation.
According to court documents, on January 22, 2024, Arthur Pat, 69, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, responded to a commotion near his residence in Bread Springs, New Mexico. Upon observing his son involved in an altercation with three other men, Pat retrieved a loaded handgun and drove to the scene. After a verbal dispute escalated, Pat fired multiple shots, one of which struck John Doe in the knee. Doe was hospitalized with a “limb-threatening” injury and may face lifelong mobility issues.
Pat was arrested following a criminal complaint filed January 23, 2024, and later pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. For the first year of his sentence, Pat will be subject to home detention with GPS monitoring. He is also strictly forbidden from contacting his victim and must complete 250 hours of community service. If Pat violates the terms of his supervised probation, the sentencing judge could impose any term of imprisonment originally available; that is, up to 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Phillip Russel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.
Billings woman man sentenced to 4 years in prison on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings woman who sold methamphetamine and provided a firearm to a juvenile was sentenced today to 4 years in prison to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Ali Sage Hausmann, 26, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and false statement during a firearm transaction.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated Hausmann for purchasing a gun used by a juvenile during a home invasion. On May 9, 2022, two teenagers burglarized a home in Billings and one of them possessed a Beretta pistol during the burglary. ATF learned Hausmann bought the Beretta at Scheels in Billings one day before the home invasion, which one of the juveniles confirmed during an interview with law enforcement. Approximately two weeks after the burglary, Hausmann pawned the firearm.
As part of the investigation into the firearm purchase, ATF obtained a search warrant for Hausmann’s Facebook account and learned she was selling methamphetamine. Agents also located messages confirming she purchased the firearm for the juvenile. On December 7, 2022, law enforcement seized 6.9 grams of meth from Hausmann’s residence, along with an additional firearm from her purse. Hausmann admitted to selling methamphetamine and to purchasing the gun for the juvenile.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the ATF and the Billings Police Department.
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.
Azusa Man Charged in Federal Grand Jury Indictment with Committing Abusive Sexual Contact on Florida-to-LAX FlightRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a San Gabriel Valley man with a federal criminal charge alleging he inappropriately slapped a flight attendant’s buttocks on a Los Angeles-bound flight last month.
Dennis Wally Woodbury, 49, of Azusa, is charged with one count of abusive sexual contact within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of two years in federal prison.
Woodbury, who made his initial federal court appearance last month and is free on $50,000 bond, is scheduled to be arraigned on May 12 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to court documents previously filed in this case, on April 13, Woodbury – a former California Highway Patrol captain who had been dismissed from state service – was a passenger on a JetBlue Airways flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Before the flight left the gate, Woodbury engaged in inappropriate conduct with two flight attendants, both of whom were male. For example, Woodbury showed one of the flight attendants a photograph of a dog. The picture contained pornographic imagery in the background. Woodbury later told one of the flight attendants that he should go on a cruise with him then made a crude hand gesture.
Just after meal service and while the plane was still in the air, the second flight attendant collected passengers’ meal trays and walked past Woodbury. Woodbury, who had been drinking heavily, then used his left hand to slap the victim’s buttocks. Woodbury then yelled that he loved him.
Later during the flight, the first flight attendant was in the plane’s front galley when Woodbury entered. Woodbury allegedly then pulled down his trousers and underwear, exposing his genitalia. The first flight attendant told Woodbury that his behavior was inappropriate. Soon afterward, Woodbury asked him for wine, a request that was denied. When Woodbury again pulled down his trousers and underwear, the flight attendant said, “Enough, go back to your seat.”
During later interviews with law enforcement, the flight attendants confirmed that neither of them consented to Woodbury’s behavior.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI and the Los Angeles Airport Police are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney William M. Larsen of the Criminal Appeals Section is prosecuting this case.
Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater Welcomes Antitrust Division Leadership TeamRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division welcomes a new member of the division’s leadership team. AAG Slater appointed Dina Kallay to serve as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for International, Policy and Appellate. Kallay joins the division’s leadership team including Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, four Deputy Assistant Attorneys General and Chief of Staff.
“The DOJ Antitrust Division is truly fortunate to have in place a deep bench of experts so early in the Trump 47 Administration. Each team member brings broad experience to their government service, and I am truly grateful to them for stepping into their roles as we take over several landmark cases,” said Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater. “I look forward to working with this talented team as well as the dedicated staff of the Antitrust Division as we work together to enforce the nation’s antitrust laws.”
The leadership team includes:
Roger Alford serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General. Mr. Alford previously served in the first Trump Administration as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division. He is a tenured Professor of Law on leave from Notre Dame Law School, where he has taught since 2012. During that time, he also consulted on antitrust matters, including as an expert witness in the landmark 2023 real estate $1.8 billion litigation against the National Association of Realtors, and since 2019 consulting for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas v. Google. He served as a law clerk to Judge James Buckley of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Judge Richard Allison of the Iran- United States Claims Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. He also practiced law with Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C. and was a Senior Legal Advisor to the Claims Resolution Tribunal for Dormant Activities in Zurich, Switzerland.
He earned his B.A. with Honors from Baylor University in 1985, his M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, his J.D. with Honors from New York University, and his LL.M., first in class, from Edinburgh University.
Omeed Assefi serves as Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General with a focus on criminal enforcement. At the beginning of the second Trump Administration, Mr. Assefi served as the division’s Acting Assistant Attorney General. Prior to that position, he litigated criminal prosecutions and led complex investigations against major companies and individuals for antitrust violations as a member of the division’s Washington Criminal Section. Previously, Mr. Assefi served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia. There, he prosecuted violent crime in U.S. District Court as well as Superior Court.
Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Assefi served in the Trump Administration as a Deputy Associate Attorney General in the Office of the Associate Attorney General. There, he helped supervise the Civil, Antitrust, and Civil Rights Divisions. Mr. Assefi also served as Chief of Staff of the Civil Rights Division. Mr. Assefi began his service in the Trump Administration as an Assistant Special Counsel in the White House Counsel’s Office, where he represented the Office of the President in the Department of Justice Special Counsel’s Investigation into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. Mr. Assefi earned a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law, a M.P.P. from George Mason University’s Schar School of Public Policy, and a B.A. from Trinity College.
Mark Hamer serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General with a focus on civil litigation and enforcement. He has over 30 years of litigation experience in both public service and private practice. Before returning to the Division, Mr. Hamer was a partner at a global law firm where he served as Global Chair of its Antitrust & Competition Practice Group, leading a team of over 250 competition lawyers in 43 countries. In private practice, he focused on antitrust litigation and antitrust conduct and merger investigations around the world. Mr. Hamer previously served as a trial attorney in the Antitrust Division handling both merger and non-merger litigation. Mr. Hamer received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, and a B.A. in History with High Distinction from the University of Virginia.
Dina Kallay serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Policy & International Affairs. Before joining the Antitrust Division, she was global Head of Competition Law at Ericsson. From 2006-2013, Dina served as Counsel for Intellectual Property & International Antitrust at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Office of International Affairs. Earlier in her career she practiced law at several law firms, most recently with Howrey LLP in Washington D.C., and worked at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Competition (DG COMP) in Brussels, Belgium
Dina received her LL.B. magna cum laude and B.A. in economics from Tel Aviv University (1996), and her LL.M. (Int’l Economic Law) (1998) and S.J.D. (2003) from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she was a student of former Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, Professor Tom Kauper. She has taught antitrust and intellectual property at the Hebrew, Bar Ilan and Georgetown Universities, and is a frequent writer and speaker on international antitrust and antitrust-intellectual property topics.
William “Bill” Rinner serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General with a focus on civil enforcement and mergers. Prior to his return to the division, Mr. Rinner was Senior Regulatory Counsel at Apollo Global Management Inc. There, he was responsible for overseeing antitrust and various other regulatory matters. From 2017-2020, Mr. Rinner served at the Antitrust Division first as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, and subsequently as Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel. Earlier in his career, he practiced antitrust law at two major national firms. After law school, he clerked for Hon. Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He received a J.D. from Yale Law School, and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame.
Dr. Chetan Sangvhi serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General focused on Economics. Dr. Sanghvi has deep experience conducting economic research and analyses in the context of antitrust policy. In his tours of duty at the FTC and in private practice, he has evaluated the competitive impacts of hundreds of proposed mergers and other antitrust concerns. He has been recognized by the FTC for his “outstanding intellectual and analytical contributions to a broad range of complex economic issues arising in the FTC’s competition mission” and by professional reference publications. Dr. Sanghvi has taught at New York University, Johns Hopkins University, Rutgers University, and Trinity College and holds a PhD in economics from Rutgers University and a BA in economics from Northwestern University.
Sara Matar serves as the Chief of Staff. Prior to this role, she served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington D.C. Sara was previously a senior advisor to Congressman Lee Zeldin on foreign policy and judiciary matters. She also served as a staff member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee where she worked on oversight and Middle East policy. Sara received her J.D from George Washington University Law School and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Emerson College. She served as law clerk to the Honorable Judge Lynn Hughes in the Southern District of Texas.
Ashland man sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for trafficking meth on the Northern Cheyenne Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – An Ashland man who trafficked methamphetamine on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 151 months in prison to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Joe Vega, 49, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in December of 2023, the FBI began an investigation into Joe Vega for the distribution of methamphetamine. One source reported purchasing methamphetamine from Vega a dozen times.
In April of 2024, the FBI intercepted a package from Arizona destined for Vega’s Billings address. Agents obtained a search warrant for the package and discovered 1331.5 grams of meth, almost three pounds, that was 100% pure.
The FBI later learned Vega was traveling to Arizona, possibly to pick up methamphetamine. On April 22, 2024, a Montana Highway Patrol trooper conducted a stop of the vehicle in which Vega was a passenger. Vega and the driver consented to a search and law enforcement found two pounds of methamphetamine in a bag belonging to Vega. That meth was also 100% pure.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with the assistance of BIA, Montana DCI, and the Montana Highway Patrol.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Ashburn financial advisor sentenced to three years in prison for defrauding investors and losing millions of dollars through risky tradingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Ashburn man was sentenced today to three years in prison for fraud relating to his risky trading that lost millions of dollars of his clients’ funds while he provided them with false information.
According to court documents, Andrew Corbman, 53, was affiliated with a national estate planning company through which he obtained access to individuals interested in estate planning and setting up trust vehicles. Corbman offered financial advice to clients and potential clients, including assisting them with long-term financial planning such as trusts, annuities, and life insurance.
Over a period of years, Corbman worked with two individuals and two couples who loaned him money believing he would invest those funds and earn outsized returns. These clients did not know that in 2016 Corbman was suspended and then permanently barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) from acting as a financial advisor or that Corbman filed for bankruptcy in 2015. Corbman suggested the clients could improve their investment returns if they loaned him money or rolled over existing loans they had made to him. Through false claims of investing success, Corbman induced his Clients to loan him up to $4.2 million, promising to invest or continue investing the money in stock market options trading. Corbman promised to repay the loans at high rates of return, as much as a 30% annual interest rate, plus a share of his own trading profits.
Corbman misrepresented his past trading performance to induce the clients to invest or to reinvest what he owed them when the loans came due in the form of a new loan. Corbman provided at least two of his potential clients a document he claimed showed his 2021 investment results. The document boasted “112 wins, 82% win history and a 90% average return.” In fact, Corbman’s trading history for each year from 2019 onward resulted in substantial losses. Altogether, Corbman lost over $4,000,000 of his clients’ money, and returned only $120,000 to one victim late in the scheme.
Corbman, fully aware of the risks and the calamitous results he was producing, not only concealed the risks from his clients, but actively misled them in an attempt to stave off requests for funds and to attempt to obtain new funds. Corbman provided his victims with fabricated trading win histories.
In late 2022 and early 2023, when Corbman’s creditors demanded repayment of their expired loans agreements, Corbman indicated to his clients that he was unable to repay the loans due to unanticipated trading losses. Corbman ultimately filed for bankruptcy, seeking to discharge over $4 million in losses he had inflicted on his clients.
As a result of Corbman’s fraudulent scheme, at least one victim incurred substantial financial hardship, including having to mortgage a home, postpone retirement, and seek employment at an advanced age.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Corbman must pay $4.15 million in restitution.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-255.
Army Soldier Charged with Distribution of Cocaine Following DEA Operation at Illegal NightclubRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez, age 28, was charged by complaint with one count each of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
According to the criminal complaint, Orona-Rodriguez, while serving as an active-duty U.S. Army solider, unlawfully distributed controlled substances. During the week of April 21, 2025, Orona-Rodriguez sold cocaine to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent. Additionally, when investigators obtained a search warrant for Orona-Rodriguez’s phone, they found text messages between at least September 16, 2024, and April 9, 2025, which appear to show him repeatedly purchasing cocaine and selling it to others.
Orona-Rodriguez appears to hold a leadership role in a business called Immortal Security LLC, which provides armed security at “nightclubs” – including an afterhours, unlawful nightclub called Warike – within Colorado Springs, Colorado. On numerous occasions, the Colorado Springs Police Department received 911 calls related to Warike citing a wide variety of alleged crimes, including weapons violations, assault, narcotics, and other violent crime. Warike was the site of a federal search warrant that was executed and led by the DEA on April 27, 2025. Orona-Rodriguez was one of approximately 17 active-duty U.S. Army service members present at Warike during the execution of that search warrant.
The investigation is being conducted by the Denver Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and DEA’s Colorado Springs Resident Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Houlihan.
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 charges in the complaint are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case Number: 25-mj-00092-TPO
Arizona Man Sentenced for COVID Loan Fraud and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Roy Lane, 44, of St. David, Arizona, was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for filing false tax returns and loan applications to obtain COVID-19 disaster relief. Layne previously pleaded guilty to two counts of Wire Fraud and one count of Filing a False Claim.
According to court documents, and evidence presented in court, to create the appearance that he was operating several businesses, Layne filed paperwork with the IRS, applied for a business license from the City of Tucson, opened business bank accounts, and filed false employment-related tax returns. In April 2020, he filed an application with the U.S. Small Business Administration, that claimed he operated a “wholesale” business with 17 employees that had revenue of more than a half million dollars a year. In 2021, he submitted a false application for a Paycheck Protection Act loan, claiming that same “wholesale” business had 31 employees and $1.2 million in revenue. Based on these and other false applications, Layne ultimately received over $300,000 in COVID-19 related loans to which he was not entitled.
Layne also used the personal identifying information and identities of other people to file false claims for refunds with the IRS. In total, Layne claimed over $7.4 million in false refunds, of which the IRS paid over $590,000.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker ordered Layne to pay $856,692.91 in restitution to the United States.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Matthew R. Hoffman of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, Tucson, prosecuted the case.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-04907-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-070_Layne# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Afghan citizen charged with visa fraudRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dilbar Gul Dilbar a/k/a Dilbar Gul Taj Ali Khan, a citizen of Afghanistan, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with visa fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in 2016 and 2021, Dilbar submitted applications to the U.S. Department of State (DOS) for a Special Immigrant Visa. A limited supply of these visas is set aside each year for Afghan nationals who have assisted the United States military. Dilbar’s applications included a counterfeit U.S. Embassy Kabul Chief of Mission approval, a fraudulent letter of employment, and a fraudulent Letter of Recommendation. On March 20, 2024, Dilbar’s fraudulent application was approved, and, on April 4, 2024, he was granted admission to the United States and currently resides in the Western District of New York. On the same day Dilbar was granted admission to the United States, he applied for Legal Permanent Resident card, commonly referred to as a “green card,” which was issued on July 22, 2024.
Specifically, in July 2016, Dilbar applied to the Department of State for U.S. Embassy Kabul Chief of Mission approval but was denied. However, Dilbar continued his application for a Special Immigrant Visa, submitting a counterfeit approval letter in November 2017. In 2021, Dilbar re-applied for the Special Immigrant Visa. For the second application, Dilbar submitted a letter of employment from a U.S.-based company. Subsequent investigation determined that the U.S.-based company that issued the purported employment verification letter was engaged in a large-scale scheme to provide fraudulent documents, such as employment verification letters, in exchange for a fee. All employment verification letters authored by this entity are fraudulent. Dilbar also submitted a second Letter of Recommendation, which also came from an individual involved in an “advance-fee” scam, which sells fraudulent immigration documents. As a result, Dilbar was granted a Special Immigrant Visa, admitted to the United States and issued a green card.
Dilbar made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and was held pending a detention hearing on May 9, 2025.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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28-Month Prison Term for Felon Who Twice Possessed FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deionta Person, 27, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 28 months in federal prison in connection with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the United States Park Police (USPP), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Person pleaded guilty on Jan. 15, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 28-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Person to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Sept. 5, 2021, USPP officers observed four individuals, including Person, exit a vehicle and walk towards an apartment complex located in the 2600 block of Douglass Place, SE. As the officers attempted to stop the quartet, Person ran away. At the back of the apartment building on the 2700 block of Douglass Place, Person discarded a black Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition. USPP subsequently recovered this firearm.
On December 1, 2023, MPD officers observed Person seated in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked on the 2700 block of Douglas Place, SE. As MPD officers attempted to speak to Person, he fled on foot down the sidewalk and discarded a Glock 30 .45 caliber handgun modified with a machine gun conversion device, loaded with 25 rounds.
In June of 2018, Person was convicted of robbery in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and sentenced to 15 years in prison with 12 years suspended.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Park Police and the Metropolitan Police Department with assistance from the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English with valuable assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Song.
24cr14
2022 St. Louis Murder-For-Hire Results in Life Term in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man to life in prison for the murder of a New Jersey man in 2022.
Moreion Lindsey, 35, was found guilty at a trial in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis of one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of murder-for-hire. Evidence and testimony showed that Lindsey fatally shot Titus Armstead on April 21, 2022, in Penrose Park in St. Louis.
Lindsey had been hired for the murder by Jerome Williams, at the request of a Seattle man, Ray Bradley, who trafficked cocaine and marijuana to St. Louis and other cities. Bradley falsely blamed Armstead for the theft of drugs and millions of dollars from a Bradley “stash” house in New Jersey. Bradley had Armstead fly to St. Louis, purportedly to protect him from possible harm. Bradley’s real goal was to have him killed in St. Louis because Williams said he knew someone who could do the job, evidence and testimony showed. Lindsey met Armstead at the airport and drove him to Penrose Park, where he fatally shot Armstead with a .45-caliber handgun, evidence showed. He then took a photo of the body using a prepaid “burner” phone to provide proof of the death to Williams and Bradley.
Lindsey was later paid $15,000 by Williams. Williams disposed of evidence, including the burner phone, Armstead’s Social Security card and other belongings. Lindsey had the SUV that he used to drive Armstead to the park reported stolen and then used $5,000 to buy another SUV.
In a victim impact letter to the court, Armstead’s sister wrote, “In a world full of limitless opportunities—where every day offers a chance to grow, create, and build a meaningful life—why choose a path of destruction and harm? It is deeply saddening that amidst all the gifts and possibilities life offers, some would resign themselves to a life of drugs and violence.”
“Moreion Lindsey, you threw away your life for $15,000—an amount you could have earned in six months of full-time work at minimum wage,” she added. “Instead, you chose a path that has deprived your children of a father and your mother of her son. You will spend the rest of your life without freedom—unable to enjoy a warm shower, a comfortable bed, or even the simple joys of being with your family.”
Williams, 52, pleaded guilty in December to a charge of destruction of evidence to obstruct a federal investigation. He was sentenced April 23 to 138 months in prison.
Bradley, 46, pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced in September to 25 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Atlanta Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Wednesday 30 April 2025
Zuni Couple Sentenced for Violent AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni Pueblo couple has been sentenced for a brutal assault in which they attacked a man in his home, prevented him from seeking help, and continued the assault in the presence of a witness and two minor children.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on September 3, 2023, Shannon Concho, 47, and LouAnn Johnson, 29, both enrolled members of the Pueblo of Zuni, assaulted John Doe at his residence on the Zuni Pueblo. The incident began as a verbal dispute and rapidly escalated when Johnson repeatedly slapped the victim. Concho and Johnson then prevented the victim from calling for help by seizing his phones and attempting to access a bedroom where a witness and two minor children were present.
Concho continued the assault on John Doe by striking him over the head with a chair, nearly rendering him unconscious. Concho then instructed Johnson, who was wearing boots, to kick John Doe in the head. After Johnson complied, Concho continued the attack until Johnson alerted him that a witness had contacted law enforcement. Concho and Johnson fled the scene and remained at large until their subsequent apprehension in Arizona.
Concho was sentenced to 57 months in prison, and Johnson was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Upon their release, Concho and Johnson will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro.
Yakima Man Subject to a Domestic Violence No Contact Order Sentenced to Prison for Possessing More Than a Dozen FirearmsRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Benjamin D. Cliett, age 44, of Yakima, Washington, to 2 years in federal prison on one count of Person Subject to a Court Order in Possession of Firearms. Judge Dimke also imposed 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on July 23, 2022, officers with the Yakima Police Department (YPD) were dispatched to Cliett’s residence in Yakima. Dispatch told the YPD that neighbors had called to report screaming and other loud noises coming from the residence.
Aware that Cliett was subject to a domestic violence no-contact order, and fearing that a domestic violence incident was occurring inside, YPD entered the residence. Cliett’s partner was in the house, and YPD conducted a protective sweep of the residence. Inside, offices located Cliett hiding in a doghouse in the backyard. Cliett was arrested for violating the no-contact order.
While conducting the sweep, YPD observed a tall gun safe in the bedroom. Officers later returned with a search warrant and found ammunition and magazines spread throughout the home and eighteen firearms in the gun safe.
“Victims of domestic violence often feel trapped in abusive relationships, where they face higher risks of being shot or killed by their abuser than the general public,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Barker. “This is why it is so important to enforce laws that keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers—it really can save lives.”
“Mr. Cliett made many wrong choices that day,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “He knew that he had a no-contact order and that prohibited him from having access to firearms. We hope that this prison sentence will give Mr. Cliett time to think about his actions and turn his life around.”
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Yakima Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Ellis.
1:22-cr-02111-MKD
Woman Sentenced to 41 Months for Alien Smuggling Event that Left a 71-Year-Old Cyclist Critically InjuredRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Elizabeth Ugarte Rios of Vista was sentenced in federal court today to 41 months in prison for striking and critically injuring a 71-year-old cyclist while transporting undocumented immigrants in her vehicle.
According to court documents, on August 4, 2024, Rios drove to Otay Lakes County Park with her minor daughter as a passenger and picked up a group of undocumented aliens who had earlier scaled a fence at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The crash occurred minutes later on Wueste Road, a two-lane highway in Chula Vista. According to the government’s sentencing memo, the defendant was travelling at 67 mph – almost twice the posted speed limit - when she swerved across the double-yellow line to pass another vehicle. A uniformed Border Patrol agent was following in an unmarked vehicle.
Rios hit the brakes four seconds before the collision, striking the cyclist at a speed of approximately 30 miles per hour. One witness said the cyclist flew approximately 10 feet in the air and landed on the side of the road.
The cyclist, Robert Hilborn, attended today’s sentencing hearing with his wife, Sharon, and two adult sons. Sharon Hilborn read statements on behalf of the family. She said her husband was hospitalized for 68 days and suffered several strokes. He was on a ventilator for many days and suffered lacerations to his head, neck, and stomach plus orthopedic injuries and deep lacerations to his legs.
Sharon Hilborn told the court her husband used to ride his bike 80-100 miles per week, and being fit and active was a major source of his joy. Their lives are now dominated by going to medical appointments and therapy sessions. Members in the court gallery were audibly crying as Sharon Hilborn spoke about how her family has been impacted by this event.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Chiang.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr01772-RBM
Elizabeth Ugarte Rios Age: 38 Vista, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Transportation of Certain Aliens During and in Relation to Which the Person Causes Serious Bodily Injury to, or Places in Jeopardy the Life of, Any Person – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii) and (a)(1)(B)(iii)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
United States Border Patrol
Wethersfield Woman Admits Role in Scheme that Defrauded Connecticut’s Medicaid Program of More Than $1.8 MillionRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SUHAIL APONTE, 38, of Wethersfield, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a health care fraud offense related to a Medicaid fraud scheme.
The Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CTMAP) is a Connecticut Department of Social Services-administered program that provides medical assistance to low income persons. CTMAP’s benefit packages, referred to as “HUSKY” or “Connecticut Medicaid,” are jointly funded by the State of Connecticut and the federal government.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aponte was the sole principal and registered agent of Minds Cornerstone LLC, dba Minds Cornerstone Behavior Therapy Services (“Minds Cornerstone”), an Autism Specialist Group, which was registered with the State of Connecticut in June 2021. Beginning in approximately November 2021, Aponte, who is not a licensed provider, was involved in a scheme in which she and a co-conspirator used Minds Cornerstone to defraud the Connecticut Medicaid Program by submitting fraudulent claims for applied behavior analysis (“ABA”) services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”). The scheme involved billing for Medicaid for services purportedly rendered to patients when company payroll records indicate employees were not compensated for the associated services; direct supervision services purportedly provided by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (“BCBA”) of a behavioral technician, when the corresponding procedure code for behavioral technician services was not billed; services purportedly rendered to patients who were actually in an inpatient hospital; and services purportedly rendered when parents of patients and former employees of Minds Cornerstone confirmed those services did not occur.
Between November 2021 and January 2025, Aponte and her co-conspirator submitted or caused to be submitted to Medicaid fraudulent claims that resulted in a loss of approximately $1,876,617 to the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
From approximately May 2022 until November 2024, Aponte was also employed by the State of Connecticut in the Office of Policy and Management.
Aponte pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
As part of her plea, Aponte has agreed to the forfeiture of approximately $459,000 in funds seized from various bank accounts she controlled, as well as her interest in additional bank accounts and two parcels of land in Hartford.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for July 30.
Aponte has been released on a $100,000 bond since her arrest on January 16, 2025.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
Ukrainian Men Charged with Illegal EntryRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Mykhailo Ivanchyn, age 21, and Ihor Zelskyi, age 27, of the Ukraine, have been charged by criminal complaint with illegally entering the United States.
On April 29, 2025, Ivanchyn and Zelskyi appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that they be held in custody pending their detention hearings. Ivanchyn’s detention hearing is scheduled for May 2, 2025. Zelskyi’s detention hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2025.
According to court records, at approximately 12:30 a.m. on April 28, 2025, United States Border Patrol agents were alerted of at least two individuals wearing backpacks and walking south near the international border between the United States and Canada along the Sutton River in Franklin County, Vermont. Border Patrol agents responded and apprehended Ivanchyn and Zelskyi, who were wearing backpacks and water waders. Neither defendant had legal status in the United States or authorization to reside in the United States.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Ivanchyn and Zelskyi are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The defendants face up to 6 months’ imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate. Ivanchyn is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Barclay Johnson. Zelskyi is represented by Rick Bothfeld, Esq.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Martin Encourages Staff to Attend May 14 Federal Interagency Holocaust Remembrance ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – President Donald J. Trump’s U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia said he hoped his staff and partners with his office would participate with him at the 32nd Annual Federal Interagency Holocaust Remembrance Program.
“This year’s theme is ‘Courage Cannot Be Silenced,’ and the keynote speaker is Holocaust survivor Eugene Bergman, whose personal story is a compelling reminder of the horrors of the Shoah.
“In 1939, Bergman, a native of Poznan, Poland, was moved with his family to Lodz, as part of the Nazi ghetto policies, and there a German soldier struck him with the butt of his rifle as he was in the street with other children,” Martin said.
“Five days later, Bergman woke up from a coma completely deaf,” he said.
“For the rest of the war, Bergman was shuttled between ghettos and camps as the Nazis pursued their so-called ‘final solution,” he said.
After the war, Bergman threw himself into his education, becoming a master of five languages and the first deaf individual to earn a PhD in English.
“Bergman’s life story is full of sorrow and survival, but always in the context of his own courage that could not be silenced,” Martin said.
The program will be held Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Main Building.
The Federal Interagency Holocaust Remembrance Program started at the U.S. Department of Education in 1994 to commemorate the Congressional Days of Remembrance—an annual, national, and civic commemoration of the Holocaust. This year’s program also coincides with both Jewish American Heritage Month and the 80th anniversary of U.S. troops liberating Nazi concentration camps.
For more information, please visit the Federal Inter-Agency Holocaust Remembrance Program. Sign-language interpretation will be provided.
Two sentenced to federal prison in $100,000 bank fraud and mail theft scheme in Metro EastRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Two Metro East women were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a scheme to steal mail from collection boxes and commit more than $100,000 in bank fraud.
Tylann J. Starks, 30, of Swansea, was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail.
Tiara D. Johnson, 33, of Pontoon Beach, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail.
“I commend the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, for solving a difficult case by working with the public to get information, follow leads and piece together the investigation,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
The U.S. Postal Service uses specialized keys, commonly referred to as arrow keys, to service and open mail collection boxes. Arrow keys are labeled with serial numbers for tracking purposes.
“The sentencing in this case illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions,” stated Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. The Inspection Service is proud to work with our local, state, and federal partners to bring Mail Theft perpetrators to justice and prevent financial crimes targeting local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions.”
According to court documents, Starks purchased an arrow key from former postal employee Jackson to gain access to mail collection boxes throughout the Metro East. Agents conducted an undercover purchase of an additional arrow key from Jackson in exchange for $1,000.
Co-defendant Jamil Jackson, 52, is facing one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail, one count of theft of a specialized key to access US Postal receptacles, and one count of making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 13.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
Starks and Johnson searched collection boxes for checks to use bank account and personal identifying information from victims to cash and enrich themselves from February 2020 through February 2023. Jackson is also accused of stealing checks out of mail from his route and give to Starks to defraud. The conspirators used the stolen account information to generate counterfeit checks.
“This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
Starks and Johnson cashed, deposited or otherwise negotiated the stolen and counterfeit checks at area businesses, banks and ATM machines in Belleville, East St. Louis and O’Fallon.
There were at least 100 victims affected by the scheme with an estimated loss of more than $100,000.
Agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, contributed to the investigation. U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft is prosecuting the case.
Tigerton Man Sentenced for Shotgun Assault on a Postal CarrierRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 30, 2025, Benjamin L. Joos (age 44) of Tigerton, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for firing a shotgun at a U.S. Postal Carrier while she was on duty, injuring her and damaging her vehicle.
According to court records, the victim was delivering mail at approximately 3:00 p.m. on September 24, 2024, when she heard her passenger side window shatter and felt pain in her arms. She observed Joos holding a shotgun which was pointed at her. Joos was yelling “get away from my box” and “leave my mail alone.” The victim quickly left the area and notified law enforcement. By his own admission, Joos had consumed “4 to 5 whisky and cokes” prior to the incident. Hours later his blood alcohol level was determined to be 0.178 g/100ml, more than twice the legal limit for a presumption of intoxication.
At the sentencing hearing, Senior U.S. District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted Joos’s lack of criminal record, strong community engagement, and a positive work history. However, Judge Griesbach determined that the serious nature of the offense and the profound effect his actions had on the victim required a prison term. Following his 18-month prison sentence, Joos will serve 3 years on supervised release. He was also ordered to pay over $10,000 in restitution to the victim.
This case was investigated by the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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Three Charged with Trafficking Narcotics in the Naugatuck ValleyRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 10-count indictment today charging KEYSHON ZIMMERMAN, also known as “AJ,” “Ace,” and “Slick,” 39, of Stratford; ROBERT SMITH, also known as “Mookie,” 43, of Ansonia; and MAHOGANY PETTWAY-STOKES, 45, of Ansonia with offenses related to the trafficking of fentanyl and cocaine in the Naugatuck Valley.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI New Haven Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force determined that Zimmerman and Smith were distributing fentanyl, cocaine, and prescription opioids in Connecticut’s Lower Naugatuck Valley. Zimmerman and Smith shared a phone used to coordinate drug transactions. Zimmerman typically used the phone in the morning and early afternoon and Smith used the phone in the late afternoon into the evening. Between July 2024 and April 2025, investigators made multiple controlled purchase of narcotics from Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes.
Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes were arrested on April 23, 2025. It is alleged that as investigators entered Zimmerman’s residence on Main Street in Stratford, they located Zimmerman in a bathroom attempting to flush fentanyl in a toilet. In association with the arrests, a search of Zimmerman’s residence revealed a large quantity of unpackaged fentanyl and cocaine, drug processing and packaging materials, and approximately $21,000 in cash. Searches of two cars parked in Stratford and Ansonia used by Zimmerman revealed additional quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, narcotic pills, a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, and a 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine. A search of a residence shared by Smith and Pettway-Stokes on Wakelee Avenue in Ansonia revealed two handguns, and a search of an apartment on Olivia Street in Derby revealed narcotics processing and packaging materials, including a kilogram press.
The indictment charges Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes with one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and cocaine. As to this charge, based on the type and quantity of drug attributed to each defendant, Zimmerman faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Smith and Pettway-Stokes each faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
The indictment also charges Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes with multiple substantive counts related to the possession and distribution of controlled substances. Zimmerman is also charged with two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years on each count.
Zimmerman and Smith are currently detained and Pettway-Stokes is released on a $75,000 bond.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI New Haven Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force. The FBI Task Force includes participants from the Connecticut State Police and the North Haven, New Haven, East Haven, Milford, and Brookfield Police Departments, and the DEA Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Three ATF Agents Awarded for Victim Support during Jury Trial in Northern MississippiRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – Multiple agents in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were recognized yesterday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Mississippi for their dedication to supporting victims during a jury trial last month.
Special Agent David Erhart, Special Agent Jackson Price, and acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephen Bridgmon with the ATF were awarded the Carolyn Clayton Victims’ Service Award in observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week for going above and beyond with assisting victims throughout the prosecution of Korea McKay and forming relationships to build trust between the victim’s family and the government. This award is named for longtime victim’s rights advocate Carolyn Clayton.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Korea McKay, 44, shot and killed Davao Thomas on February 18, 2023. McKay killed Mr. Thomas after Mr. Thomas told him to slow down in the Kirby Estates apartment complex. Two shell casings were recovered at the scene.
A federal jury convicted McKay on March 26, 2025, for felon-in-possession of ammunition stemming from the homicide. He is set for sentencing on July 17, 2025. At the time McKay possessed the ammunition, he had multiple prior felony convictions, including convictions for assault of a police officer and a federal drug conviction. He faces up to 15-years imprisonment.
Soon after Mr. Thomas was shot and killed in Tunica County, SA David Erhart established a relationship with the victim’s family and maintained that relationship throughout the case.
SA Jackson Price and acting ASAC Stephen Bridgmon ensured that the victim’s family was able to attend the trial in Oxford and maintained a presence with the victims throughout the trial.
“These agents would be worthy of commendation just for their outstanding work in putting a violent killer behind bars, but their efforts went much further than that,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “These agents exemplified a victim-centered approach, ensuring that the victim’s family was treated with dignity and respect while providing a sense of security when attending the trial.”
“A federal investigation can be both complex and lengthy, especially if the crime is very devastating to the victims and their families, but safety of the victim is of utmost importance for ATF,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “We are very proud of our Special Agents for their excellent investigatory work, but also for their compassion for these victims. We also congratulate them on being honored with this award.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Stringfellow and Julie Addison are 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 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.
South Carolina Resident Sentenced in Connection with $1.4 Million Embezzlement and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Valerie Joseph, 61, of Murells Inlet, South Carolina, to 53 months in federal prison and 12 months of home detention. Joseph was convicted of wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in connection with a decade-long, $1.4 million embezzlement scheme. Judge Gallagher also ordered the defendant to pay $1.4 million in restitution.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
Beginning in January 2011, at the latest, and continuing into August 2021, Joseph, and her husband Robin, conspired to defraud Victim Business l and Victim K.F. According to court documents, from 2003 until August 2021, Valerie Joseph served as a bookkeeper for Victim Business 1, a wholesale greenhouse and garden center owned by Victim K.F., located in Caroline County, Maryland.
Valerie and Robin Joseph schemed to make unauthorized charges to three credit-card accounts —associated with Victim Business 1 and Victim K.F. — for personal gain. This included American Express and Capital One accounts, along with a Lowes/Synchrony financial account.
Routinely, for more than a decade, Valerie and Robin Joseph used credit cards associated with the victims’ accounts to make numerous unauthorized purchases. The theft included unauthorized credit-card charges for $200,000-plus at Walmart; $53,000-plus to AT&T for personal phone bills; $30,000-plus at a Japanese steak and seafood restaurant; and $116,000-plus to PayPal. Valerie and Robin Joseph charged more than $90,000 to Easton Utilities for utility bills; $16,000 to Chesapeake College for tuition payments; $2,500 to the University of Hawaii for college expenses; and $3,800 for cosmetics.
The couple also charged more than $195,000 to the Lowes Account. Several of the unauthorized Lowes account charges were to purchase materials and supplies to renovate their previous residence in Easton, Maryland.
Additionally, Valerie and Robin Joseph paid for airline tickets, cruises, Airbnb expenses, and hundreds of retailor gift cards using the victims’ account. The couple also used the victims’ account to pay more than $33,000 in veterinary expenses and charged various items related to their pets, including high-end bird cages for their tropical birds.
On April 25, 2025, Robin Joseph pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme. He is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud conspiracy and a mandatory two years for aggravated identity theft.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Riley who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Shiprock Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Violent AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 4 years in prison for a brutal attack that left the victim with life-threatening injuries.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on January 1, 2024, Tyrell Jordan Benally, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted Jane Doe at a residence in Shiprock, New Mexico. Benally repeatedly struck Jane Doe with a closed fist and strangled her until she lost consciousness. As a result, Jane Doe suffered serious bodily injury, including life-threatening injuries from the strangulation.
Upon his release from prison, Benally will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.
School official pleads guilty in $2.9M Scheme to defraud veterans’ education programsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The career services manager for a Virginia school offering job training programs to veterans pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of nearly $3 million.
According to court documents, Jeffrey Williams, 37, of Alexandria, used false records to defraud the VA of millions of dollars from approximately July 2022 to May 2024. During that time, the defendant was a career services manager at an educational institution offering veterans educational programs in cyber that could be paid for by the VA. As part of the scheme, Williams created fraudulent employment offer letters, falsified certifications, and forged veterans’ signatures to make it appear as if veterans had attained the meaningful employment needed for the educational institution to receive tuition payments from the government. Williams caused the submission of hundreds of false documents to the VA, claiming approximately $2.9 million in fraudulent tuition payments for at least 189 veterans.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17 and faces up to 20 years 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.
The VA Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-122.
School Official Pleads Guilty to 2.9M Scheme to Defraud Veterans’ Education ProgramsRead the Press Release
A Virginia career services manager for a school offering job training programs to veterans pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of nearly $3 million.
According to court documents, Jeffrey Williams, 37, of Alexandria, used false records to defraud the VA of millions of dollars from approximately July 2022 to May 2024. During that time, the defendant was a career services manager at an educational institution offering veterans educational programs in cyber that could be paid for by the VA. As part of the scheme, Williams created fraudulent employment offer letters, falsified certifications, and forged veterans’ signatures to make it appear as if veterans had attained the meaningful employment needed for the educational institution to receive tuition payments from the government. Williams caused the submission of hundreds of false documents to the VA, claiming approximately $2.9 million in fraudulent tuition payments for at least 189 veterans.
Williams pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The VA Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Robberies of Convenience Stores in Vinton Lead to Arrest and Conviction of Sunset ManRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Bracelon Armon Charles, 22, of Sunset, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to 155 months (12 years, 11 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to information presented in court, on or about October 6, 2023, Charles and a juvenile used a 2018 Kia which had been stolen from a residence in Lafayette, to drive to Vinton, Louisiana. Charles and the juvenile entered Tiger Mart, a gas station and convenience store located in Vinton, and entered the store brandishing firearms and demanded money from the store clerk. The clerk complied and gave them money from the cash register in the amount of $400. Charles and the juvenile immediately left the Tiger Mart.
Just minutes later, Charles and the juvenile entered More 4 Less, another gas station and convenience store in Vinton. As in the previous store just minutes before, Charles and the juvenile brandished their firearms and demanded money from the store clerk as they pointed their firearms at the clerk. The clerk complied and gave all the money in the cash drawer over to Charles and the juvenile, which was $400.
Charles and the juvenile then traveled into Texas where law enforcement officers engaged them in a high speed chase back into Louisiana where they were subsequently apprehended. Charles was charged in a federal indictment and pleaded guilty to using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren L. Gardner.
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Roanoke Man Sentenced for Killing Drug Supplier, Setting Body on FireRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man, who robbed, shot, and killed his drug supplier then later burned the body to conceal his crimes, was sentenced yesterday to 35 years in federal prison.
Joseph Richard Walker, 30, pled guilty in February to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence.
A second man, Garrett Isaac Williams, has also pled guilty to related charges and is awaiting sentencing.
According to court documents, from about December 2021, to about April 17, 2023, Walker engaged in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana with Williams. Beginning no later than January 2023, both Walker and Williams acquired marijuana and marijuana wax from E.B., who would travel from Pennsylvania to meet the pair at Walker' s residence in Roanoke, Virginia.
At some point in April 2023, Williams owed E.B. a large sum of money for marijuana that had been fronted. After having difficulty reaching Williams to discuss this debt, E.B. attempted to contact Walker, but inadvertently called Walker's mother instead.
This phone call caused Walker and Williams to set in motion a plan to end their relationship with E.B. However, instead of paying E.B. the money that was owed, they planned to order more marijuana from E.B., rob E.B. of that marijuana when he made the delivery, and in so doing, scare him from returning to Virginia.
After receiving the "order" from Williams, on April 17, 2023, E.B. traveled from Pennsylvania to Walker's residence in Roanoke, bringing with him approximately ten pounds of marijuana and two pounds of marijuana wax. Prior to E.B.'s arrival, Walker concealed on his person a Sig Sauer, model 1911, .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol, intending to use it in the robbery. Upon E.B.'s arrival, Walker confronted E.B. about the phone call to Walker's mother. This resulted in a brief verbal exchange and was followed by Walker committing the robbery against E.B., during which Walker shot E.B. twice, resulting in his death. To conceal the crime, Walker dragged E.B. 's body out of his residence, placed it in the trunk of E.B. 's car, and then drove the car out to Bedford County, Virginia, where he set it on fire. Prior to departing his residence in E.B.'s car, Walker took the marijuana that E.B. had brought with him.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Virginia State Police, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Roanoke City Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Roanoke City Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, the City of Lynchburg Police Department, and the Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office investigated the case.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division and Col. Matthew D. Hanley, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, announced the sentence today.
The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, comprised of officers from the Roanoke City Police Department, Roanoke County Police Department, City of Salem Virginia Police Department, the Vinton Police Department, and Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Salem Field Office, also aided in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Coleman Adams and Kelly J. McGann are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman.
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).
Real Estate Developer Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Embezzling Millions from the Failed Washington Federal Bank in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago has sentenced a real estate developer to more than six years in prison for participating in a conspiracy that embezzled millions of dollars from the failed Washington Federal Bank for Savings in Chicago.
Washington Federal, which was based in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood, was shut down in 2017 after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency determined that the bank was insolvent and had at least $66 million in nonperforming loans. For more than a decade, developer MIROSLAW KREJZA was part of a conspiracy that embezzled millions of dollars in bank funds. The embezzled funds were disguised as purported real estate development loan disbursements to Krejza and others. The conspirators were not required to repay these purported loans, and they never did.
A federal jury in 2023 convicted Krejza, 67, of Chicago, of conspiring to commit embezzlement and falsify bank records, and aiding and abetting embezzlement by bank employees. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall sentenced Krejza to six years and eight months in prison and ordered him to pay more than $2 million in restitution.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Vincent R. Zehme, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General; Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Machelle L. Jindra, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General in Chicago; Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago; Korey Brinkman, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General; Andrea Peacock, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General; Deborah Witzburg, City of Chicago Inspector General; and Kathryn B. Richards, Chicago Housing Authority Inspector General. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Trustee Program. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Petersen, Kristin Pinkston, and Jeffrey Snell, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Netols.
The federal investigation into the collapse of Washington Federal led to criminal charges against 16 defendants, including the bank’s Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and other high-ranking employees, for conspiring to embezzle at least $31 million in bank funds. Krejza and three others were convicted after jury trials, while ten defendants pleaded guilty and two entered into deferred prosecution agreements.
Much of the embezzled money was transferred to Chicago attorney ROBERT M. KOWALSKI, real estate developer MAREK MATCZUK, and other individuals outside the bank without all of the required documentation and often without any documentation whatsoever. A jury convicted Robert Kowalski on bankruptcy fraud, bank embezzlement, and tax charges, while Matczuk was convicted of conspiring to commit embezzlement and falsify bank records, as well as aiding and abetting embezzlement by bank employees. Judge Kendall last year sentenced Robert Kowalski to 25 years in federal prison and Matczuk to nearly 13 years.
Robert Kowalski’s sister, JAN R. KOWALSKI, also an attorney, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than three years in prison for fraudulently enabling her brother to conceal more than $357,000 from creditors and the trustee in his bankruptcy case.
Three former members of Washington Federal’s Board of Directors pleaded guilty to conspiring to falsify bank records to deceive the OCC. WILLIAM M. MAHON was sentenced to 18 months in prison; GEORGE F. KOZDEMBA was sentenced to a year in prison; and JANICE M. WESTON was sentenced to three months in prison.
President of Masonry Contractor Admits Conspiring to Bribe Amtrak Employee in Exchange for Millions of Dollars in Extra Work on 30th Street Station Project, Making a False ClaimRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mark Snedden, 69, of Munster, Indiana, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and making and presenting a false claim.
The defendant was charged by information with those offenses last month.
As presented in the information, on or about December 10, 2015, a masonry restoration contractor (the “Contractor”) was awarded a $58,473,000 contract by Amtrak to be the main contractor on a façade repair and restoration project at Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.
Federal funding supplied approximately 90 percent of the money Amtrak used to pay the Contractor for the repair and restoration of the 30th Street Station façade.
The defendant was the sole owner and President of the Contractor with responsibility to provide executive oversight of the Vice Presidents of the Contractor and the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project.
Donald Seefeldt, Lee Maniatis, and Khaled Dallo, each charged elsewhere, were Vice Presidents of the Contractor, with responsibility to supervise the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project.
Amtrak Employee #1 was employed by Amtrak as the Project Manager on the repair and restoration project. In that capacity, Amtrak Employee #1 was responsible for communicating with the Contractor about the work being done on 30th Street Station. Amtrak Employee #1 was also responsible for reviewing the invoices, change orders, and requests for payment that the Contractor submitted to Amtrak. Amtrak Employee #1 had the power to approve or reject these invoices, change orders, and requests for payment. Although Amtrak Employee #1 did not have the singular authority to approve Amtrak payments to the Contractor, his approval was a critical step in that process.
The contract between Amtrak and the Contractor prohibited Snedden and other Contractor officials from “offer[ing] to any Amtrak employee, agent, or representative any cash, gift, entertainment, commission, or kickback for the purpose of securing favorable treatment with regard to award or performance of any contract or agreement.”
As detailed in the information and admitted to by the defendant, from in or about May 2016 through in or about November 2019, in Philadelphia, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and elsewhere, the defendant conspired and agreed with others known and unknown to the United States Attorney, including Amtrak Employee #1, Lee Maniatis, Khaled Dallo, and Donald Seefeldt, to commit an offense against the United States, that is, to knowingly and corruptly give, offer, and agree to give, a thing of value to Amtrak Employee #1, intending to influence and reward Amtrak Employee #1 in connection with any business, transaction and series of transactions.
Specifically, the information alleges, Donald Seefeldt, Lee Maniatis, Khaled Dallo, and others known to the United States Attorney, with Snedden’s knowledge and agreement, provided Amtrak Employee #1 with gifts and other things of value totaling approximately $323,686, including, among other things, paid vacations, jewelry, cash, dinners, entertainment, a dog, training for that dog, and transportation, to ensure that Amtrak Employee #1 used his power and influence to benefit the Contractor during the performance of the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project.
In return for these gifts and other things of value, Amtrak Employee #1 used his position at Amtrak to access internal agency information available only to Amtrak employees about the 30th Street Station Project and shared this internal information with the defendant and other officials with the Contractor.
The information further alleges that Amtrak Employee #1 used his position at Amtrak to approve additional, more expensive changes to the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project, thereby increasing the amount and value of the work to be performed by the Contractor. These additional expenses were reflected in a series of change orders or contract modifications. In total, Amtrak Employee #1 approved over $52 million of additional payments from Amtrak to the Contractor. Amtrak Employee #1 and officials with the Contractor falsely inflated the true costs of some of the work to be performed by the Contractor under these change orders, causing Amtrak to be substantially overbilled by over $2 million for the completion of the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project.
Snedden is scheduled to be sentenced on August 13 and faces a maximum possible term of 10 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.
Postal Employee Guilty of Destruction of U.S. MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that JORRY HARRISON (“HARRISON”), age 38, of Houma, Louisiana, pled guilty April 24, 2025 to Destruction of Mail, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 1703(a).
According to court documents, on or about October 25, 2023, HARRISON, while employed as a Postal Service employee, unlawfully opened packages, intended to be conveyed by mail, that had come into his possession while he worked on a Small Parcel and Bundle Sorter. Sentencing in this case is set for July 31, 2025.
At sentencing, HARRISON faces up to five (5) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Calogero and Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
Pinehill Man Receives 27 and a Half Year Prison Sentence for Fatal Family ShootingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Pinehill man was sentenced today to 27and a half years in prison for a fatal family shooting.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on the morning of December 22, 2023, Ellery Brent Yazzie, 38, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, fatally shot his father and brother, shot and seriously injured his sister, and tried to shoot his mother in their family home. Yazzie then attempted to take his own life, but he survived.
Upon his release from prison, Yazzie will be subject to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin L. Dillon and Jena Ritchey are prosecuting the case.
Paterson Man with Multiple Felony Convictions Admits to Illegally Possessing Firearms, Ammunition, Fentanyl, and CocaineRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Paterson, New Jersey man admitted to illegally possessing two firearms and ammunition, possessing fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute, and distributing cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alina Habba.
Lamont Baker, 33, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to four counts of a Superseding Indictment charging him with one count of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute, and two counts of distribution of cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On September 14, 2022 and September 20, 2022, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of cocaine from Baker. On those dates, Baker traveled from his residence to a predetermined location to sell cocaine.
On September 29, 2022, law enforcement searched Baker’s residence and car, and recovered two firearms (including one with a defaced serial number), ammunition (including hollow point rounds), fentanyl, and cocaine, along with several hundred dollars in U.S. currency and materials used to package, store, and transport drugs for distribution. In 2008, Baker was convicted for his participation in a robbery and in 2021, he was convicted of aggravated assault with a firearm.
The count of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Each count of possession of fentanyl and cocaine with intent to distribute, and distribution of cocaine, carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for September 17, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr. for the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
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.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.
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Defense counsel: Christopher Adams, Newark, N.J.
baker.indictment.pdfPrairieville Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Federal Prison for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Darryl Felder, age 43, of Prairieville, Louisiana, to 121 months in federal prison following his conviction for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Felder must serve five years of supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment. The Court also ordered Felder to register as a sex offender upon his release.
In announcing the sentence, the Court stated that the conduct for which Felder was convicted after a trial in September 2024 warranted the lengthy term of imprisonment imposed. As the evidence at trial demonstrated, over an 8-day period in January 2023, Felder enticed an undercover agent whom he believed to be 15 years old, to engage in sexual activity using cell phones and the internet.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation for the Office of the Attorney General and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul L. Pugliese and Stephen Vick.
Owner of Kansas City Healthcare Company Sentenced for Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Stillwell, Ks., man was sentenced in federal court on April 29, 2025, for bankruptcy fraud related to his healthcare company.
William L. Said, 62, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 21 months in prison without parole. The court also ordered Said to pay $85,000 in restitution, which was paid at the time of sentencing.
On Oct. 1, 2024, Said plead guilty to one count of bankruptcy fraud. Said admitted that he fraudulently transferred and concealed assets in a bankruptcy case.
Said was the owner, president, and officer in charge of Restorative Brain Clinic, Inc., which provided Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation services. Restorative Brain Clinic, Inc. filed a voluntary bankruptcy case in July 2021. A debtor-in-possession account was established as part of the bankruptcy. Restorative Brain Clinic’s operating funds were stored in the debtor-in-possession account and Said was the only authorized person who had access to the account.
In Sept. 2021, the United States Trustee for Region 13, which includes the Western District of Missouri, filed a motion to convert Restorative Brain Clinic’s bankruptcy to a Chapter 7 liquidation case based on gross mismanagement of the estate and a continuing loss or diminution of assets of the estate. On Oct. 14, 2021, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis R. Dow presided over an evidentiary hearing on the conversion motion. At the conclusion of evidence, Judge Dow granted the motion to convert the case to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and found there was mismanagement of assets, self-dealing, and inadequate corporate controls, among other issues. Judge Dow ordered the United States Trustee to appoint a Chapter 7 trustee to identify assets to pursue for unsecured creditors. The hearing concluded at 4:12 p.m.
Minutes after the conversion hearing, where Said was displaced as the fiduciary of the bankruptcy estate and the Bankruptcy Court ordered that Said no longer had control over Restorative Brain Clinic’s assets, Said initiated several wire transfers of money from the debtor-in-possession account. At 4:16 p.m., Said wired $5,000 to his own bank account from the debtor-in-possession account. At 4:25 p.m., Said initiated a wire transfer for $12,400 from the debtor-in-possession account to the bank account of a shareholder in Restorative Brain Clinic. Said also wired $16,300 to a medical staffing company and attempted to wire $5,760 to Restorative Brain Clinic’s landlord. The debtor-in-possession account was frozen before the funds to pay the landlord left the account.
Said also admitted to selling leased medical equipment. Restorative Brain Clinic leased medical equipment manufactured by AB Sciex, LLC in 2018. Said was also the owner of Cox Scientific, which sold medical equipment. In 2019, Cox Scientific agreed to sell AB Sciex medical equipment to a California company. Said sent an electronic invoice to the owner of the California company. The invoice contained a description of the equipment Said was selling along with an itemized list of the equipment’s components, which included a unique serial number for each component. The list of components Said sent to the California company were the same components leased by Restorative Brain Clinic. Said admitted that he scratched out and altered serial numbers on the AB Sciex equipment to conceal he was selling equipment through Cox Scientific that was being rented by Restorative Brain Clinic, Said. Then, Said used the altered serial numbers on the invoice to the California company.
The California company paid $85,000 for the AB Sciex equipment that Said sold to them and which Said did not own.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley Cooper and Adam Miller. It was investigated by the FBI and the United States Trustee for Region 13.
Owner of Chicago-Area Convenience Stores Convicted of Defrauding Low-Income Food Program for Women and ChildrenRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted the owner of several Chicago-area convenience stores of scheming to defraud a low-income food program for women and children.
HASSAN ABDELLATIF, also known as “Eric,” 36, of Chicago, was convicted of all five counts against him, including two counts of wire fraud, one count of fraudulently obtaining government benefits, and two counts of willfully failing to file corporate tax returns. The jury returned its verdicts on Monday after a week-long trial in federal court in Chicago. U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso set sentencing for Aug. 26, 2025.
Evidence at trial revealed that Abdellatif, who owned or operated El Milagro Mini Market, Supermercado El Grande, Star Mini Market, In & Out Grocery, and Harding Grocery, schemed with eight other store owners or workers to fraudulently redeem checks from the Women, Infants, and Children (“WIC”) program, a federally funded initiative designed to provide a nutritious diet to moderate and low-income infants, children up to five years of age, and pregnant, breastfeeding, and post-partum women. Over a period of several years, Abdellatif and the others knowingly allowed customers to provide their WIC checks as payment for ineligible items at the stores, often at inflated prices. Abdellatif and a co-defendant redeemed more than $6.5 million in WIC checks at two of the stores alone, before law enforcement searched those premises and shut down the fraud scheme.
The evidence established that ten stores involved in the scheme redeemed more than $19 million in WIC checks over an eight-year period. All eight of Abdellatif’s co-defendants pleaded guilty prior to his trial.
The convictions were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Shantel R. Robinson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Midwest Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kartik Raman, Rick Young, and Matthew Moyer.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 130 Months for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Nathanial A. Lazanis, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 30, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for distribution of child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Lazanis to 130 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Lazanis’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Lazanis was also ordered to pay restitution of $3,000 to each of three identified victims.
On September 25, 2023, a Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) investigator conducted an online investigation on the BitTorrent network for offenders sharing child pornography. Using a computer running BitTorrent investigative software, the investigator directly connected to a device at Lazanis’s address and downloaded files Lazanis’s device made available. Two of those files contained child pornography. NSP’s investigative software identified the IP address used by Lazanis’s device and learned it came back to Lazanis’s residence in Omaha.
On October 24, 2023, NSP served a search warrant at Lazanis’s residence and seized his electronic devices for forensic examination. After agreeing to speak with investigators, Lazanis admitted using the BitTorrent network to search for and download child pornography. Investigators found the BitTorrent client on Lazanis’s computer to be actively downloading child pornography when searching his home. Investigators forensically extracted and analyzed Lazanis’s electronic devices. The device extractions revealed Lazanis possessed at least 3,828 child pornography image files and 256 child pornography video files. The files included pornographic images and videos involving prepubescent children, including toddlers, adults having sex with children, and depictions of masochistic conduct.
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 Attorney’s 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.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
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Ocean County Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Receiving and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey man was sentenced to 180 months in prison for receiving and distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Christopher Budelman, 37, Brick, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to an information charging him with two counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. Judge Quraishi imposed the sentence in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In or around June 2022, while communicating via an online video chat site, Budelman enticed two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct while he sexually pleasured himself. Budelman recorded and saved those video chats on his computer. Additionally, from in or around September 2021 to in or around June 2022, Budelman used two Kik Messenger accounts to send images and videos containing child pornography, including images and videos depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, to others.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Budelman to 10 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Atlantic City, New Jersey, under the direction of Special-Agent-in-Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark; the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, under the direction of Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer; New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan; and Brick Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Forrester, with the investigation leading to this sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Super Pitts of the Criminal Division in Trenton.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Defense counsel: John Bruno, Jr., Esq.
New Britain Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AKEEM MANOO, 34, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, and for committing the offense while on supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 26, 2016, Manoo was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 120 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for his participation in a gang-related narcotics trafficking conspiracy. He was released from federal prison in November 2022. On May 11, 2023, Manoo was arrested after Hartford Police stopped his vehicle and found him in possession of nearly a half-kilogram of cocaine.
Manoo pleaded guilty on October 30, 2024.
Judge Oliver sentenced Manoo to 68 months of imprisonment for the cocaine distribution offense, and an additional 16 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe.
Mexican citizen sentenced for illegally reentering the country for third timeRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 42-year-old man from Aldamas, Tamaulipas, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of illegal reentry into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Alfredo Balderas-Rivera pleaded guilty Aug. 29, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Balderas-Rivera to serve 50 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, Balderas-Rivera also admitted he violated his supervised release for his original offense of illegal reentry. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his prior criminal record and that there is no excuse or reasoning to enter the United States illegally.
Balderas-Rivera has a conviction for illegal reentry. He was first removed in 2016 with a subsequent removal in 2018 and 2023.
Authorities found Balderas-Rivera in Cameron County March 30, 2024. He had been in custody for allegedly committing fraud and assault bodily injury.
Balderas-Rivera admitted he was a citizen of Mexico who had entered the United States illegally in March 2024. He had no immigration documents to be legally present or remain in the United States.
Balderas-Rivera has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Mexican National and Convicted Felon Sentenced to Prison After Attempting to Traffic Narcotics into UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Gabriel Alexis Perez-Espinoza, 29, a Mexican national, and convicted felon living in the United States illegally, was sentenced today to 70 months’ imprisonment followed by three years’ supervised release after he was attempting to traffic a large amount of methamphetamine and heroin into the District of Utah.
The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart, comes after Perez-Espinoza pleaded guilty on January 16, 2025, to possession of heroin with intent to distribute.
According to court documents and statements made at Perez-Espinoza’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on August 3, 2021, as part of an investigation, Utah County Sheriff deputies stopped a Ford F-150 near Spanish Fork Canyon, Utah, that Perez-Espinoza was driving. Subsequently, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized approximately 4,446 grams of methamphetamine and 1,227.7 grams of heroin stored in a secret compartment attached to the underside of the vehicle. Perez-Espinoza was taken into custody. Leading up to Perez-Espinoza’s arrest, DEA agents, working in an undercover capacity, were in contact with him via cell phone and communicated about the purchase of large amounts of narcotics.
Additionally, according to court documents, in 2020, Perez Espinoza was convicted for reentry of a previously removed alien and has been deported from the United States on six previous occasions between 2015 and 2020.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office works hand in hand with our law enforcement partners to reduce the scourge of dangerous narcotics and violence in our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Thanks to this collaborative effort, we were able to successfully seize lethal drugs from potentially being distributed in our communities and prosecute the responsible offender who was in the United States illegally.”
“This is another example of DEA Special Agents working closely with our local and federal partners to ensure we get dangerous drugs being trafficked in Utah out of our neighborhoods,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen. “Our thanks and appreciation to the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Utah, for holding this defendant accountable for his actions.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Valuable assistance was provided by the Utah County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielsen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted 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.
Mexican National with Three Prior Deportations Charged for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national made his initial court appearance Tuesday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after being removed from the country on three prior occasions.
Audencio Vazquez-Calletano, 31, is charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 13, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Elayna J. Youchah.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint and statements made during court proceedings, Vazquez-Calletano is a citizen and national of Mexico who was previously deported and removed from the United States on May 13, 2011, February 22, 2012, and June 21, 2024, and reentered the United States illegally on or before April 14, 2025.
The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) arrested Vazquez-Calletano near Searchlight, Nevada, on April 14, 2025. Vazquez-Calletano unsuccessfully tried to flee CBP apprehension. Vazquez-Calletano has a prior felony conviction for Take Vehicle Without Owner’s Consent/Vehicle Theft, in Santa Barbara County, California.
If convicted, Lopez Munoz faces the maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Mexican National Charged with Possession of Child Pornography While Attempting to Enter the United StatesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Alan Xavier Cabrera, 27, of Mexico, was arrested on April 25, 2025, and charged by criminal complaint for Possession of Child Pornography.
According to the complaint, on April 25, 2025, Cabrera applied for entry into the United States at the port of entry in San Luis, Arizona with a B1/B2 travel visa. Based on Cabrera’s behavior, agents examined his cell phone and identified numerous images of child pornography, also known as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The material included images and videos that appeared to depict minors under the age of ten years old engaged in sexual acts on adult males.
A conviction for Possession of Child Pornography carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, and a term of supervised release up to life.
A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Homeland Security Investigations is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-01524MJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-066_Cabrera# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Mexican Man Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry of a Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ActingU.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JESUS MALDONADO-LOPEZ (“MALDONADO-LOPEZ”), age 38, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on April 15, 2025, for reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(b)(1).
According to court documents, MALDONADO-LOPEZ, an illegal alien with a prior felony conviction for transporting illegal aliens within the United States, was found in the New Orleans area on or around July 29, 2024. MALDONADO-LOPEZ had previously been deported to Mexico on May 29, 2008.
MALDONADO-LOPEZ was sentenced to one year of probation by United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
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Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 8 Months for Illegally Reentering the United States After Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Rafael Cruz-Hernandez, 39, a citizen of Mexico found in Monroe County, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 8 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after having previously been removed. Cruz-Hernandez pleaded guilty to this charge on February 25, 2025.
On December 23, 2023, Cruz-Hernandez was arrested in Monroe County, Wisconsin for a domestic abuse offense. This was his second arrest for a domestic offense. He was originally removed from the United States in 2010, following a conviction for third degree sexual assault.
In choosing an 8-month sentence, Judge Conley considered Cruz-Hernandez’s criminal history and his recent domestic arrests and injunction, along with Cruz-Hernandez’s consistent employment and the outpouring support from his family and friends. Judge Conley noted that he lacks the authority to release Cruz-Hernandez into the community and that he poses a risk of unlawfully returning to the United States. Judge Conley advised him that should he return, he could face higher penalties.
The charge against Cruz-Hernandez was the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Sparta Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case.
Mesa Man Indicted for Torching Tesla PropertyRead the Press Release
Today, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a five-count indictment against Ian William Moses, 35, of Mesa, Arizona for Maliciously Damaging Property and Vehicles in Interstate Commerce by Means of Fire.
The charging documents filed in the case allege that Moses was at the Tesla dealership in Mesa shortly before 2 a.m. on Monday, April 28, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, tan ballcap, grey pants, black boots, and a black mask. He also carried a red plastic gas can and a black backpack. While in the Tesla parking lot, Moses was captured on video as he placed fire starter logs next to the dealership building. Moses then poured gasoline onto the starter logs, the building, and three Tesla vehicles. At around 1:38 a.m., Moses ignited the starter logs, causing a fire that destroyed a silver Tesla Cybertruck. Video shows Moses leaving the dealership on a dark colored bicycle shortly thereafter.
Mesa police officers arrested Moses approximately a quarter mile from the Tesla dealership at around 3 a.m., still dressed in the same clothes as he was seen wearing at the scene. After his arrest, officers found a hand drawn map of the area in Moses’ pocket, which included a box with the letter “T” marking the dealership’s location.
“If you engage in domestic terrorism, this Department of Justice will find you, follow the facts, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “No negotiating.”
“ATF’s Special Agents and forensic investigators, working with the FBI and local partners, quickly recovered and analyzed critical evidence following this deliberate attack,” said ATF Acting Director Dan Driscoll. “This attack poses a serious threat to public safety and the ATF remains committed to aggressively pursuing anyone who endangers our communities through violence or destruction.”
“There is nothing American about burning down someone else’s business because you disagree with them politically,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona. “These ongoing attacks against Tesla are not protests, they are acts of violence that have no place in Arizona or anywhere else. If someone targets Tesla with violence, they will be found and confronted with the full force of the law.”
“I would like to recognize the dedicated work of the Mesa Police and Mesa Fire Departments on this case,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Brendan Iber. “Cooperation with our law enforcement partners acts as a multiplier in our efforts to remove violent criminals from the streets and make our communities safer. The professionalism and extensive investigative knowledge of the police and fire investigators within our arson taskforce cannot be overstated.”
“My office will be engaged in this investigation, and I’m pleased to be able to share our expertise,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “We have a high level of success in prosecuting these types of crimes. My office stands ready to assist our federal law enforcement partners in the prosecution of this individual.”
“I would like to recognize the outstanding efforts of the Superstition District Patrol officers who played a crucial role in this investigation. Their swift action in identifying and monitoring the suspicious van parked near the dealership was critical to the success of this operation. I am truly grateful for their diligent police work,” said Mesa Police Chief Ken Cost. “Special thanks also go to the Mesa Police specialty units and the partnering agencies involved. Your collaboration was instrumental in bringing this suspect to justice and enhancing the safety of our community.”
Each count of conviction for Malicious Damage to Property in Interstate Commerce carries a minimum penalty of five years and up to a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The investigation in this case is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, Mesa Police Department, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond K. Woo, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mesa Man Indicted for Torching Tesla PropertyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On April 30, 2025, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a 5-count indictment against Ian William Moses, 35, of Mesa, Arizona for Maliciously Damaging Property and Vehicles in Interstate Commerce by Means of Fire.
The charging documents filed in the case allege that Moses was at the Tesla dealership in Mesa shortly before 2 a.m. on Monday, April 28, 2025, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, tan ballcap, grey pants, black boots, and a black mask. He also carried a red plastic gas can and a black backpack. While in the Tesla parking lot, Moses was captured on video as he placed fire starter logs next to the dealership building. Moses then poured gasoline onto the starter logs, the building, and three Tesla vehicles. At around 1:38 a.m., Moses ignited the starter logs, causing a fire that destroyed a silver Tesla Cybertruck. Video shows Moses leaving the dealership on a dark colored bicycle shortly thereafter.
Mesa police officers arrested Moses approximately a quarter mile from the Tesla dealership at around 3 a.m., still dressed in the same clothes as he was seen wearing at the scene. After his arrest, officers found a hand drawn map of the area in Moses’ pocket, which included a box with the letter “T” marking the dealership’s location.
“If you engage in domestic terrorism, this Department of Justice will find you, follow the facts, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “No negotiating.”
“ATF’s Special Agents and forensic investigators, working with the FBI and local partners, quickly recovered and analyzed critical evidence following this deliberate attack,” said ATF Acting Director Dan Driscoll. “This attack poses a serious threat to public safety and the ATF remains committed to aggressively pursuing anyone who endangers our communities through violence or destruction.”
“There is nothing American about burning down someone else’s business because you disagree with them politically,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “These ongoing attacks against Tesla are not protests, they are acts of violence that have no place in Arizona or anywhere else. If someone targets Tesla with violence, they will be found and confronted with the full force of the law.”
“I would like to recognize the dedicated work of the Mesa Police and Mesa Fire Departments on this case,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Brendan Iber. “Cooperation with our law enforcement partners acts as a multiplier in our efforts to remove violent criminals from the streets and make our communities safer. The professionalism and extensive investigative knowledge of the police and fire investigators within our arson taskforce cannot be overstated.”
“My office will be engaged in this investigation, and I’m pleased to be able to share our expertise,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “We have a high level of success in prosecuting these types of crimes. My office stands ready to assist our federal law enforcement partners in the prosecution of this individual.”
“I would like to recognize the outstanding efforts of the Superstition District Patrol officers who played a crucial role in this investigation. Their swift action in identifying and monitoring the suspicious van parked near the dealership was critical to the success of this operation. I am truly grateful for their diligent police work,” said Mesa Police Chief Ken Cost. “Special thanks also go to the Mesa Police specialty units and the partnering agencies involved. Your collaboration was instrumental in bringing this suspect to justice and enhancing the safety of our community.”
Each count of conviction for Malicious Damage to Property in Interstate Commerce carries a minimum penalty of 5 years and up to a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation in this case is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, Mesa Police Department, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond K. Woo, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-8272MJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-068_Moses# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.