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Friday 25 April 2025
Hopkinsville Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A federal grand jury in Paducah returned an indictment on March 11, 2025, charging a Hopkinsville, Kentucky man with distributing methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jason Newby of the Hopkinsville Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Tommy Powers, 41, was charged with two counts of distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine in Christian County, Kentucky on October 11, 2014, and October 15, 2024.
The defendant made his initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered the defendant detained pending trial. If convicted, Powers faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the DEA Paducah Post of Duty Office, the ATF Bowling Green Field Office, and the Hopkinsville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Hopkinsville Felon Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Distributing Cocaine and Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A federal grand jury in Paducah returned an indictment on March 11, 2025, charging a Hopkinsville, Kentucky man with distributing cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jason Newby of the Hopkinsville Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, DeMarcus McCarley, 41, was charged with distributing a cocaine mixture and being a felon in possession of a firearm. On May 15, 2024, McCarley, possessed a Glock, model 22 Gen. 4, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. McCarley is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On or about August 4, 2010, in Christian Circuit Court, McCarley was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine.
On or about December 15, 2009, in Christian Circuit Court, McCarley was convicted on 2 counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine.
On or about January 15, 2015, in Christian Circuit Court, McCarley was convicted on 4 counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine, less than four grams.
The defendant made his initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered the defendant detained pending trial. If convicted, McCarley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the DEA Paducah Post of Duty Office, ATF Bowling Green Field Office, and the Hopkinsville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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High-seas mariners sentenced to a decade in prison for violating Maritime Drug Law Enforcement ActRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two Nicaraguan nationals were sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute over two tons of marijuana on the high seas, in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, on board a stateless vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Sept. 27, 2023, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific, a maritime patrol aircraft located a go-fast vessel (GFV) in international waters 97 nautical miles southwest of Malpelo Island, Colombia. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) James (WSML 754), a National Security Cutter, was patrolling nearby and maneuvered to intercept the GFV.
After requesting and receiving authority, Cutter James launched a helicopter, which first attempted to contact the GFV on a maritime channel, then activated its blue warning lights, fired three warning shots across the bow, and, as the vessel failed to yield, engaged a precision gunner to disable the GFV’s engines.
A boarding team launched from the Cutter James and found three individuals onboard, including Maximo Zacarias, 43, Ismael Alexis Martinez, 30, and Bernacio Solares Ramon, 31. The boarding team determined the GFV, El Tanque, was without nationality. The team was authorized to recover 74 bales of marijuana, weighing a total of 4,610 pounds, and a five-gallon bucket containing electronics devices such as a GPS, SAT phone, ship-to-ship walkie-talkie, and other communication devices. Solares Ramon was in possession of paperwork with GPS coordinates for the routes of travel to near a Pacific island off the coast of Costa Rica.
Zacarias and Solares Ramon were convicted by a federal jury on Aug. 23, 2025.
Martinez pled guilty on Aug. 8 to possession with intent to distribute more than 1000 kilograms of marijuana on board a vessel. He was sentenced on Jan. 23 to two years and six months in prison.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Rear Admiral Joseph R. Buzzella, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes. The Maritime and Counternarcotics Unit within the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division provided substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin M. Comstock, Eric M. Hurt, and Joseph E. DePadilla 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.
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. 2:23-cr-129.
Halifax County Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Distributing Narcotics in Halifax CountyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Troy Covington, age 54, was sentenced Tuesday to 11 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine. Covington pleaded guilty to the charges on January 23, 2025.
According to court records and evidence presented at sentencing, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) conducted a series of controlled purchases from Covington from April 2023 to May 2024. Specifically, on July 20, 2023, HCSO conducted a purchase of more than 80 grams of pure methamphetamine from Covington using a confidential source of information. HCSO conducted another controlled purchase from Covington on September 28, 2023, where he sold seven grams of pure methamphetamine to the source. That same day, HCSO executed a search warrant at Covington’s house in Roanoke Rapids. As a result, HCSO located more than 700 grams of pure methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, drug packaging and distribution materials, a firearm, ammunition, and approximately $2,200 in U.S. Currency.
Covington has prior felony convictions for drug distribution, including possession with intent to distribute heroin from 2013 and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance in 2022. Additionally, Covington has a prior robbery with a dangerous weapon conviction from 2014.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, Roanoke Rapids Police Department and DEA investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Dixon prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 4:24-CR-00042 .
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Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry into the United States by A Previously Deported AlienRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Samuel Ortiz-Ordonez (24, Guatemala) has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. Ortiz-Ordonez faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison and subsequent deportation and removal from the United States. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, Ortiz-Ordonez was previously ordered to be removed from the United States on August 28, 2019. He was deported from the back to Guatemala on June 15, 2023. Ortiz-Ordonez has never applied to the Attorney General of the United States and/or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for permission to lawfully reenter the United States. On March 13, 2025, Ortiz-Ordonez was found voluntarily back in the United States in Jacksonville, where he was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. After being approached by ICE officers, Ortiz-Ordonez abandoned the vehicle that he was driving and fled on foot through a local residential neighborhood. After a brief chase, he was apprehended.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the United States Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and human trafficking.
Guam Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Lorina Ann Fejeran, aka Lori Leon Guerrero, age 55, from Dededo, Guam was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment. She was convicted in the U.S. District Court of Guam for Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or more Grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), and Engaging in Monetary Transactions with Proceeds of Specified Unlawful Activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(1)(1)(B)(i). The Court ordered that Fejeran forfeit $1,636.00 and pay a money judgment in the amount of $45,500.00. The money judgment represented money she wired to her supplier to pay for drugs. The Court also ordered three years of supervised release and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
On November 29, 2022, the United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted a suspicious package addressed to “Srgt. Vincent Fejeran.” The package contained 437 gross grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride with a purity of 98 percent. On December 1, 2022, Fejeran and co-defendant Jesse Fergurgur Belen attempted to receive the drugs. As law enforcement stopped Fejeran’s car, Jesse Fegurgur Belen grabbed the package and fled on foot. He abandoned the package in a residential yard before being arrested.
The investigation revealed that Fejeran communicated with her drug supplier using WhatsApp and received three prior drug packages containing methamphetamine. Fejeran wired or had others wire over $45,000.00 to her supplier or his nominee using MoneyGram. At the time of her arrest, she possessed $1,636 in illegal proceeds from drug sales. Fejeran admitted that she recruited Jesse Fegurgur Belen to receive “dope” as well to “make some cash” in exchange for assisting her in picking up the package.
Jesse Fergurgur Belen, was previously sentenced in this matter to 105 months in federal prison for Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Fifty or more Grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release, forfeiture of $1,636, 50 hours of community service, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
“This case demonstrates the substantial penalties a drug trafficker may face in federal court,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Even when evidence is insufficient to charge an individual, we will still remove illicit drugs from the mail to stop the supply to Guam. No community should suffer from this criminal activity.”
"The sentencing of Ms. Fejeran underscores HSI's commitment to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to keep drugs out of Guam,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “We recognize the severe harm illegal narcotics inflicts on communities and spare no effort in ensuring that those who contribute to drug trafficking are held accountable for their actions.”
“Dangerous controlled substances like methamphetamine put postal workers and our communities at risk. Postal inspectors will aggressively pursue anyone who uses the US Mail to transport and distribute deadly drugs,” said United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) San Francisco Division - Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood. “We thank our federal and local law enforcement partners, including Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, Guam Police Department, and the Guam National Guard Counterdrug Program for working with us to combat these crimes in the effort to make our communities a safer place to live and work.”
This investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations and United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Rosetta L. San Nicolas prosecuted the case in the District of Guam.
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.
Grand Jury for the District of NebraskaRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 22 unsealed Indictments charging 24 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Julius Phillips, age 40, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Phillips with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about November 21, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Phillips with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about November 21, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release not more than 3 years, and a $100 special assessment.
Jason Vorse, age 50, of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, is charged with possession of child pornography on or about October 28, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Jonnathan Ernesto Santos-Fuentes, age 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Santos-Fuentes with false representation of a social security number with intent to deceive on or about September 25, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Santos-Fuentes with use of false identification documents on or about September 25, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Santos-Fuentes with false claim to U.S. citizenship to obtain employment on or about September 25, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Pedro David Jaimes-Diaz, age 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Jaimes-Diaz with false representation of a social security number on or about June 5, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Jaimes-Diaz with use of immigration documents not lawfully issued on or about June 5, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Jaimes-Diaz with false claim to U.S. citizenship on or about June 5, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 3 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Walter Agustin Navarro-Santa Cruz, age 48, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Navarro-Santa Cruz with false representation of a social security number with intent to deceive on or about November 30, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Navarro-Santa Cruz with use of false identification documents on or about November 30, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Navarro-Santa Cruz with illegal reentry of a previously removed alien on or about March 21, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Edwin Abraham Navarro-Santacruz, age 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Navarro-Santacruz with false representation of a social security number on or about September 14, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Navarro-Santacruz with use of false claim to U.S. citizenship on or about September 14, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 3 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Patrick Campbell, age 41, of North Platte, Nebraska, is charged with acquiring a controlled substance by fraud beginning on or about March 1, 2023, to April 5, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not more than 4 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Ricardo Gutierrez-Castillo, age 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, Heleodoro Luviano-Cabrera, age 37, of Cypress, Texas, and Eric Luviano-Cabrera, age 40, of Cypress, Texas, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine beginning on or about December 28, 2024, and continuing to on or about January 3, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Nelson Geovani Santos-Parada, age 25, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Santos-Parada with use of a false identification document on or about June 23, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Santos-Parada with false representation of a social security number with intent to deceive on or about June 23, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Santos-Parada with false claim to U.S. citizenship on or about June 23, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 3 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Jose Dimas Escobar, age 45, of Fremont, Nebraska, is charged with false representation of a social security number on or about December 1, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not more than 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Jose Guadalupe De La Torre, age 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine beginning on or about February 20, 2025, and continuing to on or about April 3, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than 5-years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Jorge Leonardo Hernandez-Romero, age 35, of Gretna, Nebraska, is charged with money laundering conspiracy from on or about May 7, 2022, and continuing to on or about December 14, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States:
Paul Randolfo Gutierrez Gamez, age 40
Eliseo Israel Escobar Marroquin, age 32
Jorge Luis Mejia Narciso, age 23
Maximiliano Rolando Perez-Gomez, age 30
The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States following a felony conviction and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States:
Martin Silva Bravo, age 35
Ever Roberto Sauceda Castillo, age 37
Marcos Eliseo Tercero-Bautista, age 27
The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States following an aggravated felony conviction and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States:
Alfredo Hernandez Lopez, age 48
Roberto Lamadrid Campuzano, age 36
Luis Edgardo Herrera-Ramos, age 61
The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Amy Donato at 402-661-3700 for further information.
Gaffney Woman Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C. —Ashley Nicole Cromer, 39, of Gaffney, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.
Evidence before the court established that in the fall of 2023, Cromer conspired with Jonathan Willingham, another man charged in this conspiracy, to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Specifically, on Oct. 27, 2023, law enforcement conducted surveillance on Cromer during a trip to Atlanta, Georgia. Law enforcement stopped Cromer and searched her car, recovering approximately 5 kilograms of methamphetamine. Cromer’s phone was searched, connecting the drug trafficking conspiracy with Willingham. Cromer additionally collected fentanyl for the conspiracy.
Cromer faces a maximum of life in federal prison, a $10 million fine, and a maximum of lifetime supervision.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr., accepted the guilty plea and will sentence the defendant after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General, Greenville County Drug Enforcement Unit, and Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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Four Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Visa and Marriage FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has charged four individuals, Ella Zuran, 65, Tatiana Sigal, 74, and Alexandra Tkach, 41, all from New York City, New York — along with Shawnta Hopper, 33, of Sicklerville, New Jersey — with conspiracy to commit visa and marriage fraud.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, and Field Office Director Elizabeth Grant, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) – Baltimore Field Office.
“The defendants’ greed led them to concoct an illegal-marriage scheme that compromises the integrity of our immigration system,” Hayes said. “This indictment sends a clear message: the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who try to exploit our immigration system through fraud and deception.”
“Marriage fraud is not a victimless crime — it compromises the integrity of our immigration system, diverts critical resources, and erodes public trust in a process that countless individuals follow legally and in good faith,” McCarthy said. “These arrests mark a critical milestone in our broader effort to dismantle a criminal network that has sought to undermine our nation’s immigration laws. HSI remains committed to safeguarding the lawful immigration process and holding accountable those who seek to exploit it.”
“Some marriages are made in heaven. Some are just made up,” said USCIS Spokesperson Matthew Tragesser. “Our work with ICE crushed a marriage fraud ring where U.S. citizens were paid to marry aliens. Under Secretary Noem, fraudsters are walking out in handcuffs. Buying a spouse doesn’t make you a citizen.”
According to the indictment, the defendants induced United States citizens, residing in Maryland and elsewhere, to enter sham marriages with aliens living in the U.S. in exchange for payment. The defendants paired U.S. citizens with aliens seeking immigration benefits that the non-citizens were not entitled to, including permanent residency in the United States. The defendants then allegedly arranged for the preparation of false documentation to submit to USCIS and received money in exchange for arranging the fraudulent marriages.
If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in federal prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force and USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Unit – Baltimore for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Spencer Todd and Michael Aubin who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Four Defendants Sentenced for Violent Robbery of Hopkins Grocery StoreRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The fourth defendant in a Hobbs Act Robbery case has been sentenced to 34 months in federal prison for their role in an “inside job” armed robbery of a grocery and tobacco store, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, Darius Curtis Elam, 30, Ryan Michell Elam, 30, Katrice Rene Sanders, 32, and Kynesha Jhaunae Jones, 34, conspired together to rob the U.S. Grocery and Tobacco store in Hopkins, Minnesota. On February 15, 2024, Darius and Ryan Elam entered the store before 10:00 p.m., both armed with firearms. They bound three employees’ hands to their eyes with duct tape, demanded the code to the safe, and pistol-whipped the manager.
According to court documents, the robbery was planned over a period of two weeks. Jones worked at the store and provided details about the store layout and how cash was handled. Sanders helped plan and owned the getaway vehicle used after the robbery. The robbery resulted in a $45,000 total loss to the store.
Sanders was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court. Jones was previously sentenced to 32 months in prison; Darius Elam received a sentence of 112 months, and Ryan Elam was sentenced to 109 months. Each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, and all were sentenced by Judge Donovan W. Frank.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Hopkins Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.
Former Turkey Leg Hut owner indicted for arsonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 42-year-old Houston man has been taken into custody on charges of conspiracy to commit arson of a commercial building and conspiracy to use an interstate facility to commit arson of a vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Lyndell “Lynn” Price, former owner of the Turkey Leg Hut who now owns The Oyster Hut, is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo at 2 p.m. Also in custody and set to appear are Armani Williams, 27, and John Lee Price, 39, both also of Houston.
The indictment, returned April 8 and unsealed upon the arrests, alleges Price and others conspired to set fire to Bar 5015. The charges allege the owner of that bar was a former co-owner of the Turkey Leg Hut and Price’s business partner.
In early June 12, 2020, Price had allegedly recruited a group which included Williams, John Price and others. The charges allege Williams, John Price and others were involved in pouring gasoline at the entrance ramp before igniting a fire at Bar 5015. Lynn Price later provided payment to them, according to the charges.
Prior to the arson, the indictment alleges that in April 2020, Lynn Price also paid John Price and others to set fire to a stolen blue 1975 Chevy Nova.
Lynn Price and the others are charged with conspiracy to commit arson and arson and face up to 20 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Lynn Price and John Price are also charged with conspiracy to use an interstate facility to commit arson of a vehicle and could receive another five years as possible punishment, upon conviction.
The indictment remains sealed to those charged but not as yet in custody.
FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Arson Bureau conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and Harris County Constable’s Office – Precinct 4. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sebastian A. Edwards and Keri Fuller are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Former Trinidad ISD business manager sentenced to federal prison for theft from school districtRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – An Orange, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for theft from the Trinidad Independent School District, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Brandon Delane Looney, 39, pleaded guilty to theft from a program receiving federal funds and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on April 24, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Looney stole nearly $340,000 from Trinidad ISD between 2017 and 2023 while he served as Trinidad ISD’s business manager. Federal law makes it a crime for someone to steal from an organization receiving more than $10,000 in federal funds annually. Looney used the stolen funds to purchase personal trips to Walt Disney World and on spending sprees at the Disney Store. Trinidad ISD is one of the poorest school districts in Texas and suffered adverse financial consequences as a result of Looney’s theft.
Looney worked with the Financial Litigation Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to liquidate his available assets, including his home, to pay $200,000 of the restitution before sentencing. The remaining balance of the restitution judgment will be collectible for 20 years after the termination of Looney’s incarceration.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Tyler Field Office, with assistance from the Tyler Police Department and the Trinidad ISD. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Austin Wells.
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Former Taliban Commander Haji Najibullah Pleads Guilty to Hostage Taking and Providing Material Support for Acts of Terrorism Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that HAJI NAJIBULLAH, a/k/a “Najibullah Naim,” a/k/a “Abu Tayeb,” a/k/a “Atiqullah,” a/k/a “Nesar Ahmad Mohammad,” pled guilty to hostage taking and providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death in connection with NAJIBULLAH’s role in the hostage taking of an American journalist and two Afghan nationals in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2008 and 2009, and his leadership of Taliban fighters who carried out attacks on U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009, resulting in the deaths of American soldiers. NAJIBULLAH pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Haji Najibullah was a Taliban commander who committed acts of terrorism against U.S. servicemembers and civilians in Afghanistan. His vicious acts of terrorism included taking hostage multiple civilians and providing material support for attacks that resulted in the deaths of brave Americans. Najibullah committed his crimes in Afghanistan over 15 years ago, and now faces justice in an American courtroom. Today’s guilty plea serves as an emphatic reminder that this Office, and our law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue those who harm Americans through acts of terror, no matter where in the world they may be, and no matter how long it may take to achieve justice for their victims. I thank the career prosecutors of this Office, and our dedicated partners, for their work in holding Najibullah accountable for his heinous crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “For years, the FBI New York JTTF and our law enforcement partners tirelessly sought justice for the hostage taking of civilians, and also for the deaths of United States service members at the hands of Taliban fighters under Najibullah’s command. These terrorist attacks demonstrated utter disregard for humanity, and Najibullah finally admitted to his role in these premature deaths of our citizens. Today’s plea emphasizes the FBI New York JTTF’s unwavering resolve to disrupting all acts of terrorism and ensuring any individual who targets our country will be held accountable.”
As alleged in the charging instruments, court filings, and statements in the public record:
Between approximately 1996 and 2001, the Taliban controlled Afghanistan and harbored and supported terrorists, including terrorists involved in perpetrating the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S. After losing power in approximately October 2001 as a result of the U.S. and NATO-led invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban engaged in a deadly insurgency campaign to regain control of the country. Beginning in the early 2000s, as part of that campaign of violence, the Taliban conducted numerous suicide bombings, targeted killings, assassinations, improvised explosive device (“IED”) attacks, paramilitary ambushes, and hostage takings against the then-government of Afghanistan, U.S. military forces and their NATO and Afghan partners, and American civilians in Afghanistan.
Between in or around 2007 and 2009, NAJIBULLAH served as a Taliban commander in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province, which borders Kabul. During that time, Taliban fighters under NAJIBULLAH’s command carried out deadly attacks against American and NATO troops and their Afghan allies, using, among other things, suicide bombers, automatic weapons, IEDs, and rocket-propelled grenades (“RPGs”) and other anti-tank weapons and explosives, including against U.S. military helicopters.
For example, on or about June 26, 2008, Taliban fighters under NAJIBULLAH’s command ambushed and attacked a U.S. military convoy in the vicinity of Wardak Province, Afghanistan, with IEDs, RPGs, and automatic weapons, killing three U.S. Army servicemembers: Sergeants First Class Matthew L. Hilton and Joseph A. McKay, and Sergeant Mark Palmateer, and their Afghan interpreter. Several other servicemembers were also injured in the attack.
In or about November 2007 and September 2008, NAJIBULLAH participated in two videorecorded interviews with a French reporter in Afghanistan. NAJIBULLAH and fighters under his command discussed how they targeted American and French troops—including a specific attack they conducted against French troops in or around August 2008. They also identified a particular location where they had used IEDs and anti-tank weaponry to destroy American military vehicles. During the interview, NAJIBULLAH further demonstrated how to operate a rocket-propelled grenade launcher to shoot troops guarding checkpoints and boasted that fighters under his command were ready to fight the “holy war,” including that they were “ready to be suicide bombers” and “put on a belt and blow themselves up if we ask them.” In September 2008, in the French reporter’s presence, NAJIBULLAH and fighters under his command attacked and destroyed an Afghan National Police outpost using automatic weapons and rockets.
On or about November 10, 2008, NAJIBULLAH and other Taliban fighters took hostage an American journalist (“U.S. Hostage-1”) and two Afghan nationals who were assisting U.S. Hostage-1 (together with U.S. Hostage-1, the “Hostages”) at gunpoint in Afghanistan. Shortly thereafter, NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators forced the Hostages to hike across the border from Afghanistan to Pakistan, where NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators detained the Hostages. For the next approximately seven months, NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators held the Hostages captive in Pakistan. NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators forced the Hostages to make numerous calls and videos seeking help, in an attempt to compel ransom payments and the release of Taliban prisoners by the U.S. Government.
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NAJIBULLAH, 49, pled guilty to providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, and to hostage taking, which also carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department. He also thanked the New York and New Jersey Port Authority Police, the Department of Defense, and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their assistance with this investigation, as well as the Ukrainian authorities and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance in the arrest and extradition of the defendant.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Burke of the Counterterrorism Section.
Former District Employee Sentenced for Extorting Money from Low-Income Individuals to Process Assistance ApplicationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON— Ruth Nivar, 57, a former D.C. Department of Human Services employee, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 24 months in federal prison for extorting money from low-income individuals to process applications for public assistance programs, even though it was part of her job responsibilities to do that work free of charge.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean T. Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and the District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.
Nivar pleaded guilty on January 13, 2025, to one count of Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right and to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right. In addition to the 24-month prison term, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Nivar to serve 12 months of supervised release.
According to court documents, beginning at least since 2018 and continuing through at last May 2023, Nivar used the authority of her public office to obtain money from public assistance applicants to which she was not entitled. Nivar preyed on impoverished, largely non-English speaking individuals who lacked the resources to navigate what can be the complicated process of obtaining health care coverage from the government. In 2022, after Nivar understood that law enforcement may have become aware of her scheme, she added an accomplice, a civilian who did not work for the D.C. government, to assist in the extortion scheme.
Because Nivar worked on public assistance programs for the D.C. government, Nivar was able to provide information to her accomplice about eligibility requirements for applicants – including certain documents that needed to be submitted with applications – as well as information about applicants from the internal DHS database, including historical benefits information, status of benefits, identity verification, and dependent information. The accomplice then created online accounts and submitted application materials for health care coverage on behalf of the individuals they extorted. Nivar told individuals to pay her accomplice, who would then split the monies evenly with Nivar, even though it was Nivar’s duty to provide all these services for the community free of charge.
The accomplice, Yessica Moya, pleaded guilty in the same case on January 8, 2025, to one count of aiding and abetting Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right and to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right. Her sentencing hearing is pending.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and D.C. Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Madhu Chugh and Will Hart of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
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Former Air Force Reservist Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Attempted Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
Hagatña – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announces that, Richard Jay Ais Solang, age 46, from Dededo, Guam, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment in the U.S. District Court of Guam for Attempted Enticement of a Minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory assessment fee. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Solang must register in every jurisdiction he resides, works, and goes to school.
On May 2, 2024, Solang, using the screen name “AAFB Throater 99” began communicating with an undercover agent on Grindr, a social media application. Solang stated he was interested in having sexual contact with the undercover. On May 9, 2024, the undercover indicated he was a 13-year-old male. Solang attempted to gain the alleged minor’s trust by telling him about a sexual experience he had with a 15-year-old in a restroom. He claimed to have also met that minor on Grindr. Solang traveled to Andersen Air Force Base to perform oral sex on the minor. He was arrested at a pre-arranged rendezvous point by special agents with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Solang was interviewed by Homeland Security Investigations special agents and confessed to his actions.
Prior to Solang’s arrest, he was an Air Force Reservist, a civilian with Andersen Air Force Base passenger terminal, and also employed by the Mayor’s Council of Guam.
“Our efforts to combat child predators will not stop,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “The welfare of our children remains a cornerstone of community safety. This case serves as a reminder to all parents and guardians to be alert for online threats to their families. I encourage them to promptly report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”
“The sentencing of former Air Force reservist Mr. Solang for attempted sexual misconduct with a minor underscores HSI’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable of our community,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “HSI has zero tolerance for the abuse of minors and will spare no effort in securing justice for these most heinous crimes.”
Investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and Air Force Office of Special Investigations Service, Detachment 602.
This case was prosecuted by Devarup Rastogi, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Foreign National Arrested for Making False Statement During Attempted Firearms PurchasesRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant was issued this week charging an illegal alien with making false statements during multiple attempts to purchase firearms as well as falsely claiming to be a U.S. Citizen.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, made the announcement.
According to the complaint, Ulises Macario Gonzaga-Guillen, age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with making multiple false statements during attempts to purchase firearms from licensed dealers between January 15 and February 16, 2025, in McCracken and Marshall Counties, Kentucky. Gonzaga-Guillen, during one of the attempted purchases, also falsely claimed to be a U.S. Citizen. Gonzaga-Guillen was not able to successfully purchase a firearm from any of the firearm dealers involved.
This case is being investigated by the ATF Paducah Satellite Office and the HSI Paducah Office.
The defendant was taken into federal custody this week and will make his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on April 28, 2025. If convicted on the charges in the complaint, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 43 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Hancock, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Grand Jury in Louisville Indicts 7 Foreign Nationals for Money Laundering and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned a multi-count indictment on April 16, 2025, charging seven foreign nationals with money laundering related offenses and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Cincinnati Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, and Chief Richard Sanders of the Jeffersontown Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Jose Malagon Castro, 49, a citizen of Mexico, operated three grocery stores in the Western District of Kentucky and offered, among other things, international money transmission services at each location. Yeimi Hernandez Barahona, 34, Kenia Hernandez Barahona, 35, Kelin Hernandez Barahona, 31, all citizens of Honduras, and Suri Rosmeri Hernandez Del Cid, 27, a citizen of Guatemala, were employed by Castro and conducted wire transfers as part of the money transmission service. Vanessa Avila Galaviz, 28, and Jose Martin Romero, 32, both citizens of Mexico, along with other individuals, were narcotics traffickers, who directed monetary wire transfers conducted at Castro’s stores to send drug proceeds to Mexico.
The indictment alleges that between at least January 2020 and continuing until at least December 2024, all the named defendants engaged in a conspiracy to knowingly conduct, and attempt to conduct, millions of dollars’ worth of financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce, knowing that the transactions were designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the drug proceeds and to avoid federal and state reporting requirements for the transmission of those proceeds.
The indictment further alleges between August 6, 2024, and August 30, 2024, all the named defendants, aided and abetted by each other and others, knowingly conducted financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce, which involved approximately $62,042 in proceeds from the sale and distribution of controlled substances knowing that the transactions were designed in whole and in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds of the drug trafficking and to avoid Federal and State reporting requirements for the transmission of those proceeds.
The indictment further alleges that on April 23, 2024, Jose Malagon Castro, Kenia Hernandez Barahona, and Suri Rosmeri Hernandez Del Cid, aided and abetted by each other and others, knowingly conducted financial transactions, with undercover law enforcement agents acting as alleged narcotics traffickers, to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of property represented to be the proceeds of drug trafficking, and to promote the carrying on of the alleged drug trafficking, and to avoid a transaction reporting requirement under state and federal law.
The indictment further alleges that, Jose Malagon Castro, possessed firearms on December 4, 2024, in Jefferson County, Kentucky, knowing he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. On that date he illegally possessed the following firearms: an Aguirre y Aranzabal (AYA), model 4/53, 12-gauge shotgun; a Marlin Firearms Company, model 336W, 30-30 rifle; a Henry Repeating Rifle Company, model H004GE Golden Eagle, .22lr rifle; a Maverick Arms, model 88, 12-gauge shotgun; a Colt, model King Cobra, .357 magnum revolver; a Smith & Wesson, model CSX, 9mm pistol; and ammunition.
On April 24, 2025, defendants Jose Malagon Castro, Yeimi Hernandez Barahona, Kelin Hernandez Barahona, Suri Rosmeri Hernandez Del Cid, and Jose Martin Romero each made an initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Defendants Kenia Hernandez Barahona and Vanessa Avila Galaviz remain fugitives with outstanding warrants for their arrest.
If convicted, Jose Malagon Castro faces a maximum sentence of 475 years in prison and Yeimi Hernandez Barahona, Kenia Hernandez Barahona, Kelin Hernandez Barahona, Suri Rosmeri Hernandez Del Cid, Vanessa Avila Galaviz, and Jose Martin Romero each face a maximum sentence of 460 years in prison. The United States is seeking forfeiture of $516,800.00 in United States Currency seized from Jose Malagon Castro. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the IRS, ATF, DEA, HSI, FBI, LMPD, and the Jeffersontown Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Shannon and Joseph Ansari are prosecuting this case.
This investigation is a part of the IRS-CI’s Cincinnati Field Office’s Third Party Money Laundering (3PML) Project. This project focuses on Complicit Money Service Businesses (MSB) working for Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations. The purpose of this project is to develop high-impact 3PML cases for IRS-CI and other agencies across the United States, by utilizing data analytics.
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).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Ex-Congressman George Santos Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Former Congressman George Anthony Devolder Santos was sentenced today by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert at the federal courthouse in Central Islip to 87 months in prison for committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of the sentence, Santos was ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $373,749.97 and $205,002.97 in forfeiture. Santos pleaded guilty in August 2024.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York); and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney announced the sentence.
“Today, George Santos was finally held accountable for the mountain of lies, theft, and fraud he perpetrated. For the defendant, it was judgment day, and for his many victims including campaign donors, political parties, government agencies, elected bodies, his own family members, and his constituents, it is justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Durham. “To Mr. Santos and other dishonest individuals of that ilk, who lie, steal identities and commit frauds to get elected to public office, this prosecution speaks to the truth that my Office is committed to aggressively rooting out public corruption and that public officials who criminally abuse our electoral process will end up in a federal prison.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the New York State Department of Labor, for their assistance.FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia stated, “Today, former United States Congressman George Santos is held accountable for his repeated criminal dishonesty – financing his election campaign with ill-obtained funds, stealing COVID unemployment benefits, and providing materially false information in his financial disclosure. Santos abused his authority to garner illicit donations and campaign support; ultimately betraying the public’s trust and violating our democratic systems. May today’s sentencing emphasize the FBI’s continued commitment to dismantling any fraudulent scheme designed to unlawfully benefit those in positions of power.”
“George Santos blatantly disregarded campaign finance laws and abused the trust of his constituents and contributors. While he may have made a mockery of his position in public office, today’s sentencing is justice for those he has wronged. CI New York proudly worked with the Eastern District of New York, the FBI and Nassau County DA’s office to ensure that Santos faces the consequences of his years of deception,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
“George Santos spent his brief career in public service conning his donors and constituents until the deceit caught up to him and he was exposed as an opportunist and a fraud. Today’s lengthy prison sentence is a just ending for a weaver of lies who believed he was above the law,” stated Nassau County District Attorney Donnelly. “Being elected to represent any community is accepting a solemn responsibility and a position of great trust. George Santos failed the people he was elected to represent in Nassau County and Queens. He broke that trust and traded in his integrity for designer clothes and a luxury lifestyle. I will continue to work with my partners to root out public corruption and ensure that the crucial standards to which we hold our elected officials and public institutions are upheld.”
The counts to which Santos pled guilty relate to the following criminal scheme, as set forth in the superseding indictment:
The Party Program Scheme
During the 2022 election cycle, Santos was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in New York’s Third Congressional District. Nancy Marks, who pleaded guilty on October 5, 2023 to related conduct, was the treasurer for his principal congressional campaign committee, Devolder-Santos for Congress. During this election cycle, Santos and Marks devised and executed a fraudulent scheme to obtain money for the campaign by submitting materially false reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), in which they inflated the campaign’s fundraising numbers for the purpose of misleading the FEC, a national party committee, and the public.
The purpose of the scheme was to ensure that Santos and his campaign qualified for a program administered by the national party committee to provide financial and logistical support to Santos’s campaign. To qualify for the program, Santos had to demonstrate, among other things, that his congressional campaign had raised at least $250,000 from third-party contributors in a single quarter.
To create the public appearance that his campaign had met that financial benchmark and was otherwise financially viable, Santos and Marks agreed to falsely report to the FEC that at least 11 of their family members had made significant financial contributions to the campaign. In fact, Santos and Marks both knew that these individuals had neither made the reported contributions nor given authorization for their personal information to be included in such false public reports. In addition, Santos and Marks knew that the national party committee relied on FEC fundraising data to evaluate candidates’ qualification for the program, and agreed to falsely report to the FEC that Santos had loaned the campaign significant sums of money, when, in fact, Santos had not made the reported loans and, at the time the loans were reported, did not have the funds necessary to make such loans. These falsely reported loans included one for $500,000 when in fact Santos had less than $8,000 in his personal and business bank accounts.
Through the execution of this scheme, Santos and Marks ensured that Santos met the necessary financial benchmarks to qualify for the program administered by the national party committee. As a result of qualifying for the program, the congressional campaign received significant financial support.
As part of his plea agreement, Santos stipulated that he had engaged in the following additional criminal conduct, as set forth in the superseding indictment and other court filings, and agreed that this criminal conduct would be considered by the Court at the time of sentencing:
The Credit Card Fraud Scheme
Between approximately July 2020 and October 2022, Santos devised and executed a fraudulent scheme to steal the personal identity and financial information of contributors to his campaign. He then repeatedly charged contributors’ credit cards without their authorization. Because of these unauthorized transactions, funds were transferred to Santos’s campaign, to the campaigns of other candidates for elected office, and to his own bank account. To conceal the true source of these funds and to circumvent campaign contribution limits, Santos falsely represented in FEC filings that some of the campaign contributions were made by other persons, such as his relatives or associates, rather than the true cardholders. Santos did not have authorization to use their names in this way. In furtherance of the scheme, Santos sought out victims he knew were elderly persons suffering from cognitive impairment or decline.
Fraudulent Political Contribution Solicitation Scheme
Beginning in September 2022, during his successful campaign for Congress, Santos operated a limited liability company (Company #1) through which he defrauded prospective political supporters. Santos enlisted a Queens-based political consultant (Person #1) to communicate with prospective donors on Santos’s behalf. Santos directed Person #1 to falsely tell donors that, among other things, their money would be used to help elect Santos to the House, including by purchasing television advertisements. In reliance on these false statements, two donors (Contributor #1 and Contributor #2) each transferred $25,000 to Company #1’s bank account, which Santos controlled.
Shortly after the funds were received into Company #1’s bank account, the money was transferred into Santos’s personal bank accounts—in one instance laundered through two of Santos’s personal accounts. Santos then used much of that money for personal expenses. Among other things, Santos used the funds to make personal purchases, including of designer clothing, to withdraw cash, to discharge personal debts, and to transfer money to his associates.
Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme
Beginning in approximately February 2020, Santos was employed as a Regional Director of a Florida-based investment firm (Investment Firm #1). By late March 2020, in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States, new legislation was signed into law that provided additional federal funding to assist out-of-work Americans during the pandemic.
In mid-June 2020, although he was employed and not eligible for unemployment benefits, Santos applied for government assistance through the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL), claiming falsely to have been unemployed since March 2020. From that point until April 2021—during which time Santos was working and receiving a salary on a near-continuous basis, and throughout his first unsuccessful run for Congress—he falsely affirmed each week that he was eligible for unemployment benefits when he was not. As a result, Santos fraudulently received more than $24,000 in unemployment insurance benefits.
False Statements to the House of Representatives
Santos, like all candidates for the House, had a legal duty to file with the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives a Financial Disclosure Statement (House Disclosures) before each election. In his House Disclosures, Santos was personally required to give a full and complete accounting of his assets, income, and liabilities, among other things. He certified that his House Disclosures were true, complete, and correct.
In September 2022, in connection with his second campaign for election to the House, Santos filed a House Disclosure in which he vastly overstated his income and assets. In this House Disclosure, he falsely certified that during the reporting period:
- He had earned $750,000 in salary from the Devolder Organization LLC, a Florida‑based entity of which Santos was the sole beneficial owner;
- He had received between $1,000,001 and $5 million in dividends from the Devolder Organization LLC;
- He had a checking account with deposits of between $100,001 and $250,000; and
- He had a savings account with deposits of between $1 million and $5 million.
These assertions were false: Santos had not received from the Devolder Organization LLC the reported amounts of salary or dividends and did not maintain checking or savings accounts with deposits in the reported amounts. Further, Santos failed to disclose that, in 2021, he received approximately $28,000 in income from Investment Firm #1 and more than $20,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from the NYS DOL.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section and the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division, along with the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Harris, Anthony Bagnuola, and Laura Zuckerwise, along with Trial Attorney John Taddei, are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Rachel Friedman and Dinora Orozco.
The Defendant:
GEORGE ANTHONY DEVOLDER SANTOS
Age: 36
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-197 (S-2) (JS)
Eight Guatemalan Nationals Indicted for Smuggling Illegal Aliens into the United States for CashRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Eight Guatemalan nationals were indicted in court for allegedly being paid to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States from Guatemala, Mexico, and other countries in Central or South America, including Asia. The activity is alleged to have occurred over the past four years. Once across the Mexico border, the defendants would further help conceal and harbor aliens illegally across more than 24 states.
“For the past four years, this illegal alien smuggling group has operated and laundered proceeds in the Northern District of Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “These defendants would not be in custody today without federal and state law enforcement working collaboratively, with prosecutors across the United States. The arrest and ongoing investigation surrounding these Guatemalan Nationals, and their conspirators not only protects the citizens in the Northern District of Oklahoma but also further protects lawful citizens across the United States.”
“ICE is committed to pursuing human smugglers regardless of their location or attempts to evade arrest,” said Travis Pickard, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Dallas. “This indictment indicates the extensive nature of our human smuggling investigations and role in immigration enforcement. HSI’s special agents across several field offices have worked relentlessly to trace those transporting and harboring aliens from their countries of origin to their final destinations, effectively dismantling their illegal smuggling operations and money laundering schemes.”
Cidia Marleny Lima Lopez, 39, and Ottoniel Castro Argueta, 33, were arrested today in Charlotte, North Carolina; Veronica Maribel Lima Lopez, 33, and Esvin Alexander Rodriguez Luis, 26, were arrested in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Ariz Obdulio Argueta, 28, and Cesar Rodolfo Garcia Argueta, 20, were arrested in Clarksville, Arkansas; Pedro Cucul Gualna, 25, was arrested in Sallisaw, Oklahoma; Carlos Enrique Ramos Caal, 30, was arrested in Flagstaff, Arizona. All are charged with conspiring to bring, transport, and conceal aliens in the United States.
Ottoniel Castro Argueta and Cidia Marleny Lima Lopez are further charged with engaging in monetary transactions with the proceeds from the conspiracy.
During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that the aliens being helped across the border did not have prior authorization to enter and reside in the United States. Once inside the United States, the defendants would help harbor the aliens in Oklahoma, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington.
The indictment alleges that several associates in Central and South America accepted various forms of payment from the aliens to be brought into the United States illegally. While the investigation is still ongoing, the indictment shows that aliens paid roughly $5,000 per alien to enter the United States. Proceeds from the illegal aliens were laundered through mobile applications and banks across the United States, including the Northern District of Oklahoma.
The Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Flagstaff, and Charlotte Homeland Security Investigations field offices; the Tulsa, McAlester and Greensboro, North Carolina Drug Enforcement Administration field offices; the Tulsa and Oklahoma City IRS field offices; the Tulsa and Oklahoma City U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations field offices; and the U.S. Marshals offices in the Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Middle District of North Carolina, and the Western District of Arkansas are investigating the case with the assistance of several state law enforcement agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McConney and David Nasar are prosecuting the case with assistance from the Eastern District of Oklahoma and the Western District of Oklahoma.
An indictment is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of Operation Take Back America. The Homeland Security Task Force, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, 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.
Drug Supplier Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Alejandro Manuel B. Gagarin, aka Alex, age 31, from Inarajan, Guam was sentenced on April 24, 2025, to serve 12 months and 1 day imprisonment. He was charged in the U.S. District Court of Guam with Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. The Court also ordered five years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
Between March 2021 through April 2022, Alejandro Manuel B. Gagarin conspired with Timothy Jerome Concepcion, a person identified as I.M.C., Jacob Vance Manibusan, and other persons to distribute more than 50 grams of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride. The drug distribution occurred at hotel rooms rented from a local resort hotel. Gagarin and his co-defendant Manibusan rented out two hotel rooms. Gagarin then greeted customers in the lobby of the hotel and escorted them to the hotel room for the drug transactions. After receiving the methamphetamine from Gagarin, the customers would stay in the hotel room and smoke methamphetamine with Concepcion. The customers would pay Gagarin for the drug, he would in turn return the proceeds from the sale of the methamphetamine to Concepcion.
Co-conspirators:
Timothy Jerome Concepcion, age 26, was sentenced on February 7, 2024, to 120 months imprisonment and 5 years supervised release. He pled guilty for Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine and Using and Carrying a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Jacob Vance Manibusan aka Kadi, age 36, was sentenced on April 3, 2024, to 70 months imprisonment and 4 years supervised release. He pled guilty for Conspiracy to Distribute Five or More Grams of Methamphetamine.
“Minor participants in federal drug crimes will not walk away without penalties,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Considering the effects of methamphetamine on our communities, those with any role in drug trafficking are potential targets for prosecution. The public rightly demands accountability for this unlawful conduct.”
"The sentencing of Mr. Gagarin is a testament to HSI's zero tolerance for those who engage in drug trafficking in Guam," said Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. "HSI will aggressively pursue those, like Gagarin, who facilitate the infiltration of harmful substances into our communities."
This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Rosetta L. San Nicolas, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
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.
District of Arizona Charges 232 Individuals for Immigration-Related Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During this week of enforcement operations from April 19, 2025, through April 25, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 232 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 110 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 110 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 9 cases against 11 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. The United States also charged one individual with failing to register, as required by law.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Alex Esparaza Sanchez, et al: On April 22, 2025, Alex Esparza Sanchez, Nikolas Baldriche, Carlos Zuniga-Lizo, Sherman James-Guzman, and Benjamin Lopez-Barron were indicted for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens and Bringing in Illegal Aliens to the United States for Profit. According to the court documents, Esparza Sanchez, Baldriche and Zuniga-Lizo coordinated with James-Guzman and Lopez-Brown who picked up illegal aliens at the border in Yuma, Arizona. [Case Number: CR-25-00600-PHX-SMB]
United States v. Hakeem Alberto Lucero-Parra: On April 22, 2025, Hakeem Alberto Lucero-Parra, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged for illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed. According to the criminal complaint, after being arrested on local charges in Phoenix, Arizona, it was determined that Lucero-Parra had been previously deported after a conviction for Aggravated Assault and Attempt to Commit Kidnapping. [Case number: MJ-25-6149-PHX-ASB]
United States v. Jacinto Medina-Palacios: On April 22, 2025, Jacinto Medina-Palacios, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged for illegally reentering the United States after being previously removed. According to the criminal complaint, after being arrested on local charges in Phoenix, Arizona, it was determined that Medina-Palacios had been previously deported after a conviction for Carrying a Loaded Firearm while not the Registered Owner. [Case Number: MJ-25-6152-PHX-ASB]
United States v. Teodoro Diaz-Ochoa: On April 23, 2025, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned a 5-count indictment against Teodoro Diaz-Ochoa, 44, of Mexico, for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, Alien in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, and Reentry of a Removed Alien. According to the charging documents in the case, Arizona Game and Fish Officers encountered Diaz-Ochoa in possession of a bolt action rifle while they were conducting a hunting without a license investigation. ATF agents also found a shotgun and ammunition at Diaz-Ochoa’s residence pursuant to a search warrant. Diaz-Ochoa was previously convicted of felony Attempted Sexual Assault and deported from the United States on April 22, 2016. [Case Number: CR-25-01989-TUC-JCH]
Criminal complaints and indictments are simply methods 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.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-063_April 25 Immigration Enforcement
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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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. On Saturday, April 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) will provide the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Location information is available from the DEA, along with items that cannot be accepted. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
This April's event is DEA's 28th nationwide event since its inception 15 years ago. Last spring, Americans turned in 629,953 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 4,644 sites operated by the DEA and 4,425 from its state and local law enforcement partners.
The DEA will now accept vaping devices and cartridges at any of its drop-off locations during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. It is important to note that DEA cannot accept devices containing lithium-ion batteries. If batteries cannot be removed prior to drop-off, DEA encourages individuals to consult with stores that recycle lithium-ion batteries. Concerns have been raised across the United States over illnesses and deaths caused by vaping and the high youth vaping initiation rates. To support a healthy lifestyle and energetic population, especially among America’s youth, DEA is committed to doing all it can to help safely dispose of vaping devices and substances.
The DEA’s “Take Back” day and “Get Smart About Drugs” initiatives address the vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses because of these drugs. Synthetic opioids, such as illicit fentanyl, are the primary driver of the increase in overdose deaths. For information on DEA’s “Take Back” in Spanish, click here, or for more information on the “Get Smart About Drugs” publication, click for English or Spanish.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the 11,000 authorized collectors that are available all year long. For more information, visit DEA’s year-round collection site locator. Participating in the next DEA Take Back Day on Saturday, April 26th, simply means cleaning out your medicine cabinet or anywhere you keep unused, unwanted, or expired medications and dropping them off at your nearest collection site.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 26th Take Back day event, go to DEA Drug Take Back event or by calling 800-882-9539.
The FDA also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs.
More information is available here: English or Spanish.
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Convicted felon sentenced to over 5 years in prison for firearm possessionRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A convicted felon from Basin, Wyoming who possessed a firearm illegally was sentenced today to 66 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Juan Ortiz, 48, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on or about August 29, 2023, Billings police were called to a house on Midland Road in Billings, Montana for a weapons complaint. At the house, police learned the Defendant, Juan Ortiz, was in possession of a firearm and had fled on foot. Police searched the area and located Ortiz. Nearby, police located a pistol that Ortiz had discarded. At the time Ortiz possessed the firearm, he had been, and knew he had been, convicted of multiple felony drug offenses in Montana and Wyoming.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Hendricks prosecuted the case, and the investigation was conducted by the ATF and 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.
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Choctaw County Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joe Clay Harris, age 40, of Boswell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 56 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The terms were ordered to be served concurrently.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hugo Police Department.
On December 2, 2024, Harris pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on April 6, 2024, law enforcement serving a search warrant on Harris’s residence discovered Harris in possession of methamphetamine, digital scales, and several small plastic baggies commonly used to package illegal narcotics for distribution. Law enforcement also seized one .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle and five rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. Harris was previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Harris will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Cherry Creek Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Cherry Creek, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on April 22, 2025.
Pacer Hayes, age 27, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hayes was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He pleaded guilty on January 24, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in November 2023 in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. On November 10, 2023, the victim agreed to give Hayes a ride from a bar after he had been drinking. After convincing the victim to let him sleep on her couch because he was locked out of his home, Hayes entered the victim’s bedroom during the night and sexually assaulted her. Hayes used his phone to photograph and video the victim’s body during the assault. The offense occurred in the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Hayes was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Cherokee County Resident Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Steven DeWayne Beard, age 51, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to life imprisonment for First Degree Murder in Indian Country and to a consecutive sentence of 120 months for Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.
On September 14, 2024, a federal jury convicted Beard on both counts. According to investigators, on March 29, 2023, Beard, who was a romantic rival for a woman’s affections, became angry and ordered the woman to remove her property from his residence while he was away. Knowing that the victim was the woman’s only ride and would accompany her to remove her items, Beard hid his vehicle from view, then waited inside his residence for the pair to arrive. When the woman arrived with Beard’s intended target, Beard shot the victim in the chest with a shotgun. The victim fell to the ground and Beard shot the victim in the chest again at pointblank range. The crimes occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from investigations by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Beard will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gross and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Cameroonian Man Indicted for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Armed Separatist Fighters to Murder, Kidnap, and Maim Individuals in Cameroon and for Making ThreatsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Baltimore returned an indictment yesterday charging a Cameroonian national residing in Maryland, Eric Tataw, also known as “the Garri Master,” 38, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, with conspiring to provide material support to armed separatist militias in Cameroon and threatening violence against Cameroonian civilians. He surrendered and will make his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson today.
According to court documents, multiple armed and violent secessionist groups in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon are fighting to form a new country called “Ambazonia.” The armed separatist militias sought to achieve secession by not only attacking the Cameroonian military, but also intentionally attacking the civilian population in Cameroon in an attempt to force the Cameroonian government into allowing these regions to secede. These separatist fighters are frequently referred to as “Amba Boys.”
“The defendant is alleged to have ordered horrific acts of violence, including severing limbs, against Cameroonian civilians in support of a violent secessionist movement,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This indictment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to hold accountable human rights violators who direct brutal political violence and fundraise for armed militias from the comfort of the United States.”
“The Justice Department will not tolerate those who help murder, maim, and kidnap,” said Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those who aim to turn American soil into a staging ground for political violence abroad.”
“Tataw and his co-conspirators masterminded and financially supported a vicious scheme to overthrow a foreign government. They resorted to an unthinkable level of violence while instilling fear in innocent victims to advance their political agenda,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “We, along with our law enforcement partners, are committed to relentlessly pursuing anyone who attempts to inflict mayhem on others. Tataw and his co-conspirators demonstrated a total disregard for human life so now they must pay the price.”
As alleged in the indictment, Tataw was a citizen of Cameroon living in Maryland and was a member of the Cameroonian diaspora with a large social media following. Beginning in April 2018, Tataw and others sought to raise funds for the Amba Boys to finance violent attacks in Cameroon. Tataw also allegedly called for the murder, kidnapping, and maiming of civilians and the destruction of public, educational, and cultural property in Cameroon. Tataw and his co-conspirators allegedly directed the maiming of Cameroonian civilians by severing their limbs, a practice Tataw called “Garriing.” Tataw allegedly used the phrase “small Garri” to refer to removing fingers or other small appendages and the phrase “large Garri” to refer to removing large limbs or killing people. Additionally, Tataw allegedly referred to himself as the “Garri Master,” or master of mutilation.
Tataw and his co-conspirators allegedly targeted those believed to be working for or collaborating with the government, including municipal officials, traditional chiefs, and employees of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), a public company that grew, processed, and sold bananas, palm oil, and rubber. As alleged, Tataw personally wrote hundreds of social media posts on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter calling for attacks against Cameroonian civilians, seeking to raise funds to arm Amba Boys, and threatening those he viewed as cooperating with the government of Cameroon. These social media posts were regularly viewed by tens of thousands of people, including Amba Boys and their leaders, and were often further disseminated by third parties allegedly acting at Tataw’s direction or encouragement.
Tataw is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support and four counts of interstate communication of a threat to harm. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on the material support count and five years in prison on each count of communication of a threat to harm. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland; and Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Maryland made the announcement.
HSI and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, with assistance from the FBI, are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Hoffman and Joseph Wenner for the District of Maryland, and Trial Attorneys Michael Dittoe and Andrew Briggs of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Note: the headline has been updated.
CDCA Federal Prosecutors This Week Charge 32 Defendants with Being Illegal Aliens Reentering the United States Following RemovalRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Working alongside law enforcement partners at United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal prosecutors in the Central District of California this week filed criminal charges against 32 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States after being removed, the Justice Department announced today.
Many of the defendants charged were previously convicted of felonies before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include committing lewd and lascivious acts on a child under the age of 14 years.
The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year sentence and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
The recently filed cases include the following:
- Misael Alberto Feliciano, 29, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Feliciano, who was removed from the U.S. in 2018, was charged after he was recently arrested by the West Covina Police Department on suspicion of possessing of a controlled substance and unlawful paraphernalia. Feliciano was on parole at time of his arrest. Feliciano was previously convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2016 for lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, for which he was sentenced to three years in California state prison. The Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Federal prosecutors also announced their intent to prosecute Oscar Eduardo Ortega, 43, of Mexico, who was federally charged in 2022 in a one-count indictment with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Ortega was removed from the United States in 2016 and 2018. Ortega was charged after he was arrested in Orange County for killing two teenagers in a fatal DUI accident in 2021. His criminal history includes two felony convictions in 2005 in Los Angeles Superior Court for grand theft of personal property, for which he received a sentence of one year in California state prison, and for unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle, for which he was sentenced to 19 days in state custody. Ortega also was convicted in Orange County Superior Court in 2014 of false imprisonment by violence/deceit. For that conviction, he was sentenced to 16 months in state prison. Ortega is set for release after serving 3.5 years of a 10-year sentence in California state prison for the fatal DUI accident. Ortega faces up to an additional 20 years in federal prison if convicted on felony immigration charges.
Criminal complaints and indictments contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Ansonia Man Admits Trafficking Narcotics in and around BridgeportRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EVERARD BOOTHE, also known as “Gordo,” “Unc,” “Uncle,” “Love,” “Lovah,” and “Luver, 41, of Ansonia, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to a narcotics trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department identified Boothe, Christian Pichardo, and others as significant distributors of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack, and narcotic pills in and around Bridgeport. During the investigation, investigators intercepted calls and text messages between Boothe, Pichardo, their associates, and their drug customers over court-authorized wiretaps, and made controlled purchases of narcotics from members of the conspiracy.
Boothe was arrested on related state charges on August 3, 2023. On that date, a search of his residence revealed more than 40 grams of fentanyl, approximately 10 grams of heroin, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale.
On July 17, 2024, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned a superseding indictment charging Boothe, Pichardo and six alleged co-conspirators with controlled substances offenses.
Boothe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18 in Hartford.
Boothe has been detained since his arrest.
Pichardo has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck and through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Assault
Charlene Brown, 26, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced to three years of probation for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The court also imposed $34,777.33 in restitution. According to court documents, the defendant and the victim had been drinking heavily into the morning of May 29, 2024. The defendant took the victim for a drive in the victim’s car and crashed the car. The defendant’s blood alcohol content was .327. The victim sustained serious injuries, including one that involved a substantial risk of death. The FBI and Fremont County Sheriff’s Office investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson prosecuted the crime. The defendant was indicted on July 18, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Jan. 27. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on April 21 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00124
Firearm Offenses
Jason Sikkila, 46, a transient, was sentenced to 15 months with three years of supervised release to follow for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on June 3, 2024, the defendant was stopped in Buffalo, Wyoming, for blaring an airhorn in a mobile home park. Officers suspected he had been drinking and asked Sikkila to take a breath test, which he consented to, resulting in a .290 BAC. During a search of his vehicle, officers located a .380 caliber pistol. When questioned, Sikkila admitted he was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. The Buffalo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Page Hammer prosecuted the case. Sikkila was indicted on July 19, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Jan. 28. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence in Casper on April 24. Case No. 24-00113
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Operation Take Back America
Operation Take Back America is 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. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
5 Defendants Arrested on Complaints Alleging They Submitted Fraudulent Claims Seeking FEMA Funds for Wildfire Disaster ReliefRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Five defendants have been arrested on federal criminal complaints alleging they fraudulently obtained federal disaster-relief funds by falsely claiming their properties were damaged in the wildfires that struck Los Angeles County in January 2025, the Justice Department announced today.
The allegedly false claims were made in the wake of the Eaton and Palisades fires that started on January 7. Together, the wildfires burned nearly 60,000 acres, destroyed more than 16,000 structures, and resulted in the deaths of 30 people. As a result, the President approved a Major Disaster Declaration, which prompted the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop a program to provide financial assistance to fire victims.
Victims of the Eaton and Palisades fires, including renters who lost their residences, could qualify for a one-time payment of $750 noted as a FEMA relief payment, $43,600 for other needs assistance (personal property, transportation, medical, etc.), and housing assistance for up to 18 months at varying rates. Homeowners are also potentially eligible for additional relief up to $43,600 for home repair.
Each defendant listed below – four of whom were arrested on Thursday; one of whom was in state custody in Arizona on Wednesday – is charged with fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
- United States v. Hogan
Deanniah Hogan, 32, of Compton, on January 26 allegedly submitted a false claim for federal disaster assistance related to the Palisades Fire, listing an address in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles as the purportedly damaged dwelling in which she claimed to live and rent. After approving the application, FEMA sent a total of approximately $17,351 to Hogan, including for personal property damage and displacement assistance.
The actual Pacific Palisades homeowner – and resident who lost the property in the fire – later confirmed to law enforcement that the property was not being rented out at that time.
Hogan was arrested and made her initial appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. A federal magistrate judge ordered her released on $10,000 bond. Her arraignment is scheduled for May 20.
Assistant United States Attorney Solomon Kim of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Johnson
Delvonne Dashon Johnson, 31, of the East Hollywood area of Los Angeles, on February 4 allegedly submitted a fraudulent claim for FEMA benefits related to the Palisades Fire, listing an address in Pacific Palisades as his purported dwelling that he owned. Later in February 2025, FEMA sent Johnson a total of approximately $64,138 in federal disaster relief.
On April 2, law enforcement interviewed the property’s actual owner, who stated she had lived at that residence since 2015, that it was her primary residence, and she was living there at the time of the Palisades Fire. She also said she never rented the property out to anyone and did not know Johnson. She further said when she submitted a disaster assistance application to advise authorities that her house had been destroyed, FEMA notified her that someone already filed such a claim on her property’s behalf.
Johnson was arrested Thursday and is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Lowe
Keandre Lowe, 21, of Long Beach, on January 22 allegedly submitted a fraudulent claim for FEMA benefits, claiming that he rented an Altadena property that was destroyed in the Eaton Fire. By February 13, FEMA had submitted approximately $28,286 in disaster relief to Lowe.
The actual property owner later confirmed to law enforcement that they were residing in the home at the time and since 2007 had not rented the property out to anyone.
Lowe was arrested and made his initial appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. A federal magistrate judge ordered him released on $10,000 bond. Lowe’s arraignment is scheduled for May 27.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. McIntre
Zenalyn McIntre, 38, of Sherman Oaks, on January 20 allegedly submitted a false claim for federal disaster relief by claiming that she was a renter of a residence in Pacific Palisades that was destroyed in the Palisades Fire. Eight days later, she submitted additional documents online to FEMA, including her California driver’s license – which listed a Sherman Oaks address – and a natural gas utility bill that appeared to be fake.
Based on her false claim, FEMA distributed approximately $25,229 in disaster-relief funds to McIntre.
McIntre was arrested Thursday and is scheduled to make her initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah S. Lee of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Woods
Katrina Woods, 33, of Maricopa, Arizona, on January 30 allegedly submitted a fraudulent claim for disaster assistance, listing a nonexistent Altadena address as her primary residence that purportedly was destroyed in the Eaton Fire.
FEMA eventually disbursed approximately $23,441 in disaster relief to Woods, who also made reservations through FEMA to stay at two hotels – one in downtown Los Angeles, the other in Hawthorne – during February and March of 2025 paid for by FEMA. On March 10, FEMA discontinued lodging for Woods at the hotel in downtown Los Angeles where she was staying.
Woods has been in state custody in Arizona since Wednesday on an unrelated matter and is expected to make her initial appearance in federal court in the coming weeks.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Complaints contain allegations of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
One defendant arrested last month, Hedeshia Robertson, 36, of Lakewood, is scheduled to plead guilty on May 2 to one count of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits. Robertson admitted in her plea agreement that she filed a fraudulent application for FEMA benefits on January 28, seeking disaster relief for a Pacific Palisades property that she neither owned nor rented. As a result of her fraudulent application, Robertson fraudulently obtained approximately $24,899 in FEMA benefits.
Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Paetty and Roger Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.
Another defendant, Jaime Arturo Carrillo, 48, of South Los Angeles, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits. On January 13, Carrillo falsely stated to FEMA on an application for wildfire-relief benefits that he rented property in South Los Angeles – approximately 20 miles from the Palisades and Eaton fires – and had suffered personal property damage and a disruption in his utilities. Carrillo was not renting at the South Los Angeles residence.
As a result of Carrillo’s false statements, FEMA authorized him to receive transitional sheltering assistance. Using these benefits, Carrillo received free lodging for 13 nights at two Los Angeles County hotels, with a total cost of approximately $2,173. Carrillo also charged approximately $107 to the room paid for by FEMA at an El Segundo hotel for food and incidental costs.
Carrillo’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 11.
Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth S.P. Douglas of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
The cases announced today were investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California, including the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG).
To report fraud related to FEMA disaster-relief public assistance, please contact the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) hotline at (800) 323-8603. The HSI tip line may be contacted at (866) 347-2423.
344 Immigration Cases Filed in the Western District of Texas This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 344 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from April 18 through April 24.
Among the new cases, Henry Cruz-Lemas, an illegal alien and a Honduran national previously convicted of aggravated kidnapping in September 2011 and sentenced to five years in prison. Cruz-Lemas was arrested on April 18 during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ERO) investigation in San Antonio. He is charged with one count of illegal reentry of an alien.
Jose Angel Escarcega-Briones, an illegal alien from Mexico, was found approximately 4 miles west of the Tornillo Port of Entry. Border Patrol Agents determined that he did not have immigration documents allowing him to be in the United States legally and that he has previously been removed from the United States 5 times. He has 3 prior convictions for illegal reentry as well as a federal drug trafficking conviction.
Jose Alfonso Deras-Valle, a citizen of El Salvador, was found near mile marker 87 of Interstate 10 in Fort Hancock, Texas. U.S. Border Patrol determined that Deras-Valle had recently been deported to El Salvador on February 21, 2025. His criminal record includes a murder conviction in Florida for which he received fifteen years in prison.
U.S. Border Patrol Agents performing line watch operations in an area near Sierra Blanca, Texas encountered three people attempting to conceal themselves in a culvert. After questioning and investigation, the agents determined the group was in the United States illegally. Sergio Aguirre-Isidro was determined to be a foot guide for the group and that he was to collect 10,000 Mexican Pesos if the group arrived in the U.S. successfully.
Junior Enrique Garcia-Escobar, a Honduran national with a prior conviction out of the State of New York for Burglary using/threatening use of a dangerous instrument, was arrested on illegal reentry charges near Eagle Pass, Texas. He had been sentenced to five years in prison on the burglary charge and was deported in 2019.
Raul Rodriguez-Morales was arrested by Border Patrol Agents in Del Rio, Texas on April 18, 2025, for illegal reentry after having been deported in January 2025. Rodriguez-Morales has previous drug convictions in California as well as a conviction for felon in possession of a firearm and two previous convictions for illegal reentry of an alien in 2011 and 2019.
In Carrizo Springs, Texas, Devarick Dewayne Benson was arrested for conspiring to transport two illegal aliens further into the United States. Benson was driving a vehicle with fictitious plates and was pulled over for driving 10 miles over the speed limit. He had two illegal aliens in the trunk of his car.
A Honduran citizen, Angel Almendarez-Ulloa, was arrested on April 19, 2025, by Border Patrol Agents near Eagle Pass, Texas. Almendarez has been deported from the United States 10 times, with his last deportation to Honduras being on April 21, 2023.
These cases were referred or supported by our federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
239 charged in new cases related to SDTX’s continuing efforts to secure southern borderRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 237 more cases have been filed in immigration and border security-related matters from April 18-24, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
As part of those cases, 124 face allegations of illegally reentering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, firearms or sexual offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 106 people face charges of illegally entering the country, five cases involve various instances of human smuggling with the remainder relating to assault of an officer or other immigration-related crimes.
As part of the cases filed this week, Carlos Verduco-Muniz faces charges of assault of a federal officer. He allegedly punched a Texas Military Department Specialist on the left side of his face during a pursuit to apprehend him near Rio Grande City. The charges allege he is a citizen and national of Mexico who was illegally present in the United States at the time of the assault.
Some of those charged with felony reentry include three men found near Roma. Jose Roberto Cuadro-Parada had just been removed in March and allegedly illegally returned. Yobani Garcia-Garcia and Benito Barrera-Martinez are both Mexican nationals who had previously been removed Jan. 10, 2025, and Sept. 18, 2024, respectively, according to the complaints filed in their cases. The charges allege Garcia-Garcia has a conviction for a previous illegal reentry, while Barrera-Martinez had been ordered to serve 60 months for intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana prior to his removal.
Another charged this week is Perla Elizabeth Arguelles-Trejo, a Mexican female found in the United States near Edinburg. She had previously been removed in September 2020 following her sentence for intoxication manslaughter with vehicle, according to allegations.
In addition to the new cases filed, a 27-year-old Mexican national unlawfully residing in Laredo was sentenced for assaulting and inflicting bodily harm on a Border Patrol (BP) agent. Guillermo Osto-Navarrete had picked up several illegal aliens after they exited the Rio Grande River. He then led authorities on a vehicle pursuit and broadsided a law enforcement vehicle, causing it to spin 180 degrees. A BP agent rushed to assist Osto-Navarrete and check for injuries. However, Osto-Navarrete struck the agent’s face and head several times in rapid succession while the agent was standing and after falling to the ground. The agent sustained a black eye, bruising to his head and face, scratches to his chin, lacerations on his hands–including a deep cut to one finger–and a scraped knee. Osto-Navarrete was ordered to serve 24 months in federal prison and is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence.
Also announced this week was the sentencing of a 21-year-old Honduran man illegally residing in Houston for a robbery of a Family Dollar store. Carlos Gonzalez-Vargas had brandished a firearm and demanded cash from the register. When the employee did not act fast enough, Gonzalez-Vargas shot her in the leg. He will now serve 150 months for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. At the hearing, the court heard he was affiliated with a gang, posted Instagram selfies with the firearm and fired the weapon at a 13-year-old child one month after the robbery. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the mandatory minimum sentence did not adequately address the seriousness of his conduct.
In Houston, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against a Guatemalan national for illegally reentering the country without authorization. The jury deliberated for less than one hour before finding Leonardo Fernando Batz guilty as charged following a three-day trial. Testimony revealed Batz had been previously removed in 2007 and in 2020. Prior to his 2020 removal, he had illegally entered the United States by raft on the Rio Grande River.
The second ringleader in an international fraud scheme victimizing the elderly was also ordered to serve 46 months in prison this week. Hardik Jayantilal Patel, 37, illegally resided in Lexington, Kentucky, and was also ordered to pay a combined $3,203,478 in restitution to 85 identified victims. From March through November 2019, Patel led a team of domestic money mules aka “runners.” They laundered money tied to telemarketing fraud schemes originating from call centers in India.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Thursday 24 April 2025
York County Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Glenn Jerome Bradley, age 61, of New Park, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on April 22, 2025, to 46 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for possession with intent to distribute powder and crack cocaine.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on February 27, 2020, police officers observed Bradley travel from his home in Pennsylvania to a location in Maryland and conduct a drug transaction. Upon stopping Bradley’s vehicle, officers recovered distribution quantities of crack and powder cocaine from Bradley’s person. Officers subsequently executed a search warrant on Bradley’s home; from Bradley’s master bedroom closet, officers recovered additional distribution quantities of powder and crack cocaine, more than $20,000 in cash, a loaded handgun, and drug distribution paraphernalia.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Baltimore County Drug Task Force, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams prosecuted 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.
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York County Man Charged with Production of Child Pornography and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Haley, age 41, of York County, Pennsylvania, was charged on April 23, 2025, by a federal grand jury with producing and possessing child pornography.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on March 29, 2021, in York County, Haley enticed an 11-year-old minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing four videos. It is further alleged that on March 20, 2025, Haley possessed a SanDisk 64 GB micro-SD card that contained images of child pornography involving a minor who had not attained 12-years of age.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Christian Haugsby is prosecuting the case.
The total maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is up to 140 years’ imprisonment, a term of up to lifetime supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Winter Garden Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Conducting Series of Cyber Intrusions Against Former EmployerRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Julie S. Sneed has sentenced Michael Scheuer (40, Winter Garden) to three years in federal prison for knowingly transmitting a program, code, or command to a protected computer and intentionally causing damage and for committing aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered Scheuer to forfeit his computer, which was used to commit the offenses, and to pay $687,776.50 in restitution to the victims of his crimes. Scheuer pleaded guilty on January 29, 2025.
According to court documents, Scheuer conducted a series of computer intrusions or attacks directed at his former employer following his termination. These intrusions included manipulating allergen information in restaurant menus to indicate that food items were safe for customers with certain allergies, when they were not. Scheuer also altered menu information related to wine regions to reflect locations of recent mass shootings. Additionally, Scheuer launched denial-of-service attacks designed to lock certain company employees out of their accounts.
“Formidable relationships with the private sector are a pillar of the FBI’s Cyber Strategy. Through the strength in our partnerships, our Cyber Task Force swiftly identified Mr. Scheuer and disrupted his ability to continue threatening the public,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor. “We are committed to safeguarding a robust Cyber Strategy to unmask malicious cyber
actors to ensure justice is served.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Tampa Division Orlando Resident Agency Criminal Intrusion Cyber Squad. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. Sowell.
Washington, Missouri Man Admits Recording Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Washington, Missouri on Wednesday admitted recording his sexual activity with a 14-year-old.
Todd Kelly, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of producing child pornography. He admitted making the recordings on his cell phone in June and July of 2023. The victim’s father contacted authorities after learning about the relationship in August of 2023.
Kelly is scheduled to be sentenced July 28. The U.S. Attorney’s office will recommend a prison sentence of 25 years.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Department, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Utah Charter School Director Charged for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A charter school director in northern Utah is in federal custody and charged in a federal criminal complaint after he allegedly possessed well over 10,000 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and represented online that he could produce and distribute to others for profit.
Jared Dallan Buckley, 40, of West Point, Utah, is the Lead Director of both the Layton and Ogden, Utah, campuses for the Leadership Learning Academy, a charter school for grades kindergarten through six. Buckley is scheduled to make his initial appearance on the complaint Friday, April 25, 2025, at 9:45 a.m. in courtroom 8.4., before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
According to court documents, in October 2024, FBI agents began an on-line investigation of a person known only as “EMMA,” later identified as Buckley, who was using an application known to be used by people interested in child sexual abuse material. During the investigation, “EMMA” distributed a video of child sexual abuse materials and represented that he had original child sexual abuse material that he could produce and distribute to others for a price. Through the investigation, agents were able to connect “EMMA” to a telephone number that was associated to Buckley.
On April 22, 2025, FBI agents executed search warrants on Buckley’s residence in West Point, and his 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD LT. FBI seized a cell phone in Buckley’s vehicle that was consistent with the make and model of the phone being utilized by the internet accounts associated with “EMMA.” During the forensic examination of the cell phone, agents found well over 10,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material. The forensic examination of the cell phone also revealed evidence that Buckley has been distributing images of child sexual abuse material across multiple on-line platforms.
Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
A complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Documents:
jared_dallen_buckley.dm_.pdf jared_dallen_buckley.complaint.pdfU.S. Attorney’s Office Testifies Before D.C. Council in Support of the Peace DC PlanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia testified today at a committee hearing before the Council of the District of Columbia on proposed legislation, including: Bill 26-0188 - the “Pretrial Detention Amendment Act of 2025;” Bill 26-0203 - the “Kidnapping Amendment Act of 2025;” and Bill 26-0027 - the “Case Closure and Witness Support Amendment Act of 2025.”
USAO-DC strongly supports Bill 26-0188, the “Pretrial Detention Amendment Act of 2025,” which will make permanent the changes to adult pretrial detention that are already in place pursuant to the “Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024” (Secure DC). USAO-DC also supports Bill 26-0203, the “Kidnapping Amendment Act of 2025,” which will make crucial amendments to the District’s kidnapping statute in light of recent caselaw. We appreciate the goals of Bill 26-0027, addressing the “Case Closure and Witness Support Amendment Act of 2025,” however, we are concerned that certain provisions in practice may have the opposite of their intended effect. We recommend that the Council reconsider many of the provisions of the bill.
In addition to appearing before the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, Elana Suttenberg, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, provided written remarks, available HERE.
Two Men Accused of Involvement in Impostor Scam Targeting Missouri ResidentsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men from Wisconsin have been accused of acting as couriers for an impostor scam that targeted a Missouri resident.
Srinivas Putta, 42, and Ankurkumar Patel, 43, were indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on February 26 on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. Putta was arrested in Wisconsin on April 14. He appeared in court Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. Patel was arrested March 27 and has also pleaded not guilty.
The indictment accuses the men of involvement in a conspiracy that defrauded victims by pretending to contact them on behalf of financial institutions, law enforcement organizations and government agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Treasury and the Federal Trade Commission. One victim was told that his identity had been stolen and that he would be deported if he didn’t act, the indictment says. The indictment also alleges that the victim had been told that his money had been converted to “black money” through identity theft and that he needed to give cards or prepaid debit cards to couriers to transfer the money into an uncontaminated account that the government set up. On Sept. 25, 2023, Putta and Patel tried to collect $144,000 from the victim, who had been told to meet them in a Target parking lot in Missouri, the indictment says. The indictment also alleges that other couriers collected $125,000 from that victim.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The conspiracy and wire fraud charges each are punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the O’Fallon (Missouri) Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
Turner Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Turner Falls man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield, Mass. to possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Edward Dunphy, 79, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni who scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2025. In August 2023, Dunphy was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Dunphy was identified through an investigation of peer-to-peer file-sharing networks. During a May 18, 2023 search of Dunphy’s home, over 340,000 files containing child sexual abuse material were located on Dunphy’s computer and external hard drives.
The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Montague Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Three Members of an International Money Laundering Organization Charged with Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Florence, South Carolina, returned an indictment on April 22, charging Nasir Ullah, 28, and Naim Ullah, 32, both of Sumter, South Carolina, and Puquan Huang, 49, of Buford, Georgia, with conspiring to launder millions of dollars of proceeds derived from drug trafficking.
“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants laundered tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds from the United States through China and the Middle East, enabling a continuous flow of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our country from Mexico,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dismantling transnational criminal organizations and Chinese Money Laundering Organizations that support them is a critical priority for the Department. Alongside DEA and our local law enforcement partners, we will continue to prosecute the financial networks that fuel illegal drug trade and profit from the sale of deadly substances.”
“We are committed to dismantling criminal organizations that seek to profit through the distribution of dangerous drugs like cocaine and fentanyl across South Carolina and beyond,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “This $30 million money laundering operation, which has international ties, was conducted in multiple communities in our state. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to trace these illicit funds, disrupt these networks, and hold those involved accountable for the harm they present.”
“Cases like this exemplify the value of partnerships,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the DEA Atlanta Division. “The volume of dangerous drugs, including deadly fentanyl, impacts our communities beyond comprehension. This investigation and subsequent arrests demonstrate DEA’s commitment to protecting our community by destroying these drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.”
According to court documents, unsealed today, Ullah, Naim Ullah, and Huang allegedly worked for a money laundering organization that laundered at least $30 million in proceeds related to the distribution of illegal drugs, including cocaine and fentanyl, which were unlawfully imported into the United States, typically through Mexico. Ullah, Naim Ullah, Huang, and their co-conspirators allegedly traveled throughout the United States to collect drug proceeds. They communicated with co-conspirators in China to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through transactions designed to conceal the illegal source of the proceeds, including disguising the source of the drug proceeds by moving money through the shipment of electronic goods to China and the Middle East.
Ullah, Naim Ullah, and Huang are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The DEA’s Charleston, South Carolina Resident Office is investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit; DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit; DEA’s offices in Columbia, South Carolina and Atlanta; the FBI’s offices in Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina; the U.S. Air Force, Office of Special Investigations; the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office; the South Carolina Highway Patrol; the Fort Mill Police Department; the York County Sheriff’s Office; the North Charleston Police Department; the Mount Pleasant Police Department; and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Trial Attorneys Mary K. Daly and Jasmin Salehi Fashami of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett E. McMillian for the District of South Carolina are prosecuting the case.
The Third and Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Offices of South Carolina provided assistance in this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Members of an International Money Laundering Organization Charged with Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in Florence, South Carolina returned an indictment on Tuesday, April 22, charging Nasir Ullah, 28, and Naim Ullah, 32, both of Sumter, South Carolina, and Puquan Huang, 49, of Buford, Georgia, with conspiring to launder millions of dollars of proceeds derived from drug trafficking.
“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants laundered tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds from the United States through China and the Middle East, enabling a continuous flow of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our country from Mexico,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dismantling transnational criminal organizations and Chinese Money Laundering Organizations that support them is a critical priority for the Department. Alongside DEA and our local law enforcement partners, we will continue to prosecute the financial networks that fuel illegal drug trade and profit from the sale of deadly substances.”
"We are committed to dismantling criminal organizations that seek to profit through the distribution of dangerous drugs like cocaine and fentanyl across South Carolina and beyond,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “This $30 million money laundering operation, which has international ties, was conducted in multiple communities in our state. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to trace these illicit funds, disrupt these networks, and hold those involved accountable for the harm they present."
“Cases like this exemplify the value of partnerships,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “The volume of dangerous drugs, including deadly fentanyl, impacts our communities beyond comprehension. This investigation and subsequent arrests demonstrate DEA’s commitment to protecting our community by destroying these drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.”
According to court documents, unsealed today, Ullah, Ullah, and Huang allegedly worked for a money laundering organization that laundered at least $30 million in proceeds related to the distribution of illegal drugs, including cocaine and fentanyl, which were unlawfully imported into the United States, typically through Mexico. Ullah, Ullah, Huang, and their co-conspirators allegedly traveled throughout the United States to collect drug proceeds. They communicated with co-conspirators in China to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through transactions designed to conceal the illegal source of the proceeds, including disguising the source of the drug proceeds by moving money through the shipment of electronic goods to China and the Middle East.
Ullah, Ullah, and Huang are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The DEA’s Charleston, South Carolina Resident Office is investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit; DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit; DEA’s offices in Columbia, South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia; the FBI’s offices in Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina; the U.S. Air Force, Office of Special Investigations; the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office; the South Carolina Highway Patrol; the Fort Mill Police Department; the York County Sheriff’s Office; the North Charleston Police Department; the Mount Pleasant Police Department; and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Trial Attorneys Mary K. Daly and Jasmin Salehi Fashami of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett E. McMillian for the District of South Carolina are prosecuting the case.
The Third and Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Offices of South Carolina provided assistance in this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Three Individuals Charged with Illegal Re-Entry and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in separate cases this week for illegally re-entering the United States after they were previously deported.
Mexican National charged with Immigration and Child Exploitation Offenses
According to a superseding indictment returned this week, Erik Santana-Garcia, aka Erik Cayetano, 33, was charged with transporting a 15-year-old minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, being an alien in possession of a firearm, illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien, and possession of child pornography (also referred to as child sexual abuse material).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alison D. Dunning and Stephanie Bradshaw. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Oak Grove, Missouri Police Department.
Guatemalan National Charged with Immigration and Fraud Offenses in Indictment
Romeo Perez-Bravo, 42, was charged in a superseding indictment on one count of illegal re-entry by an alien previously convicted of a felony. His previous charges of aggravated identity theft and misuse of a social security number were also included in this superseding indictment.
The superseding indictment alleges Perez-Bravo had been living under the stolen identity of a U.S. citizen since 2009. The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General received a referral from the St. Joseph, Missouri Police Department that a man had been fraudulently living and working under a Minnesota man’s identity. SSA-OIG identified him as Perez-Bravo who had previously been removed from the United States three times and did not have permission to return. Due to his illegal alien status, he stole a Minnesota man’s identity and used it to work for local area employers for several years. Perez-Bravo had previously been convicted of multiple felonies in Minnesota including terroristic threats and identity theft.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Hanson. It was investigated by Social Security Administrations’ Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), St. Joseph, Missouri Police Department, and the Oliva, Minnesota Police Department.
Mexican National Charged in Indictment
Andres G. Angel-Martinez, 25, was found on or about April 15, 2025, after having been removed November 11, 2019.
This case was referred by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV.
The charges contained in these indictments are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Operation Take Back America
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Three Fugitives Arrested in San Juan and Carolina, PRRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Three individuals who were fugitives since December 2024 were arrested today in the municipalities of San Juan and Carolina, PR, on criminal charges related to their alleged participation on drug trafficking and violent crimes associated to a drug trafficking organization that operated in San Juan, Carolina, and other areas nearby, from in or about 2021 through December 2024, when the arrest operation took place. The three fugitives had been charged in the case of United States v. Victor J. Pérez-Fernández, a.k.a. “La Cone/Vitu/Vitikin/Enano,” et al., Case No. 24-453 (MAJ).
Defendants [10] Gerald O. Rodríguez-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Patrón;” [18] Ángel L. Sanjurjo, a.k.a. “Vaca;” and [33] Ramsell Maldonado-Tatis, a.k.a. “R” were arrested by FBI special agents, Puerto Rico Police Bureau and the Carolina Municipal Police Department. They are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession and distribution of heroin, cocaine base (crack), cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl; and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Defendant Maldonado-Tatis is also facing one count for possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“As alleged in the indictment, these individuals were engaged in violent crime and spread deadly drugs through our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “Today’s arrests make clear that this Office will work tirelessly to keep the law-abiding residents of Puerto Rico safe and hold accountable those who bring violence to our streets.”
“The arrests carried out this morning reaffirm our unwavering commitment to dismantling criminal organizations. The message is clear: if you’re part of a violent criminal enterprise, the FBI will work relentlessly to find you and bring you to justice,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “The residents of Puerto Rico deserve safe communities, and through close collaboration with our local and federal partners, we will continue to bring fugitives to justice and restore peace where it is most needed.”
According to the charging documents, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, fentanyl, crack, cocaine, marijuana, Tramadol, and Clonazepam within 1,000 feet of the Sabana Abajo Public Housing Project (PHP), the Luis Lloréns Torres PHP, the Los Mirtos PHP, the Lagos de Blasina PHP, the La Esmeralda PHP, the El Coral PHP, the Monte Hatillo PHP, and other areas near those locations, all for significant financial gain and profit. The drug trafficking organizations that operated in and around these areas (known as The Alliance) reached an agreement to conduct their drug trafficking operations as allies, which they referred to as “La Paz” (The Peace). At that time, each housing project organization was controlled by their own leadership and structure. As part of The Alliance, there would not be war between these organizations and members would be able to rely on each other for protection, drugs, and weapons.
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; and AUSAs Laura Díaz-González, R. Vance Eaton, and Joseph Russell are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Texas woman pleads guilty to arson that destroyed Snohomish County churchRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 38-year-old Temple, Texas, woman pleaded guilty today in U.S, District Court in Seattle to three felonies related to the arson at Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church (SLLC) in Snohomish County, Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Natasha Marie O’Dell has been in custody since her arrest in Texas in August 2024. O’Dell pleaded guilty to Arson, Damage to Religious Property and Obstruction of Persons in the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs. She is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead on August 7, 2025.
According to the plea agreement and the federal indictment, O’Dell was linked via cell phone records, credit card records and surveillance video to the fire that destroyed the Maltby, Washington, church on August 25, 2023. Travel records indicate that over the time period of the fire, Odell was visiting relatives in Woodinville, Washington.
Even though the church was destroyed, part of the security system video surveillance survived the fire and depicted O’Dell, moving around the church with the red gasoline container. In the video O’Dell empties the container on the exterior walls of the church and items around the church. O’Dell moves out of camera range and fire is seen growing on the areas where she poured gasoline. Ultimately the video system stops functioning due to the fire.
The investigation tied O’Dell to credit card purchases at an area service station when she purchased just over a gallon of gasoline in a container and some lighters. O’Dell took an Uber to the church to commit the arson.
In the plea agreement O’Dell admits that she told various acquaintances that she was angry about churches and specifically with SLLC. Later she told another acquaintance that she planned to burn a nearby church.
One firefighter was injured fighting the blaze and was transported to an emergency room.
The fire did more than $3.2 million in damage to the church. The church has incurred additional costs renting a nearby middle school to hold their services two to three times a week.
Damage to religious property, and obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religion are punishable by up to 40 years in prison. Arson is punishable by a mandatory minimum five years in prison and up to twenty years in prison. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Whitehead after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Snohomish County Fire Marshall’s Office and the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Ten Defendants Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Charges in Connection with Transnational Criminal OperationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Ten individuals from Arizona, Ohio, Washington, and Mexico—including a member of the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) Cártel de Sinaloa and one person illegally residing in the United States—pleaded guilty in federal court this week to charges of violating federal narcotics and money laundering laws in relation to an international drug trafficking organization (DTO), Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendants were among 35 individuals charged through a Second Superseding Indictment unsealed in January 2024 for their participation in a domestic and international narcotics and money laundering conspiracy involving substantial quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine (read the Second Superseding Indictment news release here).
Pleading guilty this week before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan were:
Plea Date
Defendant
Age
Residence
April 21
Humberto Arredondo-Soto25
Culiacan, Mexico
Jaime Ledesma27
Phoenix, Arizona
Stephanie Ortiz26
Avondale, ArizonaApril 22
Samuel Aguirre23
Phoenix, Arizona
Jesus Lopez24
Phoenix, Arizona
Diego Monarrez23
Phoenix, Arizona
Adrian Lopez Rivera24
Phoenix, ArizonaApril 23
Donnell Collins29
Cleveland, Ohio
Luis Fentanes24
Phoenix, Arizona
Mohamed Kariye36
Kent, WashingtonIn connection with the guilty pleas, the Court was advised that, on various dates from in and around August 2021 to in and around June 2023, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and/or methamphetamine. Specifically, Arredondo-Soto, Ledesma (who was residing in Phoenix illegally), Ortiz, Aguirre, Lopez, Rivera, and Monarrez each conspired to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, with all except Monarrez also having conspired to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Similarly, from in and around August 2021 to in and around March 2023, Collins and Fentanes conspired to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, with Collins also having possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine on March 2, 2023, while Kariye conspired to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The defendants were intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that they distributed to others. Further, from in and around April 2022 to in and around March 2023, Aguirre conspired to commit money laundering, packaging drug proceeds and delivering large amounts of U.S. currency to couriers to smuggle into Mexico to pay for re-supplies of drugs.
Arredondo-Soto, a Mexican national with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, was the source of supply for the DTO and was responsible for trafficking millions of fentanyl pills and hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine that the DTO distributed. Numerous military-grade firearms were trafficked into Mexico for Arredondo-Soto as payment from members of the DTO for the drugs. In coordination with Homeland Security Investigations, Arredondo-Soto was arrested in Mexico in November 2023 by Mexican law enforcement authorities and extradited to the United States in February 2024.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencings for November 3-5, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both, or, for Kariye, not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant.
With this week’s 10 guilty pleas, 19 of the 35 defendants charged in the Second Superseding Indictment have now pleaded guilty in the case, with six defendants having been sentenced thus far. Included among those sentencings is Mark Camacho, 26, of Phoenix, Arizona, who Judge Ranjan sentenced this week to 57 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
Assistant United States Attorneys Arnold P. Bernard Jr. and Tonya S. Goodman are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of the defendants. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition from Mexico of Arredondo-Soto.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, 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).
St. Tammany Man Sentenced for Federal Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –RICARDO JORDAN (“JORDAN”), age 22, of St. Tammany Parish, was sentenced on April 10, 2025 by United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier, for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
According to court documents, on August 3, August 10, and September 19, 2023, JORDAN sold forty (40) grams or more of fentanyl to an undercover Louisiana State Police Trooper. On September 28, 2023, a search warrant was executed at JORDAN’S Covington, La. residence where law enforcement officials recovered approximately 101 grams of fentanyl.
As a result of this criminal conduct, JORDAN was indicted on four counts related to the drug trafficking and drug possession and subsequently pled guilty.
Judge Barbier sentenced JORDAN to 60 months imprisonment, a 4-year term of supervised release and a mandatory special assessment fee of $400.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Briana Williams of the Narcotics Unit.
St. Louis County Men Sentenced for the Armed Robbery of Dollar StoresRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men who robbed two dollar stores at gunpoint have both been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced Deon Walker, 27, to 11 years and nine months in prison. Samuel Nance, 33, of Black Jack, Missouri, was sentenced in July to 14 years in prison. Both men pleaded guilty to three felonies: two counts of robbery and one count of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
On Oct. 9, 2022, just after 6 p.m., Walker and Nance robbed a dollar store in Berkeley, Missouri. Both men entered the store wearing clothing with hoods and black ski masks. When an employee asked them to remove their hoods, Walker pointed a black handgun at the employees and customers, demanded money and ordered everyone to get on the floor. One customer was able to escape out of the rear of the store with two children. An employee opened one cash register, which Nance emptied. Walker grabbed a customer and escorted her to the front of the store at gunpoint before forcing her to the floor. He and Nance then took money from another cash register and then stole about 18 packs of Newport cigarettes along with about $481 in cash.
About 90 minutes later, the two men robbed a dollar store in Ferguson, Missouri. Walker and Nance walked behind the checkout counter and Walker pointed a handgun at a cashier before demanding money. Nance jumped over the checkout counter to stop a customer who was trying to leave the store. Walker then took the entire cash drawer and both Nance and Walker ran out of the store. Walker and Nance stole about $486.
The FBI and the Berkeley Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane prosecuted the case.
Slidell Man Indicted for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JONATHAN SUAREZ (“SUAREZ”), age 29, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, with was indicted today for receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2).
According to the indictment, between on or about February 15, 2023, and April 9, 2025, SUAREZ received visual depictions of minors as young as approximately two (2) years old engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including a video he received on or about February 15, 2023.
SUAREZ faces a mandatory minimum of five (5) years in prison and a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years. SUAREZ also faces at least five years, and up to a lifetime, of supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine. He may also be required to register as a sex offender.
Acting U. S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.