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4 June 2025
Man from El Salvador charged with making false statementRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Oscar David Contreras Guzman, 49, a citizen of El Salvador, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making a false statement, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in the early morning hours of May 17, 2025, Guzman was driving a commercial truck bearing Maryland license plates at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry. When asked for identification during primary inspection, Guzman presented a Maryland State Driver’s License. He also claimed to be a citizen of Mexico and indicated that he had been refused entry into Canada, after making a wrong turn onto the Lewiston Bridge, on his way to Michigan. Guzman was referred to secondary to determine his immigration status in the United States. During secondary inspection, Guzman again stated that he was a citizen of Mexico and had in his possession a Mexican Consular ID card. A fingerprint check determined that he was in fact Oscar David Contreras Guzman, a citizen of El Salvador, and was previously removed from the United States in April 2007.
This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Man Sentenced to 300 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Female MinorRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 3, 2025, United States District Court Chief Judge Raúl M. Arias Marxuach sentenced Elvin Jhohanie Molina-Rosado to 300 months (25 years) in prisonfollowed by 15 years of supervised release for child exploitation charges against a female minor victim. Molina-Rosado, 36, from Corozal, PR, was indicted on January 26, 2024, and plead guilty on February 14, 2025.
According to court documents, from February 2020 to April 2022 Elvin Jhohanie Molina Rosado knowingly employed, used, and coerced a minor female, when she was between the ages of twelve and fourteen years old, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct, that is images of sexual acts and lascivious exhibition of the genital and pubic areas. The visual depictions were produced using his cellular devices. In April 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force received information from the Police of Puerto Rico regarding the allegations that Defendant had sexually abused and recorded sexually explicit images of the minor female. The investigation led to the arrest and prosecution of Elvin Jhohanie Molina Rosado.
“This case demonstrates the resolve of the Department of Justice to prosecute those who exploit and victimize our children,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I thank our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, support personnel, as well as our dedicated law enforcement partners and their relentless efforts to combat child exploitation and to bring offenders to justice.”
“Adults have a fundamental responsibility to protect our children—not to exploit or harm them. This case represents a violation of that duty, and the sentence reflects the seriousness we put toward the investigation and prosecution of these crimes,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, HSI San Juan Special Agent in Charge. “The exploitation of a child is abominable. Homeland Security Investigations remains steadfast in our mission to protect our children. Individuals involved in these heinous acts should know that no matter where they hide, if they exploit a minor we will find them. — This 25 years sentence of incarceration and 15 years of supervised release ensure this predator can no longer harm a child.”
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Lebanon County Man Indicted for Child-Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christian Tyler Harding, age 24, a resident of Annville, Pennsylvania, was indicted on May 28, 2025, by a federal grand jury for child-pornography offenses.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that, on or about February 3, 2025, Harding attempted to produce child pornography, and coerced and enticed a minor to engage in a sexual activity for which a person can be charged with a criminal offense. The indictment further alleges that between on or about January 1, 2025, and February 27, 2025, Harding received and possessed child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Bowling Green Police Department in Ohio, the Western Lebanon County Regional Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and the imposition of a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a court 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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Justice Department Announces Action Against Wisconsin Elections Commission for Lacking Complaint Procedure Required by Federal LawRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division sent a letter to the Wisconsin Elections Commission regarding its failure to provide a complaint process or hearing for Wisconsin voters, in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
The letter states that the Wisconsin Elections Commission failed to meet HAVA’s requirement of a state-based administrative complaint procedure. Compliance with all federal elections laws is mandatory, and the receipt of federal funds under HAVA is conditioned on compliance with the Act.
Election integrity and compliance with federal elections laws are essential to protect our constitutional republic. Wisconsin’s refusal to give complainants any recourse to report violations they may have observed or experienced while voting is a significant violation of federal law, and a betrayal of the confidence of the American people.
“Courts across the land, including our highest court, have repeatedly defended measures to ensure election integrity,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, “We have made it our highest priority to identify jurisdictions that fail to follow our elections laws and vigorously enforce the law by all means available.”
The letter issued today also notifies the U.S. Election Assistance Commission of Wisconsin’s unlawful actions and calls for the withholding of federal funds to Wisconsin for violating HAVA.
Jury convicts Edwardsville man of drug traffickingRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A federal jury returned a two-count guilty verdict for an Edwardsville man charged with distributing meth in Franklin and Perry counties.
Kevin D. Stewart, 59, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute meth and one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of meth.
Co-defendant Elizabeth J. Schwartzkopf, 43, of Pinckneyville, pleaded guilty in September to one count of conspiracy to distribute meth and one count of possession with intent to distribute meth and was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment on Wednesday.
"The collaboration between the ISP and the U.S. Attorney's Office is essential in dismantling drug trafficking networks,” stated ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “By combining investigative expertise with prosecutorial power, this partnership delivers justice more effectively, disrupting criminal operations and protecting the well-being of our communities."
According to court documents and evidence at trial, Illinois State Police officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Schwartzkopf with Stewart in the passenger seat in March 2024. Officers recovered 312 grams of methamphetamine, 924 grams of homemade THC gummies, and a scale from the vehicle.
Stewart’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2025, at the federal courthouse in Benton. Possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of meth carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment.
The Illinois State Police Drug Task Force led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Sanders and Tom Leggans are prosecuting the case.
June Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the June Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Mitchell Lee Keene. Escape from Federal Custody. Keene, 63, of Rose, is charged with escaping federal custody and knowingly departing the Turley Residential Center without permission. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-186
Jose Gledin Ramires-Lopez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ramires-Lopez, 28, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Aug. 2018. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Valeria Luster is prosecuting the case.
25-CR-195Jose Luis Rodriguez Cornejo. Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Rodriguez Cornejo, 43, a Mexican national, is charged with knowingly possessing more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He is further charged with maintaining a residence to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. Additionally, he is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Feb. 2001. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McConney is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-187
Odell Carl Stokes; Arthur Lee Hudgens, Jr.; Roderick Dale Favors; Cornelius James Artis. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 2 and 3); Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Stokes, 49, Hudgens, 46, Favors, 43, and Artis, 44, of Tulsa, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Oct. 2024 through May 2025. Hudgens, Favors, Artis, and Stokes are additionally charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Lastly, Stokes is charged with possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-188
John Edgar Williams, IV; Jeremy Mindez Ruff; Savannah D’naisha May Gage; Nevaeh Charise Cox; Trinity Rinique Goudeau; Shavari Melton; Vanessa Lashay Bell; Ashley Charles. Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking (Count 1); Transporting an Individual for Prostitution (Counts 2 & 3); Interstate Travel to Aid Racketeering (Count 4); Distribution of Child Pornography (Count 5). Williams, 38, Gage, 25, Cox, 39, Goudeau, 24, Melton, 20, Bell, 20, Charles, 37, of Tulsa, and Ruff, 39, of Dallas, Texas, are charged with conspiring with each other to recruit, entice, and harbor a person by threats of force to engage in a commercial sex act for payment. Williams and Gage are charged separately for transporting people to engage in prostitution and other sexual activities. Additionally, Williams, Ruff, Gage, Cox, Goudeau, Melton, and Charles are charged with using interstate and foreign commerce to promote and manage a business enterprise involving prostitution. Lastly, Cox is further charged with knowingly distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. The Tulsa Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore, John Brasher, and John W. Dowdell are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-197
Juan Rojo Yanez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Yanez, AGE, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Mar. 1999. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-196
Jackson Man Sentenced to over 18 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Possession with the Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Jackson man, Marcus Guice, was sentenced on May 30, 2025 to 175 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 175 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, both sentences and terms of supervised release to run concurrently. Since his criminal conduct was in violation of his federal supervised release, Guice was also sentenced to an additional 46 months in federal prison to run consecutive to the 175-month prison term.
According to court documents, in and around December 2019 and continuing through January 2020, communications between Guice and his coconspirators were intercepted wherein they negotiated and conducted the sale of marijuana, cocaine, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), and methamphetamine in the Jackson, Mississippi area. Guice and his coconspirators are responsible for over 69,000 kilograms of converted drug weight being sold in the Jackson, Mississippi area in a two-month period.
In addition to the prison sentence, Guice was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Police Department and Ridgeland Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Keesha Middleton.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Illegal alien sentenced for assaulting law enforcementRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 21-year-old El Salvadorian national has been sentenced for assaulting a Border Patrol (BP) agent, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Oscar Adilio Sanchez-Rivera pleaded guilty March 4.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Sanchez-Rivera to serve 36 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
“The defendant here managed to turn a simple removal case to a multi-year federal sentence,” said Ganjei. “Let this case be an example to others who may wish harm on police or federal agents; assaulting law enforcement will not be tolerated.”
On Nov. 1, 2024, authorities conducted a traffic stop in Rio Grande City when Sanchez-Rivera notified them of his alien status. As the BP agent attempted to place him in a vehicle, Sanchez-Rivera attempted to evade arrest. He punched the agent in the face and grabbed the agent’s finger, causing a fracture that required surgery.
Sanchez-Rivera fled on foot but was soon apprehended.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
BP and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda McColgan prosecuted the case.
Humbolt, Iowa, Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Paul William Flett, age 44, from Humbolt, Iowa, was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa, on June 3, 2025. Flett pled guilty January 23, 2025, to one count to sexual exploitation of a child.
Evidence in the case showed that Flett sent links and images of child pornography to underage girls and asked them to send images and videos of themselves to him. On June 6, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Flett’s home and in a consensual interview, Flett admitted to the conduct and that he threw his phone in a closet when law enforcement arrived because he knew they were there for him. Forensic analysis of Flett’s electronics and Kik account discovered a total of 16 videos and 60 images of child pornography including several that Flett had asked children to record of themselves. The images and videos contained material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct, as well as prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Flett was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment, ordered to pay $3,600 in restitution and assessments, and ordered to serve a term of supervised release of 5 years following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Flett remains in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Cyber-Crime Unit, and Webster County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-03036.
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Habitual offender sentenced to over 4 years in prison for domestic assault on Fort Belknap Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Harlem man who assaulted his domestic partner was sentenced today to 51 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Nicholas Dee Birdtail, 53, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of domestic assault by habitual offender.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Birdtail and Jane Doe had been in a dating relationship for over three years and were married in tribal court in 2022. On September 2, 2023, Birdtail slapped Jane Doe across the face. The responding law enforcement officers saw a fresh handprint on the left side of Doe’s face. Doe also showed the officer bruises on her arms from the night before that were caused by Birdtail. At the time of the assault, Birdtail was released on bond for previous domestic violence charges against Doe. A condition of his bond was to have no contact with Doe.
Prior to September 2, 2023, Birdtail was convicted of multiple misdemeanor domestic assaults in Billings municipal court, and he was convicted of felony partner family member assault in Yellowstone County District Court. He also has a misdemeanor conviction for partner family member assault from Idaho.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services.
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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Guatemalan man pleads guilty, sentenced for making false statementRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Gendry Amilcar Niz-Niz, 25, a native of Guatemala, pleaded guilty to making a false statement before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Niz-Niz was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who handled the case, stated that on March 16, 2025, during a traffic stop, Niz-Niz provided a name and identification card, which did not match his true identity, to law enforcement. During the traffic stop, law enforcement learned, through fingerprint analysis and immigration checks, Niz-Niz’s identity.
This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steven Abbott and U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Martin B. Coombs.
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Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegally Entering the US After a Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Guatemalan national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for illegally entering the U.S. after a prior removal.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Samuel Par-Lopez, 37, to time served (approximately 113 days). Par-Lopez pleaded guilty on March 14, 2025.
According to court records, on February 7, 2025, an officer from the Wiscasset Police Department observed Par-Lopez operating a vehicle with snow on the roof that had not been cleared (a violation of Maine motor vehicle law). Immigration records showed that he had previously been removed from the U.S. and did not have a visa or other documentation that would allow him to re-enter the country.
U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case with assistance from the Wiscasset Police Department.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Edilsaro Romeo Mauricio Temaj, 26, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.According to the charging documents, on or about Dec. 14, 2024, Mauricio was found in the United States after having been deported from the United States to Guatemala on or about July 31, 2024.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will also be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Jasson Humberto Marroquin Moro, 29, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.According to the charging documents, on or about May 6, 2025, Mauricio was found in the United States after having been deported from the United States to Guatemala on or about June 3, 2014.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Georgia Resident Sentenced for Leading Bank Fraud and ID Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – The final defendant and ringleader of a bank fraud and aggravated identity theft scheme involving stolen checks and a fake online recruiting website was sentenced to federal prison today.
Jalen Tylee Hill, aka “Roscoe Hill,” 26, of Americus, was sentenced to serve 81 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Court will determine restitution at a later date. Hill previously pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to possess stolen mail on May 14, 2024. A codefendant, Victoria Lynn Carter, 25, of Americus, was sentenced to serve one year of supervised release after she previously pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. The sentences were handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on June 4. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Schemes to defraud and steal from citizens will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “This case serves as a reminder for all of us to be as vigilant as possible with what we share online and monitor our financial accounts. I commend the good investigative work of our local and federal law enforcement partners for helping to prevent any more people and businesses from falling victim to this fraud.”
“The sentencing of this defendant and co-defendants exemplifies the dedication of the investigative efforts which sends a strong message to individuals to consider the consequences of stealing mail and committing financial fraud,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Atlanta Division. “I commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by all of the law enforcement agencies involved, which resulted in the dismantling of this criminal network.”
"The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office appreciates the support and assistance we received in investigating this case," said Sumter County Sheriff Eric Bryant. "Fraud crimes are on the rise in our area, and the strong partnerships we have with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies provide us with additional resources to address these types of crimes."
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from a local church in December 2021 about mail theft and forged checks. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that numerous checks had been stolen out of mailboxes at residential and commercial locations in Georgia. The checks were then forged and deposited into other bank accounts. Specifically, the checks were often altered by having the “Pay To” designation changed to an individual involved in the fraud. That individual would then
make a deposit into their banking account. Other times, the checks would be altered by computer software.
Investigators discovered that Hill directed the scheme and would recruit people via Facebook. Hill would often offer to deposit stolen, forged or duplicated checks into the bank accounts of the recruits on condition that they would split half the funds. Investigators were able to determine that in six months, Hill stole hundreds of pieces of mail, participated in at least 68 incidents of bank fraud, and unlawfully used debit cards belonging to other individuals at least 14 occasions. Hill then deposited, or attempted to deposit, the numerous stolen, forged or otherwise fraudulent checks of more than ten financial institutions into other bank accounts, resulting in an intended loss of approximately $165,743.68. As part of another scheme discovered by investigators, Hill created a fake solar panel installation company recruiting page online from which he stole the identities of 28 individuals, including their driver’s licenses, social security cards, birth certificates, instructional permits and other documents depicting personally identifiable information.
The following codefendants have been convicted for their participation in the crime:
Quontavius Markeese Hill, 34, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and after serving more than eight months in custody was sentenced to time served plus three years of supervised release and to pay $10,815.89 restitution on Nov. 8, 2023;
Accacia Renae Gordon, 24, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve four months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release and to pay $14,970.35 restitution on Jan. 15, 2025;
Shaneria Sharae Murray, 33, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve 45 days in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and to pay $2,000 restitution on Dec. 2, 2024;
Chelsea Ja'Nay Tullis, 29, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve one month in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on March 15, 2024;
LaQuashia Nichole French, 24, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve 15 days in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release and to pay $2,227.91 restitution on Oct. 23, 2024;
Jazmon Lace Whitehead, 31, of Oglethorpe, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $7,658.59 restitution on March 17, 2025;
Chasity LaCole Wellons, 31, of Cordele, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $2,000 restitution on Jan. 22, 2025;
DeKeyvia Moasha Blackshear, 26, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release on Aug. 16, 2024;
Janita Bre'Shaye Terry, 24, of Columbus, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release on Dec. 2, 2024;
Kelbresha Danielle Thomas, 30, of Oglethorpe, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release on Dec. 2, 2024;
Jenetta Small, 29, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve two years of supervised release on March 14, 2025;
Tyavia Deashia Richardson, 24, of Americus, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to one year of supervised release and to pay $4,740 restitution on Aug. 14, 2024; and
Kimbreyanna Andranique Peeples, 23, of Butler, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and was sentenced to serve one year of supervised release on Dec. 2, 2024.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the FBI and the U.S Secret Service (USSS).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid prosecuted the case for the Government.
Georgia Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Jesus Anibal Gutierrez, a 27-year-old resident of College Park, GA was sentenced to 12.5 years in federal prison for distributing crystal methamphetamine in Goldsboro, NC. Gutierrez pled guilty on November 12, 2024.
According to the court documents and other information presented in court, the investigation began in July 2023, when law enforcement learned that a Mexico-based drug trafficker had arranged to send significant quantities of narcotics to the Eastern District of North Carolina. Law enforcement learned that a courier working on behalf of the Mexican drug trafficker was scheduled to arrive in the Goldsboro, NC area with a large shipment of methamphetamine on October 21, 2023.
With the assistance of a confidential informant, law enforcement located the courier’s car and conducted a traffic stop. A K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the car, and law enforcement seized approximately 20.74 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, as well as three cellular telephones. Gutierrez was a passenger in the car and admitted to law enforcement that he coordinated the shipment of narcotics and was traveling to the Goldsboro area to deliver them. The driver, Rosendo Salazar, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 10, 2025.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Goldsboro Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website. 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 5:24-CR-00149.
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Four Admit Fraudulently Registering Vehicles in MissouriRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –Four people, including three former employees of vehicle and driver license offices, have admitted fraudulently registering motor vehicles in Missouri.
Gary Wilds, 48, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 22 counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft and six counts of making a false statement.
Three former employees of contract license offices have also pleaded guilty. Ashlyn Graeff, 39, pleaded guilty on March 5, 2024, to three counts of making a false statement. Megan Leone, 42, pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. Michelle Boyer, 53, pleaded guilty on May 21 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Wilds’ business, Pinnacle Concierge, assisted customers in registering their vehicles with the Missouri Department of Revenue. Wilds admitted bribing employees of the motor vehicle license offices to falsely represent to the state that the vehicles had passed emissions and safety inspections and that those owners had paid their property taxes and had proof of insurance or other evidence of financial responsibility. Wilds also bribed employees into submitting forged documents claiming that vehicle owners were eligible for sales tax exemptions, thus reducing tax assessments from thousands of dollars per vehicle to as little as $11.
Some of Wilds’ customers knew that Wilds was going to use deceptive means to register their vehicles because their vehicles could not pass emissions tests, they had outstanding child support arrearages or they had been barred from registering vehicles by another state agency, the plea says. The customers who were unaware suffered financial losses because Wilds sent a fraction of the actual required taxes to the Department of Revenue, and the owners remain liable for those taxes.
As early as 2015, Boyer met Wilds at a contract licensing office and began assisting him in conducting the illegal motor vehicle transactions. Wilds knew Leone before 2017, when she began working for a licensing office in St. Charles County. After she started work as a title clerk, Wilds began paying her in exchange for her help registering vehicles and exempting vehicles from the payment of state and local taxes. When she was promoted to manager, Leone told Graeff, who was her subordinate and who began working at the office in 2018, to fraudulently complete vehicle registration documents on behalf of Wilds. Wilds paid Graeff $100 for each transaction. Graeff initially conducted one or two fraudulent registrations per week for Wilds but that eventually grew to as many as 10 per day. Graeff’s activities resulted in a loss of state tax revenue of $84,154.96.
Leone is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24 and Boyer on August 21. Graeff was sentenced July 17, 2024, to four years of probation and ordered to pay $84,554 in restitution.
Wilds is scheduled to be sentenced on September 2. The conspiracy and wire fraud charges each carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. The charge of making a false statement carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Each aggravated identity theft charge is punishable by two years in prison, consecutive to any other charge.
The case was investigated by the Missouri Department of Revenue and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Finds Venezuelan National Guilty of Harboring Illegal Aliens in El Paso ApartmentRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A federal jury in El Paso convicted a Venezuelan national for conspiracy to harbor aliens.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Marcel Eliezer Zapata-Colmenarez, 26, opened the door of his residence on Jan. 30 to find agents from the U.S. Border Patrol and other federal law enforcement agencies present. With Zapata-Colmenarez’s consent, the agents entered and searched the residence, finding piles of clothes on the floor, wet and muddy clothing hanging in a closet, and other signs consistent with harboring and smuggling illegal aliens. Zapata-Colmenarez also granted consent for agents to search his cell phone, leading to the discovery of proof-of-life videos—videos sent by recently-crossed illegal aliens acknowledging that they had been smuggled with the assistance of a smuggling network. Zapata-Colmenarez later admitted that he accepted an offer to harbor illegal aliens in his apartment and was paid $50 per alien.
Zapata-Colmenarez was arrested Jan. 30 and indicted on Feb. 26 for one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens and one count of harboring aliens for financial gain. His sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for Aug. 26, 2025, and he faces up to 10 years in federal prison along with a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case with assistance from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Wisniewski and Mathew Engelbaum 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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Federal Jury Convicts Michigan Man on Charges of Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS and Possessing a Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
Note: A previous version of this press release included an error regarding the nature and number of the charged incidents. The release has been updated to reflect the correct information.
A Michigan man was convicted yesterday by a jury on charges of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, commonly known as ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and for being a felon in possession of a destructive device.
Aws Mohammed Naser, 37, formerly of Westland, Michigan, was convicted following a five-week trial. The jury unanimously found that Naser attempted to provide material support to ISIS, in the form of personnel (including himself) and services, knowing that ISIS was a designated terrorist organization, and that ISIS engages in terrorism. In addition, Naser was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a destructive device. The jury deliberated approximately six hours before returning their verdict.
“The trial proved that this defendant spent years trying to support ISIS – first by attempting to join its ranks overseas, then by turning to explosives and extremist networks on American soil,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “His relentless pursuit of terrorism posed a clear threat to our national security and his conviction makes clear that the Justice Department will hold accountable those who seek to advance the violent aims of foreign terrorist organizations.”
“Defendant Aws Mohammed Naser is a bombmaker and self-avowed ‘son of the Islamic State’ — a vicious foreign terrorist organization hell-bent on murdering Americans and destroying our way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Naser tried to travel and fight for ISIS overseas but was turned away. So, Naser turned his fight inward on America, gathered drones, and built a bomb in his basement. But our office is dedicated to finding and applying the full force of the law against any terrorist, like Naser, plotting to harm Americans.”
“Naser sought to join a terrorist organization and attempted to travel to Syria, multiple times, to join ISIS’s violent attacks against the U.S,” said Assistant Director Don M. Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Through the FBI’s work with our Joint Terrorism Task Force and our commitment to safeguarding our nation, Naser will face justice for his support of ISIS.”
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Naser became radicalized and frequently posted extreme Salafi-Jihadist ideological content on his YouTube channel. Naser developed a close relationship with Russell Dennison, an aspiring Salafi-Jihadist preacher, and the two jointly traveled to Iraq in early 2012.
In August 2012, Naser returned to Michigan while Dennison traveled to Syria and joined the foreign terrorist organization Al Nusrah Front, an Islamic State of Iraq-affiliate group that was a precursor to ISIS. Once back in the United States, Naser began preparations to join Dennison, and the two continued to communicate and discussed the terror group’s urgent need for money to acquire firearms. Dennison is believed to have been killed in 2019 while with ISIS in Syria. Naser attempted to leave the United States for Syria on two occasions. First, in November 2012, but he was not permitted to board the plan at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Undeterred, Naser purchased another one-way plane ticket departing from Chicago O’Hare Airport bound for Beirut, Lebanon, in January 2013. Hours before his scheduled flight to Lebanon, Naser robbed a gas station. After the robbery, Naser took a bus to Chicago and attempted to board his flight to Lebanon with $2,000 in his possession but was again denied boarding and returned to Michigan. Naser was subsequently charged and convicted of armed robbery and served a three-year prison sentence.
After being released from prison and unable to travel to join ISIS, Naser focused his attention on how to support ISIS in the United States. Naser surreptitiously created social media accounts and joined invitation-only ISIS supporters’ chatrooms, groups, and private rooms where he obtained and viewed official ISIS media reports, publications, and other jihadi propaganda. He solicited and obtained information on explosives and experimented with manufacturing explosives and operating drones. In October 2017, FBI searched Naser’s home and vehicle and recovered a readily assembleable destructive device.
Naser faces up to 20 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization and up to 15 years in prison for possessing a destructive device. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., Assistant U.S. Attorneys Saima Mohsin and Hank Moon for the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Dmitriy Slavin of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Federal Agent Charged with Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Timothy Ryan Gregg has been charged via federal complaint with production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
According to court documents, Timothy Ryan Gregg, 51, of Eagan, Minnesota, attempted, coerced, and enticed a minor victim to take part in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. According to court documents, the father of the minor victim discovered multiple sexually explicit images and videos on the minor victim’s cell phone. These images and videos depicted the minor and an older individual engaged in sexually explicit activity. The individual in the images and videos were later identified as Timothy Gregg, who is a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations and a Task Force Officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will always hold defendants in positions of public trust to account, particularly when they commit crimes against vulnerable children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “I am proud of the swift and decisive action of the FBI and the Rochester Police Department, who responded immediately and worked together to take Gregg safely into custody.”
“The allegations in this case represent a gross violation of both the law and the responsibilities entrusted to those who wear a badge,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “There is no place in law enforcement — or in any position of public trust — for those who exploit minors. The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to investigate such acts and ensure that no one is above the law, regardless of their rank or role.”
Gregg made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today, before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster, and was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the FBI and the Rochester Police Department for their investigation and hard work. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also thanks Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance in safely apprehending the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Jacobs is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Eight Sentenced in Eastern Panhandle Fentanyl Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Eight people have been sentenced for their roles in an Eastern Panhandle drug trafficking organization.
The indictment, returned in January 2024 against Gary Brown, Jr. and eighty-one others, charged that the defendants caused substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to be distributed in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
Those sentenced this week include:
- Eric Garner, also known as “Pops,” age 58, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 300 months.
- Gary Rodriguez, also known as “Mr. T,” age 34, of Lanham, Maryland, was sentenced to 240 months in prison.
- Benjamin Paul Knotts, age 49, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 235 months in prison.
- Damian Costello, age 28, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced to 180 months in prison.
- Michael Bradley Decker, age 44, of Inwood, West Virginia, was sentenced to 97 months.
- Gary Brown, III, age 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 36 months.
- Wendy Diane Crites, age 58, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison.
- Michael Regale Luckett, age 47, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison.
Of the 82 defendants, 81 have been convicted. Including this week’s eight, 70 defendants have been sentenced. One defendant, Charles Delroy Singletary, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, remains a fugitive.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office (Virginia).
This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Drug Trafficker Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Fatal Fentanyl OverdoseRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Portland area drug trafficker was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in distributing illicit fentanyl that resulted in the fatal overdose of a young man in Washington County, Oregon.
Efrain Roberto Diaz-Rangel, 35, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Portland, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in April 2023, the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN) began investigating a suspected fentanyl overdose of the adult male victim in Washington County. In May 2023, WIN requested investigative assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT), and Portland Police Bureau (PPB).
Investigators determined that several people were involved in a distribution chain responsible for selling counterfeit Oxycodone pills manufactured with illicit fentanyl. Investigators identified Diaz-Rangel as an originating source of fentanyl in Oregon and learned that he trafficked fentanyl and heroin for a Mexico-based drug dispatcher.
On June 27, 2023, as part of a controlled buy, HSI special agents arrested Diaz-Rangel. At the time of his arrest, Diaz-Rangel possessed approximately 1,000 counterfeit pills and a small quantity of heroin. Later that day, investigators executed a search warrant on Diaz-Rangel’s residence and located an additional 30,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, four pounds of heroin, and more than $10,000 in cash.
On June 27, 2023, Diaz-Rangel was charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.
On March 4, 2025, Diaz-Rangel pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
This case was jointly investigated by WIN and HSI with assistance from the HIDTA HIT and PPB. It was prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 3-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.
Dominican National Arrested for his Unlawful Reentry into the United States and for Distributing Fentanyl and One Pound of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Dominican man was arrested in connection with immigration and drug offenses, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Robely Eladio De Jesus Guerrero, 37, a citizen of the Dominican Republic unlawfully residing in Massachusetts, was charged with unlawful reentry of a deported alien and distribution of controlled substances, specifically methamphetamine and fentanyl. He appeared in federal court today and was detained. His next hearing is scheduled for June 20, 2025.
According to the charging documents, De Jesus Guerrero was deported to the Dominican Republic from the United States in November 2021. He was encountered again by law enforcement in August and September 2024 in New Hampshire.
Between August and September 2024, De Jesus Guerrero allegedly distributed approximately 120 grams of fentanyl and approximately one pound of methamphetamine.
The charges of distribution of a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance carry a sentence of up to 20 years’ incarceration, not less than 3 years of supervised released, and a fine up to $1,000,000. 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.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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District Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Traffic Stop in Northwest D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Trevon Timothy Vines, 30, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on June 3, 2025, to one count of illegal possession of a firearm following his arrest on March 15, 2025, in the District of Columbia.
According to court documents, on March 15, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the vicinity of 1820 7th Street NW after observing a traffic infraction. It is alleged that during the course of the stop, officers observed several open containers of alcohol and requested that all occupants exit the vehicle.
Court documents say that Vines was seated in the front passenger seat and holding a cup consistent with the others observed. As officers attempted to place Vines in handcuffs, they felt what they immediately recognized to be a handgun on his person in a front left jacket pocket. Officers eventually recovered the firearm and discovered that it had been reported stolen from a gun dealer in White Plains, Maryland.
An investigation revealed that Vines is a convicted felon with multiple prior convictions. At the time of the incident, Vines was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal and D.C. law. He did not have a license to carry or own a firearm in the District of Columbia.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, ATF Baltimore Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
This case is part of Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful, an executive order surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Cuba Man Sentenced for Murder and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Cuba man was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and firearms offenses.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on July 26, 2022, Navajo Nation Police Department officers responded to reports of a shooting at a residence near Ojo Encino. Upon arrival, officers discovered John Doe deceased with a gunshot wound to his chest and right arm. Witnesses identified Jason Lee Martinez, 52, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, as the shooter, who fled the scene immediately after the incident.
On August 26, 2022, FBI agents interviewed Martinez, who admitted to shooting John Doe and subsequently pled guilty to second degree murder and federal firearms offenses.
Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case.
Coram woman pleads guilty to drug chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS - A Coram woman accused of possessing methamphetamine on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Heather Marie Kushmaul, 37, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Kushmaul faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for October 8, 2025, Kushmaul was released on conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement learned that beginning in May 2024, Heather Marie Kushmaul and her co-defendant were coming from their home in Coram, Montana, to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to deliver large amounts of methamphetamine. In October 2024, law enforcement arranged three controlled purchases of large amounts of methamphetamine from the defendants. During each of these controlled purchases, Kushmaul and her co-defendant traveled from their home in Coram to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and exchanged methamphetamine for money.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The FBI, BIA, DEA, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, and the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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 https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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Coral Springs Man Charged with Operating $158 Million Ponzi Scheme Through His Trucking Company, Sentenced to 23 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Sanjay Singh, 45, of Coral Springs, Florida, has been sentenced to 23 years in a federal prison for a $158 million investment fraud (Ponzi) scheme run through his over-the-road trucking company, Royal Bengal Logistics, Inc. (“RBL”).
In November, a jury convicted Singh on all 8 counts of an indictment that alleged that he violated federal laws criminalizing conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and engaging in transactions in unlawful proceeds.
According to the indictment, Singh, RBL’s founder and president, organized and ran a substantial Ponzi scheme with co-conspirators. The conspiracy began in January 2020 and was ongoing at the time of his arrest. Singh and his co-conspirators held RBL out to potential investors as a thriving and successful trucking business, all while RBL’s actual trucking business lost money. In the process, Singh and his co-conspirators made material misrepresentations and material omissions about the riskiness of investing in RBL, the profitability of RBL’s trucking operations, how RBL would pay its investors, and how RBL would use investor funds. Through these material misrepresentations and omissions, Singh and his co-conspirators raised over $158 million from investors, which Singh and his co-conspirators then used in part to pay existing investors promised returns.
The indictment also alleged that Singh misappropriated millions of dollars of investor funds to renovate his home, make mortgage payments, pay for personal expenses, and trade stocks on margin.
U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Joseph Harris of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (“DOT-OIG”), Southern Region; and Russell C. Weigel, III, Commissioner, Florida Office of Financial Regulation (“OFR”), made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney O’Byrne commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, DOT-OIG, and OFR in this matter. He thanked the United States Securities and Exchange Commission Miami Regional Office for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore and Roger Cruz prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60117.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to Multiple Felony OffensesRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who was found in possession of hundreds of fentanyl pills and multiple firearms was sentenced on June 3, 2025, to more than eight years in federal prison.
Deshawn Cooks, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 30, 2024, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
In a plea agreement, Cooks admitted he possessed 227 pills containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and 77 ecstasy pills, containing methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute in Cedar Rapids and the surrounding area. Additionally, Cooks admitted that he possessed two Taurus 9mm caliber firearms for the purpose of protecting himself, his narcotics, and the proceeds from the sale of narcotics.
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.
Cooks was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Cooks was sentenced to 102 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-74.
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Career Criminal Sentenced to Thirteen Years in Federal Prison for Manufacturing and Selling THC and Psilocybin Products NationwideRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Jered Hayward, 45, of Salem, Oregon, was sentenced today to 156 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and conspiracy to launder the proceeds. He also agreed to forfeit assets worth more than $2 million dollars.
According to court documents, Hayward operated a large-scale THC and psilocybin production and distribution facility headquartered in Salem. As part of his operation, Hayward and his employees obtained cereal and candy products and infused or sprayed potent THC oils on them. They then inserted the edibles into packages which mimicked the legitimate consumer food products, and sold them throughout the United States and internationally. While there was no evidence Hayward deliberately targeted minors, the manner in which his organization packaged the edibles posed a risk to children, who are often unable to comprehend the fine print warnings that the packages contained THC products.
Hayward’s organization utilized encrypted communications such as Telegram to market, sell and process orders, and straw businesses to mask money laundering transactions. Hayward had no permits or licenses to produce or sell these products; the entire operation was illegal.
Hayward has an extensive criminal record, including three prior state and federal convictions for marijuana and fentanyl trafficking. Because of these convictions, he is a career criminal under federal law.
Hayward agreed to forfeit substantial assets which he admitted were related to his drug and money laundering enterprise. As part of his guilty plea Hayward agreed to forfeit:
- The Salem production facility;
- More than $1 million in cash;
- $640,000 worth of cryptocurrency and bank account funds;
- More than $400,000 worth of gold and silver;
- Jewelry and a Rolex watch; and
- Twelve vehicles, two UTV’s, and boats.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Portland Police Bureau, United States Postal Inspection, Oregon State Police, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Salem Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Kemp Strickland and Christopher Cardani, Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
Canadian on Homeland Security’s Most Wanted List Convicted and Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A man who led an eight-year drug trafficking conspiracy, which smuggled and distributed hundreds of thousands of pills with methamphetamine, ecstasy, and BZP into the United States was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today.
Gorgon Jr. was joined in the announcement by Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit field office.
“In order to be a nation, we must have secure borders. Americans need to be protected from transnational criminals dumping their dangerous drugs into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
“This sentencing brings Sychantha’s cross border criminal enterprise to a fitting end,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “The collective effort by the case agents, the prosecutors and our international partners is astounding, and I commend them all for a job well done. ICE HSI will continue to collaborate with our partners to disrupt and dismantle international drug trafficking operations that seek to poison our communities.”
Following a six-day trial held in Detroit before Chief United States District Judge Sean F. Cox, Khaophone Sychantha, age 43, was convicted of one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, ecstasy, and BZP, one count of possession of methamphetamine, ecstasy, and BZP with intent to distribute, and one count of possession of ecstasy and BZP with intent to distribute.
Evidence at trial showed that Sychantha led an organization that directed several couriers to transport hundreds of thousands of pills and tens of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds across the United States-Canada border over an eight-year span. His couriers—many of whom were caught and convicted themselves—traveled to multiple states to deliver the pills. David Sok, Sychantha’s right-hand man, was also extradited from Canada and pleaded guilty earlier in the proceedings.
Prior to Sychantha’s extradition to the United States, HSI Detroit added Sychantha to the Homeland Security Investigations Ten Most Wanted List.
Sentencing was held before Chief United States Judge Sean F. Cox. At sentencing, the Court highlighted Sychantha’s seven Canadian convictions, his leadership role in the conspiracy, and the amount of pills smuggled into the United States under his command.
Sychantha was sentenced to serve 240 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his term of incarceration. Because Sychantha is not a United States citizen, he will be deported back to Canada after serving his sentence.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Dorval Norwood and T. Patrick Martin.
Canadian County Man to Serve Decade in Federal Prison following Domestic Violence Incident with Pregnant Woman Involving FirearmsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – JULIAN PAUL GLAZIER, 26, of Canadian County, has been sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison for illegal possession of firearms after previous felony convictions, announced U.S Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On February 20, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Indictment against Glazier, charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. According to public record, on December 24, 2023, Yukon Police Department (YPD) officers responded to a home to assist firefighters and paramedics who were reportedly assisting a pregnant woman experiencing a reported medical episode. Officers arrived and learned that the emergency call had been placed to draw them to the residence. Officers discovered that a woman at the residence was a victim of domestic violence, and that Glazier had detained her there at gunpoint in a bedroom for hours. When first responders arrived, Glazier attempted to hide a shotgun and a revolver he possessed during the offense, but officers located and seized them.
On May 2, 2024, Glazier pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment and admitted that he possessed firearms despite his previous felony convictions.
At the sentencing hearing on May 29, 2025, U.S. District Judge Charles B. Goodwin sentenced Glazier to serve 120 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Goodwin noted the nature of the offense and Glazier’s significant criminal history. Public record shows that he has a criminal history with previous felony convictions that include:
- unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance in Canadian County District Court case number CF-2017-496;
- unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2017-5508; and
- possession of a firearm after juvenile adjudication in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2017-7568.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Yukon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of PSN, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Bryan County Resident Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dock Lee Shoemaker, age 60, of Calera, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, punishable by up to ten years in prison.
The Indictment alleged that Shoemaker was convicted of felony Sexual Battery in the State of Oklahoma on February 3, 2016, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from August 2020 until April 16, 2025, Shoemaker failed to register and update his registration while entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Shoemaker will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.
British Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Nearly $1.9 Million in Romance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A British man was sentenced to federal prison today for stealing nearly $1.9 million from a Portland resident in a romance fraud scheme.
Oscar Peters, 65, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and 3 years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $1,892,439 in restitution to his victim.
According to court documents, Peters met his victim through Millionaire Match Maker, an online dating website, and convinced his victim that he was a billionaire living in Denmark seeking long-term commitment. Defendant engaged in daily romantic emails and phone calls with his victim and ingratiated himself with promises of marriage. Defendant then concocted elaborate lies about why he needed financial assistance – ranging from his soon-to-be ex-wife had frozen his assets or needed money to complete business obligations for their future together. With defendant’s calculated promises to repay the money and move to Portland, over about two years he convinced his victim to send him nearly $1.9 million.
On June 4, 2019, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a seven-count indictment charging Peters with wire fraud. On April 9, 2020, Peters was arrested in the United Kingdom where he remained in custody until he was extradited to the United States on October 23, 2023. On March 26, 2023, Peters pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Meredith Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Box Elder man sentenced to over 5 years in prison for child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Box Elder man who sexually abused a child was sentenced today to 68 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Brian Lee Bigbow, 48, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of abusive sexual contact by force and of a child.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in April 2021, a Montana DPHHS centralized intake report came in on an abuse of Jane Doe, who disclosed she was sexually abused by Brian Bigbow. During interviews, Doe provided details of the abuse. Doe said Bigbow hurt her and said the sexual abuse occurred when she was in Bigbow’s bed, and they were watching TV. He turned off the TV and the lights and “raped her” – which she described as sex when you don’t want it. Bigbow took off his pants and clothes and took off her clothes. Doe tried to push him away but could not. His private parts touched her private parts and it, “hurt really bad.” He was laying on her, touching her leg with his hand, and he tried to hold her hand. Bigbow told her not to tell anyone or he would hurt her. Doe did not remember how many times it happened – she just knew it was multiple times.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services
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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Big Island Attorneys and Businessman Found Guilty of BriberyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – After a three-week trial before United States District Judge Jill A. Otake, a federal jury today found Paul Joseph Sulla, Jr., 78, Gary Charles Zamber, 55, and Rajesh P. Budhabhatti, 65, guilty of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and nine counts of honest services wire fraud. Sulla was additionally convicted of money laundering. Sentencing is set for October 7, 2025 for Zamber, October 8, 2025 for Budhabhatti, and October 21, 2025 for Sulla. The defendants were permitted to remain released on bail pending sentencing.
At trial, the evidence showed that Sulla and Zamber, both attorneys living on the island of Hawaii (“Big Island”), and Budhabhatti, a private businessman on the Big Island, paid bribes and kickbacks to Alan Rudo, a Housing Specialist for the Hawaii County Office of Housing and Community Development, in exchange for Rudo using his official position to ensure the County approved three affordable housing agreements (AHAs) benefitting the defendants’ development companies Luna Loa Developments, LLC, West View Developments, LLC and Plumeria at Waikoloa, LLC. Although the defendants promised in the AHAs to build affordable housing for the citizens of Hawaii County, their development companies never built a single unit. Through the AHAs, the defendants fraudulently obtained at least $10,980,000 worth of land and excess affordable housing credits (AHCs). From that amount, the defendants paid or attempted to pay Rudo approximately $1,931,778 in bribes and kickbacks.
The defendants were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, and nine counts of honest services wire fraud, each of which also carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Sulla alone was charged with and convicted of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Alan Rudo, who testified at trial, previously pled guilty in July 2022 to conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud in connection with the bribery and kickback scheme. Rudo is scheduled to be sentenced on August 13, 2025.
“Today’s verdict reiterates our unwavering message to those who bribe and attempt to buy the discretion of Hawaii’s public officials at the expense of the public’s trust and the integrity of our public institutions—you will be federally prosecuted and brought to justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Our office will continue to root out and vigorously pursue those who engage in public corruption or who violate their positions of public trust.”
“The defendants in this investigation defrauded their own community for personal financial gain,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “The corruption of government officials corrodes public trust and weakens our communities. The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue these cases to protect and maintain public trust and hold criminals accountable.”
“This verdict marks an important step toward accountability and reinforces the importance of integrity in public service,” said County of Hawaii Mayor Kimo Alameda. “We understand the impact this case has had on our community and remain committed to restoring trust. Since the initial findings, the Office of Housing and Community Development has taken concrete actions to strengthen internal controls, improve oversight, and ensure that public resources are managed responsibly and transparently. These changes reflect our commitment to kuleana— our shared responsibility—to serve with integrity and protect community resources.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mohammad Khatib and Margaret Nammar and Trial Attorney William Gullota, of the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Public Integrity Section, prosecuted the case.
Baltimore Man Sentenced for Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Donald McDuffin Williams, age 50, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced today to 104 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, after connecting Williams to a sale of fentanyl that resulted in an overdose, investigators searched his home. Investigators recovered large quantities of cocaine base, fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and cash. The fentanyl was packaged individually for distribution. Williams has a criminal history that includes assault, battery, firearms violations, robbery, theft, and sex trafficking.
Williams will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Armed Robber Sentenced for Multiple Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Crocker, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for a series of robberies near Anacostia Park in 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Crocker pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025, in Superior Court to two counts of armed robbery, stemming from two robberies that took place on December 18, 2023. Crocker also pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a silver and black pistol on November 10, 2023. Following his term of incarceration, Crocker was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release. As part of his sentence, Crocker will be required to register as a gun offender.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendant robbed two individuals at gunpoint on December 18, 2023, in the vicinity of Anacostia Park. In the first offense, the defendant robbed an individual at gunpoint in the 2200 block of Fairlawn Avenue, SE. Crocker brandished a black and silver pistol and took the victim’s phone, keys, and wallet before demanding the PINs to the victim’s Cash App account and credit cards.
Later the same day, the defendant robbed a different individual on the Anacostia Railroad Bridge. Crocker brandished the same silver and black pistol and took the victim’s bicycle, cell phone, keys, and wallet. The defendant again demanded the PINs to the victim’s Cash App account and credit cards. United States Park Police officers stopped and arrested Crocker moments later. They recovered the proceeds of the robbery and the silver and black pistol from the defendant.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the United States Park Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kraig Ahalt, who prosecuted the case.
Alamogordo Man Sentenced on Federal Firearms Offenses Related to the Murder of Alamogordo Police OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Alamogordo man was sentenced to 8 years in prison for federal firearms offenses connected to the murder of Alamogordo Police Officer Anthony Ferguson. United States District Judge Margaret Strickland ordered the 8-year federal sentence to run consecutive to De La O’s state life sentence following a request by United States Attorney Ryan Ellison.
According to court records, on July 15, 2023, Dominic De La O fatally shot Officer Ferguson following an attempted traffic stop in Alamogordo, New Mexico. De La O used a sawed-off, unregistered shotgun supplied by Jonah Apodaca to kill Officer Ferguson after fleeing from a traffic stop and leading police on a pursuit. Officer Ferguson, a 11-year veteran of the Alamogordo Police Department and Field Training Officer, succumbed to his injuries on July 16, 2023.
United States Attorney Ryan Ellison issued the following statement after the sentencing hearing:
“Alamogordo Police Officer Anthony Ferguson faithfully served the people of Alamogordo for over 11 years—I know because I am one of them. My family still lives in Alamogordo and my mother attended Officer Ferguson’s funeral. An 8-year federal sentence for violations of federal firearms laws running consecutive to De La O’s state life sentence guarantees that he will never again see the outside of a prison cell. Acts of violence against those who serve and protect our communities will not be tolerated and should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. It was my great privilege to meet with Officer Ferguson’s family and to personally prosecute this case to ensure that justice was served.”
“Officer Anthony Ferguson’s death was a devastating and senseless act of violence,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brendan Iber. “Violence against our law enforcement officers and first responders must never be tolerated. Alongside our state, local and federal partners, we will relentlessly pursue justice—just as we did in this case. We continue to offer our heartfelt condolences to Officer Ferguson’s family, friends, the Alamogordo Police Department, and the entire community. His service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
De La O was previously found guilty of first-degree murder and related state charges and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional six and a half years for tampering with evidence, aggravated fleeing, criminal trespass, and resisting or evading an officer.
Jonah Apodaca pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for providing the weapon used in the fatal shooting.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Alamogordo Police Department, New Mexico State Police, the Otero County Sheriff’s Office, and the Twelfth Judicial District Attorney’s Office. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo prosecuted the case.
https://www.odmp.org/officer/26757-police-officer-anthony-fergusonActivity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Drug Trafficking
Brady Joseph Ehlers, 35, of Evanston, Wyoming, was sentenced to a total of 168 months’ imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents, beginning in September of 2024, detectives with the Cheyenne Police Department Community Action Team began an investigation into the distribution of fentanyl in the Cheyenne area. Through surveillance and interviews, they were able to track Ehlers’ movements to purchase fentanyl from Colorado and distribute it in Laramie County. The investigation revealed that Ehlers sold fentanyl to other redistributors, which resulted in the death of another person who overdosed on fentanyl. Detectives also issued search warrants, resulting in the seizure of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia from Ehler’s vehicle and residence. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cheyenne Police Department investigated the crime. Assistance U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Morrison prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence in Cheyenne on April 15, 2025.
Eli Alan Elbert, 44, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced in two separate criminal cases to 240 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. In one criminal case, Elbert was charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. In the second criminal case, Elbert was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The indictments were filed Nov. 21, 2024. At the change of plea hearing on Feb. 27, Elbert admitted to being a felon and having possession of seven rounds of ammunition on June 29, 2024. He further admitted that from March 1 to May 29, 2024, he knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Elbert admitted to trading guns for drugs and selling methamphetamine between March 1, 2024, and May 29, 2024. This crime was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Campbell County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence in Casper on May 29.
John Fowler, 35, with no permanent residency, was sentenced to a total of 151 months’ imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. According to court records, on July 31, 2024, Wyoming law enforcement agencies received a tip that Fowler would be traveling to Wyoming from Texas with a large quantity of drugs. The next day, the car was pulled over in Natrona County, where officers found 404 grams of methamphetamine and around 48 grams of cocaine. Law enforcement learned that Fowler had previously obtained additional methamphetamine in June of 2024 as well. The indictment was filed on November 20, 2024, and Fowler pleaded guilty on March 11, 2024. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Natrona County Sheriff’s Department investigated the crime. Assistance U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Morrison prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence in Casper on May 29, 2025.
Firearm Offenses
Larry Michael Munday, 54, of Rozet, Wyoming, was sentenced to 48 months with three years of supervised release to follow for possession of an unregistered firearm. According to court documents, in late May of 2024, a federal firearm licensee shipped eight silencers to another licensee in Gillette using UPS. UPS discovered that Munday, an overnight cleaner, had stolen the packages as well as more than 150 other packages. The eight silencers were discovered at Munday’s residence and were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case. Munday was indicted on Sept. 18, 2024, and pleaded guilty on March 7. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence in Cheyenne on May 27. Case No. 24-00147
Lavoy Robert Grandpre, III, 51, of Wheatland, Wyoming, was sentenced to 46 months with three years of supervised release to follow for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Mr. Grandpre met with his state probation officer as required by the terms of his supervised release stemming from a state conviction. As part of the meeting, Mr. Grandpre’struck was searched, and multiple types of ammunition were located. Mr. Grandpre’s house was also searched and seven firearms were located. The Wheatland Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case. Munday was indicted on Sept. 18, 2024, and pleaded guilty on March 7. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence in Cheyenne on May 27. Case No. 24-00147
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
132 months for smuggling 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine in truckload of cabbagesRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 36-year-old Mexican citizen has been sentenced for his role in possessing with intent to distribute nearly $3 million in methamphetamine concealed inside cabbages, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose Angel Ibarra-Rojas pleaded guilty Nov. 6, 2024.
District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Ibarra-Rojas to serve 132 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard how the narcotics were packaged in a sophisticated manner. The heads of the cabbages were removed, and balls of methamphetamine were then inserted into the leaves in order to conceal them.
On June 18, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a tractor trailer in Pharr. Ibarra-Rojas was the passenger. A search of the vehicle revealed 1,154 plastic-wrapped packages containing a crystal-like substance concealed within cabbages in the cargo area.
Authorities determined the substance was methamphetamine and had a total weight of approximately 1,356 kilograms. The drugs had an estimated street value of over $2.8 million.
Ibarra-Rojas admitted he knew the trailer contained narcotics and was aware it had recently entered the United States. He claimed he expected to be paid $1,000 to arrange the transport of the trailer and its narcotics farther north into the United States. Ibarra-Rojas also said he had arranged similar transports several times in the past.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Hidalgo County Constable’s Office.
“The amount of drugs smuggled in this case is staggering, but fortunately authorities were able to seize it before it hit our streets,” said Ganjei. “ICE-HSI, CBP, and the Hidalgo County Constable’s Office should be commended for their excellent work in keeping this meth out of our community.”
Ibarra-Rojas will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case.
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Yucca Valley Man Charged with Threatening to Kill President Trump After Last Year’s ElectionRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A San Bernardino County man was arraigned today on a three-count federal grand jury indictment charging him with threatening to assassinate then-President-elect Donald Trump after last year’s election.
Thomas Eugene Streavel, 73, of Yucca Valley, is charged with three counts of making threats against the President-elect.
Streavel was arrested Monday and was arraigned today in United States District Court in Riverside. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and a July 28 trial date was scheduled. A federal magistrate judge ordered him released on $10,000 bond.
“This defendant is charged with threatening the life of our President – a man who has already survived two deranged attempts on his life,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice takes these threats with the utmost seriousness and will prosecute this crime to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The type of rhetoric and threats made by this defendant are similar to those that led to an attempt on the President’s life last year,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “There is no place for political violence or threats of violence in the United States. We will not hesitate to arrest and charge others who engage in similar criminal conduct.”
According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on May 29 and was unsealed today, Streavel used his Facebook account before the 2024 U.S. presidential election to post multiple messages expressing his desire to harm or have others harm President Trump.
After the 2024 presidential election, Streavel allegedly continued using Facebook to post about assassinating President Trump. For example, on November 6, 2024 – the day after the election – Streavel posted, “[T]rump is a dead man walking for the time being until a patriot like myself blows his [expletive] brains out in the very near future.”
The indictment alleges several instances in which Streavel knowingly and willfully threatened to kill and inflict bodily harm on Donald Trump, who then was the President-elect of the United States.
On November 12, 2024, Streavel posted a message on Facebook that read, in part, that he was “willing to make America great again and blow his [expletive] brains out.”
On November 19, 2024, Streavel posted a Facebook message that read, in part, “Let me put a bullet right between the ears of your president-elect…That’s my purpose for living.”
On November 28, 2024, Streavel wrote on Facebook, “I’m praying for a successful assassination of your president-elect” and “My life’s mission is killing the worthless LOSER [expletive] and my mission starts tonight so watch yourself trump [sic], you are a dead [expletive] and I am your assassin.”
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Streavel would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.
The United States Secret Service is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Matt Coe-Odess of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Yakima Man Who Used Snapchat and Instagram to Solicit Minors Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that Bryan Christopher Stevenson, 43, of Yakima, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to soliciting minors to send him sexually explicit content. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Stevenson to 22 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, between October 2020 and August 2022, Stevenson used social media to communicate with at least eight minors, living in three different states, who law enforcement could identify. Stevenson offered to send money to some minors in exchange for pictures and videos of the minors performing sexual acts. In several instances, Stevenson used different personas on Snapchat and Instagram, including by pretending to be a minor female and teenage boy, to communicate with his victims and to encourage them to send him explicit pictures and videos.
In one case, Stevenson contacted a minor, and claimed he had nude videos of the minor. Stevenson threatened to send the videos to the minor’s parents and members of their church unless they provided him with additional videos.
Investigators reviewing Stevenson’s iPad found 172 images and 45 videos of minors, including one victim who was between 4 and 6 years old, engaging in sexually explicit conduct and being sexually abused.
“Mr. Stevenson’s conduct was predatory, calculated, and devastating in its impact on vulnerable children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rich Barker. “He used the anonymity of social media to deceive, manipulate, and harm young victims across multiple states. His actions underscore the dangers children face online and the lasting trauma these crimes inflict. To those who use technology to target and exploit children, you will face serious consequences. I strongly urge parents, guardians, and community members to remain vigilant in monitoring their children’s social media activities and to engage in open conversations about online safety.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Barker continued, “While Social media companies are posting record profits; far too many families are coping with the devastating impact of online exploitation. Social media companies like Snapchat and Instagram have the responsibility to do more to ensure their products do not endanger the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
“Today’s sentencing is a powerful reminder that those who exploit and terrorize children through threats and manipulation will be held fully accountable,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy. “This subject’s deliberate actions inflicted lasting trauma on vulnerable victims. Today’s outcome reflects HSI’s relentless commitment to protecting children and ensuring that predators are identified, apprehended, and prosecuted – no matter where they operate or how they hide.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Yakima Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Murphy.
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Webster Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Role in Drug Organization That Trafficked Cocaine from Puerto Rico via MailRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Webster man has been sentenced for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed cocaine.
Angel Delgado, 47, was sentenced on May 29, 2025, by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to seven years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In January 2025, Delgado pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Delgado was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in April 2024.
In the spring of 2023, an investigation began into the shipment of multiple kilogram-weight packages of suspected narcotics from Puerto Rico to Worcester County in Massachusetts. On at least eight occasions, Delgado was observed collecting suspicious packages believed to contain cocaine or other narcotics from addresses not associated with him and then delivering each package to another individual involved in the DTO.
During the investigation, two kilograms of cocaine were seized from a package that was addressed to Delgado. On April 30, 2024, Delgado’s car was stopped after he was observed driving an individual who collected a package believed to contain cocaine. Once stopped, the package was opened and found to contain two kilograms of cocaine wrapped inside the box.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Southbridge Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Wawa Assault in January 2022 Leads to Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Charles Edwards, 49, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to eight years in prison yesterday for assaulting and pointing a gun at two individuals in a Wawa convenience store in Northwest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Edwards was found guilty by a jury on January 2, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and other related offenses. The Honorable Errol Arthur sentenced the defendant on June 2, 2025, to the prison term. Following his term of imprisonment, the defendant will serve a period of three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours on January 22, 2022, Edwards got into an argument with another man near the Wawa. That man ran into the store to escape Edwards, but Edwards followed him and again confronted him. A Special Police Officer (SPO) working at Wawa escorted Edwards out of the store. Minutes later, Edwards went back to the store and again chased the man around the store, and then pulled out a loaded handgun and pointed it at both that man and the Wawa’s cashier who was standing in front of him. Edwards eventually left the store, and threatened the SPO, who was on the phone with 911.
Edwards was arrested on a warrant on August 17, 2022, and has been in custody since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Toogun and Benjamin Helfand, who prosecuted the case.
Wareham Man Indicted for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wareham man has been indicted for allegedly possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Brandon Bendall, 49, was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on May 2, 2028.
According to court documents, Bendall was allegedly a member of an online chat group in which members viewed and posted CSAM. During a search of Bendall’s residence and cell phone, approximately 9,400 images and videos of CSAM, including images of children as young as infants being sexually assaulted, were allegedly located.
The charges of receipt and possession of child pornography each provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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 Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Wareham, Marion and East Bridgewater Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Files False Claims Act Complaint Alleging Genetic Testing Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against AIMA Business and Medical Support, LLC (AIMA), a company that provides medical billing and compliance services, for allegedly submitting or causing the submission of false claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic laboratory tests.
AIMA is registered as a Florida limited liability company and offers medical billing and compliance services in the United States. AIMA’s CEO, Aaron Liston, was based in the United Kingdom, AIMA’s employees were based in India, and AIMA provided services to customers in the United States, including billing the Medicare Program on behalf of healthcare providers and suppliers. The United States’ claims arise from AIMA’s alleged conduct in offering Medicare billing advice and submitting bills to Medicare on behalf of a Miami-based diagnostic laboratory called Excellent Laboratories Inc., which did business as Selecta Laboratory (Selecta).
The United States contends that from August 2018 through August 2019, AIMA billed Medicare Part B approximately $ 15,178,946.00 for genetic tests on behalf of Selecta, even though AIMA knew or should have known that the tests were not medically necessary and were not ordered by the beneficiary’s treating physician. Medicare does not cover the costs of genetic tests that are not reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness. To be covered by Medicare, a diagnostic laboratory test, including a genetic test, must be ordered by the physician who is treating the beneficiary for a specific medical problem and who uses the results in the management of that problem. As a result of AIMA’s conduct, Selecta received Medicare funds to which it was not entitled and, correspondingly, paid AIMA for its services.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jesus Barranco of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clarissa Pinheiro is handling the matter, with the HHS-OIG conducting the investigation.
The investigation and prosecution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims asserted in the government’s complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cv-22507.
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United States Attorney Sayler A. Fleming Departs from PostRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced Tuesday that she has resigned as the head prosecutor for the Eastern District of Missouri.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to lead the United States Attorney’s Office for the last four and a half years,” Ms. Fleming said. “As a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Missouri, I have had the great fortune of working with some of the most dedicated law enforcement professionals in the country, and I am extremely grateful for the sacrifices they make every day for our safety. They are truly heroes, and it has been an honor to have worked alongside them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in St. Louis has for years had an excellent reputation within the Department of Justice, which is a testament to the integrity of the committed and hard-working staff. I think they are the best in the country. I would also like to thank our partners in the business community and among religious and community organizations, who were invaluable in our efforts, including the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative,” Ms. Fleming said. “I will dearly miss this job and the people with whom I have worked.”
Ms. Fleming was appointed by then-Attorney General William P. Barr on December 11, 2020, during the first administration of President Donald J. Trump. She assumed office on December 31, 2020.
The Eastern District of Missouri leads the nation in gun prosecutions, including cases involving carjackings, armed robberies and murders. Under Ms. Fleming’s leadership, St. Louis became one of a handful of cities in the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Initiative, which marshals resources to target the ‘worst of the worst’ violent offenders. After former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner resigned in May of 2023, Ms. Fleming signed an agreement that allowed assistant U.S. attorneys to prosecute murder cases in St. Louis and assist that office while they made hires to replace a depleted staff. The U.S. Attorney’s Office had long been handling many violent crimes that occurred in St. Louis.
Ms. Fleming’s prosecutors also trained local and state law enforcement in the investigation of fatal drug overdoses and the possession and sale of machine gun conversion devices. Prosecutors also trained other U.S. Attorney’s offices on how to prosecute juveniles who commit murders during carjackings or robberies.
Ms. Fleming, who co-chaired the Attorney General’s Child Exploitation Working Group, increased the number of prosecutors handling the child exploitation cases to help keep our children safer.
“United States Attorney Sayler Fleming has been a tremendous law enforcement partner. Under her leadership over the years, our offices have been in lockstep in our efforts to protect our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “The FBI cannot effectively accomplish our mission without the support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The people of Eastern Missouri are safer thanks to her proactive and aggressive approach to prioritizing fighting violent crime.”
“U.S. Attorney Fleming made a definitive impact, for the betterment of our communities, in the Eastern District of Missouri,” Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “We’re grateful for her partnership over these past 15 years as we worked together to remove violent drug traffickers from our region. On behalf of the DEA St. Louis Division, I want to thank U.S. Attorney Fleming for her dedicated service and wish her continued success in the future.”“We extend our sincere gratitude to U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming for her steadfast leadership and unwavering commitment to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Bernard Hansen of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “Her dedication to combating violent crime and fostering strong partnerships with federal agencies like the ATF has made a lasting impact on public safety throughout the Eastern District of Missouri and beyond. Her service exemplifies integrity, diligence, and the highest standards of public duty.”
“Sayler Fleming was instrumental in facilitating cooperation between law enforcement agencies and helping to fight crime,” said Mark A. Mossotti, Chief of the Bridgeton Police Department and Chairman of the St. Louis Area Police Chiefs Association. “We have many police departments in the St. Louis area and she was just phenomenal in working with every single one of them.”
"U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming has been a dedicated partner to the St. Louis region and the law enforcement community," said St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Tracy. "She has played a key role in SLMPD's mission to reduce violent crime through her office and leadership."
"On behalf of the St. Louis County Police Department, I extend my deepest thanks to U.S. Attorney Sayler Fleming for her unwavering commitment to justice. Your leadership has left a lasting mark, and we wish you all the best," said St. Louis County Police Chief Kenneth Gregory.
Ms. Fleming joined the office in August of 2010 from the Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner law firm. She had extensive experience prosecuting and supervising violent crime cases and was the office’s Appellate Chief before becoming U.S. Attorney.
Ms. Fleming grew up in Charleston, Missouri. She received her Bachelor of Accountancy from Mississippi State University and her law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law.
Ms. Fleming concluded her service at midnight on Friday to make way for the next U.S. Attorney. Former First Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake will now assume the role of Acting U.S. Attorney. U.S. Attorney Drake joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2002 in the National Security Unit. He earned his Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Missouri.
The Eastern District of Missouri includes 49 counties and is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.
United Kingdom National Charged with Unlawful EntryRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Danny Gabriel Rooney, 19, of the United Kingdom, has been charged by criminal complaint with entering the United States at a time or place other than designated for entering the country by immigration authorities.
On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Rooney appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Rooney be detained during the pendency of this matter. According to court documents, U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended Rooney after he was observed walking southbound in an area of Highgate, Vermont, that is frequently travelled by persons attempting to enter the United States illegally from Canada. Law enforcement’s records review revealed that Rooney has no legal status in the United States.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Rooney is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Rooney faces up to six months’ incarceration if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Arra. Rooney is represented by Stephanie M. Greenlees , Esq.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi Appoints Kyle G. Bumgarner as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of KentuckyRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi has appointed Kyle G. Bumgarner as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546. Bumgarner was formally sworn into the position yesterday by U.S. District Court Chief District Judge Greg N. Stivers.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to lead the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky, said U.S. Attorney Bumgarner. “I would like to thank President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for entrusting me with this great responsibility, particularly at such an important time for our Nation. Through the talented prosecutors in this Office, we stand committed to fighting the drug epidemic and violence that has ravaged our communities, combating the fraud that has been perpetrated against our institutions, and protecting vulnerable victims that are preyed upon by ruthless criminals. Our goals cannot be achieved without selfless and heroic work from our federal, state, and local law enforcement officers—particularly those on the front lines—who will receive unwavering support from our Office. I accept this role with great enthusiasm and a commitment to making the Western District of Kentucky a safer place for each of us to raise our families and earn a living.”
Before his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Bumgarner practiced law in Bowling Green, Kentucky, at Kerrick Bachert, PSC, and served as law clerk to Judge David Bunning of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
U.S. Attorney Bumgarner is a graduate of Centre College and Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law.
The U.S. Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement official in their district, representing the United States in all criminal and civil litigation.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky, headquartered in Louisville with staffed offices in Bowling Green and Paducah, and an unstaffed branch in Owensboro, serves 53 Kentucky counties and two military facilities: Fort Knox and Fort Campbell.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky has a mission to fairly and justly prosecute violations of federal criminal law and to represent the United States and its agencies in civil litigation; to educate and inform the public, including victims of crime, about the functions of the justice system and the rights of all citizens; to assume a leadership role in crime prevention through speaking engagements and community involvement; and to conduct federal and local law enforcement training and facilitate cooperation and collaboration among law enforcement agencies.
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Two West Covina Women Arrested on Indictment Alleging $4.8 Million Hospice Services Scheme to Defraud MedicareRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The owner and operator of two West Covina hospices was arrested today on a 14-count federal grand jury indictment alleging she filed more than $4.8 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare – which paid more than $3.8 million on those claims – for medically unnecessary services for people not terminally ill and for paying kickbacks to marketers to procure patients.
Normita Sierra, 71, a.k.a. “Normie,” of West Covina, is charged with nine counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy, and four counts of illegal remuneration for health care referrals.
Also arrested today was Rowena Elegado, 55, a.k.a. “Weng,” also of West Covina, who is charged with one count of conspiracy, and four counts of illegal remuneration for health care referrals.
Both defendants are expected to make their initial appearances and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the indictment, Sierra owned and operated Golden Meadows Hospice Inc., and D’Alexandria Hospice Inc., which billed Medicare for hospice services for patients who were not terminally ill during a scheme that lasted from September 2018 to October 2022.
Sierra and Elegado allegedly worked together to pay marketers to recruit patients to the hospices, knowing that most of those patients had not been referred by their primary care physicians for such services. Those kickbacks, often referred to internally using the code words “girl scout cookies,” amounted to as much as $1,300 per patient, per month that the patient stayed on hospice service.
Others involved in the scheme included Carl Bernardo, 53, of Chino, who pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of receiving kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 23. Relyndo Salcedo, 60, of Fontana, a nurse practitioner involved in the scheme, pleaded guilty on May 22 to one count of health care fraud and is scheduled for sentencing on November 20.
Salcedo, a nurse practitioner, conducted initial assessments for the hospice and found many of the patients ineligible for hospice. But, under pressure from Sierra, who made the ultimate enrollment decisions even though she wasn’t a medical professional, and marketers such as Bernardo, Salcedo exaggerated and falsified the patients’ conditions to make them seem terminally ill. Hospice physicians then relied on Salcedo’s records to certify the patients as hospice appropriate.
Once enrolled, those patients – who were not in fact terminally ill – rarely died, and instead were often discharged at around six months at Sierra’s direction, sometimes to her home health company or the other hospice company.
During the scheme, Golden Meadows submitted at least approximately $3,870,642 in fraudulent claims, on which Medicare paid approximately $2,912,187. D’Alexandria submitted approximately $945,647 in fraudulent claims, on which Medicare paid approximately $894,199.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of the charges, Sierra would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each health care fraud count. Sierra and Elegado would face up to five years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each illegal kickback count.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and the FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Williams of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.