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Wednesday 23 April 2025
Jury convicts illegal alien for unlawfully being in United StatesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Guatemalan national has been found guilty of illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for less than one hour before finding Leonardo Fernando Batz guilty as charged following a three-day trial.
On Nov. 23, 2023, authorities found Batz in Harris County. At that time, the investigation revealed he was not a citizen of the United States and had a previous removal order from an immigration judge.
Testimony revealed Batz had been previously removed in 2007 and in 2020.
The jury heard from a Border Patrol agent who described his encounter with Batz in the Rio Grande Valley in September 2019. Batz had illegally entered the United States by raft on the Rio Grande River and subsequently pleaded guilty.
A deportation officer also described how he rode with Batz when he was removed via plane from the United States to Guatemala in 2020.
The jury saw evidence including Batz’s Guatemalan passport, a travel pass the Guatemalan consulate had issued and various other documents from Batz’s alien file. A fingerprint expert also identified Batz as the same person documented in various deportation materials.
The defense attempted to question the trustworthiness of the government’s evidence. The jury did not believe those claims and found Batz guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt presided over trial and set sentencing for May 1, 2025. At that time, Batz faces up to two years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Immigration Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Carrie Law prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Jury Convicts Mercer County Man of Sex Trafficking of ChildrenRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Harrodsburg, Ky., man was convicted on Tuesday by a federal jury in Lexington for sex trafficking of children.
After 45 minutes of deliberation, following a two-day trial, the jury convicted 42-year-old Larry Coffman of two counts of sex trafficking of children and committing a felony involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender.
According to testimony at trial, in February 2023, Coffman solicited, recruited, and enticed two minor victims to engage in a sex act in exchange for something of value. At the time of the offenses, Coffman had been convicted of a prior sex offense and, as a result, was required to register as a sex offender.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Scott Elder, Harrodsburg Police Department; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by HSI, Harrodsburg Police Department, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth.
Coffman will appear for sentencing on July 28, 2025. He faces a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Jefferson County Man Admits Possessing Pipe BombRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Jefferson County, Missouri on Tuesday admitted possessing a pipe bomb.
Robert Hiler, 38, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device.
Hiler admitted that on Sept. 11, 2023, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies were seeking another man who had several active felony warrants. They had a court-approved search warrant for Hiler’s house, and arrested their target in the woods behind the home. Deputies then obtained Hiler’s consent to search the home and found a pipe bomb on a grey bucket in a room adjacent to Hiler’s garage. Hiler admitted building the bomb and said he had planned to ignite it with a car battery.
Hiler is scheduled to be sentenced in July. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Ware and Mohsen Pasha are prosecuting the case.
Iowa Man Arrested on Federal Stalking ChargeRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Nevada, Iowa man made his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa today.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint, between January and April 2025, Tanner Dean Bandy, 28, engaged in a pattern of threatening conduct against a former romantic partner through text messages and voicemails. Two days prior to his arrest, on April 17, 2025, Bandy left a voicemail message discussing his intention to conduct a mass shooting at an Iowa State University commencement ceremony. On April 17, 2025, law enforcement searched Bandy’s residence and vehicle and located two firearms and ammunition. Bandy will remain detained in federal custody pending further proceedings.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigations, Iowa State University Police Department, and Story County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Indictment Charges Maryland Man with Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Damarqus Moore, 33, of Suitland, Maryland, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge as part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is 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.
Moore is charged in an indictment in federal court with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to court documents, on January 13, 2025, MPD officers observed an automobile with illegal window tint and no front license plate idling in the area of 5826 Dix Street NE, Washington, D.C. Officers soon realized that the license plate affixed to the rear of the automobile was registered to a separate automobile. Moore was placed under arrest and officers recovered MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy) tablets on Moore’s person. As officers searched the automobile for additional controlled substances, they quickly observed a firearm lodged in the steering column of the automobile. The recovered firearm was a .40 caliber firearm, loaded, with an obliterated serial number.
The defendant has been convicted of multiple felony offenses in the State of Maryland, including first degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon.
This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Illegal alien sentenced in multimillion-dollar elder fraud ringRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The second ringleader in an international fraud scheme victimizing the elderly has been ordered to prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX).
Hardik Jayantilal Patel, 37, illegally resided in Lexington, Kentucky. He pleaded guilty Dec. 1, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now sentenced Patel to serve 46 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Patel will also pay a combined $3,203,478 in restitution to 85 identified victims. In handing down the sentence, Judge Hanen noted the large number of victims and the significant harm Patel and his conspirators caused. Not a U.S. citizen, Patel is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.
“We have an obligation to protect our seniors from the predations of scammers,” said Ganjei. “SDTX will tirelessly pursue those that seek to profit by swindling the elderly.”
From March through November 2019, Patel led a team of domestic money mules aka “runners.” They laundered money tied to telemarketing fraud schemes originating from call centers in India. Most victims were elderly.
Scammers pretended to work for the U.S. government and claimed the victims were under investigation. They claimed the only way to clear their name was to send cash by mail. Runners in the United States would then pick up the packages and launder the cash.
At least three runners worked under Patel in 2019. He also collaborated with an associate, Sohil Usmangani Vahora, who managed his own team of four runners. Together, they coordinated efforts to launder fraud proceeds.
Runners under both Patel and Vahora picked up hundreds of packages between 2019 and 2020 nationwide. These packages contained millions of dollars in cash that victims in multiple states had sent.
Patel was the last of seven to be sentenced in related cases in the SDTX. Vahora, 40, Des Plaines, Illinois, received more than 15 years in prison and was ordered to pay over $3.5 million in restitution.
Zaheen Malvi, 30, Heber Springs, Arkansas, initially worked as a runner in the scheme. He later assisted Vahora in managing two other individuals involved in the operation. He received a 54-month sentence and was ordered to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution.
Dhirenkumar Patel, 33, Richmond, Kentucky, was a runner who worked for Patel. He was ordered to serve 18 months in prison and pay $225,221 in restitution to his victims.
Three other runners received sentences ranging from 29-60 months.
With the exception of Vahora, who was a legal permanent resident, Patel and his co-conspirators were all illegally in the country when they committed their crimes.
Patel will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI, Kentucky State Police and police departments in Heber Springs, Arkansas, and Frankfort, Kentucky. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bauman and Kate Suh are prosecuting the case.
The SSA and its OIG consistently warns people of similar scams. Protect yourself!
Illegal Immigrant Sentenced for Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Honduran national was sentenced on April 21, 2025, for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported.
According to court documents, Saul Cruz-Argueta, 39, was encountered by agents from the United States Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement Removal Operations during labor site inspections. The agents discovered that he had previously been removed from the United States in 2016 and 2018. Cruz-Argueta has two prior convictions for Illegal Reentry, as well as convictions for Theft of Property and Possession of Marijuana.
At sentencing, Chief Judge Beaverstock imposed a time-served sentence and a 1-year term of supervised release upon his future release. Cruz-Argueta had been in custody since his arrest on March 7, 2025. Upon his release from prison, Cruz-Argueta is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Cruz-Argueta was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations, ATF, DEA, and Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy L. Thomas prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Hudson County Man Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Role in Four Robberies and Two Shootings in Jersey City, New JerseyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County man was sentenced today for his role in four robberies and two shootings in Jersey City, New Jersey, which took place the same night, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
Rodney Williams, 33, of Jersey City, New Jersey pleaded guilty in December 2024 before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to use and carry a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, Hobbs Act robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, using and carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Williams to 5 years of supervised release. Williams’ co-defendant, Siobhan Chandler, was sentenced on April 25, 2024 to 12 years’ imprisonment followed by 5 years’ supervised release for her role.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On the evening of November 14, 2021, Williams and Chandler committed multiple armed robberies and two shootings in Jersey City. The criminal activity began when Williams, acting alone, robbed a store while he pointed his gun at the clerk and demanded money. The clerk handed money to Williams who then fled.
A short time later, Williams, now with Chandler, robbed a gas station, where Williams pointed his gun at two attendants and demanded money. When the attendants did not immediately comply, Williams shot one of the attendants in the chest. Williams and Chandler then fled.
Williams and Chandler later entered another store, and Williams again pointed his gun at a clerk and demanded money. The clerk handed money to Williams and he and Chandler fled.
Williams and Chandler then entered a nearby restaurant, and Williams again pointed his gun at the cashier and demanded money. When the cashier did not immediately comply, Williams shot the cashier in the chest. The cashier then handed money to Williams, after which Williams and Chandler fled.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited officers of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Kearns, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office with the investigation leading to today’s sentence. She also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shontae D. Gray and Eli Jacobs of the Criminal Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel: John C. Whipple, Esq. and Adam M. Elewa, Esq.
Honduran National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Honduran national residing in Woburn, Mass. has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Saul Arce, 38, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Arce was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 20, 2025.
According to the charging document, Arce was deported from the United States on May 15, 2013. It is alleged that sometime after his May 2013 removal, Arce illegally reentered the United States without permission.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year 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 Allegra Flamm 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.
Honduran National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Honduran national has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Douglas Mejia-Romero, 44, was indicted yesterday on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
According to the charging document, Mejia-Romero was previously deported on May 15, 2020. It is alleged that sometime after this removal, Mejia-Romero unlawfully reentered the United States.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant 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 Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus 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.
High-ranking Tren de Aragua member in custody on terrorism and international drug distribution chargesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A five-count superseding indictment has been unsealed charging a Venezuelan national and alleged high-ranking member of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA).
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores aka “Chuqui,” 24, is charged in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States.
“TdA is not a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that put down roots in our country during the prior administration,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s charges represent an inflection point in how this Department of Justice will prosecute and ultimately dismantle this evil organization, which has destroyed American families and poisoned our communities.”
“For the past few years, foreign gangs like TdA have more or less been able to enter our country with impunity, coming here to distribute deadly drugs and terrorize American citizens. That ends now. This Department of Justice is committed to uprooting this terrorist gang, dismantling its criminal operations, and either imprisoning its members or removing them from the country. SDTX is proud to lead this fight,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.”
“TdA is a direct threat to our national security, to our communities, and to Americans,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI continues in our pursuit to eliminate this violent terrorist organization from our streets, and today's announcement makes it clear that these criminals, especially the leaders of these cartels, have no place in our country.”
“This joint Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) - FBI operation - alongside partners in the U.S. and Colombia - is further evidence that we must continue to focus our efforts on members of TdA who continue to pump poison into our communities,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “This is another example of DEA’s tenacity to hunt these networks down, wherever they operate, and crush their evil grip on American lives.”
Colombian authorities arrested Flores in Colombia March 31 pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He remains in custody in Colombia pending further proceedings.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned the superseding indictment April 8.
According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges one count of international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more and two substantive counts of international drug distribution.
The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Feb. 20.
According to information presented to the court, Flores is a high-ranking TdA leader in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership.
Flores also allegedly caused the delivery of approximately five kilograms or more of cocaine for international distribution, proceeds that were used to further TdA’s criminal goals.
If convicted, he faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.
The FBI and DEA conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Colombian National Police and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz of the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV).
JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target TdA and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include SDTX; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Northern District of Ohio; Districts of New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Nevada and Alaska; Eastern District of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Virginia; Southern District of California; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Forearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; and Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is also a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
High-Ranking Tren de Aragua Member in Custody on Terrorism and International Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
A five-count superseding indictment has been unsealed today charging a Venezuelan national and alleged high-ranking member of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA).
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores also known as “Chuqui,” 24, is charged in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States.
“TdA is not a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that put down roots in our country during the prior administration,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s charges represent an inflection point in how this Department of Justice will prosecute and ultimately dismantle this evil organization, which has destroyed American families and poisoned our communities.”
“For the past few years, foreign gangs like TdA have more or less been able to enter our country with impunity, coming here to distribute deadly drugs and terrorize American citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the SDTX. “That ends now. This Department of Justice is committed to uprooting this terrorist gang, dismantling its criminal operations, and either imprisoning its members or removing them from the country. SDTX is proud to lead this fight.”
“TdA is a direct threat to our national security, to our communities, and to Americans,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI continues in our pursuit to eliminate this violent terrorist organization from our streets, and today's announcement makes it clear that these criminals, especially the leaders of these cartels, have no place in our country.”
“This joint Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-FBI operation — alongside partners in the United States and Colombia — is further evidence that we must continue to focus our efforts on members of TdA who continue to pump poison into our communities,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “This is another example of DEA’s tenacity to hunt these networks down, wherever they operate, and crush their evil grip on American lives.”
Colombian authorities arrested Flores in Colombia March 31 pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He remains in custody in Colombia pending further proceedings.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned the superseding indictment April 8.
According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges one count of international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more, and two substantive counts of international drug distribution.
The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Feb. 20.
According to information presented to the court, Flores is a high-ranking TdA leader in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership.
Flores also allegedly caused the delivery of approximately five kilograms or more of cocaine for international distribution, proceeds that were used to further TdA’s criminal goals.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
The FBI Houston Field Office and DEA conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Colombian National Police and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz of the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV).
JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target TdA and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include SDTX; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Northern District of Ohio; Districts of New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Nevada and Alaska; Eastern District of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Virginia; Southern District of California; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Forearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is also a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hawaii Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking Three Adult Women and One MinorRead the Press Release
Isaiah McCoy, 38, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was convicted yesterday of multiple counts of sex trafficking by a federal jury in the District of Hawaii. Specifically, the jury convicted McCoy of four counts of sex trafficking three adults and one minor, two counts of obstructing a sex trafficking investigation, seven counts of interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises, and one count of interstate travel for prostitution purposes.
“This successful conviction represents this Justice Department’s commitment to putting those who prey on the innocent behind bars,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Human trafficking — which flourished under the prior administration — is a scourge on our country that the Trump Administration will eradicate.”
“Today’s conviction vindicates the rights of multiple women and girls who the defendant terrorized over several years within the District of Hawaii,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant specifically targeted each victim’s unique vulnerabilities and used false promises, brute physical force, and psychological manipulation to compel the victims to engage in commercial sex for his own profit. There is no place in a civilized society for the defendant’s atrocious conduct, and the Justice Department is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.”
“The conviction of Mr. McCoy is a testament to HSI's zero tolerance for those who engage in sex trafficking in Hawaii,” said Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Hawaii. “McCoy is a predator who left countless victims in his path while he sought to enrich himself at their expense. HSI will aggressively pursue those, like McCoy, who seek to exploit vulnerable women and girls and mute their voices while believing they will not be held accountable.”
The evidence presented at the 12-day trial demonstrated that McCoy compelled victims to commit hundreds of commercial sex acts between 2019 and 2021. McCoy made promises of a romantic relationship, a luxurious lifestyle, and financial security to women and girls struggling with low self-esteem, a difficult upbringing, or financial trouble. McCoy’s promises ended up hollow and false, designed to provide him with the opportunity to learn about a victim’s vulnerabilities while misrepresenting himself as caring and empathetic. McCoy’s feigned romantic interest and claimed wealth led him to emotionally manipulate his victims.
After luring the victims into his orbit with his false promises, McCoy turned violent and abusive if the victims did not provide him with enough money or otherwise violated one of his many rules. The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that some of McCoy’s rules included requiring the victims to call him “Daddy” or “Zeus,” requiring the victims to share their cell phone location, and requiring the victims to provide him an update on the amount of money earned through commercial sex work. McCoy required his victims to work all hours of the day and night even when they were sick, hungry, or did not want to engage in commercial sex acts. If not, McCoy would physically assault his victims and leave them battered and bruised.
Evidence presented in court detailed the extensive violence to which McCoy subjected his victims. For example, McCoy repeatedly burned one of the victims with cigar butts when she did not provide him with enough money. On other occasions, McCoy threw victims to the ground before repeatedly stomping on their head, stomach, or hands with his feet. McCoy even smashed a victim’s head against a car door before carrying her unconscious body through a hotel lobby and into an elevator. McCoy inflicted violence against multiple victims that caused them to seek treatment at local hospitals. All of McCoy’s actions contributed to the creation of a climate of fear where the victims felt they had no way out because McCoy promised them that he had eyes and ears everywhere monitoring the victims’ every move.
McCoy required the victims to turn over all the proceeds from his commercial sex business to himself because he felt that the money belonged to him. McCoy then spent the money on high-end designer shoes, belts, clothing, and other accessories. In contrast, although McCoy would intermittently buy designer items for the victims as “rewards,” the victims were ultimately left with nothing.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18. McCoy faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI investigated the case, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department.
Trial Attorneys Maryam Zhuravitsky and Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Hattiesburg Man Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Hattiesburg, MS – A Hattiesburg man was sentenced to 35 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Scotty James Conley, 40, of was found by the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office to be in possession of a firearm after responding to a complaint of a residential disturbance. Conley has a prior felony conviction from 2008 for sexual battery of a minor under 14 years of age. As a convicted felon he is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Conley was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 10, 2023. He pled guilty on January 27, 2025.
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 FBI and Forrest County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in Dubuque, IowaRead the Press Release
A Guatemalan man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than 12 years in federal prison. Jose Eleazar Aceves‑Garcia, age 30, from Guatemala, received the prison term after a November 20, 2024 guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine.
In a plea agreement, Aceves-Garcia admitted that between January 2019 and January 2022, he distributed at least 400 pounds of ice methamphetamine to a co‑conspirator in the Dubuque area. His fingerprints were on two packages, which contained a total of more than seven pounds of ice methamphetamine, that he mailed to the co-conspirator in Dubuque. Aceves-Garcia also distributed a kilogram of heroin to the co-conspirator.
Aceves-Garcia was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Aceves-Garcia was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Aceves-Garcia is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 23-CR-1022. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Guatemalan Man Indicted for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan man has been indicted illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Jose Garcia, 39, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Garcia was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in March 2025 and was released on conditions.
According to the charging documents, Garcia was deported from the United States on Jan. 5, 2006. It is alleged that sometime after his removal, Garcia unlawfully reentered the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement became aware of Garcia’s unlawful presence in the United States following arrests on July 30, 2022, Sept. 8, 2023 and Jan. 29, 2024.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year 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 Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
Guatemalan Man Charged with Illegal Re-entry into U.S.Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of Guatemala has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Juan Manuel Secaida, 35, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on April 1, 2025, Secaida was found in western Pennsylvania after having been removed from the United States in January 2020.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Coraopolis Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Grove Woman Sentenced for Strangling 70-Year-Old Neighbor to DeathRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Kellie Lee Crawford, 57, for Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. Judge Frizzell ordered Crawford to 180 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in September 2021, Crawford was drinking with her 70-year-old neighbor, Richard Strade. Crawford was under the influence of methamphetamine and unreasonably believed that Strade was attempting to assault her sexually. She admitted to repeatedly striking Strade in the head with a cookie jar lid and a plastic hanger before strangling him to death.
Crawford is a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd prosecuted the case.
Genetic Testing Marketing Companies Genexe, LLC and Immerge, Inc. and Two Executives Agree to Pay $6 Million to Resolve Allegations of Fraudulent Medicare ClaimsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced today that Genexe, LLC, Immerge, Inc., Jason Green, and Jason Gross have agreed to pay $6 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act and other statutes by participating in schemes meant to fraudulently cause Medicare to pay claims for genetic testing that was medically unnecessary and tainted by kickbacks.
Genexe, LLC, which did business as Genexe Health, is a Delaware limited liability corporation with a principal address in Greenwood Village, Colorado. Genexe publicly described itself as “a one-stop shop” for genetic and pharmacogenetic profiling and marketed itself as “involved in every aspect of the patient screening process, from the collection of samples to laboratory processing.” It conducted business in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, among other locations. Genexe is no longer operating.
Immerge, Inc., also known as Immerge LLC, controlled and is the parent company of Genexe. It was incorporated in Colorado and Delaware, with a principal address in Greenwood Village, Colorado. It publicly described itself as “one of the leading outsourced sales and marketing companies, providing customized sales and marketing solutions to Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders in the Energy, Telecom, Wireless and Solar industries to efficiently increase our clients’ revenue and market share through industry leading systems and processes.” Immerge operated Genexe as one of its marketing companies. Immerge is no longer operating.
Jason Green and Jason Gross were, respectively, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Genexe and Immerge, with ownership interests in both Genexe and Immerge.
Genetic tests are medical laboratory tests designed to identify specific inherited mutations in a patient’s genes. Genetic mutations or variations may affect a patient’s risk of developing certain diseases or the patient’s response to medications. Genetic tests related to a patient’s hereditary predisposition for cancer are commonly referred to as “CGx” tests. Pharmacogenomic genetic tests related to identifying how a patient’s genes affect a response to drugs are commonly referred to as “PGx” tests.
Genetic testing can involve obtaining a DNA sample from a patient using a genetic test kit, sometimes by obtaining a patient’s saliva using a cheek (buccal) swab to collect sufficient cells to provide a genetic profile. The DNA sample may then be submitted, along with a requisition form, to a laboratory for analysis, such as a CGx or PGx test. The requisition form typically included information about the patient, the swab being submitted, and the referring physician or other medical provider. That provider or another authorized person must confirm on the form that the genetic test was medically necessary.
To be covered under Medicare Part B, a clinical laboratory test, such as a genetic test, must be ordered by a physician (or a qualified nonphysician practitioner) who is treating a beneficiary for a specific medical problem and who uses the results in the management of that problem. The test must be related to the beneficiary’s illness or injury (or symptom or complaint).
Medicare does not cover the costs associated with testing that are not reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member. It is a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute to knowingly and willfully solicit, receive, offer, or pay any remuneration in return for referring an individual for the furnishing or arranging for the furnishing of any item or service for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal health care program.
The United States’ claims arise from Genexe, Immerge, Green, and Gross’s alleged conduct in knowingly and improperly causing false claims to be submitted to Medicare for CGx and PGx tests that were not medically necessary and that were procured through kickbacks. Specifically, the United States contends that during the period from July 2018 through December 2019:
- Genexe, Immerge, Green, and Gross participated in a kickback scheme involving a network of medical laboratories and telemedicine healthcare providers. The laboratories billed Medicare for fraudulent genetic testing, which was regularly reimbursed at rates exceeding $6,000 per test. Genexe revenues were a portion of the amounts reimbursed to the laboratories by Medicare.
- Genexe was a marketing company that entered into agreements with telemedicine healthcare providers and medical laboratories to develop, expand, and promote their genetic testing services throughout the United States.
- Genexe conducted marketing campaigns that offered genetic testing to Medicare beneficiaries, among others, purportedly at no cost to the patients.
- Genexe hired and paid independent contractors (IBOs) who acted as genetic screening technicians to recruit Medicare beneficiaries to sign up for medically unnecessary genetic testing.
- On behalf of Genexe, the IBOs, most of whom had no medical training, would collect DNA specimens (usually from cheek swabs of saliva) from Medicare beneficiaries at locations such as stores, shopping malls, healthcare fairs, churches, retirement centers, skilled nursing facilities, and similar locations.
- On behalf of Genexe, the IBOs would also collect Medicare beneficiaries’ protected health care information on a requisition form and label the specimen.
- IBOs would then ship the packaged DNA specimens to Genexe’s parent company, Immerge, in Colorado.
- Genexe would obtain physician orders for the genetic tests for the packaged specimens before they were sent to a medical laboratory for testing.
- Genexe had agreements with telemedicine companies and medical laboratories to obtain physician orders for the genetic tests. In some cases, the telemedicine company had existing arrangements with medical laboratories, while in others, the medical laboratory had existing arrangements with physicians.
- Once the physician order was obtained, Genexe sent the specimens to a medical laboratory for testing.
- The medical laboratory would test the specimen and bill Medicare, and in some cases, the medical laboratory obtained the services of another laboratory to perform the testing and bill Medicare.
- Once Medicare paid the medical laboratory, Genexe would receive a portion of the Medicare reimbursement funds from the laboratory.
- Initially, Genexe was paid about $800 per swab, but later was paid amounts ranging from $1,000 to $2,000, depending on the type of genetic test.
- In sum, Genexe, Immerge, Green, and Gross would pay remuneration to IBOs for referrals of Medicare beneficiaries and to medical providers for prescriptions for CGx and PGx testing, obtain Medicare patient information and swabs by having Medicare beneficiaries complete genetic test kits, and would obtain prescriptions for CGx or PGx testing for those beneficiaries by paying illegal kickbacks to medical providers or telemedicine providers. Genexe, Immerge, Green, and Gross also received illegal kickbacks in exchange for sending the completed CGx and PGx testing swabs and prescriptions to medical laboratories for processing and billing.
“Genetic testing fraud preys on the fears of patients, and it wastes taxpayer dollars by spending limited funds on medically unnecessary or nonexistent tests,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “This settlement shows we will work with our law enforcement partners to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse in federal healthcare programs and will use every tool available to recover improperly paid taxpayer funds.”
“Medical professionals should only order testing which would benefit individual patient care, not for personal gain,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners will continue to evaluate and pursue allegations of kickbacks resulting in medically unnecessary services.”
The settlement also resolves claims against Genexe, Immerge, Green, and Gross in lawsuits filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. Those lawsuits include United States ex rel. Shimi v. Genexe, LLC, et al., No. 19-CV-3660 (E.D. Pa.), and United States ex rel. Covington v. Genexe, LLC, et al., No. 23-CV-2915 (E.D. Pa.). As part of today’s resolution, four relators will collectively receive approximately $1.3 million.
The matter is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mark J. Sherer and Auditor Denis J. Cooke.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of civil liability.
Franklin County Woman Accused of Disability FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman from Franklin County, Missouri has been indicted and accused of committing $174,000 in disability fraud over more than 14 years.
Starr Lumos, also known as Starr Rodrigue, 54, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on April 16 with one count of theft of government money and one count of concealing information from the Social Security Administration, namely her right to a benefit payment.
She turned herself in Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The indictment says that from Oct. 1, 2009, to March 1, 2024, Lumos concealed and failed to disclose her full physical abilities and ownership, work and income at multiple businesses, reaping $174,391 in disability payments.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely an accusation and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The theft of government money charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the concealment charge is punishable by up to five years in prison. Both also carry a potential fine of up to $250,000.
The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke is prosecuting the case.
Former Wampum Resident Pleads Guilty to Producing Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Wampum, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of Production of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Thomas Hyatt-Baney, age 21, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that on June 25, 2023, from 12:30 p.m. ET to 12:37 p.m. ET, Hyatt-Baney, using his iPhone, produced three video clips depicting the sexual exploitation of a toddler.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for August 28, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court continued Hyatt-Baney’s detention.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hyatt-Baney.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Sentenced for Selling Sensitive Military Information to Individual Tied to Chinese GovernmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former U.S. Army intelligence analyst was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, including sensitive, non-public U.S. military information, to an individual he believed was affiliated with the Chinese government.
Korbein Schultz, 25, of Wills Point, Texas, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange of sensitive, non-public U.S. government information.
“This defendant swore an oath to defend the United States — instead, he betrayed it for a payout and put America’s military and service members at risk,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars.”
“This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.”
“Those who collaborate with America’s foreign adversaries put our country, and those who defend it, at grave risk and we will do whatever it takes to hold them accountable for their crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We will proudly stand in support of our men and women in uniform and work diligently to protect them from people like the defendant who would sell them out for a few bucks.”
“Protecting classified information is paramount to our national security, and this sentencing reflects the ramifications when there is a breach of that trust,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command. “This Soldier’s actions put Army personnel at risk placing individual gain above personal honor. Army Counterintelligence Command, in close collaboration with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Intelligence Community, remains steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding our nation’s secrets and urges all current and former Army personnel to report any suspicious contact immediately.”
According to court documents, between May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents — many containing export-controlled tactical and technical information — directly to a foreign national residing in the People’s Republic of China. Despite clear indications that this individual, who is referenced in the Indictment as Conspirator A, was likely connected to the Chinese government, the defendant continued the relationship in exchange for financial compensation. In exchange for approximately $42,000, Schultz provided documents and data related to U.S. military capabilities, including:
- His Army unit’s operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations;
- Lessons learned by the U.S. Army from the Ukraine/Russia conflict applicable to Taiwan’s defense;
- Technical manuals for the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A fighter aircraft, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems;
- Information on Chinese military tactics and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force;
- Details on U.S. military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines;
- Documents concerning U.S. military satellites and missile defense systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
- Tactics for countering unmanned aerial systems in large-scale combat operations.
Conspirator A first contacted the defendant through a freelance web-based work platform shortly after the defendant received his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. Masquerading as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm, Conspirator A solicited the defendant to produce detailed analyses on U.S. military capabilities and planning, particularly in relation to Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
As the relationship progressed, Conspirator A’s demands grew increasingly specific and sensitive — requesting technical manuals, operational procedures, and intelligence assessments. Conspirator A made explicit his interest in materials that were not publicly available and encouraged the defendant to seek out higher levels of classification, emphasizing “exclusiveness” and “CUI and better.” Schultz agreed to obtain higher levels of classified information for Conspirator A in exchange for money.
The defendant, fully aware of the grave national security implications, used his position and access to restricted databases — including closed U.S. government computer networks — to download and transmit at least 92 sensitive U.S. military documents.
The case also revealed attempts by the defendant to recruit his friend and fellow Army intelligence analyst into the conspiracy. At the time, Schultz’s friend was assigned to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), which is the combatant command that covers China and its regional areas of influence. Schultz and Conspirator A discussed the need to recruit another person into their scheme who had better access to classified material. They agreed that such recruitment needed to be done in a “nice and slow fashion.”
The FBI’s Nashville Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the Department of Defense.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Former U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Sentenced for Selling Sensitive Military Information to Individual Tied to Chinese GovernmentRead the Press Release
A former U.S. Army intelligence analyst was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, including sensitive, non-public U.S. military information, to an individual he believed was affiliated with the Chinese government.
Korbein Schultz, 25, of Wills Point, Texas, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange of sensitive, non-public U.S. government information.
“This defendant swore an oath to defend the United States — instead, he betrayed it for a payout and put America’s military and service members at risk,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars.”
“This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.”
“Those who collaborate with America’s foreign adversaries put our country, and those who defend it, at grave risk and we will do whatever it takes to hold them accountable for their crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We will proudly stand in support of our men and women in uniform and work diligently to protect them from people like the defendant who would sell them out for a few bucks.”
“Protecting classified information is paramount to our national security, and this sentencing reflects the ramifications when there is a breach of that trust,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command. “This Soldier’s actions put Army personnel at risk placing individual gain above personal honor. Army Counterintelligence Command, in close collaboration with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Intelligence Community, remains steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding our nation’s secrets and urges all current and former Army personnel to report any suspicious contact immediately.”
According to court documents, between May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents — many containing export-controlled tactical and technical information — directly to a foreign national residing in the People’s Republic of China. Despite clear indications that this individual, who is referenced in the Indictment as Conspirator A, was likely connected to the Chinese government, the defendant continued the relationship in exchange for financial compensation. In exchange for approximately $42,000, Schultz provided documents and data related to U.S. military capabilities, including:
- His Army unit’s operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations;
- Lessons learned by the U.S. Army from the Ukraine/Russia conflict applicable to Taiwan’s defense;
- Technical manuals for the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A fighter aircraft, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems;
- Information on Chinese military tactics and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force;
- Details on U.S. military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines;
- Documents concerning U.S. military satellites and missile defense systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
- Tactics for countering unmanned aerial systems in large-scale combat operations.
Conspirator A first contacted the defendant through a freelance web-based work platform shortly after the defendant received his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. Masquerading as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm, Conspirator A solicited the defendant to produce detailed analyses on U.S. military capabilities and planning, particularly in relation to Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
As the relationship progressed, Conspirator A’s demands grew increasingly specific and sensitive — requesting technical manuals, operational procedures, and intelligence assessments. Conspirator A made explicit his interest in materials that were not publicly available and encouraged the defendant to seek out higher levels of classification, emphasizing “exclusiveness” and “CUI and better.” Schultz agreed to obtain higher levels of classified information for Conspirator A in exchange for money.
The defendant, fully aware of the grave national security implications, used his position and access to restricted databases — including closed U.S. government computer networks — to download and transmit at least 92 sensitive U.S. military documents.
The case also revealed attempts by the defendant to recruit his friend and fellow Army intelligence analyst into the conspiracy. At the time, Schultz’s friend was assigned to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), which is the combatant command that covers China and its regional areas of influence. Schultz and Conspirator A discussed the need to recruit another person into their scheme who had better access to classified material. They agreed that such recruitment needed to be done in a “nice and slow fashion.”
The FBI’s Nashville Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the Department of Defense.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Former Memphis FCI Correctional Officer Sentenced to Federal Imprisonment for BriberyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Bryan Miller, 32, a former correctional officer with the Memphis Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) to federal prison for bribery. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, beginning in December 2022, Miller began smuggling contraband into FCI Memphis while employed as a correctional officer for that facility. Over a four-month period, he had received $19,500.00 as payment for his unlawful activities.
In January 2024, Miller pled guilty to a one count information alleging that, as a public official, he accepted money in exchange for smuggling contraband items, including narcotics, into FCI Memphis, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(b)(C). On April 10, 2025, United States District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Miller to a total of 12 months and 1 day of federal imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Michelle Kimbril-Parks and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Former High School Teacher Found Guilty of Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN, MS – A federal jury convicted a Booneville man for possessing child sexual abuse materials after hearing evidence for three days in a trial before Senior District Judge Glen H. Davidson in Aberdeen, Mississippi.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Andrew Murphy, 36, a former high school science teacher, was found guilty today for possessing child pornography. Sentencing has been scheduled for July 28, 2025, at the U.S. Courthouse in Aberdeen, Mississippi.
Over two days of testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that Murphy collected images of child exploitation material, child nudity, child erotica, and images of children engaged in sexual activity, using a peer-to-peer network online.
The statutory penalties are up to ten years imprisonment, five years to life on supervised release, and registration on the sex offender registration.
“The case presented to the jury by AUSAs Parker King and John Herzog clearly established the guilt of this teacher who possessed images that demonstrated his sexual interest in children,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “I cannot overstate the importance of our partnership with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, the FBI, and our local law enforcement partners, such as the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Department, in protecting children, and this partnership will continue to do just that.”
“For every image of child pornography there is a child who is a victim and who will relive his or her abuse over and over again while that image circulates. We are committed to holding all predators who exploit Mississippi children accountable, and particularly those that hold positions of trust and care for our children,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “I appreciate the strong partnership our office has with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI. Together, we are dedicated to serving justice for the victims in this case and all others.”
"Safeguarding our society's future begins with protecting children in our community from predatory individuals like, Andrew Murphy,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “Murphy held a position of trust and violated that trust that our communities had in him with these heinous crimes against our youth; it will not be tolerated. The FBI maintains a steadfast commitment, in working alongside our federal, state, and local partners, to protect the innocence of our minors, and aggressively investigate predators, like Murphy, to hold them accountable and make sure they are brought to justice."
The case was investigated and conducted by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Parker S. King and John Herzog are prosecuting the case.
The case against Andrew Murphy was brought as part of the Project Safe Childhood nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Former Florida Highway Patrol Trooper and DEA Task Force Officer Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Drugs, Defrauding the United States, and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Joshua Grady Earrey (46, Jacksonville) to nine years in federal prison for multiple federal offenses including one count of conspiring to distribute narcotics, one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, and one count of possessing firearms and ammunition while addicted to illegal narcotics. As part of the sentence, Earrey also agreed to forfeit or abandon the money, firearms, and ammunition involved in these offenses. He entered a guilty plea on April 4, 2024.
According to court documents, while employed as a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper and designated Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Earrey and a co-conspirator engaged in extensive corrupt activity from 2021-2023. These acts included the theft of money and illegal drugs that were seized as evidence during criminal investigations; providing illegal drugs (including fentanyl and cocaine) to others to distribute on their behalf; and providing ammunition to an individual that Earrey knew to be a convicted murderer in exchange for opiates. Earrey and his co-conspirator stole more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana from evidence and provided the drugs to others to sell on their behalf. They covered up the theft by submitting falsified paperwork showing that the marijuana had been destroyed. Similarly, they stole a kilogram of cocaine from evidence and then gave it to a drug dealer to sell for them.
“Law enforcement officers who operate as though they are above the law betray the badge and the citizens they swore to protect," said FBI Jacksonville Acting Special Agent in Charge Hubert Reynolds. “This case exemplifies the FBI's commitment to holding public servants accountable if they violate the very laws they promised to uphold.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service -- Criminal Investigation, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton. The United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection wish to thank the Florida Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their cooperation during this investigation.
Former Executive Director of Non-Profit Serving Oakland Youth Pleads Guilty to Embezzling over $500,000 from OrganizationRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Howard Solomon, also known as Solomon Howard, pleaded guilty today to one count of mail fraud and one count of tax evasion in connection with embezzling from his former employer, the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), a non-profit organization that serves low-income youth in East Oakland neighborhoods and communities through a variety of programming, including after-school boxing lessons.
Solomon, 38, of Oakland, Calif., who served as the Executive Director of EOBA from late 2016 until 2021, was charged by information in February 2025. In pleading guilty, Solomon admitted to a multi-year mail fraud scheme in which he embezzled at least $549,000 from his former employer.
According to court documents and the plea agreement, after being added in September 2016 as an authorized signatory on EOBA bank accounts at Wells Fargo Bank, Solomon transferred EOBA funds out of the Wells Fargo accounts into accounts he controlled at other banking institutions. He also deposited charitable contributions to EOBA into the accounts he controlled, some of which were business accounts and others of which were his personal accounts. Solomon acknowledged that he took these actions without informing or seeking authority from EOBA board members or any other person affiliated with EOBA.
As one example, Solomon admitted that he deposited into a personal account a $50,000 donation that EOBA received in October 2019. The $50,000 donation was made to EOBA in connection with a December 2019 appearance by Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry on the Ellen DeGeneres Show for a segment known as “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways,” during which the Currys delivered various gifts to EOBA, including a $50,000 check from the show.
Solomon used the embezzled funds and donations to pay for personal expenses that had no connection to his job, including vacation expenses, a Ford Explorer, and Amazon purchases for personal use.
Solomon also admitted to tax evasion by failing to disclose the money he embezzled from EOBA as income and misstating expenses associated with two alleged businesses that Solomon claimed lost money on his tax filings for the years 2017 through 2021. In total, Solomon caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $287,185.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge of the Oakland Field Office Linda Nguyen made the announcement.
Solomon’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 14, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain of the fraud, and restitution of at least $549,132 to the East Oakland Boxing Association for the mail fraud count under 18 U.S.C. § 1341, and five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and restitution of at least $287,185 to the IRS for the tax evasion count under 26 U.S.C. § 7201. Any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas R. Green is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Amala James and Alycee Lane. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI.
Former Employee Admits Smuggling Drugs into Missouri PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former employee of a Missouri state prison on Wednesday admitted smuggling drugs and knives into prison.
Steven M. Reminger, 53, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of attempting to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
Reminger was an electronics technician at the Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri at the time of his crimes. After a number of inmate drug overdoses, inmates told officials that Reminger was smuggling drugs into the prison. One told a Missouri Department of Corrections investigator that Reminger had drugs mailed to a Post Office box in Farmington, Missouri under a fake name.
A U.S. Postal Inspection Service inspector learned that Reminger had obtained the Post Office box on Nov. 8, 2021, and received about 12 packages between Nov. 13, 2021, and May 24, 2022. After Reminger picked up the final parcel on May 25, 2022, Postal Inspectors took him to a police station and interviewed him. They also opened the package, discovering $4,000 in cash as well as fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, K2, THC edibles, marijuana, knives and cell phones that were contained in four vacuum-sealed packages. Reminger said the $4,000 was his pay for bringing the packages into the prison. He acknowledged that it was “possible” the packages he brought in contained something that contributed to the inmate overdoses, but said “ignorance is bliss” and added that he never opened the packages within the parcels or asked what was inside of them. Reminger admitted being “deliberately ignorant” to the contents of the packages.
Reminger said he made no more than $50,000 from the smuggling scheme. He turned over $15,000 in cash that he had at home to investigators. He used some of the rest of the money to buy a dune buggy and two trailers.Reminger is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24. Each charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine.
The Missouri Department of Corrections Office of Professional Standards, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Rebar is prosecuting the case.
Former Clerk/Treasurer for Lewis County town charged federally with wire fraud for more than $930,000 in theftRead the Press Release
Seattle – The former Clerk-Treasurer for the City of Morton in Lewis County is now charged federally with wire fraud in connection with her nine-year scheme to steal nearly $1 million from city coffers, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Tamara (Tammy) Clevenger served as the Clerk-Treasurer for Morton from 2012-2022. In 2024, an audit by the Washington State Auditor uncovered years of embezzlement totaling $937,584. Clevenger is expected to enter a plea to the wire fraud charge next month.
“I commend the State Auditor’s Office for their good work on this case,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “It is critical that all of our government entities have multiple safeguards in place to prevent the theft of hard-earned taxpayer dollars.”
According to the charging information, Clevenger allegedly used a variety of ways to steal funds. Between November 2015 and December 2021, she stole at least $311,727 of cash that citizens had brought in to pay for city services. In some instances, she would write a check from one city account to another to conceal the theft of the cash. She also made unauthorized cash withdrawals with the Morton ATM card.
Between February 2013 and December 2021, Clevenger allegedly stole at least $625,857 by writing checks to herself and depositing them in her bank account. Clevenger would allegedly use checks that had been pre-signed by the mayor for use in emergency situations. Clevenger allegedly used fake vendor invoices to make it appear the checks had been written for a service rendered to the city. Clevenger’s actions used interstate wires to commit the fraud with the transfer of funds between various bank accounts. One example is the transfer of $5,808 in funds from Washington to Umpqua bank servers located outside the state.
Following the audit, the City of Morton established new procedures so that no single person had control of the various banking functions.
The FBI and IRS worked with the Washington State Auditor’s Office on the criminal financial investigation.
The charges contained in the information are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. However, use of a criminal information, the sworn statement of the prosecutor, is an indication that there have been discussions with the defendant and their counsel of an agreement to resolve the case.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to twenty years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McDowell.
Former CIA official pleads guilty to acting as a foreign agent and mishandling classified materialsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida man pled guilty today to, while being a public official at the CIA, acting as a foreign agent required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and removing classified material, classified up to the SECRET//NOFORN level, from authorized locations without authority and with the intent to retain such material at an unauthorized location.
According to court documents, in 2014, Dale Britt Bendler, 68, of Miami, began working as a full-time contractor at the CIA with a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance. Before he was a CIA contractor, Bendler spent over 30 years working for the CIA as an intelligence officer and retired as a member of the Senior Intelligence Service in 2014. Beginning in July 2017 and continuing through at least July 2020, while a full-time CIA contractor and TS/SCI clearance holder, Bendler worked with a U.S. lobbying firm and engaged in unauthorized and hidden lobbying and public relations activities on behalf of foreign national clients. As described in the plea agreement, Bendler’s undisclosed lobbying activities included an attempt to use his position and access at the CIA to influence a foreign government’s embezzlement investigation of one of Bendler’s foreign national clients and a separate attempt to use his position and access at the CIA to influence the U.S. government’s decision as to whether to grant a U.S. visa to another of Bendler’s clients, who was alleged to be associated with terrorism financing. In exchange for his unauthorized outside activities, Bendler was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.
During the course of Bendler’s unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities, Bendler also abused his access to CIA resources and personnel by, among other things, searching classified CIA systems for any information related to his private lobbying clients, improperly storing and disclosing non-public, sensitive, and classified U.S. government information to people not authorized to receive such information, and lying to the CIA and the FBI about his status as a foreign agent and his unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities. The CIA terminated Bendler’s contract and access in September 2020.
In addition to pleading guilty, Bendler consented to the forfeiture of $85,000. Bendler is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16 and faces up to seven years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division; and Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. accepted the plea.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Adam P. Barry and Senior Trial Attorney Heather M. Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Chief Jennifer K. Gellie of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section provided substantial assistance in this investigation in her prior role as a trial attorney.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-109.
Former CIA Official Pleads Guilty to Acting as a Foreign Agent and Mishandling Classified MaterialsRead the Press Release
Dale Britt Bendler, 68, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty today to, while being a public official at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), acting as a foreign agent required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and removing classified material, classified up to the SECRET//NOFORN level, from authorized locations without authority and with the intent to retain such material at an unauthorized location.
As described in the plea agreement, starting in 2014, Bendler began working as a full-time contractor at the CIA with a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance. Before he was a CIA contractor, Bendler spent over 30 years working for the CIA as an intelligence officer and retired as a member of the Senior Intelligence Service in 2014. Beginning in July 2017 and continuing through at least July 2020, while a full-time CIA contractor and TS/SCI clearance holder, Bendler worked with a U.S. lobbying firm and engaged in unauthorized and hidden lobbying and public relations activities on behalf of foreign national clients. As described in the plea agreement, Bendler’s undisclosed lobbying activities included an attempt to use his position and access at the CIA to influence a foreign government’s embezzlement investigation of one of Bendler’s foreign national clients and a separate attempt to use his position and access at the CIA to influence the U.S. government’s decision as to whether to grant a U.S. visa to another of Bendler’s clients, who was alleged to be associated with terrorism financing. In exchange for his unauthorized outside activities, Bendler was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.
During the course of Bendler’s unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities, Bendler also abused his access to CIA resources and personnel by, among other things, searching classified CIA systems for any information related to his private lobbying clients, improperly storing and disclosing non-public, sensitive, and classified U.S. government information to people not authorized to receive such information, and lying to the CIA and the FBI about his status as a foreign agent and his unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities. The CIA terminated Bendler’s contract and access in September 2020.
In addition to pleading guilty, Bendler consented to the forfeiture of $85,000. Bendler faces a maximum penalty of seven years in prison – two years for acting as a foreign agent while being a public official and five years for mishandling classified material. Bendler is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16.
Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division and Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Adam P. Barry and Senior Trial Attorney Heather M. Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. Chief Jennifer Kennedy Gellie of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section provided substantial assistance in this investigation in her prior role as a trial attorney.
Former Army Soldier Sentenced to More Than 24 Years for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A former Army soldier was sentenced today to more than 24 years (292 months) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release for the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Jason Charles Manuelito, 27, pled guilty to the offense on June 11, 2024.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Manuelito was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) after CID received multiple cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone using an IP address on the military base was uploading child pornography, otherwise known as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The individual uploaded illegal images and videos to Kik social media application, Google, and Dropbox. Investigators determined that the IP address belonged to Manuelito.
A military search and seizure authorization was executed for Manuelito’s person and his barracks. Digital devices were seized and analyzed, and investigators found numerous conversations between Mauelito and children where he would encourage the child to send specific images of their genitals and engaging in sexual acts. Manuelito would, often times, send explicit images of his genitals to the children. There were approximately nine victims identified and interviewed and many others unidentified. Some of the victims were as young as 11 years old when Manuelito was enticing them to self-produce child sexual abuse material and share it with him. In a recorded interview with law enforcement, Manuelito admitted he had been involved in online relationships with minors. During the course of those online relationships both he and the victim would engage in sexualized conversations and then exchange illicit images.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00200.
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Federal Jury Convicts Remaining Two Defendants in Moorhead Methamphetamine Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – Two individuals from Moorhead, Minnesota, were convicted by a federal jury for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to evidence presented at trial, on February 22, 2024, acting on a canine alert, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant on a suspicious package that had been intercepted in North Dakota. Inside the package, law enforcement found over nine pounds of methamphetamine. Agents removed a majority of the methamphetamine, added a tracking device to the package, and returned it to the intended delivery address, a rental unit in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Once delivered, law enforcement observed Alberto St. Martin Lopez, Jr., 58, retrieve the package and take it to his residence nearby. There, Lopez met with two of his other co-conspirators. At trial, evidence demonstrated that the trio recorded opening the suspect parcel. They departed quickly afterwards, each with different parts of the parcel evidence. One co-conspirator left in possession of the remaining methamphetamine and quickly met up with a fourth co-conspirator. A second co-conspirator left Lopez’s residence, recovered three additional pounds of methamphetamine separately stored on Lopez’s property, and left. Lopez left his residence with the GPS tracker. All were quickly apprehended and found in possession of the tracking device, the additional three pounds of methamphetamine, digital scales and other miscellaneous drug distribution materials.
As proven at trial, Terri Lee Weideman, 46, worked at a Fargo property management company and since at least April 2023 had been providing the conspiracy with the addresses of rental units she knew to be vacant, thereby facilitating the shipments of methamphetamine from California.
“Transnational criminal organizations continue to pour methamphetamine into Minnesota by various means, including by mail,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “As this case demonstrates, this office, working hand in glove with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue to dedicate resources to stop the flow of methamphetamine into our state.”
In total, once all search warrants had been executed, 12 pounds of methamphetamine was seized on February 23, 2023, at the time comprising the largest combined seizure of methamphetamine in Clay County, Minnesota.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Moorhead Police Department, and other supporting agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren O. Roso and Allen A. Slaughter Jr. tried the case.
FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force Turns 45 - Dallas Division Reflects on Past Success, Continues VigilanceRead the Press Release
DALLAS – This week, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) R. Joseph Rothrock is joining FBI offices around the country in marking the 45th anniversary of the FBI’s first Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). Formed in New York in 1980, the first JTTF became a model for law enforcement cooperation across the nation.
JTTFs can be found at each of the FBI’s 55 field offices and many resident agencies—around 280 locations in all. The Dallas Field Office organized the North Texas JTTF in 1995 and it is comprised of dozens of investigative personnel from more than 20 agencies across the Division’s territory.
JTTFs gather trained investigators, intelligence analysts, linguists, and tactical experts from federal, state, local, territorial, tribal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Task force members share intelligence and investigative leads and respond to threats and incidents.
“We know from each potential crisis or thwarted attack that we cannot do this job alone,” said SAC Rothrock. “Each member of the North Texas JTTF brings unique skills and specialized resources from their agency to enhance our collective investigative capabilities. We are proud to work side-by-side with our partners in the fight against terrorism, and will continue to vigorously defend the Dallas Division’s territory.”
The FBI’s JTTF model dates to 1979, when the New York Police Department and the FBI’s New York Field Office created a joint task force to tackle violent bank robberies. They imitated the model in 1980, when terrorist bombings, bomb threats, and other violence plagued the city, and announced the formation of the first JTTF in April 1980.
“The JTTF has proven to be a world class model of what can be accomplished when law enforcement resources from federal, state, and local agencies converge to combat terrorism and disrupt the plans of evil actors throughout the United States,” said Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. “The JTTF has been called upon to investigate some of the most horrific acts of violence imaginable and we should all be thankful for the work the JTTF does daily to keep communities across the United States safe.”
After the 9/11 attacks, FBI leadership directed all FBI field offices to establish a JTTF. In addition, the FBI established its National Joint Terrorism Task Force to support the local task forces in June of 2002. The NJTTF, at FBI Headquarters, enhances communication, coordination, and cooperation from partner agencies.
“This Office depends on the critical work of the JTTF in keeping Americans safe,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “We applaud the JTTF’s decades of significant efforts in partnership with the USAO-NDTX.”
Nationally, JTTFs have disrupted dozens of plots in the past four decades. Notable investigations in Dallas’ territory include:
• Hosam Maher Husein Smadi: Sentenced to 24 years in prison for his attempted bombing of a downtown Dallas skyscraper in September 2009. According to documents filed, Smadi knowingly took possession of a truck that contained a weapon of mass destruction, and while the bomb was inert when Smadi took possession of it, it was a readily-convertible weapon of mass destruction.
• Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari: Sentenced to life in prison for the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in connection with his 2011 purchase of chemicals and equipment necessary to make an improvised explosive device (IED) and his research of potential U.S. targets, including persons and infrastructure.
• Omer Kuzu: Pleaded guilty in 2020 to conspiring to provide material support to terrorism. In March 2019, Kuzu was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces, alongside 1,500 suspected ISIS fighters. He was handed over to FBI custody, returned to American soil, and charged with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS.
Report suspicious activity to 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324). You can also submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov tips.fbi.gov.
Ellwood City Resident Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Coercing Minor to Produce and Send Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on April 22, 2025, to 252 months of incarceration, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, on his conviction of coercion and enticement of a minor, and production and receipt of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Shayne A. Clapper, 31.
According to information presented to the Court, in January 2023 through February 2023, Clapper initiated a sexual relationship with a minor known to him. Clapper provided the minor with a cell phone that he used to communicate with the minor, including requesting and receiving nude images from the minor. Clapper also induced the minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Ellwood City Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Clapper.
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.justice.gov/psc.
El Paso Man Pleads Guilty to Alien Smuggling and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An El Paso man who led a major human smuggling operation has pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiring to transport and harbor illegal aliens and to launder the proceeds of the smuggling scheme.
According to court records, between July 7, 2022, and March 21, 2023, Jose Luis Avalos, 42, the leader of the organization and the final defendant to plead in the case, along with co-conspirators and his wife, Kristina Hardin, coordinated the illegal transportation and harboring of unauthorized immigrants throughout New Mexico. In return, Avalos and Hardin received numerous money transfers into their bank accounts as proceeds from the smuggling operation and paid others for expenses related to the conspiracy.
In addition, from August 10, 2021, through December 27, 2022, Avalos conspired with Hardin and others to launder the proceeds from the smuggling activities. They deposited illicit funds into multiple bank accounts and used the money for personal and mutual benefit, intentionally concealing the source and nature of these funds to avoid detection. In his plea agreement, Avalos admitted to knowingly participating in the conspiracy and working with others for their shared benefit.
Avalos was indicted on May 18, 2023, along with eight co-conspirators, as part of a federal investigation into a large-scale migrant smuggling and money laundering operation. Subsequently, Hardin pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy to launder proceeds, while Avalos’ brother, David Avalos-Solis, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. Twin brothers Dario Rey Gamboa and Diego Rean Gamboa, along with Justin Walker, Cindy Escobar, and Adam Guerrero, also pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. Nancy Orellana-Recinos pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting eluding examination or inspection.
Orellana-Recinos was sentenced to time served and was provided a notice to appear for immigration proceedings. Hardin received two years of probation. Walker was sentenced to 21 months in prison. Diego Rean Gamboa, Dario Rey Gamboa, Cindy Escobar, and Adam Guerrero were each sentenced to time served.
At sentencing, Avalos faces 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Randy M. Castellano is prosecuting the case as part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 330 U.S. convictions; more than 275 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
East Lyme Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax ChargeRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that ANALIA MOUNTZOURES, 48, of East Lyme, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a tax offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mountzoures operated Mountzoures Cleaning, a business with approximately 10 employees that provided cleaning services to more than 200 commercial and residential clients in southeastern Connecticut. During the 2018 through 2023 tax years, Mountzoures often paid her employees in cash, did not report their wages to the state or federal government, did not file required IRS forms related to her employees, did not issue W-2 forms, did not withhold employee taxes as required, and did not pay federal employment taxes and withholding. She also provided her tax return preparer with false information that resulted in personal tax returns that significantly underreported her gross receipts, income, and taxes due and owing.
As an example, Mountzoures’ 2023 tax return reported gross receipts of $12,095 and total taxes before credits as $1,450. In fact, Mountzoures’ gross receipts were approximately $628,072 and the tax due was approximately $96,650.
Mountzoures has agreed to pay restitution of $380,167.60 to the IRS.
Mountzoures pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting a false tax return, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for July 22. Mountzoures is released on a $40,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Dresden Man Sentenced to Federal Imprisonment for Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Chapell Dain Cissell, 31, to ten years in federal prison for possession of several firearms and a large amount of ammunition. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to the evidence presented in court, in March 2021, several deputies with the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department responded to Fast Eddie’s Bar in Dresden, Tennessee, after receiving a report of an assault in progress. Upon arrival, the deputies spoke with the victims who said that an individual, later identified as Cissell, drove a black SUV into the parking lot of the bar wearing a “bullet proof vest” and holding an assault rifle firearm. Cissell pointed the firearm at the three victims, threatened to kill them, and fled the parking lot.
Deputies later found Cissell wearing a ballistic vest while sitting inside a pickup truck, preparing to leave his residence. The deputies observed a wooden handle of a revolver sticking out of the top of the vest. Deputies also found three firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition either on Cissell or in the vehicle he was occupying. Cissell admitted that there were additional firearms in his residence. Three additional firearms and over two thousand rounds of various caliber ammunition were discovered after a search of Cissell’s residence.
On April 11, 2025, United States District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Cissell to 120 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release, the maximum term of imprisonment, after Cissell pled guilty to six counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam Davis prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Dominican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Carlos Yuniol Pimentel-Ortiz, 38, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He will appear in federal court on a later date.
According to the indictment, Pimentel-Ortiz was deported from the United States on or about Nov. 7, 2023. It is alleged that sometime after his removal, Pimentel-Ortiz illegally reentered the United States without permission. He was found in the United States on March 21, 2025.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 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 on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in criminal cases.
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 Robert E. Richardson 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.
Dominican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in Lawrence, Mass. has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Santo Beato Aybar-Aybar was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Aybar-Aybar was arrested on March 23, 2025 and is currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement Custody. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Aybar-Aybar was previously deported from the United States on or about Sept. 21, 2021. It is alleged that sometime after his September 2021 removal, Aybar-Aybar illegally reentered the United States without permission.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 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 Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crime 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.
Dominican Man Who Illegally Entered the U.S. After Multiple Prior Deportations Sentenced to 15 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Melvin Gutierrez-Almonte, 42, a Dominican national unlawfully residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced this morning by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to 15 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Gutierrez-Almonte was charged by indictment in September of last year and pleaded guilty to the charge against him in January. He admitted to illegally entering the United States in April 2023, crossing from Mexico into Arizona.
According to immigration records, the defendant had been removed from the United States on four prior occasions — on or about March 1, 2011, September 27, 2016, March 20, 2018, and September 1, 2020 — and had not sought permission to reenter. He has three previous illegal reentry convictions, all in the District of Puerto Rico.
As detailed in court filings, on May 18, 2024, Gutierrez-Almonte was arrested by West New York Township Police in Hudson County, New Jersey, and charged with simple assault and receiving stolen property. The case remains active and there is currently a detainer.
Then, on July 10, 2024, Gutierrez-Almonte was arrested by Philadelphia Police and charged under the name “Conjeo Almonet” with aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of a crime, and simple assault.
The next day, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials received a biometric notification of the Philadelphia arrest.
Gutierrez-Almonte was subsequently charged by federal criminal complaint with illegal reentry, and on September 3, 2024, an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officer arrested him, following the defendant’s release from Philadelphia custody.
“Melvin Gutierrez-Almonte is a serial violator of our country’s sovereignty. He has entered the United States illegally and been removed multiple times already,” U.S. Attorney Metcalf said. “Not only has he flouted our immigration laws, he has also been arrested several times for assault, gun possession, and more. He is a great example of how certain immigrants repeatedly disrespect our laws. Anyone who wants to come to this country must do so legally, and anyone who wants to stay must honor the obligations of our laws.”
“Ensuring the safety of our communities is at the core of our mission at ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. This individual’s repeated unlawful reentry and criminal activity posed a significant risk to public safety,” said ICE ERO Philadelphia Acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. “By apprehending, prosecuting, and removing those who threaten our neighborhoods, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the well-being of law-abiding residents. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to uphold our nation’s immigration laws and keep our communities safe.”
The case was investigated by ICE ERO and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosalynda M. Michetti.
District Man Indicted for Illegal Firearm Possession Following Arrest in Northeast D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antowan Tyrone Hagans, 30, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on a federal firearm charge as part of the Make D.C. Safe Again initiative. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin aimed at reducing violent crime in the District by prioritizing federal firearms violations, seeking tougher penalties, and pursuing detention for firearms offenders.
Hagans is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to court documents, on March 27, 2025, MPD officers encountered Hagans in a high-crime area of the Sixth District. As officers approached, Hagans fled into an apartment building. During the pursuit, he fell in a stairwell, and a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol fell to the ground during the struggle with officers
Hagans was arrested at the scene. He is prohibited from possessing firearms due to two prior felony convictions, including robbery while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Detroit Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jovonne Haynes, age 30, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 135 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization selling controlled substances that spanned from Michigan to Monongalia County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Haynes was allowing his apartment in Morgantown to be used for the drug trafficking operation. Haynes pled guilty to a methamphetamine distribution charge in December 2024.
Haynes will serve three years of supervised release following his sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Clarksburg; the FBI Clarksburg; the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; WVU Police Department; the DEA Cincinnati District Office; the DEA Detroit Field Division; and the FBI Detroit.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Darknet Drug Trafficker from Western Pennsylvania Sentenced in D.C. for Selling Mass Quantities of Fentanyl OnlineRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jacob Blair, 27, of Aliquippa, Pa., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 180 months in federal prison for his role in a drug conspiracy that distributed a wide variety of narcotics, including large amounts of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine. Blair sold and distributed the narcotics on Tor2Door and other darknet markets.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr.; Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti of the Western District of Pennsylvania; Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Kevin P. Rojek of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division; Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division; Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Pittsburgh Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
Blair pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine, and to a charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Blair also pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to a charge, originally filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, of distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In addition to the 180-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Blair to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Blair was responsible for distributing more than 1.2 kilograms but less than 4 kilograms of fentanyl, and at least 50 grams but less than 200 grams of methamphetamine. He also admitted to mass-marketing the narcotics by means of an interactive computer service.
Blair’s co-defendant Dyani Pezzelle pleaded guilty March 5, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine. Pezzelle is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 18, 2025.
Between August 1, 2022, and Feb. 24, 2023, Blair and Pezzelle operated vendor accounts on various darknet marketplaces. On the marketplace Tor2Door, Blair and Pezzelle advertised their controlled substances using the monikers “YVS” and “YVendor Supplier” which they touted as “a syndicate of professionals that specialize in making the best products the markets have to offer. We focus on quality, consistency, stealth, and speed.” The conspiracy completed at least 459 sales of illegal narcotics.
Blair manufactured and obtained counterfeit Oxycodone, Adderall, and Xanax pills for sale. Blair posted advertisements for the controlled substances on Tor2Door and four other marketplaces and accepted payment in cryptocurrency. During the conspiracy, Blair shipped counterfeit oxycodone pills to the District of Columbia at least six times. These pills contained fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and metonitazene, a Schedule I controlled substance. In addition, they also shipped counterfeit Xanax and Adderall pills to the District multiple times.
On February 22, 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants at Blair’s residence in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and other locations. During the searches, law enforcement recovered 10 firearms, over 20,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl, an industrial pill press, and other manufacturing and distribution supplies.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Field Offices in Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. Valuable assistance was provided by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Moon Township Police Department.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Strong and Peter Roman of the District of Columbia’s Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) section and Assistant U.S. Attorney DeMarr Moulton of the Western District of Pennsylvania. The case was initially investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg.
Darknet Drug Trafficker from Pennsylvania Sentenced in D.C. for Selling Mass Quantities of Fentanyl OnlineRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jacob Blair, 27, of Aliquippa, Pa., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 180 months in federal prison for his role in a drug conspiracy that distributed a wide variety of narcotics, including large amounts of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine. Blair sold and distributed the narcotics on the darknet marketplace Tor2Door and other darknet markets.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr.; Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti of the Western District of Pennsylvania; Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Kevin P. Rojek of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division; Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division; Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the US Postal Inspection Service Pittsburgh Division for; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
Blair pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine, and to a charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Blair also pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to a charge, originally filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, of distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In addition to the 180-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Blair to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Blair was responsible for distributing more than 1.2 kilograms but less than 4 kilograms of fentanyl, and at least 50 grams but less than 200 grams of methamphetamine. He also admitted to mass-marketing the narcotics by means of an interactive computer service.
Blair’s co-defendant Dyani Pezzelle pleaded guilty March 5, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine. Pezzelle is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 18, 2025.
Between August 1, 2022, and Feb. 24, 2023, Blair and Pezzelle operated vendor accounts on various darknet marketplaces. On the marketplace Tor2Door, Blair and Pezzelle advertised their controlled substances using the monikers “YVS” and “YVendor Supplier” which they touted as “a syndicate of professionals that specialize in making the best products the markets have to offer. We focus on quality, consistency, stealth, and speed.” The conspiracy completed at least 459 sales of illegal narcotics.
Blair manufactured and obtained counterfeit Oxycodone, Adderall, and Xanax pills for sale. Blair posted advertisements for the controlled substances on Tor2Door and four other marketplaces and accepted payment in cyrptocurrency. During the conspiracy, Blair shipped counterfeit oxycodone pills to the District of Columbia at least six times. These pills contained fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and metonitazene, a Schedule I controlled substance. In addition, they also shipped counterfeit Xanax and Adderall pills to the District multiple times.
On February 22, 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants at Blair’s residence in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and other locations. During the searches, law enforcement recovered 10 firearms, over 20,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl, an industrial pill press, and other manufacturing and distribution supplies.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Field Offices in Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. Valuable assistance was provided by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Moon Township Police Department.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Strong and Peter Roman of the District of Columbia’s Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) section and Assistant U.S. Attorney DeMarr Moulton of the Western District of Pennsylvania. The case was initially investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg.
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D.C. Man Admits to 2023 Killing at Navy Yard Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyriq Williams, 31, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder for the 2023 shooting murder of Terry Clark, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2025. The guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, called for an agreed-upon prison sentence of between 14 and 18 years, followed by a period of supervised release.
On January 7, 2023, the defendant and his girlfriend encountered Mr. Clark on an escalator leaving the Navy Yard Metro Station. The defendant and Mr. Clark did not know each other. After both men left the station, Williams turned around and shot Mr. Clark one time, causing his death. The defendant then went back into the station and took the train to Congress Heights Metro Station, where he took a bus to his place of employment. Williams told a friend that he needed a ride, and his friend picked the defendant up and drove him to the bus stop, where Williams got back on the same bus that he previously rode. The shooting was not captured on video, but law enforcement located the defendant on other video surveillance, including Washington Metro Area Transit Authority surveillance around the metro station and on the bus. After an investigation, Williams was apprehended, and detectives found, pursuant to a search warrant of the defendant’s home, distinctive clothing that he wore on the night of the shooting.
Williams has been in custody since his arrest on January 20, 2023.
This case is being investigated by detectives and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department and Metro Transit Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Jamie Carter. This case was investigated by former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Interrante.
Convicted Sex Offender Indicted for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Nicholas Lugo of Chaska, Minnesota, has been charged with distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Nicholas Richard Lugo, 25, distributed multiple CSAM videos over the internet. Lugo has a 2021 conviction in Hennepin County for first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor.
“Lugo is a child predator. He was convicted of sexually abusing a child. And then—like so many sexual predators—went on to offend again,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Minnesotans should have no tolerance for serial child sex offenders in our midst. The U.S. Attorney’s Office certainly doesn’t. Defendants like Lugo who repeatedly prey on children should expect to see federal charges and do federal prison time.”
Lugo is charged with one count of distribution child pornography. At his arraignment hearing, Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster ordered that he remain in custody pending further court proceedings.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Chaska Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the FBI. It 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. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Companies and President Operating Oregon Wood Treatment Facility to Pay $1.5M in Criminal Fines for Hazardous Waste and Air Pollution ChargesRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.— Two companies responsible for the operation of the J.H. Baxter wood treatment facility in Eugene, Oregon, and their president, were sentenced Tuesday for hazardous waste and Clean Air Act violations. Collectively, they were ordered to pay a total of $1.5 million in criminal fines. In addition, the court ordered the companies to serve five years of probation and the companies’ president, Georgia Baxter-Krause, 62, of Deschutes County, Oregon, to serve 90 days in federal prison and one year of supervised release.
Both companies — J.H. Baxter & Co. Inc. and J.H. Baxter & Co., A California Limited Partnership (collectively J.H. Baxter) — previously pleaded guilty to charges of illegally treating hazardous waste and knowingly violating the Clean Air Act’s regulations for hazardous air pollutants. Georgia Baxter-Krause previously pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal statute governing hazardous waste management.
"On more than 100 different days, J.H. Baxter knowingly and illegally boiled off hazardous waste, emitting the discharge into the air,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “J.H. Baxter’s President, Georgia Baxter-Krause, then made false statements about the unlawful practice. Protecting the public’s health is among our highest priorities, and we will prosecute those who violate environmental laws."
“The J.H. Baxter companies knowingly mishandled hazardous waste and repeatedly violated the Clean Air Act by venting hazardous substances directly into the air, right across the street from people’s homes. The company president then lied to cover up these crimes,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s sentencing highlights the significant penalties that Congress has provided for illegally treating or disposing of hazardous waste as well as the Agency’s continued efforts to ensure that Americans have clean air, land, and water.”
“The defendant companies boiled hazardous waste into our community’s air instead of properly dealing with it and Georgia Baxter-Krause lied when confronted about it,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the Eugene and Medford Branches of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute those who put Oregonians at risk in violation of federal law.”
According to court documents, J.H. Baxter used hazardous chemicals to treat and preserve wood at its Eugene facility. The wastewater from the wood preserving processes was hazardous waste.
To properly treat wastewater from its wood treatment process, J.H. Baxter operated a legal wastewater treatment unit to treat and evaporate the waste. For years, however, when J.H. Baxter had too much water on site, including process wastewater and precipitation, J.H. Baxter’s employees at the facility would transfer hazardous process wastewater to an available wood treatment retort to “boil it off,” greatly reducing its volume. J.H. Baxter would then remove the remaining waste from the retort, label it as hazardous waste and ship it offsite for disposal.
Photo sent to Georgia Baxter-Krause in 2019, depicting the inside of a J.H. Baxter retort after weeks of boiling hazardous waste, from the government’s sentencing memo in United States v. J.H. Baxter, et al., 6:24-cr-441 in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
J.H. Baxter did not have a permit to treat its hazardous waste in this manner, as required by RCRA. Additionally, J.H. Baxter’s facility was subject to certain Clean Air Act emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants, which required it to minimize air pollution emissions. However, during the illegal treatment, employees were directed to open all vents on the retorts, allowing discharge to the surrounding air.
After Oregon inspectors discovered this activity, they requested information about the companies’ practice of boiling off hazardous wastewater. On two separate occasions, Georgia Baxter-Krause gave false information in response, which included information about the dates the practice took place and which retorts were used.
The investigation determined that Georgia Baxter-Krause knew J.H. Baxter maintained detailed daily production logs for each retort. From approximately January to October 2019, J.H. Baxter boiled off hazardous process wastewater in its wood treatment retorts on 136 known days. Georgia Baxter-Krause was also aware that during this time J.H. Baxter used four of its five retorts to boil off wastewater.
This case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, EPAs Pacific Northwest (Region 10) office, and the Oregon State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren for the District of Oregon, Trial Attorneys Rachel Roberts and Stephen J. Foster of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla G. Perrin.
This case was an Environmental Crimes Task Force (ECTF) investigation. ECTF is an initiative in the District of Oregon that identifies, investigates, and prosecutes significant environmental, public lands, and wildlife crimes. ECTF leverages the resources and effort of federal, state and local regulatory agencies and law enforcement to protect human health, safeguard natural resources and wildlife and hold violators accountable.
Companies and President Operating Oregon Wood Treatment Facility to Pay $1.5M in Criminal Fines for Hazardous Waste and Air Pollution ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal judge in Oregon yesterday sentenced the two companies responsible for the operation of the J.H. Baxter wood treatment facility in Eugene, Oregon, and their president, for hazardous waste and Clean Air Act violations. Collectively, they were ordered to pay a total of $1.5 million in criminal fines. In addition, the court ordered the companies to serve five years of probation and the companies’ president, Georgia Baxter-Krause, of Deschutes, Oregon, to serve 90 days in prison and one year of supervised release.
Both companies — J.H. Baxter & Co. Inc. and J.H. Baxter & Co., A California Limited Partnership (collectively J.H. Baxter) — previously pleaded guilty to charges of illegally treating hazardous waste and knowingly violating the Clean Air Act’s regulations for hazardous air pollutants. Georgia Baxter-Krause previously pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal statute governing hazardous waste management.
“On more than 100 different days, J.H. Baxter knowingly and illegally boiled off hazardous waste, emitting the discharge into the air,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “J.H. Baxter’s President, Georgia Baxter-Krause, then made false statements about the unlawful practice. Protecting the public’s health is among our highest priorities, and we will prosecute those who violate environmental laws.”
“The J.H. Baxter companies knowingly mishandled hazardous waste and repeatedly violated the Clean Air Act by venting hazardous substances directly into the air, right across the street from people’s homes. The company president then lied to cover up these crimes,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s sentencing highlights the significant penalties that Congress has provided for illegally treating or disposing of hazardous waste as well as the Agency’s continued efforts to ensure that Americans have clean air, land, and water.”
“The defendant companies boiled hazardous waste into our community’s air instead of properly dealing with it and Georgia Baxter-Krause lied when confronted about it,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the Eugene and Medford Branches of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute those who put Oregonians at risk in violation of federal law.”
According to court documents, J.H. Baxter used hazardous chemicals to treat and preserve wood at its Eugene facility. The wastewater from the wood preserving processes was hazardous waste.
To properly treat wastewater from its wood treatment process, J.H. Baxter operated a legal wastewater treatment unit to treat and evaporate the waste. For years, however, when J.H. Baxter had too much water on site, including process wastewater and precipitation, J.H. Baxter’s employees at the facility would transfer hazardous process wastewater to an available wood treatment retort to “boil it off,” greatly reducing its volume. J.H. Baxter would then remove the remaining waste from the retort, label it as hazardous waste and ship it offsite for disposal.
United States v. J.H. Baxter, et al., 6:24-cr-441J.H. Baxter did not have a permit to treat its hazardous waste in this manner, as required by RCRA. Additionally, J.H. Baxter’s facility was subject to certain Clean Air Act emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants, which required it to minimize air pollution emissions. However, during the illegal treatment, employees were directed to open all vents on the retorts, allowing discharge to the surrounding air.
After Oregon inspectors discovered this activity, they requested information about the companies’ practice of boiling off hazardous wastewater. On two separate occasions, Georgia Baxter-Krause gave false information in response, which included information about the dates the practice took place and which retorts were used.
The investigation determined that Georgia Baxter-Krause knew J.H. Baxter maintained detailed daily production logs for each retort. From approximately January to October 2019, J.H. Baxter boiled off hazardous process wastewater in its wood treatment retorts on 136 known days. Georgia Baxter-Krause was also aware that during this time J.H. Baxter used four of its five retorts to boil off wastewater.
This case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, EPAs Pacific Northwest (Region 10) office, and the Oregon State Police.
This case was an Environmental Crimes Task Force (ECTF) investigation. ECTF is an initiative in the District of Oregon that identifies, investigates, and prosecutes significant environmental, public lands, and wildlife crimes. ECTF leverages the resources and effort of federal, state and local regulatory agencies and law enforcement to protect human health, safeguard natural resources and wildlife and hold violators accountable.
Trial Attorneys Rachel Roberts and Stephen J. Foster of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren for the District of Oregon and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla G. Perrin prosecuted the case.
Chula Vista Towing Company Agrees to Settle Allegations That It Illegally Auctioned a Servicemember’s Car During DeploymentRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Tony’s Auto Center, a towing company in Chula Vista, California, has agreed to a settlement to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) when it auctioned a car owned by an active-duty servicemember while he was deployed at sea.
According to the United States’ complaint, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Jonathan Liongson was deployed in November 2022 aboard the USS Bunker Hill. Before leaving for deployment, Lieutenant Liongson had placed personal items in his 2011 Mazda 6 and parked the car at a friend’s house.
While Lieutenant Liongson was at sea, the Chula Vista Police Department impounded the car because of an expired registration, and Tony’s Auto Center towed the car to its facility. About two months later, Tony’s Auto Center, through its agent, sold Lieutenant Liongson’s car at auction without first obtaining a court order authorizing the sale, as is required by the SCRA. In March 2023, the Lieutenant returned home from deployment to find that his car had been towed. He then contacted Tony’s Auto Center and learned that they had sold his car.
The SCRA is a federal law that provides legal and financial protections to military members and their families while they are in military service. One of the SCRA’s protections requires anyone holding a lien on the property of a servicemember to obtain a court order prior to auctioning off, selling or otherwise disposing of that property.
“The SCRA protects the rights of the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, which allows them to devote their full attention to defending our country,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “While Lieutenant Liongson was at sea, he understood that his ship’s mission and the duration of their deployment could change at any moment. He accepted that reality in the fulfillment of his solemn oath. In turn, the SCRA provides grace and understanding about certain personal affairs. Lieutenant Liongson’s car should not have been auctioned off in his absence. We hope this settlement encourages all towing companies to review and improve their policies and ensure that the rights of all servicemembers are honored and respected.”
“Members of our armed forces should not have to worry about their cars being auctioned off while they are deployed on missions defending our freedoms, liberties and rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “This settlement should send a strong message to other towing companies that they should not take advantage of our servicemembers while they are keeping Americans safe.”
Under the settlement agreement, Lieutenant Liongson will receive $7,500 in damages. The United States will also receive a $2,000 civil penalty, and Tony’s Auto Center must implement new policies to prevent future violations of the SCRA.
The Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California jointly handled this case. Since 2011, the Justice Department has obtained more than $481 million in monetary relief for more than 147,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit https://www.justice.gov/servicemembers.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at https://legalassistance.law.af.mil/.
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Reis.