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Wednesday 23 April 2025
Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing AI-Generated Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. –Daniel Joseph Broadway, 53, of Charlotte, appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to possessing AI-generated images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to plea documents and today’s court hearing, on December 12, 2023, CMPD officers executed a search warrant at Broadway’s Charlotte residence. From the residence, officers seized nine electronic devices that were later forensically analyzed and found to contain images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material. Some of the images and videos in Broadway’s possession had been AI-generated and some had not. A forensic analysis of the devices revealed that Broadway possessed 8,661 images and two videos of non-AI CSAM. Broadway also possessed 20,292 images and videos of AI-generated CSAM. Many of the non-AI and AI-generated CSAM depicted prepubescent minors that were nude or partially clothed, lasciviously displaying their genitals or engaging in sexual intercourse with adults.
Broadway pleaded guilty to possession and access with intent to view child pornography involving prepubescent minors and possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children, each of which carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Broadway was remanded into custody following his guilty plea. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked FBI and CMPD for their investigation which led to the guilty plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Charleston Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drugs and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Omar D. Milligan, 47, of Charleston, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring and possessing with intent to distribute 5 kilograms of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
Evidence presented to the Court established that Milligan played a key role in a drug trafficking organization operating in Charleston, with national and international ties. On March 25, 2022, Milligan received approximately 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl, which he intended to deliver to another member of the organization for further distribution into the community. He had also arranged to obtain an additional 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl once the first shipment was delivered.
As the investigation unfolded, law enforcement discovered that Milligan was using a local apartment as a base of operations for his drug trafficking activities. During the investigation, he was observed selling both fentanyl and cocaine directly to others. On Aug. 23, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at the apartment and recovered a kilogram of marijuana, 6 grams of cocaine, and ammunition. Milligan previously served time in federal prison for drug and firearm related felony offenses.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Milligan to 10 years in prison, to be followed by a 10-year term of court ordered supervision.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Charleston Police Department, and the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.
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Canadian Man Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Julio Pinto, 57, of Canada, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.
On April 22, 2025, Pinto appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Pinto be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, Pinto was served an Expedited Order of Removal in October 2023 and thereafter departed the United States. He was barred from entering the United States for five years. Nevertheless, he illegally crossed the United States-Canada international border on April 21, 2025, and was found in a gas station in Alburgh, Vermont.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Pinto is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Pinto faces up to two years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the U.S. Border Patrol.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Pinto is represented by the Federal Public Defender’s Office.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
California Man Faces Federal Charges for Cyberstalking Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Granite Bay, California man was arrested and appeared in federal court Tuesday after he was indicted in Oregon for cyberstalking his ex-girlfriend and posting sexually explicit photos online.
Jason David Campos, 42, has been charged with stalking, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, between 2009 and 2023, Campos is alleged to have stalked and harassed the victim, a former intimate partner, by posting sexually explicit images and personal information online using social media platforms and public forum websites.
In May 2007, while still in the relationship, Campos told the victim that the laptop containing the sexually explicit images had been stolen from his vehicle. Campos and the victim ended their relationship in 2008.
The following year, the victim searched her name online and discovered that sexually explicit images, taken by Campos during their relationship, had been posted to Facebook, Craigslist, Classmates.com, in sex ads, and a Swedish website, without the victim’s consent. Campos used the victim’s name, including her maiden name, to create accounts on several social media platforms and public forum websites. Over the next 14 years, Campos used these accounts to publish sexually explicit images of the victim online. In numerous instances, Campos asked viewers to contact the victim directly and shared her personal information in order to further harass the victim.
On July 16, 2021, Campos is further alleged to have created an email account using the victim’s name, which he used to contact the victim’s attorney in Oregon. Posing as the victim, Campos requested the client file which contained personal information including the victim’s address and information about a child. After obtaining the file, Campos contacted the victim directly.
On January 23, 2022, the victim received an email from an account later linked to Campos, in which he referred to the child by name and asked if the victim was the child’s mother. Additionally, Campos used the email account to post several sexually explicit images of the victim to an online message board. He asked viewers to print the images and post them around a neighborhood in Oregon that the victim was residing in at the time.
Campos was arrested in Granite Bay and made his initial appearance in federal court Tuesday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Sacramento, California. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
If convicted, Campos faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for wire fraud, a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for stalking, and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in federal prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for aggravated identity theft.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Gregory R. Nyhus and Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bookkeeper Sentenced to More Than One Year in Prison for Tax Evasion and Disability Benefit FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former bookkeeper for an electrical contracting business has been sentenced for concealing income from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and stealing disability benefits.
David Tetreault, 55, of Attleboro, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Tetreault has also been ordered to pay $623,602 to the Internal Revenue Service, $159,816 to the Social Security Administration and $161,835 to the Employment Retirement System of Rhode Island in restitution. In October 20204, Tetreault pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion, one count of theft of government money and one count of wire fraud.
Tetreault worked as a bookkeeper for a Massachusetts-based electrical contractor between 2015 and 2021. During those years, Tetreault received wages in cash and used company funds to pay his personal credit card bills. Tetreault manipulated the company’s accounting records and bank statements to disguise these payments as business expenses. As a result of this conduct, Tetreault underreported his personal income by at least $2.1 million, causing a loss to the IRS of over $600,000.
In addition, Tetreault did not report his work for the electrical contractor or his income to the Social Security Administration and submitted false information about his employment and income to the Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSRI). As a result of this conduct, Tetreault collected over $320,000 in Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and ERSRI disability pension benefits to which he was not entitled between 2016 and 2024.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Armed Drug Dealer Receives 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Eric Harris, 38, of Wilmington, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Harris pled guilty to the charges on January 16, 2025.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, law enforcement received information that Harris had traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina to purchase methamphetamine that he planned to sell in Wilmington. Between August 20 and September 9, 2024, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office made controlled purchases from Harris of more than 3 ounces of methamphetamine and 10 grams of fentanyl at the Campus Edge Apartments in Wilmington. On September 9, 2024, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office arrested Harris following the last controlled purchase and then searched Harris’ Campus Edge apartment. Law enforcement found an additional two ounces of methamphetamine, nineteen grams of fentanyl, and a loaded firearm in the apartment.
This is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo 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. 7:24-cr-00092.
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April Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the April Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Jose Alvizo-Ramirez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Alvizo-Ramirez, 38, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2022. He is further charged with knowingly failing to register as a sex offender from January 6, 2025, to on or about March 26, 2025. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dill is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-143
Richard Glenn Bexfield. Drug Conspiracy; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Destruction and Removal of Property to Prevent Seizure; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Bexfield, 32, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 2025 through Apr. 2025. He knowingly destroyed and disposed of property in an effort to prevent law enforcement from seizing the property. Further, Bexfield is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-136
Cesar Castorena-Dondiego. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Castorena-Dondiego, 44, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Sep. 2018. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Heign is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-145
Clint Allen Hubble. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Hubble, 46, of Afton, is charged with attempting to persuade and entice a minor child to engage in sexually explicit activity. The Homeland Security Investigations and the Owasso Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Brandon is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-146
Wilber Martinez-Bonilla. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Martinez-Bonilla, 39, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2014. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case.
25-CR-147Paul Eugene McClain. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. McClain, 56, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of several felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-148
Aaron Wilkie Murphy; Hong Thoa Thi Nguyen; Joshua Clay Murphy; Toymeka Louise Shackleford. Continuing Criminal Enterprise (Count 1); Drug Conspiracy (Count 2); Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute (Count 3); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 4); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 5 & 6); International Travel to Promote, Manage, Establish, Carry On, and Facilitate Drug Conspiracy (Count 7) (superseding). Aaron Murphy, 51, of Broken Arrow, is charged with organizing, leading, and profiting from the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. He knowingly conspired with several others to possess and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, while maintaining a residence for the purpose of drug distribution, and traveled to Mexico to manage and further promote his enterprise drug conspiracy. Nguyen, 45, of Tulsa, Joshua Murphy, 47, of Milfay, Shackleford, 49, of Tulsa, are charged with conspiring to possess and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl from Mar. 2022 through Feb. 2025. Nguyen is additionally charged with maintaining a residence for the purpose of narcotics distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the U.S. Marshal Service Tulsa Field Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are investigating the case. The DEA Mexico City Country Office, along with the Hermosillo Mexico Resident Office, the U.S. Marshal Service Mexico City Field Office, Mexican Marines, and the Mexico Federal Police, assisted in the arrest and return of Aaron Murphy and Nguyen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-199
Roberto Perez-Cruz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Perez-Cruz, 21, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Oct. 2021. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-149
Carlos Alberto Vazquez Parra. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Vazquez Parra, 33, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing more than 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-150
Albuquerque Man Sentenced in Federal Firearms Case Adopted from Second Judicial District Attorney’s OfficeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A previously convicted felon has been sentenced to 84 months in prison after violently assaulting his pregnant partner and threatening her with a loaded rifle during a domestic incident.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on August 13, 2023, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a violent domestic assault at a residence in the South Valley. The victim, who was six months pregnant, reported that Marlando Luis Martinez, 36, had physically assaulted her throughout the night, including punching her, striking her with a whip, choking her multiple times to near unconsciousness, and threatening her with an AR-15 rifle, which he discharged near her face. Deputies observed visible injuries on the victim, including welts, bruising, and a cut lip.
The victim recounted to responding officers that Martinez threatened to kill her and her unborn child if she contacted law enforcement. After Martinez fell asleep, the victim escaped and sought help from a neighbor. Deputies transported her to safety and documented her injuries. A subsequent search of the residence uncovered multiple firearms, ammunition, and evidence corroborating the victim’s account, including a rifle with a round in the chamber and a bullet hole in the headboard.
The loaded rifle, ammunition and extended magazine Second rifle, ammunition and extended magazineMartinez was apprehended later that day with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force. He was arrested without incident and federally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, having previously been convicted of aggravated battery against a household member.
Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Haynes is prosecuting this case as part of an agreement with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Through the agreement, Assistant District Attorneys are designated Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs) in the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA from the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office screens felony criminal complaints filed in Bernalillo County for federal criminal offenses, prioritizing federal charges against those who drive violence in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Since 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office has reviewed almost 3,000 cases and has charged more than 300 criminal cases pursuant to this program.
The United States Attorney’s Office has similar agreements with the New Mexico Department of Justice and the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office and plans to expand the program throughout the state.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston Encourages West Virginians to Participate in DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 26, 2025Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is encouraging West Virginians to dispose of old, unwanted and unneeded medications during the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Properly disposing of unneeded prescription drugs can save lives and prevent medication misuse and abuse,” Johnston said. “Every household that participates in Drug Take Back Day makes themselves and their community safer from potential harm and tragedy.”
Take Back Day offers a free, safe and anonymous way to get rid of prescription drugs that are susceptible to diversion and abuse. More than 60 collection sites throughout the Southern District of West Virginia and elsewhere in the state have already been announced. A collection site locator and other information is available at www.DEATakeBack.com.
Law enforcement and other collection site partners will accept tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, or illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container and the cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage.
April 26, 2025, is the 28th National Take Back Day since the DEA launched this initiative. In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed 9,600 tons of medication from circulation since its inception. The total includes 68.77 tons collected in West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Tuesday 22 April 2025
Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Chemical Weapon PrecursorsRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 21, 2025, United States District Judge Brett Ludwig accepted the guilty plea of James Morgan (formerly Karactus Blome) to one count of possession of chemical weapon precursors—chemicals that combine to create chlorine and chlorine gas—not intended for peaceful purposes, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 229(a).
According to court documents, on December 21, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at Morgan’s storage unit and found the precursor chemicals. Morgan had studied chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and had described himself as a weapon designer who did not need a conventional weapon. In a video, Morgan displayed the chemicals and said they were for making a lot of chlorine very quickly. In messages in 2022, he said that what he had was “scary,” and that the chemicals react to produce a lot of chlorine gas, which can be “effective if your enemy is not ready for it.” He sent links for purchasing the chemicals and discussed the amounts needed to make a lot of chlorine gas really fast. In messages in 2023, Morgan discussed a plan to defeat the government, if it came for his guns, by producing a large amount of chlorine that he claimed could be used against approximately twenty government agents. The FBI Laboratory determined that the chemicals Morgan possessed could produce a large amount of chlorine that could result in rapid, serious health effects, including death.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 1, 2025, before Judge Ludwig. Morgan faces up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release after any period of imprisonment.
The FBI, the Janesville Police Department, and the Whitewater Police Department investigated the case, which also resulted in Morgan’s conviction for possession of destructive devices in the Western District of Wisconsin.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Scully is prosecuting the case in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Duchemin prosecuted the case in the Western District of Wisconsin, and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section, assisted on both prosecutions.
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White Supremacist Receives Life Sentence in Federal Court for Kidnapping and MurderRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A California man was sentenced yesterday to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for Aiding and Abetting the Kidnapping and Murder of a Northwest Arkansas man. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in November of 2021, the defendant, Daniel Paul Blanks, age 46, and his co-defendant, Reginald Baker, age 37, drove to the Springdale apartment of a Northwest Arkansas resident. Per witnesses, the men, armed with a shotgun, forcefully entered the apartment, assaulted and beat the resident, and then dragged his unconscious body down the exterior staircase of the apartment complex and placed him in the back of Blanks’ truck bed. Blanks and Baker then transported the victim from Arkansas to the Mark Twain National Park, located in Barry County Missouri, where Blanks shot the victim numerous times. The victim’s body lay undiscovered for several days until a hunter located him in a heavily wooded logging road.
On November 29, 2021, both Blanks and Baker were charged in the Circuit Court of Washington County, with Capital Murder, Kidnapping, and Residential Burglary. On April 5, 2024, Baker pleaded guilty in Washington County Arkansas Circuit Court to Accomplice to Murder in the 1st Degree, Accomplice to Kidnapping, and Accomplice to Residential Burglary. He was sentenced to a total of 60 years imprisonment. On October 25, 2024, Blanks entered a guilty plea to Aiding and Abetting Kidnapping Resulting in Death, in federal court.
During the sentencing hearing, the Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks cited Blanks’ affiliation with white supremacist groups as an aggravating factor supporting the imposition of a life sentence.
This case involving Daniel Blanks was prosecuted in cooperation with the 4th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Springdale Police Department, Barry County Missouri Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Bentonville Police Department, and the Arkansas Office of Probation and Parole all investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
West Haven Man Who Made and Trafficked Narcotic Pills Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIS TAYLOR, 68, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 138 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for operating a drug trafficking ring involving fentanyl and methamphetamine pills disguised as legitimate prescription medication, as well as other controlled substances.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force targeting the manufacture and distribution of thousands of counterfeit oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall tablets containing methamphetamine, and the distribution of heroin and cocaine, in the New Haven area. The investigation revealed that Taylor coordinated the manufacture and distribution of the counterfeit narcotic pills. Taylor obtained drugs from others, including gang members, and sold them, or pressed them into pills at locations in New Haven, Branford, and Shelton, before selling them. Taylor also arranged counterfeit pill transactions between second and third parties, sometimes being supplied by a co-conspirator.
On October 20, 2022, Taylor was arrested on related state charges when, after having been directed by his girlfriend to clear drugs out of her home, he was stopped in a car and found in possession of more than three kilograms of various narcotics. A subsequent search of his residence revealed additional quantities of narcotics and drug paraphernalia.
The investigation also revealed that an individual overdosed and died at Taylor’s West Haven residence on May 7, 2022.
During the investigation, investigators seized from Taylor and his co-conspirators more than two kilograms of fentanyl, including thousands of counterfeit Oxycodone tablets; approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, including thousands of counterfeit Adderall pills; three kilograms of cocaine and other drugs; four pill-press machines; one industrial mixer; five firearms; and more than $200,000 in cash.
Fourteen individuals were charged as a result of this investigation.
Taylor has been detained since his federal arrest on March 28, 2023. On September 4, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 100 grams or more of heroin, and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
This matter has been investigated by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police, and the East Haven, West Haven, and Hamden Police Departments. The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Haven, Hamden, Manchester, Bristol, Fairfield, and Seymour Police Departments. The FBI Task Force includes participants from the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven, West Haven, and Wallingford Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr., Konstantin Lantsman, and Katherine Boyles through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney’s Office charges 11 new immigration cases, obtains 1 guilty pleaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio announced today charges pending against 11 new defendants for allegedly violating federal immigration laws and one new conviction. The defendants include a previously convicted sex offender, a man who allegedly opened fire near a local taco restaurant and a man who is alleged to be part of a transnational gang.
A criminal complaint was filed in Columbus on April 18 charging Abel Velasquez-Avecedo, 29, of Mexico, with illegally possessing a firearm as an illegal alien. On April 11, Velasquez-Avecedo and another individual allegedly had an argument at Taco Nice restaurant in Columbus. It is alleged that the defendant fired multiple shots from a vehicle while driving near the restaurant.
Local law enforcement authorities found Velasquez-Avecedo to be in possession of a pistol and 30 to 40 small baggies of suspected cocaine. The defendant has prior convictions including operating a vehicle while intoxicated and assault.
A federal grand jury indicted Adiel Hernandez-Orellana, 39, of El Salvador, with illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony. Hernandez-Orellana was previously convicted of sexual assault in Arkansas.
Milton Guevara-Cruz, 31, of El Salvador, was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly reentering the United States illegally after deportation. Charging documents filed against Guevara-Cruz detail that he is a member of the violent 18th Street transnational gang from El Salvador. It is alleged that he is a member of the gang’s Tyni Locos Surenos clique and has been arrested in El Salvador three times for related criminal activity.
A federal grand jury also indicted Sergio Diego-Sevilla, 35, of Mexico, for illegally reentering the United States.
Diego-Sevilla was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by Adalberto Calixto-Tolentino, 21, who pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus last week to two counts of transporting illegal aliens. Calixto-Tolentino admitted to being paid cash to pick up illegal aliens near the Mexico border in Arizona and transport them throughout the United States.
Juan Jacobo Ortega-Guevara, 36, also allegedly transported illegal aliens. He was charged yesterday by criminal complaint. Ortega-Guevara was stopped by law enforcement while in a vehicle in Guernsey County with six other individuals. The defendant had $3,000 in cash on him and is alleged to have transported illegal aliens from the southwest toward the midatlantic for pay.
Six other defendants were charged by criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after deportation. They include Carlos Garcia Carillo, 47, of Mexico; Saul Lopez-Rojas, 39, of Mexico; Gelacio Macias-Olivares, 42, of Mexico; Anselmo Munguia Martinez, 36, of Mexico; Zenaido Neri Perez, 31, of Mexico and Jose Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 28, of Mexico.
Illegally reentering the United States is a federal crime punishable by up to two years in prison. If the offender has a prior felony conviction (or multiple prior misdemeanor convictions of certain types), the penalty is increased to 10 years in prison, and if the offender has been previously convicted of an aggravated felony, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Transporting illegal aliens is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Possessing a firearm as an illegal alien is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Robert Lynch, Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; announced the charges. Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler J. Aagard, Elizabeth Geraghty, Peter K. Glenn Applegate, Ryan A. Keefe, Noah R. Litton, Ebunoluwa Taiwo and David J. Twombly are representing the United States in these cases.
Charging documents merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
These cases were investigated and prosecuted by the Southern District of Ohio Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Two Foreign Nationals with Prior Convictions Charged for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Mexican and Salvadorian nationals unlawfully residing in Las Vegas made their initial court appearances Monday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Heraldo Neftali Gomez-Jacobo, 54, and Ismael Perez-Reyes, 38, are both charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. Preliminary hearings for both defendants are scheduled for May 5, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaints and statements made during court proceedings, Gomez-Jacobo, a citizen and national of El Salvador, and Perez-Reyes, a citizen and national of Mexico, were both previously deported and removed from the United States and reentered the United States illegally.
On April 5, 2025, Gomez-Jacobo was remanded to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), from the Clark County Detention Center, based on an ICE detainer after he had been arrested on a bench warrant. Gomez-Jacobo had previously been deported on or about October 15, 2003, after being convicted of four counts of Attempt Lewdness with A Child Under the Age of 14.
On March 31, 2025, Perez-Reyes was remanded to the custody of ICE, from the Clark County Detention Center, based on an ICE detainer after he been arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Allow Child Abuse/Neglect, by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police. Perez-Reyes had previously been deported to Mexico on December 7, 2022, and November 8, 2023. Perez-Reyes has two prior felony convictions: one for Possession or Use of a Controlled Substance in a Correctional Facility, and another for Illegal Reentry After Deportation. Perez-Reyes also has an active warrant out of Utah for violating the terms his probation by returning to the U.S illegally.
If convicted, Gomez-Jacobo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
If convicted, Perez-Reyes faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Texas Man Sentenced to 11 Years’ Imprisonment After Traveling to Utah to Sexually Abuse a 12-Year-OldRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Carl William Wyckoff, 25, of New Boston, Texas, was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release, after he traveled to Utah and sexually abused a 12-year-old victim.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Robert J. Shelby, comes after Wyckoff pleaded guilty in November 2024 to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
According to court documents and statements made at Wyckoff’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Wyckoff began exchanging messages with a 12-year-old girl he met playing an online game. The messages between Wyckoff and the victim became sexual, and images were exchanged. Initially, Wyckoff believed the child was an adult, but after she disclosed her true age, Wyckoff continued exchanging sexual messages and images. Wyckoff admitted that between April 13, 2024, and April 15, 2024, he then traveled from Texas to Arizona and then transported the 12-year-old victim to Utah to engage in sexual activity with her.
Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Chris Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Teen’s Murder in September 2019 Results in Guilty VerdictRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bernard Eddy, 24, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury, earlier today, of second-degree murder while armed and related weapons offenses for the September 2019 shooting of 16-year-old Steffen Brathwaite, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict was returned following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for June 20, 2025. Eddy faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for the murder conviction.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 12:12 a.m., on September 10, 2019, in the 3000 block of 24th Place, S.E., Eddy approached Steffen as Steffen was walking alone through the neighborhood, on his way to a friend’s house. Eddy, who was armed with a 9 mm handgun, proceeded to fire multiple gunshots at Steffen. Steffen fell to the ground and the defendant fled on foot. Steffen was declared deceased several hours later.
The evidence against the defendant included a 15-second audio-video recording found on the defendant’s cell phone, which was recovered eight days after the murder. In the recording, which was made about three hours after the shooting, Eddy is shown celebrating Steffen’s murder.
Eddy was arrested on January 6, 2023, and has been held without bail since then.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Liebman and Mark Levy.
Statement of United States Attorney Jay ClaytonRead the Press Release
I am honored to serve as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, alongside the women and men of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, an institution synonymous with excellence and integrity. I would like to thank President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for this remarkable opportunity. Along with the talented prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, I look forward to protecting public safety, combatting fraud, particularly on the elderly and most vulnerable, ensuring the integrity of our financial system, and defending our national security. Finally, I want to thank Acting United States Attorney Matthew Podolsky for his leadership and service.
St. Louis Rapper Admits Possessing Fentanyl, GunRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis, Missouri rapper on Tuesday pleaded guilty to drug and gun charges.
Antonio Harris, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession a firearm as a convicted felon. Harris, who performs as “LA4ss,” admitted being caught by police with fentanyl and a firearm.
On Feb. 16, 2022, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers tried to make a traffic stop on North Broadway in the Baden neighborhood, but Harris sped off in a Toyota Corolla. Officers used spike strips, but Harris continued at a high rate of speed north on Riverview Drive. He passed vehicles on the shoulder and swerved into oncoming traffic before colliding with a retaining wall while attempting to turn into Spring Garden Drive.
Harris got out and ran, leaving a loaded Glock 9mm pistol in the car, he admitted as part of his plea agreement. While running, he dropped a bag containing 394 capsules of fentanyl and plastic baggies containing more fentanyl, for a total weight of nearly 40 grams of the drug. Harris is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm.
Harris is scheduled to be sentenced in August. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by at least five years in prison. The felon in possession charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
St. Louis Man Admits Bank Robbery and Attempted Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man admitted robbing a St. Louis bank in 2024 and trying to rob the same bank three months later.
Isaac Perry, 39, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery. He admitted entering a bank on Loughborough Avenue in south St. Louis on June 25, 2024, and handing a note to a bank employee. The note read, “I nee[d] you to hand over 10,000 in cash if not it aint gone end good please.” Perry drew a red heart around the word “please.” He left the bank with about $340.
On Oct. 3, 2024, Perry returned, and again handed a note to a bank employee. The note said, “This is a stick up I need you to give me 6,000 dollars in all hundreds in make it quick.” The note had another heart. The bank employee told Perry that she had activated an alarm and police were on the way. Perry fled the bank but was identified in photos of the robbery that were released to the public.
Perry is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole Frankenberg is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Sex Offender from Uxbridge Charged with Possessing Child Pornography While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Uxbridge man has been charged in federal court in Worcester for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while on federal supervised release for a prior CSAM conviction.
Scott Morrill, 52, was charged with possession of child pornography. Morrill was arrested on April 7, 2025 and remains detained in federal custody following a detention hearing that was held on April 17, 2025.
According to the charging documents, during a search of his residence, Miller’s laptop was allegedly found to contain images and videos depicting CSAM. At the time of the alleged offense, Morrill was on federal supervised release for a 2013 conviction of distribution of child pornography, for which he was sentenced to five years in federal prison.The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and the Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Uxbridge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
San Fernando Valley Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining at Least $1.8 Million Through Mail and ID TheftRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced today to 61 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining at least $1.8 million by stealing Beverly Hills residents’ identities – often by stealing mail and packages from their homes – then using that information to open fraudulent bank accounts to which he unlawfully transferred money from the bank accounts of the victims, of which included elderly people.
Oren David Sela, 36, of North Hills, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee, who also ordered him to pay $1,818,369 in restitution.
Sela pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Sela has been in federal custody since October 2023.
From November 2021 to October 2023, Sela stole mail to obtain debit cards, bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, and other personal identifiable information (PII) belonging to victims, especially victims living in and around Beverly Hills. He then used the victims’ PII to gain access to their online bank and financial accounts, at times SIM-swapping – a type of identity theft where a fraudster illegally obtains a victim’s phone number by transferring it to a new Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card – or porting the victims’ phone numbers to gain temporary control over those numbers to defeat two-factor authentication security protocols in place on their accounts.
Sela then opened additional fraudulent accounts in the victims’ names to transfer funds into intermediary accounts he controlled and withdrew money from those accounts or used them to make purchases or transfers. He also caused debit or credit cards linked to victim accounts to be issued to him, so he could spend directly from those cards.
Sela engaged in hundreds of fraudulent withdrawals and transfers from dozens of victim accounts, attempting to steal at least approximately $2,590,836, and stealing at least approximately $1,818,369.
He defrauded numerous banks and at least 62 individual victims, including various elderly victims. Sela often used victim funds to purchase expensive goods for himself, including, for example, a nearly $17,000 watch.
In 2022, Sela was arrested in Beverly Hills and found with nearly $25,000 in cash, various expensive items of jewelry, and numerous fraudulent debit and credit cards belonging to four elderly victims.
After Sela’s 2022 arrest, he was released, and his conduct persisted. During two subsequent searches of Sela’s properties in 2022 and 2023, law enforcement identified more than $70,000 in cash, many items of expensive jewelry and similar such receipts, stolen mail, extensive PII, means of identification including driver’s licenses, and banking information including debit cards, credit cards, and checks, belonging to dozens of victims.
The United States Secret Service and the Beverly Hills Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Aaron B. Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Raleigh Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 23 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wake County man was sentenced today to more than 23 years (283 months) in prison on drug charges. Myquan Taquil Houston, aka “Dirty,” pled guilty on January 13, 2025, to the offenses of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a substance containing fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a substance containing fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Houston conspired with another person to sell fentanyl to a confidential informant on five occasions in Raleigh. Law enforcement searched Houston’s house in Knightdale, North Carolina on July 26, 2023. The search revealed 502.29 grams of cocaine, 41.54 grams of cocaine base (crack), 134.46 grams of fentanyl and ANPP, 26.6 grams of Oxycodone, digital scales, a loaded .45 caliber handgun, two cellphones, and $7,970 in U.S. currency. The investigation determined that Houston sold approximately $1,400 of fentanyl every other week for at least a year prior to his arrest, making him responsible for 1,590.46 grams of fentanyl and 635.1 grams of cocaine.
Houston has prior convictions for felony breaking and entering and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and a quantity of cocaine base (crack), distribution of a quantity of cocaine, and aiding and abetting. Houston was on federal supervised release in the Eastern District of North Carolina at the time of these offenses.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aria Q. Merle 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. 5:24-CR-00238.
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Pittsburgh Man Admits to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Queshawn Keand Williams, age 20, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has admitted to the distribution of p-Fluorofentanyl and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams, also known as “TJ,” was selling fentanyl in Harrison County.
Williams is facing up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Northern District of Ohio U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Multiple Defendants with Immigration ViolationsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have returned indictments for the following individuals on charges of immigration-related law violations. These are separate cases and are not related.
Hector Linares, 47, a citizen of El Salvador, has been indicted on three counts. He has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition, and for being an alien in possession of a firearm, for possessing a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol and ammunition. In 2010, he was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine. Linares was also charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Nov. 24, 2023. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the United States Marshals Service.
Edil A. Martinez-Padilla, 38, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States twice with the last being April 24, 2013. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Carlos Daniel Romero-Esborar, 39, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being April 27, 2012. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the USAO’s criminal division are prosecuting the cases above.
Additionally, Juan Tiul Xi, 26, a citizen of Guatemala unlawfully residing in Cleveland, has been indicted for allegedly submitting a sponsorship application with false statements to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Tiul Xi encouraged and induced a 14-year-old female unaccompanied minor from Guatemala to illegally enter the United States. It is alleged that he used his sister’s identity for the girl to provide as an alias which he included on paperwork in an effort to obtain custody of her. This indictment is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The ICE HSI and FBI Cleveland Division are jointly investigating with assistance from HSI’s attaché team in Guatemala. Senior Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), Joint Task Force Alpha detailee/Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik and Criminal Division Chief Michael L. Collyer for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Multiple-time felon pleads guilty to illegally reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Salvadoran national pled guilty today to illegally reentering the United States after felony convictions.
According to court documents, Carlos Azucar-Menjivar, 27, entered the country illegally and committed an attempted felony armed robbery in Chesterfield County. In January 2015, Azucar-Menjivar was sentenced to 10 years in prison (with seven years and six months suspended) for that attempted armed robbery. After his release from state prison, Azucar-Menjivar was convicted in federal court of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In June 2019, Azucar-Menjivar was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for the firearm offense. Azucar-Menjivar was removed from the United States in September 2022 after completing his sentence.
Azucar-Menjivar then again illegally reentered the United States and was found in Virginia in 2024.
Azucar-Menjivar is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 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, and Russell Hott, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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. 3:25-cr-4.
Missouri Man Sentenced 21 Years in Prison for Recording Minor Victim in BathroomRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday sentenced a man whose trial for recording a girl in the bathroom revealed allegations that he had sexually abused at least three other children to 21 years in prison.
Rayford Evans, 52, of Doniphan, in Ripley County, was convicted of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor after a one-day bench trial in January. Evidence and testimony showed that Evans used his cell phone to record a 15-year-old girl while she was bathing and using the bathroom by holding it up to a window above the bathroom door. The victim saw the phone and told a friend, the friend’s father and then her own father, who contacted the Doniphan City Police Department. An officer found three videos of the girl that Evans tried to delete.
During Evans trial, another victim testified about her sexual abuse at the hands of Evans, and there was testimony that Evans had recorded videos of a different girl. Three others testified at Evans’ sentencing hearing Tuesday about his sexual abuse of them.
“Evans has sexually exploited children for decades,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter wrote in a sentencing memo, and “used bribery in the form of electronics, toys, and candy to violate the trust of innocent children to sexually abuse them.”
One victim described Evans in a letter as a predator who has “hunted children, for his depraved sexual appetite, for at least 26 years.”
Evans has disputed the allegations involving other victims.
The FBI and the Doniphan City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Michigan Woman Sentenced to 30 years for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Detroit, Michigan, woman, Chanel Lashae Logan, 25, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves to 360 months in prison, for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to her court records, between March 1, 2024 and June 6, 2024, Logan conspired with co-defendant Saruba Asante Smith to distribute substantial quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Lexington, Kentucky area. In her plea agreement, Logan admitted to selling methamphetamine and fentanyl to an undercover operative on April 23, 2024, followed by an additional larger quantity of methamphetamine to the same undercover operative on May 30, 2024. Both transactions occurred in Lexington. Shortly thereafter, Logan agreed with the undercover operative to sell 10 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 ounces of fentanyl, which she intended to obtain in Detroit. On June 6, 2024, in Shelby County, Kentucky, law enforcement stopped Logan and Smith in Logan’s vehicle as it traveled back from Detroit. Law enforcement located 6.8 kilograms of methamphetamine in the car, along with 76 grams of fentanyl. A search warrant executed at Logan’s and Smith’s Lexington apartment that same day led to the seizure of an additional 4.3 kilograms of methamphetamine and 892 grams of fentanyl.
Logan’s co-defendant, Saruba Smith, was previously sentenced to 92 months in prison.
Under federal law, Logan must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, she will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; and Sheriff David Charles, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, Lexington Police Department, and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Mexican National Admits to Reentry ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Apolinar Armando Lopez-Gutierrez, age 38, of Mexico, has admitted to reentry of a removed alien.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a stabbing investigation in Tennessee led officials to Lopez-Gutierrez, who was believed to be friends with the stabbing suspect. Lopez-Gutierrez was found living and working in Sutton, West Virginia. He was previously removed from the United States in April of 2024.
Lopez-Gutierrez is facing up to two years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service investigated.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Massachusetts Man Indicted for Illegally Possessing Ammunition and ExplosivesRead the Press Release
BOSTON –A Hadley, Mass. man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield for allegedly possessing ammunition and explosives after being convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.
Jacob D. Miller, 43, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition and one count of being a felon in possession of explosive materials. Miller was arrested on April 9, 2025 on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition. He remains in federal custody as the Court has taken the matter of pretrial detention under advisement.
On April 8, 2025, following the execution of a search warrant at Miller’s Hadley residence, a box of approximately 50 rounds of Federal brand, American Eagle .45 auto, 230 grain ammunition were found in a bedside table, in addition to six firearms found in a hallway safe. Additionally, explosive materials, hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials, including plutonium, were found in Miller’s home.
According to evidence presented at a subsequent detention hearing, Miller has exhibited a long-standing and unlawful obsession with explosives, dangerous chemicals and radioactive substances dating back to at least 2002. That year, during a search of Miller’s prior residence, blasting caps, bomb-making instructions, military equipment including an apparent rocket launcher, a homemade pipe bomb and a video depicting the Miller igniting several improvised explosive devices, including one that he referred to as a “hand grenade,” were recovered. Miller was later convicted in state court of possessing those devices.
According to court records, while still on probation in 2014, the Massachusetts Radiation Control Program issued a cease-and-desist letter to Miller after discovering he was selling depleted uranium on eBay. Despite Miller’s claims that he had ceased such activity, he allegedly launched his own online business called “Collect the Periodic Table” in 2017, through which he marketed and sold radioactive materials, including Plutonium-239 allegedly derived from Cold War-era Soviet smoke detectors. It is further alleged that between June and October 2023, Miller conducted at least five PayPal transactions for the sale of plutonium. Additional records of plutonium sales were allegedly recovered from his residence during the 2025 search.
In 2023, Miller allegedly directed an associate to purchase five pounds of hazardous black powder and have it shipped to his residence in Hadley. Witnesses allegedly reported that Miller used the powder to ignite a fireball and detonate a dishwasher in his backyard during gatherings at his residence. During the April 2025 search, remnants of the shipment, including multiple bottles of explosive powder, one of which had been opened, were found.
According to court records, authorities cataloged and secured numerous other potentially hazardous substances found at Miller’s residence – including fuels, alkali metals, oxidizers, acids and toxic elements such as arsenic. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) warned that these substances posed a serious risk to occupants, first responders and the public in the event of a fire, accident, or natural disaster. The Court has since ordered that MassDEP conduct a comprehensive safety evaluation and oversee the removal of hazardous materials from the residence.
According to the charging documents, on Feb. 9, 2004, Miller was convicted in two of in Hampshire Superior Court of one count of possession of child pornography and sentenced to seven years of probation. Miller was also convicted in a separate case in Hampshire Superior Court of two counts of possession of an explosive device and sentenced to two and one-half years in jail and 10 years of probation. As a result of those convictions, Miller is prohibited under federal law from possessing ammunition, firearms and explosives.
The charges of being a felon in possession of ammunition and explosives each provide for a sentence of 15 years in prison, three years 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 James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Hadley Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office 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.
Maryland Man Admits to Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Donaven Eugene Simms, age 22, of Hagerstown, Maryland, has admitted to his role in a firearms trafficking operation in Berkeley County, West Virginia.
Simms pled guilty to aiding and abetting a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. According to court documents, Simms worked with other defendants to purchase firearms in Martinsburg to provide to individuals in states outside of West Virginia.
Simms is facing up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Find a related release here: www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/maryland-men-admit-roles-firearms-trafficking-operation
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing a Credit Union in Manchester while on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man and former resident of New York pleaded guilty in federal court to bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Jesse Hippolite, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. U.S. District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for August 4, 2025.
According to the charging documents, Hippolite was previously convicted of several counts of bank robbery in federal court in the Eastern District of New York. After his release from federal prison, he was placed on supervised release and moved to New Hampshire. On February 4, 2025, he robbed a credit union in Manchester. He was wearing a gray beanie cap, scarf, sunglasses, and gloves to conceal his identity. He passed a note to three tellers reading:
$100,000
ALL $100 Bills
*No Dye Packs
Give Back Note
Hippolite stole $3,139 from the bank. A few minutes after leaving the bank, Hippolite took off the scarf that covered his face and was caught on surveillance footage.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain, whichever is greater. 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.
Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. The U.S. Probation Office provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
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Manchester Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with Operating a Counterfeit Pill Press SchemeRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man pleaded guilty today in federal court in connection with manufacturing and trafficking counterfeit pharmaceutical pills, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Jerry Summers, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of manufacturing controlled substances, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, two counts of distributing controlled substances, and two counts of trafficking in a drug and knowingly using a counterfeit mark on or in connection with such drug. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2025.
According to the charging documents, on July 1, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant of Summer’s Manchester office, rented under the name of “Summertime Drywall and Maintenance LLC.” During the search, law enforcement located a pill press that was covered in powdered residue and wrapped in soundproofing material, and large amounts of colored tablets. Drug testing revealed the presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the various pills as well as in the residue found on and around the pill press.
On two prior occasions, Summers sold pills to a confidential informant. On March 21, 2024, Summers sold a quantity of blue pills that were marked as being OxyContin but later tested positive for fentanyl. On April 10, 2024, Summer sold a quantity of blue pills that were marked as being OxyContin but later tested positive for fentanyl as well as a quantity of orange pills that were marked as being Adderall but later tested positive for methamphetamine.
On the manufacturing and possession with intent to distribute charges the charging statutes provide a sentence of up to life in prison, a term of supervised release of at least five years, and a fine of up to $10,000,000. On the distribution charges the charging statute provides a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least four years, and a fine of up to $5,000,000. On the charge of trafficking in a drug and knowingly using a counterfeit mark on or in connection with such drug, the charging statute provides a sentence of up to 20 years, a term of supervised release of not more than three years and a fine of up to $5,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S Attorney Geoffrey Ward is prosecuting the case.
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Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Three Carjackings in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has pleaded guilty in federal court to carjacking three vehicles at gunpoint in Chicago and shooting one of the victims.
JAMARI EDWARDS admitted in a plea agreement that he carjacked the vehicles in August 2022 in the West Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. The first carjacking occurred in the drive-thru area of a coffee shop, while the other two occurred outside of a convenience store at a gas station. In each of the carjackings, Edwards pointed a gun at the driver and demanded the keys to the car. In the coffee shop carjacking, Edwards shot the driver in the leg after the driver had already given Edwards the key and exited the vehicle. Before shooting the driver, Edwards asked him words to the effect of, “Why are you not scared?”
Edwards, 22, of Chicago, pleaded guilty on Thursday to federal carjacking and firearm charges. The convictions are punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 17 years in federal prison and a maximum of life. U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins set sentencing for Aug. 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.
The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Steindorf.
edwards_plea_agreement.pdfLouisiana Bounty Hunter Sentenced for Missouri KidnappingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a bounty hunter from Louisiana to the three years he’s spent behind bars for removing a woman from a St. Peters, Missouri home and taking her across state lines against her will.
Wayne D. Lozier Jr., 46, of the New Orleans area, has been in custody since March 31, 2022.
Lozier was originally convicted by a jury in 2023 of one count of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Lozier’s conviction was overturned by the 8th U.S. Court of Appeals because of an issue with a jury instruction. Lozier then pleaded guilty in March, prior to a re-trial, to the same charges. He admitted entering a private residence without first notifying local law enforcement, transporting the victim without her consent and refusing the instructions of a St. Peters Police Department officer to either return the victim or transport her to the nearest law enforcement agency. He also admitted that neither he nor his partner, Jody L. Sullivan, were licensed by the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance to operate as surety recovery agents within Missouri.
Lozier and Sullivan had driven from Louisiana to where the victim was staying at the home of a friend in St. Peters, Missouri. They were attempting to return with the victim to St. Tammany Parish, where she had an arrest warrant for four misdemeanor offenses.
On May 9, 2019, Lozier handcuffed the victim and he and Sullivan took her away in their SUV. The homeowner contacted police. St. Peters Police Officer Jeffrey Atkins told Lozier on the phone that he was breaking the law and needed to return the victim, but Lozier refused to do so.
When the victim sought help from clerks at a gas station in Sullivan, Missouri, Lozier shocked the victim multiple times with a Taser and pulled her hair. He and Sullivan then dragged the victim out of the store by the chain that connected her handcuffs and leg. Lozier continued to refuse Officer Atkins’ instructions to return the victim to Missouri. But he did not bring her to Louisiana, instead dropping her off at a detention facility in Mississippi.
Sullivan, 57, of the New Orleans area, pleaded guilty Sept. 18, 2023, to the conspiracy and kidnapping charges and admitted unlawfully seizing the woman and transporting her across state lines. She was sentenced to five years of probation.
The FBI and the St. Peters Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Martin and Donald Boyce prosecuted the case.
Longmeadow Man Pleads Guilty to $19 Million Loan Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Longmeadow man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield, Mass., to a scheme to defraud commercial lenders by providing false and fraudulent rent rolls and forged lease agreements for properties located in Springfield, Mass.; East Longmeadow, Mass.; and Enfield, Conn.
Louis R. Masaschi, 59 pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to committed wire fraud; two counts of wire fraud; and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for July 23, 2025. In April 2023, Masaschi was indicted by a federal grand jury along with his wife and alleged co-conspirator Jeanette Norman.
According to court documents, Masaschi and Norman were partners in dozens of limited liability companies, including LL Realty Developers, LLC, through which they owned primarily commercial and some residential property in Western Massachusetts, Connecticut and elsewhere. Masaschi, and allegedly Norman, conspired with each other and others to fraudulently obtain loans for their companies from financial institutions and commercial lenders by providing materially false, fictitious and fraudulent financial information – including false rent rolls and forged lease agreements. After receiving the loans Masaschi, and allegedly Norman, made some or no payments and ultimately defaulted on the loans, causing substantial losses to the financial institutions and commercial lenders.
According to Masaschi’s plea agreement, between May 2016 and November 2018, Masaschi fraudulently obtained or sought to obtain approximately $60,123,000 in loans and caused a total loss of $19,305,473.
Jeanette Norman has pleaded not guilty and is pending trial in October 2025.
The charge of conspiracy to committed wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. 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 James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Licking County man sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for possessing child pornography, making notices with plans to sexually abuse young boysRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – David Hamilton, 27, of Heath, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 293 months in prison for child pornography related crimes.
According to court documents, Hamilton and a co-defendant communicated extensively and graphically about their intent to sexually abuse young boys, including boys to whom they could gain access. Their messages on the Telegram app discussed Hamilton’s plans to babysit an approximately 6-year-old boy and then drug him with an anti-depressant and sexually abuse him. Hamilton and his co-defendant also discussed starting a family of all boys whom they could sexually abuse together.
When law enforcement officers executed search warrants at Hamilton’s home, they discovered a bag belonging to Hamilton containing two types of anti-depressants, children’s overnight diapers in a variety of sizes, lubricating jelly, condoms and stuffed animals.
Court documents also detail that the FBI received an additional report from another minor male about Hamilton’s online exploitation activities. Law enforcement learned that Hamilton requested the minor produce images of child pornography for him. Hamilton gave the minor male his username and password to various platforms to upload the created content there, threatening the minor male if he did not comply. The minor male confirmed Hamilton was in online groups that raped, hurt, drugged and killed minors.
On his electronic devices, Hamilton possessed thousands of videos and images of child sexual abuse, including exploitation material involving babies, toddlers and children.
Hamilton pleaded guilty in August 2024 to making a notice for child pornography and possessing child pornography.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp announced the sentence imposed on April 21 by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski and Tyler Aagard are representing the United States in this case.
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Lawton-Area Trio Sentenced to Serve More Than 12 Years Collectively in Federal Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Defendants Ordered to Pay Nearly $2.7 Million in Restitution Collectively
OKLAHOMA CITY – JIMMIE MATHEWS, 41, NATHAN MATHEWS, 42, and AMBER DELGER, 55, all of the Lawton area, have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to commit health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
The defendants were each charged in May 2024, with Delger being charged by Information with conspiring to commit health care fraud, and both Jimmie and Nathan charged by a 16-count federal grand jury Indictment with conspiring to commit health care fraud and fifteen counts of health care fraud. Beginning in 2016, Nathan owned Emerald Lane Therapy Services (Emerald Lane) in Lawton, a massage therapy provider. Delger was a subsequent co-owner of the company. Nathan and Jimmie also owned a separate massage therapy provider, Stars & Stripes Therapy (Stars & Stripes), which opened its doors in Lawton in January 2020. Both businesses purportedly treated TRICARE beneficiaries, submitted claims to the Defense Health Agency (DHA), and received payments from DHA for those services.
According to public record, beginning in January 2018, the defendants conspired together to submit false and fraudulent claims to TRICARE for services that were never rendered. Court documents allege that after TRICARE beneficiaries visited either of the businesses, the defendants would schedule multiple appointments for the beneficiaries many months in advance. If the beneficiary couldn’t make the appointments, or stopped coming altogether, the defendants would nonetheless continue to bill TRICARE as if the beneficiaries had received care. Additionally, Emerald Lane billed TRICARE using the National Provider Identity (NPI) number of an occupational therapist long after the therapist had stopped working for the business. In total, Emerald Lane and Stars & Stripes billed more than $7 million to TRICARE and received nearly $3 million in reimbursement.
In October 2024, Jimmie and Nathan pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit health care fraud. Previously, on June 17, 2024, Delger pleaded guilty to the same.
“Through their fraudulent conduct, these defendants exploited programs intended to provide critical benefits to our nation’s military, veterans, and their families” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Through vigorous investigation and prosecution, we will continue to protect taxpayer funded institutions and ensure that TRICARE dollars are protected and properly allocated to help those who serve.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to ensuring TRICARE, the U.S. Military healthcare program, is not subjected to fraudulent schemes that expose beneficiaries to harm and waste valuable tax dollars,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, DCIS Southwest Field Office. “These sentencings demonstrate our tireless pursuit to investigate individuals that seek to enrich themselves at the expense of this valuable program.”
Last week, U.S. District Judge Jodi W. Dishman sentenced both Nathan and Jimmie. Nathan was sentenced to serve 87 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,410,255.66 in restitution. Jimmie was sentenced to serve 42 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $632,026.43 in restitution. Delger was previously sentenced on January 31, 2025, to serve 26 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $653,269.00. In announcing the sentences, Judge Dishman described the fraud scheme as egregious and far reaching in its scope, duration, and impact. Judge Dishman further noted that the public needs to know that health care fraud is not acceptable, will not be tolerated, and will result in prosecution and punishment.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service of the United States Department of Defense. Assistant U.S. Attorney D.H. Dilbeck prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to over 18 Years in Prison for Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 18 years and 4 months in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release for sexually exploiting a child in his care, and possessing more than 2,000 files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting two children in his care and numerous other minors.
“The defendant engaged in a pattern of activity involving the sexual exploitation of a young girl within his supervisory control and possessed CSAM depicting two children in his custody,” said United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “The defendant not only traumatized the children who trusted him, but he also possessed child sexual abuse material of additional victims. Let today’s sentencing be a deterrent to others like this defendant.”
“Exploiting young children and creating child sexual abuse material is among the most heinous crimes investigated by the FBI,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to seek justice for the victims of such predators. Today's sentencing exemplifies the unwavering determination of the FBI and our partners to safeguard the most vulnerable members of our community.”
According to court documents, in December 2020, Daniel Lee Rhees messaged another Kik user that he sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl related to him. During the chats, Rhees stated that he formed a group of taboo parents and uses the Session platform as a place to chat and share CSAM. On December 16, 2020, investigators obtained a search warrant for Rhee’s residence and seized multiple devices belonging to him. During a forensic examination of the devices, investigators recovered CSAM of the six-year-old girl, and another four-year-old girl also related to Rhees. In total, Rhees possessed 1,803 images and 243 videos of child sexual abuse material.
Rhees pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. In addition to imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Rhees must register as a sex offender and keep the registration current.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.
The FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
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L.A. Pawn Shop Owner Indicted for Allegedly Conspiring to Sell Stolen Andy Warhol Trial Proof and Lying to the FBI About Its SaleRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The owner of a pawn shop in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles was indicted today for allegedly conspiring to sell a stolen Andy Warhol print trial proof, which was shipped from the Beverly Hills office of an auction house to Dallas, then lying about it to federal agents.
Glenn Steven Bednarsh, 58, of Farmington, Michigan and formerly of Beverly Hills, is charged in a two-count federal grand jury indictment with conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen goods.
He is expected to be arraigned in the coming weeks in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the indictment, in February 2021, Bednarsh knowingly purchased for $6,000 a stolen Warhol trial proof depicting Russian revolutionary and Soviet Union leader Vladimir Lenin, which is worth an estimated $175,000. Bednarsh allegedly asked a co-conspirator, Brian Alec Light, 58, of Hudson, Ohio, and formerly a resident of downtown Los Angeles, to help him sell the stolen Warhol Lenin trial proof. Light then contacted the Beverly Hills of an auction house based in Dallas about selling the Warhol trial proof.
In March 2021, Bednarsh transported the trial proof to the Beverly Hills office of the auction house, which then shipped it to Dallas. Light e-signed an auction house consignment agreement and called the auction house to state he had dropped off the trial proof and to ask about receiving a cash advance for it.
An employee of the auction house in Dallas reached out to the gallery in West Hollywood for its opinion of the piece, according to court documents. The gallery immediately recognized the piece as stolen, then notified the auction house and the FBI.
Later in March 2021, when FBI agents began inquiring about the stolen Warhol trial proof, Light lied to them by saying he bought it at a Culver City garage sale for $18,000 and provided a fake receipt.
In August and September of 2021, Bednarsh lied to FBI agents by telling them Light asked him to store the Warhol Lenin trial proof for him and that he agreed to do so out of friendship and not for financial gain.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Light pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. His sentencing is currently set for May 27, and he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The FBI’s Art Crime Team is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Erik M. Silber of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section and Matthew W. O’Brien of the Environmental Crime and Consumer Protection Section are prosecuting this case.
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Support of North Carolina Church in Land Use CaseRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a statement of interest Friday in support of a Christian Church in North Carolina alleging violations of federal law by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners.
The Civil Rights Division filed the statement in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina supporting a claim by a Christian church under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). The Church alleges the County unlawfully denied an application to rezone several parcels of land to allow the church to build a new place of worship.
“RLUIPA protects the rights of religious groups to exercise their faith free from the precise type of undue government interference exhibited here,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to defending religious liberties as our founders intended and as federal law requires.”
Summit Church-Homestead Heights Baptist Church worshipped at East Chapel Hill High School for several years but has grown and now needs additional space to meet the religious needs of its congregation. In its complaint, Summit Church claims that the denial of its rezoning applications by the Board treated the Church on less than equal terms to nonreligious assemblies and imposed an unjustified substantial burden on its religious exercise.
Summit Church filed a motion for preliminary injunction, seeking an order requiring the County to approve the church’s rezoning request and associated site plan. The County moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing the zoning decision is a “legislative act” under state law and is therefore not controlled by RLUIPA. The department’s statement of interest supports the church’s claim that RLUIPA protects against the County’s discriminatory zoning decision.
RLUIPA is a federal law that guards individuals and religious institutions from unduly burdensome, unequal, or discriminatory land use regulations. More information about RLUIPA and the department’s work can be found on the Place to Worship Initiative’s webpage.
As part of this initiative, the department distributed a letter to state, county, and municipal leaders throughout the country to remind them of their obligations under RLUIPA, including its requirement that land use regulations treat religious assemblies and institutions at least as well as nonreligious assemblies and institutions.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination in land use or zoning decisions may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section at (718) 254-7000 or the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (833) 591-0291 or may submit a complaint through the RLUIPA complaint portal. More information about RLUIPA, including questions and answers about the law and other documents, may be found at www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce/rluipaexplain.php.
Jacksonville Man Indicted for Wire Fraud, Identity Theft, and Lying to Obtain U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Oladapo Olalekan Fadugba (40, Jacksonville) with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making a false statement related to naturalization. If convicted on all counts, Fadugba faces a maximum penalty of 27 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Fadugba that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $400,000, which represents the approximate proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
According to the indictment, beginning on October 30, 2020, and ending no later than July 11, 2023, Fadugba had more than $690,000 of Department of Veterans Affairs funds, intended for reimbursement to a large local healthcare provider, transferred to his own personal bank accounts. Fadugba then wrote himself, or businesses associated with him, checks that were then transferred to other bank accounts owned by him. It is alleged that to procure the transfers, Fadugba used the identification of another individual.
The indictment further alleges that Fadugba, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Nigeria, made a false statement under oath during his naturalization proceeding. Fadugba allegedly falsely stated he had not committed any crime or offense for which he had not been arrested.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that the defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General, and Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the U.S. Treasury Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lasry.
Illegal alien sent to federal prison for assaulting law enforcementRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old Mexican national unlawfully residing in Laredo has been sentenced for assaulting and inflicting bodily harm on a Border Patrol (BP) agent, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Guillermo Osto-Navarrete pleaded guilty Feb. 4.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now ordered Osto-Navarrete to serve 24 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court noted it was a “miracle” that Osto-Navarette did not get someone seriously injured during the high-speed chase, further commenting about how he fought with law enforcement and later ran from the hospital while handcuffed. In imposing the sentence, Judge Saldaña said he needed to be deterred and should not be in the United States.
“Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect the citizens of our communities, and violence against them will earn the strongest possible response from the Southern District of Texas,” said Ganjei. “Additionally, the citizens of Laredo are fortunate that Osto-Navarrete did not kill or seriously injure any innocent bystanders or other drivers during his failed escape from law enforcement. He will now pay for the danger he put the police and community in.”
On Oct. 14, 2024, Osto-Navarrete picked up several illegal aliens after they exited and ran from the Rio Grande River. Law enforcement attempted to block his vehicle, but he evaded and sped through a residential area without headlights. After running multiple stop signs at an estimated 60 mph, he broadsided a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) unit, causing it to spin 180 degrees.
Nearby law enforcement quickly apprehended three individuals who had tried to flee.
A BP agent rushed to assist Osto-Navarrete and check for injuries. As he approached, Osto-Navarrete exited the vehicle and struck him. The agent wrapped his arms around Osto-Navarette to keep him from running away, but he struck the agent’s face and head several times in rapid succession while the agent was standing and after falling to the ground.
Osto-Navarette fled, but law enforcement quickly located him and took him into custody. After receiving treatment at a local hospital, he escaped again on foot, but authorities soon captured him again.
Osto-Navarrete admitted he was paid $50 for picking up and transporting the illegal aliens.
The agent sustained a black eye, bruising to his head and face, scratches to his chin, lacerations on his hands–including a deep cut to one finger–and a scraped knee. The DPS officer driving the unit Osto-Navarrete struck received medical attention for minor injuries.
Osto-Navarrete has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP, DPS and Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez 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.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeffry Gabriel Zamora-Pineda, age 33, a Honduran national unlawfully present in Seminole, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division.
The Indictment alleged that on March 19, 2025, Zamora-Pineda, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Zamora-Pineda will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States.
Hudson County Man Charged with Production, Distribution, and Possession of Child Pornography, and Coercion and EnticementRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey man was arrested for allegedly inducing multiple minors to send him sexually explicit videos and pictures over online platforms, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Julian Nova, 19, of Bayonne, New Jersey is charged by complaint with two counts of production of child pornography, two counts of coercion and enticement, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. Nova appeared on April 17, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In or around October and November 2023, Nova coerced multiple minor victims to produce child pornography, which he then distributed online. After gaining the victims’ trust, including by posing as a teenage girl, Nova enticed the victims to send child pornography of themselves. Nova then blackmailed the minor victims into producing additional child pornography, some of which included acts of self-degradation, by threatening to distribute the existing images and videos to the minor victims’ family and friends if they did not comply.
The charges of production of child pornography carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charges of coercion and enticement carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence Reilly for their assistance.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Kober of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Adam Braskich of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Carol Dominguez, Esq.
nova.complaint.pdfHigh-Ranking Sinaloa Cartel Member Arrested After Being Charged in Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Greensboro, NC – A Mexican national and high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel was arrested today in Nogales, Arizona after being indicted for allegedly helping lead a large drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy.
Emmanuel Martimiano Leon-Soto, age 42, of Naco, Mexico, is the last person arrested of 38 total individuals charged in November 2024 by a federal grand jury seated in the Middle District of North Carolina with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine hydrochloride. Leon-Soto is also known as Manny, Jose Manuel Lopez-Castro, Jesus Lopez Castro, Pedro Beltran Zazueta, Pedro Zazueta Beltran, Emmanuel Gomez, Emanuel Leon, Emanuel Leon-Soto, Manuel Leon Soto, Jose Manuel Lopez Castro, and Emanuel Pena Gomez. He is one of 10 of the defendants also charged with conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the drug trafficking scheme.
Prior to his indictment, Leon-Soto was designated as a Regional Priority Target (RPOT) by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. He is a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel (also known as Cartel de Sinaloa, Mexican Federation, and Guadalajara Cartel), which has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Cártel de Sinaloa is one of the world’s most powerful drug cartels and one of the largest producers involved in the smuggling, importation, and distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the United States.
“The arrest of Leon-Soto is a significant development in our case against this organization, which is responsible for trafficking large quantities of narcotics to our district and throughout the United States,” said Randall S. Galyon, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. “This prosecution is a testament to the power of collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement through the OCDETF program, and we thank all the investigating agencies for their tireless commitment to dismantling criminal organizations that threaten the safety and security of our community.”
“Today’s arrest should send a strong message to anyone who thinks they can further their criminal drug enterprise through the U.S. Mail and remain anonymous—that will never happen,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Postal inspectors will vigorously pursue you and bring you to justice, keeping the communities we serve and the mailstream safe for USPS employees and customers.”
“Today’s arrest is the direct result of the hard work and collaboration between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and our law enforcement partners,” said Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Charlotte, which oversees North and South Carolina. “Leon-Sotos’ criminal activity, combined with his leadership role in the Sinaloa Cartel makes him a significant threat to the safety of the American people. This extensive investigation highlights HSI’s unwavering commitment to protect our country and communities from the dangers of illegal narcotics. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to ensure dangerous drug trafficking organizations are disrupted and held accountable for their crimes.”
“These drug traffickers endangered countless lives by distributing large quantities of deadly fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine,” Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division commented on the case. “Driven by greed, these defendants had total disregard for their actions that far too often have tragic consequences.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation continues to aggressively pursue complicit operators and facilitators to break up fentanyl networks,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. “Our special agents will use their authorities and financial expertise to work alongside our partner agencies while following the money to stop those who profit from deadly fentanyl sales in the United States.”
If convicted, Leon-Soto faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for the drug conspiracy, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
As of today, 32 of the 38 defendants charged in this case have pled guilty to each of the counts against them and are awaiting sentencing.
This prosecution is part of an OCDETF investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Investigating agencies include the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, Fayetteville Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, Candor Police Department, Mesa (Arizona) Police Department, Davie County Sheriff’s Office, Forsyth County Drug Task Force, Mooresville Police Department, Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, and Surry County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Pryor 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.
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Grant manager sentenced to over two years in prison for embezzling funds intended to serve Native AlaskansRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Orange, Virginia, man was sentenced today to two years and four months in prison for wire fraud relating to his scheme to misappropriate grant funds through fraudulent invoices.
According to court documents, from at least December 2021 to March 2024, Larry Todd Morgan, 57, was employed at a company, identified in court records as Company A, as President of Strategy and Innovation. Company A was an Alaska Native Corporation headquartered in Tongass, Alaska, with a contracting office in Manassas and later Chantilly.
Company A sought and, on July 26, 2022, received a $1.9 million National Telecommunications and Information Administration grant to bring high-speed broadband and related computer software, services, and devices to Alaska Natives living in the villages of Saxman and Ketchikan who were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Company A selected Morgan to administer and manage the NTIA Grant and only Morgan and one other employee had authority to make purchases using NTIA Grant funds.
Between Oct. 31, 2023, and Nov. 2, 2023, Morgan submitted four expense reports containing six fraudulent invoices purportedly for the purchase of large quantities of electronics and showing that he paid for the electronics using his own personal credit card. Based on the false expense reports and fraudulent invoices, on Nov. 9, 2023, Company A sent a reimbursement payment for $82,815.20 via interstate wire to Morgan's personal account.
Over time, Morgan increased the quantity of the electronics he purported to purchase. On Feb. 6, 2024, Morgan submitted an expense report with three fraudulent invoices. On Feb 15, 2024, Company A sent $198,756.48 via ACH transaction to Morgan's account. Every expense report and invoice Morgan submitted to Company A for reimbursement was false. In total, Morgan submitted at least eight falsified expense reports and at least 21 fraudulent invoices to Company A’s accounting personnel, falsely claiming to have purchased over 2,500 electronic items for the NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Project such as monitors, keyboards, cell phones, tablets, and headsets. Morgan did not make any of the purchases he represented.
In total, Morgan misappropriated at least $828,152.99 from the NTIA Grant, representing 43% of the total grant received by Company A. He then used the fraud proceeds to purchase luxury vehicles and expensive farming equipment.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Roderick Anderson, Acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Commerce, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary H. Ray and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-247.
Former School Bus Driver Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Recording Sexual Abuse of MinorsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a former school bus driver who recorded his sexual abuse of two young children to 30 years in prison.
Robert W. Stillwell, 67, of St. Peters, Missouri, sexually abused one girl, born in 2016, and another, born in 2022, when they were both asleep and awake. He abused the older victim for at least two years, coercing her into complying with his demands by promising toys and money as well as by threatening her. She said Stillwell would become angry and scream when she did not cooperate. He also modified his voice to resemble that of two elementary school-aged girls and recorded messages to the older victim in which the “girls” encourage her to comply with his demands.
The parents of the older victim contacted the St. Peters Police Department in December 2023 after their daughter said Stillwell was drinking her urine, claiming it was medicinal. Investigators then found recordings of his abuse of the victims.During the hearing, Judge Autrey called the case one of the “most vile and most despicable” that he has ever seen.
Stillwell pleaded guilty in January to two counts of production of child pornography.
The FBI, the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force and the St. Peters Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Lay Leader Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Mail Fraud for Role in Scheme to Defraud AME Zion Church Congregations in CaliforniaRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Sheila Quintana pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in connection with her role in a scheme to defraud congregations of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AME Zion Church) across California as well as private lenders.
Quintana, 71, of Vallejo, was indicted along with co-defendant Staccato Powell, 65, of Wake Forest, N.C., by a federal grand jury in January 2022 on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 and two counts of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Powell was additionally charged with one count of mail fraud.
On April 18, 2025, an information was filed charging Quintana with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and re-alleging the three counts against her in the indictment. Quintana waived indictment on the charges in the information. She pleaded guilty this afternoon to the count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and agreed to cooperate with the government.
According to court documents, Powell and Quintana were officers of the Western Episcopal District, Inc. (WED, Inc.), an entity that Powell formed in 2016 after Powell’s selection as bishop to AME Zion Church’s Western Episcopal District, a geographic division of the church covering several states in the western United States, including California. AME Zion Church is an historically African-American denomination of approximately 1.4 million adherents worldwide.
Powell was the chief executive officer (CEO) of WED, Inc., and Quintana became the chief financial officer (CFO) in March 2017. In pleading guilty, Quintana admitted to using false statements and material omissions to obtain from local pastors grant deeds to church properties, and then using fake resolutions to memorialize the agreement of the local congregations to new mortgages on the local church properties when no such authorization had been given.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
Quintana admitted to fraudulently obtaining mortgages on the following church properties:
- Kyles Temple in Vallejo: Quintana was part of a group that assisted with the purchase of a $1.5 million episcopal residence in Granite Bay, with approximately $1 million covered by a bank loan. To obtain the additional $500,000 in funding, Quintana learned that the anticipated loans required the use of two church properties as collateral. The group identified two church properties that would be used as collateral to secure financing to purchase the episcopal residence, including Kyles Temple in Vallejo. At the time, Quintana was the chair of the Board of Trustees of Kyles Temple as well as the CFO of WED, Inc. Quintana drafted a fake resolution reflecting authorization by Kyles Temple for the loan and giving herself authority to execute loan documents in her role as Chair of the Board of Trustees. She admitted that there was no meeting at Kyles Temple to approve (or even discuss) this resolution.
- First AME Zion Church in San Jose: In October 2017, Quintana assisted with documents and transactions to use the First AME Zion Church in San Jose as collateral for a new loan to buy a parsonage, a residence for the congregation’s new pastor. Quintana prepared a fake resolution on the San Jose congregation’s letterhead stating that the new pastor was authorized to sign all documents pertaining to the real estate transactions, following a “unanimous vote by the membership.” During the processing of the loan paperwork, Quintana learned that a title search for the San Jose church revealed a title interest in the property held by the AME Zion Church of Los Angeles. She then prepared another fake resolution stating that the AME Zion Church in Los Angeles held a membership meeting on or about Oct. 12, 2017, and voted to deed the church in San Jose to WED, Inc. Using the resolutions, WED, Inc. obtained a loan, the proceeds of which were used to purchase the parsonage. Quintana learned in late November 2017 that the San Jose congregation disputed the transaction, including the assertion that the church’s membership voted unanimously to approve the resolution. In or about August 2019, Quintana assisted with an additional transaction to refinance the 2017 loan using the First AME Zion Church of San Jose as collateral.
- Greater Cooper AME Zion Church in Oakland: As CFO of WED, Inc., Quintana executed loan documents in May 2019 to borrow $525,000 using the Greater Cooper AME Zion Church in Oakland as collateral. Quintana signed the grant deeds transferring the property of Greater Cooper AME Zion Church in Oakland to WED, Inc. and other closing documents on May 16, 2019, and signed the deed of trust for the transaction as CFO of WED, Inc. on May 24, 2019. Following that, Quintana emailed Powell to inform him that the “expected cash amount from the Cooper loan is $506,000 . . . .” Quintana later learned that the property of Greater Cooper had been encumbered with approximately $1.5 million in debt and that the congregation objected to the encumbrance as unauthorized.
- University AME Zion Church of Palo Alto: Quintana understood in 2017 that Powell had informed the Reverend of University AME Zion Church of Palo Alto that Powell planned to use the University church as collateral for a loan. Quintana prepared the paperwork needed for the transfer of the University AME Zion Church to WED, Inc. In March 2018, Quintana received paperwork for a $2 million loan using University AME Zion Church as collateral, and emailed the loan papers to Powell for him to sign. WED, Inc. encumbered the University AME Church with loans totaling $3.6 million, which Quintana admitted was debt that the congregation’s membership neither knew about nor authorized.
- First AME Zion Church in Los Angeles: Beginning in December 2017, Quintana assisted with documents and transactions to use the First AME Zion Church in Los Angeles as collateral for a new loan. Quintana understood from Powell that the pastor of the Los Angeles church had told Powell that the membership had approved the transfer of title from the Los Angeles church to WED, Inc. Quintana prepared a resolution that purported to document a meeting at which the membership approved the transfer and authorized the Reverend of the Los Angeles church to sign documents pertaining to the transfer, as well as an updated resolution that purported to document a meeting at which the membership approved the transfer of title to WED, Inc., and authorized Powell to sign all documents pertaining to the transaction. She sent both fake resolutions to the lender. Quintana signed a resolution of the Board of WED, Inc. on Dec. 15, 2017, approving the obtaining of a loan using the Los Angeles church property as collateral, and executed loan documents on Dec. 20, 2017. Quintana admitted that she knew that the resolution included false information that was material to obtaining the loan using the church as collateral, and intended that the use of the false and material information would result in the loan’s approval and funding.
Quintana further admitted that between September 2018 and June 2019, in recognition of the amount of time she had spent assisting Powell with the business of the Western Episcopal District, she prepared and signed three checks drawn on WED, Inc.’s bank account and made payable to her spouse totaling $67,500. The checks were payable to Quintana for her benefit. Quintana wrote and signed these checks making payment to her spouse because she did not want anyone other than Powell to know of the payments.
According to the information filed on April 18, 2025, WED, Inc. filed a bankruptcy petition in July 2020 in which it claimed its assets included 11 churches, a parsonage, and Powell’s official residence. The petition stated that WED, Inc.’s real property was worth $26,338,031 and had debts totaling $12,475,453.
Quintana is next scheduled to appear in court on July 15, 2025, for a status hearing. She faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. 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 Jonathan U. Lee is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kathy Tat and Helen Yee. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Florida Inmate Sentenced to Federal Prison for Mailing Threats to Prosecutor and JudgeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Taylor Ryan Hill (27, Jacksonville) to 30 months in federal prison for mailing threatening communications. The court also ordered Hill to serve the sentence consecutive to a state prison sentence imposed in 2021 for first degree murder (two counts), attempted murder, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Hill pleaded guilty in this latest case on December 3, 2024.
According to court documents, Hill was an inmate serving his state sentence at Hardee Correctional Institution in Bowling Green. On February 12, 2024, Hill mailed a threatening letter to the Assistant State Attorney in Clay County who had prosecuted Hill for his underlying murder convictions. The letter threatened to have that prosecutor, as well as the judge who sentenced him, killed. The letter was signed “Taylor Ryan Hill” and was mailed in an envelope with a return address of Taylor Hill, his inmate number, and an address at Hardee Correctional.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in cooperation with the Office of the State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Lasry and Michael J. Coolican.
Florence Tax Preparer Indicted for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Florence returned a 43-count indictment against Talisha Cooper, 44, of Coward, for preparing false tax returns.
The indictment alleges that Cooper was a tax return preparer and manager of Tax Fusions, located in Florence. Beginning in 2019 and through 2023, Cooper knowingly filed numerous returns that were fraudulent. The returns reported false fuel tax credits, family and sick leave credits, employee business expenses and Schedule C business profits or losses. The investigation revealed at least 43 instances of false returns with a total loss of $374,349.
Cooper was arrested today and arraigned in federal court this afternoon. Cooper faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison and a fine.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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