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21 May 2025
Richmond felon sentenced to five years in prison for latest firearms convictionRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on March 16, 2023, Richmond Police detectives performed a traffic stop on a vehicle with no front license plate. James Marvin Smith, 43, was driving the vehicle. While speaking with Smith and a passenger, the detectives observed a crumpled lottery ticket near the cupholders and noticed that the passenger had white powder on his nose. The detectives asked Smith and the passenger to get out of the car.
While searching the vehicle for drug evidence, a detective found a firearm and a detached extended magazine. The firearm had one round of ammunition in the chamber and the magazine was loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition.
Prior to his arrest, Smith had been convicted of, among other crimes, possession of heroin, obstruction of justice, resisting arrest with force, possession of cocaine, breaking and entering, using a firearm in the commission of a felony, robbery, unlawful wounding, illegal possession of a firearm, assault and battery, possession of a firearm by a convicted violent felon, and grand larceny. As a previously convicted felon, Smith cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police; and Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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. 3:24-cr-23.
Republic of Indonesia National Guilty of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, that REZA HETA PRATAMA (“PRATAMA”), age 28, a foreign national of the Republic of Indonesia, pleaded guilty to Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). PRATAMA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, a period of supervised release of up to life, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
The U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion will sentence PRATAMA on September 9, 2025.
According to court documents, PRATAMA was previously employed by Carnival Cruise Lines and was arrested in July 2024 by U.S. Department of Homeland Security -Homeland Security Investigations agents, after being found in possession of child pornography at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal in New Orleans.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crimes Unit.
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Registered Sex Offender from Minnesota Charged with Production of Child Pornography, Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Robert James Levi, 22, a registered sex offender from Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been charged by indictment with production and attempted production of child pornography, coercion and enticement of a minor, and offense by a registered sex offender announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents and court hearings, for a three-year period—from February 2022 through February 2025, defendant Robert Levi coerced and enticed a 12-year-old girl in another state into producing child sexual abuse material and sending it to him over the internet. Levi “catfished” the victim, posing as a 16-year-old boy, exchanging tens of thousands of messages with the victim, and convincing the victim she was in a “relationship” with Levi. In fact, Levi was an adult man and, later, a convicted sex offender. In February 2024, Levi was convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the Second Degree in Stearns County, Minnesota, and was required to register as a sex offender. The conviction did not stop Levi—he continued to exploit the victim during the pendency of that case and after he was placed on probation. If convicted in this case, Levi faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
“Our country is enduring a sextortion epidemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “My heart goes out to the many victims—vulnerable children—who are sexually exploited by online predators. The Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office is full of federal prosecutors who have zero tolerance for Levi and other repeat sexual offenders who will only stop when they are stopped. Levi faces decades in federal prison. We will prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.”
"This case is a stark reminder of the depravity that exists online and the relentless threat posed by predators who target children,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The fact that a registered sex offender manipulated and coerced minors into producing explicit material is both horrific and intolerable. The FBI and our partners will use every available resource to find and stop those who exploit children, and we will not rest until they are held fully accountable.”
Levi was charged via indictment in U.S. District Court. He had his detention hearing on May 5, 2025, before Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright and was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian C. Weir is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Port Orange Man Charged with Threatening to Murder A Federal OfficialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida –United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces an indictment charging Tranard Dell (21, Port Orange) with influencing, impeding, and interfering with a federal official by threat to murder. If convicted, Dell faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on April 24, 2025, Dell threatened to murder federal law enforcement officer J.E. with intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with J.E. while engaged in the performance of official duties.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a 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 United States Secret Service, with valuable assistance provided by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and the Port Orange Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.
Oregon Man Convicted of Transmitting Interstate Threat to KillRead the Press Release
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Richard Colvin called a church in Mobile, AL, and threatened to kill the pastor.
The jury heard evidence that Colvin called the church repeatedly, berated the pastor and the church, and ultimately threatened the pastor’s life.
The victim testified about receiving the calls and the threat. He and other witnesses testified about precautions taken after Colvin transmitted the threat and the fear his actions caused. The FBI case agent testified concerning the ongoing threat to life investigation and evidence obtained from phone records.
Colvin faces up to 5 years in prison and will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Terry F. Moorer on August 21, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill and Tandice H. Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Omro Man Indicted for Distributing and Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 20, 2025, a three-count federal indictment was returned alleging that Jason A. Reeves (age: 44) of Omro, Wisconsin, distributed child pornography in October of 2024, and received child pornography on two occasions in April 2025, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A).
According to court records, a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) was sent to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. That tip was then forwarded to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office based on the IP address associated with the CyberTip. The tip alleged the distribution of child pornography on October 16, 2024. Law enforcement continued its investigation and on April 29, 2025, they executed a search warrant at Reeves’ residence. When asked if he knew anything about child pornography at his residence, Reeves replied “probably.” Court documents list Reeves’ sole source of employment as an Alderman in the City of Omro.
If convicted of any of the three charges, Reeves faces a mandatory 5 years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years of incarceration. He could also be fined up to $250,000 per count and would be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Green Bay Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Oklahoma City Doctor Surrenders Dispensing Authority and Pays $130,000 to Settle Civil Penalty Claims Stemming from Allegations of Recordkeeping ViolationsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Richard Swenson, M.D. (“Dr. Swenson”), paid $130,000 to settle civil penalty claims stemming from allegations that he violated the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (“Act”) and its regulations, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. Dr. Swenson also agreed to permanently cease dispensing and administering controlled substances as of April 3, 2025.
Recordkeeping is a vital part of managing controlled substances. A registrant who purchases controlled substances must comply with the purchase record requirements contained in the regulations implementing the Act. Maintaining complete and accurate records help avoid diversions and losses of controlled drugs. Failure to do so subjects the registrant to civil monetary penalties.
During the relevant time, Dr. Swenson practiced medicine at Accident Care and Treatment Center, Inc. in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The United States alleges that from April 2022, through April 2024, Dr. Swenson failed to maintain DEA Forms 222 for certain purchases of Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen, which is an opioid and a Schedule II controlled substance. During this time period, the United States further alleges that Dr. Swenson also failed to maintain records for certain purchases of Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substances. To resolve these allegations, Dr. Swenson agreed to pay $130,000 to the United States and to permanently refrain from dispensing and administering controlled substances. Dr. Swenson is still permitted to prescribe controlled substances consistent with his DEA Registration.
In reaching this settlement, Dr. Swenson did not admit liability, and the government did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims. The agreement allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Diversion Control. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda R. Johnson and Ronald R. Gallegos prosecuted the case.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Paycheck Protection Program Loan Fraud Totaling More Than $2MRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – An Ohio man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for submitting false information to be eligible to receive Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Daniel R. Hitlan, 34, of Huron, Ohio, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering in February. U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick imposed the sentence May 20. Hitlan was also ordered to pay $2,744,013.33 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
Court documents show that in April and May of 2020, the defendant obtained three fraudulent PPP loans for small businesses that he owned. The PPP was meant to assist small businesses and was launched with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in 2020. The program provided eligible companies with much-needed financial support as businesses faced unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hitlan admitted to creating fictitious payroll documents and forms to submit with PPP loan applications. Federal investigators further found that the information he submitted was not supported or found to be valid when crosschecked with IRS, state, and other records. The IRS showed no records of payroll, withholdings, or return filings for the entities he included in the loan applications.
According to the indictment, Hitlan used the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds to purchase multiple items for himself and others. Among his purchases were Rolex watches, a Cadillac Escalade, a vintage Chevrolet Corvette, and real estate.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigations (CI) and the FBI Cleveland Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford for the Northern District of Ohio.
IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.
Anyone with information about allegations of CARES Act fraud may submit a report with the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Nicaraguan National Charged with Assaulting Deportation Officer at ICE Facility in San JoseRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Francisco De-Jesus Morales has been charged with one count of forcibly assaulting a deportation officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to a criminal complaint and court documents filed today, Morales, 25, a national of Nicaragua, assaulted the deportation officer at an ICE facility in San Jose on May 2, 2025, when the deportation officer and two other officers attempted to take Morales into custody pursuant to a warrant for Morales’s removal and deportation from the United States. Morales allegedly physically resisted arrest and attempted to flee from the deportation officers, resulting in a struggle and injuries to Morales and the officers. All three deportation officers and Morales received medical treatment for injuries sustained during the physical altercation. The deportation officers’ injuries include bruising, scrapes, an ankle stress fracture/strain, a chest contusion, and a groin injury. Morales is charged with forcibly assaulting one of the deportation officers, causing significant groin bruising.
Morales is currently in ICE custody pending removal pursuant to his deportation order.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King made the announcement.
A criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of assault on a federal officer inflicting bodily injury in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 111(a)(1) and (b). Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Lord and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Nedrow are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Susan Kreider. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Drug Trafficking and Possessing AR-15 Pistol Inside HospitalRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –ERIC FALKINS (“FALKINS”), age 19, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025, before Chief U.S. District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown, to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846; possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, FALKINS had been selling marijuana in New Orleans since at least 2023, and conspiring with others to help him sell drugs. On January 24, 2024, FALKINS went to Touro Infirmary hospital in New Orleans to visit a patient. FALKINS brought a backpack inside the hospital that smelled like marijuana. Inside the backpack, were two plastic bags containing distributable quantities of marijuana; 17 sealed, pre-packaged bags of marijuana; a sealed bag of marijuana edibles; two digital scales; and a Radical Firearms Model RF-15, multi-caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 29 rounds of ammunition.
As to each of his drug trafficking convictions, FALKINS faces up to 5 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and a minimum of two years of supervised release. As to his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
NY Man Charged with Using Sham Blockchain Venture to Defraud InvestorsRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging JEREMY JORDAN-JONES, the self-styled “founder” of a purported technology company, with wire fraud, securities fraud, making false statements to a bank, and aggravated identity theft. JORDAN-JONES was arrested today and is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.
“As alleged, Jordan-Jones, capitalizing on the publicity around blockchain technology, perpetrated a brazen scheme to defraud investors,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He touted his company as a groundbreaking blockchain startup, backed by high-profile partnerships. In reality, Jordan-Jones’s company was a sham, and investors’ funds were siphoned off to bankroll his lavish lifestyle. This should be an example to would be financial fraudsters that the women and men of the Southern District and the FBI are watching and to the investing public that fraudsters often use the promise of new technology to cloak their schemes.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Jeremy Jordan-Jones allegedly defrauded investors of more than one million dollars through misrepresentations of his purported company's capabilities, partnerships, and investment intentions. Jordan-Jones's alleged blatant lies funded his personal lifestyle at the expense of unknowing victims. The FBI is committed to apprehending any individual who employs deceitful tactics and illusionary business models to steal from trusted investors.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From at least in or about January 2021 through at least in or about November 2022, JORDAN-JONES engaged in a scheme to defraud investors in Amalgam Capital Ventures (“Amalgam”), a technology startup that purported to offer point-of-sale systems and blockchain-based payment and security solutions. JORDAN-JONES misrepresented that Amalgam had developed functioning software products, falsely claimed that it had lucrative high-profile partnerships with major-league sports teams and prominent payment-processing platforms, and made misleading statements about Amalgam’s financial condition. In perpetrating his fraudulent scheme, JORDAN-JONES submitted falsified financial documents to a bank. He also falsely represented to investors that their money would be used for listing a proprietary cryptocurrency coin on global cryptocurrency exchanges, as well as for hardware, software, and other expenses associated with the Amalgam’s operations.
All the while, JORDAN-JONES well knew that Amalgam had no operable products, few—if any—customers, and zero legitimate business partnerships. Based on his materially false and fraudulent representations, JORDAN-JONES obtained over $1 million from investors and lenders, much of which he used for his personal benefit. Ultimately, Amalgam ceased operations, and investors and lenders suffered significant financial losses.
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JORDAN-JONES is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of false statements to a financial institution, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a parallel civil action.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marguerite B. Colson is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
us_v._jordan-jones_25_cr_232.pdf[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact descried therein should be treated as an allegation.
Modern Arms & Optics Co-Owners and Federal Firearms Licensees Sentenced to Federal Prison for Straw Purchases and Other Firearms Law ViolationsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Campbell Slayden, 26, co-owner of Modern Arms & Optics LLC, was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison, following a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. Anthony Gallegos, 26, the other co-owner of Modern Arms & Optics, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison on March 11, 2025, following a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
According to Slayden’s and Gallegos’s plea agreements, Modern Arms & Optics, a federal firearms licensee and dealer, engaged in business at a residence on Raleigh St. in Denver, and also at numerous gun shows in Colorado. While conducting the business, Slayden and Gallegos engaged in deceptive acts to hide information, mislead, and avert further inquiry into their business from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) by concealing their unlawful firearms manufacturing practices in federally required records. Furthermore, they transferred firearms to people not legally allowed to own firearms through a practice often referred to as “straw purchasing.”
A straw purchase occurs when the transferee or buyer who undergoes the background check and completes the necessary federal forms is not the true transferee or buyer. In this manner, persons prohibited from possessing firearms or wishing to hide their acquisitions of firearms can obtain firearms without undergoing background checks. Slayden and Gallegos would send out electronic links that allowed federal background check forms to be filled out, privately and out of view, by anyone with access to the link. This allowed the straw purchasers, or in some cases the prohibited firearm buyers themselves, to easily supply false and fraudulent misrepresentations regarding the true purchasers of the firearm. When suspicious of an in-person straw purchase, Slayden and Gallegos would fail to conduct reasonable inquiries into the true purchaser and would transfer the firearm to the transferee or buyer whom he knew or had reasonable cause to believe was not the actual buyer.
ATF’s investigation also led to federal convictions against others who committed their own firearms crimes facilitated by Modern Arms & Optics:
Aurianna Aguilar, 24-cr-0085-PAB
Leonel Castillo, 23-cr-00326-NYW
Jacob Cohen, 23-cr-00465-RMR
Glory Goodrich-Devere, 24-cr-00175-RMR
Dario Sanchez, 23-cr-00394-REB
“Gun shop owners and dealers have a crucial role in ensuring that firearms do not fall into the hands of criminals. That role is to follow federal firearms laws.” said Acting United States Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “If they do not, we will prosecute them.”
“This case underscores the devastation of violent crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “ATF remains committed to targeting violent criminals and using all available resources to protect our communities."
Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over both sentencings. The cases were investigated by ATF. Assistant United States Attorney Albert Buchman handled the prosecutions.
Case Numbers: 24-cr-00034-GPG (Slayden) and 24-cr-00224-GPG (Gallegos)
Missouri Man Sentenced to over Nine Years in Prison for Church ArsonRead the Press Release
A Missouri man was sentenced yesterday to 111 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp for the Eastern District of Missouri for burning down a Cape Girardeau, Missouri house of worship in 2021. He was also ordered to pay $6,968,223.36 in restitution for damages incurred by the church.
Christopher Scott Pritchard, 49, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in Cape Girardeau, on Dec. 19, 2024, to one count of arson and one count of violating the Church Arson Prevention Act. Pritchard admitted setting fire to the house of worship owned and used by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, during the evening of April 28, 2021. Pritchard was spotted watching the fire and was arrested about 1.5 miles away by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office. Pritchard smelled like smoke and had a backpack containing a laptop computer, a projector, speakers and 21 apples that he’d stolen from the church. Pritchard told deputies that he’d gotten into a verbal altercation with the Bishop of the church a few days before the fire and had threatened to assault the Bishop and burn the church down.
The fire destroyed the building and prevented the congregants in the free exercise of their religious beliefs. No one was injured.
“There is no place in America for criminal acts against houses of worship,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division thanks its law enforcement partners for prosecuting this matter.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon and U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri made the announcement.
The FBI St. Louis Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn for the Eastern District of Missouri prosecuted the case, with assistance from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Mission Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Larceny and Failure to AppearRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota woman convicted of Larceny and Failure to Appear. The sentencing took place on May 19, 2025.
Kylie Leader Charge, age 19, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Leader Charge was further ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $1,000 in restitution.
Leader Charge was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. She pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025.
The conviction for Larceny stemmed from an incident that occurred in November of 2023, within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation, when Leader Charge and a co-defendant stole a vehicle near Mission, drove it in a reckless manner, and caused damage to the vehicle.
Following her Indictment, Leader Charge was released on bond. On March 21, 2024, Leader Charge failed to appear for a bail review hearing as required by her bond conditions. She was subsequently indicted for Failure to Appear.
These matters were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
These cases were investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the cases.
Leader Charge was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Military contractor pays United States more than half million dollars to settle False Claims Act allegationsRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A company that contracted with the United States Air Force to produce a pod for military aircraft paid the United States $512,000 to settle False Claims Act and related allegations.
The KeyW Corporation (KeyW) was awarded a contract in August 2020 to produce a prototype of an AgilePod variant for the Air Force, the AgilePod-26. The AgilePod-26 was designed to be a multi-mission pod capable of carrying intelligence, surveillance and communications equipment on military aircraft.
The settlement resolves allegations that KeyW made false representations or omitted material information regarding the adequacy of the adhesive curing procedures that its subcontractor used for the prototype’s endcones, and the anticipated effectiveness of proposed testing procedures that the company used to investigate or address concerns regarding the prototype’s endcones.
“The manufacturing of defective products, including ones intended for use in military aircraft, creates a significant risk to America’s warfighters,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Silvestro of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Northeast Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners and the Justice Department to hold accountable those who commit fraudulent activity that impacts the Department of Defense.”
“This investigation shows our commitment to work with our partner agencies and the Department of Justice to safeguard Air Force systems. OSI will continue to protect warfighter readiness by pursuing individuals and corporations who jeopardize the safety and effectiveness of those critical systems and equipment" stated William Rouse, Special Agent in Charge, Procurement Fraud Det 4, Wright Patterson AFB.
Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Horwitz represented the United States in this matter. Air Force Material Command Law Office, Procurement Fraud Law Division attorneys Sarah Schild and Kate Rottmayer also helped pursue this matter.
The settlement agreement is neither an admission of liability by KeyW nor a concession by the United States this its claims are not well founded.
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Mid-State Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal Prison for Million Dollar Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Gregory Michael Vogel a/k/a Gregory Michael Schneider, 52, formerly of Hendersonville, Tenn. and Gallatin, Tenn., was sentenced yesterday to 51 months in federal prison after having previously pleaded guilty to eight counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering for carrying out an investment scheme that defrauded investors of over one million dollars, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Our office will continue to vigorously pursue fraud and prosecute fraudsters like Vogel in order to vindicate the victims of their schemes,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Prison sentences like this one send a clear message to fraudsters: we will not tolerate those who pray on victims to steal their money. We will find you, we will stop you, and we will hold you accountable.”
“We are committed to unraveling intricate financial transactions and money laundering schemes where individuals attempt to conceal the original source of their money,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. “Our special agents will continue to use their financial expertise to find and investigate allegations of investor fraud schemes alongside our law enforcement partners.”
According to court documents, between April 2015 and May 2019, Vogel devised a scheme to defraud victims whom he had solicited to invest money with his company in foreign currency exchange websites and software (“forex websites”). Vogel claimed that these forex websites would generate substantial revenue, providing investors with thousands of dollars in monthly profits, and that they would eventually being sold to a third party, so that Vogel and the investors both could realize an even greater return on the investment.
Vogel induced victims to make investments in the forex websites by making false representations about the investments, his management of the forex websites, and the actual ownership structure of the forex websites. Vogel also concealed material information from victims, including information about his background and investment history and his breaches of promises and contractual provisions to investors.
Some of the concealed material information included that Vogel, under his prior name of Gregory Michael Schneider, had been sued by prior investors for a different investment offering and was found liable for committing fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and conversion, among other acts. As a result of that lawsuit, Vogel was permanently enjoined from soliciting or providing any business investments or investment advice in the future. Vogel had also been sued by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and entered into a consent order in which he was permanently enjoined from trading or participating in certain transactions supervised by the CFTC.
Following his term of incarceration, Vogel will be on supervised release for 3 years. Vogel is also subject to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $1,177,540 for Counts One through Eight, and a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $120,000 for Count Nine.
This case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Suedekum prosecuted the case.
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Mexican National Unlawfully Residing in California Faces Federal Charges for Trafficking Fentanyl in OregonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A suspected drug trafficker faces federal charges after he was caught transporting more than 60 pounds of powdered fentanyl on Interstate 5 near Albany, Oregon.
Jose Ivan Iribe Camorlinga, 46, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Oakland, California, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents, on May 20, 2025, Oregon State Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Iribe Camorlinga and registered to him in California. A trooper searched the vehicle and found two large bags containing 25 vacuum-sealed packages of fentanyl in the trunk. In total, law enforcement seized more than 60 pounds of fentanyl powder. Iribe Camorlinga was arrested and transferred into the custody of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Iribe Camorlinga made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The case is being investigated by the DEA and is being prosecuted by Paul T. Maloney, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 3-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.
If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.
The Oregon State Police-Domestic Highway Enforcement (OSP-DHE) Initiative is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States and Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National illegally residing in Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for Illegal Re-entry by an Alien Previously Removed and the Illegal Possession of Firearm.
Jehu Jaziel Carranza-Rangel, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to four years and six months in federal prison without parole followed by three years of supervised release.
On November 22, 2024, Carranza-Rangel pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after previously being removed, and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Carranza-Rangel admitted he knew he did not have permission to enter or remain in the United States lawfully and that, as an illegal alien, he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Under federal law it is illegal for an alien to knowingly re-enter the United States without permission after being removed. Carranza-Rangel had previously been removed from the country on four separate occasions in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020. He unlawfully returned sometime after his 2020 removal and was found in the Western District of Missouri after being arrested in July of 2024. At the time of his arrest, Carranza-Rangel was in possession of live ammunition. Under federal law it is illegal for an alien to possess a firearm or ammunition. Carranza-Rangel also has a previous conviction for possessing a firearm in Kansas in 2020.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Hanson. It was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that RAUDEL MIRANDA-MARTINEZ (“MIRANDA-MARTINEZ”), age 47, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on May 13, 2025 after previously pleading guilty to violating Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), illegal re-entry of a removed alien.
According to court records, on or about January 11, 2023, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents encountered MIRANDA-MARTINEZ at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center after his arrest for public intoxication in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. MIRANDA-MARTINEZ had unlawfully reentered the United States after being originally deported on September 9, 2004.
Since his 2004 deportation MIRANDA-MARTINEZ has unlawfully reentered the United States, and thereafter been removed on at least five occasions, that is on September 26, 2005,October 14, 2011, January 3, 2013, March 6, 2018, and finally on September 6, 2022. In connection with his unlawful reentries, MIRANDA-MARTINEZ has two prior convictions for Illegal Re-entry of a Previously Removed Alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). Specifically, in 2009, he was sentenced to 26 months’ imprisonment, and in 2015, he was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. MIRANDA-MARTINEZ has additional criminal convictions including drug possession, theft, and burglary.
On May 13, 2025, U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long sentenced RAUDEL MIRANDA-MARTINEZ to 66 months imprisonment, 3 years supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González of the General Crimes Unit was in charge of the prosecution.
Mexican National Indicted for Allegedly Attempting to Smuggle over 1100 Pounds of Meth into the U.S. Through Eagle PassRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A federal grand jury in Del Rio returned an indictment charging a Mexican national with four counts related to methamphetamine trafficking.
According to court documents, Veronica Sanchez-Pineda, 46, of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, approached the Eagle Pass Port of Entry in a pickup truck on April 20, allegedly giving Customs and Border Protection officers a negative declaration for contraband including narcotics. A secondary inspection allegedly resulted in the discovery of a crystal-like substance inside an auxiliary tank in the bed of the truck. The liquid was extracted and resulted in a positive test result for the properties of methamphetamine, a criminal complaint alleges. The total approximate weight of the alleged narcotic was 521.03 kg.
The criminal complaint also alleges that Sanchez-Pineda consented to a search of her cell phone, which contained a text message about a “job” in Eagle Pass as well as screenshots of money transfers between the defendant and another individual. Sanchez-Pineda allegedly admitted to being involved in illegal activity regarding the contents of the auxiliary tank and that she was being compensated in Mexican Pesos.
Sanchez-Pineda is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute; one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine; and one count of importation of methamphetamine. She was arrested and made her initial court appearance April 24 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew H. Watters of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. If convicted, Sanchez-Pineda faces 10 years to life in prison and up to a $10 million fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Warsame Galaydh is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Merrill Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution of MethRead the Press Release
Larry Snyder, Jr., 44, from Merrill, Iowa, was sentenced May 16, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Snyder, Jr. pled guilty on January 7, 2025, and January 30, 2025, to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and four counts of distributing methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from November 2023 through August 2024, Snyder, Jr. and others conspired to distribute 1500 grams or more of methamphetamine in the Sioux City, Iowa area. On four occasions in 2024, Snyder, Jr. distributed a total of over 650 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. The last transaction occurred within 1000 feet of an elementary school. Evidence further showed that on August 26, 2024, Snyder, Jr. and a co-conspirator were in possession of or involved with an additional 479 grams of pure methamphetamine. In September 2024, Snyder, Jr. tried to elude law enforcement by means of a high-speed chase, and later, a foot-pursuit with law enforcement agents before his apprehension.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Snyder, Jr. remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. Snyder, Jr. was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of five years of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4064.
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Mechanicville Man Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jonathan Macdonald, age 31, of Mechanicville, New York, was charged yesterday with receipt and possession of child pornography. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States Attorney Sarcone said: “We are grateful to our partners at the FBI and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work in investigating this case so far.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli stated: “The FBI will continue to use every resource available to investigate these predators and bring them to justice. We remain grateful to our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local level who join us in this shared goal of protecting our most vulnerable.”
If convicted on all charges, Macdonald faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute(s) the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. If convicted, Macdonald would also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Macdonald had his initial appearance yesterday in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Friday, May 23.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is investigating this case, which was initiated by the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Walter is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced to 4 ½ Years in Federal Prison for Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on May 19, 2025.
Norman Ray Red Legs, age 38, was sentenced to four years and five months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Red Legs was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 30, 2024.
During the early morning hours of March 11, 2024, a 46-year-old woman awoke to Red Legs punching her in the face. When she cried for him to cease, Red Legs struck the woman several times in the knees with a pot. Red Legs desisted only when his girlfriend told him to stop. The woman sustained extensive bruising to her face, right arm, and legs and was wheelchair-bound for several weeks. The assault occurred at a mutual acquaintance’s home in McLaughlin, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Red Legs was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced to 2 ½ Years in Federal Prison for Burglary of a Home within the Standing Rock ReservationRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of First Degree Burglary. The sentencing took place on May 19, 2025.
Brian Wallace Taken Alive, age 34, was sentenced to two years and sixth months months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Taken Alive was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 21, 2024.
Shortly after nightfall on July 5, 2023, Taken Alive and two co-defendants went to a woman’s home in McLaughlin, South Dakota, to assault a man they believed had inappropriately touched a girl. McLaughlin lies within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. As the woman yelled at them to go away, Taken Alive kicked in her front door. Taken Alive and another co-defendant rushed into the house while their accomplice stood on the stoop. Although the man they came to find was passed out, Taken Alive repeatedly kicked him in the face and struck him with a bar while a co-defendant illumined the scene with a cell phone flashlight. The victim incurred a broken nose and shattered orbital and sinus bones in the affray. He still struggles with his vision and headaches today.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Taken Alive was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Massachusetts Couple to Plead Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A couple from Randolph, Mass., has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded dozens of individual investors out of millions of dollars.
Milendophe Duperier, 33, and Vanessa Joseph, 26, have agreed to plead guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Plea hearings for the defendants have not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, Duperier acted as an investment advisor, soliciting investments from individuals and advising them that their funds would be invested in the securities markets. Joseph was allegedly Duperier’s girlfriend and business partner.
It is alleged that, between early 2018 and December 2022, Duperier and Joseph defrauded dozens of individual investors by falsely representing that Duperier would use the entirety of their investments to purchase securities. However, instead of investing the funds in the securities markets as promised, Duperier and Joseph allegedly used the funds to pay prior investors and for personal purchases and expenses – including payments for luxury vehicles and mortgage and credit card debt.
In total, the charging documents allege that Duperier and Joseph defrauded individual investors, some of whom had invested their life savings, of more than $3.2 million. As part of the alleged scheme, Duperier and Joseph allegedly applied for and received small business loans for various entities and used the loan proceeds to pay purported investment returns to victim investors. It is further alleged that Duperier made false statements and excuses to investors as to why he had not made promised interest payments and/or could not return the investors’ principal.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, 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.
If you have questions, concerns or information about this case, please reach out to [email protected].
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie A. Queenin and Leslie A. Wright of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mapleton, Iowa, Man Who Possessed Child Pornography Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Gregory William Douglas McCormick, 23, from Mapleton, Iowa, was sentenced May 20, 2025, to 5 years in federal prison. McCormick received the prison term after a January 6, 2025, guilty plea to possession of child pornography.
Evidence in the case showed that between May 1, 2022, and February 23, 2023, McCormick received, distributed, and possessed child pornography. In 2022, the internet messaging application Kik became aware one of its users uploaded approximately seven files that depicted child pornography. Kik reported the account to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and a CyberTip report was assigned to the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Child Task Force. Law enforcement tracked the account back to McCormick. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at McCormick’s residence and during an interview with law enforcement he confirmed he was the individual responsible for the receipt and distribution of child pornography connected to the CyberTip. McCormick admitted there would be child pornography on his current cell phone as well as two older cell phones. A forensic search of McCormick’s cell phones and Kik account showed he possessed a total of 120 images and 7 videos of child pornography. The videos and images included infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct.
McCormick was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. McCormick was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $10,100 in restitution and assessments. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. McCormick is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Cyber Crime Bureau and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-4047.
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Man Sentenced to over Three Years in Federal Prison for Stealing More Than $1.3 Million from San Francisco Law FirmsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Tony Archuleta-Perkins, 49, of Palm Springs, was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley handed down the sentence.
Archuleta-Perkins, who was indicted in June 2024, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344(2) and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity (money laundering) in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957.
Archuleta-Perkins was hired in 2017 by a San Francisco law firm and eventually became the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of that firm as well as a related law firm. As the CFO, Archuleta-Perkins was in a position of trust and had access to the law firms’ payroll systems and end-to-end payments automation platforms. He used his position to embezzle more than $1 million while he worked at the firms. From 2017 through 2023, Archuleta-Perkins stole more than $1.3 million and used that money for, among other things, improvements to and mortgages on three houses he owned.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Corley also sentenced Archuleta-Perkins to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $1,321,752.72.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikhil Bhagat is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Mark Coon, 55, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 20, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Coon to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Coon’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On October 4, 2023, Coon was contacted by narcotics investigators at a gas station in Lincoln and was found in possession of a bag containing more than 110 grams of meth. Purity testing at the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory showed the bag contained at least 100 grams of actual (pure) meth. Coon agreed to talk to investigators. Coon said he intended to sell the meth found on that date. He said he had sold a total of about two and one-half pounds of meth to seven customers over the prior month.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to the December 2023 armed robbery of a jewelry store in Lawrence, where he stole over $500,000 worth of jewelry and precious metals.
Rosnel Polanco, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery). U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Aug. 12, 2025. In August 2024, Polanco was charged along with two co-conspirators.
On Dec. 15, 2023, Polanco, and allegedly his co-conspirators, entered a Lawrence jewelry store armed with firearms. Numerous employees of the store were present at the time, and it is alleged that the defendants robbed them of their jewelry and cell phones. Polanco and his alleged co-conspirators then allegedly pointed firearms at the victims’ heads and pressed the firearms to their backs as they brought the employees to the basement where the store’s office and safes were located.
Once downstairs, Polanco and his alleged co-conspirators forced the owner of the store to open the safes containing the jewelry and other precious metals. In total, approximately $500,000 in jewelry and precious metals are alleged to have been taken. The second safe could not be successfully opened. Polanco and his alleged co-conspirators then fled the scene in a rented Nissan Altima that was later found burned and torched in a field in Maine the following day.
The charge of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to 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; Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Lawrence Acting Chief of Police Millix Bonilla made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cumberland County (Maine) Sheriff’s Department and the Norway (Maine) and Oxford (Maine) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Kansas City Man Charged for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was charged in a federal criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Vinol Wilson, 50, made his first appearance in federal court after his arrest on May 20, 2025.
The affidavit in support of the complaint alleges that the Jackson County Drug Task Force (JCDTF) initiated an investigation into drug sales in the Kansas City metro area. The JCDTF identified Wilson as being a source of supply of MDMA/methamphetamine and cocaine. Additionally, since 2022, Wilson has been an ongoing target of a dog fighting investigation by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The affidavit in support of the complaint also alleges that on May 20, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Wilson’s residence with the assistance of the Kansas City Police Department. Inside the residence, investigators located a Stag Arms AR pistol, .556 caliber, with a round in the chamber and 29 rounds in the magazine inside the primary bedroom. Wilson is a prohibited person because he previously pleaded guilty to a federal drug charge in the District of Kansas. In 2010, Wilson was sentenced to 121 months in prison on that case.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Becker and David Barnes. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, and the United States Marshals Service.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Justice Department Seizes Domains Behind Major Information-Stealing Malware OperationRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of two warrants authorizing the seizure of five internet domains used by malicious cyber actors to operate the LummaC2 information-stealing malware service.
“The Department will continue to use its unique tools, authorities, and partnerships to disrupt malicious cyber operations and criminal networks,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s disruption is another instance where our prosecutors, agents, and private sector partners came together to protect us from the persistent cybersecurity threats targeting our country. We are grateful for their work and dedication.”
“Malware like LummaC2 is deployed to steal sensitive information such as user login credentials from millions of victims in order to facilitate a host of crimes, including fraudulent bank transfers and cryptocurrency theft,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s announcement demonstrates that the Justice Department is resolved to use court-ordered disruptions like this one to protect the public from the theft of their personal information and their assets. The Department is also committed to working with and appreciates the efforts of the private sector to safeguard the public from cybercrime.”
“The FBI is committed to disrupting the key services that cyber criminals rely on,” said Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of FBI’s Cyber Division. “That’s why, with our partners, we took action against the most popular infostealer service available in online criminal markets, which is responsible for millions of attacks against victims. Thanks to partnerships with the private sector, we were able to disrupt the LummaC2 infrastructure and seize user panels. Together, we are making it harder, and more painful, for cyber criminals to operate.”
As alleged in the affidavits filed in support of the government’s seizure warrants, the administrators of LummaC2 used the seized websites to distribute LummaC2, an information-stealing malware, to their affiliates and other cyber criminals. According to court documents, common targets for cybercriminals using malware like LummaC2 include browser data, autofill information, login credentials for accessing email and banking services, as well as cryptocurrency seed phrases, which permit access to virtual currency wallets. As alleged in the affidavits, the FBI has identified at least 1.7 million instances where LummaC2 was used to steal this type of information.
The government’s affidavit further alleges that the seized domains, also referred to as user panels, served as login pages for the LummaC2 malware, allowing credentialed users and administrators to access and deploy LummaC2. On May 19, 2025, the government seized two domains. On May 20, 2025, as detailed in court documents, the LummaC2 administrators informed their users of three new domains that they had set up to host the user panel. The next day, the government then seized those three domains.
The seizure of these domains by the government will prevent the owners and cybercriminals from using the websites to access LummaC2 to compromise computers and steal victim information. Individuals who now visit the websites will see a message indicating that the site has been seized by the Justice Department, including the FBI.
Concurrent with today’s actions and consistent with the Department’s approach to public-private operational coordination, Microsoft announced an independent civil action to take down 2,300 internet domains also claimed to be used by the LummaC2 actors or their proxies.
FBI’s Dallas Field Office is investigating the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, and the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are handling the case.
The U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, which is administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, offers a reward of up to $10 million for information on foreign government-linked individuals participating in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
Anyone with information on any other foreign government-linked malicious cyber actors or activity targeting U.S. critical infrastructure should contact Rewards for Justice via the RFJ Tor-based tip line at: he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion (Tor browser required). Learn more about Rewards for Justice and their reward offers at RewardsforJustice.net.
If you believe you have a compromised computer or device, please visit the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). You may also contact your local FBI field office directly.
Jury convicts home health agency owner in Medicare fraud and identity theft schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 64-year-old man has been convicted of all counts as charged for leading a Medicare fraud scheme involving the submission of falsified medical records, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Paul Njoku following a three-day trial.
Njoku owned and operated a home health care agency called Opnet Health Care Services Inc. doing business as P & P Health Care Services. Njoku was the owner and CEO.
The jury heard testimony from witnesses that Njoku, or others working at his direction, forged signatures of doctors and nurses. Specifically, Njoku and others cut out old signatures and taped them onto newly created doctors’ orders, nursing notes and nursing assessments. Medicare required home health agencies to maintain these documents to obtain payment for providing home health services. Njoku then submitted the falsified records in response to a request for records from Medicare.
The jury also heard about a registered nurse who had departed Opnet in 2017. Njoku continued using her signature on nursing notes and assessments in 2018 and 2019 without her knowledge or consent.
A witness also testified that Njoku bribed a doctor in exchange for approving home health services.
From 2015 to 2019, Opnet billed Medicare over $400,000 in claims for home health services and received over $360,000. Opnet did not maintain the required documentation for many of them and later falsified records to support the claims.
During the trial, a representative testified that Medicare would not have paid these claims had Medicare known there was no documentation or that they were based on falsified records.
“It is absolutely paramount that Americans—both as patients and as taxpayers—have confidence in the integrity of medical providers that receive Medicare funds. Here, the defendant unrepentantly abused that trust by engaging in bribery and stealing from Medicare,” said Ganjei. “With today’s guilty verdict, the Southern District of Texas aims to restore some of that lost trust. I thank the jury for their time and attention to this important case.”
The defense attempted to blame another person for the fraud. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett presided over the trial and will set sentencing at a later date. At that time, Njoku will face a maximum of 10 years for conspiracy to commit health care fraud, five years for two counts of false statements relating to health care matters as well as another two years for the identity theft which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. The convictions also carry a possible $250,000 fine for each count.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General and Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Latham and Kathryn Olson are prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts South Boston Man on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A federal jury sitting in Roanoke convicted a man from South Boston, Virginia, yesterday of federal drug and gun charges.
Following a two-day trial, the jury found Richard Elijah Jacobs, 27, guilty of possessing cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute it, possessing machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on February 3, 2024, police received a report that two men brandished guns from a newer white Jaguar in downtown South Boston. An officer saw the Jaguar park in a shopping center, and he approached as Jacobs exited the driver’s side of the car. Meanwhile, the passenger, James Alexander Hiett, evaded the officer and quickly walked away. Hiett was later identified by store surveillance cameras.
Other officers arrived on scene and spotted a gun protruding from the backseat of the car, prompting them to search it. Ultimately, officers found three loaded guns: a Glock 21 pistol with a 40-round drum magazine beneath the driver’s floormat; a Radical Firearms RF-15 pistol behind the driver’s seat; and a Glock 19 pistol under the passenger seat. The Glock 21 and RF-15 pistols were equipped with machinegun conversion devices that allowed for fully automatic fire.
Inside the Jaguar’s trunk, officers also found thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine powder, cocaine base, and marijuana, as well as paraphernalia for packaging and selling the drugs.
Hiett previously pled guilty to related charges and was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The South Boston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Halifax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Drew Inman and Kelly McGann prosecuted the case for the United States.
Jury Convicts Savannah Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A jury convicted a Savannah man at trial for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Ronald Lamont Milton, 74, Savannah, GA, was convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person following a jury trial in the Southern District of Georgia, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker presided over the trial.
In July 2023, law enforcement obtained a warrant for Milton’s arrest on a felony offense involving a firearm. While executing the arrest warrant, law enforcement found a .357 revolver in Milton’s waistband. As described in courtroom testimony, Milton has a history of offenses in the Savannah area that span over a 30-year period. At the time of his arrest, he was on state probation for Aggravated Battery, Burglary, and False Imprisonment convictions from the Superior Court of Chatham County.
Milton awaits sentencing upon the U.S. Probation Services completing a presentence investigation.
“With our law enforcement partners, we continue the work of removing firearms from the hands of those who can’t legally possess them – especially those convicted of prior felonies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lyons. “This effort is a vital step in reducing gun violence in our communities.”
“This conviction reinforces a clear message: if you are prohibited from possessing a firearm and choose to ignore that law, you will be held accountable,” said ASAC Beau Kolodka. “ATF will continue to stand with our local and federal partners to combat gun crime and keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals.”
“I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this case,” said Chief Lenny B. Gunther, Savannah Police Department. “Getting guns out of the hands of those who have no business possessing them is, and will remain, one of our highest priorities.”
The case was investigated by the Savannah Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia Assistant United States Attorney Timothy P. Dean and Special Assistant United States Attorney Makeia R. Jonese. For any questions, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.
Jefferson County man sentenced for possessing machinegun conversion deviceRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing a machinegun in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Aaron Charles Hill, 22, pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 21, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on July 15, 2024, law enforcement was dispatched to an apartment complex on Pinchback Road in Beaumont in reference to a disturbance with a firearm. The victim reported being chased by multiple armed persons trying to shoot him. Hill was apprehended attempting to leave the scene with two stolen pistols, one of which was equipped with an extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device, also referred to as a Glock switch. A Glock switch is a small device that can be attached to the rear of the slide of a handgun, converting a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic machinegun. Federal law defines a machinegun as a weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.
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).
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.
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Jamestown man going to prison for selling methRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Richard S. Dean, 49, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 500 grams of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that the defendant was a drug trafficking associate of co-defendant Douglas Beardsley. During the conspiracy, Dean would go over to Beardsley’s residences on Linden and Forest Avenues in Jamestown several times a week and pick up ounces of methamphetamine and grams of heroin to sell for Beardsley. At times, Beardsley would “front” the narcotics to the defendant to sell. Dean and Beardsley would often communicate about their drug trafficking, including through their Facebook accounts.
On January 6, 2019, local law enforcement observed a suspicious male, later identified as the defendant. Dean became evasive and ran from officers. Shortly thereafter, the defendant was taken into custody and arrested on an outstanding warrant. Dean was transported to the Jamestown City jail where a subsequent search revealed that he possessed methamphetamine, heroin, plastic baggies, a digital scale, and Dimethyl Sulfone, a common cutting agent for methamphetamine. On March 21, 2019, the defendant pleaded guilty in Chautauqua County Court to Criminal Possession Controlled Substance-5th: Intent To Sell and Criminal Sale Controlled Substance-5th Degree.
Douglas Beardsley was previously convicted and sentenced to serve 176 months in prison.
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.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division; and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson.
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Jackson Health Foundation Executive Charged with Pocketing over $1 million in Kickbacks, Stealing Foundation Money to Buy Designer Handbags and Rose Gold Golf CartRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal indictment unsealed today charges former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Jackson Health Foundation with designing a scheme to embezzle from the nonprofit foundation by submitting false invoices and taking kickbacks.
According to the indictment, Charmaine Gatlin, 52, formerly of Weston, Fla., served as the COO of the Jackson Health Foundation from 2014 through 2024. The Foundation is the fundraising arm of Jackson Health System (Jackson), a nonprofit hospital and medical system that serves Miami-Dade County. In addition to philanthropic contributions, Jackson’s funding comes from sales taxes, federal government programs, and other sources. As COO, Gatlin received a base salary ranging from $185,000 to $290,000. She signed a conflict-of-interest form with the Foundation preventing her from making decisions that resulted in personal gain.
The indictment alleges that Gatlin submitted false invoices to the Foundation for at least $3.6 million in goods and services that: (a) funded kickbacks to Gatlin; (b) were never provided to the Foundation or Jackson; (c) were provided to Gatlin or her relatives instead of the Foundation or Jackson; or (d) were provided to an Atlanta-based civic organization (Civic Organization 1).
For example, as charged in the indictment, Gatlin approved approximately $2 million in invoices to a Georgia-based audiovisual company for services that were not provided to the Foundation. Instead, the vendor allegedly paid $1 million in kickbacks directly to Gatlin, some of which she used to pay her personal credit card bill. The indictment alleges that Gatlin coached the vendor, via email, on how to falsify invoices.
The indictment also alleges that Gatlin falsified invoices from a merchandise vendor who, at Gatlin’s request, bought her expensive designer gifts from Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Apple. Gatlin also submitted a false invoice to the Foundation to cover the purchase of a new rose gold-colored golf cart that she had delivered to her Weston, Florida home in September 2023.
The indictment charges Gatlin with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, 26 counts of wire fraud, and five counts of money laundering. Gatlin faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the conspiracy and substantive wire fraud counts. She faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each money laundering count.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne of the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement.
FBI Miami investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Young is prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao-sdfl. The case number is 25-cr-20220.
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International Diamond Dealer Charged with Fraudulent Scheme to Obtain over $3 Million of DiamondsRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging business man and diamond dealer EDWARD CARLOS ST. MARY III with wire fraud in connection with his scheme to fraudulently obtain diamonds belonging to an international exporter and manufacturer of natural diamonds (the “Diamond Company”). ST. MARY was arrested yesterday morning and was presented yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
“As alleged, Edward Carlos St. Mary orchestrated an international scheme to steal over $3 million of uncut diamonds,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He falsified bank records and repeatedly lied to line his own pockets. New York’s Diamond District is one of the world’s foremost destinations for the sale of precious gems, and this Office and its law enforcement partners are committed to ensuring both wholesale and retail buyers can engage in the market free from fraud.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Edward Carlos St. Mary allegedly unlawfully procured hundreds of carats of diamonds worth millions of dollars with fabricated documents and promises of payment that were never upheld. The defendant allegedly disrupted the operations of an international company, and utilized our city to do so. The FBI remains committed to investigating anyone who orchestrates illicit surreptitious schemes to enrich themselves.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
In or about April 2021, ST. MARY met with the owner of the Diamond Company in India and agreed to purchase uncut diamonds from the Diamond Company. Between in or about April 2021 and in or about June 2021, ST. MARY and the owner of the Diamond Company exchanged numerous messages regarding the sale of diamonds to ST. MARY. They eventually agreed that ST. MARY would buy approximately 287 carats of diamonds (the “Diamonds”) from the Diamond Company for approximately $3.275 million. During that time, ST. MARY sent fraudulent documents and made numerous misrepresentations to the owner of the Diamond Company regarding his communications with his bank (“Bank-1”), the funds in his accounts at Bank-1, and his ability to pay the Diamond Company for uncut diamonds.
On or about June 11, 2021, the owner of the Diamond Company delivered the Diamonds to a company specializing in secure transportation and the handling of valuable goods (the “Security Company”) to transport the Diamonds to the U.S. and provide them to ST. MARY once he made the necessary payments. The Diamonds arrived in the U.S. the following week. After the Diamonds arrived in the U.S., ST. MARY made numerous false statements to the owner of the Diamond Company to explain why he had not yet paid for or picked up the Diamonds.
On or about August 4, 2021, ST. MARY picked up the Diamonds from the Security Company’s New York City location—without paying for them and without the Diamond Company’s knowledge or authorization. Thereafter, ST. MARY continued to make false statements to the owner of the Diamond Company to suggest that the Diamonds were still in the care of the Security Company and to provide various explanations for why he had not yet paid the Diamond Company. By November 2021, ST. MARY began making false statements to suggest that he had, in fact, paid for the Diamonds and sent the owner of the Diamond Company a fraudulent account statement purporting to show a wire transfer of over $3 million from ST. MARY to the Diamond Company. No such wire transfer was ever made.
On or about December 7, 2021, ST. MARY sent a message to the owner of the Diamond Company admitting that he had not paid for the Diamonds and falsely stating, in substance and in part, “this entire time my banker has told me that the funds were in your account. He assured me that you had already been paid. I will have it done as quick as I possibly can.” However, there are no records of ST. MARY communicating with anyone at Bank-1 about a payment for the Diamonds.
To date, ST. MARY has neither paid for nor returned the Diamonds.
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ST. MARY, 55, of Houston, Texas, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI on this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Remy Grosbard and Ariana Bloom are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Insurance Brokerage Executive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Making Tens of Thousands of Dollars in Illegal Campaign ContributionsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An insurance brokerage executive was charged today with breaking federal campaign laws by making so-called “conduit” campaign contributions –contributions illegally made in the name of another person – to a joint fundraising committee that included a U.S. Senator’s principal campaign committee.
Teena Maria Hostovich, 66, of La Cañada Flintridge, is charged in a single-count information with making contributions in the name of another aggregating to more than $10,000 in a year, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of two years in federal prison.
In a related filing today, Hostovich has agreed to plead guilty to the federal criminal charge and agreed to pay a fine of $43,500.
Hostovich is expected to make her initial appearance in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks.
According to her plea agreement, from May 2020 through 2023, Hostovich knowingly and willfully made a total of $75,700 in contributions to federal candidates’ principal campaign committees and federal joint fundraising committees in the names of other people. For the calendar years 2021 through 2023, Hostovich’s conduit contributions aggregated to more than $10,000 during each of those years.
To make these illegal campaign contributions, Hostovich used 11 different people – including employees at the insurance brokerage that employed her, family members of those employees, and individuals who performed personal services for Hostovich and her family.
As part of the scheme, Hostovich contacted one of these individuals or their family members and asked them to contribute individually or have one of their family members contribute to a particular candidate’s campaign or fundraising committee. Hostovich then paid the person the funds via PayPal either before the contribution was made or reimbursed them afterward.
To execute these conduit contributions, Hostovich sometimes explicitly stated that she would advance the money for the contribution or pay the person back for that contribution. Other times, the person had an implicit understanding that Hostovich would advance the money or reimburse them based on her history of advancements and reimbursements of political contributions. Hostovich generally advanced or reimbursed these individuals in amounts that exceeded the exact contribution amount but often the amounts were very close to the contribution amount.
Hostovich admitted in her plea agreement that one of the reasons she engaged in conduit contributions was to secure an appointment to the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees in Washington, D.C. She did not obtain this position.
The recipients of the illegal contributions included a joint fundraising committee that included a United States senator’s principal campaign committee, a principal campaign committee for a U.S. senatorial candidate, principal campaign committees for two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and a joint fundraising committee that included the principal campaign for a presidential candidate.
At no time did Hostovich reveal to any of these candidate committees or joint fundraising committees that she was the true source of the funds donated by the 11 individuals. Hostovich further admitted that she knew it was unlawful to make conduit contributions and that, before executing this scheme, she made numerous political contributions to federal candidates and served as a host for political fundraisers.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Thomas F. Rybarczyk of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section is prosecuting this case.
Indian National Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Elderly Victims in Excess of $2MRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – Acting U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Hanson announced today that Rakeshkumar Patel, age 36, of Flushing, New York, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for his role in an elder fraud scam targeting older Americans. The Honorable U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews accepted the plea.
According to court documents, between at least May 2023 and May 2024, the defendant, who was in the U.S. illegally, conspired with others to defraud elderly victims in Delaware and throughout the country of at least $2,154,889. The victims were contacted over the phone by fraudsters posing as federal agents. The fraudsters convinced each victim that their identity had been compromised and that they were the subject of a federal investigation. To cooperate with the fake federal investigation, the victims were instructed to liquidate their life savings and convert those savings into cash or gold bars. The victims were then directed to deliver that cash or gold to couriers posing as federal agents—like the defendant—who picked up the cash or gold from the victims’ residences or other public places.
“The Department’s Elder Justice Initiative is committed to protecting elderly victims from being swindled out of their hard-earned life savings by bad actors like Patel,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Hanson. “Together, with our law enforcement partners, my office will continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who scam the elderly for financial gain. We encourage all members of the public to remain vigilant against these scams. If you think you or a loved one may have been defrauded, make a report to law enforcement immediately.”
"When you talk to victims, you see and hear how gut wrenching and devastating these scams are. They're often facing deep financial anxiety and are emotionally distressed, with the aftereffects weighing heavy on all aspects of their lives," says FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Bill DelBagno. "The FBI and our partners are working steadfastly every day to educate the public to avoid these scams and to identify, disrupt, and bring to justice those committing these appalling crimes."
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). You can also report fraud to any local law enforcement agency or on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
The FBI requests victims report:
- The name of the person or company that contacted you.
- Methods of communication used, including websites, emails, and telephone numbers.
- Any bank account number(s) to which you wired funds and the recipient’s name(s).
- The name and location of the metal dealer company and the account to which you wired funds, if you were instructed to buy precious metals.
As a result of Patel’s guilty plea to the wire fraud conspiracy, he faces more than five years in federal prison when sentenced. Judge Andrews will determine the defendant’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by FBI Baltimore Field Office’s Wilmington Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William E. LaRosa and Alexander P. Ibrahim are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 25-CR-46.
Indian National Indicted for Transportation and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on May 8, 2025, ASHISH KAPOOR, a/k/a “Romy Kapoor,” (“KAPOOR”),age 28, a national of India, was charged in a superseding indictment Transportation of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(1), (a)(4)(B), (b)(1), and (b)(2).
If convicted of Transportation of Child Pornography, KAPOOR faces a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to 250,000.00, a period of supervised release up to life, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. If convicted of Possession of Child Pornography, KAPOOR faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to 250,000.00, a period of supervised release up to life, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
According to the superseding indictment, on or about February 21, 2024, KAPOOR transported a cellular phone containing digital videos and computer images containing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. On or about December 20, 2024, KAPOOR possessed digital videos and computer images containing visual depictions of prepubescent minors under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the superseding indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the United States Customs and Border Protection, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.
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Illegal Firearm Possession Lands Oklahoma City Man in Federal Prison for Six Years Following Domestic Calls to Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – AARON JOELRAYEL TURNER, 27, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 72 months in federal prison for illegal possession of firearms after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On February 25, 2025, Turner was charged by Superseding Information with three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to public record, in 2024, Turner had three separate interactions with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD). During the first incident on June 19, 2024, OCPD officers responded to a home on reports of a domestic dispute. Once at the home, the victim told police Turner gained entry into her residence despite a recent emergency VPO issued against Turner, and that Turner had struck her in the face before leaving the house. OCPD located and arrested Turner shortly after and discovered a firearm in his pocket. The second encounter with OCPD took place on August 23, 2024, after OCPD officers encountered Turner again at the same residence and seized two more pistols possessed by Turner.
The third encounter with OCPD took place on October 23, 2024, after officers responded to another home on a welfare check. The calling party advised OCPD that Turner was in the home with a firearm, and that Turner had been having domestic issues with the calling party’s granddaughter. OCPD officers received consent to search the home, and seized two firearms and several live rounds of ammunition possessed by Turner.
On February 25, 2025, Turner pleaded guilty to the Superseding Information and admitted he possessed a firearm on the three instances noted above, despite his previous felony convictions.
On May 19, 2025, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones sentenced Turner to serve 72 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Jones noted Turner’s history of illegal firearm possession as well as his extensive criminal history. Public record reflects that Turner has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County District Court that include two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm in case numbers CF-2020-1985 and CF-2017-5873.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of PSN, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Houston Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Illegal Distribution of Opioids and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A Texas man was sentenced on Monday to 19 years in prison for unlawfully conspiring to distribute millions of opioid pills and aiding the falsification of tax records.
According to court documents, Christopher Obaze, 64, of Houston, Texas, was the owner and pharmacist-in-charge of Chrisco Pharmacy. Obaze and his co-conspirators operated Chrisco Pharmacy as an illegal “ghosting pharmacy,” purchasing pharmaceutical opioids and other commonly abused prescription drugs from wholesalers and then selling them in bulk to drug traffickers, without involving physicians, patients, or prescriptions. From January 2018 through October 2021, Obaze and his co-conspirators distributed at least 2,268,700 hydrocodone 10-325 mg and oxycodone 30 mg pills as part of the scheme.
The defendant and his pharmacy technician attempted to conceal their illegal activities by reporting no dispensing of the drugs to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy’s prescription monitoring program after July 2018, and by structuring cash deposits and submitting false documents to banks to maintain accounts to hold the proceeds of their unlawful distribution scheme. Obaze also aided and assisted in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent tax returns to the IRS by understating, among other things, the gross receipts of Chrisco Pharmacy.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Houston Division, and Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office made the announcement.
The DEA and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Drew Pennebaker of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Honduran National Guilty of Re-Entry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ (“AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ”), age 29, a native of Honduras, pled guilty on May 13, 2025, to an indictment charging him with re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. His sentencing is set for June 17, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long.
According to court documents, AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ re-entered the United States after being previously deported on June 8, 2018. On December 22, 2024, AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, was booked into the Orleans Justice Center after being arrested for several state charges. Thereafter, on March 5, 2023, The Pacific Enforcement Response Center issued a detainer for AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, after he was arrested in Jefferson Parish on municipal and traffic attachments. Enforcement and Removal Operations New Orleans picked up AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, on March 7, 2025, after his release from local custody and turned him over to immigration authorities.
EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
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).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Havre man sentenced to over 5 years in prison for drug and gun charges on the Rocky Boy’s Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Havre man who admitted trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl while possessing a firearm on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced yesterday to 66 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Bradley Lynn Perkins, 25, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances (methamphetamine and fentanyl) and possession of an unregistered firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on February 15, 2023, in Hill County, the Tri-Agency Task Force arranged a controlled purchase of roughly 27 grams of methamphetamine from the Perkins.
One week later, Perkins was in state custody on other narcotics charges. He was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted he bought 500 fentanyl pills from someone on February 18, 2023, and he had previously purchased meth from the same person. Perkins also said he had been selling fentanyl pills for the last month or two and estimated he sold about 100 pills for $10 each. In March 2023, two witnesses said they had purchased fentanyl pills from Perkins. Another witness described selling between 500 and 700 fentanyl pills to Perkins between August and December 2022.
On May 17, 2023, the Task Force and FBI arranged another controlled purchase of about 30 grams of methamphetamine from Perkins.
On December 13, 2023, an FBI agent interviewed a witness who had gotten methamphetamine from Perkins and had previously paid him for meth. The witness also said Perkins gave them a shortened shotgun prior to a probation search; the FBI seized the shotgun and found the barrel was less than 18 inches in length. Perkins claimed ownership of the gun, and it had not been registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Tri-Agency Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Health Care Business Owner Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failure to Pay over $500,000 in TaxesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Leslie Henry Wilson, age 53, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 12 months in federal prison following her conviction for failure to pay federal taxes. The Court further sentenced Wilson to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $598,774.51 in restitution.
From January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2023, Wilson was the sole owner of Personal Touch Healthcare Services, LLC, which provides outpatient assisted living services, and Personal Touch Respite Center, LLC, which provides temporary housing for homeless people with special needs. Each of these businesses employed workers and operated in and around the Baton Rouge metropolitan area. Wilson managed and oversaw all aspects of these two companies, including payroll and taxes.
During that time, Wilson failed to pay over $598,774.51 to the IRS on behalf of her businesses and employees. Specifically, she withheld hundreds of thousands of dollars in payroll (i.e., FICA) taxes from her employees but kept the money for herself instead of paying it to the IRS. Further, she also failed to pay the employer portion of the FICA taxes for her employees. FICA payroll taxes are used to fund Social Security and Medicare benefits for all Americans.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ben Wallace.
Great Falls man sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug and money laundering chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man who distributed significant amounts of methamphetamine was sentenced today to 240 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Daniel Allen Wakeford, 61, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of money laundering.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement learned Daniel Wakeford had been involved in the distribution of methamphetamine in Great Falls and elsewhere for several years. A witness informed law enforcement they received methamphetamine from Wakeford for resale since 2020. Prior to 2021, the witness had received approximately two pounds of methamphetamine from Wakeford. In March 2021, however, law enforcement learned Wakeford provided the witness with roughly five pounds of methamphetamine for resale. Surveillance conducted by law enforcement corroborated the witness’s account.
Law enforcement spoke with numerous individuals who received methamphetamine from Wakeford between approximately 2020 and 2024. Those individuals outlined how Wakeford and others would provide them with methamphetamine for resale. In February 2024, an individual referred to here as John Doe was apprehended in Billings, Montana with approximately 78 grams of methamphetamine in his possession. He outlined how, among other things, he had recently assisted Wakeford with packaging several hundred thousand dollars in cash, how John Doe received the methamphetamine from Wakeford in Great Falls, and that Wakeford made statements indicating he was conspiring to distribute a significant amount of methamphetamine.
Law enforcement determined that during the time of the conspiracy Wakeford did not have a significant source of legitimate income. However, on November 21, 2022, Wakeford paid $16,534 in cash for a new 2022 snowmobile in Great Falls.
Following the original indictment in this case, law enforcement conducted a search of Wakeford’s home in Great Falls, Montana and located paperwork for a storage unit that Wakeford leased in Phoenix, Arizona. Wakeford was arrested in Utah on a federal warrant while driving a motorhome valued at over $40,000. Inside the motorhome, officers located over $62,000 in cash, as well as additional paperwork related to the storage unit in Arizona. Federal agents in Arizona obtained a warrant to search the storage unit and located over 100 pounds of methamphetamine and a firearm (both pictured below).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno Baucus and Jeff Starnes prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Russell Country Drug Task Force.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Gainesville Man Found Guilty of Possession of a MacHine Gun in Furtherance of a Drug-Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Lagarius Joseph Johnson, 20, of Gainesville, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury of possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The guilty verdict was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Evidence at trial demonstrated that officers from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Gainesville Police Department were conducting surveillance of the Majestic Oaks apartments due to reports that Johnson and others were in possession of firearms, including a machinegun. Johnson was prohibited under state law from possessing a firearm due to prior criminal history. Officers identified Johnson and tried to approach him, but Johnson spun around and pointed with his hand inside his jacket pocket, making officers believe he was armed with a pistol. As officers identified themselves as police, Johnson ran. Officers were able to apprehend Johnson with a police canine. As Johnson fled, he threw a cellphone, backpack, and pistol. Officers discovered a distribution-quantity of marijuana, empty baggies, and a digital scale, in Johnson’s backpack. Examination of the Glock pistol discarded by Johnson revealed a machinegun conversion device, rendering the pistol fully automatic. Officers obtained search warrants and reviewed material from Johnson’s cellphone, as well as his social media accounts, and found dozens of pictures of Johnson posing with guns, large amounts of cash, and advertising marijuana for sale, including on the day of his arrest.
Johnson was convicted during a previous trial on April 16, 2025, in United States District Court for the charges of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances, and possession of a machinegun.
Sentencing for each of the firearm and drug trafficking charges is scheduled for August 12, 2025, at 10:00 am. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before United States District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
Johnson also faces unrelated charges of attempted first degree murder involving a machinegun in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court in and for Alachua County where he has entered a plea of not guilty and is presumed innocent.
This conviction was the result of a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Eric Welch prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Francis Creek Man Indicted for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 20, 2025, a two-count federal indictment was returned alleging that Ryan S. Schroeder (age: 37) of Francis Creek, Wisconsin, engaged in the production of child pornography in August and September of 2023, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a).
Each count of the indictment alleges that Schroeder “knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced Jane Doe A, a minor, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct.” If convicted of either count, Schroeder would face a mandatory 15 and up to 30 years of imprisonment. He also could be fined up to $250,000 per count and would be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office and the Mishicot Police Department with the assistance of the Manitowoc County District Attorney’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Four Convicted in Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy Spanning from Mexico to AlabamaRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, AL – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson and Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer, with the Drug Enforcement Administration New Orleans Division, announced that four individuals have been convicted for their roles in a large-scale drug trafficking operation that transported cocaine from Mexico to Alabama. On May 19, 2025, a federal jury found the following individuals guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine: Jim Carter, Jr., 58, of Montgomery, Alabama; Francisco Lopez, 39, of Texas; Michael Evans, 53, of Montgomery, Alabama; and Bryce Johnson, 38, of Union Springs, Alabama. The jury convicted Carter and Lopez on an additional charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a suspected drug trafficking network involving Carter in 2023. The investigation uncovered that Carter traveled to Texas and crossed the border into Mexico on multiple occasions to further the conspiracy. Couriers regularly transported cocaine from Texas to Alabama, delivering it to Carter. On June 10, 2024, agents seized six kilograms of cocaine during a delivery to Carter by Lopez.
The jury also heard evidence that Michael Evans—who was an Alabama State Trooper at the time—offered to wear his uniform and use his official patrol vehicle to facilitate drug transportation, in an attempt to avoid detection by law enforcement.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the coming months. Carter and Lopez each face a statutory sentence of 10 years to life in prison. Evans and Johnson face up to 20 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
Five other individuals previously pleaded guilty in connection with this investigation:
- Saundra Curry, 63, of Deatsville, Alabama, pleaded guilty on September 19, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. She faces up to 20 years in prison.
- Othello Howard, 29, of Montgomery, Alabama, pleaded guilty on February 3, 2025, to the same charge and also faces up to 20 years.
- Jimario Thompson, 37, of Montgomery, Alabama, pleaded guilty on April 30, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He faces a maximum of 20 years.
- Raul Ramos Deleon, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty on April 30, 2025, to illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
- Maria Beatriz Palomo-De Lopez, 41, also a Mexican national, pleaded guilty on April 30, 2025, to illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. She also faces up to 20 years.
“This case is a clear reminder of the serious threat that drug trafficking poses to our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Davidson. “Cocaine and other illegal narcotics fuel violence, addiction, and instability in neighborhoods across Alabama and the nation. Our office remains committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to dismantle these networks and hold traffickers accountable, no matter where the drugs originate or how they move.”
“This investigation shows that no one is above the law – not even those sworn to uphold it,” said Special Agent in Charge Hofer. “Drug trafficking puts lives at risk and tears at the fabric of our communities. The DEA, working alongside our local law enforcement partners, is committed to protecting the people of Alabama by keeping dangerous drugs off the streets and ensuring accountability at every level. Our communities deserve safety, justice, and law enforcement they can trust.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with cooperation from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Other investigating agencies include the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, Millbrook Police Department, Montgomery Police Department, and Prattville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Andreu and Michelle R. Turner are prosecuting the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.