Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 11 April 2025
Darknet Vendor Sentenced for Conspiracy to Sell Counterfeit DrugsRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Lebanese and Italian national, Alessandro Sabbagh, 27, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier to 78 months in prison, for conspiracy to sell counterfeit drugs and knowingly causing the sale of a counterfeit drug.
According to his plea agreement, between January 2017 and October 2021, Sabbagh conspired with others to manufacture and sell counterfeit generic alprazolam pills. Sabbagh and his co-conspirators, without authorization, created pills stamped with manufacturer imprints designed to replicate the appearance of actual alprazolam pills. The benzodiazepine-class drugs used by the co-conspirators in the counterfeit pills have no accepted medical use in the United States. Sabbagh and his co-conspirators then sold these counterfeit pills in the Eastern District of Kentucky and throughout the United States via darknet marketplaces, receiving payment for the sales in cryptocurrencies. Sabbagh managed multiple vendor accounts across several darknet marketplaces and was responsible for sales to customers and providing lists of customer orders to co-conspirators who manufactured and shipped the counterfeit alprazolam pills. Over the course of the conspiracy, Sabbagh and his co-conspirators trafficked counterfeit alprazolam valued at more than $25 million.
Under federal law, Sabbagh must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Sabbagh must also forfeit cryptocurrency seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and agreed to the imposition of a $5,055,377 forfeiture money judgment, representing the amount of proceeds he received from the scheme.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Division, Quincy Barnett, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Jeff Couch, Manchester Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, IRS, FBI, and Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosenberg is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
– END –
Cuban National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal district judge in Miami sentenced a Cuban national to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after he previously pleaded guilty to alien smuggling in January.
On Sept. 29, 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers on a CBP air and maritime operations vessel, intercepted Rafael Rodriguez Hernandez, 35, while he was transporting 27 people on his boat from the Bahamas to the United States. The CBP officers brought the individuals from Hernandez’s boat onboard the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Richard Etheridge where USCG Officers confirmed that all the individuals, except Hernandez, were aliens who did not have authorization to enter the United States. The CBP officers also determined that five of the aliens were Ecuadorian nationals who had been previously removed from the United States.
USCG officers brought Hernandez and the five Ecuadorians to shore to face charges. The rest of the aliens were returned to the Bahamas.
U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, announced Hernandez’s sentence.
HSI Miami investigated the case with assistance from CBP and USCG, 7th Coast Guard District. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20458.
###
Colombian National Sentenced to 178 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Transport Hundreds of Kilograms of Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Colombian citizen was sentenced to 178 months in prison for conspiring to import hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the United States from other countries including Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Raul Orlando Torres Cubides, aka “Jose Jota,” 57, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to Count One of an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2016 through January 2020, Cubides and others conspired to import hundreds of kilograms of cocaine. Cubides admitted playing a managerial role in this conspiracy, which involved more than five individuals.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Cubides to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, New Jersey, as well as special agents and task force officers with the DEA operating in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. She also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section Judicial Attachés in Bogotá, Colombia; Colombian law enforcement authorities; and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance.
This case 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.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
###
Defense counsel: James Plaisted, Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey
Chinese National Charged with Escaping from FCI DanburyRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on April 9, 2025, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging XIAOQIN YAN, 31, a citizen of China, with escape from the custody of the Attorney General.
The indictment alleges that, on December 10, 2024, Yan escaped from the Federal Satellite Low facility at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury (FCI Danbury) where she was serving a federal prison sentence imposed in the Middle District of Alabama for arson and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Yan was apprehended on December 10, 2024.
If convicted of the charge, Yan faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Danbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.
Canadian man sentenced for being a money mule in a scam targeting the elderlyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Mohamed Khaled Sakr, 31, of Montreal, Quebec, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Sakr was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $262,500 to 18 elderly victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that between May 8 and May 13, 2023, Sakr conspired with others to defraud elderly victims out of money and property. Unknown members of the conspiracy contacted elderly victims by telephone, posing as a relative or loved one, and falsely advised them that they had been arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) following a purported motor vehicle accident. The elderly victims were told that the loved one could only be released from custody if the elderly victim posted cash bail on their behalf. Members of the conspiracy utilized “money mules” or “bail bondsmen” to retrieve money from the elderly victims. Once cash was obtained, it was transported to other unknown conspirators in the New York City area. Mohamed Khaled Sakr was one of the money mules involved in the conspiracy Sakr and others in the Western District of New York and elsewhere collected approximately $262,500 from elderly victims and attempted to collect an additional $9,500 in furtherance of the conspiracy.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff David Linder, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, and the Monroe Crime Analysis Center.
# # # #
California resident indicted for wire fraud for scheme to steal nearly $1 million from Seattle area employerRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Seattle grand jury this week indicted a 43-year-old Laguna Niguel, California man on six counts of wire fraud for his scheme to steal nearly $1 million from his employer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Paul Joseph Welch was the IT manager of Kent, Washington energy manufacturing company Algas-SDI when he allegedly used various schemes to steal more than $950,000 from the company. Welch will be arraigned on the indictment on April 17, 2025.
According to the indictment, Welch worked for the company from 2011 to 2024. He was promoted to Information Technology Manager in 2018. The indictment alleges that as early as 2017, Welch used the company’s Amazon business account to make unauthorized personal purchases from Amazon.com. Between 2017 and 2023, those purchases totaled at least $43,000. Welch primarily purchased electronics such at televisions, laptops and more—all for personal use. In 2019, Welch began using his company credit card for personal purchases through other online retailers such as Apple, Alaska Airlines, Instacart and BestBuy. Between 2019 and 2024, those unauthorized personal purchases totaled at least an additional $60,000.
The scheme really accelerated in January 2021 when Welch began making payments to himself disguised as payments to a computer services company. Welch allegedly created a series of email addresses and payment processor accounts using a business name that was very similar to a legitimate computer services company based in Washington State. Welch then used Algas-SDI company credit cards to pay the computer services company under the guise that the company was providing IT equipment and services to Algas-SDI. However, the legitimate computer services company had no relationship with Welch and never provided any services or equipment to Algas-SDI. The credit card payments Welch made from Algas-SDI’s credit cards went directly to the payment processor accounts that Welch controlled. Between 2021 and 2024 Welch allegedly used this scheme to transfer approximately $879,175 from company accounts to his own accounts.
Algas-SDI tried to verify the legitimacy of Welch’s activity on multiple occasions, but each time, Welch allegedly provided false or misleading information to cover up his scheme. Algas-SDI employees asked Welch to submit invoices to substantiate his charges, but Welch allegedly emailed phony documents designed to look like invoices from the legitimate computer services company. At one point in 2023, an Algas-SDI accounting employee identified personal purchases on Welch’s company credit card. Welch claimed the charges were inadvertent and said he would repay the company. Welch never repaid the charges and continued to defraud the company through unauthorized personal purchases and more fake vendor charges. In January 2024, alone, Welch allegedly submitted phony invoices to Algas-SDI showing that the computer services company had purportedly invoiced Algas-SDI more than $55,000 for equipment and services in that timeframe.
On January 19, 2024, Algas-SDI employees confronted Welch about the charges from the computer services company accounts that Welch controlled. After Welch again told Algas-SDI that the vendor was a real vendor for the company, the company fired him.
The wire fraud charges represent six of the times Welch emailed the company false statements or invoices purported to be from a legitimate computer services company.
In all, between 2017 and January 2024 Walch secretly made at least 250 fraudulent charges for the third party vendor he controlled. He made at least 140 unauthorized purchases with retailers using the company credit card and at least 100 fraudulent purchases on the company’s Amazon account. While Welch profited some $950,000 from his theft, the loss to ALGAS-SDI was approximately $982,520 due to various fees on the transactions.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer.
welch_indictment.pdfCalifornia Restaurant Owner Sentenced for COVID-19 and Tax Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
A San Diego restaurant owner was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for schemes to defraud COVID-19 relief programs and filing false tax returns.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Leronce Suel was the majority owner of Rockstar Dough LLC and Chicken Feed LLC, both of which operated restaurants in the San Diego area, including Streetcar Merchants in the North Park neighborhood. He conspired with others to underreport over $1.7 million in gross receipts on Rockstar Dough’s 2020 corporate tax return and COVID-19 relief applications. Suel’s businesses fraudulently received $1,773,245 in COVID-related Paycheck Protection Program loans and Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants, two programs created to provide financial assistance to American suffering economic harm as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Suel and his co-conspirator misappropriated COVID-19 relief program funds by making substantial cash withdrawals from their business bank accounts, purchasing a home in Arkansas, and keeping more than $2.4 million in cash in Suel’s bedroom.
IRS-CI Photo of approximately $2.4 million of cash seized by law enforcement, exhibit in United States v. Suel et al., number 23-CR-00965 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Credit IRS Criminal Investigation.Suel did not file timely tax returns for 2018 and 2019, despite being legally required to do so. On his 2020 through 2023 tax returns, Suel also did not report the income from his businesses including millions of dollars in cash he withdrew. Finally, in 2023, Suel filed false original and amended tax returns for multiple years, including personal tax returns for 2016 and 2017 that included false depreciable assets and business losses.
In September 2024, Suel was convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, tax evasion, conspiracy to defraud the United States, filing false tax returns, and failing to file tax returns. Following the convictions, Suel agreed to forfeit $1,466,918 in U.S. currency.
In addition to this prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro for the Southern District of California ordered Suel to pay approximately $1,773,245 in restitution to the Small Business Administration and forfeit $1,466,918. Restitution to IRS will be heard on June 6.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Julia Rugg of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Beeler for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.
Butler County Resident Charged with Making Threats to Assault and Murder President Donald J. Trump, Other United States Officials, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement AgentsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Shawn Monper, 32, a resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with making threats to assault and murder President Donald J. Trump, other United States officials, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
“I want to applaud the outstanding and courageous investigative work of the FBI and the Butler Township Police Department, who thankfully identified and apprehended this individual before he could carry out his threats against President Trump’s life and the lives of other innocent Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Rest assured that whenever and wherever threats of assassination or mass violence occur, this Department of Justice will find, arrest, and prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law and seek the maximum appropriate punishment.”
According to the federal criminal complaint, on April 8, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Threat Operations Section (NTOS) received an emergency disclosure regarding threats posted to YouTube by user “Mr Satan.” Federal agents determined that the threatening statements occurred between January 15, 2025, and April 5, 2025. The subsequent federal investigation affirmed that the internet activity associated with “Mr Satan” corresponded with Shawn Monper’s residence in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The investigation further established that Monper sought and obtained a firearms permit shortly following President Trump’s inauguration. In February 2025, Monper commented using his “Mr Satan” account: “I have bought several guns and been stocking up on ammo since Trump got in office.” Further, in March 2025, Monper commented using his account: “Eventually im going to do a mass shooting.” One week later, Monper commented: “I have been buying 1 gun a month since the election, body armor, and ammo.”
The criminal complaint identified the following threatening statements regarding President Trump, other United States officials, and ICE agents:
February 17, 2025: “Nah, we just need to start killing people, Trump, Elon, all the heads of agencies Trump appointed, and anyone who stands in the way. Remember, we are the majority, MAGA is a minority of the country, and by the time its time to make the move, they will be weakened, many will be crushed by these policies, and they will want revenge too. American Revolution 2.0”
March 4, 2025: “im going to assassinate him myself.” This threat was made in a YouTube video titled “Live: Trump’s address to Congress.”
March 18, 2025: “ICE are terrorist people, we need to start killing them.”
April 1, 2025: “If I see an armed ice agent, I will consider it a domestic terrorist, and an active shooter and open fire on them.”
On April 9, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Butler Township Police Department, arrested Monper on the federal criminal complaint. On April 10, 2025, Monper was ordered detained pending preliminary and detention hearings scheduled for April 14, 2025, at 1:00 pm.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Butler Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the criminal complaint against Monper.
A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Broken Bow Resident Sentenced to 29 Years for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dylan Thomas Walker, age 29, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 235 months in prison for one count of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country, and to 120 months in prison for one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively for a total of 355 months in prison.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
On October 31, 2023, Walker pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on the evening of December 3, 2022, Walker drove to a Broken Bow residence armed with a gun and attempted to gain entry. Walker then fired upon an occupant of the residence who answered the front door. The victim, who sustained gunshot wounds to the chest and arm, was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.
The crimes occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Walker will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Geizura and Edith Singer represented the United States.
Brockton Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A self-admitted gang member from Brockton, who was previously convicted of killing a 17-year-old outside a Roxbury high school, pleaded guilty today to drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Andre McNeil, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2025. McNeil was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024.
On Feb. 2, 2024, a series of searches were executed on McNeil’ vehicle and several associated residences. As a result, approximately 31 grams of cocaine, three handguns, two high-capacity magazines, five other magazines, approximately 101 rounds of 9mm ammunition and approximately $17,406 dollars, along with numerous cellular devices were seized. Numerous items used in drug trafficking, including scales, a money counter, baggies and a drug ledger were also observed at the search locations.
McNeil is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2014 manslaughter conviction in Suffolk Superior Court for shooting and killing a 17-year-old boy outside a Roxbury high school, for which he was sentenced to more than 12 years in state prison.
The charge of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute provides for sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Brockton, Foxboro and Taunton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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.
Bergen County Man Sentenced to 86 Months in Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 86 months in prison for distributing and possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Michael Kimmerle, 35, of New Milford, New Jersey previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 24, 2021, through August 7, 2022, Kimmerle distributed material containing video files of child sexual abuse, via a publicly available online peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing program. Law enforcement used undercover online sessions to access the P2P program. During these sessions a user shared multiple video files of child sexual abuse from an Internet Protocol address traced to Kimmerle’s residence. During a September 14, 2022 search of Kimmerle’s residence, law enforcement found over 600 thumbnail images containing child pornography on Kimmerle’s laptop, including images derived from video files Kimmerle previously distributed through the P2P file-sharing program.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Kimmerle to 5 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $59,500 in restitution to the victims.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea D. Coleman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
###
Defense counsel: John J. Bruno, Jr., Esq., Rutherford, New Jersey
Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Machine Gun Possession in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Garrick Powell, 32, of Baltimore, has pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a machine gun in federal court.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF) – Baltimore Field Division, and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to the guilty plea, on April 19, 2023, law enforcement found Powell in possession of a machine gun. BPD officers from the Eastern District Baltimore Community Intelligence Center — who were surveilling the 500 block of North Patterson Park Avenue — spotted Powell displaying the characteristics of an armed person.
An officer observed Powell enter a vehicle and drive away from the block. Officers then conducted a traffic stop, searched Powell’s vehicle, and recovered a loaded Poly80 9mm handgun with an extended magazine. The Poly80 firearm is frequently referred to as a “ghost gun” because there is no serial number on the firearm. Additionally, the Poly80 had a conversion device attached to the weapon which converted the semi-automatic weapon into an automatic Poly80, making it a machine gun. Officers also recovered a second extended magazine and 63 rounds of 9mm ammunition from Powell’s vehicle.
Sentencing is set for July 16, at 10 a.m. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia McLane and Stanton Lawyer who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn.
# # #
Armed Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile woman was sentenced to 180 months in prison for a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
According to court documents, Desiree Rose Carlock, 33, was surveilled by narcotics agents in January 2024 traveling from Mobile to Pensacola, Florida, where she would purchase pounds of methamphetamine to bring back to Mobile and sell. On February 21, 2024, agents seized nearly a pound of methamphetamine and a loaded .380 caliber pistol from Carlock during a traffic stop. Carlock admitted to agents that she had just obtained the methamphetamine from a supplier in Pensacola. She confessed that she typically picked up methamphetamine in Pensacola twice a week and distributed the drugs to individuals in Mobile. Agents searched Carlock’s cell phone, which contained text messages, photos, videos, and other data regarding her drug-trafficking activities.
In April 2024, agents arrested Carlock in possession of methamphetamine on two occasions. First, during a traffic stop on April 2, 2024, agents seized 21 grams of methamphetamine from Carlock. Second, during a traffic stop on April 22, 2024, agents seized 349 grams of methamphetamine from Carlock.
In addition to the 180-month prison sentence, United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Carlock to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon her release from prison, during which time she will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Carlock to pay $200 in special assessments and forfeited her firearm, ammunition, and cell phone to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The Escambia County, Florida Sheriff’s Office substantially assisted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offenses in Connection with Catfishing Scheme That Targeted Young BoysRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Donald Michael, aka “Baseball Fun,” 47, of Queen Creek, Arizona, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney yesterday to multiple child pornography offenses.
Michael was charged by indictment in July of last year with one count of conspiracy to manufacture child pornography, one count of conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography, one count of distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography, and two counts of receipt of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all the charges against him.
The defendant, who served as a baseball coach of minor boys for more than 20 years, engaged in an online child exploitation catfishing scheme for more than 18 months with co-conspirators Andrew Wolf, a former teacher at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCH), and Kray Strange, of Carthage, New York, both of whom were previously convicted and sentenced.
Michael conspired with Wolf and Strange to target minor boys who were Wolf’s current and former students at SCH and to coerce and induce them to produce sexually explicit images and send them to the defendant and his co-conspirators over the internet. They did so by creating multiple fake online profiles where they pretended to be teenaged girls, engaging each of their victims in sexually explicit and graphic chats, and distributing child pornography to the minor boys, in an effort to get them to reciprocate with their own images.
When the boys refused to continue to engage, Michael and his co-conspirators used blackmail and extortion to manipulate them into continuing to produce images. After Wolf and Strange were arrested and incarcerated, this defendant continued his catfishing scheme by targeting and victimizing minor boys who were Little League World Series players.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14 and faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release, and a maximum possible term of 110 years’ imprisonment and lifetime supervised release. He will also be required to register as a child sex offender under both state and federal law.
“Donald Michael and his co-conspirators strategized at length about how to ‘bait’ young boys into taking and sending explicit images of themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “They reveled in the anonymity that the internet provided them to target and catfish their young victims. Unmasking these predators is a priority for my office and the FBI, as we work to protect children everywhere from sexual exploitation.”
“The sexual exploitation of children remains one of the most devious crimes the men and women of the FBI investigate,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This serves as a reminder how seriously the FBI and our partners take the online victimization of minors. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect children from abuse and exploitation, and that ensure that those who harm them will be held accountable.”
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 projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly Harrell and Michelle Rotella.
Alpine Man Sentenced to Six Years for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Erik David Morgan of Alpine was sentenced in federal court today to 72 months in prison for possessing a significant amount of fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
According to plea documents, Morgan used social media messaging applications to arrange to sell 3.5 grams of fentanyl for $150 to an individual who was, in fact, an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
On March 14, 2024, when Morgan arrived at the meeting location in El Cajon, he was encountered by uniformed El Cajon police officers, who discovered Morgan in possession of 10.05 grams of fentanyl.
Federal agents and task force officers with Homeland Security Investigations’ Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) led this investigation.
HSI San Diego FAST is a multiagency task force comprising state, local and federal partners and was first established in August 2022 focusing on the disruption and dismantlement of criminal organizations that smuggle and distribute fentanyl with San Diego County. HSI’s FAST targets fentanyl smuggling and distribution networks to counter the rising overdose rate and decrease the availability and accessibility of fentanyl.
Fentanyl remains a serious threat. The latest DEA laboratory testing announced last fall indicated that five out of 10 pills tested contained a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a lethal dose. For perspective, one gram of fentanyl, equivalent in size to a sugar packet, has the potential to kill up to 500 people.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron McElhose.
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).
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr787-BAS
Erik David Morgan Age: 44 Alpine, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $1,000,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
El Cajon Police Department
- Albuquerque Man Sentenced for Threatening and Stalking a Raleigh Woman He Met Online
Ahoskie Gang Member Sentenced to 71 Months in Prison for Firearm and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – An Ahoskie man was sentenced today to 71 months in prison for gun and drug crimes. Nyjawaun Ezell, a.k.a. “Nike,” age 28, pleaded guilty to the charges on November 13, 2024.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Ezell, a high-ranking member of the G-Shine set of the Bloods gang, unlawfully obtained multiple firearms over a 10-month period while under indictment for allegedly murdering a rival gang member in Hertford County. In one instance, Ezell tried to purchase an AR-style rifle at a local gun store and made a false statement on the ATF gun-purchase form about being under the felony indictment, which disqualified him from being able to purchase a firearm. The evidence also showed that Ezell was engaged in dealing narcotics and other controlled substances in Hertford County during this time period.
Ezell pleaded guilty to three counts of receipt of a firearm while under felony indictment; one count of knowingly making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer; and one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of oxycodone.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF); the Down East Drug and Violent Crime Task Force; and the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-CR-22-FL-RJ.
###
Adam Gordon Sworn in as U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Adam Gordon, a career prosecutor who became a nationally-recognized expert on prosecutorial strategies to combat the fentanyl epidemic, was sworn in today as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, one of the busiest federal districts in the nation. Mr. Gordon, 43, was appointed by Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Cynthia A. Bashant administered the oath of office to Gordon in the presence of his senior leadership team, office colleagues, friends and family.
“Thank you to President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for the opportunity to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California,” Mr. Gordon said. “I am deeply honored to lead this office and protect the people of this district. For too long, criminal organizations have exploited the chaos at our border. That chaos of criminality and lack of consequences cannot prevail. Together with our dedicated law enforcement partners, we will focus our resources on the Operation Take Back America priorities including securing the border, prosecuting cartel leaders, and removing dangerous offenders from our communities.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office enforces federal criminal laws in the Southern District of California, which includes San Diego and Imperial counties, and represents the federal government in civil litigation. The office is one of the nation’s largest, comprised of approximately 300 attorneys and staff members. As the U.S. Attorney, Gordon is the chief federal law enforcement official for the district.
Mr. Gordon is a veteran prosecutor who has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California since 2019. He most recently worked in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Unit. Prior to that assignment, he was the office’s Criminal Division Opioid Coordinator for approximately three years.
Gordon was instrumental in creating the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (“FAST”) in San Diego County which is now a national model. Formed in September 2022, FAST is a multi-agency task force led by Homeland Security Investigations working in conjunction with federal partners, along with state and local agencies to target significant fentanyl distributors in San Diego County to reduce the overdose death rate. He also has personally prosecuted many of resulting in death cases, achieving justice for the families of victims of fentanyl poisonings, including the drug dealer responsible for the death of a 13-year-old in Coronado.
Prior to serving as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Gordon was a Deputy District Attorney in San Diego County where he prosecuted a variety of criminal matters but focused on violent crimes. From 2014 to 2018, Adam was in private practice in San Diego. Gordon received his bachelor’s degree in economics in 2004 from Harvard University, and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2008.
Thursday 10 April 2025
USAO Recognizes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 6-12, 2025Read the Press Release
CLEVELAND – National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is April 6-12, 2025. The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) is commemorating this important awareness week by highlighting those who have been impacted by crime.
In a September 2024 report, the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs released data from their National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), that indicated that in 2023, the rate of nonfatal violent victimization in the United States was 22.5 victimizations per 1,000 persons ages 12 or older, which was similar to the 2022 rate of 23.5 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons ages 12 or older. Violent victimization includes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault.
The USAO has a special unit dedicated to ensuring that the victims of federal crimes are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect throughout their involvement with the federal criminal justice system. A team of dedicated Victim Assistance Specialists work with those who are recognized as crime victims and make sure that they are notified about case-related matters. Victims are provided with an opportunity to be heard and receive the services and protections provided by federal law. In particular, Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Victim Specialists in the Northern District of Ohio take special care to protect the most vulnerable among us, our senior citizens and our children..
“Our district has a deep commitment to victims from all populations, including our seniors and children. Criminals prey on these populations because they are, or appear to be the most vulnerable among us,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “Our office’s dedicated team of prosecutors serves to bring justice to victims of all federal crimes. We realize that the work we do to hold criminals accountable is of vital importance to those that have suffered at their hands. Whether it’s achieving a sense of safety in their home, their community, or on the internet, our work is an important first step to their healing. That’s why most of us signed up for this job.”
The DOJ’s Elder Justice Initiative combats elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and other scams that target our nation’s senior citizens. Elder fraud schemes take a variety of forms that range from small-scale identity thefts to mass mail fraud schemes that steal money and other assets from thousands of elderly victims. Annually, these fraud schemes bilk seniors out of billions of dollars throughout the country. In recent years, USAO cases related to elder fraud involved more than 360 victims from across the country including seven in the Northern District of Ohio.
Project Safe Childhood is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. The danger of perpetrators who produce, distribute and possess child sexual abuse material (CSAM), also known as child pornography, is equally dramatic and disturbing as it creates a permanent record of the child’s victimization. In 2024, District cases included nearly 30 identified victims under the age of 18 that were discovered during federal investigations. However, because perpetrators share files digitally across the country, the number of CSAM victims can number into the hundreds in some cases.”
To learn more about how to support all victims of crime, visit the Office for Victims of Crime’s website at ovc.ojp.gov.
About the Northern District of Ohio
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio covers the 40 northern-most counties in the state of Ohio, which is home to nearly six million people. The office operates from its main headquarters in Cleveland, with additional branches in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown. The U.S. Attorney serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the District and oversees the prosecution of federal crimes and protect victims’ rights.
U.S. Extradites Alleged Co-Conspirator of 2008 Mumbai Terrorist Attacks to Face Charges in IndiaRead the Press Release
The United States on Wednesday extradited convicted terrorist Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, to stand trial in India on 10 criminal charges stemming from his alleged role in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Rana’s extradition is a critical step toward seeking justice for the six Americans and scores of other victims who were killed in the heinous attacks.
Rana, 64, is charged in India with numerous offenses, including conspiracy, murder, commission of a terrorist act, and forgery, related to his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks committed by Laskhar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Between November 26 and 29, 2008, ten LeT terrorists carried out a series of 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks in Mumbai. They infiltrated the city by sea and then broke into teams, dispersing to multiple locations. Attackers at a train station fired guns and threw grenades into crowds. Attackers at two restaurants shot indiscriminately at patrons. Attackers at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel gunned people down and detonated explosives. Attackers also shot and killed people at a Jewish community center. When the terror finally subsided, 166 victims, including six Americans, were dead, along with all but one of the LeT terrorists. Hundreds more were injured, and Mumbai sustained more than $1.5 billion in property damage. The attacks were among the most horrific and catastrophic in India’s history.
India alleges that Rana facilitated a fraudulent cover so that his childhood friend David Coleman Headley (Headley), a U.S. citizen born Daood Gilani, could freely travel to Mumbai for the purpose of conducting surveillance of potential attack sites for LeT. As India alleges, Headley had received training from LeT members in Pakistan and was in direct communication with LeT about plans to attack Mumbai. Among other things, Rana allegedly agreed to open a Mumbai branch of his immigration business and appoint Headley as the manager of the office, despite Headley’s having no immigration experience. On two separate occasions, Rana allegedly helped Headley prepare and submit visa applications to Indian authorities that contained information Rana knew to be false. Rana also allegedly supplied, through his unsuspecting business partner, documentation in support of Headley’s attempt to secure formal approval from Indian authorities to open a branch office of Rana’s business. Over the course of more than two years, Headley allegedly repeatedly met with Rana in Chicago and described his surveillance activities on behalf of LeT, LeT’s responses to Headley’s activities, and LeT’s potential plans for attacking Mumbai.
After the attacks were complete, Rana allegedly told Headley that the Indians “deserved it.” In an intercepted conversation with Headley, Rana allegedly commended the nine LeT terrorists who had been killed committing the attacks, saying that “[t]hey should be given Nishan-e-Haider”—Pakistan’s “highest award for gallantry in battle,” which is reserved for fallen soldiers.
India’s pending proceedings against Rana are not the first proceedings in which Rana has been accused of conspiring to commit violent acts of terrorism. In 2013, Rana was sentenced to 14 years in prison following his trial conviction in the Northern District of Illinois for conspiring to provide material support to LeT and to a foiled LeT-sponsored terrorist plot in Copenhagen, Denmark. As part of those same criminal proceedings, Headley pleaded guilty to 12 federal terrorism charges, including aiding and abetting the murders of the six Americans in Mumbai and later planning to attack a Danish newspaper, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
In June 2020, the United States acted on a request for Rana’s extradition submitted by the Republic of India, which Rana contested for almost five years. On May 16, 2023, a U.S. magistrate judge in the Central District of California certified Rana’s extradition to India. Rana then filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, which the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California denied on August 10, 2023. On August 15, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed that decision. The Supreme Court likewise denied Rana’s petition for certiorari on January 21, 2025. The Secretary of State issued a warrant ordering Rana’s surrender to Indian authorities. Both the district court and the Ninth Circuit denied Rana’s application for a stay of extradition, and on April 7, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Rana’s application for a stay of extradition.
On April 9, the U.S. Marshals Service executed the Secretary’s surrender warrant by surrendering Rana to Indian authorities for transportation to India. Rana’s extradition is now complete.
The extradition litigation was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Lulejian and David R. Friedman and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bram M. Alden of the Central District of California and Deputy Director Christopher J. Smith, Associate Director Kerry A. Monaco, and former Associate Director Rebecca A. Haciski of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs. The U.S. Marshals Service and attorneys and international affairs specialists in the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided support to this extradition. The FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in New Delhi also provided assistance.
U.S. Marshals Service photo by Shane T. McCoy U.S. Marshals in the Central District of California on April 9 transferred custody of Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani national and Canadian citizen, to representatives from India’s National Investigation Agency. U.S. Marshals Service photo by Shane T. McCoy U.S. Marshals in the Central District of California on April 9 transferred custody of Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani national and Canadian citizen, to representatives from India’s National Investigation Agency.Two New Orleans Men Indicted for Bank Robbery and Possession of Stolen VehicleRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KAILUS JAMES (“JAMES”), age29, and CEDRIC MAY (“MAY”), age 31, were charged on April 4, 2025, in a three-count indictment, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. Count 1 charged them with conspiracy to commit bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Count 2 charged them with bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2113(a) and (d), and 2. Count 3 charged them with possession of a stolen vehicle, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2313 and 2.
According to the indictment, on or about March 15, 2025, JAMES and MAY stole approximately $98,320.00 of United States currency, belonging to and in the care, custody, control, management, and possession of a JP Morgan Chase Bank, in New Orleans.
If convicted, JAMES and MAY face a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release, for Count 1; up to 25 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release for Count 2; and up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count 3. JAMES and MAY also face a payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to all three counts.
Acting United States Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crime Task Force, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit.
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).
Two Foreign Nationals Arrested for Possessing Firearm in Mayfield, KentuckyRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant was issued this week charging two illegal aliens with possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, and Chief Nathan Kent of the Mayfield Police Department made the announcement.
According to the complaint, Rodrigo Waldemar Caal-Caal, age 22, a citizen of Guatemala, and Rodolfo Ruiz-Hernandez, age 26, a citizen of Mexico, were charged with possessing a firearm on April 6, 2025, in Mayfield, Kentucky knowing they were aliens illegally and unlawfully in the United States. Caal-Caal and Ruiz-Hernandez admitted to possessing a firearm by removing it from the scene of a death investigation in Mayfield on April 6, 2025. The Mayfield Police Department continues to investigate the death. Both defendants are separately charged in state court with additional offenses.
This case is being investigated by the ATF Paducah Satellite Office, HSI Paducah Office, and the Mayfield Police Department.
Both defendants remain state custody and will make initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky at a later date. If convicted on the charges in the complaint, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Hancock, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the cases.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Tucson Woman Indicted for Attempting to Smuggle Rifle Ammunition from the United States into MexicoRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned a one-count indictment against Andrea Villalva, 32, of Tucson, Arizona, for Smuggling Goods from the United States.
The complaint filed in this case alleges that, on March 7, 2024, Villalva attempted to exit the United States through the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. During a physical inspection of Villalva’s vehicle, Customs and Border Protection Officers discovered 8 sealed cases of 5.56 XP193 rifle ammunition hidden behind the rear wall of the trunk. In total, 8,000 rounds of ammunition were recovered. Villalva admitted being paid $150 per box of ammunition that she successfully smuggled into Mexico. She also admitted to having smuggled ammunition into Mexico on three previous occasions.
A conviction for Smuggling Goods from the United States carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
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 simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie A. Sottosanti, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-CR-01724-TUC-AMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-053_Villalva# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Tobyhanna Man Charged with Wire Fraud for His Misappropriation of Covid Relief Funds and with Making A False Tax Return in Support of Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that William Freeman, IV, age 45, of Tobyhanna, PA, was charged by criminal information with one count of wire fraud and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, over a multi-year period between 2020 and 2021, Freeman submitted at least 10 applications seeking pandemic stimulus funds through both the Economic Injury and Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, as well as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) on behalf of several entities under his control, including, Second Haven Services for Youth, Inc., Phoenix Behavioral Health Network, LLC, Pocono Wing Hut, LLC, and Legacy Group Real Estate Company. The applications submitted by Freeman were filed on behalf of corporate entities that did not, in fact, have actual business operations, and that bore false employee headcount information, fabricated gross revenues, and costs of goods sold. Freeman additionally made material misrepresentations on these applications about his criminal history, representing that he had none when, in fact, he did. Freeman obtained over $300,000 dollars in stimulus funds through filing the fraudulent applications, which he spent on unapproved personal expenses and which was never repaid.
Additionally, and in support of that fraud, Freeman filed a falsified Form 1040 and a falsified W-3 in 2020 for the 2019 tax year claiming thousands of dollars in taxes that were withheld and paid over to the IRS which never happened. In addition to his failure to pay over those taxes, he also attempted to obtain thousands of dollars of tax refund money. Mr. Freeman did this for the purpose of creating a filed tax return in an attempt to obtain additional stimulus funds.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Honora Berti.
“IRS Criminal Investigation agents will continue to be on the front lines to fight fraud.” Stated Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is up to 23 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Spending More Than $300,000 in COVID Relief FundsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Denys Perez (31, Tampa) has pleaded guilting to wire fraud related to COVID relief funds. Perez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. In addition, he faces a forfeiture order of $502,900, as well as a forfeiture order for the property he purchased with proceeds of his offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, between September 2021 and January 2022, Perez applied for COVID relief funds through the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Based on the information submitted by Perez, he was awarded $502,900 in EIDL funds. As part of the application process, Perez certified he would use all the EIDL proceeds solely as working capital to alleviate the economic injury caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Contrary to this certification, Perez fraudulently spent more than $300,000 of his EIDL on personal expenses, including the purchase of a house.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.
This case was investigated by the Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn E. Hoenemeyer.
To report a COVID-related fraud scheme or suspicious activity, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling the NCDF Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Tampa Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking Three VictimsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Demontrae Clarence Fagan (34, Tampa) with three counts of sex trafficking. If convicted on all counts, Fagan faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between January and November 2022, Fagan knowingly trafficked three victims to engage in commercial sex acts.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms and Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jobie Patterson, age 53, of Syracuse, pled guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to traffic firearms 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.
As part of his guilty plea, Patterson admitted that between approximately December 2022 and January 2023, he conspired with others to unlawfully transfer firearms. Patterson admitted that a coconspirator acquired firearms using a straw purchaser in Georgia, then sent photographs and videos of those firearms to Patterson in Syracuse. Patterson then sold those firearms to a customer in Syracuse. Patterson further admitted that he knew that the customer had previously been convicted of a felony, and that the use, carrying, or possession of the firearms by the customer would constitute a felony. Patterson acknowledged that at a meeting in Syracuse, he sold the customer 4 handguns.
Patterson further admitted, as part of his guilty plea, that he committed the separate offense of possession of child pornography. Patterson admitted that in May 2023, the defendant knowingly possessed sexually explicit images and videos of a 16-year-old female child. Patterson admitted that in a series of messages he exchanged with the child, the defendant directed the child to produce and transmit specific sexually explicit images to him, which she did. Patterson acknowledged that he then knowingly possessed those images in his personal cloud storage account.
At sentencing, currently set for August 13, 2025, on the firearms-trafficking conspiracy, Patterson faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Patterson may be required to forfeit the firearms involved in the crime. On the child pornography offense, Patterson faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Patterson also faces a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life, to follow any term of imprisonment. Patterson may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victim of his offense and must register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the New York State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
State Senate Campaign Treasurer Admits Lying to Federal Grand JuryRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JESSICA MARTINEZ, 43, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to making a false declaration before a federal grand jury.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Martinez was the Treasurer for the campaign of Dennis A. Bradley, who was running for a Connecticut State Senate seat in 2018. The Citizens’ Election Program (“CEP”) is a voluntary public election-financing program under which candidates for Connecticut state offices can apply to the State Elections Enforcement Commission (“SEEC”) for grants to fund their primary and general election campaigns. On March 15, 2018, the Bradley campaign held an event at Dolphin’s Cove restaurant in Bridgeport. Although CEP rules imposed a $2,000 limit on a State Senate candidate’s expenditure of personal funds, Bradley used personal funds to pay Dolphin’s Cove $5,597.31 for the campaign event, used personal funds for additional campaign expenditures related to the event, and received campaign contributions from several contributors at the event. In subsequent filings with SEEC, the campaign omitted the Dolphin’s Cove event and that Bradley had incurred more than $6,000 in expenses related to it, and misrepresented the dates of contributions the campaign had received on March 15, 2018. In July 2018, SEEC issued the campaign $84,140 in public funds.
On September 23, 2020, Martinez appeared as a witness under oath before a federal grand jury in New Haven. When asked about the Dolphin’s Cove event, Martinez falsely stated, “Dolphin's Cove had zero to do with me and the campaign. Dolphin’s Cove was a BDK event, (Bradley’s) law firm’s event, thanking the community, in which I knew State Senator Bradley was going to announce his run for state senate.” Martinez further stated, “There was no fundraising there. There was no fundraising there. But at any rate, I was not the treasurer yet. The campaign did not begin. That was a BDK event.”
The charge of making a false statement before the grand jury carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Martinez was arrested on May 25, 2021. She is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
Bradley is awaiting trial in this matter. Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan N. Francis and David E. Novick.
South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty for Illegally Importing and Selling Sperm Whale Teeth and BonesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. —Lauren H. DeLoach, 69, of Saint Helena Island, has pleaded guilty to Lacey Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) charges for importing and selling sperm whale teeth and bones.
According to court documents and statements made in court, DeLoach admitted to, from September 2021 through September 2024, importing sperm whale parts to South Carolina, including at least 30 shipments from Australia, Latvia, Norway, and Ukraine. Records showed that DeLoach instructed suppliers to label the items as “plastic” so they would not be seized by U.S. customs authorities. From July 2022 through September 2024, DeLoach acknowledged selling the teeth and bones in violation of the Lacey Act. He sold at least 85 items on eBay worth over $18,000, and agents seized approximately $20,000 worth of sperm whale parts from DeLoach’s residence during a search warrant.
The MMPA prohibits importing any marine mammal, which includes whales, except for limited public display, scientific research, or enhancement of a species survival. The Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife protection law and makes it unlawful to sell any wildlife that was illegally imported.
The sperm whale is the largest species of toothed whale, reaching up to 78 feet and 45 tons. Individuals prize their teeth and bones as decorations or as a scrimshaw or painting medium. Sperm whale have been listed under the Endangered Species Act as endangered since 1970 and are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The United States and the countries from which imported DeLoach are signatories to CITES, an international agreement to protect fish, wildlife, and plants that are or may become threatened with extinction.
“Illegal wildlife trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar global business that endangers protected animals and fuels organized crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “We will continue to enforce the Lacey Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act so vulnerable species like the sperm whale are not killed and sold for parts.”
“Whales are among the world's most iconic species, and they're also among the most vulnerable to illegal harvest driven by commercialization. The illicit trade in sperm whale teeth and ear bones contributes to the monetization of at-risk marine mammal populations that America protects through federal laws and international treaties," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement Assistant Director Doug Ault. "As part of 'Operation Raw Deal' — a nationwide crackdown on the illegal trade in whale parts — this investigation demonstrates our commitment to bringing justice to those who exploit protected wildlife for profit."
DeLoach faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the felony Lacey Act charge and a maximum sentence of one year in prison for the misdemeanor MMPA violation. United States District Judge David C. Norton accepted the guilty plea and will sentence DeLoach after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina, and Assistant Director Douglas Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle Klein and Winston Holliday are prosecuting the case with Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section.
###
Shiprock Man Guilty of Assault in Stabbing CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty as charged in his federal indictment for assault with a dangerous weapon because he intentionally stabbed his ex-girlfriend and struck her with his vehicle during a violent altercation.
According to court records, on November 2, 2024, Jane Doe, and her sister were stopped at a road construction zone when her ex-boyfriend, Tyrell Lee Johnson, 29, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, approached their vehicle. Johnson physically attacked Jane Doe, striking her head, stabbing her abdomen with a knife, and striking her with his vehicle as he fled the scene. Jane Doe sustained injuries, including an abdominal wound, bruises, abrasions, and a concussion.
Navajo Police located Johnson’s vehicle in Cudei, New Mexico, identified by its damaged front bumper, and apprehended him after a brief pursuit. Officers recovered a black folding knife from Johnson’s possession and confirmed he had no alcohol in his system during processing.
At sentencing, Johnson faces up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.
San Francisco Resident Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Dale Jetton was sentenced today to serve 180 months (15 years) in federal prison for distribution of child pornography announced Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen handed down the sentence.
Jetton pleaded guilty on August 22, 2024, to one count of distribution of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2). Jetton was originally indicted by a federal grand jury on August 29, 2023. According to the plea agreement, beginning in March 2023, Jetton began exchanging email messages with an individual who, unbeknownst to him, was an undercover law enforcement officer. Jetton sent the undercover officer an invitation and link to a cloud service that Jetton boasted contained over 700+ megabytes of child exploitation materials. The link included thirty-eight videos containing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Jetton, a registered sex offender, admitted he knew the visual depictions in these videos included prepubescent minors or minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including at least one video that depicted a minor being subjected to sexual bondage.
Jetton has been in custody since his arrest in 2023. He will begin serving his prison term immediately. In addition to the prison term, Judge Chen also ordered Jetton to serve 15 years of supervised release which will begin after his term of imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roland Chang and Sophia Cooper. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the San Francisco Police Department.
San Angelo man posing as 11-year-old in child pornography production case sentenced to 50 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
A San Angelo man who impersonated an 11-year-old child and persuaded a 9-year-old female child to produce child sexual abuse material was sentenced Tuesday to 50 years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
James Wilson, 57, was indicted in September and pleaded guilty in December 2024 to Production of Child Pornography and Transportation of Child Pornography. He was sentenced Tuesday to 600 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who also ordered Wilson to pay $106,500 in restitution.
According to court documents, Wilson employed a 9-year-old victim to produce at least two videos of her engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Wilson admitted to using a social media application to transport multiple videos of child pornography over the Internet. He also admitted to possessing and transporting a video that depicted a 10-year-old female child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Wilson admitted to law enforcement that he had viewed and downloaded child pornography for several years.
The vast collection of child pornography possessed by Wilson included videos from multiple identified child pornography series. Minor victims from 13 of the series requested restitution due to trauma from their sexual abuse. The Court awarded $106,500 in restitution to those victims.
FBI’s Dallas Field Division – San Angelo Resident Agency and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Ohlhausen prosecuted the case.
Prince George drug trafficker sentenced to over 12 years in prisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Prince George man was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on April 1, 2024, law enforcement searched the residence of Robert Damian Atkins, 39, based on prior controlled purchases of narcotics. During the search, detectives recovered $10,625; an electronic money counter; a shotgun; three semi-automatic pistols; multiple firearms magazines, including a drum magazine; and multiple boxes of ammunition. During a search of Atkins’ vehicle, detectives recovered another pistol and a backpack that contained 191 grams of fentanyl, 112 grams of methamphetamine, 84 grams of cocaine, two digital scales, and a magazine for the firearm. In the trunk of the vehicle, officers located a bag containing multiple firearm cartridges.
An agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) arranged to take Atkins into custody on his federal warrant after his court appearance in Prince George County General District Court on Oct. 7, 2024. After learning of his impending arrest, Atkins fled the courthouse and cut off his GPS ankle monitor. Law enforcement located Atkins later that day in Chesterfield and took him into custody.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Washington Field Division; and Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. The Prince George County Police Department assisted in the investigation.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gilliland, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller 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-158.
Previously convicted Norfolk meth dealer sentenced to over three years in prison for illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced yesterday to three years and 10 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, William Gus Hart, 45, was convicted in 2016 for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Following his release from prison, Deputy U.S. Marshals attempted to arrest Hart on June 3, 2024, for violating the terms of his supervised release. As the Deputy Marshals approached Hart in the parking lot of a Chesapeake hotel, Hart fled and dropped a backpack and a motorcycle helmet. Hart ran to a grassy area where he laid down on the ground. A Deputy U.S. Marshal located a firearm in Hart’s backpack, which also contained eight grams of methamphetamine and approximately $2,000 in cash.
As a previously convicted felon, Hart cannot legally possess firearms 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; Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Shannon Saylor, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell 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. 2:24-cr-114.
Pittsburgh Resale Businesses Owner Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Operating Extensive Interstate Fencing SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on April 9, 2025, to five years in prison on his conviction of money laundering and conspiracy in connection with the sale and interstate transportation of stolen goods, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Durrell Waters, 41, also ordering him to serve three years of federal supervised release following his imprisonment. A federal jury found Waters guilty on four counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy in August 2024 (read the verdict news release here).
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hornak stated that the evidence presented against Waters was extensive, and that the victims of this crime included people experiencing addiction, retail establishments, and all consumers. Judge Hornak noted that, unlike some crimes that take place in a single event, Waters’s criminal conspiracy took place over the course of years and “required [Waters] to decide every day to keep doing this.” Judge Hornak emphasized the need for members of the public to be deterred from similar conduct and remarked that “a sentence without substantial imprisonment would be insufficient.”
According to information presented to the Court, Waters was one of the primary owners of a series of Pittsburgh and surrounding area second-hand or resale businesses called Trader Electronics, Last Call Entertainment, and The Outlet. From 2013 through 2016, Waters conspired with others to use these businesses as a front for a criminal fencing operation that sold over the internet a wide variety of health and beauty aids and over-the-counter medications like teeth whiteners, vitamins, hair and skin care products, makeup, and other similar items.
Waters’s stores and similar stores in the area knowingly engaged in high-volume purchases of stolen brand-new retail health and beauty aids and other products, such as new-release DVDs, from walk-in sellers who had shoplifted, or “boosted”, the items. Store records reflected that Waters and his businesses purchased hundreds of thousands of brand-new items, sometimes for less than 10% of their value, from a group of repeat shoplifters. Waters and his businesses then resold that stolen property online via several Amazon and eBay storefronts, with the proceeds from the stores’s main Amazon account totaling over $4.3 million during the conspiracy.
Evidence presented at sentencing highlighted the widespread and diverse economic and public health harms caused or aggravated by this conduct. Ripple effects from high-volume retail theft harm consumers by imposing more and more restrictive anti-theft measures in stores and costs every consumer hundreds of dollars per year. Additionally, many of the boosters were people experiencing drug addiction who used the money paid to them by Waters to finance their dependency and feed the drug epidemic.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin C. Dobkin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Waters. Police departments from the City of Pittsburgh, Ross Township, and Shaler Township also assisted in the investigation.
Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Shooting at Mail Carrier and Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 120 months of imprisonment on his convictions for shooting at a mail carrier and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Martinel Humphries, 30, on April 9, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, Humphries fired four shots from a semi-automatic pistol at a mail carrier on January 5, 2023, for no apparent reason. The bullets missed the mail carrier, who fell to the ground upon seeing the defendant’s gun, but entered a nearby home, shattering the glass front door. Humphries fled and was apprehended soon after by law enforcement. Humphries has a lengthy criminal history, including two separate firearms convictions in 2015 relating to arrests in 2013 and 2015, and a 2021 conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, for which he still was serving a term of federal supervised release at the time he shot at the mail carrier. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
“Federal employees must be able to work without fearing for their personal safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s violent act, shooting at a mail carrier who was in the middle of his route. Our office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners at all levels to prioritize combating violent crimes such as committed by this defendant.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to its core mission of protecting postal employees,” said Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge of the Pittsburgh Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “Thankfully, the letter carrier escaped being physically hurt in this crime, and, with the assistance of our local law enforcement partners, Humphries was quickly apprehended to prevent further harm to the public. Postal Inspectors will always strive to keep our employees safe while delivering mail to our communities. And we take pride in working with our law enforcement partners to ensure justice is served to those like Humphries, who bring violence to our communities.”
Assistant United States Attorney William B. Guappone prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Postal Inspection Service, City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police Department, Ross Township Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Humphries.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 97 Months for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Dustin Lee Vittitoe, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 10, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, for possession of child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Vittitoe to 97 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Vittitoe’s release from prison, he will begin an eight-year term of supervised release.
On January 21, 2023, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of an individual in possession of child pornography on his cell phone. Deputies learned Dustin Lee Vittitoe had child pornography on his cell phone and within the MEGA application contained on his phone. Deputies confirmed the subscriber information for Vittitoe’s MEGA account. On February 22, 2023, deputies served a federal search warrant at Vittitoe’s residence and seized his electronic devices for forensic examination. Investigators forensically extracted and analyzed Vittitoe’s electronic devices. The device extractions showed Vittitoe soliciting and searching for child pornography across several applications. The extractions revealed Vittitoe possessed at least 411 child pornography image files. The files included pornographic images involving prepubescent children, adults having sex with children, and depictions of sadistic and masochistic conduct involving children.
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 Attorney’s 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.
This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Oklahoma Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing A Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Andre Dominique Barnes (35, Lehigh Acres) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Barnes faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on September 20, 2024, Barnes was stopped in Lee County by the Florida Highway Patrol for speeding. Barnes was identified by his Oklahoma identification card and had a suspended driver license. During a search of his vehicle, troopers located a loaded pistol. Court records show that Barnes was previously convicted of multiple felony offenses in Oklahoma. DNA swabs taken from the pistol and from Barnes linked him to the firearm. As a previously convicted felon, Barnes is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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).
Oklahoma City Trio Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Child Sex Trafficking and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – ANTWON MONTRELL JACKSON, 43, and SARAH LARAYNA HOLLAND, 39, both of Oklahoma City, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit child sex trafficking, and SHANIKKA NICOLE JACKSON, 46, of Las Vegas, Nevada, has pleaded guilty to witness tampering, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On February 20, 2025, a federal Grand Jury charged Antwon Jackson and Holland by Second Superseding Indictment with conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking and child sex trafficking. According to the public record, in July 2024, Antwon Jackson was Holland’s pimp, and the two worked together to set up commercial sex acts for both Holland and a minor female, using online advertisements to attract customers. Between July 20, 2024, and July 25, 2024, Holland and the minor engaged in commercial sex dates in multiple cities in the Western District of Oklahoma. Customers would pay for the sex act utilizing CashApp, and the majority of the money went to Antwon Jackson.
On April 4, 2025, Shanikka Jackson, Antwon Jackson’s sister, was charged by Superseding Information with witness tampering. According to public record, between September 17, 2024, and December 5, 2024, Shanikka Jackson attempted to influence the minor to prevent her from testifying in the pending federal trial of Antwon Jackson.
Last week, Antwon Jackson and Holland pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Second Superseding Indictment, and admitted they conspired to sex traffic a minor, set up commercial sex dates for the minor, benefited financially from those dates, and that they knew when they trafficked the minor, she was under 18 years old. Holland admitted she posted the online ads and transported the minor to commercial sex dates. Antwon Jackson admitted he directed Holland to post the ads and communicated with potential customers who had responded to the ads for the minor in an effort to set up dates.
Today, Shanikka Jackson pleaded guilty to the Superseding Information, and admitted she attempted to pass a message from Antwon Jackson to the victim, to try and influence the victim not to testify against her brother.
At sentencing, both Antwon Jackson and Holland face up to life in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000 each. Shanikka Jackson faces up to three years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Warr Acres Police Department, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bow Bottomly and Elizabeth Joynes are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison on Firearm and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting United States Attorney M. Michael Simpson announced that DEVONTE SMITH (“SMITH”), age 25, of New Orleans, was sentenced on Thursday March 27, 2025 by Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to serve 288 months (24 years) in prison, 5 years of supervised release following his release from prison, and a $700 mandatory special assessment fee, for multiple violations of the Federal Gun Control Act and the Federal Controlled Substances Act.
On April 27, 2023, SMITH pled guilty to seven counts of an eight-count indictment, charging him with numerous federal firearms and drug trafficking violations stemming from a March 30, 2022 shootout, and the subsequent search of a residence. Although no one was killed or injured in the shootout, several houses and automobiles sustained damage. At the time of the shooting, SMITH was on bond from a state drug arrest in November 2021, despite a 2019 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm and aggravated assault with a firearm, for which he was sentenced to six years in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Corrections.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.
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.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Firearm Possession to Further Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Today, Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JOSHUA WILLIAMS (“WILLIAMS”), age 21, was sentenced on March 27, 2025 by Chief U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to 75 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, on April 4, 2022, New Orleans Police Department officers executed a search warrant at WILLIAMS’s residence. Officers recovered marijuana that WILLIAMS intended to sell and a digital scale. Officers also recovered two firearms—a Glock Model 22, .40 caliber firearm and a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter firearm—that WILLIAMS possessed, in furtherance of his possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
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 New Orleans Police Department and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Possessing U.S. Postal Service Key to Steal U.S. Mail from Postal Mailboxes and Possession of Stolen MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that WAYNE C. WALKER, age 28, of New Orleans, pled guilty on April 8, 2025 to Unlawful Possession and Use of a United States Postal Service “arrow” key used by Postal Service employees to access authorized mail receptacles, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1704 and, Unlawful Possession of approximately 80 pieces of stolen United States Mail previously deposited into authorized mail receptacles, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708.
According to court documents, on January 26, 2022, WALKER was arrested in possession of the United States Postal Service “arrow” key and the stolen mail. WALKER faces up to ten (10) years imprisonment for unlawful possession of the United States Postal Service mail key and up to five (5) years imprisonment for possession of stolen mail, both counts to be followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan set sentencing for July 10, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Muskogee Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Scott Alan Bahe, age 42, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, and one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition. Both charges are punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment and a maximum $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment charged Bahe with knowingly possessing one 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol and 10 rounds of 9mm Luger-caliber ammunition on December 23, 2023, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The Indictment also charged Bahe with knowingly possessing an additional 39 rounds of assorted 9mm Luger caliber ammunition that same day, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Muskogee Police Department.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Bahe will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lewis M. Reagan and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Montgomery Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm Recovered at Scene of Shooting Where Four-Year-Old Was InjuredRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the sentencing of a Montgomery, Alabama man for illegally possessing a firearm recovered at the scene of a shooting. On April 9, 2025, a judge ordered that 27-year-old Grenden James Jordan serve 174 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Following his 14-and-a-half-year prison sentence, Jordan will be on supervised release for three years. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records and evidence presented at his January 2025 trial, on March 16, 2024, an officer with the Montgomery Police Department responded to the scene of a shooting on Atlanta Highway near the Eastern Boulevard overpass after hearing gun shots. Upon arrival, the officer saw three men walking away from a blue Dodge Challenger that was stopped in one of the lanes of traffic. One of the men, later identified as Grenden James Jordan, was observed by the officer throwing a firearm towards the side of the road. This was also captured on the officer’s dash cam video. The three men fled the scene.
Witnesses stated that the three men were occupants of the Dodge Challenger and had exchanged gunfire with a red sedan, which left the scene when law enforcement arrived. Numerous bullet holes were found on the Dodge Challenger. There was a third vehicle on the scene that had been caught in the crossfire and had gunshot damage as well. This vehicle was occupied by innocent bystanders including a mother, father, and four-year-old child. The child sustained injuries from broken glass caused by the gunshots and was treated.
Officers recovered an AR-style pistol from the area where the firearm had been thrown by Jordan, along with a high-capacity drum magazine with ammunition. During the trial, the jury saw a photo taken prior to March 16, 2024, showing Jordan posing with an AR-style pistol matching the one found on the scene of the shooting. Law enforcement found two additional firearms when searching Jordan’s residence in April of 2024. Jordan has previous felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. The jury found Jordan guilty earlier this year for illegally possessing the firearm recovered on March 16, 2024.
“This significant sentence not only reflects the need to ensure justice is served, but it also reflects the gravity of the danger posed by Grenden Jordan’s reckless behavior,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “Violent crime has an enormous impact on communities and those that work and live within them, including our children. This case is a stark reminder of the harm that can be inflicted when individuals use guns to settle disputes without regard for the wellbeing of others. Montgomery is a safer place with Grenden Jordan off the streets.”
“This type of disregard for human life will not be tolerated and most especially by a previously convicted felon,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Rachel Byrd. “FBI Mobile will continue to work alongside our state, local, and federal partners to bring justice to the victims of this senseless gun violence.”
This case was brought as a 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon W. Bates and Michelle R. Turner prosecuted.
Missouri man indicted for attempted drug traffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging a Missouri man with a drug trafficking related offense.
According to court documents, Otis J. Newton, 58, of Kansas City, Missouri, was indicted on one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Minnesota Couple Indicted in $15 Million Medical Billing Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – An indictment was unsealed today alleging that Gabriel Langford and Elizabeth Brown, a Minnesota couple, engaged in a $15 million scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurers by overbilling for neurofeedback therapy, following the couple’s arrest and initial appearances in Las Vegas, Nevada, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, beginning in 2018, Gabriel Adam Alexander Luthor, a.k.a. Gabriel Adam Alexander Langford, 39, and Elizabeth Christine Brown, 42, intentionally devised and carried out a scheme to overbill Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurers for medical services provided through Golden Victory Medical, LLC (GVM). Luthor and Brown were in a relationship, and together founded GVM in 2018.
According to court documents, one of the main medical services GVM claimed to provide was neurofeedback therapy. During neurofeedback therapy, a medical provider places sensors on a patient’s scalp to obtain images of the patient’s brain waves, for the purpose of indicating the effects of interventions meant to treat mental-health conditions. But according to the indictment, Luthor and Brown fraudulently overbilled insurers for GVM’s neurofeedback services using numerous inapplicable medical codes.
For example, GVM repeatedly submitted claims to insurers using medical codes that did not cover the neurofeedback services that GVM provided, combinations of codes that by definition could not be combined, and codes that indicated that GVM’s patients received a longer duration of services than the company had actually provided. Luthor and Brown caused GVM to continue submitting false claims even after repeated warnings from insurers, an outside auditor, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
In total, GVM submitted hundreds of thousands of false claims to insurers, many of which the insurers paid, resulting in an estimated loss of over $15 million. Millions of dollars in fraudulent proceeds were transferred from bank account to bank account and ultimately retained by Luthor and Brown. Luthor and Brown used the funds to purchase a mansion in Eden Prairie and to pay their living expenses and the living expenses of other girlfriends of Luthor’s, who lived with Luthor and Brown and assisted in the fraud scheme.
“Minnesota has a fraud problem,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “This case is yet another example of defendants defrauding government programs out of millions. This type of widespread fraud is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
“Defrauding critical healthcare programs like Medicaid and Medicare burden systems designed to serve patients and puts them at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our partners will not tolerate those who abuse the healthcare system for personal gain and will pursue justice on behalf of taxpayers and patients.”
Luthor and Brown are each charged with six counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. They made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court in the District of Nevada earlier this week.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Eden Prairie Police Department, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Diego Ricardo Murillo-Almanza (25), a Mexican national, has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Murillo-Almanza faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on February 24, 2025, a deputy from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office observed Murillo-Almanza’s vehicle committing multiple traffic violations, including swerving in and out of the lane of travel. Murillo-Almanza was in the driver’s seat and could not produce a valid driver license. When Murillo-Almanza exited the vehicle, he had flakes of what appeared to be marijuana on his person. Three other undocumented individuals were also in the vehicle. A deputy searched the vehicle and recovered a marijuana cigarette, a small container of marijuana, and a Taurus 9mm pistol loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition near the driver’s seat. Murillo-Almanza admitted to law enforcement that he was in the country illegally and that the pistol was his. He agreed to forfeit the pistol and associated ammunition seized from him on the date of incident.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lasry.
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 Admits to Role in Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jose Alberto Camarena Rocha, age 31, of Mexico, has admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization that sold cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
Rocha has pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and illegal reentry. According to court documents and statements made in court, Rocha, living in California, used his connections with the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico to supply controlled substances to the drug trafficking operation. Others then would sell cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
Rocha is facing at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison for the drug charge and faces up to two years for the reentry charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force was the lead investigative unit. Other investigative agencies that assisted include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including the Pittsburgh, San Francisco, San Juan, and Philadelphia Field Offices; United States Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Postal Service; Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisville and Chicago Divisions; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Martinsburg Police Department; Ranson Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; West Virginia Air National Guard; Mineral County Sheriff's Office; Grant County Sheriff's Office; Hampshire County Sheriff's Department; Keyser Police Department; Northwest Regional Drug Task Force, Virginia; Pennsylvania State Police; Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Pennsylvania; Winchester Police Department, Virginia; Frederick County Sheriff's Office, Virginia; Virginia State Police; Sunnyvale Police Department, California.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Find the related press release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/twenty-five-charged-drug-trafficking-eastern-panhandle
Member of Lummi Nation sentenced to prison for strangulation attack on intimate partnerRead the Press Release
Seattle – A member of Lummi Nation was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 51 months in prison for Assault by Strangulation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Joseph Michael Quincy Jefferson, 36, was found guilty in January 2025, following a seven-day jury trial. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King noted that Jefferson had multiple domestic violence related convictions in tribal court, saying “your abuse of others has become a pattern… You return to strangulation again and again.”
“This case is testament to the importance of our work in tribal communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “Studies reveal that being a victim of strangulation significantly increases the risk the victim will be killed at the hands of their abuser. Holding Mr. Jefferson accountable now is the best way to protect future victims.”
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, on the night of April 8, 2023, Jefferson punched, pushed, and strangled his live-in partner. Sitting on her back he used the crook of his elbow to apply pressure to her neck, strangling her and causing her to black out twice. When the victim regained consciousness, she ran from the home barefoot and in her underwear, calling a friend and a neighbor requesting help. The victim went to the Lummi Nation Police Department and to the hospital where she made consistent statements to police and medical care providers. She was found to have a broken nose and other injuries consistent with strangulation.
At trial, Jefferson claimed he acted in self-defense. During her testimony, the victim minimized Jefferson’s conduct.
In asking for a high-end 57-month sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Celia Lee recounted Jefferson’s history of domestic violence with his two romantic partners and noted that shorter sentences handed down by the Lummi Tribal Court have not changed his behavior. “Given Jefferson’s history, his conduct, and his behavior while under supervision, the Court is frankly left with no viable alternatives to a lengthy term of imprisonment. Thus, a significant custodial sentence at this juncture is appropriate, just, and would promote respect for the law. The government certainly hopes that such a sentence would also provide specific deterrence to Jefferson who has thus far not been dissuaded from violence by his prior terms of incarceration for domestic violence.”
Jefferson has been in custody since his bond was revoked in late October 2024 due to his ongoing contact with the victim in violation of his conditions of pretrial release. He remains in custody pending sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Lummi Nation Police Department and the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Celia Lee. Ms. Lee serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ensuring public safety on tribal lands is a critical responsibility of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.
Maryland Men Admit to Roles in Firearms Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Hagerstown, Maryland, men have admitted to firearms trafficking in Berkeley County, West Virginia.
Christopher Seth St. Clair, age 24, pled guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. David Lamont Barnes, age 23, pled guilty to conspiracy to violate gun control act.
According to court documents, St. Clair and Barnes worked with others to purchase firearms and transport them to individuals across state lines. During the purchase of the firearms, St. Clair, falsely claimed he was not purchasing the firearms on behalf of other persons. Barnes assisted in the purchases and transportation.
St. Clair is facing up to 10 years in federal prison. Barnes is facing up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.