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16 May 2025
New Jersey Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
A New Jersey man pleaded guilty yesterday to preparing false tax returns for clients.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Vito A. Pascarella, of Somerset, ran a tax preparation business. Pascarella prepared, and caused to be prepared, false tax returns for clients. On those tax returns, Pascarella reported false wage numbers, falsely reported that taxpayers owned and operated businesses that they did not own or operate, and falsely reported that those purported businesses earned gross receipts and incurred business expenses that they did not.
In total, Pascarella caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $550,000.
Pascarella is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 15. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Thomas F. Koelbl and Trial Attorney Emerson Gordon-Marvin of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Montgomery Man Sentenced on Federal Firearm Charge Following High-Speed Vehicle Pursuit and Shooting IncidentRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, AL – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a Montgomery man has been sentenced to prison following his conviction in federal court. On May 15, 2025, 38-year-old Lorenzo Anterrio Monta received a sentence of 180 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon completion of his 15-year prison term, Monta will serve three years of supervised release. As with all federal sentences, there is no parole.
According to court records, on March 21, 2024, officers with the Montgomery Police Department (MPD) identified a vehicle traveling near Eastdale Road and Atlanta Highway that had been reported stolen earlier that day. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the driver refused to pull over and instead accelerated, initiating a high-speed pursuit.
During the chase, a passenger in the vehicle—later identified as Monta—leaned out of the car window and fired multiple shots toward the pursuing MPD patrol vehicle. The pursuit ended when the driver brought the vehicle to a stop, and both occupants, including Monta, fled on foot. Officers quickly apprehended both individuals in the surrounding area. When Monta was taken into custody, officers recovered a handgun from his pocket.
Monta has prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. On December 20, 2024, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Lorenzo Monta’s actions showed a complete disregard for public safety and law enforcement,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “Firing a weapon during a high-speed pursuit placed countless lives at risk. The sentence imposed was the maximum allowed by statute and reflects the seriousness of the offense. Our office remains committed to holding armed, violent felons accountable and we will continue working with our local and federal partners to protect our communities from gun violence.”
This case was investigated by the Montgomery Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Eric M. Counts prosecuted the case.
Mission Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Assault with a Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault With a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on May 13, 2025 .
Charles Fast Horse Jr., age 22, was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Fast Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 12, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in April 2024 within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On April 28, 2024, Fast Horse was riding in a vehicle with a group of individuals that included the victim. When the vehicle stopped at a residence in Mission, Fast Horse produced a knife and threatened the victim. The victim exited and fled the vehicle, but Fast Horse picked up an axe from the yard and chased after the victim. He then struck the victim multiple times with the axe, inflicting life-threatening injuries.
This case was investigated by Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Fast Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
- Mission Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon
Milwaukee Man Charged in Federal Court for Arson at downtown MATC campusRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 15, 2025, a federal criminal complaint was filed against Jarriel Cotton (age: 40), charging him with arson of a building used in interstate commerce, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i).
According to the criminal complaint, on May 13, 2025, shortly before 7:00 a.m., Cotton intentionally set fire to an upholstered chair on the third floor of the downtown Milwaukee MATC campus building at 700 W. State Street. The incident was captured on video. Cotton made his initial appearance in federal court on May 16, 2025. His next court hearing is May 21, 2025. He remains in federal custody.
Cotton has a prior arson conviction in Milwaukee County Circuit Court from a 2015 incident.
If convicted of the offense alleged in the criminal complaint, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years’ (up to life) imprisonment. He may also be fined up to $250,000.
This case was investigated by the Milwaukee Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick.
A criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Middletown Man Admits Role in Scheme that Defrauded Connecticut’s Medicaid Program of More Than $1.8 MillionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAMON APELLANIZ, also known as “Kristopher Rockefeller” and “Kris,” 40, of Middletown, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a health care fraud offense related to a Medicaid fraud scheme.
The Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CTMAP) is a Connecticut Department of Social Services-administered program that provides medical assistance to low income persons. CTMAP’s benefit packages, referred to as “HUSKY” or “Connecticut Medicaid,” are jointly funded by the State of Connecticut and the federal government.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Apellaniz previously operated The Gemini Project, LLC (“Gemini”), a Newington-based business that offered counseling to patients with mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders. According to the State of Connecticut’s public license database, Apellaniz is not a licensed provider. In 2020, Apellaniz was charged by the state with larceny, health care fraud, and identity theft offenses related to his providing services to numerous Medicaid beneficiaries as a non-licensed provider, and Gemini billing Medicaid for those services, or for services that were not rendered at all. Medicaid paid Gemini and Apellaniz $909,268 for the false claims. Apellaniz pleaded nolo contendere and, on April 17, 2024, was sentenced in Hartford Superior Court to eight years in prison, execution suspended after 15 months, and five years of parole. He was released from Department of Correction custody on November 19, 2024.
Suhail Aponte was the sole principal and registered agent of Minds Cornerstone LLC, dba Minds Cornerstone Behavior Therapy Services (“Minds Cornerstone”), an Autism Specialist Group, which was registered with the State of Connecticut in June 2021. Aponte also in not a licensed provider. Although Apellaniz does not appear on any of Minds Cornerstone’s Medicaid enrollment forms, had no ownership interest in the company, and had no signatory authority to any of its bank accounts, he conspired with Aponte and ran the company under a pseudonym, including while he was incarcerated in state custody.
Beginning in approximately November 2021, Apellaniz and Aponte used Minds Cornerstone to defraud the Connecticut Medicaid Program by submitting fraudulent claims for applied behavior analysis (“ABA”) services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”). The scheme involved billing for Medicaid for services purportedly rendered to patients when company payroll records indicate employees were not compensated for the associated services; direct supervision services purportedly provided by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (“BCBA”) of a behavioral technician, when the corresponding procedure code for behavioral technician services was not billed; services purportedly rendered to patients who were actually in an inpatient hospital; and services purportedly rendered when parents of patients and former employees of Minds Cornerstone confirmed those services did not occur.
Between November 2021 and January 2025, Apellaniz and Aponte submitted or caused to be submitted to Medicaid fraudulent claims that resulted in a loss of approximately $1,876,617 to the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
The investigation revealed that Apellaniz used some of the funds Minds Cornerstone received to pay a portion of the restitution he owes as a result of his state prosecution.
From approximately May 2022 until November 2024, Aponte was also employed by the State of Connecticut in the Office of Policy and Management.
Apellaniz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for August 15. Apellaniz has been detained since his arrest on January 16, 2025.
Aponte pleaded guilty to the same charge on April 30 and awaits sentencing.
Apellaniz and Aponte have agreed to the forfeiture of approximately $469,000 in funds seized during the investigation, as well their interest in additional bank accounts and two parcels of land in Hartford.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
Mexican National and Alleged Alien Smuggler Indicted on First Material Support of Terrorism Charges Against CJNG MemberRead the Press Release
Note: See second superseding indictment here.
An indictment unsealed today in the Western District of Texas is the first in the nation to charge a Mexican national with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization based on her involvement with the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), including providing the cartel with grenades and engaging in alien smuggling, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and narcotics trafficking on its behalf.
“Cartels like CJNG are terrorist groups that wreak havoc in American communities and are responsible for countless lives lost in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere.” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This announcement demonstrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to securing our borders and protecting Americans through effective prosecution.”
According to court documents, Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, 39, of Mexico, conspired with others to provide and did attempt to provide grenades to CJNG, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Additionally, Navarro-Sanchez, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Co-defendant Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 27, of Mexico, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and firearms trafficking. Co-defendant Gustavo Castro-Medina, 28, of Mexico, is charged with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State announced the designation of eight international cartels, including CJNG, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists. This designation makes available much stronger criminal charges in the fight to secure our nation’s borders. CJNG is a transnational criminal organization that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the United States. In addition to trafficking fentanyl, CJNG engages in money laundering, bribery, extortion of migrants, taxing of migrant smugglers, and other criminal activities, including acts of violence and intimidation. According to the State Department, CJNG has conducted attacks on Mexican military and police with military grade weaponry, the use of drones to drop explosives on Mexican law enforcement, and assassinations or attempted assassinations of Mexican officials.
On Jan. 20, President Trump directed the Justice Department and other agencies to pursue total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations because they pose extremely serious threats to the United States, including by jeopardizing a stable and secure border. These and other criminal organizations commit brutal and intolerable violent crimes related to narcotics and firearms trafficking, money laundering, extortion, and other criminal acts. They also are responsible for huge flows of illegal immigration into the United States. They organize and facilitate all manners of illicit travel and immigration into the United States through the southern and northern borders and rely on co-conspirators and organization members operating in various countries throughout North and South America. This situation is untenable and threatens our national security. The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the United States against invasion, working urgently toward the goal of total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, aggressively enforcing our immigration laws, and maximizing the impact and effectiveness of all available law enforcement tools.
“We will never allow criminal gangs and cartels to terrorize American communities,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. “The days of unchecked gang and cartel violence are over.”
“As alleged, the defendant engaged in multiple of the most insidious kinds of criminal activity: firearms trafficking, narcotics trafficking, human and bulk cash smuggling, and even providing grenades to CJNG,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the Criminal Division’s hard work and commitment to eliminate cartels and foreign terrorist organizations like CJNG."
“The slew of federal charges we have brought against Navarro-Sanchez sends a monumental message through the ranks of cartels like CJNG—now designated as a terrorist organization—along with those who support them in various capacities, that U.S. law enforcement is turning up the pressure to crack down on unlawful immigration practices and to dismantle the smuggling of illicit drugs and firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “These crimes, all included as allegations in the indictment, do nothing but place human lives on both sides of the border in grave danger, while loading the pockets of criminals who profit off of them.”
“The arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez should send a clear message to people who wish to align themselves with terrorist groups that they will be sought out and held to the highest extent of the law,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “I'm extremely proud of the dedicated men and women of the FBI and its law enforcement partners who work tirelessly every day to protect Americans and keep our communities safe.”
“The brutality and destruction inflicted by cartels and terrorist organizations is devastating communities across the United States and around the world,” said Bureau of Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Acting Director Dan Driscoll. “The capture and arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez demonstrates what international law enforcement cooperation can achieve when united against the threat posed by these violent networks. ATF and our partners will use every tool at our disposal to relentlessly hunt down, dismantle, and bring to justice every trafficker, every cartel operative, and every individual who dares to threaten the safety and sovereignty of our communities.”
“This case lays bare the true nature of the threat we face,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “A cartel associate providing support to a designated foreign terrorist organization is not just a criminal threat—it is a national security threat. DEA will use every tool of law enforcement to dismantle CJNG and its network that floods our streets with poison, traffics in human lives, and wages violence against law and order. We are not just keeping our communities safe from dangerous, illegal drugs—we are fighting a national security crisis.”
Photo of 20 AK-47 type firearms and two .50 caliber rifles seized on August 21, 2023, in the Western District of Texas. Photo of man-made tunnel used to smuggle aliens from Mexico to the United States. Photo of three packages of meth and multiple packages of blue fentanyl pills seized in March 2023. AM-15, multi-caliber AR-15 variant aka “El Dorado” recovered from Navarro-Sanchez’s possession during her arrest in Mexico on May 4, 2025.
“Supplying grenades to a designated terrorist organization—while trafficking firearms, narcotics, and human beings—is not just criminal; it’s a direct assault on the security of the United States,” said Acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd M. Lyons. “Sanchez acted as a key enabler of violence who empowered cartels and terrorist organizations. Her crimes extended beyond smuggling; she was involved in firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Her actions endangered countless lives and undermined our efforts to protect the nation’s borders and communities. Confronting this level of criminality demands more than resolve—it requires a unified, all-of-government response, and that’s exactly what we demonstrated today: a coordinated effort to identify, disrupt, and bring to justice those who profit from violence and human suffering.”Since its establishment, Joint Task Force Alpha’s (JTFA) work has resulted in increased coordination and collaboration between both domestic and foreign law enforcement; precedent setting indictments, extraditions and prosecutions; more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of these crimes; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 defendants sentenced, including significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs.
The FBI, ATF, DEA, and Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso, assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol, investigated the case. ATF Legal Attachés in Mexico City and the Mexico Attorney General’s Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) Firearms Trafficking Unit provided substantial assistance. The CBP’s National Targeting Center, and ICE HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. also provided assistance with the investigation.
The case announced today is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers and JTFA Associate Director Ian Hanna of the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attachés in Mexico provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who arrested Navarro-Sanchez on May 4, during an enforcement operation.
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 Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The OCDETF El Paso / Las Cruces Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from CBP, HSI, DEA, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO), and the El Paso Police Department (EPPD).
The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican National and Alleged Alien Smuggler Indicted in El Paso on First Material Support of Terrorism Charges for Supporting CJNGRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An indictment unsealed today in the Western District of Texas is the first in the nation to charge a Mexican national with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization based on her involvement with the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), including providing the cartel with grenades and engaging in alien smuggling, firearms trafficking, bulk cash smuggling, and narcotics trafficking on its behalf.
“Cartels like CJNG are terrorist groups that wreak havoc in American communities and are responsible for countless lives lost in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This announcement demonstrates the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to securing our borders and protecting Americans through effective prosecution.”
According to court documents, Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, 39, of Mexico, conspired with others to provide and did attempt to provide grenades to CJNG, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Additionally, Navarro-Sanchez, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and trafficking in firearms, bulk cash smuggling conspiracy, and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Co-defendant Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 27, of Mexico, is charged with conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into and transport aliens in the United States, straw purchasing and firearms trafficking. Co-defendant Gustavo Castro-Medina, 28, of Mexico, is charged with straw purchasing and firearms trafficking, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State announced the designation of eight international cartels, including CJNG, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and specially designated global terrorists. This designation makes available much stronger criminal charges in the fight to secure our nation’s borders. CJNG is a transnational criminal organization that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade and has a presence in nearly every part of Mexico and dozens of other countries, including the United States. In addition to trafficking fentanyl, CJNG engages in money laundering, bribery, extortion of migrants, taxing of migrant smugglers, and other criminal activities, including acts of violence and intimidation. According to the State Department, CJNG has conducted attacks on Mexican military and police with military grade weaponry, the use of drones to drop explosives on Mexican law enforcement, and assassinations or attempted assassinations of Mexican officials.
On Jan. 20, President Trump directed the Justice Department and other agencies to pursue total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations because they pose extremely serious threats to the United States, including by jeopardizing a stable and secure border. These and other criminal organizations commit brutal and intolerable violent crimes related to narcotics and firearms trafficking, money laundering, extortion, and other criminal acts. They also are responsible for huge flows of illegal immigration into the United States. They organize and facilitate all manners of illicit travel and immigration into the United States through the southern and northern borders and rely on co-conspirators and organization members operating in various countries throughout North and South America. This situation is untenable and threatens our national security. The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the United States against invasion, working urgently toward the goal of total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, aggressively enforcing our immigration laws, and maximizing the impact and effectiveness of all available law enforcement tools.
“The slew of federal charges we have brought against Navarro-Sanchez sends a monumental message through the ranks of cartels like CJNG—now designated as a terrorist organization—along with those who support them in various capacities, that United States law enforcement is turning up the pressure to crack down on unlawful immigration practices and to dismantle the smuggling of illicit drugs and firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “These crimes, all included as allegations in the indictment, do nothing but place human lives on both sides of the border in grave danger, while loading the pockets of criminals who profit off of them.”
“Today’s historic indictment of Navarro-Sanchez, a high-ranking member of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) for providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization sets a precedent and sends an unmistakable message,” said Special Agent in Charge John Morales for the FBI El Paso Field Office. “The FBI is fully committed to using every resource at our disposal to dismantle this, and any other transnational criminal organization, and bring to justice all who enable, support, or profit from their deadly operations within the United States. The FBI El Paso Field Office is doubling down on our partnerships, both locally and with our Mexican counterparts to relentlessly pursue these cartels, violent gangs, and the organized networks that support them by continuing to aggressively disrupt their supply chains, cut off their funding, and take down their leadership, piece by piece, operation by operation.”
“The carnage left behind in the wake of the cartel is devastating to so many in the US and abroad,” stated Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “The capture and arrest of Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, aka Fernanda, aka Chayo, is a groundbreaking demonstration of what international law enforcement authorities can do to fight the scourge of firearm trafficking and the menace that is the narcotics cartels. This may be one of the first of these charges, but it won’t be the last. Thanks to the multi-agency, ATF-led El Paso Operation Southbound Firearms Trafficking Task Force, for their nonstop commitment to take out one of the key players in the trafficking of firearms across our borders.”
“DEA is known for investigating and successfully convicting numerous narco-terrorism targets,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Arellano for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) El Paso Division. “But this case is a prime example of how DEA is expanding and incorporating more terrorism-related investigative authorities. The men and women of the DEA welcome every tool and every measure available to us to defeat CJNG.”
"This indictment highlights the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners to pursue notorious narco-terrorists like CJNG and their accomplices, such as Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez," stated Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens, for HSI El Paso. "These criminals are pivotal players in an extensive web of organized crime that "This indictment highlights the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners to pursue notorious narco-terrorists like CJNG and their accomplices, such as Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez," stated Special Agent in Charge Jason T. Stevens, for HSI El Paso. "These criminals are pivotal players in an extensive web of organized crime that crosses borders, devastating communities through the distribution of deadly drugs and inciting chaos and violence."
Since its establishment, Joint Task Force Alpha’s (JTFA) work has resulted in increased coordination and collaboration between both domestic and foreign law enforcement; precedent setting indictments, extraditions and prosecutions; more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of these crimes; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 defendants sentenced, including significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs.
The FBI, ATF, DEA, Customs and Border Protection and HSI in El Paso investigated the case, assisted by the U.S. Border Patrol. ATF Legal Attachés in Mexico City and the Mexico Attorney General’s Office also known as Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) Firearms Trafficking Unit provided substantial assistance. The DEA, CBP’s National Targeting Center, and ICE HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. also provided assistance with the investigation.
The case announced today is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers and JTFA Associate Director Ian Hanna of the Western District of Texas, and Trial Attorney Marie Zisa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attachés in Mexico provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who arrested Navarro-Sanchez on May 4, during an enforcement operation.
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 Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi¬ jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The OCDETF El Paso / Las Cruces Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from CBP, HSI, DEA, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO), and the El Paso Police Department (EPPD).
The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican National with Three Prior Deportations Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced this week to a total of 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States, while on federal supervised release, after being removed from the country on three prior occasions. On Thursday, Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Geraldo Maya-Gonzalez to 18 months in prison. On Friday, he was sentenced to an additional, consecutive six months by United States District Judge James C. Mahan for violating the terms of his supervised release imposed after his 2018 conviction for the same offense.
According to court documents, Maya-Gonzalez was found by immigration officials on January 27, 2021, after he was previously deported on or about March 3, 2011, June 5, 2012, and July 26, 2019. Maya-Gonzalez came into ICE custody in 2024, after serving a state sentence for drug trafficking.
Maya-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. This was his third such conviction.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 88 Months in Prison for Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – German Montano-Peralta, 33, of Nacozari, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on May 12, 2025, by United States District Judge Angela Martinez to 88 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Montano-Peralta previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine.
On April 30, 2024, in Tucson, Arizona, Montano-Peralta and others possessed approximately 40 kilograms of powder and pills containing fentanyl and more than 55 pounds of methamphetamine, which they intended to deliver to others later that day.
This investigation was a collaborative effort between federal law enforcement agencies and is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative in Southern Arizona that is being led by the Arizona Strike Force located in Tucson. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney, David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-2710-AMM-4
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-079_Montano-Peralta# # #
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.
Member of ‘21st and Vietnam’ Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More than 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Damien Jenkins, 35, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 151 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization known as the “21st and Vietnam” crew.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Jenkins pleaded guilty on Feb. 11, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, as well as cocaine, N-n-dimethylpentalone, also known as “boot,” and phencyclidine, aka PCP. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Jenkins to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Jenkins is a member of the “21st and Vietnam” crew, an organization that distributed narcotics – primarily fentanyl and cocaine – in an open-air market and apartment building in the area of the 1900 block of I Street, NE.
Among other things, the crew took over a vacant apartment for use as a base of operations and used it to process, prepare, and package the drugs for redistribution. Sales occurred at the front of the building, in the apartment, and in a parking lot at the rear of the apartment.
Law enforcement identified Jenkins as being involved in the manufacture, packaging, and sale of drugs. Jenkins has admitted that he was accountable for 1.2 to 3.9 kilos of fentanyl, as well as cocaine, boot, and PCP.
Additionally, on March 7, 2024, several crew members engaged in a verbal altercation with an individual. Co-defendant Charles Manson went into the vacant apartment and Jenkins handed Manson a ski mask. Manson, who was in possession of a firearm, put on the mask. Manson
then went outside of 1919 I Street, NE, and opened fire in the direction of the indivIdual.
On May 15, 2024, about 6 a.m., law enforcement executed a search warrant at Jenkins’s residence. Law enforcement recovered an AK pattern firearm, a Ruger .380 caliber handgun, a Sterling Arms .22 caliber handgun, weapon magazines, dozens of rounds of ammunition, and $3,342 in cash.
This case was investigated by the MPD, the DEA Washington Division, and FBI Washington Field Offce. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel.
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Man Sentenced to 450 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Four Female MinorsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 14, 2025, United States District Court Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll sentenced Efraín Pablo Cruz-González to 450 months (37 years and six months) in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for child exploitation charges against four female minor victims. Cruz-González, 36, from Toa Baja, PR, was indicted on February 15, 2024, and plead guilty on February 6, 2025.
According to court documents, from August 2019 to May 2022, Efraín Pablo Cruz-González knowingly used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a female minor between the ages of seven and 10-years-old, and another female minor between the ages of four and seven years of age to engage in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant used a cellular phone to record the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
On December 24, 2019, and August 19, 2021, the defendant used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced two other female minors of prepubescent ages to produce images of them engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
“The defendant engaged in acts of sexual exploitation against defenseless children and produced videos of his sexual abuse for his personal gratification,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our equally-dedicated law enforcement partners to combat child exploitation and to bring these offenders to justice.”
“Let this sentence serve as a clear warning—there is no safe haven in Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands for predators who exploit children,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of FBI San Juan Field Office. “This outcome is a direct result of the swift, relentless efforts of our agents and partners, who acted with precision and resolve. We are committed to defending the most vulnerable among us, and we will continue to pursue justice with urgency and focus wherever these crimes occur.”
The FBI investigated the case and Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Emelina Agrait Barreto of the United States Attorney’s Office Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case.
Tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute crimes. Citizens with information about child exploitation crimes or any other federal crime are asked to contact the FBI San Juan Field Office at 787-987-6500, or to submit tips through the FBI’s internet complaint portal at Tips.FBI.gov.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON –A leader of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy operating in and around the South Shore area of Massachusetts was sentenced in federal court in Boston for multiple federal drug offenses.
Giovanni Pina, 27, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 138 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. In January 2025, Pina pleaded guilty to one count of possessing with intent to distribute and distributing 500 grams and more of methamphetamine; one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine on a premises where a minor was present and/or resided; and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Beginning in at least January 2021 through at least November 2021, Pina served as one of the leaders of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine in and around the South Shore area – including in the Brockton, Quincy and Weymouth communities. Part of that conspiracy involved a Weymouth “stash house.” During a search of the stash house in January 2021, two kilo presses; extensive drug paraphernalia, including blenders, digital scales and packaging equipment; more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine; three firearms; ammunition; two high-capacity magazines; and a speed loader were recovered. According to court documents and information presented in court, Pina assisted in operating other stash locations after law enforcement dismantled the Weymouth location.
Additionally, Pina participated in a number of recorded drug deals with a cooperating witness in January and February 2023, two of which occurred in the presence of a minor. One recorded drug deal occurred on or about Jan. 12, 2023, at a residence in Brockton. During the deal and in the presence of a minor, Pina provided the witness with a box containing orange pills in exchange for cash. Subsequent lab testing confirmed that the pills consisted of over 2,000 grams of a mixture and substance of methamphetamine. On or about Jan. 25, 2023, Pina participated in another recorded drug deal with the cooperating witness in a vehicle in Taunton. During the deal, Pina provided the witness with a box that contained a large amount of orange pills in exchange for cash. Subsequent lab testing confirmed that the pills consisted of over 2,500 grams of a mixture and substance of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department; and the Cohasset, Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, Randolph, Brockton, East Bridgewater and Bridgewater Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
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.
Keshena Man Sentenced for Fatal Drug Delivery in Tribal Detention FacilityRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 16, 2025, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Warren Grignon (age 43) of Keshena, Wisconsin, to 12 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl he smuggled into the Menominee Tribal Jail, which led to three overdoses, one of which was fatal. Those actions led to the February 7, 2025, entry of guilty pleas to charges of involuntary manslaughter and distribution of controlled substances. Grignon was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the distribution of controlled substances count and a concurrent 8 years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter count.
According to court records, Grignon was booked into the tribal jail on December 22, 2023, and moved into a cell with other inmates on December 23, 2023. Grignon distributed a substance containing fentanyl to three other inmates, who ingested the drug that afternoon. All three inmates overdosed, and responding jail personnel, tribal police, and EMTs managed to revive two of the inmates. Tragically, one of the inmates died.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach noted that the serious nature of the offense and the profound effect Grignon’s actions had on the community required a lengthy prison term. Following his 12-year prison sentence, Grignon will be on supervised release for an additional 10 years. He was also ordered to pay $6,943 in restitution to the victim’s family.
The Menominee Tribal Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier in the United States District Court in Green Bay.
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Justice Department Announces North Georgia Results of Operation Restore JusticeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Between April 28, 2025 through May 1, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort, by all 55 FBI field offices, United States Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division (CEOS), to identify, track, and arrest child sex offenders. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 subjects, including six individuals charged in the Northern District of Georgia: Austin Hunter Bedingfield, 27, of Douglasville; Ian Dudar, 26, of Roswell; Kenneth Frazier, 30, of Powder Springs; Eduardo Gardea, 26, of Norcross; Connie Lynn Thompson, 52, of Grantville; and Christopher Welcher, 44, of Grantville.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims – especially child victims – and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Sex crimes against minors are especially heinous,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We commend our federal and local law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts to hold accountable those who prey on children and achieve a measure of justice for the victims and their families.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
“Our commitment is resolute. FBI Atlanta remains steadfast in its mission to safeguard children from those who seek to harm society’s most vulnerable,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “However, let there be no confusion – this week’s operation is just one chapter in a relentless, year-round effort that our dedicated agents are fully invested in. We will continue to leverage every tool and resource at our disposal to track down child predators and ensure they face justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court, the following defendants were arrested in connection with the operation, indicted by federal grand juries seated in the Northern District of Georgia, and have now been arraigned before a United States Magistrate Judge:
- Austin Hunter Bedingfield was charged with distribution of child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material. Bedingfield allegedly distributed graphic videos depicting the abuse of minors to an undercover officer via Kik. FBI agents conducted a search of Bedingfield’s electronic devices and recovered additional images of sexual abuse of minor children. He was arrested on April 30, 2025.
- Ian Dudar was charged with possession of child sexual abuse material. Dudar allegedly purchased child sexual abuse material using Bitcoin from a commercial child exploitation ring on at least four occasions in 2022. Later, in January 2024, when FBI agents executed search warrants on his person and home, they found child sexual abuse material on two of his electronic devices. He was arrested on April 29, 2025.
- Kenneth Frazier was charged with enticement of a minor, receipt of child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse material. On November 7, 2024, acting on tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Cobb County, Georgia, Police Department executed a search warrant at Frazier’s residence in Powder Springs. Officers seized Frazier’s cell phones, which contained hundreds of images and videos of children as young as infants and toddlers forced to engage in sex acts. One of Frazier’s phones also contained chat transcripts in which Frazier allegedly described himself as a “pedophile,” enticed a minor to engage in sexual activity, and received a visual depiction of that minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He was arrested on May 2, 2025.
- Eduardo Gardea was charged with distribution of child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material. Gardea allegedly distributed child sexual abuse material on two internet platforms and possessed thousands of images depicting the sexual abuse of children. He was arrested on April 24, 2025.
- Connie Lynn Thompson was charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly destroying electronic devices to conceal the alleged child exploitation crimes of Christopher Welcher, who was also arrested during the operation, as is more fully described below. Approximately a week after Welcher’s arrest, he allegedly called Thompson from jail and discussed a plan to destroy electronic devices that contained evidence against him. Although Thompson allegedly executed the concealment plan, the FBI recovered the damaged devices from Thompson’s household trash. She was arrested on May 16, 2025.
- Christopher Welcher was charged with enticement of a minor, interstate travel to engage in an illicit sex act with a minor, possession of child sexual abuse material, and commission of a felony by a registered sex offender. On March 4, 2025, Welcher, a registered sex offender who previously served more than six years in federal prison for distributing child sex abuse materials, allegedly exchanged sexually explicit text messages with an undercover investigator he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. Welcher then drove from Alabama to the vicinity of a northwest Georgia high school to allegedly meet and molest the girl. Police arrested Welcher upon his arrival at the meeting location and seized his phone, which contained hundreds of images of child sex abuse. He was arrested on May 16, 2025.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictments only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg and Assistant United States Attorneys James Hwang, Matthew LaGrone, Leanne Marek, and Amy Palumbo are prosecuting these cases.
These cases are being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Cobb County Police Department, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Rome/Floyd Metro Drug Task Force.
This effort follows the Department of Justice’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April 2025, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, investigate and prosecute these crimes every day, April served as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.
The Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org. The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Jury Convicts KC Man in Murder-for-Hire ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was convicted in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.
Thomas D. Clegg, 42, was found guilty by a jury of participating in a conspiracy to commit murder for hire.
Clegg and others conspired from Aug. 19, 2021, to June 13, 2022, to murder a victim identified as “J.C.” and his family members for payment in cash and marijuana.
The conspiracy included two occasions when Clegg shot J.C. On Aug. 19, 2021, Clegg shot J.C. in the leg and back in the parking lot of Ugly Joe’s bar in Kansas City, Mo. On May 25, 2022, Clegg shot J.C. in the back in the parking lot of a strip mall located at 4010 Sterling Avenue, Kansas City, Mo. The businesses in and near the strip mall included an accounting firm, daycare, and fitness center. One witness had just picked two of her children up from the daycare when her vehicle was struck by the gunfire. One of her windows was shot out, but no one in her vehicle was injured.
Investigators seized Clegg’s cell phone when he was arrested. Investigators also obtained search warrants for Clegg’s cell phone. Text messages between Clegg and co-conspirators indicated that Clegg was hired to murder J.C.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately two and a half hours before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, May 12.
Clegg pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm utilized in the May 2022 shooting on Tuesday, May 6.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Clegg has two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, as well as prior felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon, trafficking in drugs, voluntary manslaughter, discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle, assault, armed criminal action, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Under federal statutes, Clegg is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh A. Ragner and Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department, the Independence, Mo. Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Judge Gives 18 Years for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antonio Jackson, 38, of Washington, DC, was sentenced today in Superior Court to 18 years in prison for the brutal stabbing of 52-year-old Maria Evans in the rear alleyway of 530 Oakwood Street, SE, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jackson pleaded guilty in November 2023 to one count of second-degree murder while armed, pursuant to an 11(c) plea that limited his prison term to 17-21 years.
According to the statement of facts, in the morning hours around 6:30 am on Thursday, March 29, 2018, Jackson walked into the rear alleyway of 530 Oakwood Street, SE with the victim. As he walked behind Ms. Evans into the alleyway, the defendant held a long blade knife in his hand. The defendant then stabbed Ms. Evans 23 times – once in her face, once in her neck, nine in her chest, five in her stomach, three in her side, twice in back, once in her shoulder, and once on her hand. The defendant then briskly exited the alleyway and discarded the knife in a trashcan at the mouth of the alleyway.
Later that morning, around 8 am, MPD officers found Ms. Evans lying unconscious and unresponsive in the alleyway, suffering from multiple stab wounds. Ms. Evans was transported to George Washington University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
On May 4, 2018, the defendant was arrested pursuant to a Superior Court warrant. After the defendant waived his Miranda rights, police showed him surveillance video in which he identified himself entering the alley with Ms. Evans, just moments before he repeatedly stabbed her, and then exited the alley after discarding the knife in a dumpster, although he denied killing Ms. Evans.
U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith also praised the efforts of the Metropolitan Police Department and acknowledged the work of United States Attorney’s Office.
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Jefferson County man sentenced to federal prison after robbing convenience store and leading police on a high-speed chaseRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for violent crime violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Patrick Lee Bridgewater, 22, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 16, 2025.
According to court documents, on April 14, 2023, local law enforcement officers responded to a report of an armed robbery in progress at the Speedy Stop on College Street in Beaumont. Witnesses reported two men entered the store and demanded money from the clerk at gunpoint. A description of the men and the vehicle they fled in was broadcast to law enforcement. The vehicle was quickly located traveling eastbound on College Street. A traffic stop was initiated, but the vehicle evaded police resulting in a high-speed chase eventually ending in Nederland. Bridgewater was a passenger in the vehicle, which had been reported stolen and was being driven by a minor. Evidence from the robbery was found in the vehicle.
This case was sentenced as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by FBI’s Beaumont field office and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.
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Indian National Indicted for Transportation and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on May 8, 2025, ASHISH KAPOOR, a/k/a “Romy Kapoor,” (“KAPOOR”), age 28, a national of India, was charged in a superseding indictment Transportation of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(1), (a)(4)(B), (b)(1), and (b)(2).
If convicted of Transportation of Child Pornography, KAPOOR faces a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to 250,000.00, a period of supervised release up to life, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. If convicted of Possession of Child Pornography, KAPOOR faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to 250,000.00, a period of supervised release up to life, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
According to the superseding indictment, on or about February 21, 2024, KAPOOR transported a cellular phone containing digital videos and computer images containing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. On or about December 20, 2024, KAPOOR possessed digital videos and computer images containing visual depictions of prepubescent minors under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the superseding indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the United States Customs and Border Protection, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Illegal Immigrant Sentenced for Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Guatemalan national was sentenced yesterday for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported.
According to court documents, Mateo Juan-Lorenzo, 22, was arrested by the Robertsdale Police Department on February 16, 2025, for giving a law enforcement officer false information. Homeland Security (“HSI”) was notified of his arrest. HSI was able to determine that Juan-Lorenzo had previously been removed from the United States in 2024.
At sentencing, Judge Moorer imposed a time-served sentence and a 1-year term of supervised release upon his future release. Juan-Lorenzo had been in custody since his arrest on February 16, 2025. Upon his release from prison, Juan-Lorenzo is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Juan-Lorenzo was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and the Robertsdale Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Houston sex trafficker gets 14 years for luring minor through social mediaRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 25-year-old man has been sentenced for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Michael Ramone Hooks pleaded guilty Sept. 27, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake considered victim letters and sentenced Hooks to 168 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $6087 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Hooks will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
At the time of his plea, Hooks admitted to recruiting the 16-year-old victim to engage in prostitution via Instagram, text messages and video calls.
He communicated via cell phone with the minor and lured her away from a known sex trafficker, Antonio Dario Osario-Avelar aka Pressure. Prior to Hooks’ attempt to lure the minor victim away to work for him, Osario-Avelar had caused to her to engage in commercial sex.
Hooks knew the victim was a minor. Law enforcement discovered text messages revealing that they discussed her age. The victim agreed to pay Hooks a “choosing fee,” which is a fee the victim pays a trafficker for them to be their “pimp.”
In August 2023, authorities arrested Hooks and recovered the minor victim before she could join up with him.
Osario-Avelar was previously sentenced to 375 months in federal prison for his conduct in a separate case before U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks.
“This case is a reminder that sex trafficking is happening in our city, even if it is not always immediately visible,” said Ganjei. “This case was, of course, a great hit against this specific defendant, but our larger goal is nothing short of putting the Houston sex trafficking trade completely out of business.”
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance and Houston Police Department (HPD).
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Celia Moyer and former AUSA Sherri Zack prosecuted the case.
HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Honduran National Charged with Reentry of Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ROSSEL GEOVANNY RECINOS ARITA (“RECINOS ARITA”), age 30, a native of Honduras, was charged in a bill of information on May 12, 2025, for reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, RECINOS ARITA, a Honduran national, was found in St. Tammany Parish on or around February 24, 2025. He had previously been deported to Honduras on June 19, 2018.
If convicted, RECINOS ARITA faces a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
Guilty Plea Entered in Metropolitan Branch Trail Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jalique Wiseman, of the District, and Leon Kirksey, of Maryland, both 20, pleaded guilty today to charges stemming from a string of armed and unarmed robberies along the Metropolitan Branch Trail in October and November of 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wiseman and Kirksey each pleaded guilty in Superior Court to three counts of armed robbery and three counts of robbery. Sentencing is scheduled for August 8, 2025, before Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro.
According to the government’s evidence, between October 2, 2023 and November 23, 2023, Wiseman and Kirksey robbed multiple people on six separate instances on or near the Metropolitan Branch Trail, using either physical violence or at gunpoint, taking the victims cell phones and other property. Wiseman and Kirksey demanded the victims’ passcodes and used that information to access the victims’ financial accounts to transfer money to accounts that Wiseman and Kirksey controlled. Wiseman committed a number of the robberies while wearing a distinctive red, white, and blue Moncler jacket and distinctive Penny Hardaway shoes.
The plea agreement is the culmination of an investigation into a string of robberies along the Metropolitan Branch Trail in the fall of 2023.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kraig Ahalt.
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Guatemalan National in the United States Illegally Detained for Assaulting a Federal AgentRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A previously deported Guatemalan national illegally present in the United States has been ordered detained on a charge of assault, resisting, and impeding a law enforcement officer in the performance of official duties, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
It is alleged that on April 30, 2025, Miguel Tamup-Tamup, a/k/a Miguel US Tamup, 28, struggled with an ICE deportation officer and Homeland Security Investigations agents as they attempted to apprehend him as authorized by a Warrant for Arrest of Alien. A Homeland Security Investigations agent suffered serious injury during the encounter.
Charging documents reflect that on April 19, 2025, Tamup was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence after his car allegedly collided with another vehicle. He was subsequently arraigned and released. Tamup’s fingerprints matched ICE fingerprint records associated with a person flagged as being in the United States illegally.
It is alleged that on April 30, 2025, an ICE deportation officers and Homeland Security Investigations agents stopped a car that Tamup was operating. After he refused to exit, the law enforcement agents guided him out of the vehicle. While the agents attempted to place Tamup in handcuffs, he resisted, threw his upper body and shoulders against the agents, flailed his arms, and broke an agent’s hold. During the encounter, one of the agents fell to the ground and suffered a serious leg injury. Tamup fled as the injured agent was attended to by the other agents.
On Thursday, ICE and HSI agents located Tamup at a Providence residence and took him into custody. He made an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and has been ordered detained.
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 federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah.
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Grand jury indicts 11 more individuals for involvement with online groups dedicated to monkey torture & mutilationRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – An indictment was unsealed today charging 11 defendants from across the United States for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
The indictment alleges the individuals conspired with previously charged defendant Nicholas T. Dryden, of Cincinnati, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.”
The indictment details 79 overt acts in which defendants allegedly paid Dryden who then paid a minor in Indonesia to commit the requested acts on camera.
The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy depicted, among other things, monkeys having their genitals burned and cut with scissors, as well as being sodomized with a wooden skewer and a spoon.
Those charged include:
NameAlso Known AsResidenceErnest D. ChavezLaxArizonaHugh T. CampbellTim TempletonPennsylvaniaCarter G. FawcettCaptainColoradoBrady O. ShellhammerBeglu, BbbegluLouisianaJimmy WongYasser LopezNew YorkKimberly A. AnglinKim AnglinConnecticutMark M. SampieriThe Chef, SainTConnecticutVictoria S. HaskinsCat Face, Sparkles Fancy PantsLouisianaVance H. BeadlesMr. GreenKentuckyMary L. LongoriaR6, R6exNorth CarolinaPatrick C. NaylorYANTF, YANTF 2xNorth Carolina“The acts of torture and abuse of young monkeys alleged in this case are beyond disturbing,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “As a result of the work of the FBI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and our partners, those involved in the conspiracy to create and distribute these repulsive videos are being held accountable.”
If convicted as charged, these defendants face maximum penalties of five years in prison.
Acting United States Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio; Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Department of Justice’s Environmental & Natural Resources Division (ENRD); and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; made today’s announcement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam C. Cullman of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Oakley for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Grand Jury Indicts 11 More Individuals for Involvement with Online Groups Dedicated to Monkey Torture and MutilationRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging 11 defendants from across the United States for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
The indictment alleges the individuals conspired with previously charged defendant Nicholas T. Dryden, of Cincinnati, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.”
The indictment details 79 overt acts in which defendants allegedly paid Dryden who then paid a minor in Indonesia to commit the requested acts on camera.
The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy depicted, among other things, monkeys having their genitals burned and cut with scissors, as well as being sodomized with a wooden skewer and a spoon.
Those charged today include:
- Ernest D. Chavez — also known as Lax — from Arizona;
- Hugh T. Campbell — also known as Tim Templeton — from Pennsylvania;
- Carter G. Fawcett — also known as Captain — from Colorado;
- Brady O. Shellhammer — also known as Beglu or Bbbeglu — from Louisiana;
- Jimmy Wong — also known as Yasser Lopez — from New York;
- Kimberly A. Anglin — also known as Kim Anglin — from Connecticut;
- Mark M. Sampieri — also known as The Chef or SainT — from Connecticut;
- Victoria S. Haskins — also known as Cat Face or Sparkles Fancy Pants — from Louisiana;
- Vance H. Beadles — also known as Mr. Green — from Kentucky;
- Mary L. Longoria — also known as R6 or R6ex — from North Carolina; and
- Patrick C. Naylor — also known as YANTF or YANTF 2x — from North Carolina.
If convicted as charged, these defendants face maximum penalties of five years in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement, and Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office made today’s announcement.
The USFWS Office of Law Enforcement and FBI investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam C. Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Oakley for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four Men Arrested for Illegal Reentry During Immigration Enforcement Operation in Sumter CountyRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Henry Noe Murillo Castellanos (29, Honduras), Juan Diaz Mendez (29, Mexico), Esteban Pashanno Gomez (30, Mexico), and Hermilo Jimenez Vazquez (23, Mexico) have been arrested on federal criminal complaints charging them with illegal reentry after being previously deported or removed from the United States. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison.
These arrests took place during an immigration enforcement operation carried out in in Sumter County during the week of May 12, 2025. According to court records, Murillo Castellanos had been previously deported from the United States on at least three occasions; Diaz Mendez had two prior deportations; Pashanno Gomez and Jimenez Vazquez each had one prior removal. None of these individuals applied for or received permission from the Attorney General, or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, to return to the United States.
These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Florida Highway Patrol. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
The investigations are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Four Dominican Nationals Indicted for Drug Conspiracy Involving Fentanyl and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal grand jury in Boston has indicted four Dominican nationals residing in Lawrence, Mass., on drug charges.
Juana Luduvina Aguasvivas, 66, Richard Arias-Aguasvivas, 38, Ariel Ruiz, 31, and Yonelin Baez Soto, 30, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Arias-Aguasvivas, Ruiz and Baez were also charged with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and/or crack cocaine. All four defendants are scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on May 29, 2025.
According to the charging documents, in April 2021, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization operating in Lawrence that was supplying fentanyl, cocaine base and cutting agents to customers. Between April 2021 and February 2025, investigators conducted controlled purchases, during which Aguasvivas, Arias-Aguasvivas, Ruiz and Baez collectively sold more than 800 grams of fentanyl, more than 80 grams of crack cocaine and copious amounts of cutting agents.
In May 2025, Baez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry and is scheduled to be sentenced on those charges on Aug. 6, 2025.
Arias-Aguasvivas, Ruiz and Baez each face at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $10 million fine. Aguasvivas faces at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $5 million fine. The defendants are subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, Essex County District Attorney’s Office, North Andover Police Department, Billerica Police Department, Lowell Police Department, Haverhill Police Department, Methuen Police Department, Internal Revenue Service and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annapurna Balakrishna of the Criminal Division is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former employee sentenced to federal prison for stealing from psychiatristRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for fraud violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Jerry Leonard Carnley, Jr., 55, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 16, 2025. Carnley was also ordered to pay restitution of $191,251.35 to his victims.
According to information presented in court, Carnley was employed as an office manager and information technology (IT) specialist for a local psychiatric practice. As such, Carnley had access to the business checking account. As part of his scheme to defraud the business, Carnley would utilize the business checking account, which had a debit card attached to it, and withdraw money from ATMs for matters other than business, including his own personal use. One of Carnley’s responsibilities was to provide an accounting firm with documents necessary for the filing of federal income tax returns. From December 2020 to September 2021, However, Carnley purposefully refused to provide the accounting firm with requested information such as quick books and bank statements. Eventually, Carnley told the accounting firm that he would file the taxes himself and that the doctor would no longer be using their services. These actions allowed Carnley to continue to discretely withdraw money from the business checking account. Carnley befriended the doctor’s mother with the pretense of getting to know the doctor better and obtained information that would help him change passwords to bank accounts. From November 2020 to December 2021, Carnley made 355 unauthorized withdrawals from an ATM machine located at the Delta Downs Racetrack, Hotel and Casino in Vinton, Louisiana, and 53 unauthorized cash withdrawals from banks in and around Beaumont, Texas. As a result of the scheme, Carnley was responsible for obtaining over $191,000 by fraud.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Beaumont field office and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin.
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Former Youth Pastor Sentenced for Coercion of a Minor and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A former youth pastor was sentenced today for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Possession of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Chaz Chinsethagid, 34, of Jenks, to serve 168 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Chinsethagid will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, from December 2023 through March 2024, Chinsethagid knowingly entered an online chat room. He engaged in several conversations and initiated a conversation with someone he believed to be 14 years old. Chinsethagid spoke with the 14-year-old about school and quickly turned the conversation sexual. He then attempted to entice the 14-year-old to participate in a video call or provide sexually explicit photos.
Chinsethagid further admitted to possessing explicit videos and images of children, some under 12 years old, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Chinsethagid will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Former Theology Professor Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Pornographic Images of ChildrenRead the Press Release
A former professor of theology and librarian at the Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for possession of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Charles Kilby Bellinger, 63, was arrested in October 2024 by the Fort Worth Police Department after TCU’s IT staff reported they had detected pornographic images with concerning file names, including “infant” and “toddler,” on Bellinger’s work computer. He was charged by federal complaint, which stated that investigators found multiple sexually explicit images of pre-pubescent minors on a hard drive and an SD card removed from Bellinger’s office.
In early January 2025, Bellinger pled guilty to federal charges of possessing child pornography. Today, he was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman, who also ordered that Bellinger pay restitution of $6,000 to certain victims and that Bellinger be taken into custody immediately following the hearing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Meacham praised the work of the law enforcement agencies that conducted the investigation, including the U.S. Secret Service, the Fort Worth Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, and the Texas Christian University Campus Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Saleem prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative that was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Former Tennessee State Representative and His Chief of Staff Convicted of Bribery and Kickback ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –After a three-week trial,former Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada, 64, and his former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren, 38, of Nashville, were found guilty today by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit theft from programs receiving federal funds; bribery and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; honest services wire fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering; using a fictitious name to carry out a fraud; theft concerning programs receiving federal funds; eight counts of money laundering; and two counts of bribery and kickbacks, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Cothren was also found guilty on six counts of honest services wire fraud, and Casada was found guilty on four counts of honest services wire fraud and acquitted on two counts.
“Tennesseans have a right to expect honest services from their elected leaders and their staffs,” said McGuire. “Our office will continue to pursue justice on behalf of our community in cases involving public corruption and fraud committed by elected officials or their staffs. We believe that Tennesseans deserve no less.”
“Elected officials and their staff members have a duty to act honestly and ethically when serving the public,” said Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Using public office for personal gain is a crime and the FBI is committed to holding those who abuse power accountable and protecting public resources.”
According to evidence presented at trial, beginning in late 2019, Casada, while representing Tennessee House District 63, Cothren, and former Tennessee State Representative Robin Smith, 61, of Hixson, Tennessee, engaged in a fraudulent scheme to enrich themselves by exploiting Casada and Smith’s official positions as legislators to obtain funds from the State of Tennessee. Specifically, the conspirators deceived their former colleagues and officials at the State of Tennessee in an effort to obtain State funds for Phoenix Solutions, Cothren’s political consulting business. In exchange for recruiting legislators and securing the approval of Phoenix Solutions’ invoices by the State, Cothren paid kickbacks to Casada and Smith.
Smith pleaded guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud in 2022 and testified at trial.
The evidence showed that Cothren pretended to be “Matthew Phoenix,” supposedly an experienced political consultant who had previously worked for a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm. In fact, Cothren operated Phoenix Solutions, and Casada, Cothren, and Smith knew that “Matthew Phoenix” was a fictitious person. Casada, Cothren, and Smith concealed their involvement in Phoenix Solutions by submitting invoices to the State of Tennessee in the names of political consulting companies owned by Casada and Smith, for the purpose of secretly funneling money from the State to Phoenix Solutions through the bank accounts of these companies. In 2020, these companies and Phoenix Solutions received approximately $51,947 from the State in payments associated with the mailer program. Phoenix Solutions also obtained more than $170,000 in payments from political organizations, campaigns, and candidates.
Casada and Cothren will be sentenced later this year, and each face up to 20 years in prison. Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Casada, Cothren, and Smith may also be ordered to forfeit any property which represents or is traceable to receipts obtained as a result of the offenses.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Nashville Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor J. Phillips and Trial Attorneys John P. Taddei and Blake J. Ellison of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.
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Former Owner of San Diego Surrogacy Consulting Businesses Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding ClientsRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO –Lillian Arielle Markowitz, former owner of three San Diego-based surrogacy consulting businesses, was sentenced in federal court today to 24 months in prison for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from her clients.
At today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson also ordered Markowitz to pay $389,142.00 in restitution to her former clients.
According to court documents, Markowitz owned three businesses — My Donor Cycle, Surrogacy Beyond Borders, and Expecting Surrogacy — through which she marketed herself as a surrogacy consultant to those seeking to realize their dreams of becoming parents. Beginning around 2018, when Markowitz and her businesses began to experience financial distress, she devised a scheme to steal money from her surrogacy clients by, among other things, submitting fraudulent requests to withdraw client funds from the escrow company where the funds were maintained. Markowitz submitted four fraudulent escrow disbursement requests, including one in which she forged a client’s signature in order to steal his escrow funds.
In her plea agreement, Markowitz admitted that from 2019 through 2021, she defrauded nine additional clients by falsely promising that their funds would be deposited into an escrow account and that their funds would be accessed only to pay for expenses related to their respective surrogacy journey. Instead, Markowitz deposited these clients’ funds into her business checking account, then immediately used them to cover general business expenses, expenses related to other clients’ surrogacy journeys, expenses related to her unrelated yoga and float business, and to pay for her personal expenses.
“Lillian Markowitz turned her surrogacy businesses into a Ponzi scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “She did not simply steal funds. She stole the dream of parenthood from her victims. She exploited hope and heartbreak for profit. Those who prey on the desperate will be held accountable.”
“Today’s sentencing of Lilian Markowitz marks the conclusion of a cruel and deceitful scheme that deeply exploited the victims’ hopeful dreams of becoming parents,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Houtan Moshrefi. “After years of deception, Ms. Markowitz will now be held accountable for her egregious breach of trust and unethical conduct.”
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey D. Hill and Assistant United States Attorney Mark W. Pletcher.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24-CR-0904-TWR
Lillian Arielle Markowitz (aka Lillian Frost) Age: 40 Portland, OR
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 134
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Contact
Kelly Thornton, Director of Media Relations
Former New York City Police Officer Sentenced to 23 Years’ Imprisonment for Sexually Exploiting Minors OnlineRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Carmine Simpson was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 23 years in prison for sexually exploiting minors online. On March 24, 2023, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of sexually exploiting a minor. The charges stem from Simpson’s extensive online conduct in 2020, while he was a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer, which includes engaging numerous children in sexual conversations, enticing and manipulating them into sending him nude images and videos, routinely requesting them to engage in live chat sessions on FaceTime and Snapchat, directing them to physically harm themselves, and asking them to write degrading sexual phrases on their nude bodies. Simpson resigned from the NYPD in 2022.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“The defendant’s repeated sexual solicitation and exploitation of minors is reprehensible,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “That he was a law enforcement officer at the time he committed these crimes makes his conduct even more horrific. My Office will continue to work to protect vulnerable children from predators like the defendant.”
“Carmine Simpson betrayed his badge by preying upon minors for twisted sexual gratification. Simpson repeatedly prowled online for minor victims before coercing them to provide sexually explicit and degrading content,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “The FBI will never tolerate any individual who exploits children, especially those with sworn duties to protect them.”
Simpson, then a police officer with the NYPD, targeted vulnerable children on Twitter for the purpose of having them create and send him sexually exploitative photos and videos of themselves. Simpson had multiple Twitter profiles and pretended to be a 17-year-old boy to entice minors into engaging with him, even using a filter to alter his own appearance so that he looked younger. Simpson then communicated with numerous minors, including some as young as 13-years-old.
Law enforcement first learned about the defendant’s conduct in December 2020, after the mother of John Doe 2, a 13-year-old transgender male, filed a police report after finding chat communications with the defendant on her child’s computer. In those messages, the defendant stated, “Do you take good nudes?” and “You take good nudes? Prove it.” He gave instructions to write words on the victim’s body with a marker and commented: “How many words do you think we can add to your body?” As part of that conversation, John Doe 2 sent the defendant at least two sexually explicit videos.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Megan E. Farrell is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
CARMINE SIMPSON
Age: 30
Holbrook, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-97 (GRB)
Former Health Aide Worker Sentenced for Stealing from the Family of Dying Hospice PatientRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Beverly Ochoa, 30, of Derwood, Maryland, was sentenced today to a 12-month suspended sentence for first-degree theft in the stealing of $2,600 cash from the elderly wife of a hospice patient, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Ochoa pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to one count of first-degree theft. As part of the sentence, Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno ordered one year of supervised probation to include 40 hours of community service and suspended three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of Oct. 1, MPD officers were called to the victims’ home in Southeast, where an elderly couple resided, and the husband was receiving hospice care. The couple employed two health aide caregivers from different companies to assist with the care of the patient. One of the workers, Ochoa, was in the home with the patient when the patient’s wife came downstairs to pay the other health aide worker. When she asked Ochoa where the other worker was, Ochoa said she had left the residence. The patient’s wife then placed the $2,600 in $100 bills inside a drawer so she could pay the other worker later and left for a medical appointment. When the patient’s wife returned later that day, the cash was missing from the drawer. The couple’s family arrived at the home and reviewed in-home security camera footage. The video captured Ochoa retrieving something from the kitchen and placing it in her purse. The family called law enforcement and when officers arrived, they found $2,600, in $100 bills, inside the defendant’s purse. She was arrested that day.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nickolas Reck and Katherine Ballou, who prosecuted the case.
Florida Pharmacy Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud and Agrees to Pay More Than $1 Million SettlementRead the Press Release
BOSTON – On May 13, 2025, a Florida-based pharmacy, OHM Pharmacy Services, aka “Benzer,” aka “Auburndale,” pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $82,000. As part of the global resolution, Benzer also agreed to pay $1,018,000 to resolve False Claims Act violations.
According to OHM’s admissions in the global resolution of criminal charges and civil claims, the pharmacy dispensed Evzio, one of several naloxone products on the market indicated for use on an emergent basis in the case of opioid overdose. Due to Evzio’s high price, insurers (including Medicare Part D plans) frequently required that health care providers submit prior authorization requests before they approved coverage. OHM completed prior authorization forms in place of prescribing physicians, and in some instances OHM personnel signed the prior authorization forms without the physician’s authorization and submitted information to insurers that made it appear as though a physician, and not OHM, was submitting the information. Moreover, OHM also submitted prior authorization requests to insurers, including Medicare Part D plans, that contained false information. For example, OHM staff filled out and submitted dozens of Evzio prior authorization request forms that falsely asserted that patients had previously tried and failed to successfully use Narcan or naloxone.
In connection with the resolution, Benzer entered into an integrity agreement (IA) with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The IA requires, among other things, that Benzer implement measures to ensure that its submission of claims for pharmaceutical products complies with applicable law relating to prior authorizations.
The civil settlement concludes the government’s resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by a former employee of kaleo Inc., Evzio’s manufacturer. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Socol v. Benzer Pharmacy Holding, LLC, et al., No. 18-cv-10050-RGS (D. Mass.). As part of the civil resolution, the whistleblower will receive $285,040 of the civil settlement amount.
In 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced settlements with kaléo Inc. for $12.7 million and with other pharmacies for $1 million relating to their submission of false claims for Evzio. In 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced a $1.31 million deferred prosecution agreement and civil settlement with another pharmacy.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kim Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General; the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General; and the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General made the announcement.
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham R. George, Chief of the Civil Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren A. Graber, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit.
Florida Ophthalmology Practice Agrees to Pay $615,000 to Resolve Allegations of Fraudulent Claims to Medicare and Medicaid for Cranial UltrasoundsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Pinellas Eye Care, P.A. d/b/a Gulfcoast Eye Care (“Gulfcoast Eye”), an ophthalmology practice with offices in Pinellas Park, Palm Harbor, and St. Petersburg, Florida, has agreed to pay $615,000 to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act and an analogous Florida statute arising from its billing for trans-cranial doppler ultrasounds (“TCDs”) provided through a kickback arrangement with a third party. Gulfcoast Eye has agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department’s ongoing investigations of other participants in the alleged scheme.
The settlement resolves allegations that Gulfcoast Eye knowingly submitted, and caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary TCDs. Gulfcoast Eye and a third-party provider of TCD services performed TCDs on thousands of patients and billed Medicare and Medicaid hundreds of dollars per test. Before the patients received the results of the test, Gulfcoast Eye and the third-party provider identified the patients as having received a serious diagnosis—most commonly of occlusion and stenosis of their cerebral arteries—that could qualify the patient for reimbursement of a TCD by Medicare or Medicaid. However, nearly all patients who received TCDs never had occlusion and stenosis of cerebral arteries, and that diagnosis was accordingly not reflected in the patient’s medical history or in the TCD results. Gulfcoast Eye paid the third-party TCD provider based on the volume or value of tests ordered and referred the patients to the TCD provider’s preferred radiology group for the TCD’s professional component.
The United States alleged that, as a result of this scheme, Gulfcoast Eye submitted, or caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for TCDs that were medically unnecessary, that were premised on false diagnoses, and that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law. Of the $615,000 total settlement amount, $602,046 is to be paid to the United States, and $12,953 is to be paid to the State of Florida for its share of Medicaid, which is a jointly funded federal and state program.
“Patients trust their healthcare providers to administer reliable and competent care consistent with their medical needs and ethical standards,” said U.S. Attorney Kehoe. “When this relationship is exploited for personal gain or greed, the integrity of our healthcare system is compromised. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect patients from potential harm and maintain the integrity of our federal programs.”
“Kickback schemes will always be an investigative priority for the FBI,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor. “Our mission is to protect the American people which includes safeguarding them from deceitful actions threatening our nation’s federal healthcare system.”
“Kickback arrangements can corrupt legitimate medical decision-making and undermine the integrity of federal healthcare programs,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan P. Lynch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, working with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate improper billing and kickback schemes to protect both Medicare and Medicaid as well as those served by these programs.”
The civil settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the Government’s recovery. The qui tam was filed by a whistleblower who will receive $116,850 in connection with the settlement.
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from HHS-OIG and the FBI. The United States previously resolved allegations that another ophthalmology practice in Florida engaged in a similar scheme with the same third-party TCD provider.
The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Trial Attorney Nelson Wagner in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Mamie Wise for the Middle District of Florida handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Fifth Resident from Pierre, South Dakota, Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Pierre, South Dakota woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on May 14, 2025.
Heather Stahlhoefer, age 38, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $1000 fine, as well as a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Stahlhoefer was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. She pleaded guilty on March 10, 2025.
This conviction stemmed from a drug distribution conspiracy beginning in June 2023 and continuing until September 2024. Heather Stahlhoefer and co-defendant Misty Stahlhoefer were the source of supply to several other individuals in the Pierre area. The Stahlhoefers would acquire up to 1 pound of methamphetamine per trip to be further distributed by themselves and others including Whitney Marrowbone, Wendy Mealer, Brent Larvie, and David Rinehart. The conspiracy involved between 10,000 and 30,000 kilograms of converted drug weight, including 550 grams of pure methamphetamine that was recovered during a traffic stop of Heather Stahlhoefer.
Misty Stahlhoefer is scheduled to be sentenced July 14, 2025. Marrowbone, Mealer, Larvie and Reinhart were previously sentenced on May 5, 2025. Marrowbone was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison; Mealer was sentenced to six years in federal prison; Larvie was sentenced to four years and six months in federal prison; and Rinehart was sentenced to two years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Pierre Police Department, the Chamberlain Police Department, and the Lyman County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meghan Dilges.
Stahlhoefer was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Selling More Than $64,000 Worth of FentanylRead the Press Release
A fentanyl dealer was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for his role in distributing over $64,000 worth of fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
On May 15, 2025, Donald Derrell Slay, Jr., 31, of Richardson, Texas, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Brantley Starr for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Court filings reveal that, in late 2022 into early 2023, Slay and two others, Hakeem Aziz Wiley and Richard Daniel Gomez, sold several quantities of fentanyl to undercover officers on multiple occasions in the Dallas area. One delivery involved 6,000 fentanyl pills in exchange for $15,000.00.
Slay, Wiley, and Gomez each pled guilty to a conspiracy count after indictment. Hakeem Aziz Wiley, 26, of Frisco, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison by Judge Starr in January 2025. Richard Daniel Gomez, 24, of Carrollton, Texas, received a sentence of 37 months in federal prison from Judge Starr in February this year.
Fentanyl pills have an approximate street value of $10 per pill. The potential street value of the fentanyl pills seized in this case is approximately $64,690.00.
The case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney George Leal prosecuted the case.
Felon Sentenced to 49 Years in Prison for Multiple Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man who has prior felony convictions was sentenced today by United States District Judge Miranda M. Du to 49 years in prison for committing multiple armed robberies of businesses in Las Vegas.
According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, from January 19, 2022, to January 25, 2022, George Perez committed seven store robberies. At all seven robberies, Perez approached the cashiers with store merchandise, pretending he was going to purchase it. At six of the seven robberies, he pointed a Taurus G2 9mm firearm at the cashiers and demanded money. Perez stole money by threatened force, physical violence, and fear of injury.
Perez has prior convictions including attempt possession of controlled substance with intent to sell; two burglaries; and possession of credit or debit card without cardholder’s consent, all in Clark County, Nevada, and he is prohibited by law to possess a firearm.
In February 2025, following a five-day trial, a jury convicted Perez of seven counts of interference with commerce by robbery, seven counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys David Kiebler and Lauren Ibanez prosecuted the case.
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Federal jury convicts Virginia man and Maryland woman for conspiracy to defraud a non-profit corporation through payments for work that wasn’t performedRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Virginia man and Maryland woman yesterday on charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering for their parts in defrauding a non-profit corporation dedicated to global public health.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from Dec. 1, 2014, to Aug. 21, 2020, Abiodun A. Ogunwale, 46, of Haymarket, served as Director of Business Development for the non-profit. Ogunwale exercised substantial control over the hiring and paying of consultants for the non-profit’s Business Development department as well as the payment of department expenses.
In August 2016, Ogunwale hired Abimbola Ajayi, 41, of Rockville, Maryland, as a business development consultant for the non-profit. Ajayi purportedly served as a business development consultant for the non-profit through May 2020. Ogunwale created invoices and work descriptions for Ajayi to use to bill the non-profit and drafted emails for Ajayi to send to the non-profit to make it appear that Ajayi performed work on specific proposals she had not performed. Three different witnesses who did work in business development had never met Ajayi. Ogunwale used his personal email account to send the invoices he created for Ajayi along with instructions for Ajayi to email them to the non-profit, and Ogunwale then approved the fraudulent invoices. Ogunwale also conspired with Ajayi to submit fraudulent receipts claiming false business expenses for which her company, AbbiFabDynamics, LLC, was paid.
During the scheme, Ajayi would kick back and launder the funds to Ogunwale by a variety of means, including depositing cash into the account of his company, Compass Management Services and Solutions, LLC, and by paying his credit card bills.
In addition to conspiring with Ajayi, Ogunwale hired a family member as another consultant. He also used this family member to submit false expense reports. Ogunwale embezzled funds by submitting false expense reports claiming Compass Management was entitled to payment.
The jury also convicted Ogunwale for mail fraud.
Ogunwale and Ajayi face up to 20 years in prison for each count when sentenced on Aug. 7. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Nyema Morais, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Agency for International Development Office of Inspector General; and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly M. Shartar and Kathleen E. Robeson are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-165.
Federal Jury Convicts Nampa Man of Attempting to Produce Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOISE – After a three-day trial, a federal jury sitting in Boise found William Walls, 52, of Nampa, guilty of three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill presided over the trial, which began on May 12, and concluded with guilty verdicts on May 14.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Walls used his cellphone to surreptitiously record three female children in the bathroom of his apartment. Walls was babysitting the victims at the time. The video captured one of the children showering and the other two children changing their clothes.
The charge of attempted sexual exploitation of a child carries a minimum of fifteen years and up to life in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and at least five years and up to lifetime of supervised release. Walls will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
Sentencing is set for July 31, 2025, before Judge Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the Nampa Police Department for a thorough and professional investigation, which led to the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Kassandra McGrady and Erin Blackadar prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Federal Grand Juries in Bowling Green and Paducah, Kentucky Indict 5 Foreign Nationals from China, Guatemala, and Mexico for Immigration and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green and Paducah, KY – Federal grand juries in Bowling Green and Paducah, Kentucky, returned indictments on May 13 and 14, 2025, charging 5 individuals with immigration and firearms offenses.
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 Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement made the announcement.
According to the indictments:
Artemio Ruiz-Medina, age 45, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in Bowling Green with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about April 13, 2025, Ruiz-Medina was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about July 3, 2003, September 29, 2006, April 2, 2010, June 28, 2018, and July 28, 2023. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE ERO.
Santos Pastor-Juarez, age 52, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged in Paducah with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about April 28, 2025, Pastor-Juarez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about on March 6, 1998. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI, ICE ERO.
Zhouchen Yan, age 29, a citizen of China, was charged in Bowling Green with 3 counts of making false written statements intended to deceive a licensed firearms dealer, on a Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Form 4473, Firearms Transaction Record. On the form, Yan falsely stated he was not an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, when in fact, as the defendant then knew, he was an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States. These crimes occurred between October 23, 2023, and December13, 2024 in Warren County. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. This case is being investigated by ATF.
Ulises Macario Gonzaga-Guillen, age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in Paducah with 4 counts of making false written statements intended to deceive a licensed firearms dealer, on a Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Form 4473, Firearms Transaction Record. On the form, Gonzaga-Guillen falsely stated he was not an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, when in fact, as the defendant then knew, he was an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States. He was also charged with falsely claiming to be a United Sates citizen while being an illegal alien in possession of firearms on 2 occasions. These crimes occurred between January 1, 2025, and April 21, 2025, in McCracken and Marshall counties. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 73 years in prison. This case is being investigated by ATF, HSI, and ICE ERO.
Rodrigo Waldemarr Caal-Caal, age 22, a citizen of Guatemala, and Rodolfo Ruiz-Hernandez, age 27, a citizen of Mexico, were both charged in Paducah with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Caal-Caal and Ruiz-Hernandez admitted to possessing a firearm to Mayfield Police Department investigators during a death investigation. If convicted, both face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. This case is being investigated by ATF, HSI, ICE ERO, and the Mayfield Police Department.
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. Attorneys R. Nicholas Rabold and Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, and Seth Hancock and Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, are prosecuting the cases.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Detainee Admits Role in Conspiracy to Smuggle Contraband into the Wyatt Detention CenterRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A detainee at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center admitted to a federal judge on Thursday that he participated in a conspiracy to smuggle contraband into the detention center, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Shawn D. Hart, 46, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and obtaining or attempting to obtain prohibited objects as an inmate. He admitted that, in late 2023, he and others, inside and outside of the Wyatt Detention Center, conspired to obtain and smuggle papers soaked with K2, a synthetic marijuana, into the facility.
According to information presented to the court, on December 1, 2023, sheets of paper that an FBI testing lab later confirmed had been treated with Schedule I controlled substances were provided to an associate of Hart for her to smuggle into the facility and to deliver to Hart. That person, Theresa Marie DiJoseph, 51, with whom Hart had a personal relationship, used her status as an attorney to regularly arrange for “contact” visits with Hart, so they could meet without a plexiglass screen between them. Wyatt correctional officers seized the tainted papers from DiJoseph as she attempted to enter the facility.
Hart is scheduled to be sentenced on November 18, 2025.
DiJoseph, who pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, to one count each of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and providing a prohibited object to an inmate, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2025.
The sentences imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julianne Klein and Peter I. Roklan.
The matter was investigated by FBI and the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center Professional Standards Unit.
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Elkins Man Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Richard Emery Delphey, 52, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to the court documents, Delphey was selling methamphetamine in Randolph County. Delphey has prior convictions involving drugs and theft.
Delphey will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
East Hartford Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDON SPENCE, also known as “Spun,” 37, of East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 56 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl and cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 5, 2019, Spence was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 24 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon. He was released from federal prison in February 2020. On December 7, 2020, Hartford Police surveillance cameras captured Spence and another individual engaged in a dispute. Spence pulled out a firearm, shot the individual in the leg, and then stole the victim’s vehicle. On May 28, 2021, Spence was sentenced to an additional 24 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release.
In March and April 2024, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from Spence. Spence was arrested on April 3, 2024. On that date, a court-authorized search of his residence and vehicles revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl, crack cocaine, and marijuana.
On January 28, 2025, Spence pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine and fentanyl. He has been detained since his arrest.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel.
- Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
Dominican National Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national, residing in Lawrence, was sentenced on May 13, 2025 in federal court in Boston for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
Juan Anibal Patrone Gonzalez, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendant is also subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In February 2025, Patrone Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute four hundred grams or more of fentanyl.
Co-defendant San Geronimo Santana Amador, a Dominican national who does not have legal status in the United States, was released on conditions following his arrest. He subsequently failed to appear and remains a wanted fugitive.
In 2018, Patrone Gonzalez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl in the District of Massachusetts. In May 2019, Patrone Gonzalez was sentenced to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Patrone Gonzalez was in federal prison in Miami, Fla., serving his federal sentence at the time that he committed this offense.
On or about Dec. 21, 2022, a cooperating witness (CW) communicated with Patrone Gonzalez’s alleged co-conspirator Santana Amador to discuss supplying the CW with narcotics. During conversations between Santana Amador and the CW, Santana Amador allegedly stated that his source of supply was “detained” and provided a phone number for his supplier. Santana Amador’s supplier was later identified as Patrone Gonzalez who, using a contraband telephone while incarcerated, coordinated the sale of one kilogram of fentanyl to the CW. Recorded calls captured Patrone Gonzalez discussing the price of the fentanyl, among other things, with the CW. On Dec. 29, 2022, Santana Amador met with the CW and provided them with the kilogram of fentanyl on partial credit. Following this purchase, additional payments were made to Santana Amador on various dates for the kilogram of fentanyl, including dates in January and February 2023. In 2023, the contraband phone that Patrone Gonzalez used to communicate with the CW was found in his jail cell.United States Attorney Leah Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Waltham, Watertown, Reading, Peabody, Hudson and Concord Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Mackenzie Duane and Samuel Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
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.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican National Sentenced Under Alien Registration ActRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A Dominican national residing in New Castle County, Delaware was sentenced on May 13, 2025, to 30 days’ probation for failing to notify the U.S. government of his change of address, in violation of the Alien Registration Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Hanson. The Honorable Laura D. Hatcher, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Delaware, pronounced the sentence.
According to court documents and information provided in open court, Wagner Rivera-Campusano, 27, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) in 2023 and was given bail. He provided ICE an address in New York City. Mr. Rivera did not appear for his immigration proceedings and was ordered removed from the U.S. in absentia. In approximately September 2024, Mr. Rivera moved to Delaware without informing the federal government of his new address.
In April 2025, Mr. Rivera was convicted of a drug felony in the Superior Court of Delaware. He was released to ICE custody and charged federally with failure to notify the U.S. government of his address change. As Mr. Rivera was informed in open court, he will almost certainly be deported. Should he return to the U.S., Mr. Rivera will face significantly enhanced penalties because of his Delaware state drug conviction.
To date, in support of Operation Take Back America, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware has filed a total of 58 immigration and border security-related cases between January 20, 2025, and May 13, 2025, an 800% increase over those charged with illegally re-entering the country during the same timeframe in 2024.
This announcement is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware.
Dominican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Keilyn Adolfo Rivera, 45, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
According to the charging documents, on or about Feb. 2, 2025, Rivera was found in the United States after having been deported from the United States to the Dominican Republic on or about March 6, 2015.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.