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16 May 2025
District of Arizona Charges 310 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from May 10, 2025, through May 16, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 310 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 125 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 170 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States charged 15 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Angelica Ramos-Lopez: On May 10, 2025, Angelica Ramos-Lopez, a United States citizen, was charged with Conspiracy to Transport an Illegal Alien, Birth Certificate Fraud, and Aggravated Identity Theft. On May 9, 2025, Ramos-Lopez approached the State Route 85 immigration checkpoint near Gila Bend in a vehicle with a child lying down in the backseat, covered by a blanket from head to toe. Ramos-Lopez presented a birth certificate and United States passport for the child with a birth year of 2017 that listed Ramos -Lopez as the mother. However, the child who was in the vehicle provided a different name than the one found on the birth certificate and stated that the driver was his stepmother. In a post-Miranda interview, Ramos-Lopez admitted that she did not know who the child was, but that she knew the child was undocumented. Ramos-Lopez told officers that she was getting paid to transport the child from Mexico to Phoenix, Arizona. Ramos-Lopez stated that the birth certificate was real, but it belonged to her biological son, not the child passenger. [Case Number: MJ-25-6234]
United States v. Yolanda Mendivil-Diaz: On May 13, 2025, Yolanda Mendivil-Diaz was charged with Reentry of a Removed Alien. Mendivil-Diaz was previously removed from the United States in 2014 after being convicted for Conspiracy to Sell or Transfer Narcotic Drugs, a felony offense, in the Superior Court of Arizona. [Case Number: MJ-25-3192]
United States v. Jose Herrera Daniel: On May 14, 2025, Jose Herrera Daniel was charged by criminal complaint for attempting to illegally export ammunition from the United States into Mexico. The complaint alleges that United States Customs and Border Protection officers searched Daniel’s car at the Douglas Port of Entry and found 6,399 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition hidden in the vehicle. [Case Number: MJ-25-9008]
A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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).
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-078_May 16 Immigration Enforcement
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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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
District Man Sentenced to 15 Year Prison Term for Two Shootings in Starburst PlazaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Renard Levenberry, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a total of 180 months in prison for multiple convictions stemming from two different shootings at Starburst Plaza during the summer of 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mr. Levenberry pleaded guilty February 24th in D.C. Superior Court to one count of aggravated assault while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in relation to a June 13, 2024, shooting, and to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in relation to an August 20, 2024, shooting.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 13, 2024, Levenberry was at Starburst Plaza—an often-crowded public plaza located at 1501 Maryland Avenue, NE. Levenberry robbed an individual during an attempted drug transaction. When the victim pursued Levenberry, the Defendant shot the victim in the leg before escaping.
On August 20, 2024, Levenberry was again in Starburst Plaza when an unknown individual entered the area on a moped. Upon seeing that person and without provocation, Levenberry pulled out a black semiautomatic pistol and began firing at the moped driver. The moped driver appeared to fire one shot back at Levenberry. One of the shots Levenberry fired struck a bystander who was waiting at a nearby bus stop.
Both shootings were captured on video and the government’s investigation was supported by DNA and ballistics evidence.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Helfand and Kraig Ahalt, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
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Department of Justice Announces Settlement of Litigation Between the Federal Government and Rare Breed TriggersRead the Press Release
Today, in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Second Amendment Rights, as well as the Attorney General’s Second Amendment Enforcement Task Force, the Department of Justice announced the settlement of litigation between the federal government and Rare Breed Triggers.
“This Department of Justice believes that the 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “And we are glad to end a needless cycle of litigation with a settlement that will enhance public safety.”
In June 2024, in Cargill v. Garland, the Supreme Court held that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) exceeded its statutory authority by issuing a rule classifying a bump stock as a “machinegun.” In July 2024, the Northern District of Texas applied Cargill v. Garland to a device called a “forced-reset trigger” (FRT) and concluded that FRTs also cannot be classified as a “machinegun.”
The Department’s agreement with Rare Breed Triggers avoids the need for continued appeals in United States v. Rare Breed Triggers and continued litigation in other, related cases concerning the same issue. The settlement includes agreed-upon conditions that significantly advance public safety with respect to FRTs, including that Rare Breed will not develop or design FRTs for use in any pistol and will enforce its patents to prevent infringement that could threaten public safety. Rare Breed also agrees to promote the safe and responsible use of its products.
The cases that will be resolved under the settlement agreement are:
- NAGR v. Garland, 23-cv-830-O (N.D. Tex.), on appeal 24-10707 (5th Cir.).
- United States v. Rare Breed Triggers LLC, No. 23-cv-369 (E.D.N.Y), on appeal 23-7276 (2d Cir.).
- United States v. Miscellaneous Firearms and Related Parts and Equipment Listed in Exhibit A, 23-cv-17 (D. Utah).
Defendant Sentenced to Prison in Domestic Violence CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man was sentenced to 24 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon following a violent domestic incident.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on November 16, 2021, Jicarilla Apache Police responded to a report of domestic violence at a residence within the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Upon arrival, officers found an adult female victim visibly distressed and injured. Officers observed fresh abrasions and other signs of physical harm.
The investigation revealed that an argument between Orlyn Vigil, 49, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and the victim escalated into violence. Vigil physically assaulted the victim, including strangling, dragging, and throwing her to the ground. As the victim attempted to leave the area, Vigil struck her with a vehicle, causing further injury.
Vigil pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon. Upon his release from prison, Vigil will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Jicarilla Apache Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Mia Ulibarri-Rubin and Nicholas J. Marshall are prosecuting the case.
Connecticut Physiatrist and Practice Pay $427k to Settle False Claims, Improper Billing AllegationsRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced that PAIN MANAGEMENT, LLC, and its owner, HALINA SNOWBALL, M.D., have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal government and have paid $427,129.11 to resolve allegations that they submitted false claims to, and received overpayments from, the Medicare program.
Snowball is a physiatrist licensed to practice medicine and sole owner of her pain management practice, Pain Management, LLC in Stamford. The allegations against Snowball and Pain Management arise out of improper billing for office visits, also known as evaluation and management (“E&M”) services.
The government contends that, between April 2017 and November 2019, Snowball and Pain Management submitted or caused to be submitted improper claims to Medicare for E&M services by adding Modifier 25 to E&M claims when providing pain injections when, in fact, no significant, separately identifiable E&M services were provided. On November 20, 2019, Snowball and Pain Management were notified of their improper use of Modifier 25 and were assessed an overpayment. Despite this notice, Snowball and Pain Management continued to submit improper claims to Medicare for E&M services until August 2023.
To resolve their liability, Snowball and Pain Management have paid $427,129.11.
This investigation was conducted by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Gruber.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Catholic Health agrees to pay nearly $3.3 million to resolve alleged False Claims Act violationsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Catholic Health System, Inc. (CHS) has agreed to pay $3,293,122.66 to resolve allegations arising under the False Claims Act that CHS knowingly submitted or caused to be submitted false claims to the Medicare program that were the result of violations of the Physician Self-Referral Law, commonly known as the Stark Law.
Generally, the Stark Law prohibits healthcare entities, such as hospitals, from obtaining reimbursement from Medicare for certain health services when those services were referred by a physician who have a financial relationship the healthcare entity. In this case, the Government alleges that CHS and its affiliated hospitals had financial relationships with non-employee physicians. These non-employee physicians then referred health services, such as laboratory testing, hospital services, or medical supplies, to CHS and its affiliated hospitals. CHS and its affiliated hospital then billed Medicare for the referred services. Although the Stark Law contains exceptions, here the government believes the compensation arrangements, failed to meet any of the exceptions because they were not commercially reasonable, or the compensation received by the physicians exceeded fair market value for the administrative services they provided.
“The Stark Law is designed to protect Medicare by ensuring that physician referrals are not influenced by financial interest,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “This office is committed to holding health care providers accountable who engage in such conduct.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Gary Tucker. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Tucker v. Catholic Health System, Inc., 20-cv-1482 (W.D.N.Y.). Mr. Tucker will receive a share of the settlement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Coriell and Investigator Margaret McFarland of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York handled the matter, along with assistance for the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Clinton Township Sex Offender Sentenced to 40 YearsRead the Press Release
DETROIT — Stephen Lewis Gentry, 35, of Clinton Township, Michigan, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for creating images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In addition to the 40-year sentence, United States District Court Judge Terrence G. Berg sentenced Gentry to a lifetime of supervised release upon his release from prison.
Gentry’s recent crimes came to light after the FBI learned that he was distributing images of child sexually abusive material that he created over a clandestine network. When the FBI searched Gentry’s house, they found evidence that Gentry had produced child sexually abusive material depicting numerous minor victims.
Gentry pleaded guilty on February 12, 2025, to sexual exploitation of children. At the time he was charged in this case, Gentry was already a registered sex offender, having three prior convictions relating to the sexual abuse or exploitation of children.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Alsaden, Tara Hindelang, and Christopher Rawsthorne.
CEO of Financial Firm Sentenced to Prison for Running a Multimillion Dollar FraudRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Carlos Manuel da Silva Santos, the founder and chief executive officer of San Diego-based Ethos Asset Management, Inc., which offered financing to domestic and international businesses, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for tricking borrowers into paying him more than $17 million in up-front loan fees for nothing in return – conduct that U.S. District Judge Robert S. Huie described as “reprehensible.”
Santos pleaded guilty in January 2025 to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in connection with his advance-fee loan scam through his company, Ethos.
Santos, a Portuguese national, has been in custody since his arrest on November 13, 2023, in Newark, New Jersey, after arriving in the United States from abroad.
According to his plea agreement, Santos admitted he and co-conspirators held Ethos out to the public as a “full-service project financing” company that offered loans to prospective borrowers in exchange for an upfront fee as collateral for Ethos to use. However, on many occasions when a borrower gave Ethos the upfront fee as collateral, Ethos’ funding never materialized.
To induce prospective borrowers to send Ethos an upfront fee as collateral and enter into loan agreements, Santos and his co-conspirators lied about Ethos’ history of funding projects, the source of Ethos’ money, the amount of capital available to disburse loans, and how Ethos used the collateral upfront fees. For instance, Santos admitted that he used money from the upfront collateral fees to release collateral deposited by other borrowers and to disburse loans to other borrowers.
Santos also admitted that he and others altered otherwise legitimate financial account statements to inflate the amount of money Ethos appeared to have at its disposal to finance projects for the purpose of luring prospective borrowers to provide collateral and financial institutions to lend money. For example, in August 2021, Santos successfully induced a borrower to wire money as a collateral upfront fee by sending a bank statement that falsely represented Ethos having $100,304,447.46 when, in fact, it did not.
In February and May 2023, Santos again induced borrowers to provide collateral upfront fees by emailing a copy of Ethos’ annual financial statements reflecting falsely that Ethos had over $2.2 billion in total assets and that an accounting firm had audited the statements. Indeed, Santos admitted that he knowingly forged the signature of an employee at a bookkeeping firm on Ethos’s 2022 annual financial statement to falsely indicate that the firm had audited the statement. In each noted example, Ethos fraudulently obtained upfront fees and failed to disburse loan payments as promised.
Santos further admitted Ethos’ project financing scheme was international in nature, with a presence in the United States, Brazil, Turkey, and elsewhere. Santos admitted his scheme resulted in $17,125,000 in losses to certain U.S.-based victims. The plea agreement also explains that the parties will request a restitution hearing allowing the United States to offer evidence that Santos owes significantly more money to various other victims.
According to the plea agreement, Santos also forged the signature of an employee at an accounting firm to make it appear that the firm had audited Ethos’ annual financial reports.
“Fraud like this is a calculated abuse of trust,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “It strips people of their money under false promises. The impact is real, measurable, and lasting—and it calls for real consequences.”
“Businesses, large or small are the backbone of our economy yet one wrong or ill advised financial move can result in significant losses or even complete ruin,” said Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “HSI and our partner agencies are committed to preventing greedy scammers from victimizing and profiting from legitimate businesses. Our country relies on these businesses and law enforcement will continue to protect them from criminals.”
A restitution hearing will be held at a later date.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Christopher Beeler and Carl F. Brooker, IV.
If you believe you are a victim of Carlos Santos and his company Ethos Asset Management, Inc., contact Homeland Security Investigations at [email protected].
DEFENDANT
Carlos Manuel da Silva Santos Age: 30 Portugal
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349
Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison and $250,000 fine
Aggravated Identity Theft – Title 18, U.S.C. Section 1028A
Maximum penalty: Mandatory two years in prison consecutive to the term for the underlying felony
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Homeland Security Investigations
Brentwood Man Found Guilty of Cyberstalking New Jersey JudgeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A man from the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles has been found guilty by a jury of a federal felony for sending dozens of emails to a New Jersey state court judge that threatened violence and death against the victim, the Justice Department announced today.
Jonathan Lipman, 36, was found guilty late Thursday of one count of stalking. He has been in federal custody since September 2023.
According to evidence presented at a three-day trial, from February 2023 to September 2023, Lipman sent dozens of emails to the victim, a New Jersey Superior Court judge, intending to harass, intimidate, and terrorize the victim.
In addition to voluminous threatening emails to the victim, Lipman also tracked down the victim’s home address and called the victim’s neighbor to stoke fear in the victim. Lipman also left numerous voicemails at the New Jersey courthouse directed at the victim.
Lipman continued his course of conduct despite a warning from law enforcement regarding his illegal conduct. Over time, Lipman’s communications became increasingly graphic and explicit. For example, in July 2023, Lipman sent the victim multiple emails detailing his graphic depictions of the jurist’s death.
United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha scheduled an October 3 sentencing hearing, at which time Lipman will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Clifford D. Mpare of the General Crimes Section and Daniel H. Weiner of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Amherst man going to prison on fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dewayne Vass, 43, of Amherst, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who handled the case, stated that on July 12, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a Moselle Avenue residence associated with Vass, as well as at Vass’s Sunshine Drive residence, and on his vehicle. Investigators recovered large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, approximately $127,000 in cash, a pistol, and drug paraphernalia.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
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Albanian National Convicted of Running Vast International Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – After a trial that took parts of twelve weeks in federal court, a federal jury convicted Ylli Didani, 43, an Albanian national, of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division; Marty Raybon, Director of Fields Operation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations and Chief John Piggott, Farmington Hills Police Department.
Evidence at trial proved Didani was a leader of an international drug trafficking organization with ties to the United States, South America, and Europe. Didani and other unindicted co-conspirators planned and financed the distribution of cocaine from several locations including the Eastern District of Michigan. Didani arranged the distribution of enormous shipments of cocaine from South America to Europe, where the cocaine was seized by law enforcement. As a result of this investigation, in 2019 and 2020, law enforcement seized over 3400 kilograms of cocaine Didani’s organization loaded onto five different freighters that were bound for international ports. The seized cocaine has a street value of over $100,000,000.00.
The evidence at trial proved Didani and other members of his organization planned the design of an underwater drone that would be utilized to transport large quantities of cocaine to Europe. The drone, which was going to be equipped with an underwater modem and GPS antenna, would transport the cocaine while attached to the bottom of a commercial containership. The drone would then be remotely released from the containership off the shore of Europe. The drone and cocaine would then be picked up by a fishing boat controlled by Didani’s organization.
Didani faces up to life in prison as a result of today’s convictions.
The case was investigated by the DEA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Group 6 consisting of both DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers from Farmington Hills PD, Sterling Heights PD, Troy PD, Novi PD, Dearborn Heights PD, and Northfield Township PD, IRS-CI, and US Customs and Border Protection.
Alabama Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Connection with Securities and Exchange Commission X Hack that Spiked Bitcoin PricesRead the Press Release
An Alabama man was sentenced today to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in the unauthorized takeover of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Eric Council Jr., 26, of Huntsville, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft and access device fraud in February. According to court documents, Council conspired with others to take control of the SEC’s X account and falsely announce that the SEC approved Bitcoin (BTC) Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), a decision highly anticipated by the market. Immediately following the false announcement, the price of BTC increased by more than $1,000 per BTC. Following the correction, the value of BTC decreased by more than $2,000 per BTC.
The conspirators gained control of the SEC’s X account through an unauthorized Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) swap carried out by Council. A SIM swap is a form of sophisticated fraud where a criminal actor fraudulently induces a cellular phone carrier to reassign a cellular phone number from a victim’s SIM card to a SIM card controlled by the criminal actor, in order to access a victim’s social media or virtual currency accounts. As part of the scheme, Council used an identification card printer to create a fraudulent identification card with a victim’s personally identifiable information obtained from co-conspirators. Council used the identification card to impersonate the victim and gain access to the victim’s phone number for the purpose of accessing the SEC’s X account. Council’s co-conspirators then posted in the name of the SEC Chairman, falsely announcing the BTC ETF approval. Council received payment in BTC from co-conspirators for his role.
“Council and his co-conspirators used sophisticated cyber means to compromise the SEC’s X account and posted a false announcement that distorted important financial markets,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Prosecuting those who seek to enrich themselves by threatening the integrity of digital assets through fraud is critical to protecting U.S. interests. The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable individuals who commit cyber fraud and harm investors.”
“Schemes of this nature threaten the health and integrity of our market system,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia. “SIM swap schemes threaten the financial security of average citizens, financial institutions, and government agencies. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can’t be caught. You will be caught, prosecuted, and will pay the price for the damage your actions create.”
“The deliberate takeover of a federal agency’s official communications platform was a calculated criminal act meant to deceive the public and manipulate financial markets,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox. “By spreading false information to influence the markets, Council attempted to erode public trust and exploit the financial system. Today’s sentencing makes clear that anyone who abuses public platforms for criminal gain will be held accountable.”
“Today’s sentencing exemplifies SEC OIG’s commitment to holding bad actors accountable and maintaining the integrity of SEC programs and operations through thorough investigative oversight,” said Securities and Exchange Commission Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Amanda James. “We are committed to working with the SEC and other law enforcement partners to help the SEC effectively and efficiently deliver on its critical mission.”
The FBI Washington Field Office and SEC Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ashley Pungello of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Substantial assistance was provided by Cyber Fellow Paul M. Zebb III.
For more information on SIM swapping and how to prevent it, visit www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240411.
Alabama Man Sentenced in Hack of SEC X Account that Spiked the Value of BitcoinRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eric Council Jr., 26 of Athens, Alabama, was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy that hacked into the X account of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and published fraudulent posts in the name of the then-SEC Chairman, all to manipulate the value of Bitcoin.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Matthew R. Galeotti, SEC Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office.
According to court documents, from at least January 2024, Council conspired with others to carry out Subscriber Identity Model (SIM) attacks, commonly referred to as “SIM swaps,” in exchange for money.
On or about Jan. 9, 2024, Council, and others, executed a SIM swap of the mobile phone account associated with the @SECgov X account, the official account of the SEC. The purpose was to gain unauthorized access to this government account in order to make fraudulent posts.
Council used his portable ID card printer to create a physical ID which he used to impersonate the victim at an AT&T store in Huntsville, Alabama. Council provided false information to the AT&T store employee to explain why he needed a replacement SIM card. Council obtained the SIM card linked to the victim’s phone line and walked to a nearby Apple store where he purchased a new iPhone. He inserted the SIM card to activate the phone, received the @SECGov X password reset codes on this new phone linked to the victim’s SIM card and used his personal cell phone to take a photo of the @SECgov X account reset code to share with his co-conspirators. After passing along the password reset codes, Council returned the iPhone for cash.
A member of the conspiracy used the reset code to gain access to the @SECGov X account and issue a fraudulent post in the name of the then-SEC Chairman, falsely announcing SEC approval of Bitcoin (BTC) Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). The price of BTC increased by more than $1,000 following the post. Shortly after, the SEC regained control over their X account and confirmed that the announcement was unauthorized and the result of a security breach, which caused the value of BTC to decrease by more than $2,000.
“Schemes of this nature threaten the health and integrity of our market system,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “SIM swap schemes threaten the financial security of average citizens, financial institutions, and government agencies. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you can’t be caught. You will be caught, prosecuted, and will pay the price for the damage your actions create.”
“Council and his co-conspirators used sophisticated cyber means to compromise the SEC’s X account and posted a false announcement that distorted important financial markets,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Prosecuting those who seek to enrich themselves by threatening the integrity of digital assets through fraud is critical to protecting U.S. interests. The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable individuals who commit cyber fraud and harm investors.”
"Council brazenly used SIM-swapping and identity theft to manipulate the bitcoin market in an attempt to line his and his co-conspirators' pockets," said FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Jensen. "Today's sentencing shows that those who use the perceived anonymity of digital fraud to exploit public markets will be unmasked and brought to justice by the FBI."
“Today’s sentencing exemplifies SEC OIG’s commitment to holding bad actors accountable and maintaining the integrity of SEC programs and operations through thorough investigative oversight,” said SEC OIG Special Agent in Charge Amanda James. “We are committed to working with the SEC and other law enforcement partners to help the SEC effectively and efficiently deliver on its critical mission.”
Council admitted to attempting to perform additional SIM swaps in June 2024 in Alabama. In June 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at an Athens, Alabama, apartment where he resided. Agents recovered a fake identification card and a portable ID card printer. They also recovered a laptop computer.
Pursuant to the search warrant, agents searched the laptop and discovered templates for additional fake IDs along with internet searches for “SECGOV hack,” “telegram sim swap,” “how can I know for sure if I am being investigated by the FBI,” “What are the signs that you are under investigation by law enforcement or the FBI even if you have not been contacted by them,” “what are some signs that the FBI is after you,” “Verizon store list,” “federal identity theft statute,” and “how long does it take to delete telegram account.”
Council, aka “Ronin” and “Agiantschnauzer,” was arrested Oct. 17, 2024, and admitted to receiving about $50,000 to perform SIM swap. He pleaded guilty Feb. 10, 2025, in the District of Columbia to conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered forfeiture of $50,000 and three years of supervised release with the condition that he not use computers to access the dark web or commit further identity fraud.
A SIM card is a chip that stores information identifying and authenticating a cell phone subscriber and connects a physical cell phone to a mobile carrier’s cellular and data network. A SIM swap attack fraudulently induces a mobile carrier to reassign a mobile phone number from a victim’s SIM card to a SIM card and telephone controlled by a criminal actor attempting to access valuable information associated with the victim’s telephone. SIM swapping groups conduct SIM swaps for the purpose of defeating multifactor authentication and/or two-step verification security features for social media and virtual currency accounts.
After convincing a mobile carrier to reassign a phone number to a new SIM card, members of the conspiracy generated password reset security authentication codes for online accounts and those codes were in turn sent to the telephone in the control of the criminal actor. Members of the SIM swap groups shared the security reset codes with one another to unlawfully access a victim’s internet connected accounts and complete the fraud.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, the SEC-Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Fraud Section’s Market Integrity and Major Frauds Unit of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, CCIPS Trial Attorney Ashley Pungello, and Fraud Section Trial Attorney Lauren Archer. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Hundscheid from the Northern District of Alabama. Substantial assistance was provided by Cyber Fellow Paul M. Zebb III.
For more information on SIM swapping, go to: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240411
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295 New Immigration Cases in Western District of Texas This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 295 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 9 through May 15.
Among the new cases, Mexican nationals Juan Jose Medrano-Escobedo and Rosendo Dominguez-Morales were arrested after allegedly entering the U.S. illegally through the Texas National Defense Area (Tx-NDA) less than half a mile west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso. Medrano-Escobedo has been previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico twice, most recently July 30, 2024. He has been convicted of three felonies, including evading arrest in 2017 and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in November 2023. Dominguez-Morales was last removed on Aug. 20, 2024, following an Aug. 18, 2024 felony conviction for assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Medrano-Escobedo and Dominguez-Morales are each charged with two counts related to violating defense property security regulation and one count of illegal re-entry.
Also in El Paso, two U.S. citizens are charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens after being arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Fabens. Jared Isai Ramirez and Jesus Alberto Soriano, driving separate vehicles, allegedly attempted to flee from USBP. A criminal complaint alleges Ramirez lost control of his vehicle and collided into a rock wall. He and four passengers allegedly exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot before being apprehended. The four passengers were determined to be illegal aliens and were transported with Ramirez to the Clint Border Patrol Station for further investigation. Soriano eventually stopped the vehicle he was driving and was also transported to the Clint Border Patrol Station. The criminal complaint alleges that Ramirez admitted that he would be paid $300 for each of the four illegal aliens he was transporting. Soriano allegedly stated that he had agreed to scout the area for law enforcement during the smuggling scheme.
A Mexican national was encountered at the Bastrop County Jail and charged with illegal re-entry in Austin. Elisandro Enriquez-Sanchez has been removed from the U.S. to Mexico four times in addition to a voluntary return. He had been arrested in Bastrop and charged with driving while intoxicated with an open alcohol container. Enriquez-Sanchez’s lengthy criminal record includes two convictions for illegal re-entry as well as taking a weapon from an officer, assault causing bodily injury to a family member, and three DWIs in a two-year span.
In Presidio County, Honduran national Angel Daniel Vasquez was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry. Vasquez has four prior removals, the last one being to Honduras May 27, 2024. He’s also a twice-convicted felon with a criminal record that includes assault causing bodily injury in Nashville, Tennessee in 2023 and a 2015 illegal re-entry conviction in Phoenix, Arizona. He was also convicted of a misdemeanor in Nashville for driving under the influence in April 2024.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
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).
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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10-Time Convicted Felon Arrested on Federal Indictment Alleging He Caused Four Fatal Fentanyl ODs at Palmdale House Last YearRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A 10-time convicted felon from the Antelope Valley has been arrested on a 10-count federal grand jury indictment alleging he distributed fentanyl that resulted in the overdose deaths of four victims at a Palmdale house last year, the Justice Department announced today.
Damian Michael Evans, 46, of Palmdale, was arrested Thursday and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles.
He is charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to the indictment returned on Wednesday, Evans on January 15, 2024, knowingly and intentionally distributed fentanyl, the use of which resulted in the deaths of four victims in Palmdale. Evans allegedly also possessed other illegal narcotics in late 2023 and early 2024, including after the four fatal fentanyl overdoses in Palmdale.
Evans also illegally possessed a revolver and ammunition in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. He is not legally permitted to possess them because his criminal history includes convictions dating from 1997 to 2016 in Los Angeles Superior Court for 10 felonies – nine of them drug-related convictions and most of them for drug dealing.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted of all charges, Evans would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter. This case is part of the DEA’s Overdose Justice Program and LASD’s Overdose Response Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Brittney M. Harris of the Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
(Corrected Release) the Diamond Desk Corp. and PetersenLowe, LLC operators sentenced in multi-million dollar diamond investment fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Note: This press release was corrected to reflect the proper announcing officials.
MIAMI – On May 15, 2025, Adam Jonathan Lowe, 43, of West Pittston, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to over 6 years in federal prison by the Honorable David Leibowitz, stemming from his conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, mail fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341, and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived proceeds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957. Upon release from custody, Lowe must serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution to the victims of his offense.
Previously, on May 13, 2025, co-defendant Murray Todd Petersen, 73, of Fair Oaks, California, was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison by the Honorable James I. Cohn stemming from his conviction after a seven-day jury trial in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349 and wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. Upon release from custody, Petersen must serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution to the victims of his offense.
On October 18, 2024, co-defendant Scott Schafer, 62, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, was sentenced to five years probation stemming from his stemming from his conviction for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349.
As outlined in court documents and trial testimony, Adam Jonathan Lowe, as the president of The Diamond Desk and as the manager of PetersenLowe, LLC., was the supplier of fancy-colored diamonds sourced worldwide. Murray Todd Petersen worked as a salesman for PetersenLowe, LLC., who induced investors to purchase Lowe’s fancy-colored diamonds using materially false and fraudulent representations concerning the safety and security of the investments, the value of the investments, the expected profits and rates of return, and the use of investors’ funds. After selling his victims expensive fancy-colored diamonds supplied with fraudulent overvalued appraisals from co-defendant Scott Schafer, Petersen instructed his clients to hold onto their investments often for one to two years prior to looking to liquidate. When trying to cover his investors cash out demands at the overpriced appraisal prices, Petersen and Lowe used another false representation of a China investment program, where they would purportedly invest the victims’ money into the Chinese diamond market with a purported guaranteed five to eight percent monthly dividend return on investment. Unbeknownst to their victims, this new investment program was really a Ponzi scheme in disguise designed to pay off his first round of investor clients. When customers began to complain about missing promised returns and highly inaccurate overvalued appraisals, the scheme pivoted again to a theft model, where investors prepaid for diamonds that were never delivered by either Lowe or Petersen. Petersen took approximately $850,000 in sales commissions from his victims, which he used to pay off his high IRS tax liens and cover his business operating expenses. In total, the scheme netted approximately $13 million and defrauded in excess of 100 victims.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Anton and Latoya Brown prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60225.
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15 May 2025
York County Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Make False Statements to a BankRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Brandi McCoy, 48, of York County, has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for conspiracy to make false statements to a bank.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that McCoy operated a daycare in South Carolina. Between June 2020 and April 2022, McCoy and others conspired to make false statements to banks to secure loans under the Paycheck Protection Program and avoid repayment. After loan money was received, McCoy submitted more false statements to request forgiveness and avoid repayment of the money. These false statements included greatly inflated numbers related to the size of the staff employed at the daycare and the amount of salary paid by the daycare. McCoy also provided false statements concerning the amount of expenses paid by the daycare. As a result of the misstatements, over $1 million in loans were approved.
United States District Senior Court Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Brandi to 15 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. McCoy was also ordered to pay restitution to the Small Business Administration.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Potterfield is prosecuting the case.
Vacaville Man Charged with Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Michael Keith Rubino, 39, of Vacaville, charging him with producing child sexual abuse material, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, in October and November of 2024, Rubino engaged in multiple sex acts with a 17-year-old female victim. Rubino exploited his minor victim at a residence in Vacaville where Rubino lived. Rubino recorded numerous instances of his sexual abuse of his minor victim using his iPhone.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Vacaville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Rubino faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
United States Attorney’s Office Recognizes National Police WeekRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont - In honor of National Police Week, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, county, and local law enforcement officers in Vermont. This year, the week is observed from Sunday, May 11 through Saturday, May 17, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher stated “The men and women of law enforcement regularly risks their lives to keep our communities safe. We invite all Vermonters to honor those with the courage to do such dangerous work for such an important purpose -- not only during National Police Week but every day.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Based on data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 148 law enforcement officers died in the line-of-duty in 2024.
Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty and the U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages Vermonters and citizens across the country to remember and honor those who gave their lives so the rest of us can live safely.
As stated on the NLEOMF’s website, the names of all officers killed in the line of duty are engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. and read aloud during the annual Candlelight Vigil that was held on the National Mall, in Washington, D.C on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.
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Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Awards Ceremony Honors Law Enforcement PartnersRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- On May 16, 2025, The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana recognized more than 90 members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies at its Law Enforcement Awards ceremony at the Indiana War Memorial & Museum in downtown Indianapolis. The ceremony, held during National Police Week, honored law enforcement professionals who have gone above and beyond their duties to safeguard Indiana communities in cases that concluded in 2024.
“This event is a small token of our appreciation for the time, dedication, and teamwork it takes to investigate a case and bring the worst offenders to justice. The pace, complexity, and scope of the investigations brought in the Southern District of Indiana are a true testament to the quality of our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies,” said John E. Childress, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “It is especially meaningful to spend time during National Police Week to recognize the talents and sacrifice of those who have dedicated themselves to serving the public—often at risk to themselves. Every day these outstanding law enforcement officers, analysts, victim specialists, prosecutors, and other professionals work to make our communities safer, and I am happy to recognize many of them with these awards.”
The honorees are members of the following agencies:
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Federal Bureau of Investigation- Indianapolis
- Homeland Security Investigations
- IRS-Criminal Investigation
- U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern Dist. of Ind.
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- U.S. Postal Service- Office of Inspector General
- Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
- Carmel Police Department
- Fishers Police Department
- Anderson Police Department
- Muncie Police Department
- Clarksville Police Department
- Brownsburg Police Department
- Beech Grove Police Department
- Evansville Police Department
- Lawrence Police Department
- Montgomery County Probation Office
The teams who led the following cases received awards at the ceremony:
Outstanding Collaborative Investigation: Cases receiving this recognition are limited to those that have demonstrated outstanding efforts or overcome significant challenges in collaboration with multiple agencies.
Awarded to: U.S. v. Keith Jones, et al and U.S. v. Romero, et al.
Project Safe Childhood Shield of Innocence: This award honors those who have provided extraordinary assistance to victims of a federal child exploitation crime. Extraordinary assistance is that which involves direct and ongoing emotional support and encouragement which required extra hours, on and off duty; commitment to making a victim whole, leading to restitution on behalf of a victim; thoughtful analysis of restitution owed to victims in a large-scale victim case; or other complex issues involving victim cases.
Awarded to: U.S. v. Stan Hayes.
L.E.A.T.H Heroism Award: This award is presented to a L.E.A.T.H. case that demonstrates extraordinary commitment and fortitude in the pursuit of justice. The Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence (LEATH) Initiative is named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. The LEATH Initiative began in October of 2020 and recognizes the inherent danger posed by firearms in the hands of domestic abusers.
Awarded to: U.S. v. Cody Steele.
Investigative Excellence Award: Cases receiving this award are limited to those that have substantially and significantly contributed to the mission of the United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice by conducting complex, thorough and proactive analysis of evidence.
Awarded to: U.S. v. Tuong Quoc Ho, U.S. v. Adediran, et al, and Enas Said v. United States: After being permanently disqualified from the SNAP program for food stamp trafficking in another state, Mahmoud Said tried to circumvent the ban by registering his Indiana grocery stores under his wife’s name. When Enas Said submitted the false applications, the Food and Nutrition Service charged her with knowingly providing false information, resulting in her own permanent disqualification. Enas sued the agency but refused to participate in discovery, leading the court to dismiss the case.
Despite her appeal, the litigation team remained persistent, filing a comprehensive brief only to discover that Said’s attorney had lost his law license. Shortly after, Said withdrew the appeal. The team’s unwavering pursuit of sanctions and accountability was crucial to upholding the integrity of the SNAP program and ensuring that benefits remain accessible to those who truly need them.
Excellence in the Pursuit of Justice; Presented to a case in which local, state, and federal officials achieved extraordinary results in their work to prevent crime, enhance community safety, and seek justice.
Awarded to: U.S. v. Cortez Venable, et al.
Community Impact: Presented to a case that had widespread, positive impact on constituents, law enforcement relations, and the legacy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Indiana.
Awarded to: U.S. v. Jamarr Hill, et al. and U.S. v. Hendricks County.
Outstanding Agency Service: Presented to a case that substantially and significantly contributed to the mission of the United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice.
Awarded to: U.S. v. Marquel Payne
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Two men arrested, charged with operating large-scale marijuana grow operation in Wayne County, NYRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ferrydoon M. Ardehali, 55, of Staten Island, NY, and Colby Riggle, 37, of California, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in January 2025, the DEA began investigating a large-scale illegal marijuana cultivation operation, under the direction of Ardehali and Riggle, on Daansen Road in Walworth, NY. The investigation revealed that the defendants were selling and distributing marijuana to multiple businesses that are New York State-authorized cannabis grow facilities, including in North Tonawanda and Clarence, NY, under the business name Integrity Farms & Greenhouses, Inc. a records check with the New York State Office of Cannabis Management discovered that neither Integrity Farms & Greenhouses, Inc., nor any other business associated with the operation has been issued a New York State license to grow cannabis or hemp.
On May 14, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at the Daansen Road property. The complaint states that it was immediately apparent that marijuana was being grown on a large scale, processed, and packaged within the facility. Investigators seized approximately 29,406 growing marijuana plants, and approximately 3,700 lbs. of processed marijuana.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Robert Milby, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Acting Field Office Director Steven Kurzdorfer, U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Buffalo Station Patrol Agent-in- Charge Martin Coombs, Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation New York, under the direction of Harry Chavis, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler, the Cuba Police Department, under the direction of Chief Dustin Burch, the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson, and the Salamanca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jamie Deck.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Two Men Sentenced for Real Estate and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Two men were sentenced to prison today for a wire and tax fraud scheme to obtain title to a $1.3 million home in Roanoke County, Virginia. Herman Estes Jr. of Fieldale Virginia was sentenced to 84 months in prison; his co-conspirator Daniel Heggins of Charlotte, North Carolina was sentenced to 24 months in prison.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Herman Estes filed a false amended income tax return for 2021 claiming he was entitled to a refund of $18.3 million. In March 2023, Estes made a $1.3 million cash offer for a property on Old Mill Plantation Road in Roanoke County. To legitimize this offer, Estes provided the parties to the transaction with a proof of funds letter that Estes created using an online form. Estes also provided the real estate agent with Heggins’ contact information and claimed Heggins was his trust manager with authority to approve the cash offer. When the real estate agent contacted Heggins, Heggins purported to approve Estes’s use of his trust funds to purchase the house.
As payment for the property, Estes tendered a fraudulent cashier’s check in the amount of $1,307,199.43 signed by him and purportedly drawn off a Federal Reserve Bank. Funds in that amount were debited to the settlement company’s trust account before the check was flagged as fraudulent.
In March 2023, Estes filed another false tax return claiming he was entitled to a $2.9 million refund.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon for the Western District of Virginia ordered Estes to serve three years of supervised release and Heggins to serve three years of supervised release.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee for the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Andrew Ascencio of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Brett for the Western District of Virginia prosecuted the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Johnson for the Western District of Virginia assisted in the investigation and prosecution.
Two Foreign Nationals Arrested in Vermont Border-Crossing EventRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 13, 2025, Emmanuel Pierre Andre Irene, 26, and Erika Brezault, 23, citizens of Haiti, were arrested by the United States Border Patrol in the town of Troy, Vermont. Both were charged by criminal complaints—Irene with illegally entering the United States as an alien, and Brezault with transporting Irene in furtherance of his illegal entry. Irene and Brezault both appeared on May 14, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Brezault be released on conditions of pretrial supervision pending further proceedings. Judge Doyle accepted Irene’s plea of guilty to illegal entry and sentenced Irene to a time-served sentence.
According to court records, around 1:00 am on May 13, 2025, one individual was observed walking south in Canada on a road that reaches the United States border; later, at approximately 3:30 am, one individual was observed walking south in the United States in an area close to that Canadian road, approximately a half-mile south of the international border. U.S. Border Patrol agents and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents responded to the scene to search for the suspected illegal entrant in the area of Mud Creek, approximately two miles east of the village of North Troy, Vermont. At approximately 9:23 am, an HSI agent made contact with a Massachusetts-plated vehicle that had been pulled over to the side of Bear Mountain Road, and he spoke with the two occupants. The driver was later identified as Brezault, and the passenger was later identified as Irene. They told the agent they were from Haiti and were now living in Worchester, Massachusetts. A uniformed Border Patrol agent joined the HSI agent, and they spoke with Brezault and Irene, who both claimed to have Temporary Protected Status in the United States. After an agent pointed out Irene’s wet, muddy clothing and informing them of the camera images of the male subject approaching and then being south of the international border, Irene admitted to entering the United States from Canada by walking through the woods. Brezault also admitted to picking up Irene after he crossed into the United States. Both defendants were detained and later charged with the respective offenses.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Brezault is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Brezault faces up to five years’ imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher. Brezault is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon, and Irene was represented by Karen Shingler, Esq.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Two District Men Indicted on Drug, Firearms, Fentanyl Charges Following 2023 High-Speed PursuitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dremale Vanterpool, 27, and Torrance Brock, 23, both of the District, have been indicted on federal firearms and drug trafficking charges following a 2023 high-speed vehicle pursuit and foot chase in the District, resulting in the recovery of loaded firearms, cocaine, fentanyl, and other evidence of drug distribution.
Vanterpool is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Brock is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on June 7, 2023, U.S. Capitol Police officers attempted to stop a gray Nissan Rogue believed to be linked to armed robberies in Delaware and Maryland. When officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the vehicle fled, prompting a pursuit through Northeast and Southeast D.C.
After the vehicle became trapped by traffic in the 3400 block of Ely Place SE, Vanterpool and Brock fled on foot. Officers observed both men clutching their waistbands, suggesting they were concealing weapons.
Vanterpool was apprehended in the driveway of a nearby building after he was seen tossing a baseball-sized bag over a fence. Brock was detained shortly afterward. USCP officers ultimately recovered two loaded firearms—a Springfield Armory Hellcat 9mm and a Taurus G3C 9mm. They also located a baseball-sized bag containing more than 39 grams of cocaine.
Vanterpool was also found with a digital scale, two cell phones, approximately $605 in cash, and another bag with a powder identified to contain cocaine and fentanyl. Both men have prior felony convictions in North Carolina and are prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.
This case is being investigated by the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with support from the U.S. Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
View indictment here.An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two California Businesses and Their Owners Resolve Allegations They Misrepresented Businesses’ Size to Obtain Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
JEV&B Services LLC and D4 Inc., two entities with their principal places of business in California, and their owners — William Nelson and Vicki Rollins — have agreed to pay $153,598.90 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false statements and certifications to obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for which the entities were not eligible.
The PPP, an emergency loan program established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), was intended to support small businesses struggling to pay employees and other businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the SBA. In addition to the SBA’s guarantee, the PPP protected and supported financial institutions by reimbursing the lender’s costs of processing PPP applications. Regulations and legislation passed by Congress set various eligibility requirements for the PPP, including limitations on the size of eligible businesses, so that the limited PPP funds would reach small businesses. In 2021, when Congress authorized a second round of PPP loans, it imposed even stricter size limits. The second-draw PPP loans were limited to businesses with 300 employees or less, including the employees of the applicant’s affiliated businesses.
On their PPP loan applications, borrowers were required to disclose their affiliated companies and to state the combined number of employees. Borrowers also certified that they were eligible for the PPP loan and that the information provided was accurate.
The United States alleged that JEV&B Services and D4 are companies that, through Nelson and Rollins, have common ownership and management with numerous other companies. Like several of Nelson’s and Rollins’ other businesses, JEV&B Services and D4 obtained first-draw PPP loans, which the SBA later forgave in full. JEV&B Services and D4 also obtained second-draw PPP loans. The United States alleged that JEV&B Services and D4 were not eligible for any second-draw PPP loans because they far exceeded the size limits that Congress placed on second-draw PPP loans. The United States further contended that JEV&B Services and D4 knowingly misled their lender to get the second-draw loans, including by under-reporting the total number of employees, not disclosing their affiliated companies to the lender, falsely certifying that they were eligible for the second-draw PPP funds, and certifying that the information on their applications was accurate when, in fact, it was not.
JEV&B Services, D4, Nelson, and Rollins will pay $153,598.90 to redress these allegations, including paying the SBA for the processing fees that the lender incurred and that were reimbursed by the SBA. The companies have also agreed to repay the loans in full, relieving the SBA of liability to the lender for the federal guaranty of the improper loans.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Ashwani Chawla. Under those provisions, private parties may initiate an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The lawsuit is captioned U.S. ex rel. Ashwani Chawla v. Agathos Support Service, Inc., et al., Civil No. LACV 22-2798 KK (JCx) (C.D. Cal.). Chawla will receive $11,519.92 in connection with this settlement.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the SBA Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of Capital Access.
Trial Attorney Christopher Belen of the Justice Department’s Civil Division handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Tulsa Resident Pleads Guilty to Theft in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tommy Allen Winkler, age 37, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information of one count of Theft in Indian Country.
The Information alleged that on November 16, 2022, and continuing until June 14, 2024, Winkler took and carried away, with intent to steal and purloin, money and personal property of three victims with a value exceeding $1,000.00.
The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Winkler was released on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.
Tulsa Drug Dealer Convicted by Federal Jury of Fentanyl DeathRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury convicted Tulsan, Brandon Jerome Silas, 45, of Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death, four counts of Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony, and Money Laundering.
In February 2022, a witness found Haley Scruggs unresponsive at home and called 911. Paramedics attempted to revive Haley but were unsuccessful. A medical examiner testified that Haley’s death was an accident and that she died from fentanyl toxicity.
When a DEA agent testified, he explained how they discovered messages between Haley and Silas discussing the purchase of fentanyl directly before her death. The last few messages between Haley and Silas describe how to get to Haley’s house, and Silas tells her that he is there. The agent further explained that Haley’s phone showed transactions through a cash application, consistent with payment for drugs.
Silas’ bank records presented to the jury showed that money was being digitally transferred from various peer-to-peer cash applications into his accounts. Over 14 months, bank records indicated that Silas deposited or transferred more than $450,000 into his accounts.
Two witnesses took the stand and explained to the jury how they originally started purchasing pills from Silas. When they went to Silas for fentanyl, he warned both of them to “be careful.”
DEA fentanyl seizures represent over 133 million deadly doses in 2025. Click here to find additional resources or learn more about the OnePillCanKill campaign.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Oklahoma City Resident Office investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Bailey and Charles Greenough prosecuted the case.
Three Illegal Aliens Charged in Separate Cases Involving Illegal Re-Entry into the United States and Illegal Possession of Narcotics and FirearmsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Three men found to be in the Western District of Louisiana illegally have been indicted by a federal grand jury in three separate cases, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.
Ariel Mauricio Zelaya-Pineda a/k/a Carlos Antonio Pineda Ramos, 39, a citizen of Honduras, was charged in a complaint on April 30, 2025, with one count of re-entry of a removed alien, was arrested, and is currently in federal custody. The indictment returned by the grand jury alleges that Zelaya-Pineda was found in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, after having been removed from the United States on six prior occasions. The indictment alleges that Zelaya-Pineda never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. His prior removals are as follows:
- On or about April 27, 2009, at or near Columbus, Georgia;
- On or about November 10, 2010, at or near San Antonio, Texas;
- On or about May 27, 2013, at or near Dallas, Texas;
- On or about November 19, 2018, at or near Houston, Texas;
- On or about February 17, 2020, at or near Houston, Texas; and
- On or about July 29, 2024, at or near Alexandria, Louisiana.
If convicted, Zelaya-Pineda faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Bossier City Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robin McCoy.
The second immigration indictment charges Homero Arroyo-Ayala, 47, a citizen of Mexico, with one count each of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, re-entry of a removed alien, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien. The indictment alleges that on November 27, 2024, Arroyo-Ayala did possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and possessed a 9mm “ghost gun” in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a 9mm “ghost gun” and ammunition.
It is alleged in the indictment that Arroyo-Ayala was found in Bossier Parish, Louisiana after having been denied admission to the United States and removed on July 16, 2003, at or near San Ysidro, California, and had never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. A sentencing notice included in the indictment alleges that Arroyo-Ayala was convicted in the Supreme Court of California, County of Los Angeles, of possession for sale of a controlled substance, an aggravated felony, and was subsequently removed from the United States. He is subject to increased punishment as to the charge of re-entry of a removed illegal alien.
If convicted, Arroyo-Ayala faces a total sentence of a minimum of 5 years up to life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Louisiana State Police, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Gaskins.
The third immigration indictment charges Erik Alexis Valladares-Corea a/k/a Eric A. Valladares, 23, a citizen of Honduras, with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien and one count of re-entry of a removed alien. Valladares was charged in a complaint on May 8, 2025, with one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, was arrested, and is currently in federal custody. The indictment returned by the grand jury alleges that Valladares illegally possessed a Beretta Model 950B .22 caliber pistol and ammunition. It is further alleged that Valladares was found to be in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported and removed therefrom on or about May 29, 2020, at or near Alexandria, Louisiana. Valladares did not obtain the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.
If convicted, Valladares faces up to 15 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Louisiana State Police, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Gaskins.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Thirty Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Racketeering, Murder, Drug Trafficking, Fraud, and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
An eight-count indictment was unsealed in the Southern District of Georgia charging 30 defendants – all alleged Sex Money Murder (SMM) gang members and associates – with crimes including racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and related firearm and drug trafficking crimes.
According to court documents and statements in court, SMM members and associates engaged in extreme violence to retaliate against fellow members for perceived violations of gang rules. For example, SMM members killed one member who wanted to leave the gang and attempted to kill another by repeatedly stabbing him for alleged homosexual activities while in jail. SMM members profited from trafficking large amounts of deadly drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, throughout the Savannah metropolitan area. They also made money participating in sophisticated fraud schemes targeting federal COVID-19 relief and unemployment benefit programs that resulted in intended losses of over $850,000.
“As alleged, the Sex Money Murder gang, a derivative of the nationally known Bloods gang, brutally enforced its purported rules, killing a 18-year-old member, and engaged in rampant drug trafficking and federal program fraud to enrich themselves,” said Matthew Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will not rest until every criminal organization like SMM that wreaks havoc on our streets and prison systems and exploits programs meant to support vulnerable populations are dismantled. Thank you to every federal, state, and local law enforcement agency that came together to dismantle this criminal enterprise.”
“Today’s indictment is an important step in ending gang violence on our streets and in our prisons,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons for the Southern District of Georgia. “My office will continuously work with our law enforcement partners to ensure public safety.”
“The violence and crime this gang committed across our region contributed to an epidemic in our nation.” said Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “Our hearts go out to the victims and their families who suffer because of this gangs’ activities. The FBI works with our law enforcement partners every day to crush violent crime in Georgia and our nation.”
“This case demonstrates the relentless coordination and commitment among our law enforcement partners to dismantle violent criminal enterprises like Sex Money Murder,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “ATF is proud to have played a critical role in targeting the illegal firearms and narcotics trafficking that fueled this gang’s deadly reach both inside and outside prison walls.”
“This indictment represents a significant step forward in our continued efforts to dismantle violent criminal enterprises operating within Georgia communities and correctional facilities,” said Director Chris Hosey of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). “The GBI remains committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to hold gang members accountable and protect the safety and wellbeing of all Georgians.”
“The use of contraband cell phones as a tool to carry out gang activity and other crimes from behind prison walls will not be tolerated and we are proud of our Agents for their role in assisting our law enforcement partners in stopping these individuals from jeopardizing the safety of the public and the operations of our facilities,” said Commissioner Tyrone Oliver of the Georgia Department of Corrections. “This indictment is a great example of partnerships at every level, ensuring the job of public safety remains paramount.”
According to court documents, on Feb. 24, 2020, Byron Hopkins and other SMM members intercepted a young victim a few hours after he stepped off his school bus. They drove him to a rural residential neighborhood where Hopkins shot him to death. The victim had reportedly expressed a desire to leave the gang after accusing Hopkins of having sexual relations with a minor female who became pregnant. To lure the victim, his, “big brother” in the gang – a person he trusted – sent him a text message claiming there was an important gang meeting he needed to attend. Believing this, the victim willingly got into the vehicle, unaware he was being taken to the site of his execution. This is just one example of SMM’s deadly violence against a member that questioned authority or violated gang rules.
According to court documents and statements made in court, SMM is a subset of The Bloods gang, which originated in Los Angeles in the early 1970s. The SMM subset has spread from the Bronx and New York to areas across the East Coast, including Georgia, where it operates inside and outside prisons and jails. The indictment alleges an extensive criminal enterprise in which SMM members, including inmates within the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC), orchestrated numerous crimes, including murders, attempted murders, attempted robberies, drug trafficking within and outside of GDOC facilities, and wire and bank fraud. Seven of the defendants allegedly committed or ordered the charged crimes from prison.
If convicted, the defendants face penalties including up to life in prison or death for the murder in aid of racketeering and using a firearm in the commission of a murder; up to life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy and drug conspiracy; up to 30 years for the wire fraud conspiracy; and up to 20 years for the conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Georgia Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Georgia State Patrol, Hinesville Police Department, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, Chatham County Police Department, Chatham Couty Counternarcotics Team, Savannah Police Department, McRae-Helena Police Department, Police Department, DeKalb Police Department, Brunswick Police Department, and Richmond Hill Police Department.
Trial Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Pennington III for the Southern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
The indictment is a result of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. The OCDETF mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task force approach. OCDETF synchronizes and incentivizes prosecutors and agents to lead smart, creative investigations targeting the command-and-control networks of organized criminal groups and the illicit financiers that support them. Additional information about the OCDETF Program may be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Thirty Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Racketeering, Murder, Drug Trafficking, Fraud, and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – An eight-count indictment was unsealed in the Southern District of Georgia charging 30 defendants – all alleged Sex Money Murder (SMM) gang members and associates – with crimes including racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and related firearm and drug trafficking crimes.
According to court documents and statements in court, SMM members and associates engaged in extreme violence to retaliate against fellow members for perceived violations of gang rules. For example, SMM members killed one member who wanted to leave the gang and attempted to kill another by repeatedly stabbing him for alleged homosexual activities while in jail. SMM members profited from trafficking large amounts of deadly drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, throughout the Savannah metropolitan area. They also made money participating in sophisticated fraud schemes targeting federal COVID-19 relief and unemployment benefit programs that resulted in intended losses of over $850,000.
“As alleged, the Sex Money Murder gang, a derivative of the nationally known Bloods gang, brutally enforced its purported rules, killing a 19-year-old member, and engaged in rampant drug trafficking and federal program fraud to enrich themselves,” said Matthew Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will not rest until every criminal organization like SMM that wreaks havoc on our streets and prison systems and exploits programs meant to support vulnerable populations are dismantled. Thank you to every federal, state, and local law enforcement agency that came together to dismantle this criminal enterprise.”
“Today’s indictment is an important step in ending gang violence on our streets and in our prisons,” said Acting United States Attorney Tara M. Lyons. “My office will continuously work with our law enforcement partners to ensure public safety.”
“The violence and crime this gang committed across our region contributed to an epidemic in our nation. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families who suffer because of this gangs’ activities,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI works with our law enforcement partners every day to crush violent crime in Georgia and our nation.”
“This case demonstrates the relentless coordination and commitment among our law enforcement partners to dismantle violent criminal enterprises like Sex Money Murder,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “ATF is proud to have played a critical role in targeting the illegal firearms and narcotics trafficking that fueled this gang’s deadly reach both inside and outside prison walls.”
“This indictment represents a significant step forward in our continued efforts to dismantle violent criminal enterprises operating within Georgia communities and correctional facilities,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Director Hosey. “The GBI remains committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to hold gang members accountable and protect the safety and wellbeing of all Georgians.”
“The use of contraband cell phones as a tool to carry out gang activity and other crimes from behind prison walls will not be tolerated and we are proud of our Agents for their role in assisting our law enforcement partners in stopping these individuals from jeopardizing the safety of the public and the operations of our facilities,” said GDC Commissioner Tyrone Oliver. “This indictment is a great example of partnerships at every level, ensuring the job of public safety remains paramount.”
According to court documents, on February 24, 2020, Byron Hopkins and other SMM members intercepted a young victim a few hours after he stepped off his school bus. They drove him to a rural residential neighborhood where Hopkins shot him to death. The victim had reportedly expressed a desire to leave the gang after accusing Hopkins of having sexual relations with a minor female who became pregnant. To lure the victim, his, “big brother” in the gang – a person he trusted – sent him a text message claiming there was an important gang meeting he needed to attend. Believing this, the victim willingly got into the vehicle, unaware he was being taken to the site of his execution. This is just one example of SMM’s deadly violence against a member that questioned authority or violated gang rules.
According to court documents and statements made in court, SMM is a subset of The Bloods gang, which originated in Los Angeles in the early 1970s. The SMM subset has spread from the Bronx and New York to areas across the East Coast, including Georgia, where it operates inside and outside prisons and jails. The indictment alleges an extensive criminal enterprise in which SMM members, including inmates within the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC), orchestrated numerous crimes, including murders, attempted murders, attempted robberies, drug trafficking within and outside of GDOC facilities, and wire and bank fraud. Seven of the defendants allegedly committed or ordered the charged crimes from prison.
If convicted, the defendants face penalties including up to life in prison or death for the murder in aid of racketeering and using a firearm in the commission of a murder; up to life in prison for the racketeering conspiracy and drug conspiracy; up to 30 years for the wire fraud conspiracy; and up to 20 years for the conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Georgia Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Georgia State Patrol, Hinesville Police Department, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, Chatham County Police Department, Chatham Couty Counternarcotics Team, Savannah Police Department, McRae-Helena Police Department, Police Department, DeKalb Police Department, Brunswick Police Department, and Richmond Hill Police Department.
Trial Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Pennington III for the Southern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
The indictment is a result of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. The OCDETF mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task force approach. OCDETF synchronizes and incentivizes prosecutors and agents to lead smart, creative investigations targeting the command-and-control networks of organized criminal groups and the illicit financiers that support them. Additional information about the OCDETF Program may be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas, Virginia, and Florida Residents Charged in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Esequiel Maldonado (46, Texas), Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr. (46, Fort Myers), Ron Ramirez, Jr. (23, Texas), and Schuyler Jordan Thompson (31, Virginia) with conspiracy, distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine, and use of communication facilities in the commission of drug trafficking crimes. If convicted on all counts,Esequiel Maldonado and Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr., because of their prior convictions for serious drug felonies, face a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Ramirez and Thompson each face a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 44 years, in federal prison.
According to court documents, each of the charged individuals played a distinct and critical role in the conspiracy. Esequiel Maldonado was the Texas-based leader of the drug trafficking organization (DTO). He authorized sales of kilogram-quantities of cocaine, served as the DTO’s broker, and set cocaine prices. Ramirez handled logistics and communications. On behalf of Esequiel Maldonado, Ramirez recruited and paid a courier, Thompson. Ramirez arranged for Thompson to fly to Florida and get cocaine supplied by (according to Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr.) Los Chapitos, known to law enforcement as a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, and to deliver it to Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr. The cocaine was then distributed by Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr. in the Middle District of Florida. Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr. also arranged for drug proceeds to be paid back to Esequiel Maldonado.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
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).
Texas woman sent to federal prison for transporting drugs into the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 29-year-old San Antonio resident has been sentenced for the attempted importation of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Shania Nichele Ellis pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2024.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now ordered Ellis to serve 97 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony that detailed how Ellis knew she was going to Mexico to move narcotics for money. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Ellis made a terrible decision.
On Aug. 25, 2024, Ellis drove from Mexico to the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge 1 in Laredo and entered the trusted traveler lane. Authorities subsequently referred her to secondary inspection after learning she was not enrolled in that program.
There, they discovered a small access door on the rear liftgate which revealed several bundles of narcotics. A K9 also alerted to the vehicle’s doors where more bundles were hidden inside the panels.
Law enforcement ultimately found a total of 44 bundles of methamphetamine, weighing 24.407 kilograms with a 97% purity level as well as two bundles of cocaine weighing 655.6 grams and one bundle of black heroin weighing 494.5 grams.
The investigation revealed that a friend had attempted to recruit her via social media to transport the narcotics from Mexico to the United States. While visiting that friend in Monterrey, Mexico, her car went missing. It was returned the following day when she was told to leave.
As part of her plea, she admitted she conspired with at least one other person to import narcotics across the border from Mexico into the United States.
She has been and 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 and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch prosecuted the case.
Tennessee man sentenced to 5 years of probation for selling unapproved drugsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Greenville, Tennessee man who admitted selling unapproved drugs made from ingredients purchased from China was sentenced today to five years of probation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Tyler Jordan Hall, 31, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to introduction of unapproved drugs in interstate commerce.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
“Tyler Hall manufactured unapproved drugs in an unregulated lab using ingredients he bought from China. And he sold those drugs to unwitting customers based on his false claims that the products were approved by the FDA. That behavior, which can result in serious health problems for users, will not be tolerated. I want to thank the FDA for investigating and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Clarke for prosecuting the matter as we continue to strive to protect Montanans and other Americans from this kind of deceitful and dangerous conduct.” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
“Illegally manufacturing and selling unapproved drugs outside the legitimate U.S. supply chain can present serious health risks to those who buy and use them,” said Robert Iwanicki, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “Furthermore, knowingly misleading customers and the FDA by making false claims about the nature and legitimacy of the products shows a reckless disregard for FDA regulations and for the lives and well-being of consumers. FDA will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who would disregard and jeopardize public health and safety by selling misbranded drugs.”
The government alleged in court documents that from June 17, 2020, through March 2022, Tyler Hall operated a business known as Rat’s Army, LLC, which imported, created, bottled, and labeled drugs. Hall marketed the substances to individuals in the bodybuilding and fitness community to increase muscle mass, reduce body fat, and counter the unwanted side effects of other bodybuilding drugs. Many of the substances were not safe for human consumption except under the supervision of a practitioner licensed to administer prescription drugs. Some drugs were of similar composition to FDA-approved drugs that require special boxed warnings in their labeling emphasizing serious potential side effects, including pulmonary embolism.
During the timeframe noted above, Hall obtained proceeds from Rat’s Army of approximately $3.8 million. The income was generated, at least in part, from the sale of unapproved drugs, including Raloxifene, Tamoxifen, and Pramipexole.
Hall knowingly took steps to mislead and defraud United States regulatory agencies, including the FDA, about the true nature of the products he was selling on the Rat’s Army website. Specifically, he attempted to conceal the nature of his products by falsely portraying them as “research chemicals” and “not for human consumption,” despite knowing and intending that the products were for ingestion by humans to affect the structure and function of their bodies.
Hall also took steps to mislead and defraud the consumers to whom he was offering the sale of these drugs by posting misleading Certificates of Analysis on the website to convince consumers Rat’s Army was manufacturing products which were legitimate and safe to consume.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Clarke prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation.
Tango Blast gang members sentenced after leading law enforcement on multiple vehicle pursuits during smuggling attemptsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two Tango Blast members have been ordered to federal prison following their convictions of conspiring to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Juan Miguel Regalado, 28, and Samuel Grajeda Jr., 21, pleaded guilty Nov. 12, 2024.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now imposed a 66-month sentence for Regalado. Grajeda previously received a 30-month-term of imprisonment as well as a consecutive six months for violating his supervised release for a previous alien transporting conviction. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences.
The investigation began April 20, 2024, when a group of suspected illegal aliens entered a green Tahoe in the Mines Road area. Regalado was driving and soon led law enforcement on a high-speed chase, during which multiple individuals jumped out of the vehicle. Regalado drove up to 100 miles per hour before driving the Tahoe into the Rio Grande River. Regalado then swam across to Mexico.
Over the next several months, authorities continued to monitor the Mines Road area for other possible smuggling attempts. In November 2024, another group of illegal aliens entered a white Ford Taurus parked near Father McNaboe Park within the Mines Road area.
Authorities followed until a black Mercedes sedan cut them off. Grajeda and Regalado were the respective drivers. An attempted traffic stop of the Ford Taurus then led to another vehicle pursuit in which Grajeda crashed into an innocent bystander’s vehicle and continued to evade law enforcement. As it ended, law enforcement discovered four illegal aliens and the Ford Taurus abandoned in a north Laredo neighborhood.
Authorities then found Grajeda and Regalado within the vicinity of the abandoned vehicle and took them into custody.
As part of their guilty pleas, both admitted to their involvement in the conspiracy.
“With these sentencings, two less gang members are out on the streets, and a human smuggling operation has been dismantled,” said Ganjei. “Securing the border is the Southern District’s top priority, and we’re delivering.”
Grajeda and Regalado will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined at in the near future.
Border Patrol-Anti-Smuggling Unit and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Lopez prosecuted the case.
Tampa Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening to Plant A Bomb in Member of U.S. House of Representative’s District OfficeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Rigoberto Albizar Martinez (57, Tampa) to one year in federal prison, followed by a term of home confinement of one year, for threatening to plant a bomb in the district office of a member of the United States House of Representatives. A federal jury found Martinez guilty on December 12, 2024.
According to court documents, on May 1, 2024, Martinez called the Tampa district office of a member of the United States House of Representatives and left a vulgar, racist, obscenity-laden voicemail. In the voicemail, he threatened to plant a bomb in the representative’s office.
This case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police – Threat Assessment Section. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III and Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.
Story City Man Conspiring to Distribute Meth and Fentanyl Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl pled guilty May 8, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
William Clark, Jr., 40, from Story City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
At the plea hearing, Clark, Jr. admitted that from January 2024 through April 27, 2024, he and others conspired to distribute at least ½ pound of methamphetamine and more than 1700 pills of fentanyl. On April 21, 2024, Clark, Jr., along with two others were headed to Colorado to pick up more methamphetamine and to sell fentanyl pills. They attempted to elude law enforcement in a high-speed vehicle chase. Clark, Jr. also made a “false” 911 call to law enforcement in an attempt to assist his attempted eluding and avoid their capture with evidence of drug trafficking.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Clark, Jr. remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Clark, Jr. faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Ida and Sac County Sheriff’s Offices, the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Iowa DCI Laboratory
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4042. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
St. Louis County Man Admits Seeking Nude Pictures from Children OnlineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Thursday admitted soliciting nude images of children that he’d approached online, and receiving images of one 12-year-old victim.
Alsaphone Hunt, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography.
Hunt initiated communications with an 8-year-old girl in Maryland via Facebook Messenger in February of 2021. After an initial exchange of messages, the girl’s mother took over the phone. Hunt asked if the girl wanted to “see something that you like to see on a boy.” He asked to see her genitals, and then sent a photo of his. The mother stopped responding and contacted local police after Hunt sent images containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Police officers identified Hunt and forwarded their findings to the St. Louis County Police Department.
On March 1, 2021, a St. Louis County Police Department detective pretending to be a 10-year-old girl “friended” Hunt on Facebook. Hunt then contacted the detective via Facebook Messenger. Hunt became increasingly sexually explicit and sent CSAM and photos of male genitals. On March 5, 2021, police arrested Hunt at the fast-food restaurant where he worked. He admitted sending CSAM and a picture of his genitals and allowed investigators to search the phone he’d been using to communicate with the 8-year-old and the detective.
A search of the phone revealed the presence of 65 video files and 165 image files containing CSAM as well as 55 image files containing child erotica. Investigators also learned that Hunt had coerced or enticed a 12-year-old into sending him CSAM that she produced.
Hunt is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21. Both the U.S. Attorney’s office and Hunt’s lawyers have agreed to recommend 15 years in prison.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the Montgomery County (Maryland) Department of Police, the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
South Florida Tax Preparer, Two Others Charged with Conspiring to Defraud Covid-19 Relief ProgramRead the Press Release
MIAMI –The last of three defendants made his initial appearance in Miami federal court yesterday to face an indictment charging the men with conspiracy to commit wire fraud while scheming to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
PPP loans were intended to provide economic relief to small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the allegations in the indictment, between May 2020 and March 2021, Guillermo Lopez Carrazana, Christian Mendoza, and Max Alberto Mera Ulloa, all residents of Miami-Dade County, conspired to submit over 165 false and fraudulent PPP loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which administered the emergency relief program under the CARES Act. The PPP was designed to help businesses maintain payroll and cover essential expenses during the pandemic. It is alleged that the defendants received $6.5 million in COVID relief money through the fraud.
It is alleged that Carrazana, Mendoza (a tax preparer) and Ulloa owned and operated various businesses, including G LUX LLC, Global Tax & Accounting Group Corp, CM Logistics Systems LLC and Max Mera Corporation. Along with others, the defendants allegedly submitted fraudulent loan applications that misrepresented payroll and employee information to obtain large sums of money under false pretenses.
The indictment further alleges that the defendants engaged in a kickback scheme, offering and receiving payments in exchange for referring additional individuals to participate in the fraudulent loan applications. It is also alleged that the defendants and the other fraudsters did not use the proceeds of the PPP loans for their intended purpose, instead they used the funds to enrich themselves.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office made the announcement.
FBI Miami and IRS-CI, Miami Field Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-20178.
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South Bend Man Sentenced to 108 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Michael Bellina, 22 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to transportation of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Bellina was sentenced to 108 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, between August 2023 and March 2024, Bellina transported more than 600 images of child sexual abuse material that he received through the internet. He uploaded the images and distributed them on multiple internet platforms.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Indiana State Police, the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Mishawaka Police Department, the Bloomington Police Department, the Indiana University Police Department, the Raleigh (North Carolina) Police Department, the Boone (North Carolina) Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah T Jones.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Kidnapping and Possessing Ammunition as a Felon and Drug UserRead the Press Release
Bobby Rhoden, age 50, from Sioux City, was sentenced today, to 31 years in federal prison, after a 5-day jury trial in April 2024, finding him guilty of one count of kidnapping and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon and drug user.
Evidence at trial and sentencing showed the kidnapping began with defendant manipulating the victim – including by threatening her daughter – out of a domestic abuse shelter and into his car. Over the next 36 hours, while armed with a knife and a handgun, Rhoden took his victim’s glasses, brutalized her, and drove her to at least two locations where he terrorized others as well (including a mother and small children). Ultimately, the victim ran out of the garage — zigzagging for her life — as defendant pursued her and fired his gun.
A subsequent investigation of the kidnapping revealed live ammunition and a spent casing in the garage where Rhoden lived and which was one of the locations where he held his victim. Additionally, it came to light that leading up to the kidnapping, Rhoden had put a gun to his victim’s head and pulled the trigger, isolated her by taking or breaking her phone, and made recordings, of a sexual nature, of her, without her consent. Also, the evidence showed that during the investigation, Rhoden took steps to influence his victim and, also, his estranged wife by asking them to claim ownership of the firearm, and by hiding the firearm
Rhoden has a long criminal history. His past felony convictions include two counts of forgery in Scott County, Iowa, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in Scott County, Iowa and conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. Upon leaving prison Rhoden rearmed and boasted that he had done so and was standing by to blow off someone’s kneecap if he needed to do so.
Rhoden was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 372 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Rhoden is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tabaco Firearms and Explosives, the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. The Case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 22-4073.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Sent to Federal Prison for Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man was sentenced May 15, 2025, to more than 7 years in federal prison.
Uriah Jordan Buffalo Chief-Torrez, II, 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 21, 2025, guilty plea to receipt and possession of child pornography.
At the sentencing hearing, evidence showed Buffalo Chief-Torrez was found to be in receipt of and possession of child pornography. In September and October 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children submitted to law enforcement six CyberTip reports from Synchronoss showed Buffalo Chief-Torrez uploaded approximately 56 files containing child sexual abuse material. In an interview with law enforcement, Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted individuals on several social media platforms had tried to show and sell him child pornography. Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted that individuals on Telegram would sell him “CP” for $65. Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted that he viewed 15 or 16 videos of child pornography. Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted he downloaded child pornography on nine separate occasions and had streamed child pornography on social media. Forensic analysis of defendant’s phone showed he possessed 24 images and 56 videos of child pornography. The images and videos contained material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or the sexual abuse and exploitation of infants and toddlers.
Buffalo Chief-Torrez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Buffalo Chief-Torrez was sentenced to 90 months’ imprisonment. He was also ordered to pay $4,200 in restitution and assessments. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Buffalo Chief-Torrez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-4029.
Shelton Man Admits Producing Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROSS DeLIBRO, 54, of Shelton, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to child exploitation offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2024, a detective assigned to the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes Unit began an investigation into the sharing of child sex abuse images and videos over a peer-to-peer file sharing network. The investigation revealed that an internet protocol (IP) address assigned to DeLibro’s residence in Shelton had been used to download child sex abuse videos. On May 1, 2024, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of DeLibro’s residence and seized his Apple MacBook Air, his iPhone, an external hard drive, and other items. Analysis of the seized items revealed image and video files depicting male children being sexually abused, including two images in which DeLibro appears engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a toddler.
DeLibro pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for August 14.
DeLibro has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on June 11, 2024.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Shelton Police Department and the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Division of Scientific Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel George and Nancy Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Ansonia/Milford for its cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Advocate can be reached at [email protected] or 203-696-3039.
Shasta County Man Pleads Guilty to Running a $35 Million Investment Fraud Scheme and Witness TamperingRead the Press Release
Matthew Piercey, 48, of Palo Cedro, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, concealment money laundering, and witness tampering in connection with a $35 million investment fraud scheme, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. Piercey pleaded guilty without a written plea agreement to all 27 of the pending counts and the Court vacated the May 19, 2025, trial date.
According to court documents, between July 2015 and August 2020, Piercey solicited investor funds by holding himself out as an investment advisor through his purported investment companies Family Wealth Legacy and Zolla. He made a variety of false and misleading statements to investors about the nature and success of trading algorithms, commissions and fees, investment strategies, the liquidity of investments, and the financial stability of Family Wealth Legacy and Zolla. For example, Piercey marketed the “Upvesting Fund,” an automated algorithmic trading fund that he falsely claimed had a history of success. He took money from numerous investors in this purported fund, but privately admitted to an associate that there was no Upvesting Fund.
Running a Ponzi-like fraud scheme, Piercey used some investor money to make payments to other investors. As the scheme progressed, Piercey used a Redding-area chiropractor to conceal his continued operation of the investment fraud and take in new money.
In total, Piercey paid back only approximately $8.8 million to investors of the approximately $35 million invested. He used the additional money for various business and personal expenses, including paying a criminal defense firm and buying two residential properties. Few, if any, liquid assets remained to repay investors.
According to court documents, when Piercey learned he was under investigation, he took steps to dissuade investors and witnesses from responding to grand jury subpoenas. His actions caused several individuals to delay producing documents, while at the same time, he syphoned off nearly $775,000 from victim investors into a bank account he controlled.
On Nov. 16, 2020, when law enforcement agents attempted to arrest Piercey, he fled from arrest and led agents on a vehicle chase through residential neighborhoods and onto the highway before abandoning his vehicle and entering Lake Shasta with an underwater submersible device. After about 20 minutes in the water, he emerged from the lake where he was arrested.
After his arrest, Piercey used coded language to communicate with two individuals who visited him in jail. He directed these individuals to take actions with the contents of a U-Haul storage locker he had rented in Redding. A subsequent FBI search of the storage locker revealed that Piercey had rented the locker under a fictitious name, Chadwick Givens, using a fake California driver’s license. The locker contained, among other things, a wig and ₣31,000 in Swiss francs.
“Investment fraud schemes like the one led by this defendant can devastate lives, retirements, and undo decades of planning by hard-working people simply looking for a trusted place to invest their money,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “Our office will continue to work with the FBI and our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who commit these frauds and who seek to tamper with the grand jury process.”
“Many invested their life savings with Matthew Piercey’s companies, not knowing that the claim of guaranteed returns were the empty promises of a Ponzi scheme,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “The FBI agents, forensic accountants, and other specialized personnel work tirelessly to ensure those who exploit the trust of a hopeful public will face serious consequences.”
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Thuesen, Audrey B. Hemesath, Christopher S. Hales, and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case.
Piercey is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Sept. 4, 2025. Two other defendants who conspired with Piercey in the scheme are Ken Winton and Gary Klopfenstein. Winton pleaded guilty in December 2020 and Klopfenstein pleaded guilty in July 2024. Both Winton and Klopfenstein are scheduled for status conferences regarding sentencing on Aug. 21, 2025.
Piercey faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, for each wire fraud and mail fraud count; 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each witness tampering count; and 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater, for each money laundering count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Second Owner of Local Real Estate Investment Company Pleads Guilty for Role in Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—The owner of a local real estate investment company pleaded guilty today for his role in an $18 million fraud scheme, joining his business partner and co-owner of the company who pleaded guilty in March 2025.
Robert D. Christensen, 55, of Sherwood, Oregon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
Previously, on March 11, 2025, Christensen’s partner and co-owner of the investment company, Anthony M. Matic, 55, of Damascus, Oregon, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to court documents, from approximately January 2019 through June 2023, Christensen and Matic devised and carried out a scheme wherein they convinced individual investors to fund the purchase and renovation of undervalued residential real estate properties. After renovating the properties, Christensen and Matic claimed they would rent the properties to generate income and then refinance them to extract their increased value from the renovations. The pair further misled investors into believing they would be repaid their full principal investment along with interest as high as eight to fifteen percent and a large lump sum payout, all within periods as short as 30 to 90 days.
Christensen and Matic’s scheme failed to generate the promised returns almost immediately and they began using new investments to repay earlier investors to keep their business afloat. When they were unable to raise enough money from new investors, Christensen and Matic devised a separate scheme to defraud commercial lenders. By December 2020, the pair began submitting loan applications with false financial information to different commercial lenders and, based on their misrepresentations, received millions of dollars in loans.
In total, Christensen and Matic’s two schemes defrauded individual investors out of more than $11 million and commercial lenders out of more than $7 million.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. Money laundering in punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. Both charges may also result in fines of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gains or losses resulting from the offense.
Christensen and Matic will both be sentenced on October 14, 2025.
This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Trisotto.
Seattle man indicted for sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion and transporting woman for prostitutionRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 37-year-old Seattle man appeared for arraignment this morning on an indictment charging him with sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion and transporting an adult to engage in prostitution, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Shante Broady pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the indictment. He remains detained at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) at SeaTac pending a trial currently scheduled for July 14, 2025, in front of U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour.
According to records filed in the case, Broady has been on law enforcement’s radar since March 2023, when they received a report that Broady had been sex trafficking a victim in Portland, Oregon. And in November 2024, a former girlfriend reported being assaulted by Broady.
In April 2025, two women in Seattle contacted the FBI regarding Broady’s sex trafficking and threats of violence. One woman said Broady was ultimately unsuccessful in his attempt to force her into prostitution. The other reported that in March 2025, Broady had lured her from Canada, paying for her plane ticket. He then forced her into prostitution with threats and violence, and brandishing a firearm when angered. Text messages allegedly document the threats. The victims got a civil restraining order to try to keep him away from them. The woman from Canada was ultimately able to return home.
The criminal complaint also details Broady’s involvement in transporting and harboring a juvenile who had run away from a boarding school in another state. The juvenile was encountered on North Aurora Avenue and taken into custody by law enforcement. She was ultimately safely returned to family members. The trafficking of the juvenile remains under investigation.
Sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to life in prison. Transportation of an adult for purposes of prostitution is punishable by up to ten years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kate Crisham. Ms. Crisham leads the Anti-Trafficking prosecutions in the Western District of Washington.
Richardson Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
An 80-year-old Richardson man who sexually abused a seven-year-old was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
George Kenneth Orton, Jr., of Richardson, was convicted of two counts of sexual exploitation of a child by a jury of his peers in October 2024. According to evidence presented at trial, agents recovered a USB drive and two laptops containing child sexual abuse material at his home.On May 14, 2025, Orton appeared before District Judge Brantley Starr for sentencing. Judge Starr sentenced Orton to consecutive maximum sentences of 360 months on each count, for a total of 720 months in federal prison. Judge Starr described Orton’s conduct against Minor Victim 1 as “unspeakable” and, in handing down the sentence, stated that he found no reason to give Orton less than the statutory maximum on each count, regardless of his age.
“The FBI is proud to collaborate with our law enforcement partners every single day to ensure anyone involved in criminal behavior against a child is brought to justice. The significant sentence given to the defendant sends a clear message that crimes against children will not be tolerated,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “Together, through continued vigilance and cooperation, we can prevent abuse and protect the most vulnerable among us.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Meacham praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Richardson Police Department in conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marissa Aulbaugh and Brandie Wade 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.”
Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Defacing Religious Property in Vandalism of Synagogue BuildingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy and defacing and damaging a religious building, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Talya A. Lubit, age 24, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Lubit and her codefendant, Mohamad Hamad, conspired from July 2024 to July 29, 2024, to damage and deface the Chabad of Squirrel Hill. The Chabad is a center for Jewish educational programming and occupies a building for Jewish religious services in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. In the early morning hours of July 29, 2024, acting on their plan to cause damage to a Jewish institution, Lubit and Hamad spray-painted the words “Jews 4 Palestine” with an inverted triangle onto the exterior of the building with red paint. The inverted triangle first appeared in videos posted online by Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization, of the current fighting in Gaza where it was used to mark an Israeli target about to be attacked by Hamas fighters. The act of vandalism was born from Hamad’s and Lubit’s shared growing animosity towards Israel since the terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, and the war that ensued between Israel and Hamas.
In connection with the guilty plea, Lubit agreed to pay full restitution for the damage done to the Chabad property, as well as graffiti that she and Hamad spray-painted on an entry sign to the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh the same day.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for September 10, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court continued Lubit’s bond with special conditions including home detention.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Nicole Vasquez Schmitt are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Lubit.
Pittsburg County Resident Sentenced for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Timothy Kenneth Barber, age 45, of Hartshorne, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 293 months in prison for one count of Murder in Indian Country—Second Degree.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
On November 5, 2024, Barber pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 20, 2023, Barber killed the victim with a single intentional shot to the head fired at close range from a .22 caliber rifle. The crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Barber will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Pierce County, Washington man indicted for sex crimes involving minorsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 40-year-old Pierce County, Washington man appeared today on an indictment charging him with attempted enticement of a minor and production of images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Randy Lee Young came into federal custody April 24, 2025. He was arrested November 16, 2024, after allegedly communicating with someone he thought would provide her young daughters to him for sexual assaults. When Young arrived at the proposed meeting place in Marysville, Washington, he was arrested. Forensic review of his cell phone found images of child sexual abuse that he had produced.
Young pleaded ‘not guilty’ in court today and remains detained at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) at SeaTac. Trial is scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Lauren King on July 14, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, Young began communicating with a law enforcement officer who was posing as the mother of 8 and 11-year-old daughters. Between November 8 and 15 2024, Young communicated with the law enforcement officer via text messaging multiple times. Ultimately Young drove from his residence in Pierce County to the location in Marysville where he was arrested. Young was held in the Snohomish County Jail until the federal charges were filed.
Young gave permission for law enforcement to review his cell phone. On the phone investigators found images of sexual abuse of a minor. The investigation revealed that in October and November 2024, Young met a minor online, traveled to her hometown in southwest Washington seven times and videotaped sex acts with the 13-year-old. Text messages reveal that the victim had told Young her age.
Attempted enticement of a minor is punishable by up to life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum ten years imprisonment. Production of images of child sexual abuse is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to life in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Seattle’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United Stats Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
The Justice 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 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ronald Robinson, 55, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 15, 2024, Robinson sold a quantity of a substance containing methamphetamine to a confidential informant. As part of his plea agreement, Robinson admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling a substance containing methamphetamine on two other occasions in October 2024. Each transaction occurred in Parkersburg.
On October 16, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a motel room where Robinson was staying and seized approximately 40.307 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine and approximately 7.368 grams of a substance containing a mixture of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Officers also seized $501 including recorded currency from the controlled buys.
Robinson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
At the time of this offense, Robinson was serving terms of supervised release as a result of his convictions on July 12, 2004, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, in the form known as crack, and on March 28, 2017, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, both in United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force, the Police Department, and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer D. Gordon and Francesca C. Rollo have prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-11.
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