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15 May 2025
Owner of local Mexican market pleads guilty to money launderingRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The owner of a local Mexican market pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to money laundering what she believed were narcotics proceeds.
Teodora Meza, 52, of Cincinnati, owns and operates La Marketa, a specialty market on Fields Ertel Road in Cincinnati. Meza uses the store to act as an agent for an international money service business.
Meza admitted to sending what she believed were proceeds of drug trafficking via international wire transfers on behalf of clients.
According to her plea agreement, from October to December 2023, Meza sent wire transfers to Mexico on behalf of an individual claiming to be a drug trafficker. Meza educated the individual on how to conceal the transfers by structuring them to avoid reporting requirements. The defendant both accepted and provided false information and identities to conceal the nature and source of the funds.
In total, Meza laundered $20,000 from the individual throughout a series of wire transfers.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Operation Restore Justice Initiative Results in Indictment Charging Man with Attempting to Cause Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that as a result of Operation Restore Justice, a nationwide initiative to identify, track, and arrest child predators which was announced last week, a Rapides Parish man has been indicted. The federal grand jury in Shreveport has returned an indictment charging Keith William Noce, 45, with use of a facility to attempt to cause a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
The indictment alleges that between April 29, 2025, and May 1, 2025, in the Western District of Louisiana, Noce used a facility and means of interstate commerce to knowingly attempt to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor under the age of 18 years old to engage in sexual activity.
Noce, along with two other subjects in Louisiana, were charged last week following a joint, undercover operation by the FBI, Alexandria Police Department and Louisiana State Police. A fourth subject was indicted in the Eastern District of Louisiana on child pornography charges.
If convicted, Noce faces a sentence of up to 10 years to life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Alexandria Police Department, and Louisiana State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Earl M. Campbell.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678.
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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Omaha Men Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Calvin J. Carter, 22, and Malik M. Washington, 28, both of Omaha, Nebraska, were sentenced on May 15, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Carter and Washington to 18 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Carter and Washington are released from prison, they each will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Chief Judge Rossiter also ordered both to pay restitution in the amount of $180,315.54.
From April 2021 through December 2022, Carter and Washington recruited and obtained bank account information from individuals that owned personal bank accounts at various financial institutions in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere. Through investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that Carter and Washington created counterfeit checks making it appear as though the checks were legitimately issued by businesses to those individuals. They then presented the counterfeit checks to financial institutions, falsely represented the checks to be legitimate. Carter and Washington would then withdraw cash from bank accounts into which the counterfeit checks were deposited.
During the duration of this conspiracy, Carter and Washington caused, and attempted to cause, counterfeit checks to be deposited into bank accounts at various financial institutions resulting in the loss of $180,315.54.
This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Okmulgee Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Wilbert Lamon Rivers, aka Wilbert Lamon Rivers, Jr., age 27, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Muscogee (Creek) Lighthorse Police Department, the Okmulgee Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On November 4, 2024, Rivers pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on November 4, 2023, law enforcement discovered Rivers in possession of forty rounds of ammunition and a semi-automatic pistol capable of accepting a large capacity magazine after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The 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. Rivers 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 Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Oakhurst Man Charged with Stalking Fresno WomanRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Preston Nelson-Kestner, 21, of Oakhurst, charging him with stalking, distribution and possession of images of child sexual exploitation, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, between October 2023, and Feb. 13, 2024, Nelson-Kestner used social media applications including OnlyFans, Instagram, and TikTok to engage in a course of conduct that caused, attempted to cause, and would be reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress to an adult victim in Fresno. Nelson-Kestner used the social media apps to send threatening messages to the victim and sent videos and images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department with assistance from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office and the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Nelson-Kestner faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for stalking, a minimum of five years in prison up to 20 years in prison for distribution and a 10-year maximum sentence for possession of images of child sexual exploitation. 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.
Nashville Man on Probation Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm After Allegedly Shooting at PoliceRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Emmanuel Orr, 18, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“We will not stand for violence against our citizens or our men and women in law enforcement,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Those convicted of violent offenses, and especially those on probation for such offenses, cannot possess firearms and put citizens and our police officers at risk. Our Operation Bond Watch program seeks to hold those who do accountable for their actions.”
According to court documents, on April 30, 2025, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) officers responded to a report of a shooting in Nashville. They discovered a victim who had been shot in the leg. The victim reported being shot by a man who was approximately 19 years old, had short black dreads, and was wearing a tan jacket and black jogging pants. The victim also reported that the shooter had pulled out a pistol, possibly a Ruger, and showed it to the victim. Shortly after suspect’s description was broadcast to other officers, an officer observed a young male with a shirt draped over his shoulder, wearing black pants, and having short black dreads walking west on Westchester near Dickerson Pike. The officer gave the suspect commands to show his hands and stop, but the man kept walking away and did not respond. The man then abruptly turned towards the marked police cruiser, raised a pistol with both hands, and fired two shots at officers before fleeing on foot, dropping the firearm as he ran away.
The suspect fled into a nearby restaurant and hid in the bathroom, where he was subsequently taken into custody by officers without incident. The man identified himself as Orr, and after being advised of his rights, admitted to firing the firearm at the MNPD officer, but he refused to discuss the shooting victim. The victim later positively identified Orr from a photo lineup as the shooter.
A Ruger model LC9S 9mm pistol was recovered from the area where Orr was seen dropping a firearm after shooting. MNPD also recovered a spent 9mm shell casing and an intact 9mm round in the area where the victim reported being shot.
Just over ninety days ago, on February 6, 2025, Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk records show that Orr was convicted of Reckless Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and received a two-year sentence that was suspended to probation.
If convicted, Orr faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Hinkle is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Nashville Man Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud Fresno CountyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Jafaar September Nyangoro, 52, of Franklin, Tennessee, and Peter Bah Acha, 45 of Berlin, Germany, charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud Fresno County, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, sometime before Sept. 14, 2020, Nyangoro, Acha, and others secretly gained control of an email account used by the finance director of a Fresno nonprofit to submit fraudulent invoices to Fresno County for payment through Automated Clearing House (ACH) transactions. Posing as the finance director, they fraudulently represented to the County of Fresno that the nonprofit’s bank account information had changed and that payments should be sent to an account at a different bank that Nyangoro had recently opened. The County of Fresno updated the nonprofit’s bank account information accordingly.
According to court documents, between Sept. 24, 2020, and Oct. 13, 2020, the County of Fresno initiated several ACH transfers totaling over $1.5 million to Nyangoro’s bank account instead of the nonprofit’s bank account. At times, Nyangoro, Acha, and others communicated with each other through various means, including WhatsApp. For example, on Oct. 16, 2020, after Regions Bank reversed some of the ACH transfers for suspected fraud, Nyangoro sent a WhatsApp message: “We’re in deep s***. The last 3 transactions from County of Fresno have been reversed. Please call me ASAP!”
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting the case.
Nyangoro was ordered detained by a magistrate judge in Nashville on May 14, 2025, and will make an appearance in Fresno at a later date.
If convicted, Nyangoro and Acha face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. 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.
Nashville Felon Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison Following 2024 Shooting at WeGo Bus StationRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Shawn Terry Demont Newby, 44, of Nashville, was sentenced yesterday to 5 years in federal prison having previously pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“So many of our citizens use public transportation to get to school, go to work, and live their daily lives,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “They need to be able to do all of those things without fear of getting shot. Prosecutions like this hold shooters accountable and protect all of our community from random violence on public transportation.”
According to court documents, on the evening of January 6, 2024, Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers responded to a WeGo bus station at 3458 Dickerson Pike in Nashville to investigate a shooting. MNPD officers learned that a man, later identified as the defendant, discharged a firearm after a verbal altercation with someone near the bus stop. A security camera from the bus captured the shooting incident. The video recorded the defendant speaking with the bus driver, and telling the driver, “My name is Shawn Newby.” The bus driver and other witnesses told officers the defendant left the bus after the shooting incident.
Officers found Newby on a sidewalk near the bus station. As an MNPD officer approached him, Newby tossed a Taurus, model PT-22, .22 LR caliber, pistol onto the grass nearby, where MNPD officers found it. Officers also found .22 caliber shell casings around the bus where the shooting took place.
Newby previously had been convicted of felony offenses, including Voluntary Manslaughter, Reckless Endangerment with a Deadly Weapon and theft over $1,000, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm in Davidson County, Tennessee, Criminal Court.
Following his term of incarceration, Newby will be on supervised release for 3 years.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Herbert L. Bunton III prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Missouri Woman Admits International Embezzlement that Cost Employer $3.8 MillionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Missouri woman on Thursday admitted embezzling at least $3.8 million from her employer with the help of co-conspirators in China.
Bridget Thebeau, 45, of St. Charles County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to five counts of wire fraud. She admitted embezzling from her employer from roughly January 2015 to March 2024 via more than 200 fraudulent purchase orders. Thebeau struck a deal with some of her employer’s suppliers in China in which she caused the company to pay the suppliers for products that the company did not need and never received. In exchange, Thebeau’s co-conspirators in China shared the proceeds of the scam with her. Thebeau tried to hide her crime with fraudulent shipping labels and fraudulent bills of lading issued by the China-based suppliers, fraudulent invoices that she created and claimed she had issued to the company’s customers and false information she supplied to the company’s owner and accountants.
Ultimately, Thebeau triggered fraudulent payments of at least $3,821,152 to the company’s China-based suppliers, and in return her co-conspirators wired her more than $2 million.
Thebeau was hired in 2002 by the family-owned company. Her crime resulted in substantial financial hardship to the company’s owner, who is no longer able to retire due to her embezzlement, the plea agreement says.
Thebeau is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 11, 2025. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both prison and a fine.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Chesterfield Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.
Minnesota State Trooper Indicted for Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota State Trooper Jeremy Francis Plonski was charged today in a four-count indictment in U.S. District Court for the production and distribution of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
Plonski had been previously charged via federal complaint with one count of producing child pornography and had been ordered detained pending trial. Plonski faces a mandatory minimum of fifteen years and up to life in prison if convicted.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office has zero tolerance for public officials who violate federal laws—particularly those laws that protect vulnerable children from sexual abuse,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Plonski took an oath to protect and serve our community. While donning his uniform, Plonski committed one of the most vile and predatory offenses imaginable. This is abhorrent—to Minnesota as a whole and to our law enforcement community in particular. I am proud of the swift and decisive action of law enforcement, who responded immediately and worked cooperatively to take Plonski into custody.”
"The conduct alleged in this case is horrifying and a gross betrayal of public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Law enforcement officers are sworn to protect the most vulnerable among us — not exploit them. When someone in a position of authority commits such an egregious and despicable crime, the damage extends beyond the victim — it shakes the very foundation of our communities’ trust. The FBI and our partners will not hesitate to investigate and bring to justice anyone who preys on children, no matter their badge or title.”
“The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is committed to working with our federal, state and local partners to identify and hold accountable those who sexually abuse children,” BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said. “We will pursue anyone who wishes to harm children in our communities.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the FBI for their investigation and hard work, as well as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Shakopee Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also thanks the Minnesota State Patrol for their work and assistance in safely apprehending the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel W. Bobier is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Michigan Man Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Production and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Daniel Augustine Solis, age, 33, to 40 years in federal prison for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material. Judge Rice also imposed a lifetime of supervised release and restitution of $615.00
Judge Rice presided over a criminal trial for Solis, which began November 4, 2024. On the second day of trial, Solis pleaded guilty after the United States presented evidence of a text conversation between Solis and his co-defendant regarding the sexual abuse of a child.
According to court documents and information presented at the trial and sentencing hearing, in the fall of 2019, Solis lived with his girlfriend in Eastern Washington. Solis was abusive and manipulative, which included monitoring his girlfriend’s actions through logging on to her social media and various phone applications.
Solis eventually moved to Michigan, where he continued his pattern of manipulation. In attempt to appease Solis, his girlfriend agreed to create sexually explicit videos involving a minor child and send them to Solis.
In February 2020, Solis became angry when he learned that his girlfriend told her mother Solis had access to the family cell phone plan. For the next several hours, Solis threatened to report his girlfriend to police based on the previously created videos, unless she created more explicit videos involving the minor child. Solis gave her specific instructions regarding the content and time length for the videos.
After the creation of the videos, the two continued texting. At some point, Solis again became upset with his girlfriend. This time, instead of demanding another video, Solis logged into his girlfriend’s phone account, using the name and password he used to monitor her activity, and sent the explicit videos to his girlfriend’s co-workers and friends.
“Daniel Solis committed acts of unimaginable cruelty and exploitation,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Rich Barker. “His manipulation and abuse caused profound harm, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of those crimes. The Department of Justice remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in our communities—our children—and to holding predators accountable wherever they are found.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kalamazoo Township Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison L. Gregoire and Rebecca R. Perez with assistance from the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office.
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Mexican National with Prior Deportations Charged for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national unlawfully residing in Las Vegas made his initial court appearance Wednesday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Fausto Garcia-Garcia, 44, is charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 28, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint and statements made during court proceedings, Garcia-Garcia is a citizen and national of Mexico who was previously deported and removed from the United States on January 23, 2003, and reentered the United States illegally.
On December 31, 2024, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Garcia-Garcia had been arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police for Attempt Lewdness by Person Over 18 with Child Less Than 14, Sexual Assault Against Child Less Than 14, two counts Lewdness by Person Over 18 with Child Less Than 14, and Child Abuse/Neglect. On May 1, 2025, Garcia-Garcia was remanded to ICE custody from the Clark County Detention Center, based on an immigration detainer.
If convicted, Garcia-Garcia faces the maximum statutory penalty of two years in prison, a one-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Mexican National with Four Prior Deportations Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced Wednesday by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being removed from the country on four prior occasions.
According to court documents, Casiano Meza-Cadenas was found by immigration officials on October 22, 2023, after he was previously deported on or about August 19, 2004, September 24, 2008, May 26, 2018, and May 6, 2019. Meza-Cadenas came into ICE custody in 2024, after serving a state sentence on a conviction for possession of firearm by a prohibited person. This latest conviction was Meza-Cadenas’ fifth conviction related to firearms, including a 2016 conviction for battery with substantial bodily harm where he shot two people.
Meza-Cadenas pleaded guilty to one count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. This was his second such conviction, as he was convicted in 2018 in the Southern District of California for the same crime.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
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Memphis Man Sentenced to over 15 Years for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On May 15, 2025, Mario Delaine, 39, of Memphis, was sentenced to 188 months in prison by the Honorable Charles E. Atchley, Jr, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following imprisonment, Delaine will be on supervised release for five years.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Delaine agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm as a felon, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1). Because Delaine had three previous convictions for violent felonies committed on occasions different from one another, he was subject to enhanced penalties under the Armed Career Criminal Act, which requires a mandatory minimum 15 years imprisonment.
According to filed court documents, in November 2022, Chattanooga Police Department Officers responded to reports of gunfire coming from a third-floor room of the Motel 6 on Williams Street. Upon arrival, officers heard and observed gunshots being actively fired out of a third-floor window. Officers entered the hotel, located the room, and ordered the occupant(s) to exit. As officers took cover, an additional gunshot was fired through the door into the hallway. Officers maintained their position and Delaine eventually exited the room and surrendered. Officers located a Glock 9-millimeter pistol, multiple spent 9-millimeter cartridge cases, and bullet holes in the exterior window and interior door.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Chattanooga Field Office and the Chattanooga Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin T. Brown and Luke McLaurin represented the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Defrauding United States Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Marvin Deboulet, 51, of Catonsville, Maryland, pled guilty to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits in federal court.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge Nate Landkrammer, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of the Inspector General (VA-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division.
According to the guilty plea, Deboulet enlisted in the U.S. Army in February 2010, and officially entered duty for basic training, on May 5, 2010. Then on December 2, 2010, Deboulet went absent without official leave of duty (AWOL) from military service.
On June 6, 2011, Deboulet was charged by summary court martial with a period of desertion ending on March 22, 2011. The U.S. Army formally discharged Deboulet “under conditions other than honorable” on November 18, 2011. Prior to and after 2010, Deboulet never served in any branch of the U.S. military.
In June 2012, Deboulet sought care from a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center in Loma Linda, California. On his application for treatment, Deboulet indicated that he was discharged honorably and checked a box stating that he was a purple heart recipient.
Additionally, Deboulet submitted documents falsely claiming that he served in the U.S. Marine Corps and suffered combat-related mental and physical injuries during military service from 2003 and 2005. Deboulet also falsely stated that he was the sole survivor of a Humvee bombing in Kosovo. As a result of Deboulet’s misrepresentations, the VA provided Deboulet with medical care and associated costs that he was not entitled to.
Then, in October 2014, Deboulet sought SSA benefits in Hagerstown, Maryland. Deboulet again provided false information, specifically that he served in the U.S. Marine Corps from February 26, 1994, until November 23, 2005. Based on its rules as of June 2012, the SSA determined Deboulet was disabled based on information he provided, and a pending claim that he referenced with a VA medical facility.
As a result of its findings, the SSA awarded Deboulet and his son benefits. Deboulet fraudulently received $143,128.27 in benefit funds that he was not entitled to.
Deboulet faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for wire fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the VA-OIG and SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Child Sexual Abuse Material on TwitterRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— Melvin Anderson, 23, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to advertising child sexual abuse material and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
According to court documents, between December 2022 and March 2023, Melvin Anderson used the social media platform Twitter, now known as X, to advertise and sell child sexual abuse material.
Anderson ran multiple, publicly accessible accounts that advertised links to cloud-based storage folders containing over 600 videos and images of minors, including individuals under 12 years of age, being sexually abused and molested. Many of his advertisements themselves contained thumbnails of sexually explicit images, and he often provided his own CashApp and Apple Pay account names so that his customers could send him money. Most links were priced between $10 to $25 per link.
Anderson advertised as if he was running a legitimate retail business. He organized the files based on various characteristics, such as the age of the minor victims, and he based the price on what he was offering. Material with younger victims garnered a higher price. He also created videos showing himself scrolling through the folders containing child sexual abuse materials in order to give his customers a preview.
“This predator not only revictimized children by exploiting the worst days of their lives over and over again to further demand, but did so just to make a quick buck,” said John E. Childress, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “If not for the work of the Secret Service and our AUSAs, this dangerous man would still be profiting from such horrific abuse and incentivizing others to exploit and harm children.”
“Child sexual predators will be held accountable for their vile actions and the sentencing in this case demonstrates that. The U.S. Secret Service is committed to devoting its expertise and resources to protecting children from online predators and to pursuing those who try to profit from sexual abuse,” said Ike Barnes, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Indianapolis Field Office. “I am proud of the work our Secret Service personnel did in bringing this defendant to justice. I am thankful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Indiana and all those who worked on prosecuting this case for their diligent efforts.”
U.S. Secret Service investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Wood and Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood
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Man Sentenced for Crimes Committed on the Santee Sioux Nation Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Mongecka (aka “Monga”) Eastman, 24, originally of South Dakota, was sentenced on May 15, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury and sexual abuse without consent. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Eastman to 120 months’ imprisonment on the assault case, to run concurrent with the 120-month sentence imposed by Judge Buescher in the sexual abuse case. There is no parole in the federal system. After Eastman’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release on the assault case to run concurrent with a 10-year term of supervised release on the sexual abuse case.
In February 2021, Eastman subjected a minor female to a sexual act without her consent. Eastman entered the minor female’s bedroom in Santee, Nebraska, while she was changing her clothes. Eastman then forced himself on the minor victim, twisting her arm to the point of pain and pinning her to a bed before sexually assaulting her. The minor victim later disclosed the sexual assault to a trusted adult, who notified law enforcement.
In September 2023, Eastman seriously assaulted an adult male victim in multiple rural locations on the Santee Sioux Nation Indian Reservation, using a minor to assist him in committing the offense. Eastman and the minor hit and kicked the victim, and Eastman repeatedly slammed the victim onto the hood of a vehicle, leaving dents in the metal. The victim sustained serious bodily injuries from the assault which required emergency medical care and hospitalization, including injuries to his liver and nose, a concussion, and a subdural hemorrhage.
These cases were prosecuted in federal court because the offenses are felonies which occurred on the Santee Sioux Nation Indian Reservation in Nebraska.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Leader of Prolific Guatemalan Drug Trafficking Organization and Guatemalan Politician Who Supplied Tons of Cocaine to the Sinaloa Cartel Presented in U.S. District CourtRead the Press Release
Today, Freddy Arnoldo Salazar Flores of Guatemala, a representative of the Central American Parliament, made his initial appearance in federal court in the District of Columbia. Salazar Flores voluntarily returned from abroad to the United States on May 14. On May 12, Salazar Flores’s alleged co-conspirator and father-in-law, Aler Baldomero Samayoa-Recinos, also known as “Chicharra,” of Guatemala, made his initial appearance. Samayoa-Recinos was arrested in Mexico in March 2025 and extradited from Guatemala to the District of Columbia on May 9.
In May 2017, Salazar Flores, 41, was indicted on one count of conspiring with others between 2010 and 2017 to import more than five kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. Samayoa-Recinos, 58, was charged separately in August 2018. The indictments charging Salazar Flores and Samayoa-Recinos were unsealed in March 2022.
According to court documents, Salazar Flores, Samayoa-Recinos, and their drug trafficking organization, known as Los Huistas, acted as a critical link in the illicit supply chain of cocaine from South America to Mexican cartels, and ultimately into the United States. Salazar Flores and Samayoa-Recinos allegedly controlled and operated a sophisticated transportation network within Guatemala—including warehouses, trucking routes, and properties on the Guatemala-Mexico border—to transport cocaine from Guatemala to the Sinaloa Cartel, recently designated a foreign terrorist organization, and other Mexican cartels. As alleged, Salazar Flores received tonnage quantities of cocaine at his warehouses in Guatemala City, and his workers transported the cocaine through farms belonging to Samayoa-Recinos to Mexico for importation into the United States. Between 2010 and 2014, the defendants allegedly received and transported approximately 50 metric tons of cocaine into Mexico for further distribution into the United States. In April 2014, Honduran authorities seized 743 kilograms of cocaine that were allegedly to be sent to the defendants for further transportation.
In March 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed financial sanctions on Salazar Flores, Samayoa-Recinos, and other members of Los Huistas.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Acting Administrator Robert J. Murphy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made the announcement.
The DEA Bilateral Investigation Unit and DEA Guatemala Country Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Marshals Service, and INTERPOL Washington provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Samayoa-Recinos to the United States. The Department of Justice thanks Guatemalan law enforcement for their invaluable support of this case.
Trial Attorneys Doug Meisel and Ligia Markman of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Las Vegas Man Indicted for Multiple Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man made his initial court appearance Tuesday before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts for allegedly committing multiple violent armed carjackings.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, on March 24, 2025, Aerion Warmsley brandished a Taurus 9mm firearm and stole a Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 from a victim by force, violence, and intimidation. The victim suffered a fractured nose. Then, on March 27, 2025, Warmsley brandished the 9mm firearm and stole a Mercedes-Benz GL450 from a victim by force, violence, and intimidation. While fleeing from law enforcement, he struck two pedestrians with the vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury to the victims. One victim suffered a brain bleed and multiple fractures, and the second victim suffered multiple fractures. On the same day, Warmsley brandished the 9mm firearm and stole a Kia Sorrento from a victim by force, violence, and intimidation.
Warmsley is charged with two counts of carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, three counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of carjacking. A jury trial has been scheduled for July 14, 2025, before United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro.
If convicted, Warmsley faces the maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, North Las Vegas Police Department, Henderson Police Department, and the Clark County School District Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Penetar is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Laotian National Arrested for Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon and Possessing a Firearm as an Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A convicted felon from Laos was arrested this morning for the unlawful possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Vongpasith Khamvongsa, 45, a Laotian national unlawfully residing in Somersworth, was indicted on charges of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He appeared in federal court today.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and Somersworth Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Lackawanna man going to prison for his role in kidnapping conspiracy attempting to force sister to marry in YemenRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Waleed Abughanem, 33, of Lackawanna, NY, who was convicted of misprision of felony, was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the case, stated that Abughanem is the son of Khaled Abughanem and the brother of Adham Abughanem. On September 8, 2021, Khaled and Adham Abughanem flew from Buffalo, NY, to Guadalajara, Mexico to kidnap Victim 1, who is the daughter of Khaled and the sister of Adham and Waleed. Between September 10, 2021, and April 6, 2023, Waleed, Khaled and Adham Abughanem conspired to transport Victim 1 from the Western District of New York to Cairo, Egypt, and then to Sanaa, Yemen, where they confined Victim 1 for approximately 16 months with the purpose of marrying her to a man not of her choosing.
Waleed Abughanem knew Victim 1 was being held involuntarily, and during some of this period, he was present in Yemen. When he was not present in Yemen, Waleed Abughanem instructed his wife to monitor and supervise Victim 1. In December 2022, Waleed Abughanem traveled from Yemen to the United States. When questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as to the whereabouts of his siblings, Waleed Abughanem told the CBP Officer that the Victim was in the United States. By making a false statement, Waleed Abughanem concealed that Victim 1 had been kidnapped and was being involuntarily held in Yemen.
Khaled and Adham Abughanem were previously convicted by a federal jury at trial and are awaiting sentencing.
Waleed Abughanem’s sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Diplomatic Security Director Carlos Matus and Deputy Assistant Secretary Paul Houston. Additional assistance was provided by the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard, Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and CPB in Boston, Massachusetts.
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Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-State Business Burglary ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for his role in a scheme in which the conspirators stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from beauty and liquor stores across six states.
Gary Bailey, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, to one count of conspiring to transport and possess stolen property and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
By pleading guilty, Bailey admitted that between March 2023 and January 2024, he participated in burglarizing at least 23 stores across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Bailey and his co-conspirators brought the stolen product back to Kansas City, before either selling it, giving it away to family or friends, or consuming the product themselves. The loss to these 23 victim businesses exceeded $418,000.
On April 22, 2025, co-conspirator Donald Bennett pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to transport and possess stolen property, one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, and one count of money laundering.
As part of the plea agreement, Bailey must pay restitution to the victim businesses; the exact amount to be determined at his sentencing hearing. Under federal statutes, Bailey is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Constance. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Olathe, Kansas, Police Department, with assistance from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Platte County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments of Derby, KS, Belton, MO, Blue Springs, MO, Columbia, MO, Creve Coeur, MO, Edwardsville, KS, Fairview Heights, IL, Kansas City, MO, Kansas City, KS, Lawrence, KS, Leawood, KS, Lee’s Summit, MO, Lenexa, KS, Liberty, MO, Olathe, KS, Omaha, NE, Overland, Park, KS, Papillion, NE, Parkville, MO, Plainfield, IN, Plano, TX, Platte City, MO, Shawnee, KS, Springfield, MO, St. Joseph, MO, Terre Haute, IN, Topeka, KS, and West Des Moines, IA.
KC Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grandview, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Andrew R.A. Williams, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 15 years in federal prison without parole.
On July 31, 2024, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Williams was an associate and co-conspirator of Tiger Dean Draggoo, of Kansas City, Mo., in the distribution of fentanyl pills. Draggoo sold approximately 11,120 pills to Williams between February 2022 and November 2022. Draggoo pleaded guilty In Oct. 2024 and is set for sentencing on Aug. 7, 2025.
Williams was also a source of supply of fentanyl pills for co-defendant Alexander Barnett, of Lee’s Summit, Mo. Williams sold at least 418 pills to Barnett between April 1, 2022, through March 5, 2023, and was paid approximately $5,467. Barnett pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison without parole on Jan. 30, 2025.
On April 19, 2023, Jackson County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant for Williams’ hotel room. Inside, law enforcement recovered 7 fentanyl pills, approximately 6.13 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, a Springfield Armory, XD-9, 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a Girsan 1911-style, .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, 9mm and .45 caliber ammunition and $1,220 in U.S. currency.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Chicago-Area Tax Preparer for Allegedly Fabricating Credits, Expenses, and Deductions on Customer ReturnsRead the Press Release
Note: View the complaint here.
The Justice Department filed a complaint in a federal court in Chicago today seeking to permanently bar tax preparer Stacy Thomas, of Orland Park, Illinois, individually and doing business as Rapid Tax Refunds LLC, Rapid Tax Refund Profs LLC, and Rapid Refunds Income Tax Service Inc., from preparing federal tax returns for others.
The complaint alleges that Thomas and her businesses prepare and file false federal tax returns that understate her customers’ tax liabilities by claiming false residential energy credits, false Schedule C business expenses, and false charitable deductions. The government further alleges in the complaint that customers interviewed by the IRS confirmed that they never told Thomas they incurred the residential energy or business expenses or made the charitable contributions she reported on their income tax returns, and that Thomas claimed those items without their knowledge or consent.
According to the complaint, the IRS estimates that by repeatedly understating their customers’ tax liabilities, Thomas and her businesses have caused the United States to lose nearly $13 million in tax revenue.
The Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams, and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS warns taxpayers to avoid “ghost preparers” and lists other improper acts that tax preparers engage in to take advantage of their unsuspecting customers.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Jury Finds District Woman Guilty of Felony-Enhanced Theft of over $700 from Target in Columbia HeightsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Meredith Wilson, 52, of the District, was found guilty on May 14, 2025, by a Superior Court jury of second degree, in the first jury trial in more than a decade in the District for a count of felony-enhanced second-degree theft, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The charge carries a one-year mandatory minimum sentence of incarceration. Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for July 15, 2025.
According to the evidence, on June 27, Wilson stole more than $700 of jewelry, handbags, and household goods from the Target store in Columbia Heights.
Under the laws of the District of Columbia, a person convicted of theft in the first or second degree who has two or more prior convictions for theft can be prosecuted for felony-enhanced theft. Felony-enhanced theft carries with it a mandatory-minimum term of not less than one year of incarceration upon conviction. Wilson had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree theft on two prior occasions, including in 2017 and 2018 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Wilson’s two prior convictions for theft met the predicate for the felony-enhanced theft charge under which Wilson was convicted in the instant case.
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason B.A. McCullough and Maggie E. Sullivan.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Prison for Making False Statements Related to His Military ServiceRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Berger has sentenced Robert David Gulledge (60, Jacksonville) to three months in federal prison for making a false statement to a federal agency. Gulledge pleaded guilty on December 19, 2024.
According to court documents, Gulledge created a fraudulent Form DD-214 military discharge document thatlied about his service in the United States Marine Corps. Specifically, he falsified several positions he never held and multiple awards he never received, including the Bronze Star with V Device, Navy/Marine Jump Wings, and the Iraq Campaign and Kuwait Liberation awards, among others. In 2009, he first submitted the false form for an Intelligence Analyst position on a government contract, which he received. He later submitted the false form for government contracting positions and to repeatedly claim VA benefits never owed to him. Gulledge tried to use the false form for employment or benefits at least 10 times over 15 years.
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to making sure that those who commit document fraud face consequences for their criminal actions,” said Deputy Assistant Director William Ferrari of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service Office of Special Investigations. “The strong relationship we enjoy with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies is vital towards ensuring the integrity of official U.S. documents and protecting greater U.S. interests.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Office of Special Investigations, the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Milliron.
Inmate Sentenced to 20 Years' Imprisonment for Attempted Kidnapping of Family Member of Retired Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Houston Gregory, a convicted murderer with a violent criminal history, was sentenced to twenty years’ imprisonment to run consecutive for his role in the attempted kidnapping of a retired law enforcement officer’s family member. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
A federal grand jury indicted Gregory, 49, who is from North Little Rock but currently imprisoned and serving a sentence of life imprisonment for murder in Florida, in a one count indictment on April 5, 2023. Gregory was charged with attempted kidnapping. On January 28, 2025, Gregory pled no contest to the charge in the indictment.
In November 2022, law enforcement learned that Gregory was attempting to solicit the kidnapping of the family member of a retired detective who assisted in Gregory’s prosecution and conviction for capital murder, aggravated robbery, and theft in Arkansas. Gregory is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for those convictions and has a prior conviction for possession of cocaine with intent to deliver. He is serving his life sentence in Florida after he helped fellow Arkansas Department of Correction inmates plan an escape.
Throughout December 2022 and early January 2023, Gregory communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) via contraband cell phone and/or tablet from a Florida prison. Gregory solicited the assistance of the UC in the kidnapping of the detective’s family member with the proposed plan to hold the family member hostage until the detective provided a false affidavit stating that the detective lied in his testimony against Gregory. Gregory instructed the UC to be prepared to hold the family member hostage for up to 30 days. Gregory provided personal information about the family member to the UC and offered the UC money for the UC’s participation. On January 6, 2023, Gregory sent the UC a photo of a piece of paper with Gregory’s demands and threats written on it, which were to be conveyed to the retired detective.
In addition to the twenty-year federal sentence, Judge Moody also sentenced defendant to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
India-based Amazon scam leads to almost a $1 million dollar loss for elderly victim in MissoulaRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A man originally from India accused of stealing almost $1 million from the elderly appeared in federal court on charges on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Zabi Ullah Mohammed, 29, had an initial appearance on a complaint charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and impersonating a federal agent. If convicted, Mohammed faces a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Mohammed was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in the criminal complaint that in April 2025 Mohammed and others called an elderly victim in Missoula, Montana, posing as an Amazon representative and inquiring whether the victim purchased computer equipment. When the victim said she did not purchase any equipment, the Amazon representative claimed the victim’s identity was stolen and transferred the victim to the “Social Security Department” and the “U.S. Marshal.” The “U.S. Marshal” said the money from the victim’s bank accounts needed to be “legalized,” and an agent showed up on multiple occasions to pick up cash and gold from the victim’s residence. Law enforcement caught Mohammed when he returned to the victim’s house a final time. After searching Mohammed’s vehicle, law enforcement found airline tickets, car rental documents, and a bag containing approximately $68,987 in cash.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
A complaint is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PACER case reference. 25-40.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl
Honduran National Sentenced to Six Years for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Angel Antonio Trochez-Cruz (39) to six years in federal prison for illegal reentry by an aggravated felon. Trochez-Cruz pleaded guilty on January 22, 2025.
According to court records, Trochez-Cruz is a native and citizen of Honduras. He was initially removed from the United States on August 8, 2014, following his release from a state prison sentence for robbery. Trochez-Cruz subsequently reentered the United States. On December 21, 2023, federal immigration authorities encountered Trochez-Cruz after he had been arrested on state charges.
The case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
Honduran Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft and Related Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Elieser Aurelio Gomez-Zelaya (34, Honduras) has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, false representation of a Social Security number, and false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes. Gomez-Zelaya faces a minimum term of two years, up to 12 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture II (Joint Venture) is enrolled in E-Verify, a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. E-Verify is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The SSA and USCIS verify the submitted information against the records of actual persons who are authorized to work in the United States. E-Verify is a voluntary program for employers and requires documents such as a Social Security number and photo identification of a prospective employee.
From at least 2021 through September 2022, Gomez-Zelaya used another person’s means of identification to defeat the E-Verify system and to commit the felony offenses of misuse of a Social Security Number and false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes. Gomez-Zelaya was encountered by law enforcement at the Joint Venture on September 22, 2022. He was working there under the stolen identity. That night, another individual at the Joint Venture, also working under a stolen identify, Juan Molina-Salles, struck and killed Pinellas County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Hartwick at the Joint Venture’s construction site in Pinellas County. During the investigation into Deputy Hartwick’s death, Gomez-Zelaya gave a false name (the stolen identity) to law enforcement and was arrested on state charges of accessory after the fact.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
Grand jury indicts former commander of local AMVETS Post for allegedly embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollarsRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged a former local AMVETS Post commander with 15 counts of wire fraud related to embezzling money from the non-profit organization’s bank accounts.
Danny Dale Gordon, 48, of Kettering, served as the commander for AMVETS Post #24 on Leo Street in Dayton from January 2022 until May 2024.
According to the indictment, during that timeframe, Gordon fraudulently transferred money from the veterans organization’s fundraising and scholarship bank accounts into its primary bank account before withdrawing the funds for his own use.
It is alleged that Gordon defrauded AMVETS of approximately $622,000. The indictment details that Gordon allegedly used the money at various local gambling casinos, for travel and hotel expenses, and frequenting a Dayton-area “gentlemen’s club.” Gordon allegedly made numerous fraudulent financial transactions ranging between $200 and $900 each.
Wire fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal; and Lt. Col. Seth Newfang, Commander of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 10th Field Investigations Squadron; announced the charges returned yesterday. Assistant United States Attorney Dwight K. Keller is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Georgia man indicted by federal grand jury on gun trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment charging Devontae Jones, 27, of Atlanta, Georgia with dealing firearms without a license and transferring a machinegun, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2024, the ATF began investigating Jones, who was believed to be trafficking illegal firearms, including machine guns, from Atlanta, Georgia to the Rochester, NY, area. The ATF conducted a series of controlled firearms purchases from Jones, who shipped the firearms from Atlanta to Rochester. A total 20 firearms, including four machine guns, were purchased from Jones between February and May 2024.
Jones was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and detained.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ketty Larco Ward, Boston Division.
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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Former West Virginia Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced to more than 17 Years in Prison on Conspiracy and Obstruction ChargesRead the Press Release
Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in covering up an assault by correctional officers that resulted in the death of inmate Quantez Burks on March 1, 2022. Lester, 35, of Odd, WV, was sentenced to 210 months in prison.
On January 27, a federal jury convicted defendant Lester on three felony obstruction of justice charges, including conspiracy to tamper with witnesses; witness tampering; and giving false statements. As part of these efforts to cover up the fatal assault other officers committed, the defendant threatened subordinate officers with violence and retaliation, added false statements to multiple officers’ reports, instructed officers to give a false cover story to investigators, and personally gave false statements to internal investigators. The evidence showed that the defendant also provided false information relating to the assault of Burks during a voluntary interview with FBI agents.
Seven correctional officers pleaded guilty in connection with the assault of Burks; several of those former officers testified against Lester during the trial. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks, resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 16, 2025. On August 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Burks’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 9.
Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. Andrew Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk on July 14.
On May 8, U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to serve 108 months in prison.
“This defendant wrongfully decided to obstruct an investigation into a fatal assault of an inmate,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I am proud of the Criminal Section within the Civil Rights Division and their counterparts in the Southern District of West Virginia for their work on this case.”
“On the defendant’s watch, correctional officers killed an inmate, and the defendant conspired with them to cover up their crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virgina. “The defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system he had sworn to uphold.”
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Former West Virginia Supervisory Correctional Officer Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Prison for Conspiracy and Obstruction CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for his role in covering up an assault by correctional officers that resulted in the death of inmate Quantez Burks on March 1, 2022. Lester, 35, of Odd, West Virginia, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
On January 27, 2025, a federal jury convicted defendant Lester on three felony obstruction of justice charges, including conspiracy to tamper with witnesses; witness tampering; and giving false statements. As part of these efforts to cover up the fatal assault other officers committed, the defendant threatened subordinate officers with violence and retaliation, added false statements to multiple officers’ reports, instructed officers to give a false cover story to investigators, and personally gave false statements to internal investigators. The evidence showed that the defendant also provided false information relating to the assault of Burks during a voluntary interview with FBI agents.
Seven correctional officers pleaded guilty in connection with the assault of Burks; several of those former officers testified against Lester during the trial. In November 2024, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks, resulting in his death. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, and Walters are scheduled before U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 16, 2025. On August 8, 2024, Ashley Toney and Jacob Boothe each pleaded guilty to violating Burks’s civil rights by failing to intervene when other officers used unreasonable force. Sentencing hearings for Boothe and Toney are scheduled before U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on June 9, 2025.
Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. Andrew Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk on July 14, 2025. Chief U.S. District Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to nine years in prison on May 8, 2025.
“This defendant wrongfully decided to obstruct an investigation into a fatal assault of an inmate,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I am proud of the Criminal Section within the Civil Rights Division and their counterparts in the Southern District of West Virginia for their work on this case.”
“On the defendant’s watch, correctional officers killed an inmate, and the defendant conspired with them to cover up their crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system he had sworn to uphold.”
The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence.
Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-188.
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Former Suffolk County Jail Officer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a scheme whereby he falsely claimed to sell repossessed vehicles as a law enforcement officer. Defendant claimed to be a Boston Police Detective, Massachusetts State Police Trooper and County Sheriff.
Recardo S. Beale, 34, of Quincy, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Aug. 26, 2025. Beale was charged in March 2025.
According to charging documents, Beale was an Officer for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department from approximately April 2021 to November 2021. Between approximately October 2023 and February 2024, Beale claimed to three individuals that as a law enforcement officer, he had access to repossessed vehicles that he could sell at a low price.
At various times, Beale identified himself to these individuals as a Sheriff, a Boston Police Detective and/or a Massachusetts State Police Trooper. Beale did not, in fact, hold any of these positions when he made such representations. In reliance on Beale’s false representations, the individuals gave tens of thousands of dollars to Beale for the purported repossessed vehicles. Among the vehicles that Beale falsely promised to sell were a BMW, an Audi and a Mercedes. Beale never delivered any such vehicles as Beale did not have any such repossessed vehicles available for sale. On separate occasions, Beale met with two separate individuals at the Suffolk County House of Correction purportedly to show them repossessed vehicles. During one such meeting on Nov. 17, 2023, Beale met with an individual inside the House of Correction. Surveillance video showed Beale wearing a Suffolk County Correction Officer Academy hoodie, blue tactical pants like those worn by jail guards and black boots also similar to those worn by jail guards. Beale did not show any vehicles to the individual on Nov. 17, 2023, claiming that his superior, was also involved in the sale, and not available.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Office; and Kim Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Branch Office and John Mulcahy of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
Former Electrical Company General Manager Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Keolis Commuter ServicesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former general manager of a Massachusetts-based electrical company was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a false invoicing scheme that defrauded Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis) of over $4 million.
John Rafferty, 72, of Hale’s Location, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Rafferty was also ordered to pay $4,016,087 in restitution and a $893,227.93 forfeiture money judgment. In June 2023, Rafferty pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Rafferty was charged in April 2023 and his alleged co-conspirator, John P. Pigsley, was charged in a separate case.
Keolis has operated the MBTA commuter rail system since 2014 under an annual contract of $291–$349 million. Rafferty was the general manager of LJ Electric, Inc., an electrical supply vendor to which Keolis paid over $17 million between 2014 through 2021.
Between July 2014 and November 2021, Rafferty and Pigsley defrauded Keolis of over $4 million through a false LJ Electric invoicing scheme. Specifically, Rafferty spent more than $3 million on items for Pigsley and others – including: at least nine trucks; construction equipment including at least seven Bobcat machines; at least $1 million in home building supplies and services; and a $54,000 camper. Rafferty then recovered the cost of these items by submitting false and fraudulent LJ Electric invoices to Keolis, which also included a percentage profit that Rafferty kept for himself.
In April 2025, Pigsley was sentenced to 70 months in prison, three years of supervised release, $8,580,311 in restitution to Keolis and $2,689,206 to the Internal Revenue Service, forfeiture of three real properties and a $7,687,083.70 money judgment.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Brian C. Gallagher, Special Agent in Charge, Northeastern Region, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Raquelle Kaye of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the cases.
Final Defendant in Sexual Assault of a 14-Year-Old Girl Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Nasouh Albasis-Albasis, 27, of West Valley, Utah, was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment and a life term of supervised release after he and one of his co-defendants sexually assaulted a 14-year-old victim in the back of a vehicle, which was recorded and shared on social media in 2017.
The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell, comes after Albasis-Albasis pleaded guilty on January 23, 2025, to charges involving child sexual abuse material. His co-defendants, Dodjim Leclaire, 32, of Murray, Utah, and his brother Richard Djasserambaye, 29, of Central Republic of Africa, living in Murray, Utah, at the time of the assault, were also sentenced. Leclaire was sentenced to 208 months’ imprisonment and Djasserambaye was sentenced to 181 months’ imprisonment. Both defendants were sentenced to a life term of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made at Albasis-Albasis’ change of plea and sentencing hearings, on September 9, 2017, Albasis-Albasis and his co-defendants Djasserambaye, and Leclaire used the 14-year-old victim to produce sexually explicit images. Specifically, Albasis-Albasis and Leclaire sexually assaulted the severely intoxicated and physically incapacitated minor while Djasserambaye video recorded the violent assaults. Djasserambaye then posted the video on social media. Albasis-Albasis further admitted he had video of the assaults of the victim on his cell phone.
The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, West Jordan City Police Department, Salt Lake City Police Department, Sandy City Police Department and Syracuse City Police Department.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Federal grand jury indicts Buffalo man for his role in Jamestown drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jason Talley, 46, of Buffalo, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between 2018, and May 26, 2022, Thayer conspired with Joseph S. Zaso and others, to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown area. Co-defendants include Andres Pizzaro Campos, Joseph Thayer, Max Pizzaro Campos, Cindy Frank, Edward Leeper, and Jaquez L. Thomas. Joseph Zaso was previously charged and convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
Talley was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and detained.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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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Federal Prosecutors File 20 Cases This Year Against Alleged Drug Dealers Who Sold Fentanyl that Caused Fatal Drug OverdosesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Law enforcement officials today announced the filing of 20 criminal cases so far this year targeting fentanyl dealers who are charged with selling fentanyl and fentanyl-laced pills that directly resulted in the death of at least one victim.
The cases being announced today are a result of the ongoing efforts of the OD Justice Task Force, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-led project designed to investigate fatal fentanyl poisonings and identify the individuals who provided the fentanyl that directly caused the deaths.
Under the OD Justice program for the DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division, DEA agents have established collaborative relationships with local law enforcement agencies across the seven counties that make up the Central District of California. Local authorities are almost always the first to respond to an overdose death, and DEA agents have provided training to dozens of local agencies to help them analyze evidence to determine if there are circumstances that might lead to a federal criminal prosecution.
There were an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2024 and most of those deaths were fentanyl related, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Since the project’s launch in 2018, and including the cases announced today, the United States Attorney’s Office has filed charges against 163 defendants who allegedly sold drugs that resulted in a fatal fentanyl poisoning.
The charge of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The criminal cases filed this year include:
- United States v. McDevitt
Michael McDevitt, 43, of Simi Valley, is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. In September 2021, McDevitt allegedly distributed the powerful synthetic opioid in Ventura County to the victim, who later died. McDevitt also is charged with possession with intending to distribute methamphetamine. McDevitt has pleaded not guilty to the charges and a June 10 trial is scheduled in this matter. He has been in federal custody since April 11.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Blake Hannah of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Biswas
Alexander Nihar Biswas, 42, of Loma Linda, is charged in a single-count indictment with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Biswas allegedly distributed the powerful narcotic to a victim in San Bernardino County. The use of the drug resulted in the victim’s death in January 2024. Biswas, who has been in federal custody since March 10, has pleaded not guilty to the charge and awaits an October 20 trial date in U.S. District Court in Riverside.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and the DEA are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Erin C. Kiss of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Abdallah
Michel Joseph Abdallah, 21, a.k.a. “Mike,” of Laguna Niguel, is charged in connection with the fentanyl overdose deaths of two people in 2023. Abdallah is charged with two counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
Abdallah allegedly distributed fentanyl to a victim on March 25, 2023, in Mission Viejo. The victim used the drug, which resulted in a fatal overdose. On May 15, 2023, in Aliso Viejo, Abdallah again distributed fentanyl – this time, to a different victim who ingested the powerful synthetic opioid and died. Abdallah also allegedly possessed a total of 1.3 kilograms (2.9 pounds) of fentanyl on June 10, 2023. On this date, he allegedly also possessed two firearms, including an AR-15-style pistol bearing no serial number, which commonly is referred to as a “ghost gun.”
He remains in state custody and awaits arraignment on the federal criminal charges.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Santa Ana Police Department, and the DEA are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa J. Lindhorst of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Casillas
Jesus Erick Casillas, 56, of Lancaster, is charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, in connection with the overdose death of a victim in Los Angeles County in January 2024. Casillas, who has pleaded not guilty to the charge, has been in federal custody since January 24. He awaits an October 26 trial date.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the DEA are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph S. Guzman of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Putnam
Macey Delynn Putnam, 31, of Laingsburg, Michigan and formerly of Torrance, is charged in connection with the July 24, 2024, fentanyl overdose death of a victim in Los Angeles County. Putnam, who is free on $25,000 bond, is charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury. She has pleaded not guilty to the charge and is scheduled to go to trial on November 18.
The Long Beach Police Department, the DEA, and the FBI are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Christina R.B. Lopez of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Miller
Myles Ray Miller, 27, of Fullerton, is charged in a federal grand jury indictment with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Miller allegedly distributed fentanyl to a victim – who was struggling with drug addiction – in Fullerton on March 18, 2022. The victim later ingested the powerful synthetic opioid and died.
The La Habra Police Department and the DEA are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa J. Lindhorst of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Lopez, et al.
Kevin Lopez, 24, of Rancho Cucamonga, Jacqueline Carolina Fonseca-Flores, 24, of Rancho Cucamonga, and Brandon Ryan Osika, 22, of Ontario, were arrested May 7 on an indictment charging them with distribution of fentanyl to a person under the age of 21 resulting in death, among other federal drug crimes. The defendants – including Meloney Osika, 24, of Ontario, who also was arrested May 7 – allegedly ran a fentanyl distribution ring in San Bernardino County. Lopez, Flores, and Brandon Osika in January 2023 allegedly distributed fentanyl to a victim who took the drug and died soon afterward.
A federal magistrate judge ordered all four defendants jailed without bond. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and a June 23 trial date was scheduled in this case.
The Fontana Police Department and the DEA are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher M. Brunwin of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Perez
Roberto Alexis Perez, 26, of Palmdale, is charged in a one-count indictment with distributing fentanyl on September 3, 2022, in Los Angeles County, which resulted in the victim’s death.
The DEA and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Diane B. Roldán of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Nicholas G. Purcell of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this matter.
- United States v. Almazo
Waldo Jesus Almazo Casarubbias, 22, of Santa Ana, was arrested April 11 on a federal grand jury indictment charging him with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Almazo allegedly distributed fentanyl to the victim on July 5, 2022, in Orange County. The use of the drug resulted in the victim’s death shortly thereafter. Almazo pleaded not guilty to the charge against him. A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond. Almazo is scheduled to go on trial in January 2026 in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the DEA are investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Yervant P. Hagopian of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Hoskinds
Michael Hoskinds, 46, of San Pedro, was arrested April 8 on a one-count federal grand jury indictment charging him with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. On August 12, 2023, in Los Angeles County, Hoskinds allegedly distributed the powerful controlled substance to a victim, who later ingested it, overdosed, and died.
A federal magistrate judge ordered Hoskinds jailed without bond. Hoskinds has pleaded not guilty to the charge against him. He is scheduled to go to trial on June 3 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on this matter.
Redondo Beach Police Department and DEA are investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Alix R. Sandman of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this matter.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Judge Sentences Chicago Street Gang Member to 34 Years in Prison for Murdering a Man and Threatening a WitnessRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A member of a violent Chicago street gang has been sentenced to 34 years in federal prison for murdering a man to maintain and increase his position in the gang.
DIONTAE HARPER, 25, of Chicago, admitted in a plea agreement that he murdered Paul Harris on May 13, 2020. Harper and another man fired multiple shots at Harris as he sat in a vehicle at a gas station in the 8600 block of South Halsted Street in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. Harper stated in the plea agreement that he committed the murder to maintain and increase his position in the Faceworld street gang, a criminal organization based on the South Side of Chicago whose members engaged in violent crimes and trafficked narcotics.
While Harper was detained in law enforcement custody earlier this year, he made threatening statements directed toward a witness.
Harper pleaded guilty in January to a federal charge of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, causing Harris’s death. U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah imposed the 34-year prison sentence during a hearing on May 8, 2025, in federal court in Chicago.
Harper’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia Schwartz, Sushma Raju, and Matthew Moyer.
Two other individuals – the other shooter of Harris and the getaway driver – pleaded guilty to committing murder in aid of racketeering and are awaiting sentencing.
Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Two Men Involved in Robberies at Stores in ShreveportRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging two men for their involvement in the robbery of two stores in Shreveport.
Kevin Terrell Lewis a/k/a “Kelvin Lewis,” 38, of Arlington, Texas, and his brother, Larry Dewayne Lewis, 44, of Shreveport, have been charged with two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy to using, carrying, brandishing and discharging firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence. Kelvin Lewis was also charged with two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The indictment alleges that on or about December 23, 2024, Kelvin Lewis and Larry Lewis, each aided and abetted by the other, committed robbery of personal property consisting of approximately $500 in United States currency from the victim owner/manager of the Pull-Up Liquor located at 5619 Hearne Avenue in Shreveport, as he was closing the store and walking to his car in the parking lot.
The indictment further alleges that on or about January 22, 2025, Kelvin Lewis and Larry Lewis, each aided and abetted by the other, committed robbery of personal property consisting of prescription drugs and a work van that was in the care, custody and control of victim B.J. as he was making a delivery from the Hackbarth Company to Walgreens located at 3124 Line Avenue in Shreveport.
Kelvin Lewis is charged in the indictment with using, carrying, and brandishing semi-automatic firearms during and in relation to these crimes of violence. The indictment also alleges that Kelvin Lewis and Larry Lewis conspired to use, carry, brandish and discharge a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely, robbery.
If convicted, each defendant faces a sentence of not less than 10 years or more than life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Larry Dewayne Lewis is currently in federal custody after being indicted on February 5, 2025, and charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This investigation is ongoing and is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Shreveport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and William C. 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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Everett Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Four VictimsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Everett man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to four counts of an indictment charging him with sex trafficking four separate female victims.
Trevor Jones, 47, pleaded guilty to four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Aug. 12, 2025. In May 2023, Jones was indicted by a federal grand jury. Jones was arrested on related state charges on March 23, 2023 and has remained in state custody since.
According to the charging documents, from at least 2016 until 2023, Jones ran a sex trafficking operation targeting victims who were suffering from substance use disorder. As part of his sex trafficking operation, Jones provided his victims with controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl and cocaine to intensify their drug dependence and gain their compliance, while prohibiting the victims from obtaining controlled substances from other sources. Jones demanded “loyalty” and “dedication” from his victims. He allegedly enforced his requirements by punishing victims with acts of violence, threats of violence and withholding controlled substance from drug-dependent victims. As outlined in court, Jones beat one victim with a belt causing bruising throughout her body. When confronted with the injuries he caused, Jones told the victim that she deserved the abuse. Jones was verbally abusive toward another victim, locking her out of the house, demanding to know where her “loyalty” was and berating her for not “contributing everything” she was making. Another victim experienced degradation from Jones, with him telling her that she needed to “make daddy proud” and scolding her for being “disobedient.”
The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Revere, Arlington and Boston Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit and Assistant United States Attorney Torey B. Cummings of the Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case along with Essex County Assistant District Attorneys Jessica Strasnick and Marina Moriarty, who were sworn in as Special Assistant United States Attorneys.
Ecuadorian Drug Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan, aka Gato, an Ecuadorian national and high-level drug trafficker, pleaded guilty in federal court today to international drug trafficking charges following his extradition to San Diego January 26, 2024.
Farfan had previously been designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 for materially contributing to the illicit activities of major Mexican cartels to traffic cocaine into the United States.
Farfan pleaded guilty to a second superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on October 30, 2019. In his plea agreement, Farfan admitted that he led an extensive drug trafficking organization that distributed over 450 kilograms of cocaine in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and elsewhere, and that the cocaine was ultimately imported into and distributed within the United States. He also admitted that the organization bribed government officials and used firearms to further their drug trafficking activities.
As part of his plea, Farfan also agreed to forfeit over $899,000 of U.S. currency.
Farfan is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez on August 11, 2025, at 10 a.m.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle B. Martin and Ashley E. Goff.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from Colombia of Sanchez Farfan.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 19CR1610-01-LL
Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan, aka Gato Age: 44 Ecuador
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
International Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, and 963
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on May 12, 2025.
Bryant Heideman, age 25, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Heideman will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Heideman was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 12, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in November 2023 in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Heideman had sexual contact with the victim, who was 12 years old, after allowing her to stay in his home between November 13 and November 14, 2024.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Drug Trafficker Presented on Federal Charges After Turning Hotel Room into Clandestine Drug LabRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), announced today the presentment of PEDRO MARTE in White Plains federal court on a Complaint charging MARTE with two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged, Pedro Marte turned a New Rochelle hotel room into a dangerous drug lab. A law enforcement investigation revealed that Marte possessed large quantities of cocaine, and deadly fentanyl. We should all be able to stay in a hotel without worrying about exposure to dangerous and potentially lethal drug trafficking. The Women and Men of the Southern District, together with our law enforcement partners, will do everything in our power to protect our community from those who put innocent lives at risk.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino said: “Pedro Marte’s use of his hotel room as a clandestine drug lab not only placed the lives of innocent guests in danger but was reckless and unconscionable. We are thankful to our law enforcement partners and our first responders for their quick actions. Without their immediate response, the results could have been catastrophic.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
On or about the evening of April 6, 2025, law enforcement and fire department personnel responded to reports of an incident in a hotel in New Rochelle. Upon entering the hotel, they observed damage to 27 rooms. Law enforcement then entered the room where the hotel’s sprinkler systems had first been activated and observed evidence of a significant fire, as well as equipment and materials consistent with a clandestine drug lab for converting powder cocaine into crack cocaine. After determining that MARTE had rented the room in question, law enforcement officers searched the storage locker that MARTE had visited immediately prior to arriving at the Residence Inn, where they found approximately three kilograms of a substance that tested positive for cocaine, 12.2 grams of a substance that tested positive for fentanyl, and drug distribution paraphernalia.
* * *
MARTE, 47, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the DEA, the New Rochelle Police Department, and the New Rochelle Fire Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmi Schickler is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._marte_complaint.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Dover Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding BankRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, TIMOTHY ABERCROMBIE, 42, of Dover, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to committing bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On April 1, 2025, Abercrombie was charged by Information with bank fraud. According to the Information, from May 2019 through February 2024, Abercrombie was employed as a vice president and loan officer at InterBank in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. During that period, Abercrombie used personal information from the bank’s customers to prepare loan applications, and once approved, deposit said loans into checking accounts opened with the customer’s information, all without the customer’s knowledge or consent. Abercrombie’s scheme defrauded InterBank out of approximately $883,075.66.
Abercrombie pleaded guilty to the Information today, and admitted he executed a scheme to defraud InterBank. At sentencing he faces up to 30 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $1,000,000.00.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Brown is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in the Bronx, N.Y. has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston in connection with his role in a fentanyl distribution hub in the Bronx that sent fentanyl laced with xylazine, a horse tranquilizer, to Massachusetts.
Jairo Collazo, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2025. Collazo was charged by criminal complaint in April 2024 and later indicted.
According to court records, Collazo operated a fentanyl distribution hub out of a basement in the Bronx, from which he distributed fentanyl to destinations including Boston, Mass.; Fitchburg, Mass.; Springfield, Mass.; Syracuse, N.Y; and the State of Vermont. Collazo and his coconspirators whom he called “employees” used the basement in the Bronx to package fentanyl into glassine wax paper bags for distribution. Collazo traveled to Massachusetts on two occasions, in December 2023 and January 2024, to distribute fentanyl to a witness working with law enforcement. On April 12, 2024, during a search of the Bronx basement, fentanyl packaged for distribution, materials used for cutting fentanyl with other substances and bottles of xylazine were recovered. Collazo used xylazine to cut the fentanyl and offered to sell it to the cooperating witness. More than 2 kilograms of fentanyl was seized from Collazo.
According to court records, in 2021, Collazo pleaded guilty in New York Supreme Criminal Court to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree (heroin) and was sentenced to two years incarceration.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Collazo lacks lawful status in the United States is subject to deportation after completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fitchburg Police Department and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman is prosecuting the case.
District Man Indicted for Felony Assault on a Senior Citizen at Navy Yard Metro Station Prior to Nationals GameRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Te’Vaughn Brown, 20, of the District, was indicted yesterday by a grand jury in the Superior Court for assault with significant bodily injury on a senior citizen, a felony charge, in connection with an unprovoked attack on an elderly man last summer at Navy Yard Metro Station, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
View indictment here.
The case is currently scheduled for a jury trial to begin on July 14, 2025. Brown is also currently pending trial in a separate case in Superior Court where he is facing misdemeanor charges for simple assault and theft.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 3:30 p.m., on Aug. 9, the victim exited a train at the station and encountered Brown sitting on the stairs leading from the platform to the mezzanine level. The victim attempted to maneuver around the defendant to ascend the stairs when he suddenly felt Brown grab his leg. The defendant proceeded to repeatedly punch the victim in his head and face before fleeing the scene. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for multiple injuries, including a fractured nasal bone, a broken tooth, a contusion on his scalp, and a laceration in the inside of his mouth that required twenty stitches.
Brown will be arraigned on the felony charge before the Honorable Judge Jennifer Di Toro. If found guilty, the defendant faces a potential enhanced penalty for a crime of violence against a victim who was 65 years of age or older at the time of the offense. The enhancement allows for a punishment of a fine of up to 1 1/2 times the maximum fine otherwise authorized for the offense and a term of imprisonment of up to 1 1/2 times the maximum term otherwise authorized for the offense, or both.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Lieberman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendant Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for the Murder of a Poughkeepsie Man During a Violent Drug-Related Robbery in Brighton BeachRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Marcus Ricketts was sentenced by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to 25 years in prison for causing death through use of a firearm. Ricketts pleaded guilty to the charge on April 4, 2024.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“My Office continues to work tirelessly to dismantle violent robbery crews that wreak havoc on communities throughout New York City, such as the one the defendant led,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s sentencing reaffirms that brazen and incorrigible violence will be severely punished. It also reconfirms our commitment to prosecuting defendants who are here illegally and commit violent acts to the fullest extent of the law.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York Field Office of the FBI.
“For years, Marcus Ricketts led a violent robbery crew targeting victims across the city with firearms and threats of death, which was followed through on one occasion,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “Despite a previous conviction and deportation, Ricketts continued to display little concern for the law with repeated attempts to unlawfully enrich himself and his cohorts. May today’s sentencing reflect the FBI’s steadfast commitment to crush violent crime and deter chronic recidivists from entering this country illegally determined to wreak criminal havoc in our communities.
As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum, prior court filings, and statements during the sentencing, Ricketts led an armed robbery crew that targeted marijuana dealers throughout New York City. In addition to Ricketts, the crew included co-defendants Mark Goulbourne, Jonathan Goulbourne, Juvanie Crossgill, Chevonne Williams, Amari Webber, and Romeo Jonas.
Between June 2020 and December 2021, after illegally returning to the United States following his deportation, Ricketts, a Jamaican citizen, perpetrated three armed robberies with the crew, one of which resulted in a shootout and a murder. Each time, the crew posed as marijuana dealers, arranged to meet the marijuana sellers for a purported purchase, and then robbed the dealers at gunpoint.
In July 2020, Ricketts orchestrated the robbery of a victim selling marijuana from his store in the Bronx (Victim 1). Victim 1 was held at gunpoint while Ricketts stole approximately 40 pounds of marijuana.
In October 2021, Ricketts orchestrated the robbery of a victim selling marijuana from his store in Staten Island (Victim 2). Victim 2 and his younger brother were ordered to the floor at gunpoint and threatened with death. The crew stole approximately 100 pounds of marijuana and Victim 2’s car.
In December 2021, Ricketts and others orchestrated the robbery of a victim from Poughkeepsie (Victim 3) and his friend (Victim 4) who were selling marijuana. Ricketts and the crew met the victims at an Airbnb in Brighton Beach, posing as buyers for the approximately 165 pounds of marijuana brought into the Airbnb for the sale. While Ricketts, Mark Goulbourne, and others were inside the Airbnb with Victim 3 and Victim 4, a shootout erupted, killing Victim 3 and wounding Victim 4.
Ricketts and Mark Goulbourne fled the Airbnb carrying guns, and Ricketts also carried a large duffle bag of marijuana. On a nearby street, Ricketts stole a Citi Bike from a passerby, which he attempted unsuccessfully to transport the marijuana. Ricketts was then picked up in Jonathan Goulbourne’s car, and they fled the scene. In the hours that followed, at Ricketts’s instruction, Crossgill returned to the scene several times to locate evidence the crew had left behind.
Notably, this was not Ricketts’s first conviction for armed robbery. In August 2014, Ricketts organized a violent robbery of an individual in the Bronx, for which he was convicted and sentenced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. On February 28, 2019, after serving his sentence, Ricketts was deported to Jamaica. By June 2020, he had illegally returned to the United States and was again orchestrating violent robberies in New York City.
Previously, Webber and Jonas pled guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to commit the same and were sentenced to 108 months and 144 months’ imprisonment, respectively. Jonathan Goulbourne pled guilty to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 81 months’ imprisonment. Crossgill and Williams both pled guilty and await sentencing.
Mark Goulbourne has pled not guilty and is scheduled to start trial on June 16, 2025. The charges against Mark Goulbourne are merely allegations and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara B. McGrath, Chand W. Edwards-Balfour, Rebecca M. Schuman, and Francisco J. Navarro are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MARCUS RICKETTS
Age: 48
JamaicaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-106 (LDH)
Dauphin County Man Charged with Failing to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Gene Hiler, Jr., age 52, was charged yesterday with failing to register as a sex offender. Hiler had been living in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and recently resided in Los Angeles, California.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Hiler was required to register as a sex offender based on a prior conviction in Pennsylvania. The indictment alleges that Hiler traveled in interstate commerce and then failed to register and update his registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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