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Thursday 3 April 2025
Three Defendants Indicted for Trafficking Fentanyl to Bemidji and the Red Lake Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Three individuals have been indicted on conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and firearm charges, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, from April 2024 through September 2024, La’veal O’Neal Allen, 38, of Minneapolis, Marquise Javon Walker, 28, of Lakeville, Minnesota, and Michaela Karon McKinney, 37, of New Hope, Minnesota, knowingly conspired with each other to possess and distribute fentanyl.
The indictment charges Allen, Walker, and McKinney with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Allen is additionally charged with felon in possession of a firearm. As the indictment details, Allen’s criminal history includes multiple felonies, including two convictions for first degree aggravated robbery a conviction for a predatory offender registration violation. Because Allen has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
“Fentanyl continues to flood communities throughout Minnesota, and unfortunately, we see some of the highest rates of overdose and addiction on our Indian reservations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “This trio of defendants has plagued the Red Lake Indian Reservation and the Bemidji area for years. No more. My office will ensure these purveyors of poison see federal justice.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. McBride is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Oxycodone Conspiracy and Structuring Cash TransactionsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Texas man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for a drug conspiracy involving the distribution of oxycodone pills across Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond.
Christan Russell, 33, of Tomball, Texas was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 70 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Russell has also been ordered to pay a fine of $30,000. In October 2024, Russell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills and structuring cash transactions. Russell was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023 along with five co-conspirators.
Between approximately February 2023 and July 2023, Russell supplied oxycodone pills to co-conspirator Kenneth Veiga, who then redistributed those oxycodone pills to Austin Gonsalves and John Campbell. Russell obtained these pills from a variety of sources in the Houston, Texas area. On March 13, 2023 Russell traveled from Houston to Boston to meet with Veiga where they met in a hotel room in Rhode Island that Russell rented. During that meeting, Russell supplied oxycodone pills to Veiga and Veiga provided cash in exchange. On March 14, 2023, Russell engaged in four structured cash deposits at ATMs in the Boston area. For each of these deposits, Russell orchestrated the deposit to be less than $10,000 in an attempt to evade the bank from reporting the deposit to the Internal Revenue Service.
Veiga pleaded guilty and in July 2024, was sentenced to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Gonsalves pleaded guilty and in May 2024 was sentenced to 41 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2025, Campbell was sentenced to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office; and the Barnstable, Dennis, Bourne, Mashpee, Yarmouth, Sandwich and Falmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Terrebonne Parish Man Guilty of Mailing Large Quantities of Methamphetamine from California to LouisianaRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that TORREZ DRANE (“DRANE”), age 32, a resident of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, pled guilty before United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter on March 25, 2025, to possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A).
At his impending June 17, 2025 sentencing, DRANE faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to a maximum of life in prison, up to a $10,000,000.00 fine, at least five years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court records, DRANE made several trips to California, purchased large amounts of methamphetamine, and shipped the drugs back to the Eastern District of Louisiana by mail, so he could then re-distribute the drugs to individuals in South Louisiana. Agents intercepted one of these packages that contained over 8,800 grams of pure methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Houma Police Department, the Louisiana State Police, and the Terrebonne and Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Offices. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Swain County Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Cold Case Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Ernest D. Pheasant, Sr., 47, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), was sentenced to life in prison today for the 2013 murder of Marie Walkingstick Pheasant, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
“For over a decade, Marie’s family has endured the pain of losing their loved one without justice. Today, that changed,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Ernest Pheasant will pay for his heinous crime by spending the rest of his life behind bars. While nothing can undo the family’s loss, I hope this sentence brings them a measure of justice. My Office remains committed to pursuing cases involving missing or murdered indigenous persons no matter how much time has passed.”
“While nothing can undo the pain caused by this tragic crime, we hope that this sentence helps to provide closure to the family and friends of Marie Walkingstick Pheasant,” said Marcelino Toersbijns, Chief of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU). “This case is emblematic of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Crisis impacting tribal communities across the country and highlights the importance of the MMU’s mission of analyzing and solving missing, murdered and human trafficking cases involving American Indians and Alaska Natives.”
According to filed documents and information presented in court, on December 29, 2013, the body of Marie Walkingstick Pheasant was discovered inside a burned-out vehicle parked near Big Cove Road within the Qualla Boundary in the Western District of North Carolina. Investigators determined that the vehicle had been intentionally set on fire. An autopsy revealed that Marie died from stab wounds to the neck and abdomen. DNA retrieved from a baseball cap found near the vehicle was linked to the defendant, who was Marie’s estranged husband.
On April 7, 2022, following a review of unsolved homicides in the region, the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit opened a full interagency investigation into the case. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Pheasant killed Marie at their home, then transferred her body to the car, drove it to Big Cove Road, and set it on fire. On August 16, 2024, Pheasant pleaded guilty to first degree murder for killing Marie willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation.
The MMU began as the Cold Case task force, part of Operation Lady Justice, a multi-agency effort established by President Trump’s administration in 2019 to enhance the operation of the criminal justice system and address the staggering number of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Natives in tribal communities.
Today’s sentence is the result of the joint investigation conducted by the MMU, the FBI in North Carolina, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, and the EBCI Office of the Tribal Prosecutor.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
Operation Not Forgotten
On Tuesday, the Justice Department announced a surge in FBI resources across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons. As part of Operation Not Forgotten, 60 FBI personnel will be sent to Field Offices to support investigations of Indian Country violent crimes. The FBI will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit and will use the latest forensic evidence processing tools to solve cases and hold perpetrators accountable. U.S. Attorney’s Offices will aggressively prosecute case referrals.
“Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
“Violent crime continues to disproportionately impact communities in Indian Country,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Dedicating additional resources to reduce violent criminal activity in Tribal communities and solve cases of missing or murdered indigenous persons sends a clear message: No victim will be forgotten, and no crime will go unpunished.”
Scott Davis, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Interior, exercising the delegated authority of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, said, “We appreciate the partnership of the Department of Justice and the FBI in addressing these crimes. This announcement reinforces our commitment to Indian Country and our dedication to collaborating with federal, state, and tribal agencies to ensure justice for American Indian and Alaska Native victims while holding offenders accountable.”
Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.
Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints.
Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people.
St. Louis County Man Convicted of Charges Related to Five Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Thursday found a St. Louis County man guilty of all nine charges related to five armed robberies in Missouri and Illinois in 2023.
Ronald O. Perkins, 29, of Black Jack, Missouri, was found guilty of four counts of robbery, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony.
According to evidence and testimony at trial, Perkins was armed with a handgun during each of the robberies, and often banged the gun on the counter while demanding money or pointed it at victims, who were left shaken and afraid.
Perkins robbed a gas station and convenience store on Riverview Drive in St. Louis on Sept. 8, 2023. He entered the store, banged a pistol on the countertop and demanded money. He then grabbed money out of the register and fired several shots.
On Nov. 8, 2023, Perkins robbed a gas station on Clayton Road in Richmond Heights, stealing cash and a pack of cigarettes. Less than two hours later, he robbed a 7-Eleven on Hoffmeister Avenue in St. Louis County, stealing cash.
Four days later, he robbed a gas station on Fee Fee Road in St. Louis County of cash.
Five days after that, he robbed a liquor store on St. Louis Road in Collinsville, Illinois, again stealing money from the register.
Investigators obtained surveillance video showing each robbery, and later found clothes matching those worn by the robber in Perkins’ home and in one of the vehicles used by him to commit the robberies, evidence and testimony at trial showed. A distinctive scar on his hand matched the robber’s scar. The vehicles he drove matched those spotted in surveillance video from all five robberies. Officers recovered the gun that was a ballistic match to the firearm used in the first robbery from Perkins’ pants. Finally, Perkins’ left an electronic trail from his home to each robbery.
“Taken together, it is a staggering amount of evidence,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone told jurors during a closing statement Thursday. The trial began Monday.
Perkins is scheduled to be sentenced on July 3. Each robbery charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The discharge of a firearm charge carries a penalty of at least 10 years consecutive to the other charges. The brandishing charge carries a penalty of at least seven years consecutive to any other charge. The transporting charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Altogether, Perkins is facing at least 31 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Collinsville Police Department, the Richmond Heights Police Department, the Columbia (Illinois) Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bluestone and Tiffany Becker are 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.
South Dakota and Colorado Men Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine Across the State of South Dakota Including the Crow Creek ReservationRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Christopher Spider, a/k/a “House”, age 45 of South Dakota and Lance Brunsting, age 56, of Colorado, of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance following a four-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on March 27, 2025.
The charges carry a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in custody and/or a $10,000,000 fine, mandatory minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Christopher Spider was also convicted of Tampering with a Witness. That charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, a possibility of up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Spider and Brunsting were indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.
Brunsting and Spider, along with numerous other individuals, conspired to distribute hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine throughout the state of South Dakota.
Spider, a resident of Crow Creek, was responsible for distributing approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the Crow Creek Indian Reservation during his involvement in the conspiracy. While under Indictment for the offense, Spider sent a letter to another witness attempting to intimidate the witness into changing her testimony at trial. The letter was reported to law enforcement and Spider was subsequently indicted for Witness Tampering.
Brunsting, a resident of Denver, Colorado, was responsible for assisting in the weighing, packaging, and ultimate distribution of approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine. Brunsting made a trip to South Dakota alongside another co-conspirator where he assisted in selling approximately 41 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the state of South Dakota and into Minnesota.
“Christopher Spider and Lance Brunsting were involved in one of the largest methamphetamine conspiracies in South Dakota history,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “Our office was able to successfully prosecute the large-scale drug conspiracy thanks to the exceptional collaborative and investigative efforts of our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners. Last week’s convictions represent a crucial step toward bringing these individuals to justice for the roles they played in bringing hundreds of pounds of illegal narcotics into our South Dakota communities.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration provided the following statement: “The two individuals convicted last week are responsible for inflicting immeasurable harm on members of our South Dakota communities,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei said. “Their arrest and conviction should serve as a warning to drug traffickers that the combined efforts of state, local and federal law enforcement will bring those pushing these dangerous substances to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (including the Rocky Mountain Field Division, Omaha Field Division, Mexico City Country Office, Los Angeles Field Division, Special Operations Division), as well as South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, FBI, South Dakota Highway Patrol, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation team, El Paso Intelligence Center, and collaboration received from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Marshals Service, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux Falls Police Department, Mitchell Police Department, Denver Police Department, Las Vegas Metro Police Department, Worthington Police Department, Brookings Police Department, Brookings Sherriff’s Department, Rock County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force, and the Colorado Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for June 16, 2025. The defendants were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island man who was previously incarcerated for robbing seven banks was sentenced today to nine years in federal prison for robbing four banks within a three-day span, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Vaughn Watrous, 48, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 108 months of incarceration to be followed by one year of federal supervised release. Additionally, he is ordered to pay restitution to victim banks totaling $4,775.
Watrous pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024, to bank robbery. At the time of his guilty plea, Watrous admitted to robbing three banks in Providence and Cranston on January 19, 20, and 21, 2021; and attempting to rob a fourth bank in North Providence on January 21, 2021.
According to court records, Watrous was previously convicted of multiple bank robberies in 1997, 2003, and 2013. In 1997 Watrous was convicted in the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, Utah, on a charge of bank robbery and sentenced to 51 months in federal prison. In 2003 he was convicted in the U.S. District Court in Providence on two counts of bank robbery and sentenced to 76 months of incarceration. In October 2015 he was convicted in U.S. District Court in Providence on four counts of bank robbery and sentenced in February 2016 to a term of incarceration of 92 months.
The most recent case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julianne Klein and John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the Providence, Cranston, and North Providence Police Departments.
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Sentences Imposed in Northeast Kingdom Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on March 31, 2025, Nathaniel “JJ” Jones, 39, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 135 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Jones previously pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and cocaine.
Three codefendants had previously been sentenced in the case. Jermaine “Bear” Douchette, 44, of Springfield, Massachusetts also received a sentence of 135 months’ imprisonment on December 16, 2024. Michelle Provencher, 26, of Irasburg, Vermont received a sentence of 37 months’ imprisonment on February 10, 2025. Daniel Peters, 29, of Newport, Vermont received a sentence of 45 months’ imprisonment on February 24, 2025. Three additional codefendants—Tyler Norris, Erica Desormeaux, and Jeremy Young—are awaiting sentencing.
According to court records, “JJ” Jones and co-defendant “Bear” Douchette stayed at multiple short-term rental units and residences in Orleans County in 2022 while distributing fentanyl and cocaine they periodically acquired in Massachusetts. Between August and October 2022, they used the residence of Desormeaux and Young in Barton, Vermont, to prepare, store, and distribute the drugs to customers in the Northeast Kingdom. Provencher assisted Jones and Douchette in finding customers and willing hosts. Many of the conspirators carried firearms as part of their activities, and the group took firearms from some customers in exchange for drugs. Some of the group, including Jones and Douchette, made threats and engaged in acts of violence in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Northern Vermont Drug Task Force (NVDTF) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in this case. He also noted the assistance NVDTF and ATF received from the Vermont State Police, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, the Newport Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, and Homeland Security Investigations throughout the investigation and prosecution.
“This case underscores the relentless commitment of ATF and our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that threaten the safety of our communities through the distribution of deadly narcotics and illegal firearms,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division. “The sentences handed down as a result of this investigation send a clear message: we will not tolerate violent criminal activity in the Northeast Kingdom or anywhere else in Vermont.”
"Our commitment to community safety remains unwavering”, said Sheriff Jennifer L. Harlow of the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department. “We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle drug trafficking organizations that distribute deadly narcotics and illegal firearms. We thank our federal partners for their dedication to ensuring these individuals are held responsible."
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher. Jones was represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq.; Douchette was represented by Gregory Mertz, Esq; Provencher was represented by Robert Sussman, Esq.; and Peters was represented by Heather Ross, Esq. Tyler Norris is represented by Chandler Matson, Esq.; Erica Desormeaux is represented by Natasha Sen, Esq.; and Jeremy Young is represented by Allan Sullivan, Esq.
San Fernando Valley Man Arrested for Allegedly Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material Tied to Online Violent Network Known as ‘764’Read the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he targeted children for sexual exploitation online as part of his role in an online violent network that seeks to accelerate social unrest and the downfall of the current world order.
Jose Henry Ayala Casamiro, 28, was arrested by the FBI on a criminal complaint charging him with possession of child pornography. He made his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond and an April 22 arraignment date was scheduled in Los Angeles federal court.
“The facts alleged in this complaint are disturbing,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Criminals lurk in the internet’s dark corners to prey on and do lasting damage to children. Let this arrest serve as notice to all online predators. We will find you and arrest you if you hurt children.”
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Ayala caused minors to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) as well as other video content depicting themselves engaging in self-harm as part of his participation in an online network known broadly as “764”, a network of nihilistic violent extremists who engage in criminal conduct, particularly targeting children for sexual exploitation online, to further the network’s goals of accelerating the downfall of the current world order, including the United States Government. Members of 764 work in concert with one another towards a common purpose of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including minors.
As part of the 764 network, Ayala allegedly was involved with an online group that blackmailed underage girls into creating child pornography videos depicting themselves engaging in degrading sadistic sexual acts, torture sessions, and carving their abusers’ initials or names on their bodies. The group also encouraged the female minors to commit suicide. As one example, the criminal complaint details a March 2020 photo in which an individual had cut the defendant’s name “Henry” into their right forearm. The complaint also outlines four videos that allegedly depict Ayala directing teen girls to engage in specific sexual acts. In February and March 2025, the complaint also alleges that Ayala participated in a new server created as a “grooming pool” targeting underage girls.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda Elbogen, of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, and David Ryan, Chief of the National Security Division, are prosecuting this case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
San Antonio Used Car Dealer Employee Sentenced for Odometer TamperingRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A used car dealership manager in San Antonio was sentenced in a federal court to six months in prison and ordered to pay more than $260,000 in restitution for odometer tampering.
According to court documents, Felipe Alcibar, 62, was the primary party responsible for the day-to-day operations of Autotex Financial, a used car dealership. Beginning no later than October 2020 and continuing until at least November 2023, Alcibar knowingly and intentionally disconnected, reset or altered the odometers on multiple vehicles that had been purchased by Autotex and that were advertised for sale to the general public.
Alcibar was charged in a one-count information filed Oct. 8, 2024. He pleaded guilty Oct. 30, 2024. In addition to a six month prison sentence, Alcibar was ordered to pay a restitution of $264,747.05.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Department of Transportation Office of Odometer Fraud investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Chung prosecuted the case.
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Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Thursday sentenced a registered sex offender who sold child pornography online to 17 years in prison.
Patrick Mayberry, now 46, of High Ridge, told investigators that he’d received over $2,000 by selling child pornography that he’d obtained on the dark web. Mayberry had multiple videos containing child sexual abuse material in his MEGA cloud-storage account.
The investigation began with a CyberTipline report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that Mayberry had uploaded child sexual abuse material to his Google account.
Mayberry pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to one count of possession of child pornography as a prior offender.
Mayberry is a registered sex offender and was on probation at the time of the offense. He was convicted of one count of failure to register as a sex offender in 2021 in Jefferson County Circuit Court in Missouri. In 2008, he was convicted of one count of attempting to procure child pornography for seeking nude photographs of a nine-year-old. In 2003, he was convicted of second-degree rape of a victim under age 16 in Oklahoma.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson 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 the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Quincy Woman Sentenced for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits.
Crystal Gesumaria, 41, was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal to three years of probation and ordered to pay $93,603 in restitution. Earlier in the hearing, Gesumaria pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor theft of government money. Gesumaria was charged in October 2024.
From July 2013 to August 2022, Gesumaria stole $93,603 in Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits by failing to report her 2013 marriage and making multiple misleading statements to SSA regarding her marital status. Gesumaria had been receiving disabled adult child (DAC) benefits since March 2005. Married individuals, with limited exceptions, are ineligible for DAC benefits. SSA informed Gesumaria of this eligibility criteria when she began receiving DAC benefits and sent several written reminders of her obligation to report any change in her marital status. During a continuing disability review in 2016, Gesumaria submitted to SSA several forms as well as an affidavit from her husband that contained misleading information about their relationship with references to him as a “friend” or “roommate.” When she was confronted by an SSA employee in May 2022 about an allegation that she was married and reminded again of the potential impact on her DAC benefits, Gesumaria denied knowing anything about the marriage.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Portage Man Sentenced to 12 Years as Organizer of Statewide Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Angel Flores, 31, Portage, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 12 years in federal prison for attempting to possess more than 500 grams of cocaine for distribution. Flores pleaded guilty to this charge on December 18, 2024. Juan Ojeda, 31, West Allis, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Judge Peterson to one year in federal prison for possessing cocaine intended for distribution. Ojeda pleaded guilty to this charge on December 16, 2024.
In late 2022, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating a large cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in the Western District of Wisconsin. During the investigation, agents intercepted communications between Flores and his California supplier of cocaine and methamphetamine. Investigators determined that Flores was obtaining multiple kilograms of cocaine and large amounts of methamphetamine and selling it throughout the Western District of Wisconsin, including Madison, Portage, and La Crosse.
In January 2023, co-defendant Juan Ojeda travelled to Chicago at the direction of Flores to meet with a courier sent by the California supplier. Ojeda received 12 kilograms of cocaine in that meeting and transported it back to Wisconsin. In February 2023, intercepted phone communications resulted in the interception of a load of cocaine as it travelled through Arizona on its way to Illinois, where Flores arranged to receive three kilograms from the shipment.
In sentencing Flores, Judge Peterson expressed concern about the large quantity and geographic scope of the trafficking organization led by Flores, observing that he brought multiple kilograms of cocaine into Wisconsin on a continuing basis over a long period of time, with distribution spanning nearly two-thirds of the state. Judge Peterson indicated that the 12-year sentence for Flores’s leadership role in “some of the highest level of dealing in this district” was intended to convey that drug trafficking in this volume will not be tolerated.
In sentencing Ojeda, Judge Peterson imposed a one-year sentence after observing that Ojeda had a limited role in the trafficking organization, no significant criminal history, and withdrawn from participation in the organization before police intervened.
In March 2025, Judge Peterson sentenced four other defendants for their roles in aiding Flores’s drug trafficking organization. Judge Peterson sentenced Braulio Martinez-Salazar to 3 years; Luis Angel Rios to 9 years; David Junius to 7 years; and Justin Purdy to 8 years.
The charges in this case were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, and Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Anderson and William M. Levins prosecuted this case.
The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations.
Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition and Supervised Release ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on April 2, 2025, to 46 months’ imprisonment for violating federal firearms laws and an additional 8 consecutive months of imprisonment for violating conditions of his federal supervised release, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Keith Harris, 25, and also ordered Harris to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Harris previously pleaded guilty in this case to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon on June 11, 2024. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Additionally, Harris admitted to violating several conditions of his supervised release following a 2022 conviction for possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Harris.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Heroin and Cocaine into ConnecticutRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ISRAEL MENDOZA, also known as “D-Nice” and “Israel Mandosa,” 45, formerly of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking heroin and cocaine into Connecticut.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force began investigating a Hartford area narcotics trafficking operation that involved the use of the U.S. Mail to ship parcels of drugs and drug proceeds. Investigators determined that Mendoza supplied Michael Copeland, of Bloomfield, with large quantities of cocaine, and that Copeland, at Mendoza’s direction, mailed parcels containing cash to individuals in California. In September and October, U.S. Postal Inspectors in California intercepted and seized two parcels, each containing approximately $13,000 in cash, that Copeland mailed in Connecticut to addresses in the Fresno area. Investigators analyzed postal records and identified dozens of additional parcels connected to this drug trafficking network that are suspected to have contained narcotics or drug proceeds.
In February 2019, investigators seized a parcel containing nearly 500 grams of cocaine that had been mailed from California to a Bloomfield residence that was connected to Copeland.
Mendoza worked with others, including Neliobet DeJesus and Danny Rhodes, in the Hartford area to distribute heroin and cocaine. During the investigation, after DeJesus had moved to Orlando, Florida, investigators identified a mail parcel that was destined for a residence in Orlando that was linked to DeJesus. A court authorized search of the parcel revealed approximately 500 grams of cocaine and approximately five grams of fentanyl.
On October 31, 2019, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Mendoza, Copeland, DeJesus, and Rhodes with narcotics trafficking offenses. Mendoza remained a fugitive until his arrest on August 14, 2023, in California.
On October 1, 2024, Mendoza pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, heroin and cocaine. He has been detained since his arrest.
Copeland, DeJesus and Rhodes previously pleaded guilty. On December 8, 2021, Rhodes was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment; on December 16, 2021, Copeland was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment; and on March 7, 2022, DeJesus was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, including members from the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, and Hartford Police Department assisted the investigation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
Passenger charged with sexual assault during flight from Montana to TexasRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A New Jersey man accused of sexual assault while flying from Bozeman, Montana to Dallas, Texas was charged this week, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Bhaveshkumar Dahyabhai Shukla, 36, of Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey, was charged in a one-count indictment with abusive sexual contact in special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. If convicted, Shukla faces two years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
Shukla is scheduled to appear on April 17, 2025, for an arraignment.
The indictment alleges that on January 26, 2025, on board an American Airlines flight from Bozeman to Dallas, Shukla engaged in sexual contact with another person without that other person’s permission.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, ICE and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Police conducted the investigation.
The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PACER case reference. 25-08.
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.
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Owner of Halo Home Healthcare sentenced to 4 years in prison for health care fraud, tax crimesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Sharon Romaine Ward, 53, formerly of West Chester, was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 48 months in prison for fraudulently billing more than $8.5 million to Medicare, Medicaid and Veterans Affairs health care programs between 2015 and 2021.
When Ward started Halo Home Healthcare in 2015, she concealed her ownership of the company because she had a prior felony conviction in 2013 for passing forged and fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone while serving as a nurse practitioner in Warren County. As a result of her conviction, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General excluded her from participating in federal health care programs for a minimum period of ten years.
According to court documents, Halo Home Healthcare routinely overbilled federal healthcare programs, charging them for services it did not perform. In one example cited in court documents, Halo continued to bill Medicaid for home health services while the patient was hospitalized. In addition, between 2017 and 2020, Halo hired over 50 employees with significant criminal histories which ordinarily should have excluded them from providing home health services, including one individual who was charged with a quadruple murder while ostensibly working for Halo.
Ward submitted at least 92,770 claims to Medicaid seeking $8,556,776.58, receiving $8,403,299.24 between 2016 and 2021. Court documents say she also failed to provide accurate information to her business tax return preparer causing false tax returns to be prepared and filed.
Ward pleaded guilty in June 2024 to health care fraud and making or subscribing a false income tax return.
As part of her sentence, Ward will pay $8,403,299.24 in restitution to the Ohio Department of Medicaid and $195,5668.00 to the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Healthcare Administration. Ward will also prepare and file corrected business tax returns with the IRS and pay restitution in the amount of $81,617 to the IRS.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Health Care Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case.
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Owner of E-Card Lending Charged with Operating a Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The owner and founder of E-Card Lending LLC or E-Card Merchant LLC (E-Card) was charged with running an investment Ponzi scheme disguised as a merchant cash advance (MCA) business.
Pablo Silverio Rebollido, 47, of Miami, Fla., was charged by an information with wire fraud on March 26.
According to the allegations in the information, E-Card was purportedly engaged in the business of providing MCAs, a type of short-term financing typically used by small and medium-sized businesses. E-Card allegedly loaned money at high interest rates to its clients in the form of lump-sum cash advances in exchange for a percentage of future E-Card’s credit card sales or daily bank deposits.
Court documents state that from August 2019 to February 2024, Rebollido fraudulently solicited money from investors purportedly to fund E-Card’s MCAs in exchange for regular monthly investment returns from E-Card’s profits. It is alleged that in reality, E-Card had no clients and Rebollido fraudulently used the investment funds to pay off earlier investors and finance his extravagant lifestyle. It is alleged that over 70 investors invested in E-Card and the scheme resulted in more than $40 million dollars in losses.
Rebollido’s initial appearance hearing is scheduled for April 11 at 2:00 p.m. in Miami. If convicted, Rebollido faces up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement.
FBI Miami is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert F. Moore and Jon Juenger are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
The charges contained in an information are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI’s Miami Division is seeking to identify potential victims of “E Card Merchant LLC” or “E Card Lending LLC." The FBI believes E Card Merchant primarily targeted victims between the timeframe of January 2019 to January 2024.
If you and/or your minor dependent(s) were victimized by E Card Merchant or have information relevant to this investigation, please complete the short form located on the FBI’s Seeking Victims webpage.
If you know of someone else who has possibly been victimized by E Card Merchant, please encourage them to complete the form themselves.
The FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes it investigates. Victims may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and rights under federal and/or state law. Your responses are voluntary but may be useful in the federal investigation and to identify you as a potential victim. Based on the responses provided, you may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information. All identities of victims will be kept confidential.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20127.
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Orlando Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing over Nine Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Desean Williams (38, Orlando) to 14 years in federal prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Williams entered a guilty plea on December 20, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, on January 31, 2024, Williams distributed 4,459 grams of methamphetamine to another individual, Stephen Godbolt. Godbolt then sold 1,331 grams of that methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. The remaining methamphetamine provided by Williams was recovered from Godbolt’s vehicle.
On September 13, 2024, Godbolt was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine for his involvement in this offense.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 198 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Kortney Moore, 27 years old, of West Akron, Ohio, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Moore was sentenced to 198 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in this case, in February 2024, Moore, who was on federal supervised release, used the Indiana Toll Road to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl. Moore had been traveling from Ohio to North Dakota when law enforcement stopped him in Indiana and recovered over 700 grams of pure methamphetamine and over 40 grams of fentanyl from his vehicle. Moore has prior felony convictions for attempted possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, and possession of a loaded illegal machinegun as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration including the DEA North Central Laboratory with assistance from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office, and the St. Joseph County Cyber Crimes Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Falvey and Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
Nurse Anesthetist Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fentanyl Diversion at Dubuque HospitalRead the Press Release
A nurse anesthetist who diverted fentanyl for his own use was sentenced on April 2, 2025, to three months in federal prison. Ian Lindsey, age 42, from Mineral Point, Wisconsin, received the prison term after November 13, 2024, guilty pleas to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge, and one count of false statement relating to health care matters.
In a plea agreement, and at his sentencing hearing, Lindsey admitted, and the evidence showed that, no later than 2017, he was diverting significant amounts of fentanyl and other drugs from a hospital in Platteville, Wisconsin. The hospital was purchasing fentanyl above monthly limits, yet its supply was still consistently out. Lindsey also illegally accessed patient records and made false statements in patient records at the Platteville hospital. Lindsey was “shaky” and “falling asleep at surgery bedside.” The Platteville hospital fired Lindsey in 2017.
Lindsey’s criminal conduct later resumed at a hospital in Dubuque, Iowa. From October 2022 to at least January 25, 2023, Lindsey diverted fentanyl from nearly 50 patients at the Dubuque hospital. Lindsey also again illegally accessed the medical records of six patients and made false statements in the medical records of another, making it appear that he had given that patient fentanyl for her pain when he had not done so.
Lindsey has a serious criminal history dating back to 2004. Most significantly, Lindsey has four convictions in Wisconsin for drunk driving, including a 2024 conviction for fourth offense operating with prohibited alcohol content. In three of the convictions, Lindsey’s blood alcohol content was .240% or higher.
Lindsey was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Lindsey was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, 6 months of home confinement, and fined $5,000. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Lindsey maintains valid nursing licenses in multiple states despite his criminal history and conduct. At the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Williams found Lindsey had committed a “gross abuse of trust,” encouraged Lindsey to stay out of the medical profession, and indicated the relevant licensing boards had done a disservice to the public and Lindsey by not taking any action against his nursing licenses over the years.
Lindsey was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-1035-CJW.
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New York Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Money Laundering Connected to Stolen Federal FundsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Xing Zheng, 35, of Queens, New York, was sentenced Tuesday by United States District Court Judge Timothy J. Savage to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release, for his role in a conspiracy to launder approximately $2.98 million of fraud proceeds from various sources, including more than $426,000 in stolen Social Security retirement funds and COVID-19 funds from the state workforce agencies of Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, Arizona, and Ohio. Zheng was also ordered to pay $426,044 in restitution to the Social Security Administration and the various state workforce agencies, and a forfeiture judgment of $745,000.
In December of last year, Zheng pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
As stated in the information and admitted to by Zheng, he and an unidentified coconspirator, who operated under the pseudonyms “Christian Dasilva” and “Christian Hernandez,” agreed to launder fraud proceeds. In furtherance of the conspiracy, fraudulent applications were filed online for SSA Retirement Insurance Benefit (RIB) and COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Act (PUA) funds, using the stolen identities and personal information of eligible retirees and other individuals, and those benefit payments were directed to bank accounts controlled by the conspirators.
“Christian” also conspired with a related defendant, Myrna Ortiz, 46, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, whom “Christian” met through an online dating website. The two started a relationship via digital messaging, and Ortiz began helping her online paramour execute the fraud scheme, filing fraudulent claims for SSA RIB payments. The scheme targeted high wage earners over the age of 62 who had not yet filed for Social Security retirement benefits and impacted at least 23 victims.
Ortiz admitted opening 10 bank accounts at “Christian’s” direction, in order to receive the fraudulently issued government funds, and then withdrawing the funds, purchasing gift cards with the cash, and laundering the funds back to her coconspirator through the gift cards, by providing him with the account number and unique four-digit personal identification number (“PIN”) for each gift card.
Beginning in or about May 2020, “Christian” instructed Ortiz to provide him with the debit cards for the bank accounts into which the stolen funds were electronically deposited. Using various encrypted communications platforms, “Christian” and Zheng then conspired to further launder these funds.
They agreed that “Christian” would sell debit cards and gift cards to Zheng in exchange for cryptocurrency, both knowing that the funds were the proceeds of unlawful activity and that the transactions were designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds.
During the course of the conspiracy, Zheng purchased approximately 1,565 debit cards and/or gift cards from “Christian,” valued at approximately $2.98 million, which he laundered and exchanged for cryptocurrency for “Christian.” In all, Zheng retained approximately 25% of the value of the debit and gift cards that he exchanged.
Of the approximately $2.98 million laundered, approximately $96,500 worth of fraud proceeds were traceable to Myrna Ortiz’s bank accounts, which contained the stolen SSA RIB and PUA fraud proceeds. All told, through these schemes, Ortiz conspired to defraud the government and to launder stolen government funds totaling almost $600,000. She was sentenced in January to one day in prison, two years of supervised release, and restitution of $688,049.
“While Zheng did not personally participate in the fraud against the government, he knew that the money he was laundering was criminally derived,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Nonetheless, he was happy to participate, launder funds on a near-daily basis, and take his 25% cut, even as his crimes helped perpetuate the underlying fraud. My office will continue to target crooks who steal from the government — and those who enable them — dismantle their schemes, and bring them to justice.”
“The millions of dollars fraudulently obtained in this case were intended to support struggling Americans during a time of unprecedented crisis — not to line the pockets of those driven by greed,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI remains committed to protecting the integrity of these vital relief programs, and we’re grateful for the continued collaboration of our partners as we hold accountable those who exploit them through egregious and complex financial schemes.”
“This 28-month prison sentence holds Mr. Zheng accountable for stealing money from rightful beneficiaries who rely on these funds to survive,” said Colleen Lawlor, Special Agent in Charge, SSA Office of the Inspector General, Philadelphia Field Division. “I thank our law enforcement partners for their assistance and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this complex case.”
“Xing Zheng and his co-conspirators defrauded multiple state workforce agencies by filing for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in the names of identity theft victims who were not entitled to such benefits. As a result, Zheng enriched himself by stealing taxpayer resources intended for unemployed American workers. This sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to work with our federal and state law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who seek to exploit this critical benefit program," stated Syreeta Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran.
New York Business Owner Sentenced for Illegally Transporting and Selling Probable CarcinogenRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Idrissa Bagayoko, 59, of New York, New York, to one year of supervised release with three months of home confinement and restitution in the amount of $5,640, for illegally transporting and selling an unregistered toxic pesticide, SNIPER DDVP.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Allison Landsman, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Special Agent in Charge Greg Thompson, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region; and Chief Carolyn Rogers, Elkton Police Department (EPD).
In November 2024, after a four-day trial, a federal jury found Bagayoko guilty of recklessly transporting a dangerous probable carcinogen, the unregistered pesticide known as SNIPER DDVP, without proper documentation and knowingly selling SNIPER DDVP in Maryland. Bagayoko was convicted under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Hazardous Material Transportation Act.
According to evidence presented at trial, on September 29, 2021, Bagayoko drove from New York to Maryland and sold two boxes of the unregistered pesticide SNIPER DDVP to an individual. He was later stopped by police in Elkton, Maryland, with 18 additional boxes of SNIPER DDVP. Bagayoko, who owns and operates Maliba Trading LLC, procured a total of 1,920 bottles of SNIPER DDVP and drove from New York to Maryland to sell the illegal pesticide.
Laboratory testing revealed Bagayoko was transporting SNIPER DDVP containing the chemical dichlorvos, which has been classified by the federal government as a probable human carcinogen. The defendant transported more than 330 pounds of dichlorvos, without requisite shipping papers, which are required to alert first responders that they are dealing with a toxic chemical compound and probable carcinogen, in the event of an accident. He subsequently sold two boxes of this unregistered pesticide to a distributor in Takoma Park, Maryland.
“Illegally transporting and selling an illegal pesticide that is a known probable carcinogen puts public health at serious risk,” Hayes said. “The District of Maryland is committed to rooting out criminal actors that brazenly violate federal transportation and environmental laws while simultaneously putting Maryland’s first responders and residents in harm’s way.”
“The defendant illegally distributed, sold and transported a toxic pesticide across state lines and lied to local police, claiming he was only transporting tea,” Landsman said. “Today’s sentencing reflects the dangerous nature of illegal pesticides being transported and sold in the United States and the serious consequences that flagrant offenders face for this egregious conduct.”
“Recklessly transporting hazardous materials without proper documentation as required by federal regulations is illegal and poses a danger to the traveling public,” Thompson said. “Together with our federal, state, and local partners, we will continue to pursue individuals and companies that circumvent laws designed to safely move goods and products throughout the United States.”
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the EPA, DOT-OIG, and EPD for their help with the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Phillips and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kertisha Dixon and David Lastra who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md.
New Hampshire Man Charged with Discharging a Firearm During Assault on a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on April 3, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a second superseding indictment charging Douglas Reynolds, 37, of New Hampshire, with using a firearm to assault a federal officer and discharging the firearm during the assault. Reynolds was previously charged with other firearm-related charges and those charges remain pending.
Reynolds’s arraignment on the second superseding indictment has not yet been scheduled. He is being held in custody during these proceedings.
According to court records, on October 24, 2024, Reynolds led law enforcement on a car chase that started in New Hampshire and ended near Ryegate, Vermont. The pursuit reached speeds of at least 100 miles per hour. At the end of the chase, Reynolds pointed a firearm out of his car and fired a shot. Law enforcement returned fire and then apprehended Reynolds.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Reynolds is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Reynolds faces up to a lifetime of imprisonment, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the Vermont State Police.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Reynolds is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Carmen Brooks.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
New Britain Woman Admits Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that VICTORIA KATES, 34, of New Britain, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to offenses related to her fraudulent receipt of COVID-19 relief funds.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One program created by the CARES Act was a temporary federal unemployment insurance program for pandemic unemployment assistance (“Pandemic Unemployment Assistance”). Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provided unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits for employed individuals who were not eligible for other types of UI due to their employment status. The CARES Act also created a new temporary federal program called Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (“FPUC”) that provided additional weekly benefits to those eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or regular UI. The Connecticut Department of Labor (CT-DOL) administers UI benefits for residents of Connecticut.
From March 2020 through May 2021, Kates defrauded the CT-DOL of $217,056 by filing fraudulent unemployment applications with the CT-DOL on behalf of her family, acquaintances, and others. Kates prepared and submitted the original applications and, in certain instances, submitted required weekly recertifications of the applicant’s purported continued unemployment status. Kates took a portion of the payouts as a fee.
As an example, in August 2020, Kates submitted an online unemployment application to the CT-DOL for a friend that made several false representations, including that the applicant was a self-employed driver who worked 40 hours per week, when, in fact, the applicant was neither self-employed nor worked the hours represented. Kates also used her home address as the applicant’s address. Based on the original application and weekly certifications, the CT-DOL made $27,993 in payments, with Kates taking at least $1,000 to $1,500 as a fee. When the CT-DOL demanded proof of legal wages and proof of address, Kates created and provided to the CT-DOL a fraudulent IRS form showing the applicant’s purported gross wages for 2019, and a cropped photograph of a business envelope to make it appear that the applicant had lived at the represented address.
Another source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In April 2020, Congress authorized more than $300 billion in additional PPP funding. The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive unsecured loans at an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds were to be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the proceeds on these expenses within a certain period of time of receipt and used at least a certain percentage of the amount to be forgiven for payroll.
The PPP was overseen by the Small Business Administration, which has authority over all PPP loans. Individual PPP loans, however, were issued by private approved lenders, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA.
In 2021, Kates applied for and received $16,250 through the PPP loan program by making false representations, including overstating her yearly gross income. Kates also provided a false IRS filing to support the income figure on the application. She subsequently provided additional fraudulent information to obtain forgiveness of the loan.
Kates pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for September 2. Kates is released on a $40,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Multiple Defendants Indicted on Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Asheville has returned multiple indictments, charging several individuals with criminal charges that include unlawful firearm possession, straw purchasing of firearms, and trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
“Protecting our communities from drugs and guns is one of the Justice Department’s core missions,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Through Operation Take Back America we are stepping up our efforts to remove illegal firearms from our communities, eliminate drugs in our neighborhoods, and make sure our streets are safer for everyone.”
Bryan Austin Herron, 23, of Marshall, N.C., was indicted for the unlawful possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that, on August 5, 2024, Herron unlawfully possessed a RugerEC9S 9mm handgun knowing he had prior felony convictions, including attempt to traffic methamphetamine.
John Quentin London, 39, of Hendersonville, N.C., is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and unlawful possession of two firearms: a Smith and Wesson, model 649, .38 caliber revolver, and a Smith and Wesson, model SD9, 9mm pistol.
Jason Mills, 46, of Hendersonville, is charged with multiple counts of distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that Mills trafficked fentanyl and methamphetamine in Henderson and Buncombe Counties between January and February 2024.
Christopher O’Brien Moore, 30, of Shelby, North Carolina, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges that, on June 6, 2024, Moore, knowing that he had previously been convicted of a federal racketeering conspiracy and multiple state felonies, unlawfully possessed a Glock, model 22, .40 caliber pistol and ammunition.
Dontavis Raheem Pressley, 36, of Shelby, N.C., is charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that, on August 13, 2024, Pressley possessed a Glock model 43, 9mm caliber pistol, knowing he was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Tia Marche Ray, 33, of Asheville, is charged with five counts of straw purchasing firearms. The indictment alleges that between July 12, 2020, and August 3, 2022, Ray acquired six firearms from multiple dealers in Buncombe County, by making false statements in connection with the acquisition of the firearms, falsely representing that she was the actual buyer of the firearms.
The charges in the indictments are allegations and the defendants are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office; the Burke County Sheriff’s Office; the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office; the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office; and the Asheville Police Department for their respective investigations that led to the charges.
The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.
The indictments are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Minneapolis Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Stolen Firearms That He Attempted to SellRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Howard Ozell Crenshaw, a Minneapolis man, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing stolen firearms that he then attempted to sell, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on December 2, 2022, an undercover (UC) law enforcement officer called Howard Ozell Crenshaw, 34, to express interest in purchasing firearms. Crenshaw informed the undercover law enforcement officer that he had an AR-15 rifle and two Berretta handguns available for sale, which the UC officer agreed to purchase for $2,600. The pair agreed to meet on December 13, 2022, to complete the transaction.
On the day of their meeting, the UC officer agreed to purchase an addition shotgun from Crenshaw for $500. They met as planned on December 13, 2022, and Crenshaw entered the UC officer’s vehicle, abruptly exited and called the UC officer, directing him to drive to a different location one block away. Crenshaw explained that he had placed the firearms in a residential trash can in a nearby alley. The UC officer retrieved the four firearms and tossed Crenshaw a roll of cash totaling $2,600. Shortly thereafter, the UC agent called Crenshaw and explained that he had placed the additional $500 in the same trash can the defendant had used for the firearms. Crenshaw later returned to the trash can and collected the additional $500.
According to court documents, Crenshaw sold the UC agent a Benelli M1 Super 90 12-guage shotgun; an Armalite .223 AR-15 rifle; a Beretta model M9 nine-millimeter handgun; and a Beretta model M9 nine-millimeter handgun from Crenshaw. A subsequent record check on the firearms revealed that they had been reported stolen following the November 19, 2022, burglary of a home in St. Paul.
Because Crenshaw has four prior felony convictions, including for Drug Sale – 1st Degree, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
“Crenshaw is a four-time convicted felon and drug dealer who decided to sell stolen firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “I am proud of the excellent work of our federal partners at ATF to take yet another dangerous criminal off the streets.”
Crenshaw pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court before Judge Susan R. Nelson to one count of illegal possession of firearms as felon. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for August 5, 2025.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Armed CarjackingsRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of announced today that James Poole (age 19) was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for his role in armed carjackings in Milwaukee.
According to court records, Poole participated in two armed carjackings in late January 2024. In each of the carjackings, Poole brandished a firearm. On January 29, 2024, at approximately 7:45 pm, Poole committed a carjacking on the 2400 block of N. Farwell Avenue on the East Side of Milwaukee. The following day, at approximately 5:00 pm, Poole engaged in a carjacking in a parking lot in downtown Milwaukee, near 2nd Street and Plankinton Avenue. Shortly after the second carjacking, while driving the stolen vehicle, Poole led members of the Milwaukee Police Department on a high-speed chase through residential neighborhoods and reaching speeds of 90 mph. Poole ultimately crashed the stolen car into a tree near 82nd and Burleigh Streets, causing life-threatening injuries to all passengers inside the stolen vehicle. Following his term of imprisonment, Poole also will spend three years on supervised release. He also was ordered to pay restitution.
Poole’s co-defendant, Jabari Griffin (age 21), was sentenced on February 27, 2025, for his role in aiding and abetting Poole in the January 30, 2024, carjacking. Griffin was sentenced to 6 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release.
“Individuals who engage in violent crimes – like these armed carjackings – not only endanger the lives and well-being of their victims but also can shatter the confidence of all residents that our cities are safe places in which to live and work,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to working with all of its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to hold these individuals accountable for their actions and to pursue justice for all impacted victims.”
“Armed carjackings and the dangerous actions of those who committed the offenses in this case endangered the public and impacted the victims of this crime. This sentencing reflects the severity of the crimes committed by James Poole,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “The FBI remains steadfastly committed to working with our partners to investigate violent crime matters—to include armed carjackings—in our ongoing efforts to positively impact public safety within our community.”
“The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) is proud of the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in holding violent individuals accountable for their actions. Armed carjackings are violent acts that cause great harm to our community. Those that bring harm to our community must be held accountable.” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman. “MPD values our collaboration with the community, federal, state and local law enforcement partners to build a safer city for everyone to live, work and play.”
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crimes Task Force, including the Milwaukee Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abbey M. Marzick and Michael C. Schindhelm.
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Mexican woman arrested for falsely claiming to be U.S. citizenRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A Mexican citizen illegally residing in San Benito has been indicted on charges related to using someone else’s identity to pose as an American citizen, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Authorities have now taken Cristina Amezcua Valencia, 53, into custody. She is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 9 a.m. April 4.
A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment April 1. The charges include one count of false statement in application of a U.S. passport, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false claim to citizenship.
The charges allege that on Sept. 25, 2018, Amezcua applied for a U.S. passport, claiming the identity of another individual. On May 18, 2023, she allegedly utilized the passport containing the individual’s name, and date and place of birth so she could enter the U.S. from Mexico.
If convicted, Amezcua faces up to 10 years for the false statement in application of a U.S. passport and up to three years for false claim to U.S. citizenship. She will also be ordered to serve a mandatory two years for identity theft, upon conviction, which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. She could also be ordered to pay up to a $250,000 fine.
Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarina S. DiPiazza and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Delcolle are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Mexican national sentenced for illegal reentry in Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Valentin Hernandez-Yanez, 38, pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry by a deported alien and was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale on April 2, 2025. Hernandez-Yanez has been imprisoned since July of 2024. He is currently being held on an immigration detainer and will be processed by Homeland Security before being deported to Mexico.
According to information presented in court, on April 30, 2024, Hernandez-Yanez was observed by federal immigration agents in Vidor, Texas. Agents were familiar with Hernandez-Yanez from past dealings. An immigration database check revealed Hernandez-Yanez to be a national of Mexico having been previously deported to Mexico in June of 2011. Hernandez-Yanez has not since applied for permission to reenter the United States since he was last removed.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.
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Mexican National Sentenced to over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Narcotics, Firearm, and Immigration ChargesRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Juan Carlos Espinoza Lopez, 49, of Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court by Chief U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson to 151 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and illegal reentry. Espinoza Lopez pled guilty to these charges on December 17, 2024.
In his plea agreement, Espinoza Lopez admitted that he was a native and citizen of Mexico and had been removed from the United States on four occasions, mostly recently in 2022. He reentered the United States and traveled to Hawaii where he was apprehended in April 2024, while in Ocean View, Hawaii, at which time he possessed with the intent to distribute 176 grams of methamphetamine and 184 grams of heroin, as well as a Colt AR-15 rifle loaded with twenty-seven rounds of ammunition.
At sentencing, Judge Watson explained that Espinoza Lopez’s drug dealing, which was poisoning the community, was aggravated by the defendant’s possession of a loaded firearm as well as his illegal presence in the United States. Judge Watson further noted Espinoza Lopez’s two prior felony convictions made it “difficult” to accept his statement of remorse.
“This prosecution and today’s lengthy sentence deliver the clear message that when you come to Hawaii as an illegal alien for the purpose of brazenly and repeatedly violating our nation’s laws, you will be federally prosecuted and sentenced to a long period of imprisonment,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We will not tolerate those who exploit our borders, endanger our citizens, and profit from the addiction, misery, and violence that accompany the trafficking of drugs in our communities.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Hawaii Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren W.K. Ching prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to 14 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Armando Bravo-Coyote (43) to 14 months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a deported alien. Bravo-Coyote pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024.
According to court documents, on August 19, 2024, Bravo-Coyote, a citizen and national of Mexico, was found to be voluntarily in the United States. Bravo-Coyote was physically removed from the United States to Mexico on four occasions, April 29, 2009, March 22, 2010, August 7, 2013, and May 2, 2019. Bravo-Coyote has never applied to the Attorney General of the United States and/or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for permission to re-enter the United States after being removed/deported from the United States. Bravo-Coyote had previously been convicted of a felony offense.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.
Mexican National Previously Deported Six Times Convicted of Illegal Possession of a Firearm After Confrontation in Downtown ShreveportRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal jury in Shreveport returned a guilty verdict yesterday against Jose Ismael Ramirez-Gonzalez, 37, of Mexico for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and illegal re-entry into the United States after being removed. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote presided over the trial. It took less than an hour for the jury to find Ramirez-Gonzalez guilty of the crimes.
According to evidence presented at trial, on August 4, 2024, Shreveport police officers responded to a 911 call in the 400 block of Commerce Street in downtown Shreveport regarding an armed, Hispanic male. The Hispanic male was determined to be Ramirez-Gonzalez, who was intoxicated and earlier had pointed a loaded Ruger pistol at a woman over an apparent confrontation about parking. Officers arrested Ramirez-Gonzalez for driving under the influence of alcohol and having no driver’s license.
Evidence at trial also established that Ramirez-Gonzalez is a citizen of Mexico and was illegally present in the United States after being deported on six prior occasions between 2008 and 2018.
“The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to make our communities safe for all of our citizens,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “This conviction should send a clear message that anyone in the United States illegally who chooses to violate our laws will be prosecuted to the maximum extent.”
Ramirez-Gonzalez faces a sentence of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearms conviction. He also faces up to two years in prison for illegally re-entering the United States.
“Getting guns out of the hands of criminals is an essential element of the fight against violent crime and securing our neighborhoods,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message to the community that illegal aliens possessing firearms will be held accountable as we work to keep our neighborhoods safe as a top priority to ensure public safety for ATF.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Enforcement & Removal Operations), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Shreveport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cheyenne Y. Wilson and Allison L. Duncan.
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Mexican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Agustin Hernandez-Diaz (28, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Hernandez-Diaz faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison.
According to court documents, Hernandez-Diaz is a citizen and national of Mexico. He was previously removed from the United States on January 31, 2016. On March 11, 2025, he was found voluntarily back in the United States. Hernandez-Diaz has not received the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security for the United States to apply for readmission to the United States.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by United States Customs and Border Protection. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
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.
Mexican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican national residing in Hudson, Mass. has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Fredi Rios-Nolasco, 34, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint on March 18, 2025.
On March 6, 2025, immigration authorities lodged a detainer for Rios-Nolasco after he was arrested and charged in Marlborough District Court for trafficking cocaine. Fingerprints taken during his arrest matched biometrics from his prior removals.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced to over 4 Years for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Eli Torres-Banos, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 51 months in federal prison for possessing 5 kilograms or more of cocaine intended for distribution. Torres-Banos pleaded guilty to this charge on January 14, 2025.
In late November 2023, Torres-Banos was indicted for illegally reentering the United States after deportation or removal, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On December 6, 2023, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials arrested Torres-Banos in Ixonia, Wisconsin. Torres-Banos was in a car parked next to a blue Ford Explorer. During the transfer process to the U.S. Marshals that same day, Torres-Banos was allowed to make a phone call to a person he identified as his wife. During the call, an ICE agent overheard Torres-Banos tell the person in Spanish that drugs were in the trunk of a vehicle. The ICE agent immediately notified authorities in Jefferson County. Jefferson County Drug Task Force officers had observed Torres-Banos driving the blue Ford Explorer the day prior. Officers then searched the Explorer and found approximately 8 ½ kilograms of cocaine.
On June 4, 2024, Judge Peterson sentenced Torres-Banos to one year in federal prison on his conviction for illegal reentry.
At sentencing on the cocaine trafficking charge, Judge Peterson said this was a serious drug crime, involving a large quantity of cocaine, which arose from his arrest for another crime. Judge Peterson noted that Torres-Banos’ criminal history, which included a prior federal conviction for cocaine trafficking, was quite aggravating. However, Judge Peterson also recognized that Torres-Banos had already served a 12-month sentence on his illegal reentry conviction.
The charges against Torres-Banos were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, ICE, Jefferson County Drug Task Force, and the Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Anderson and Steven C. Ayala prosecuted this case.
Massive Fentanyl Seizure in Sandy Springs Leads to Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Antwuan Brown, 39, of Alpharetta, Ga., made an initial appearance earlier today before United States Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker on a Criminal Complaint, charging him with possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Brown allegedly possessed for distribution approximately 240,000 fentanyl pills and 4.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, making this the largest seizure of fentanyl in the district’s history.
“Our federal and local law enforcement partners undoubtedly saved countless lives through their diligent investigation and seizure of this immense quantity of deadly fentanyl,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to aggressively target alleged fentanyl dealers who seek to poison our communities for profit.”
“DEA will continue to combat the fentanyl crisis by holding the most dangerous and prolific drug traffickers accountable,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Locking away criminal drug dealers who choose to push poison on our streets will save lives as fentanyl is the number one killer among Americans aged 18-45.”
A representative from the Sandy Springs Police Department said, “The Sandy Springs Police Department is committed to reducing the impact of illegal drugs in our city, especially fentanyl. We work closely with our federal law enforcement partners, such as the DEA/HIDTA to strengthen our efforts. We appreciate the U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta for their support and for prosecuting this case.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: On March 21, 2025, as part of a drug trafficking investigation, federal investigators of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, and Sandy Springs, Georgia, Police Department officers, executed search warrants of an apartment and a vehicle located in Sandy Springs. Investigators found a pill press containing fentanyl powder and two firearms inside the apartment.
Law enforcement officers then encountered Brown who had the key to the vehicle of interest in his pocket. Officers located the vehicle in the apartment complex’s parking deck, opened it with Brown’s key, and discovered approximately 240,000 fentanyl pills, 4.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Brown was arrested at the scene.
Members of the public are reminded that the Criminal Complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sandy Springs Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Matthew R. LaGrone is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Massachusetts Man Charged with Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Avon, Mass. man, formerly of Boston, has been arrested and charged for failing to register as a sex offender.
Adrian Martinez, 56, was charged with one count of failing to register as a sex offender. Martinez was arrested today and was ordered detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon.
According to the charging documents, Martinez is a Level 3 sex offender as a result of the following prior convictions from when he served in United States Navy in April 1998: committing sodomy with a person under the age of 12; four counts of taking indecent liberties upon the body of a female under 12 years of age; and assault with intent to rape upon a person under the age of 12.
Martinez was sentenced to 40 years in prison for these convictions, of which he served approximately 11 years before being released from federal custody in February 2009. Upon his release, Martinez was required to register as a sex offender and update his registration any time he moved or changed employment. It is alleged that, at some point after Sept. 30, 2022, Martinez moved out of his Boston residence and did not contact law enforcement of his change in registered address. A subsequent investigation allegedly revealed that Martinez had moved to a new residence in Avon.
The charge of failing to register as a sex offender provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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 and Brian A. Kyes, United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit and the Office’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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.
Maryland Bank Teller Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $250,000 from ClientsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, Mountee Brown, 27, a former bank teller from Clinton, Maryland, pled guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to steal funds from bank customers.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Pittano, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region.
According to his guilty plea, Brown worked as a bank teller with Bank A, located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. In his role, he had access to the bank accounts of five victims, four of whom were over the age of 80. Between October and November 2022, Brown and his co-conspirators devised a scheme to use his position as a bank teller to make at least 26 unauthorized cash withdrawals involving the victims’ accounts.
The co-conspirators began carrying out the scheme on October 21, 2022, when Co-conspirator #1 entered Bank A and approached Brown at his designated teller station. Brown knew that Co-conspirator #1 was not Victim #1. But Brown and Co-conspirator #1 conducted a $10,000 cash withdrawal from Victim #1’s account without Victim #1’s knowledge or consent. Brown conducted the cash withdrawal by falsely documenting that he verified the customer, the customer was a “known client,” and that the customer was known by Brown’s supervisor. Co-conspirator #1 falsely signed the withdrawal ticket as Victim #1.
Then on October 22, 2022, Brown and Co-conspirator #1 conducted two additional unauthorized withdrawal transactions from Victim #1’s account totaling $20,000. The same day, Brown deposited approximately $4,300 in cash in an account at another financial institution.
On October 25, 2022, Co-conspirator #2 entered Bank A and approached Brown at his designated teller station. Brown knew that Co-conspirator #2 was not Victim #2. However, Brown and Co-conspirator #2 conducted a $10,000 cash withdrawal from Victim #2’s account without Victim #2’s knowledge or consent. Brown conducted the cash withdrawal by falsely documenting that he verified the customer, the customer was a “known client,” and the customer was known by Brown’s supervisor. Co-conspirator #2 falsely signed the withdrawal ticket as Victim #2.
On the same day, Co-conspirator #2 re-entered Bank A and approached Brown at his designated teller station. Brown and Co-conspirator #2 conducted a $10,000 cash withdrawal from Victim #3’s account, without Victim #3’s knowledge or consent. Brown conducted the cash withdrawal by falsely stating he verified the customer, the customer was a “known client,” and the customer was known by Brown’s supervisor. Co-conspirator #2 falsely signed the withdrawal ticket as Victim #3.
Between October 22, 2022, and December 6, 2022, Brown made cash deposits of approximately $30,200 into his personal account at another financial institution. As a result of his participation in the fraud, Brown and other co-conspirators obtained, directly or indirectly, an amount up to approximately $255,000.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FDIC-OIG for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Darren Gardner who are prosecuting the federal 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.
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Marshall County Resident Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ashley Nicole Castleberry-Miller, age 30, of Kingston, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, punishable by up to 96 months imprisonment.
The Indictment alleged that on April 20, 2024, Castleberry-Miller unlawfully killed the victim when she failed to devote full time and attention to driving, drove left of the center line of the roadway while driving without due caution, and operated a motor vehicle under the influence of an intoxicating substance other than alcohol. The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Seminole Police Department.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Castleberry-Miller will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Lee’s Summit Man Indicted for Child Pornography and Transferring Obscene Material to MinorsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, MO, man was arrested today following an indictment by a federal grand jury for receiving and possessing child pornography, as well as transferring obscene material to a minor.
Matthew R. Taylor, 42, was charged in a five-count indictment on March 26, 2025, which was unsealed following his arrest today. Those charges include one count of receiving child pornography on or about April 2, 2022, one count of possessing child pornography on or about May 17, 2023, and three counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor between approximately April 2, 2022, and February 10, 2023.
Taylor is alleged to have been engaged in explicit sexual communications with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old child. On or about April 2, 2022, he received multiple images of a minor engaged in sexual acts with an adult male. On at least three occasions between April 2, 2022, and February 10, 2023, Taylor sent obscene images to a person he believed to be a minor within the context of his sexual communications with the minor. A federal search warrant was executed at Taylor’s residence in Lee’s Summit, MO, and additional images of suspected child pornography were discovered in his possession.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, if convicted, Taylor is subject to a sentence of at least five years, and up to seventy 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 Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Leader of International Ponzi Scheme Targeting Indonesian-American Community Sentenced to 18 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Francius Marganda was sentenced by United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry to 18 years’ imprisonment for running a $24.5 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded hundreds of predominantly Indonesian and Indo-American victim investors. Marganda, an Indonesian national, led the scheme until it unraveled in 2021 and he fled the United States. Marganda was extradited to the United States from Singapore in November 2023 and pleaded guilty to securities fraud in July 2024. As part of his sentence, Marganda was ordered to pay $8.5 million in restitution and $7.5 million in forfeiture.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York), announced the sentence.
“Marganda’s attempt to evade justice by fleeing halfway across the world to hide in fancy hotels was futile, as he found out today in a federal courtroom in Brooklyn,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “No matter how far defendants may flee, this Office and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to make sure they are brought to justice. It is my hope that this prosecution will bring some measure of relief to the victims of Marganda’s fraud, who trusted him with their life savings because of their shared nationality and were cruelly exploited by him.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, particularly the DOJ Attachés based in Manila and Bangkok; law enforcement partners at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, including the FBI’s Legal Attaché, the HSI Attaché, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Overseas Criminal Investigations Office; and Singaporean authorities, particularly the Singapore Police Force and Attorney-General’s Chambers, for their assistance with Marganda’s arrest and extradition to the United States. Mr. Durham also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, Fort Worth Regional Office; the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York; the Federal Trade Commission; the New York State Attorney General’s Office; the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office; the New York County District Attorney’s Office; the Queens County District Attorney’s Office; the New York City Police Department; the Westford Police Department, Westford, Massachusetts; the Richfield Police Department, Richfield, Minnesota; and the Lexington Police Department, Lexington, South Carolina, for their assistance in this matter.
Francius Marganda financially crippled hundreds of victims after collectively stealing millions of dollars to fund his personal lifestyle,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “The defendant enticed prospective investors across the globe with empty promises of guaranteed returns from his illegitimate companies, and subsequently created an alias to flee the country when his web of lies unraveled. The FBI will continue to pursue any individual who exploits others through fraudulent means, regardless of where they may hide.”
HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso stated: “Francius Marganda’s heartless scheme caused irreparable emotional, psychological, and in some cases even physical damage to many of his more than 200 victims. Marganda swindled the innocent, well-meaning public out of over $23 million, and then fled the country as his shameless conspiracy crumbled. Marganda left hardworking families without money they desperately needed for crucial, life-altering expenses — among them, cancer treatments, medical procedures, and college tuition — and with no opportunities to recoup their lost savings. While no amount of prison time can make up for the irreversible pain Marganda and his co-conspirators have caused, we are thankful to the special agents and officers from HSI’s El Dorado Task Force, together with the FBI and the Eastern District of New York, for securing whatever justice possible on behalf of his victims.”
From May 2019 to May 2021, while residing in New York after overstaying his visa, Marganda orchestrated a scheme to defraud investors by soliciting investments in two sham programs called Easy Transfer and Global Transfer, which Marganda and his co-conspirators falsely represented were short-term, high-interest loan programs in which investors would earn passive income. Marganda and his co-conspirators promised rates of return as high as 200% or more. On a near-daily basis, multiple investors were deceived into signing investment contracts.
Marganda and his co-conspirators misappropriated the invested funds for their own benefit, including by buying real estate and luxury goods, and paying off credit card bills. They also laundered proceeds into their bank accounts. As an example, more than $3.8 million in scheme proceeds was transferred into just one of Marganda’s personal accounts over the course of 11 months, and more than $264,000 in proceeds in the account was used to pay off his credit card bills.
The Ponzi scheme ultimately collapsed in May 2021, when Marganda and his co-conspirators stopped making payments to investors. Marganda fled the United States, obtained an Indonesian passport under a fake name, and used the scheme funds to pay for lavish stays in luxury hotels around the world, including in France, the Maldives, Nepal, and Thailand, until he was apprehended abroad and extradited to the Eastern District of New York.
To date, 237 victims, ranging in age from 24 to 84, have identified losses of more than $24.5 million because of the defendant’s scheme. The victims reside in the District of Columbia and at least 31 states, including New York, as well as in Indonesia and Malaysia. Many of the victims had limited means and had pooled their resources with relatives and friends to make investments in U.S. dollars and Indonesian rupiah.
Judge Irizarry considered statements prepared by dozens of victims in connection with the sentencing hearing held earlier today. Many reported that, as a result of the defendant’s conduct, they declared bankruptcy or lost nearly all of their savings. Because of the financial loss, one victim struggled to pay for a family member’s chemotherapy, while another struggled to pay for medical expenses associated with a family member’s Stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis. One victim lacked the funds to travel and pay respects after both of the victim’s parents died. Multiple victims suffered other serious losses and hardships.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Victor Zapana and Laura Zuckerwise are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Kavya Kannan.
The Defendant:
FRANCIUS MARGANDA
Age: 42
Jakarta, Indonesia and formerly of Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-481 (DLI)
Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Thousands of Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Cristian Javier Vente Ocoro (39, Colombia), a/k/a “Shrek,” “Happy,” and “Teletubis,” has pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic cocaine on vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Vente Ocoro faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. He was arrested in Colombia in September 2023 at the request of the United States and extradited to the United States a year later. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Vente Ocoro was part of an organization that smuggled cocaine from South America to Central America and Mexico, a substantial portion of which passed through points of entry on the United States/Mexico border. Vente Ocoro handled the organization, logistics, and planning of smuggling ventures, as well as recruited and paid crewmembers. As part of the investigation, investigators associated Vente Ocoro with two failed smuggling ventures – the first on June 25, 2019, that involved 1,090 kilograms of cocaine; the second on July 31, 2019, that involved 2,125 kilograms of cocaine.
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.
The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. The Colombian National Police provided critical investigative support. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of the defendant. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Lawrence Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for distributing fentanyl.
George Jimenez, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 41 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In October 2024, Jimenez pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Jimenez was initially charged by criminal complaint in October 2023.
On Sept. 27, 2022, Jimenez sold 99 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in Methuen which was captured on video by a recording device. The video depicted Jimenez meeting the cooperating witness between two buildings. Jimenez made a quick hand-to-hand transaction with the cooperating witness, providing the witness with the drugs ordered in exchange for $1,500.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Jury Finds Snow Removal Business Owner Guilty of Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - After deliberating for one day, a federal jury found Charles W. Lantzman guilty of 5 counts of wire fraud and 3 counts of money laundering, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Lantzman, 51, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was tried before United States District Judge William S. Stickman in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The evidence presented at trial established that Lantzman defrauded customers of his snow removal business by billing them for services that were never performed. Lantzman made three mortgage payments in excess of $10,000 using the proceeds from the fraud.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for August 11, 2025. The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain from the offense, or both for each of the wire fraud counts, and a sentence of up to ten years in prison and a fine on the money laundering counts. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys William B. Guappone and Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Lantzman.
Jacksonville Felon Indicted for Drug Trafficking and Possessing Firearms on Multiple OccasionsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of a superseding indictment charging James Edward Bullard (27, Jacksonville) with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted on all counts, Bullard faces a minimum penalty of 30 years, up to two life terms, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Bullard that the United States intends to forfeit five firearms and their ammunition, which were used in and facilitated the offenses.
According to the indictment, on September 17, 2024, Bullard was in possession of more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine that he intended to distribute. He also possessed firearms in furtherance of this drug trafficking activity. At the time, Bullard had eight prior felony convictions, including selling cocaine and robbery. As a convicted felon, Bullard is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. On November 4, 2024, Bullard again unlawfully possessed a firearm.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Baker County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
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.
Irish National Charged in Multi-State Home Repair Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An Irish national residing illegally in the United States has been ordered detained on wire fraud and conspiracy charges related to an alleged scheme to defraud homeowners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Prior to making an initial appearance today in U.S. District Court on a federal criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, John O’Brien, 28, had been held on an immigration detainer following his arrest by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on March 28, 2025, for overstaying a tourist visa issued to him in 2021, but which expired in October 2021.
Charging documents allege that O’Brien and others defrauded property owners by inducing them into paying for home repairs that were not needed and often not completed. O’Brien misrepresented the need for the repairs and services, as well as the qualifications of his purported construction business, Traditional Masonry & Construction.
O’Brien’s alleged fraud scheme came to the attention of law enforcement when an 83-year-old Warwick, RI, resident, identified in court documents as Victim 1, contacted the Warwick Police Department to complain that he had been defrauded by a contractor. Victim 1 reported that O’Brien told him that, while doing work in the neighborhood, he observed cracks in Victim 1’s foundation. O’Brien offered to professionally repair the damage to the foundation. O’Brien collected $9,500 from Victim 1. As work proceeded, O’Brien allegedly claimed that further damage was discovered. O’Brien allegedly revised the costs for repairs and sought an additional $80,000 from the victim. A home inspector hired by the United States Attorney’s Office later reviewed the property and found no evidence of a need for these extensive foundation repairs.
As described in court documents, other alleged victims have been identified who described similar interactions with O’Brien that began with initial, unsolicited recommendations for small home repairs, followed by O’Brien’s purported discovery of major repairs needed, and often a representation that the homeowner’s foundation was in urgent need of repairs. It is estimated that this scheme has defrauded homeowners out of over $1,000,000.
At the time of O’Brien’s arrest, investigators allegedly seized from his vehicle hundreds of Traditional Masonry & Construction flyers, identical to the ones handed out to the victims in this case, and four binders containing quotes, contracts, and invoices for Traditional Masonry & Construction. The documents and contracts are dated between April 2024 through March 2025, and range from $300.00 to $205,000.00. The approximate value of the contracts contained within the binders totaled $1,987,650.00.
The scheme O’Brien is alleged to have been executing is becoming increasingly common throughout the United States. It has come to be known as Traveling Conman Fraud. According to the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, Conmen Travelers are groups of Irish or U.K. nationals who entered the United States on pleasure or tourist visas and overstayed their visits or, more commonly, entered the United States illegally. Once in the United States, they go to different cities and states, soliciting construction work. The members often quote a low price, and then, after further inspection, demand much more money and/or convince the homeowner that their property is in need of major repairs. The fraudsters often hire day laborers; do not have work authorization documents or pull permits; and do low quality, unnecessary, or incomplete work, sometimes damaging homeowners’ residences.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Taylor A. Dean and Sandra R. Hebert. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Warwick and East Providence Departments.
This investigation 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.
The United States Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations recommend that consumers follow a few simple rules to lessen the likelihood of being defrauded by this organization or others.
Be very cautious with unsolicited solicitations from contractors who show up at your door saying that they noticed a problem that needs to be fixed.
Don’t fall victim to high pressure scare tactics. Proceed cautiously before you commit to allowing work to be done, and only after getting at least one second opinion and cost estimate.
Before hiring any contractor for a large job, make sure they have a legitimate business address and consider going there to verify that the business does exist.
Verify that the contractor is licensed before agreeing to have any work started. In Rhode Island, confirm licensing information on the Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board web site; In Massachusetts check the website of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.
Ensure that the contractor obtains permits to do the work from your local city or town before work begins. Ask to see the permit and verify its authenticity with your city or town.
As is alleged in this case, beware of schemes where work is begun with a relatively small job and then the contractor claims to have found far greater damage that will cost a lot of more money to repair.
Don’t leave new or unfamiliar contractors alone at your house – even if they’re working outside. They sometimes intentionally cause damage. Keep a close eye of work being done.
If you or someone you know believes they may have fallen victim to the Traveling Conman Fraud scheme, you are urged to contact Homeland Security Investigations via email at [email protected]
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obrien_search_and_arrest_warrant_affidavit.pdfIndictment Unsealed Charging Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme at Prichard Water BoardRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Today, U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello announced criminal charges against seven defendants related to a multi-million dollar fraud scheme at the Water Works and Sewer Board of the City of Prichard (“Prichard Water Board”). A federal grand jury in Mobile has returned a thirty-two count indictment against five individuals, while two people have already pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
According to the indictment unsealed today, Nia Bradley, 50, of Mobile, Alabama; Randy Burden, 47, of Prichard, Alabama; Steve Jones, 61, of Mobile, Alabama; Larry Knight, 35, of Mobile, Alabama; Dejuan Lamar, 47, of Mobile, Alabama; Ayanna Payton, 47, of Eight Mile, Alabama; and Stephanie Hunn, 49, of Mobile, Alabama, were charged with various federal crimes listed below. Payton and Hunn previously pleaded guilty to all charges against them and are awaiting sentencing. Their proceedings were sealed in light of the ongoing investigation which led to charges recently filed against Bradley, Burden, Jones, Knight, and Lamar. Each of the defendants face potential sentences of decades in prison.
The Grand Jury returned an indictment alleging the following scheme: starting as early as 2018 through 2022, the defendants bilked the Prichard Water Board of at least approximately $2.4 million dollars through a false and fraudulent contractor scheme involving outside contractors and employees and board members of the Prichard Water Board. Approximately $960,000 of the money was illegally laundered, including through a business owned and operated by Bradley and Burden.
The Prichard Water Board provides water and sewer services to approximately 8,000 residential and 2,000 commercial clients and is funded by customer payments and also through a $55 million bond it secured in 2019. The indictment alleges that the criminal scheme involved the creation of a fictitious business by Hunn and the creation of false invoices to justify unlawful payments to Hunn, Jones, Knight, and Lamar. Bradley and Burden, who were employees of the Prichard Water Board, allegedly falsified payment authorizations and received kick-back payments and other benefits.
Payton and another uncharged co-conspirator served on the board of the Prichard Water Board where they are alleged to have falsified payment authorizations and received kick-back payments and other benefits for their roles. Several of the conspirators communicated through coded messages and destroyed evidence to attempt to avoid detection of the crimes, according to the indictment. Bradley, Payton, Hunn, and Jones committed tax fraud to avoid revealing the criminal scheme and to avoid paying taxes to the United States. Through its criminal cases, the United States is seeking money judgments in the amounts of approximately $2,459,279.39, $960,851.41, and $302,134.90, as well as the forfeiture of three real properties which were purchased using fraud proceeds and involved in the money laundering scheme.
Nia Bradley is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Bank, and Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Defraud the United States (Taxes); Money Laundering Conspiracy; Wire Fraud; Bank Fraud; and related tax charges.
Randy Burden is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Bank, and Wire Fraud; Money Laundering Conspiracy; and Bank Fraud.
Steve Jones is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Bank, and Wire Fraud; Money Laundering Conspiracy; Bank Fraud; and filing false tax returns.
Larry Knight and Dejuan Lamar are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Bank, and Wire Fraud and Bank Fraud.
Ayanna Payton and Stephanie Hunn have pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Bank, and Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Defraud the United States (Taxes); Wire Fraud; Bank Fraud; and False Tax Filings and both women are awaiting sentencing.
“The taxpayers of the Southern District of Alabama deserve to be able to rely on competent, honest public servants,” said United States Attorney Sean P. Costello. “This indictment is the result of careful, thorough, and meticulous investigation. Together with our partners in law enforcement, we will continue our efforts to protect the taxpayers and hold accountable thieves who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of our community.”
“Fraud and theft by government employees from the very people they are put in place to serve will not be tolerated,” said FBI Mobile Division Supervisory Special Agent Parker Still. “This investigation is another example of law enforcement cooperation between federal, state and local entities to ensure people have trust in their public works.”
“Corrupt public officials waste government resources and diminish the trust citizens place in their government to provide the essential services they expect,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will continue investigating and forwarding for prosecution those who disregard the public trust by misusing taxpayers’ funds to enrich themselves and their coconspirators.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains steadfast in our commitment to protect the nation’s mail system from illegal use,” said Shameka Jackson, Acting Postal Inspector in Charge of the Houston Division. “With the collaborative investigative efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, we will continue to work together to bring to justice those who abuse the trust given to them by the American people.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and United States Postal Inspection Service, investigated the case with assistance from the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Bishop Ravenel and Kasee S. Heisterhagen are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
An indictment or information is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Indian National Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Kirtan Patel (24, India) to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. Patel entered a guilty plea on December 18, 2024.
According to the plea agreement and court records, between May 22 and 24, 2024, Patel communicated online with someone whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl. The child, however, was an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent. Patel engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the undercover agent. Ultimately, Patel was arrested when he traveled to a location in Marion County to engage in sexual activity with the child. Patel was not lawfully present in the United States at the time of the events of this case.
“This predator engaged in sexually explicit online conversations and devised a plan to meet a minor for sexual activity, actions that could have had devastating consequences,” said Homeland Security Investigation Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office are unwavering in our commitment to protecting our children for sexual predators who seek to destroy their futures.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Independence Woman Charged with Defrauding an Elderly Victim of over $1,000,000Read the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, MO, woman was arrested today following a five-count indictment by a federal grand jury charging her with defrauding an elderly victim of over $1 million dollars.
Amanda Sargent, 35, was charged in a five-count indictment on March 26, 2025, which was unsealed following her arrest today. The indictment alleges that Sargent defrauded an elderly victim she met on Facebook. Sargent made false claims to the victim and received over $1,000,000 over a nearly two-year period.
The Platte County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by an elderly woman who reported that she believed herself to be a victim of fraud by Sargent. The woman met Sargent in a Facebook group that connected those experiencing homelessness to helpful resources in the Kansas City area. In late 2021, Sargent posted a request to this group seeking help to pay for car repairs and the woman responded by sending a small amount of money. Over the next nearly two years, Sargent made false claims that she needed help paying medical bills for her and her children, rent, utilities, and even assistance paying for a kidney transplant. The victim believed she was helping a young family in need and sent Sargent over $1,000,000 from late 2021 until mid-2023. Sargent’s claims were false, and she withdrew all the donations in cash for her own use.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, if convicted, Sargent faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. 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 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Hanson. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Platte County Sheriff’s Office.