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9 May 2025
Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Lordson Mboko Mavungu, 23, a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Congo, pleaded guilty to a criminal complaint charging him with illegally entering the United States at a time or place other than designated for entering the country by immigration authorities.
According to court records, on May 3, 2025, at approximately 2:00 a.m., the Royal Canadian Mounted Police notified U.S. Border Patrol of two individuals with a small child that were about to cross the international border from Canada into the U.S. in the area of Guay Farm Rd in Troy, VT. U.S. Border Patrol agents drove down Guay Farm Rd and observed the individuals matching the description they had received. The three subjects were encountered shortly after crossing the border. The Border Patrol agents conducted an immigration inspection. Mavungu presented a Democratic Republic of Congo identification card. The agents determined that Mavungu had unlawfully entered the U.S. from Canada, and the agents placed Mavungu under arrest.
Mavungu had his initial court appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on May 5, 2025, where Mavungu pleaded not guilty and was ordered detained. On May 8, 2025, before Judge Doyle, Mavungu pleaded guilty and received a time-served sentence. Mavungu had faced up to 6 months’ imprisonment.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Gilman. Mavungu is represented by Lisa B. Shelkrot, Esq.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Florida man pleads guilty to defrauding bettors through gambling websitesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida man pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with his online betting scheme.
According to court documents, Phillip James Krnyaich, 43, of Clermont, is a professional gambler who operated as a “bookie,” using WAGERHUB888.COM and other websites to manage his customers’ bets. Krnyaich purchased “sales leads” spreadsheets from an entity named “CapperTek” that contained the names and contact information for thousands of individuals Krnyaich contacted to advertise his gambling business.
From April 2020 through April 2023, Krnyaich sought out individuals interested in online gambling, managed their bets, and then, on numerous occasions, failed to pay them after they attempted to withdraw their funds. When those individuals sought return of their funds, Krnyaich, using aliases and multiple email addresses, provided false reasons for failing to pay. In some cases, Krnyaich consistently solicited additional money under the false pretense that providing additional funds would allow him to return bettors’ previously provided funds. Krnyaich used bettor funds to make personal purchases.
In total, Krnyaich fraudulently obtained over $550,000 in connection with his various gambling websites.
Krnyaich is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29 and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Ray is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-57.
Final ‘in-custody’ defendant in Whatcom County drug trafficking ring sentenced to 8 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 35-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to eight years in prison for drug distribution and firearm crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Mohamed Abdirisak Mohamed pleaded guilty in January 2024. Mohamed was indicted in April 2023 after being caught on two separate occasions with thousands of fentanyl pills and a firearm. He was sentenced for two counts of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, two counts of unlawful possession of firearms, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said, “You were involved in the dangerous combination of drugs and guns…. Those same drugs that you were dealing you had no idea where they would wind up… You put yourself in danger, your children in danger and their mother in danger.”
“This defendant ‘s encounters with law enforcement bookend this investigation – he was caught with thousands of potentially deadly pills and firearms in November 2022 and again in April 2023, said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “Fentanyl has taken a deadly toll in Whatcom County, just as it has throughout our country. Stopping such drug trafficking is a key priority of the Department of Justice.”
According to records filed in the case, Mohamed was one of six people charged federally in a months-long investigation of fentanyl dealing in Whatcom County. The ring was actively moving fentanyl from the Seattle area to redistributors in Bellingham. Law enforcement officers observed various drug transactions and interdicted the drug loads. On December 30, 2022, Lummi Police were called to a mini mart where a fentanyl distributor and a companion were revived and hospitalized following a fentanyl overdose.
In asking Judge Jones to impose the ten-year-sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs wrote to the court, “Mohamed was involved in an ongoing conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in Whatcom County. Many of these drugs ended up being distributed… on the Lummi Indian reservation, a community hard hit by the fentanyl pandemic. The Court is certainly aware of the danger that fentanyl poses to those who use it. Ultimately, Mohamed – for whatever reason –was willing to personally profit from the distribution of an addictive and often deadly controlled substance.”
Other members of the drug ring have been sentenced: 40-year-old Daniel Faix of Bellingham as sentenced to ten years in prison; 34-year-old Ahbdurman Ahmed of Seattle was sentenced in January 2024 to six years in prison. In July 2024 Natasha Parkhill, 38, of Bellingham, was sentenced to four years in prison. Defendant Matthew Anderson, 36, of Bellingham, was sentenced last October to three years in prison. Defendant Robel Sisay Gebremedhin, A/K/A Robel Sisay Gebremedhin, 42, of Burien, WA is being sought by law enforcement.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Whatcom County Drug and Gang Task Force, with valuable assistance provided by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, and the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs.
Federal Prosecutors Charge 34 Defendants This Week with Being Illegal Aliens Found in the United States Following RemovalRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Working alongside law enforcement partners at United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against 34 defendants this week who allegedly were found in the U.S. following removal, the Justice Department announced today.
Many of the defendants charged were previously convicted of felonies before they were removed from the United States.
The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year prison sentence and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
Some of the recently filed cases are summarized below:
- Jesús Aguilar García, 34, of Mexico, is charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Aguilar, who was removed from the U.S. in 2008 and again in 2011, has a state conviction for unlawful intercourse by a person over 21 with a person under 16 in 2023, for which he was sentenced to two years’ probation. He also has prior state convictions for felon in possession of a firearm in 2021, carrying a concealed weapon with a criminal street gang allegation in 2010, and possession of a controlled substance for sale in 2010, each of which received sentences of 16 months’ imprisonment. Finally, he has a 2013 federal conviction for 1326 for which he received a sentence of 30 months’ imprisonment. Assistant United States Attorney John A. Balla of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating these matters.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Murder and First-Degree Child Abuse of a ToddlerRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Byerly Birge announced that a federal jury convicted Eugene Walter-George Rantanen, (37, L’Anse, Michigan) of murder and first-degree child abuse. Rantanen is scheduled to be sentenced this fall.
On February 19, 2024, a nineteen-month-old toddler became unresponsive while in the sole custody of Rantanen, while the two were inside the L’Anse Reservation of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. After extensive medical intervention, the child succumbed to the injuries and died on February 24, 2024. Based on the medical examiner’s testimony at trial, the toddler had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, which caused significant injuries to the brain. Based on government-witness testimony at trial, the only plausible explanation for the toddler’s injuries was that Rantanen caused the severe brain injuries.
“Any time a child dies, it is a tragedy. But it is particularly tragic when a caretaker causes the death,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Birge. “My office will hold individuals like Rantanen accountable for their violent crimes whenever it can.”
“This conviction confirms that Eugene Rantanen will no longer pose a threat to anyone, especially our children,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This outcome results from a thorough and cooperative investigation with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Police, the Village of L'Anse Police, the Baraga County Sheriff's Office, the Michigan State Police, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan. I extend my deepest condolences to those who truly loved the young victim—no one should ever have to endure such a heartbreaking loss.”
The FBI, Michigan State Police, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Police, Baraga County Sheriff’s Office, and Village of L’Anse Police investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis Sanford and Jeanne Long are prosecuting it.
This case was part of the Department of Justice’s work to combat the missing and murder indigenous person’s (MMIP) crisis. Per the Bureau of Indian Affairs, “For decades, Native American and Alaska Native communities have struggled with high rates of assault, abduction, and murder of tribal members. Community advocates describe the crisis as a legacy of generations of government policies of forced removal, land seizures and violence inflicted on Native peoples.” The BIA website has more information about the MMIP crisis at https://www.bia.gov/service/mmu/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-people-crisis.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Essex County, New Jersey Man and Woman for Conspiracy to Commit Forced Labor; Man Also Charged with Sex Trafficking and Forced LaborRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the District of New Jersey, returned an indictment on April 25 that was unsealed Wednesday, charging Treva Edwards, 60, with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and forced labor. The indictment also charged Treva Edwards and Christine Edwards, 63, with conspiracy to commit forced labor.
According to the indictment, Treva and Christine Edwards were the founders and pastors of a church they named “Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost,” which they operated out of a multi-unit apartment building in Orange, New Jersey, and where they conspired with each other and others to obtain the compelled labor of church members.
“The Department of Justice will not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable individuals under the guise of faith or community,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Civil Rights Division is committed to holding accountable those who abuse positions of trust to manipulate and control others for personal gain. These charges reflect our unwavering focus on protecting victims and prosecuting those who commit forced labor and sex trafficking.”
“These charges are an example of my office’s tireless commitment to combatting human trafficking in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey. “If you engage in human trafficking, we will find you, and we will prosecute you. We are committed to working alongside our partners to ensure that those who target the most vulnerable are brought to justice.”
“Treva and Christine Edwards turned a source of hope into a tool of fear by allegedly exploiting religious faith to manipulate victims and expose them to sexual violence and forced labor conditions,” said Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark Division. “Seeking justice for human trafficking victims in cases like this is of utmost importance to HSI Newark. Anyone who may believe they are a victim of trafficking can be assured our investigations are victim-centered and that we will continue to relentlessly pursue justice for anyone’s freedom that has been held ransom.”
“An important part of the mission of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of labor trafficking involving the use of coercion or force,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations.”
As charged in the indictment, between 2011 and 2020, the defendants identified and recruited victims who were facing struggles in their personal lives, including financial and familial struggles, to join the church and live and worship at the church building. Treva Edwards told the victims that he was a prophet who could communicate directly with God and that disobeying him would result in spiritual retribution from God, as well as physical, emotional, and financial harm.
The defendants secured labor contracts to provide manual labor in and around Orange, New Jersey, and the defendants dispatched the victims to perform the contracted labor. The defendants did not pay wages to the victims for their work and kept the money earned from their labor.
The defendants convinced the victims that they would lose favor with God if they did not perform labor. Treva Edwards spread fear among the victims through verbal and emotional abuse and threats of reputational harm, homelessness, hunger, spiritual retribution, punishments, and more hard labor to gain their obedience and compel them to perform unpaid labor. The defendants instituted and enforced strict rules about when and whether the victims could eat or sleep, when and for how long they were to pray and work, and whether they could speak to non-members or leave the church building. The defendants isolated the victims, monitored their communications and whereabouts, and by convincing them that non-members were evil or possessed by the devil. The defendants deprived the victims of sleep and typically fed them only once a day after they completed their work.
Also according to the allegations in the indictment, Treva Edwards controlled and subjected one victim to repeated physical and sexual assaults, impregnated her, and instructed her to get an abortion.
The defendants made their initial court appearances today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa. The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion against Treva Edwards carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The forced labor charge against Treva Edwards carries a maximum penalty of twenty years or life imprisonment if the violation included aggravated sexual abuse. The conspiracy to commit forced labor charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Alina Habba of the District of New Jersey credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to this indictment.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor Chenoweth and Susan Millenky for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
HSI Newark is asking anyone with information about Treva Edwards, Christine Edwards, or their organization known as Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost (JLHG), to contact its tip line at (866) 347-2423 or email [email protected]. The tip line is monitored 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Additionally, there is an online tip form.
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fall River Man Pleads Guilty to Shipping Cocaine Through the MailRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a drug trafficking offense arising from his shipment of cocaine through the U.S. mail from California to Massachusetts.
Justin Dupras, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 4, 2025. Dupras was charged by criminal complaint in January 2025.
According to the charging document, Dupras mailed a package containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine from a Post Office in Los Angeles, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. on Dec. 17, 2024. Dupras then returned to Massachusetts and, on Dec. 19, 2024, drove to the Fall River Post Office. Another individual signed for the package containing cocaine and handed it to Dupras.
In addition, Dupras mailed packages containing cocaine from California to Massachusetts on multiple prior occasions. For example, on Sept. 17, 2024, Dupras mailed a box containing more than two kilograms of cocaine from Chino Hills, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. On Oct. 29, 2024, Dupras mailed a box containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine from Los Angeles, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. Flight records show Dupras returning to Massachusetts on the same day that he mailed the two packages.
The charge of attempting to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $2,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fall River Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely is prosecuting the case.
Edmond Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – KENNETH LYNCH, 45, of Edmond, has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, announced U.S Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On February 20, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a three-count Indictment, charging Lynch with sexual exploitation of a child, transportation of child pornography, and possession of and accessing with intent to view material containing child pornography. According to public record, in October 2024, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) discovered images depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that were shared in a chat site on the darkweb, a computer network within the internet that is restricted and cannot be accessed by the general public using a standard search engine. In the course of their investigation, HSI identified the minor victim in the photo, and spoke with her on November 12, 2024. The victim told agents Lynch sexually abused her on multiple occasions and captured the images in question. Edmond police arrested Lynch at his home on January 15, 2025, after executing a search warrant. On Lynch’s phone, law enforcement found some of the CSAM images that started the investigation.
On May 7, 2025, Lynch pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment, and admitted he used a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a picture of that conduct. At sentencing, Lynch faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by HSI and the Edmond Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz is prosecuting the case.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force, which is led by HSI. The Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force is an implementation of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
District of Arizona Charges 314 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from May 3, 2025, through May 9, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 314 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 117 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 166 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 25 cases against 31 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Marco Antonio Ruelas-Solis: On May 3, 2025, Marco Antonio Ruelas-Solis, of Mexico, was found in possession of an FNS-9C 9-millimeter pistol and 40 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition while target shooting along Forest Road 403 in the Tonto National Forest in Maricopa County. Ruelas-Solis was charged with Possession of a Firearm by Alien Unlawfully Present in the United States and Reentry of a Removed Alien. [Case Numbers: MJ-25-0178; MJ-25-6183]
United States v. Clayton Line Wilhite: On May 4, 2025, Clayton Line Wilhite was arrested and charged with Transportation of an Illegal Alien after he failed to yield at an immigration checkpoint. After Wilhite failed to yield, law enforcement officers from Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection responded to the scene and attempted to effectuate a stop. Wilhite led officers on a short vehicle chase before striking another car from behind and pulling over. Two illegal aliens from Mexico then exited the vehicle and tried to flee but were detained by agents. Wilhite remained in the driver’s seat and was arrested without further incident. [Case number: MJ-25-07795]
A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-076_May 9 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Detroit Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Farmington, Michigan man was sentenced this week to 15 years in prison for sexually exploiting multiple children, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Evan Mercer, 31, of Farmington, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Terrence G. Berg. Mercer pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children after he chatted with multiple minors online and recorded images of them nude and in sexually explicit positions. The youngest victim appears to have been just seven years old. Mercer contacted her in September 2023 and recorded a video of her exposing herself to a web camera. He solicited nude images from at least two other minors. Mercer’s crimes came to light after a witness came forward to law enforcement after discovering the videos Mercer had produced. Authorities located and Mercer’s electronic devices, finding the evidence of his crimes.
“This defendant solicited multiple children online and exploited their youth, naivete, and vulnerability to create sexual exploitative images of his victims. We are thankful to the brave witness who came forward to alert authorities of his crimes, and to the law enforcement who collected that evidence and ensured this offender was brought to justice,” U.S. Attorney Gorgon said.
"Evan Mercer's sentencing underscores the FBI's steadfast commitment to seeking justice for victims of child exploitation and to protecting our most vulnerable population," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Mr. Mercer's inexcusable actions against minors, as well as any other offenders, will not be tolerated. I commend the dedicated efforts of our Oakland County Resident Agency members, and our law enforcement partners at the Ferndale Police Department. I also want to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, whose contributions were vital in concluding this case. We remain fully committed to collaborating with our community and law enforcement allies to identify, investigate, and bring to justice those who pose a threat to our children."
“This case was investigated by special agents of the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diane Princ, Nhan Ho, and Tara Hindelang.
Defendant Convicted of Armed Robbery at a Brooklyn Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a federal jury convicted Michael Rutledge on all counts of a superseding indictment charging him with Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, Hobbs Act robbery, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges arose from a robbery committed at gunpoint by Rutledge and two co-conspirators on February 10, 2023. The verdict followed a five-day trial before United States District Judge Frederic Block. When sentenced, Rutledge faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, New York Field Office (ATF); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdict.
“Rutledge and his co-conspirators meticulously planned a violent robbery in a neighborhood convenience store in Clinton Hill, during which a customer was brutally pistol-whipped and shot, and a hard-working store clerk was held at knifepoint while thieves lined their pockets with thousands of dollars in cash,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Thanks to exceptional investigative work by the ATF and the NYPD, the defendant was identified, apprehended, and rightly convicted today.”
This conviction is a testament to the strength of New York City’s law enforcement partnerships and our shared commitment to protecting the public from violent gun crime,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Miller. “The brazen and violent acts committed in this case are unacceptable. Thanks to the tireless work of the ATF/NYPD SPARTA Group (Strategic Pattern Armed Robbery Technical Apprehension), NYPD 88th Precinct Detective Squad and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District, this defendant has been held accountable and will face the consequences of his actions. We will remain relentless in our efforts to identify, investigate, and stop those who use illegal firearms to terrorize people in our communities.”
“Michael Rutledge didn’t just act as a getaway driver—he aided and abetted violent criminals who held a store clerk at knifepoint, stole thousands of dollars from his business, and shot an unassuming victim in a targeted attack,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Today’s guilty verdict holds him accountable for his role in this senseless violence and his attempt to evade justice. We remain committed to working with all of our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who threaten the safety of our communities face the full consequences of their actions.”
As proven at trial, Rutledge drove co-defendant Angel Gomez and their other co-conspirator (Co-Conspirator) from the Bronx to Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood to execute their plan to rob a convenience store on Myrtle Avenue. Rutledge parked their vehicle while Gomez and Co-Conspirator walked to the store. Inside, Gomez displayed a gun and Co-Conspirator pulled out a knife, menacing the store worker. Co-Conspirator then rifled through two cash registers, removing more than $4,000 in cash. Meanwhile, Gomez pointed his gun at a customer, struck the customer in the head repeatedly with the gun, and shot him in the hip. The robbery duo fled back to the meet-up location where Rutledge was waiting to drive them away.
Rutledge was apprehended on June 21, 2023 after law enforcement executed a search warrant at an address in the Bronx where he was staying and where he fled after completing the robbery. They recovered the clothing he wore on the night of the robbery.
On February 12, 2025, Gomez pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Gomez is awaiting sentencing. Co-Conspirator remains at large.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorneys James R. Simmons and Vincent M. Chiappini are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Matias Burdman and Criminal Investigations Unit Intelligence Research Specialist Ashley Hinkson.
The Defendant:
MICHAEL RUTLEDGE
Age: 45
Bronx, New YorkDefendant Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:
ANGEL GOMEZ
Age: 45
Bronx, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-269 (S-1) (FB)
Dayton man pleads guilty in bulk methamphetamine conspiracyRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Antel Braden, 24, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute bulk amounts of methamphetamine.
According to his plea agreement, in August 2024, Braden was the intended recipient of a United States postal package from California containing more than three kilograms of methamphetamine.
Law enforcement intercepted the mail package and replaced the drugs with sham narcotics before having an undercover agent deliver the package to an address in Dayton.
Braden arrived at the residence and received the package. After receiving the package of what he believed to be methamphetamine, Braden drove to another location in Dayton to pick up his brother and co-conspirator, Giovantae Braden, 30.
When law enforcement endeavored to stop Braden’s vehicle on E. Dorothy Lane, he attempted to flee. Braden ran a red light at E. Dorothy Lane and E. Stroop Road, causing a crash and significant damage to both vehicles. The sham narcotics were thrown from the vehicle and the Braden brothers attempted to flee on foot. They were both apprehended by law enforcement.
Braden faces up to 20 years in prison. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); announced the guilty plea entered on May 8 before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.
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Davenport Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in federal prison for receipt and distribution of child pornography.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in January 2023 that Benjamin Riley Blankenship, 22, had uploaded images and videos containing child sexual abuse material to a Snapchat account registered to Blankenship. A search warrant was executed on Blankenship’s residence. Law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices. The devices had all previously logged into the Snapchat account that uploaded child sexual abuse material.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Blankenship will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Blankenship was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office and the Davenport Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSEPH GIOVANNI SOTO, 34, of West Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 168 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force identified a cocaine trafficking operation that involved the shipment of parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine from U.S. Post Offices in Puerto Rico to various “drop addresses” in New Britain and Meriden, Connecticut, as well as addresses in Holyoke and West Springfield, Massachusetts. The organization used “runners” to pick up the parcels from the drop addresses and deliver them to Soto’s residence in Bloomfield and the residence of Soto’s uncle, Ramon Soto, in New Britain. Typically, Ramon Soto, at Joseph Soto’s direction, then delivered the cocaine to individuals in the Bronx, New York, and elsewhere, in return for payment.
During the investigation, task force members intercepted and seized 10 suspicious parcels, each of which contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine, and identified approximately 280 suspicious parcels likely containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been delivered to the various drop addresses.
Joseph Soto was arrested on May 1, 2023. On that date, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of his residence and seized two loaded firearms, a drum magazine, ammunition, body armor, approximately two kilograms of cocaine, drug packaging material, and approximately $12,000 in cash. One of the seized firearms was fitted with a switch making it fully automatic, and investigators also found a second, uninstalled switch. A search of Ramon Soto’s residence on that date revealed a loaded Ruger handgun, firearm magazines, ammunition, two money counters, a digital scale with cocaine residue, and more than $1,000 in cash.
On February 7, 2025, Joseph Soto pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Released on a $100,000 bond, he is required to report to prison on June 25.
Ramon Soto pleaded guilty to a related charge and, on January 8, 2025, was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, and the Hartford, Plainville, and Meriden Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Levick and Konstantin Lantsman.
Clermont Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Carlos Calderon (56, Clermont) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Calderon faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement and court proceedings, Calderon and others conspired to create and execute a mortgage fraud scheme targeting financial institutions. To ensure that otherwise unqualified borrowers obtained mortgage loans from financial institutions, Calderon created fictitious and fraudulent paystubs that falsely indicated the borrowers worked at particular companies for certain periods of time and earned income. Calderon then sent the fraudulent documents to a co-conspirator who submitted them to the financial institutions. Based on Calderon’s and his co-conspirators’ misrepresentations, the financial institutions approved and funded the mortgage loans. The fraudulently obtained mortgages were subsequently purchased and guaranteed by Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Cedar Rapids Man Involved in Two Shootings Sentenced to a Decade in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who shot at a woman and child, and later pointed a gun at someone who shot back at him, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
David Rafael Walker, age 38, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 11, 2024 jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence at trial and the sentencing hearing showed that on December 14, 2021, in Cedar Rapids, Walker shot at a woman and a child because he was mad that she went to lunch with another man. Three days later, Walker was driving a car in Cedar Rapids and noticed that he was being followed by another car. He stopped his car in the middle of the street, opened his car door, and pointed a gun at the other car. A person in the other car shot at him. This shooting was captured on doorbell cameras in the area. Walker has felony convictions for attempting to elude, manufacturing or delivering heroin, and other drug offenses.
Walker was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Walker was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Walker is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devra Hake, Emily Nydle, and Dan Tvedt, and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Marion Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-65.
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Cazenovia Man Charged with Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Dean Dellas, age 40, of Cazenovia, New York, was arraigned Tuesday in federal court on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
According to the indictment, beginning no later than June 2021 through November 2023, Dellas acted as a financial advisor for the investment accounts of clients in the Syracuse area. The indictment alleges that Dellas fraudulently induced those clients to sign paperwork that authorized Dellas to take advisor fees from their accounts well in excess of what they actually agreed to. For other accounts, Dellas fraudulently induced the clients to sign paperwork granting him trading and withdrawal authority over their accounts, according to the indictment. This account-opening paperwork misrepresented Dellas’s relationship to the clients and falsely stated that Dellas received no compensation for providing investment advice. The account-opening documents that Dellas induced the client to sign also falsely stated that the client wanted to engage in high-risk forms of investment, according to the indictment. To conceal the fraud, Dellas allegedly took steps to conceal account statements from his clients and at times impersonated clients in communicating with brokerage firms. According to the indictment, Dellas stole approximately $642,000 from his victims through unauthorized withdrawals and advisor fees.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Dellas was released pending a trial to be scheduled later this year before Chief United States District Court Judge Brenda K. Sannes.
The wire fraud charges filed against Dellas carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000 or twice any gain or loss determined by the court. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a sentence of 2 years’ federal prison consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed. The charges also carry a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie and Michael F. Perry are prosecuting the case.
Bronx Feva Gang Members Charged with April 2022 Murder and Racketeering OffensesRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging NASIA CARSON, a/k/a “Nas,” ELIJAH SANTIAGO, a/k/a “Eli,” and PHILIP MOSCA, a/k/a “90,” with participating in a racketeering conspiracy involving a Bronx-based gang known as “Feva” and committing multiple violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including the murder of a 21-year-old named Jesse Bynum on April 12, 2022. CARSON and MOSCA were previously taken into custody on related charges, and SANTIAGO was arrested earlier today. All three defendants are expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged, these three defendants brutally murdered 21-year-old Jesse Bynum, and left three others seriously wounded. New York families should not have to live in fear of gang-motivated violence. The women and men of the Southern District and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding accountable those who terrorize our communities with gang-motivated violence. We hope that commitment and the charges brought today bring some measure of comfort to the family of Jesse Bynum and others who have suffered needless losses from gang-motivated crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: "These three Feva gang members allegedly engaged in violence to retaliate against their rivals, including firing a gun into a crowded street and killing Jesse Bynum. The defendants’ alleged relentless attempts to fuel a feud with a rival cost the life of a bystander caught in the crosshairs. With our law enforcement partners, the FBI remains committed to protecting our city from unnecessary gun violence and murders."
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: "These three individuals allegedly carried out a cold-blooded shooting that killed a 21-year-old New Yorker and seriously injured three others. They showed no regard for human life, and their senseless act of violence has no place in our city. We are committed to identifying and dismantling the street gangs threatening the safety of our communities. I want to thank the NYPD investigators and our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their tireless work to bring them to justice.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From at least in or about 2022, through at least in or about 2023, CARSON, SANTIAGO, and MOSCA were members and associates of a criminal organization known as Feva that operated principally in the vicinity of the Pelham Parkway Houses and 2250 Wallace Avenue in the Bronx, New York. Members and associates of Feva engaged in, among other activities, drug trafficking, acts involving murder, attempted murder, and assault.
On or about April 12, 2022, CARSON, SANTIAGO, and MOSCA shot into a small crowd of people gathered on a street in an attempt to retaliate against a rival gang. The shooting resulted in the murder of 21-year-old Bynum, and serious physical injury to three others.
If you believe that you have additional information about this murder, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York at 1-866-874-8900 and reference this case.
* * *
A chart containing the names, ages, charges, and maximum penalties against the defendants is set forth below.
The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department 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 case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ni Qian, Marguerite B. Colson, and Brandon D. Harper are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTIES
1Racketeering conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
NASIA CARSON, a/k/a “Nas,” 21;
ELIJAH SANTIAGO, a/k/a “Eli,” 22;
PHILIP MOSACA, a/k/a “90,” 22;
(“All Defendants”)
Life in prison2Murder in aid of racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2
All DefendantsDeath or mandatory sentence of life in prison3Conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering
18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5)
All Defendants10 years in prison4Attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3), (a)(5), and 2
All Defendants20 years in prison5Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2
All DefendantsLife in prison
Mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison
6Attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3), (a)(5), and 2
All Defendants20 years in prison7Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2
All DefendantsLife in prison
Mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison
8Assault with a dangerous weapon and assault in aid of racketeering
18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3), (a)(5), and 2
All Defendants20 years in prison9Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2
All DefendantsLife in prison
Mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact descried therein should be treated as an allegation.
Botnet Dismantled in International Operation, Russian and Kazakhstani Administrators IndictedRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A domain seizure warrant was unsealed, along with an indictment charging four foreign national hackers with conspiracy and other computer crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Russian nationals, Alexey Viktorovich Chertkov, 37, Kirill Vladimirovich Morozov, 41, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Shishkin, 36, and Dmitriy Rubtsov, 38, a Kazakhstani national, were charged with Conspiracy and Damage to Protected Computers for conspiring with others to maintain, operate, and profit from botnet services known as Anyproxy and 5socks.
The Indictment alleges that a botnet was created by infecting older-model wireless internet routers worldwide, including in the United States, using malware without their owners’ knowledge. The installed malware allowed the routers to be reconfigured, granting unauthorized access to third parties and making the routers available for sale as proxy servers on the Anyproxy.net and 5socks.net websites. Both website domains were managed by a company headquartered in Virginia and hosted on computer servers worldwide.
Additional court documents reveal that the 5socks.net website advertised more than 7,000 proxies for sale worldwide, including in the United States. Users paid a monthly subscription fee, ranging from $9.95 to $110 per month. The website's slogan, “Working since 2004!”, indicates that the service has been available for more than 20 years. The defendants are believed to have amassed more than $46 million from selling access to the infected routers that were part of the Anyproxy botnet.
Chertkov and Rubtsov are additionally charged with False Registration of a Domain Name. They allegedly falsely identified themselves when they registered and used the domains Anyproxy.net and 5socks.net during the commission of these felony crimes.
During the investigation, the FBI’s Oklahoma City Cyber Task Force discovered that business and residential routers in Oklahoma had malware installed without the users' knowledge.
Pursuant to a seizure warrant in the Eastern District of Virginia and in conjunction with the unsealing of the Indictment in the Northern District of Oklahoma, the FBI seized the Anyproxy.net and 5socks.net domain names. The botnet overseas was also seized and disabled by foreign law enforcement partners.
The FBI Oklahoma City Cyber Task Force is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Jiang and Christopher J. Nassar, with the Northern District of Oklahoma, are prosecuting the case, along with Ryan K.J. Dickey and Jane Lee, Senior Counsel from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
The Justice Department collaborated closely with investigators and prosecutors from multiple jurisdictions in this investigation, including the Eastern District of Virginia, the Dutch National Police – Amsterdam Region, the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie), and the Royal Thai Police. Black Lotus Labs of Lumen Technologies, Inc., provided significant assistance and worked closely with investigators.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Victim Assistance Advisory for Owners of Wireless Internet Routers Infected by the Anyproxy/5socks Malware
On July 23, 2025, the U.S. District Judge John D. Russell issued an order directing the government to provide notice to potential victims in the United States v. Alexey Viktorovich Chertkov, et al., criminal case number, 25-CR-160.
In May 2025, an Indictment was unsealed charging four foreign national hackers for conspiring with others to maintain, operate, and profit from botnet services known as Anyproxy and 5socks. The Indictment alleges that a botnet was created by infecting older-model wireless internet routers worldwide, including in the United States, using malware without their owners’ knowledge.
The installed malware allowed the routers to be reconfigured, granting unauthorized access to third parties and making the routers available for sale as proxy servers on the Anyproxy.net and 5socks.net websites. As part of the investigation, the FBI executed a federal search warrant directed at the infected devices located in the United States and further remediated the security vulnerabilities in 547 of them.
Members of the community who believe they may be the victim of this botnet may contact Victim Witness Coordinator and Supervisor, Brandi Duvall at 918-382-2700. For more information regarding the malware, please see Alert Number I-050725-PSA and FLASH-20250507-001 listed on the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Court Documents
Unsealed Indictment Unsealed Search WarrantBethesda Doctor Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, Anissa Maroof, 48, of Potomac, Maryland, pled guilty to a federal charge of distributing and dispensing controlled substances.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the guilty plea, between January 2019 and June 2022, Maroof knowingly caused the distributing and dispensing of Alprazolam, Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, and Buprenorphine. She committed this act with the knowledge that distributing and dispensing the controlled substances were outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
Maroof, a physician who was board certified in addiction psychiatry, owned and operated a medical practice in Bethesda, Maryland. She also had a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number that authorized her to prescribe controlled substances.
Through her medical practice, which was located in Maryland, Maroof provided patients from West Virginia with prescriptions for controlled substances, including Alprazolam, Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, and Buprenorphine. Maroof prescribed patients combinations of Alprazolam, Amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, and Buprenorphine without warning them about the risks of combining these medications. She also prescribed controlled substances to patients even after they indicated that they were selling their excess supply of controlled substances through illicit channels.
Additionally, Maroof regularly prescribed controlled substances to patients without providing them with therapeutic services. On numerous occasions, Maroof called in prescriptions to local pharmacies without first seeing the patient, and then directed the patient to leave cash under her office door in exchange for writing the prescriptions. She also often advised patients how to split filling their prescriptions between different pharmacies.
Maroof faces a maximum of 20 years in prison followed by up to three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chaung scheduled sentencing for Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 2:30 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Sarma and Elizabeth Wright, who are prosecuting the federal case, and the Montgomery County Police Department for their valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Devin I. Cresce, 28, of Beckley, was sentenced today to seven years and eleven months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about July 13, 2023, Cresce sold approximately 53 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $500 while in a vehicle outside the Crossroads Mall in Mount Hope. Cresce admitted to the transaction. Cresce further admitted to selling approximately 80 grams of methamphetamine for $750 on July 18, 2023, approximately 24 grams of fentanyl for $1,800 on July 28, 2023, and approximately 62 grams of methamphetamine for $750 on August 8, 2023. Each distribution occurred at Cresce’s residence and involved the same confidential informant.
On August 10, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cresce’s residence and seized approximately 94.5 grams of fentanyl and 63 grams of methamphetamine. Cresce admitted that he intended to distribute these controlled substances in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.
Cresce has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions for embezzlement, fraudulent schemes, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Central West Virginia Task Force.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-92.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition by Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Derek Harvey, 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 78 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
On January 26, 2024, while observing a Citi Watch Camera (CCTV), a Baltimore City Police Department (BPD) detective observed a hand-to-hand gun exchange on Milton Avenue. The detective saw Harvey and his co-defendant, Robert Jackson, walking southbound on North Milton Avenue in Baltimore.
Jackson reached into his hoodie and pulled out a tan handgun and handed it to Harvey, who then placed the gun in his waistband. BPD detectives arrested both men shortly after observing the weapon exchange, seizing the firearm and ammunition. Due to prior felony convictions, both men were prohibited from possessing the weapon and ammunition.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their help in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Armed Robbery of Marijuana Stash House in Oklahoma City Lands Four Men in Federal Prison for 25 Years CollectivelyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – WILLIAM LEWIS DANIELS, 26, of Texas, has been sentenced to serve 96 months in federal prison for interference with commerce by robbery, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and being a drug user in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On July 31, 2024, Daniels was charged by Superseding Information with interference with commerce by robbery, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and being a drug user in possession of a firearm. According to public record, on February 8, 2024, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) responded to a reported armed robbery at a metro home. Victims in the home told authorities that three men, later identified as Daniels and codefendants JORDON ISAIH WATSON, 26, and KELDON SHERROD WILLIAMS, 27, both of Texas, entered the home and ordered the victims onto the floor where their hands were restrained with zip-ties. The victims told police that one of the defendants, later identified as Daniels, had a firearm and held them at gunpoint. The defendants then ransacked the house and stole more than $36,000 in cash, more than 600 pounds of marijuana stuffed into trash bags, and other items. OCPD officers quickly determined the residence was a black-market marijuana stash house. Security footage from an adjacent property showed four vehicles leaving the stash house after the robbery, including a getaway car driven by codefendant BRANDON MICHAEL NORMAN, 26, of Florida, and a car that Daniels stole from the victims. The stolen car was later located by OCPD officers in a nearby business parking lot, where the perpetrators met and swapped out vehicles.
Authorities pulled over two of the suspect vehicles shortly thereafter without incident, and arrested Watson, Williams, and Norman. Daniels, however, led authorities on a high-speed chase in his personal vehicle down Interstate 235 during rush hour traffic, wrecked his vehicle, and fled briefly on foot before he was arrested. Between the three vehicles, OCPD recovered 690 pounds of marijuana, $40,710.00 in cash, and one firearm.
On August 7, 2024, Daniels pleaded guilty to the Superseding Information, and admitted he took cash and marijuana from the victims, possessed marijuana which he intended to distribute to others, and possessed a firearm despite knowing he was an unlawful user of a controlled dangerous substance.
At the sentencing hearing on May 1, 2025, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones sentenced Daniels to serve 96 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Jones noted the serious and violent nature of the offenses, the need to protect the public, and the need to adequately deter others from engaging in similar criminal conduct which endangers the community.
Watson, Williams, and Norman have each been sentenced after pleading guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, with Watson sentenced to serve 96 months, Williams sentenced to serve 60 months, and Norman sentenced to serve 48 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for each defendant.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew E. Davis prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Anderson Couple Sentenced to Combined 75 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting InfantRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS – Jamie M. Powell, a/k/a Jamie Cramer, 44, and Richard Smith, 42, both of Anderson, Indiana, have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to sexually exploit a minor.
Powell has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit the sexual exploitation of a minor as well as actual and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. Powell must also pay $10,000 in restitution.
Richard Smith has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit the sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child sexual abuse material. Smith must also pay $10,000 in restitution. His federal sentence was ordered to be served consecutively to his state convictions for Dealing in Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Battery with Bodily Injury to a Public Safety Officer, for which he received concurrent sentences of 16-, 5-, and 4-years imprisonment.
According to court documents, Powell is the mother of five children, including Minor Victim 1, who was between one and two years old at the time of the offense. In early 2020, the Department of Child Services (DCS) filed to terminate Powell’s parental rights. Powell relocated to an apartment in Anderson, with three of her children and her boyfriend, Richard Smith. Powell’s youngest children, Minor Victim 1 and Minor Witness 1 were in DCS Custody.
Between late 2020 and early 2021, Powell and Smith discussed Smith’s sexual interest in Powell’s children and in bestiality over text messages. In those messages, the couple agreed for Powell to molest Minor Victim 1 and produce sexually explicit photos and videos of the child to send to Smith. The messages also contained extremely graphic and crude requests from Smith detailing how he wanted Powell to abuse the minor.
Throughout this time period, Powell was permitted to have supervised visitation with two of her children, including Minor Victim 1. During these court-ordered visitations, Powell waited until supervisors were not looking to record sexually explicit videos and images of the child, attempting to evade suspicion by pretending to change her diaper. In total, over 25 visits, Powell produced 577 images and videos of child sexual abuse of Minor Victim 1 and shared 486 of them with Smith.
Investigators located over 2,400 image files of child sex abuse material and approximately 170 video files of bestiality on Powell’s cell phone. On Smith’s cell phone, investigators found more than 5,000 images and videos of child sex abuse material.
The Indiana State Police, Pendleton Post, detected and investigated this matter. They were assisted later by the U.S. Secret Service and the Indianapolis Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force. The Indiana Department of Corrections provided valuable assistance. All agencies worked together to rescue the victim. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young.
“Parents and caretakers who violate the sanctity of trust by exploiting their own children, before they are even old enough to walk or speak, are cruel and vile monsters. The pursuit of those who choose to victimize children is some of the most important work our office does,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Jamie Powell and Richard Smith will now spend decades in federal prison where they cannot exploit another child thanks to the dedication and talents of our State Police, federal law enforcement partners, and AUSA.”
“Child sexual exploitation is a heinous crime that will not be tolerated. The idea that the victim in this case was a toddler, abused by a parent, makes it even more vile,” said Special Agent in Charge Ike Barnes, of the Indianapolis Field Office. “The U.S. Secret Service is committed to imposing its full arsenal of investigative resources to help pursue crimes against children and is proud to stand up for defenseless victims. Thank you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Indiana, the Indiana State Police, and all the law enforcement partners who helped bring justice in this case.”
“I would also like to thank Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany Preston on her commitment to insuring justice for the victim in this case. The Indiana State Police encourages individuals to report any suspected child exploitation crimes to law enforcement,” said Detective Bradley Tucker, of the Indiana State Police Pendleton Post.
Acting U.S Attorney Childress thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
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3 Illegal Aliens from Europe Plead Guilty to Federal Charges Related to Fraudulent Withdrawal of Benefits Intended for Low-Income PeopleRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Three illegal aliens from Europe pleaded guilty today to using information from “skimmed” electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to clone counterfeit cards and steal funds that the State of California had disbursed to low-income individuals.
Each of these defendants separately pleaded guilty today to one count of unauthorized use of access devices, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison:
- Ionut Calciu, 31, of Romania;
- Florian Serban, 51, of Romania; and
- Mohamed Hichem El Mabrouk, 35, of France.
The defendants were arrested as part of a multi-agency law enforcement operation targeting the theft of EBT funds in California. All three defendants have been in federal custody since February 2.
During the operation in early February 2025, approximately 70 law enforcement officers began monitoring ATM locations across the Los Angeles area to identify individuals who were making multiple cash withdrawals with cards encoded with information that had been stolen from cards used by the California Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide CalFresh and CalWORKs benefits to qualified recipients.
Authorities made arrests after determining that the suspects making withdrawals at the ATMs were not entitled to access funds that had been deposited into accounts belonging to legitimate EBT beneficiaries.
Calciu admitted in his plea agreement to withdrawing from ATMs at least $31,000 from EBT bank accounts on February 2 without the account holders’ authorization and with intent to defraud two banks of funds within their custody and control. United States District Judge Cynthia Valenzuela scheduled an August 29 sentencing hearing for Calciu.
Serban acted as the driver and lookout while Calciu made and attempted to make illegal ATM withdrawals of EBT funds. United States District Judge Cynthia Valenzuela scheduled an August 29 sentencing hearing for Serban.
El Mabrouk on February 1 illegally withdrew from ATMs $25,480 from EBT bank accounts and, the next day, illegally withdrew an additional $2,420 from EBT bank accounts. El Mabrouk and a co-conspirator jointly possessed at least 32 fraudulently encoded EBT cards. United States District Judge Michelle Williams Court scheduled a September 5 sentencing for El Mabrouk.
DSS detected more than $126.8 million stolen from victim EBT cards in 2024, according to court documents. This fraud has targeted CalWORKs and CalFresh (previously known as “food stamps”), both of which are intended to help low-income individuals purchase food and provide for basic needs.
The investigation has revealed that the fraudulent withdrawal of these benefits is done with “cloned” cards, which are debit cards, gift cards or other devices with magnetic strips that have been encoded with information from legitimate EBT cards. Law enforcement believes at least some of those involved in the fraudulent withdrawals also possessed “skimming” devices that could be used to record personal identification information from victims.
Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) El Camino Real Task Force, which includes special agents with HSI and the United States Secret Service, as well as officers with the Los Angeles Police Department, is conducting the investigations in this matter.
A number of law enforcement agencies provided significant support during the early February 2025 operation, including the California Department of Social Services; the United States Marshals Service; the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the Hermosa Beach Police Department; the Baldwin Park Police Department; the Culver City Police Department; the El Monte Police Department; the Inglewood Police Department; the Orange County District Attorney’s Office; and the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Yervant P. Hagopian of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting Calciu and Serban. Special Assistant United States Attorney Robert Quealy of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting El Mabrouk.
8 May 2025
Zuni Man Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter in Fatal Stabbing CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man pleaded guilty in federal court to voluntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal stabbing.
According to court records, on February 4, 2023, Joey Luarkie, 25, an enrolled member of the Zuni pueblo, was at a residence in Zuni when the victim arrived, and an argument ensued. The confrontation escalated inside the home, where Luarkie stabbed the victim in the neck. The victim was found outside the residence by responding officers and died the next day after being transported to the hospital and undergoing emergency surgeries.
At sentencing, Luarkie faces up to 15 in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio Recognizes National Police WeekRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - In honor of National Police Week, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio will recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. This year, the week is observed May 11-17, 2025.
“This week as we remember those who lost their lives in the line of duty, it’s especially tough for our District, as several communities continue to mourn the loss of two of our local police officers. We honor and pay tribute to them, and to the others throughout the country, who have paid the ultimate price while protecting our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik. “To these courageous men and women, we say thank you.”
Based on data in the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) 2024 Annual Report, 148 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2024. Of those, four were from Ohio with two fatal shootings taking place in the Northern District of Ohio.
The first fatality in the USAO District was Jacob Derbin, 23, who served with the Euclid Police Department. On May 11, 2024, Officer Derbin was shot as he responded to a call to assist a woman who was receiving death threats from an ex-boyfriend. The second fatality was Jamieson Ritter, 27, who served with the Cleveland Division of Police. Officer Ritter was shot while serving an arrest warrant on July 4, 2024.
The names of all fallen officers in 2024 will be engraved on the wall of the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial and will be read aloud at the 37th Annual Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 8 p.m. The vigil will be streamed live, online via the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF.
Locally, the Cleveland Police Memorial Society will host a series of events to honor law enforcement including a grave marker ceremony, a candlelight vigil, and a number of gatherings. Local, county, state, and federal agencies will take part in a Police Week Parade Friday, May 16, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. Details are available at policememorialsociety.org.
Police Week memorial events will also be held throughout the District in Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Toledo, Mansfield, and Elyria.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week as a way to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifice. Peace Officers Memorial Day is observed annually on May 15 and specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
U.S. Attorney announces immigration case updates for the Eastern District of VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today case updates on seven immigration cases in the district.
On Jan. 20 the President signed executive orders addressing the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Protecting the American People Against Invasion recognized that enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States, and that it is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people. The order tasked the Department of Justice with prioritizing the prosecution of criminal offenses related to the unauthorized entry or continued unauthorized presence of aliens in the United States. Securing Our Borders prioritizes the pursuit of criminal charges against illegal aliens who violate immigration laws and against those who facilitate their unlawful presence in the United States.
On Nov. 19, 2009, pursuant to a final order of removal, Salvadoran national Oscar Adolfo Serpas Cruz, 39, was removed from the United States. On Sept. 7, 2014, Serpas Cruz illegally reentered the United States. On Oct. 14, 2014, pursuant to the prior order of removal, Serpas Cruz was removed from the United States again. Following his second removal, Serpas Cruz again illegally reentered the United States. On April 27, 2020, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Serpas Cruz had been arrested in Arlington County. On April 8, Serpas Cruz pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He was sentenced on April 24 to time served and remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-cr-74
On Jan. 28, 2013, Mexican national Juan Manuel Rocha-Romo, 31, was removed from the United States. Rocha-Romo later illegally reentered the United States and on Aug. 1, 2013, was removed again. On Sept. 11, 2023, ICE learned that Rocha-Romo had illegally reentered the United States. On April 9, Rocha-Romo pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9 and remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 25-cr-83-1
On July 4, 2018, Guatemalan national Jaime Lopez-Yanes, 25, was removed from the United States. On Sept. 6, 2018, Lopez-Yanes illegally reentered the United States and was removed again on Sept. 20, 2018. On June 24, 2024, following Lopez-Yanes’ arrest for felony strangulation, ICE agents learned that he had illegally reentered the United States. On April 1, Lopez-Yanes pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States, and he remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 25-cr-66
On Oct. 17, 2008, Salvadoran national Saul Recinos Dueñas, 47, was removed from the United States. After Recinos Dueñas’ arrest in Fairfax County for felony rape by force on Oct. 22, 2020, ICE agents learned that Recinos Dueñas had illegally reentered the United States. On April 4, Recinos Dueñas pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States, and he remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 25-cr-72
On Feb. 21, Kenyan national Christin Nyabate Nyandemo, 33, arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on a flight from Accra, Ghana. Upon arrival, Nyandemo presented a passport and travel visa, both in her sister’s name, to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. An inspection of her bags revealed that Nyandemo was carrying two passports, a marriage license, birth certificate, Kenyan tax registration document, Kenyan identification card, and three bank cards, all in her sister’s name. On April 2, Nyandemo pled guilty to willfully and knowingly attempting to use a passport issued or designed for the use of another. Case No. 25-cr-77
Marcos Gregorio Mateo, 35, was first encountered by ICE on Jan. 31, 2011, in Stafford County. Mateo was removed from the United States to Mexico on Feb. 25, 2011. Mateo illegally reentered the United States and on Sept. 23, 2021, was convicted for assault and battery on a family member. On Oct. 19, 2022, Mateo was again convicted of assault and battery on a family member as well as a protective order violation. On Feb. 9, 2023, Mateo was convicted for abduction; assault and battery of a family member; felony and misdemeanor protective order violations; and statutory burglary. On Jan. 10, 2025, Mateo pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States. On April 17, Mateo was sentenced to eight months in prison and remains subject to a standing order of removal. Case No. 24-cr-259
Honduran national Enrique Ortiz-Hernandez was previously prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2023 for illegal reentry into the United States after a prior deportation and for failing to register as a sex-offender. Ortiz-Hernandez was sentenced to two years in prison to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Among the conditions of his supervised release was the requirement that he not illegally reenter the United States. Following his release from prison on Aug. 29, 2024, Ortiz-Hernandez was removed on Sept. 30, 2024. Ortiz-Hernandez was found illegally present in Louisiana on Dec. 3, 2024. On April 24, Ortiz-Hernandez was found to be in violation of the terms of his supervised release and sentenced to a year in prison. Case No. 1:23-CR-12
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for the case number provided above.
Two Men Sentenced to Federal Prison in Separate Fentanyl Trafficking CasesRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced the results of two separate drug distribution cases in eastern Idaho today.
In one case, David Erik Traversa, 32, of Utah, was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.
According to court records, in May 2024, officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle and arrested an individual in possession of approximately 200 fentanyl pills weighing 19.6 grams. Officers found two hotel room keys and applied for a search warrant. A magistrate judge for the Sixth Judicial District, State of Idaho, issued a warrant to search the hotel rooms.
Officers executed the search warrant on the hotel rooms. In one room officers found Traversa overdosing; they engaged in life saving measures while waiting for the ambulance. In the hotel room, officers found fentanyl pills and drug paraphernalia including several different sized baggies commonly used to package drugs. The ambulance took Traversa to the hospital where he received treatment for the nonfatal overdose. While at the hospital, staff found a black drawstring bag attached to his genitals. The drawstring bag contained approximately 576 fentanyl pills. In total, the fentanyl seized during the traffic stop and found in Traversa’s possession weighed 84.42 grams.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Traversa to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Traversa pleaded guilty to the charge in November 2024.
In a separate case, Casey Steven Evans, 38, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.
According to court records, in May 2024, law enforcement stopped a blue Range Rover belonging to Evans. During the traffic stop, officers developed probable cause to search the Range Rover. When officers searched the trunk, they found a black metal safe that contained small blue circular fentanyl pills and a loaded black and silver SCCY CPX-1 9mm handgun. On the front passenger floor, officers found a second loaded handgun, which was a black Taurus PT111 9mm. The safe contained 107.94 grams of fentanyl.
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Evans to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Evans pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the BADGES Task Force, which is a HIDTA-funded task force that includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho State Police, the Pocatello Police Department, and the Chubbuck Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted these cases.
These cases were investigated though the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives, including the BADGES Task Force.
The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking crimes in Bannock County and throughout the region.
These cases were handled by the U.S. Attorney Office’s specially deputized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction.
The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to utilize the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts.
This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 190 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. Of these defendants, 165 have been indicted on drug trafficking charges. The defendants indicted under the program have been sentenced to 11,060 months (approximately 921.66 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 76.81 months (6.4 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses serve, on average, approximately 63.61 months (5.3 years) in federal prison.
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Two Honduran Men Sentenced to Prison for their Roles in International Human Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Note: See superseding indictment here.
Two Honduran men were sentenced today to three years in prison for their roles in a scheme to illegally smuggle Honduran nationals into the United States.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, for almost a year, Hennessy Devon Cooper Zelaya, 29, and Rudy Jackson Hernandez, 38, both of Utila, Honduras, conspired with at least six others to bring Honduran nationals from Honduras to the United States via two vessels, the Masita III and the M/V Pop. The vessels sailed from Utila, Honduras to Louisiana. The aliens and/or their family members paid thousands of dollars to be brought illegally into the United States by boat. Upon arrival, the aliens were picked up by co-conspirators and driven further into the United States. The co-conspirators then placed some of the aliens in jobs at U.S. factories and other businesses knowing that the aliens lacked authorization to enter, remain, or work in the United States. The defendants were part of the vessels’ crew on multiple voyages.
In February 2022, the defendants attempted to illegally bring 23 Honduran nationals from Utila, Honduras, to Cocodrie, Louisiana, aboard the M/V Pop, a 65’ sportfishing vessel. During the voyage, the M/V Pop developed engine trouble and lost power. The co-conspirators then chartered a boat to bring fuel to the disabled vessel so that it could complete its journey to the United States. Before the chartered boat reached the disabled vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the vessel approximately 75 miles off the coast of Louisiana and towed it to shore. Inside the vessel, law enforcement officers also found 24 kilograms of cocaine.
Cooper Zelaya and Jackson Hernandez were convicted after trial of conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain.
The lead defendant in the case, Carl Allison, previously pleaded guilty in December 2023 to conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for financial gain and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride. Three additional co-conspirators, all Honduran nationals, pleaded guilty last year for their roles in the scheme: Darrel Martinez, 41, and Josue Flores-Villeda, 36, pleaded guilty to the same charges as Allison; and Lenord Cooper, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and assist aliens to enter the United States unlawfully and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. A fifth man, Honduran national Olvin Javier Velasquez Maldonado, was extradited from Honduras in April and is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Maldonado’s trial is scheduled for June 16. An indictment is merely an allegation, and Maldonado is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
The HSI Houma, Louisiana Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the HSI Pittsburgh Field Office, HSI Atlanta Field Office, and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police, and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance.
Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) in Honduras provided assistance.
The sentencings are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and OPDAT, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs.
This case is also supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Two Honduran Men Sentenced to Prison for their Roles in International Human Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Note: See superseding indictment here.
WASHINGTON — Two Honduran men were sentenced today to three years in prison for their roles in a scheme to illegally smuggle Honduran nationals into the United States.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, for almost a year, Hennessy Devon Cooper Zelaya, 29, and Rudy Jackson Hernandez, 38, both of Utila, Honduras, conspired with at least six others to bring Honduran nationals from Honduras to the United States via two vessels, the Masita III and the M/V Pop. The vessels sailed from Utila, Honduras to Louisiana. The aliens and/or their family members paid thousands of dollars to be brought illegally into the United States by boat. Upon arrival, the aliens were picked up by co-conspirators and driven further into the United States. The co-conspirators then placed some of the aliens in jobs at U.S. factories and other businesses knowing that the aliens lacked authorization to enter, remain, or work in the United States. The defendants were part of the vessels’ crew on multiple voyages.
In February 2022, the defendants attempted to illegally bring 23 Honduran nationals from Utila, Honduras, to Cocodrie, Louisiana, aboard the M/V Pop, a 65’ sportfishing vessel. During the voyage, the M/V Pop developed engine trouble and lost power. The co-conspirators then chartered a boat to bring fuel to the disabled vessel so that it could complete its journey to the United States. Before the chartered boat reached the disabled vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the vessel approximately 75 miles off the coast of Louisiana and towed it to shore. Inside the vessel, law enforcement officers also found 24 kilograms of cocaine.
Cooper Zelaya and Jackson Hernandez were convicted after trial of conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain.
The lead defendant in the case, Carl Allison, previously pleaded guilty in December 2023 to conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for financial gain and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride. Three additional co-conspirators, all Honduran nationals, pleaded guilty last year for their roles in the scheme: Darrel Martinez, 41, and Josue Flores-Villeda, 36, pleaded guilty to the same charges as Allison; and Lenord Cooper, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and assist aliens to enter the United States unlawfully and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. A fifth man, Honduran national Olvin Javier Velasquez Maldonado, was extradited from Honduras in April and is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Maldonado’s trial is scheduled for June 16. An indictment is merely an allegation, and Maldonado is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
The HSI Houma, Louisiana Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the HSI Pittsburgh Field Office, HSI Atlanta Field Office, and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police, and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance.
Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) in Honduras provided assistance.
The sentencings are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and OPDAT, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 365 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 334 U.S. convictions; more than 281 significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial seizures and forfeitures of assets and contraband including millions of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs.
This case is also supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Tucson Residents Charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Hassan Omar Kassim, 19, and Alexandra Brooke Wisdom, 19, of Tucson, were arrested on May 6, 2025, and charged by criminal complaint for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, Aid and Abet, and Conspiracy to commit the same offense.
On April 20, 2025, a Tucson Police Department officer assigned to the Operations Division West (“ODW”) Community Response Team (“CRT”) was conducting operations in the area of Stone Avenue and Fort Lowell in Tucson, Arizona. The officer was dressed in plain clothes and driving an unmarked City of Tucson vehicle when he observed a dark colored car traveling southbound at a high rate of speed. The officer followed the vehicle and broadcast its license plate number to other members of ODW CRT. The vehicle then turned, and an individual leaned out of the rear passenger window of the car and fired a gun at the officer’s unmarked vehicle. The occupants of the car continued to engage the officer, including making a U-turn during which additional shots were fired by the rear passenger. The officer was unharmed. A marked patrol vehicle responded to the area and attempted to stop the car, but the occupants failed to yield and after a short pursuit, officers lost sight of the car. Through a subsequent investigation, detectives and special agents identified Kassim as one of the occupants of the car during the shooting. They also determined that Wisdom was in the car before and after the shooting, and that Wisdom drove and abandoned the vehicle sometime after fleeing from police.
The National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) was established by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide an innovative framework to enhance federal support of state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution authorities in enhancing public safety. PSP began as a pilot program, the Violence Reduction Network, in 2014 and is designed to promote interagency coordination by leveraging specialized law enforcement expertise with dedicated prosecutorial resources to promote public and community safety. PSP serves as a DOJ-wide program that enables participating sites to consult with and receive expedited, coordinated training and technical assistance, and an array of resources from DOJ to enhance local public safety strategies. This model enables DOJ to provide jurisdictions of different sizes and diverse needs with data-driven, evidence-based strategies tailored to the unique local needs of participating cities to build their capacities to address violent crime challenges. PSP has engaged with more than 60 sites since the program’s inception.
A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Tucson Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam D. Rossi, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-05951
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-074_Kassim, et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Trumbull Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Handguns, Ghost Guns, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JACK JAKUPS, 41, of Trumbull, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 41 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Jakups’ criminal history includes state felony convictions for narcotics possession, burglary, robbery, larceny, and escape offenses. In January 2019, Jakups was released from prison to Connecticut’s Special Parole program. On November 30, 2021, Jakups’ parole officer, with the assistance of ATF, conducted a search of Jakups’ residence and seized a Diamondback 9mm handgun, a Ruger 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, a privately made Glock-19-style firearm, a privately made AR-15-style firearm, and more than 300 rounds of ammunition.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On November 14, 2022, Jakups pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon.
Jakups, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on August 8.
This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with the assistance of Connecticut State Parole. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham through 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
Three Own Every Dollar (“OED”) Gang Members Convicted of Four Murders and 10 Attempted MurdersRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the convictions at trial yesterday of JOWENKY NUNEZ, JR., a/k/a “Juju,” BRIAN HERNANDEZ, a/k/a “Malikai,” and IYAURY RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO, a/k/a “Bricha,” for their roles as members of the violent gang Own Every Dollar (“OED”), including four murders and 10 attempted murders. NUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, and RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO were convicted by a jury of 25 counts after a five-week trial before U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Jowenky Nunez, Jr. murdered Nicolas Vargas and Hector Cruz, and all three defendants murdered Richard Dominguez and Israel Cabrera. Nunez, Hernandez, Rodriguez-Rosario, and other members of OED tried to murder many others. Public safety is one of our top priorities, and thanks to the career prosecutors of my office and our law enforcement partners, these three men have been held accountable for their senseless violence. I hope this verdict brings some measure of consolation to the victims and their families.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
NUNEZ is a leader of the violent gang OED, a subset of the Trinitarios gang based in and around the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. HERNANDEZ and RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO are members of OED as well. The Indictments in this case charge 24 members and associates of OED with numerous violent crimes, including five murders and 15 attempted murders.
On August 31, 2018, NUNEZ shot Nicolas Vargas in the head and killed him near an IHOP at 232nd Street in the Bronx.
On April 14, 2019, NUNEZ and other OED members drove to West 135th Street in Manhattan to shoot at members of a rival gang. They shot at a rival gang member on West 135th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, but missed and instead struck bystander Hector Cruz—then age 57—in the liver. Cruz died of the gunshot wound approximately one month later.
On July 2, 2020, NUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, and RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO committed an execution-style double murder of Richard Dominguez and Israel Cabrera near Sedgewick Avenue in the Bronx, shooting both victims in the head from the backseat of a parked car.
NUNEZ also committed nine other attempted murders, including a stabbing at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, while he was facing charges in this case. HERNANDEZ committed three attempted murders, and RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO committed two attempted murders. Several of NUNEZ’s attempted murders were captured on video, including the following:
March 30, 2020 Shooting
March 4, 2022 Shooting
All three defendants were also convicted of conspiring to traffic narcotics, including large amounts of fentanyl and heroin, and NUNEZ and RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO were convicted of transporting guns from Pennsylvania to New York.
17 other OED defendants have previously pled guilty in the case, including MAYOVANEX RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Menorcito,” who was sentenced to a 25-year term of imprisonment for a 2022 murder; JERRIN PENA, a/k/a “Rooga,” a/k/a “Perry, who was sentenced to a 20-year term of imprisonment for the 2019 murder of Hector Cruz; and HUGO RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Juice,” the current “Duarte,” or leader, of OED.
A trial against defendants JESUS ZAPATA, a/k/a “Jeezy” and BRAYAN LLORET, a/k/a “ET,” two leaders of OED who committed multiple stabbings and slashings at Rikers Island, is scheduled for October 6, 2025. A trial against defendant JOWENKY NUNEZ SR., a/k/a “Bala,” a leader of the gang and the father of NUNEZ, is scheduled for February 2, 2026.
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NUNEZ, 22, of New York, New York, HERNANDEZ, 25, of New York, New York, and RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIO, 43, of Reading, Pennsylvania, were convicted of 25 total counts, and are each subject to mandatory terms of life in prison. A chart summarizing the counts of conviction and potential penalties is below:
Count NumberChargeDefendantsPenalties1Racketeering ConspiracyNUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIOMaximum of life in prison2Murder in Aid of RacketeeringNUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIOMandatory life in prison3Murder through Use of a FirearmNUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIOMaximum of life in prison4Murder in Aid of RacketeeringNUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIOMandatory life in prison5Murder through Use of a FirearmNUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIOMaximum of life in prison6Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponHERNANDEZMaximum of 20 years in prison7Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of ViolenceHERNANDEZMaximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison8Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponHERNANDEZMaximum of 20 years in prison9Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of ViolenceHERNANDEZMaximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison10Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponHERNANDEZMaximum of 20 years in prison11Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of ViolenceHERNANDEZMaximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison12Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponNUNEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIOMaximum of 20 years in prison13Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of ViolenceNUNEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIOMaximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison14Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponNUNEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIOMaximum of 20 years in prison15Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of ViolenceNUNEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIOMaximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison16Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponNUNEZMaximum of 20 years in prison17Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of ViolenceNUNEZMaximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison18Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponNUNEZMaximum of 20 years in prison19Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of ViolenceNUNEZMaximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison20Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous WeaponNUNEZMaximum of 20 years in prison21Discharge of a Firearm in Connection with a Crime of ViolenceNUNEZMaximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison22Attempted Murder and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryNUNEZMaximum of 20 years in prison23Narcotics ConspiracyNUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIOMaximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison24Firearms Use, Carrying, and PossessionNUNEZ, HERNANDEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIOMaximum of life in prison; mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison25Interstate Transport of FirearmsNUNEZ, RODRIGUEZ-ROSARIOMaximum of 5 years in prisonThe maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the New York City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, the New York State Police, and the NYPD Task Force Officers assigned to this Office for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah L. Kushner, Kevin Mead, Alexandra S. Messiter, and Ashley C. Nicolas are in charge of the prosecution.
Three Men Charged in Southern District of Indiana for Illegally Reentering the United States after Previous Deportation Following Criminal Convictions or ChargesRead the Press Release
Southern District of Indiana—Last week, three illegal aliens were arrested and charged federally with unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being deported following immigration proceedings. The charges follow an immigration and enforcement removal operation that took place in Evansville and Bloomington, Indiana between April 29 and May 1.
According to court documents, each of the three men are Mexican nationals who illegally returned to the United States and were found by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Southern District of Indiana. As outlined below, court documents allege that each man had previously been convicted of crimes they committed in the United States, or had charges pending against them, or both.
- Martin Cortez-Lopez, 36, was arrested on April 29 in Bloomington. Cortez-Lopez had previously been convicted in Florida on charges of resisting an officer with violence, possession of a controlled substance, and disorderly intoxication in a public place causing a disturbance. He currently faces charges in Monroe County, Indiana, following two incidents, one resulting in charges of possession of cocaine and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and the other resulting in charges of possession of cocaine and operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person. He has previously been removed from the United States on at least one occasion.
- Jaime Ortiz-Guzman, 46, was arrested on May 1 in Bloomington. Ortiz-Guzman had previously been convicted in Indiana on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He currently faces charges in Monroe County, Indiana, for operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury. He has previously been removed from the United States on at least one occasion.
- Amin Reynosa-Diaz, 28, was arrested on April 29 in Evansville. Reynosa-Diaz had previously been convicted in Indiana of domestic battery. He currently faces charges in Hampton County, Virginia, for driving while intoxicated, and is wanted on multiple warrants for failing to appear in court. He has previously been removed from the United States on at least one occasion.
If convicted, each man faces up to between two and ten years in prison.
These charges and arrests are the latest prosecutions of illegal aliens who were found in the Southern District of Indiana after unlawfully re-entering the United States after having been previously deported. Specifically, these prosecutions involve illegal aliens who were previously convicted of crimes they committed in the United States, or who are facing pending charges, or both, for offenses including rape, domestic violence resulting in serious bodily injury, child molestation, burglary, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
The following investigative agencies collaborated to make this investigation and recent warrant execution possible:
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
- Homeland Security Investigations
- U.S. Marshals Service
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Haney, Meredith Wood, Todd S. Shellenbarger, and Matthew B. Miller, who are prosecuting these cases.
These changes and arrests 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).
An indictment or criminal complaint are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Texas Man Sentenced to 33 Months’ Imprisonment for Embezzling over $900,000 from Two CompaniesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Vincent Villarreal, age 35, of Sachse, Texas, was sentenced yesterday, May 7, 2025, by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 33 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud. Villarreal was also ordered to pay restitution.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, Villarreal previously admitted that he embezzled approximately $475,000 from a building-products company headquartered in central Pennsylvania while employed by the company in an information technology position. Villarreal made numerous unauthorized transfers from his company credit card, and then improperly accessed the company’s accounting system to delete records of those transfers. Villarreal further admitted that after he was terminated from the company, he was employed in an information technology position for a software company, where he fraudulently purchased over $470,000 worth of technology products for his own benefit.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Convicted of Making Threats to Kill Nashville District Attorney Glenn FunkRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –David Aaron Bloyed, 60, of Frost, Texas, was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury of one count of communicating a threat in interstate commerce to lynch and kill Glenn Funk, the elected District Attorney General (DA) for Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee., announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Antisemitic hate has no place in Nashville or anywhere, and this verdict shows these hateful threats for what they are: a crime,” said Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney. “Our office will do whatever it takes to defend our community, and the prosecutors who serve it, from being threatened by these hatemongers.”
“The defendant’s heinous threats strike at the heart of our justice system and the safety of those who have chosen to serve. As today’s verdict demonstrates, violent threats and intimidation against government officials and law enforcement will not be tolerated,” said Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and prosecution team for their swift and determined work to bring justice in this case.”
“The conviction of David Bloyed is yet another example of the FBI's commitment to holding those accountable who threaten public officials and the Jewish community,” said Assistant Director in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division. “This criminal behavior and these disgusting threats will not be tolerated. The FBI will continue to work with our partners across the nation to investigate, identify, and hold those accountable who threaten violence and harm to specific communities and people.”
“This investigation, prosecution and verdict sends a strong message that persons connected to hate groups like GDL will be held accountable for breaking our laws,” said Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake. “Such individuals should think twice if they believe they can make threats or come to our city and carry on with impunity.”
According to court documents, on July 14, 2024, members of the Goyim Defense League (GDL) – a national and international network of antisemitic provocateurs who espouse vitriolic antisemitism via the internet, through propaganda distributions and in street actions – were protesting in downtown Nashville on their “Name the Nose Tour” where its members travel to cities across the country to protest in the vicinity of synagogues and walk through the downtown hubs of cities with Nazi flags and yell antisemitic slurs at any individuals they encounter. GDL members encountered an employee of a local bar and a fight broke out. A GDL member was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for hitting the bar employee repeatedly using a metal flagpole with a swastika affixed to the top.
While in Nashville, GDL members routinely posted about their activities on various social media platforms, including Telegram. Following the arrest of the GDL member, a Telegram user associated with GDL posted threats against DA Funk that included a photograph of DA Funk with the caption, “Getting the rope,” and an emoji finger pointed towards Funk’s image.
Alt text: Graphical user interface with text including Glenn R. Funk’s name, title, professional biography and message stating “Getting the rope.”
Credit: Unites States v. David Aaron Bloyed, Case 3:24-mj-2295. Document 1, Filed 09/20/24.
The posts also included a photograph of a person hanging by the neck from a gallows, with the phrases, “The ‘Rope List’ grew by a few more Nashville jews today,” and “Will you survive the day of the rope?”
Alt text: Picture containing graphic of person hanging from a gallows, with the phrases, “The ‘Rope List’ grew by a few more Nashville jews today,” and “Will you survive the day of the rope?”
Credit: Unites States v. David Aaron Bloyed, Case 3:24-mj-2295. Document 1, Filed 09/20/24.
Law enforcement subsequently identified another social media account with an almost identical username, belonging to Bloyed and containing threats nearly identical to those posted on the Telegram account.
At sentencing, Bloyed faces up to five years in federal prison.
The FBI Nashville Field Office and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department are investigating the case.
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Tennessee Man Indicted on Arson and Explosive Charges for Setting Fire to Nonprofit OrganizationRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Knoxville, Tennessee returned an indictment on May 7, charging Regan Darby Prater, 27, with arson for firebombing the Highlander Center, a nonprofit research and education center in New Market, Tennessee; and with carrying an explosive device during the commission of the arson. Prater appeared in court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill E. McCook and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges in the indictment. He was held pending trial, which has been set for July 15 in United States District Court, in Knoxville, Tennessee.
According to court documents, on March 29, 2019, Prater used an explosive to firebomb the Highlander Center’s administrative building, resulting in a fire that consumed the entire structure. Court documents also allege that Prater was inspired by the March 15, 2019, mass shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, and left a symbol of the Iron Guard, a World War II-era Romanian Nazi organization, spraypainted in the Highlander Center’s parking lot. The same symbol appeared on the Christchurch gunman’s rifle as he livestreamed his attacks.
If convicted, Prater faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison on the arson charge, and an additional ten years in prison on the explosive charge.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Knoxville Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey T. Arrowood and Anne-Marie Svolto of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Kyle Boynton and Katherine McCallister of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Clair Shores Man Convicted of Importing, Possessing, and Transferring Machineguns, and Failing to Keep Proper Records as a Federal Firearms LicenseeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A St. Clair Shores man was convicted by a federal jury this week on charges of illegally importing, possessing, and transferring machineguns, as well as failing to keep proper records as a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., announced today.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir.
Chase Farmer, 26, was convicted following a week-long jury trial before United States District Judge Gershwin Drain.
Evidence presented at trial established that in 2020, Chase Farmer applied for and received a license to deal in firearms. His business was called Shall Not Be Infringed LLC. Farmer did not have a license to import firearms, including machineguns. Yet from 2020 to 2021, he made four orders on a now-defunct Russian website called Silencer Sales for machinegun conversion devices, including Glock switches and drop in auto sears. Farmer paid for the devices in Rubles and used an alias to avoid detection by law enforcement. Although Farmer purchased and received approximately 30 machinegun conversion devices from Silencer Sales, when the ATF searched Farmer’s home and business in 2022, he only had two drop in auto sears in his possession. Farmer was unable to account for the 28 missing machinegun conversion devices. After deliberating for approximately an hour, the jury returned a verdict of guilty on all counts.
U.S. Attorney Gorgon stated, “Machinegun conversion devices gravely endanger our community by turning semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machineguns. Chase Farmer sought out the ability to deal and manufacture firearms, but he flagrantly ignored his responsibility to follow the law. Farmer is responsible for putting 28 machinegun conversion devices on the street and potentially in the hands of criminals.”
“This wasn’t negligence – it was pure greed at its core,” said ATF Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Chase Farmer abused the trust the government placed in him as a federal firearms licensee to nefariously acquire and distribute illegal conversion devices, using fake identities and foreign currency to avoid detection by law enforcement. This is what illegal firearms trafficking looks like: An individual putting personal greed before our community’s safety. This case is representative of ATF’s core mission to protect the public. Mr. Farmer’s actions were a clear and present danger to our overall safety by knowingly putting 28 machine gun conversion devices on our streets.”
Farmer will be sentenced by Judge Drain in the summer of 2025. He faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years’ incarceration.
This case was investigated by the ATF and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Princ and Sarah Alsaden.
Springfield man sentenced to over 30 years in prison for crypto-terror financing schemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Springfield man was sentenced yesterday to 30 years and four months in prison for his efforts to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least October 2019 through October of 2022, Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, collected and sent money to female ISIS members in Syria to benefit ISIS in various ways, including by financing the escape of female ISIS members from prison camps and supporting ISIS fighters. Chhipa would raise funds online on various social media accounts. He would receive electronic transfers of funds and travel hundreds of miles to collect funds by hand. He would then convert the money to cryptocurrency and send it to Turkey, where it was smuggled to ISIS members in Syria.
“This defendant directly financed ISIS in its efforts to commit vile terrorist atrocities against innocent citizens in America and abroad,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This severe sentence illustrates that if you fund terrorism, we will prosecute you and put you behind bars for decades.”
“Those who fund and facilitate terror bear the same responsibility as those who carry out attacks,” said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Mohammed Chhipa knowingly and persistently collected and provided a considerable amount of money to fund the violence of an organization bent on forcing their extremist ideology on others. That he did so from a nation that holds individual freedom sacrosanct is unconscionable.”
“With this sentencing, this defendant will pay the price for helping finance ISIS, a brutal terrorist organization,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This is more proof that the FBI will investigate and work with our DOJ partners to hold accountable anyone who assists ISIS or other terrorist groups. Whether you are a fighter or send money, these activities are illegal and against the national security interests of the United States.”
“Mr. Chhipa transferred more than $185,000 to members of a designated terrorist organization,” said Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Such funds could have been used to enable terrorist operations and attacks targeting innocent U.S. citizens at home and abroad. Today’s sentencing underscores the FBI’s commitment to severing these streams of funding and keeping the American people safe.”
His primary co-conspirator was an ISIS member residing in Syria who was involved in raising funds for prison escapes, terrorist attacks, and ISIS fighters.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Chhipa sent over $185,000 in cryptocurrency.
In December 2024, a federal jury convicted Chhipa of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and four counts of providing and attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony T. Aminoff and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Andrew John Dixon and former Trial Attorney Andrea Broach for the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-97.
South Lake Tahoe Man Indicted for Distribution of Fentanyl Causing DeathRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Timothy Austin Pannell, 32, of South Lake Tahoe, charging him with distribution of fentanyl causing death, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on the morning of Feb. 12, 2024, South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting multiple overdoses at a residence in South Lake Tahoe. First responders arrived and found four individuals deceased in the residence. A fifth victim survived the overdose.
It is alleged that two of the men found deceased that morning had met with Pannell, a.k.a. “Frog,” the night before, following a Super Bowl party, in the parking lot of a church in South Lake Tahoe. There, Pannell sold them fentanyl that he represented as cocaine. The two men returned to the residence, where they shared what they believed to be cocaine with three others at the house.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, and the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Conolly is prosecuting the case.
Pannell is currently in federal custody, pending trial.
If convicted, Pannell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Six Defendants Sentenced for their Roles in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Six members of a drug trafficking organization have been sentenced for their roles in distributing deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the metro-Atlanta area.
“These defendants distributed substantial amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine with no regard for the grave public safety risk,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our Office will continue to closely coordinate with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to prosecute drug traffickers and prevent dangerous narcotics from poisoning our communities.”
“These drug traffickers endangered countless lives by distributing large quantities of deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine,” Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division commented on the case. “DEA will continue to aggressively pursue the criminals that contribute to the drug crisis.”
“This case highlights the critical role Homeland Security Investigations plays in dismantling transnational drug trafficking organizations operating in our communities,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “The defendants in this case were responsible for introducing massive quantities of deadly narcotics into the metro-Atlanta area—methamphetamine that was trafficked across borders, chemically altered, and distributed without regard for the devastating impact on public health and safety. Through the combined efforts of HSI and our federal, state, and local partners, we’ve disrupted a dangerous supply chain and brought key members of this organization to justice.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2022, federal special agents discovered that a drug trafficking organization (DTO) was distributing drugs obtained from a Mexico-based supplier throughout metro-Atlanta. These drugs included methamphetamine which arrived from Mexico in liquid form and was converted to crystal methamphetamine.
During an early phase of the investigation, defendant Erik Rosales-Lopez was arrested in December 2022 at a residence used to process liquid methamphetamine that had been mixed with paint. Rosales Lopez had distributed methamphetamine on three previous occasions, including to an undercover agent. During a search of his residence, investigators seized 11 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine.
In April 2023, agents surveilled defendants Brayan Garcia-Picasso and Bryan Pacheco-Carranza as they left a residence believed to be used as a methamphetamine lab. Local law enforcement then conducted a traffic stop of their vehicle. Police officers seized approximately 16 kilograms of methamphetamine during a search of the vehicle. Agents later searched the residence as well and, while doing so, confirmed that the location was a methamphetamine lab. The agents found approximately six kilograms of methamphetamine and methamphetamine conversion equipment on the premises.
Following the arrests of Garcia-Picasso and Pacheco-Carranza, agents continued to investigate the DTO. In June 2023, defendant Alex Chamorro-Valencia was arrested after a search of a vehicle he was driving was found to contain nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine. Investigators also searched the residence from which he was seen departing and discovered a second methamphetamine lab used by the DTO. Agents recovered 15 gallons of liquid methamphetamine and 135 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine in the residence. Defendant Hedgarciney Gameno-Cortez was encountered in the residence and arrested.
The following defendants were convicted and sentenced:
- Juventino Rodriguez was sentenced earlier today by U.S. District Judge Victoria M. Calvert to 54 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Rodriguez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl after he pled guilty on December 19, 2024.
- Garcia-Picasso was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown to 12-and-a-half years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Garcia-Picasso was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine after he pled guilty on November 7, 2023.
- Pacheco-Carranza was sentenced by Judge Brown to six years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Pacheco-Carranza was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine after he pled guilty on January 18, 2024.
- Chamorro-Valencia was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross to eight years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Chamorro-Valencia was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine after he pled guilty on October 16, 2023.
- Hedgarciney Gameno-Cortez was sentenced by Judge Ross to eight years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Gameno-Cortez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine after he pled guilty on February 28, 2024.
- Erik Josue Rosales-Lopez was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Rosales-Lopez was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after he pled guilty on July 31, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, with valuable assistance from the Clayton County Police Department, Henry County Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, DeKalb County Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, and Cobb County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Renaud and Sandra E. Strippoli, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Howard, prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
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.
Sex Trafficker Who Supplied His Prostitutes with Heroin Sentenced to 90 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON D.C. – Johnny Lee Gibson, 58, whose last known residence was in Florence, South Carolina, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 90 months in federal prison for sex-trafficking women who he kept under his control by supplying them with narcotics.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Gibson, aka “Preach,” pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2024, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. In addition to the 90-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Gibson to serve 10 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Gibson recruited drug-addicted women to work as prostitutes for his commercial sex enterprise that operated in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. The enterprise ran from 1994 until Gibson’s arrest at a motel in Brooklawn, New Jersey, on July 25, 2024.
Gibson placed online advertisements offering the women’s sexual services. Some ads ran on websites that targeted the DMV. In 2019, he ran ads in the District touting one woman that stated “100% Real and always discreet, always on time, fresh, and looking my very best. I always aim to please…”
When he was arrested in July 2024, Gibson gave a recorded statement in which he admitted to sex trafficking five women, acting as a pimp, procuring drugs for them, and controling the women by providing access to drugs.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Ditzler Shinskie and Rachel Forman.
San Diego Fentanyl Supplier Sentenced in the District for Role in Nationwide Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Edgar Balderas, 27, of San Diego, California, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 148 months in prison for participating in a massive fentanyl trafficking conspiracy that distributed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills from Southern California to destinations throughout the United States, including the District. Balderas was one of more than two dozen co-defendants arrested over the course of 2023 in D.C., Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, and Los Angeles and charged in the conspiracy.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division.
Balderas, aka “Nano,” pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 148-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Balderas to serve five years of supervised release.
The impetus for this investigation was the overdose death of Diamond Lynch, a young mother in Southeast D.C. In addition to investigating and prosecuting the death-resulting case, law enforcement followed the evidence and uncovered a vast network of traffickers who transported fentanyl from Mexico to Los Angeles to the District of Columbia. Since then, investigators have seized more than 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms.
According to court documents, Balderas conspired with a Los Angeles-based fentanyl trafficker to supply him with fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills, which the trafficker would, in turn, supply to his D.C.-based customers. He began supplying the trafficker with fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills in Fall 2022 and continued until the L.A.-based trafficker’s arrest in late-February 2023.
After the Los Angeles-based trafficker’s arrest in late-February 2023, Balderas attempted to begin dealing fentanyl directly to D.C.-based fentanyl distributors. For example, Balderas began communicating via Instagram with a D.C.-based co-defendant in this case the month after the Los Angeles-based trafficker’s arrest. The purpose of these communications was to arrange for the direct sale of fentanyl pills to the D.C.-based co-conspirator, along with other D.C.-based clients of the Los Angeles-based fentanyl trafficker.
DEFENDANTAGELOCATIONCHARGES/SENTENCEHector David Valdez,
aka “Curl”
27
Santa Fe Springs, CaliforniaConspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Craig Eastman
21
Washington, D.C.Sentenced Feb. 6, 2025, to 165 months for conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.Charles Jeffrey Taylor21Washington, D.C.Pleaded guilty Feb. 28, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Raymond Nava, Jr.20Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced Sept. 17, 2024, to 14 years for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Ulises Aldaz28Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 95 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Max Alexander Carias Torres27Bell Gardens,
California
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering
Teron Deandre McNeil, aka “Wild Boy”34Washington, D.C.Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
Marvin Anthony Bussie,
aka “Money Marr”
22Washington, D.C.Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Marcus Orlando Brown29Washington, D.C.Sentenced Oct. 3, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Columbian Thomas, aka "Cruddy Murda”27Washington, D.C.Sentenced Oct. 22, 2024, to 160 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Wayne Rodell Carr-Maiden30Washington, D.C.Sentenced April 29, 2024, to 45 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Andre Malik Edmond,
aka “Draco”
23Temple Hills, MarylandSentenced July 22, 2024, to 130 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Treyveon James Johnson,
aka “Treyski”
20Alexandria, VirginiaSentenced Sept. 5, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Karon Olufemi Blalock,
aka “Fat Bags”
30Alexandria, VirginiaConspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud;
Conspiracy to commit money laundering
Ronte Ricardo Greene,
aka “Cardiddy”
29Washington, D.C.Pleaded guilty Feb. 27, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Melvin Edward Allen, Jr., aka “21”39Washington, D.C.Pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Darius Quincy Hodges,
aka “Brick”
34Glen Allen, VirginiaConspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Lamin Sesay,
aka “Rock Star”
28Alexandria, VirginiaPleaded guilty Feb. 7, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.Paul Alejandro Felix26Glendale,
California
Sentenced Nov. 12, 2024, to 164 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Omar Arana,
aka “Frogs”
27Cudahy,
California
Sentenced May 2, 2025, to 93 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Edgar Balderas, Jr., aka “Nano”27San Diego,
California
Sentenced May 8, 2025, to 148 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Raul Pacheco Ramirez30Long Beach,
California
Sentenced Nov. 26, 2024, to 95 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Giovani Alejandro Briones30Victorville, CaliforniaSentenced Feb. 20, 2025, to 90 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.Alfredo Rodriguez Gonzalez26Rosarito, MexicoConspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
Conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris Y. McCranie of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section.
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Rhode Island Man Admits to Cyberstalking, Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island man today pleaded guilty as charged by federal indictment to one count of cyberstalking and four counts of distribution of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Melvin Vidal Herrera Perez, 21, admitted to a federal judge that he befriended a minor child, encouraged her to take sexually explicit images of herself, and later used the images to threaten and harass her after she turned eighteen.
Perez admitted that he used a variety of tactics to cause serious emotional distress to the victim, including opening websites to display her images, texting and emailing her images, and messaging a wide number of individuals in the victim’s personal and social circles.
Perez, who has been detained since his arrest in December 2024, is scheduled to be sentenced on August 6, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Julie M. White.
The matter was investigated by the FBI.
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Recidivist Sex Offender Is Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A recidivist sex offender was sentenced to 120 months in prison yesterday for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Registered sex offender Ricky Grover Aaron, 62, of Charlotte, a was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and pay restitution to his victims.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, the FBI was conducting an undercover online investigation to identify individuals sharing CSAM using peer-to-peer file sharing networks. Investigators determined that Aaron was utilizing a BitTorrent application to make CSAM available for others, and on multiple occasions, were able to download CSAM files from one or more of Aaron’s electronic devices.
In November 2022, a search warrant was executed at Aaron’s residence. Several electronic devices were seized and forensically examined. In total, investigators found that Aaron possessed the equivalent (when taking videos into account) of more than 300,000 CSAM images that depicted, among other things, minors including infants, toddlers, and children under the age of 12, being sexually abused and exploited, having violence inflicted upon them, appearing in bondage, and otherwise subjected to sado-masochistic conduct.
At the sentencing hearing, the Court also heard that Aaron failed to register as a sex offender in Mecklenburg County after he moved to North Carolina, as he was required to do because he had two convictions prior to this one, a federal conviction for receipt and possession of CSAM, and a state conviction for false imprisonment and aggravated exploitation of a minor in Tennessee. Under the provisions of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) convicted sex offenders are required to register with the Sex Offender Registry Board in any state or jurisdiction where they work or reside.
On October 29, 2024, Aaron pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained age 12. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI for their investigation of the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Armstrong of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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 Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Operation Restore Justice
This week, the FBI in North Carolina announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, following a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrest of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The enforcement action was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
Among those arrested as part of Operation Restore Justice was a former Charlotte resident, Terrell Shawn Anderson, 30, who is charged in the Western District of North Carolina with distributing child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material. Anderson was arrested in Atlanta and faces at least five years in federal prison and up to twenty years on each distribution count and up to twenty years on the possession count.
“We will aggressively prosecute these cases, as we do all cases against those who seek to exploit and abuse children,” said Russ Ferguson in the joint announcement made with the FBI. “The individuals charged and arrested in this operation are accused of engaging in conduct that harms children and perpetuates their abuse. I commend the FBI in North Carolina and the entire law enforcement community for their ongoing efforts to identify these perpetrators and bring them to justice so they cannot hurt another child.”
You can find additional information about the national Operation Restore Justice initiative here.
The charges against Anderson are allegations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Providence Man Indicted for Making False Statements to Gain Veteran BenefitsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a Providence man with two counts of making false statements in an alleged scheme to obtain veterans’ disability compensation and health care benefits that he is not entitled to receive, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Court documents reflect the following allegations:
- Nicholas M. Ash, 39, fraudulently claimed to a Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center doctor that he was had been on a combat deployment to Iraq/the Middle East and was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as the result of a blast from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) during his deployment that caused him to suffer from seizures.
- Defense Department records indicate that Ash did not serve on such a combat deployment in the Middle East. These records indicate that Ash served in the U.S. Army from July 2005 to September 2007, but was never stationed outside of the United States. The records show that following completion of basic training in Oklahoma, Ash was assigned to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, where he served as a motor transport operator. While stationed in Hawaii, Ash was hospitalized for an unrelated medical matter and placed on non-deployable status (not medically fit to deploy on any military operation).
- When confronted about his claims, Ash then claimed that his injury occurred after he was discharged from the Army as the result of an IED blast he experienced while employed overseas as a private military contractor. Court records reflect that investigators allegedly could find no record Ash ever worked for the private contractor.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Ash is scheduled to be arraigned on May 20, 2025.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, with valuable assistance from the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Services; and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Police Service.
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Private School Settles with Justice Department to Address Discrimination Against Children with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 8, 2025, Wisconsin Montessori Society, Inc., d/b/a Milwaukee Montessori School (MMS) agreed to injunctive relief and payment of $290,000 to resolve allegations that it failed to provide full and equal enjoyment of its educational services to children with disabilities, in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131-12189.
MMS is a private day school that offers pre-K through grade 8 education. Private schools, day care centers, and other places of education are generally prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability under Title III of the ADA. Disabled individuals protected under Title III include both individuals with an actual disability—meaning “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual”—as well as individuals “regarded as having such an impairment.”
Since at least 2018, MMS has discriminated against young children with disabilities. MMS has: (1) denied, on the basis of disability, participation in its educational services to disabled children by expelling and refusing to admit them; (2) denied disabled children equal participation in MMS’s educational services by repeatedly sending them to the office, seating them separately from other students, and sending them home early because of manifestations of their disabilities; and (3) failed to make reasonable modifications for disabled children. MMS’s discriminatory actions are evidenced by the experiences of ten children described in the Settlement Agreement.
“Children with disabilities have the right to access the educational opportunities offered by private schools, including Montessori schools,” said Acting United States Richard Frohling. “This settlement is an important reminder that the ADA’s obligations extend to private schools and their treatment of students with disabilities.”
Under the Settlement Agreement, MMS will pay monetary damages of $240,000 to compensate aggrieved persons as well as a civil penalty of $50,000 to the United States. It also includes injunctive relief that requires monitoring and reporting, and MMS has voluntarily taken some steps to address the government’s findings.
The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake periodic reviews of covered entities. The Department of Justice is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa Yun and Nia Schmaltz represented the government in this matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; MMS does not admit liability for the allegations.
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414-297-1700
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Phoenix Man Sentenced to 52 Months in Prison for Alien Smuggling Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Cesar Abraam Velasquez-Munoz, 20, of Peoria, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez to 52 months in prison for his role in transporting two illegal aliens in March 2024, one of whom suffered fatal injuries after jumping out of the vehicle while it was moving. Velasquez-Munoz previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person and Resulting in Death.
On March 6, 2024, Velasquez-Munoz and his co-defendant, Steven Beltran-Lugo, picked up two illegal aliens near the Mexican border with the intent to smuggle them further into the United States. Velasquez-Munoz drove the vehicle while he and Beltran-Lugo communicated with a Phoenix-based smuggling coordinator. When law enforcement began to follow them, the illegal aliens were told to get out of the vehicle. The first illegal alien jumped out of the moving car while it was traveling approximately 45 miles per hour. Velasquez-Munoz then accelerated as the second illegal alien attempted to exit the vehicle, causing him to violently strike the pavement. As a result, he suffered a brain hemorrhage and internal bleeding, ultimately succumbing to these injuries two days later in the hospital.
The sentencing is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs (OIA), among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 330 U.S. convictions; more than 275 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-01674-TUC-AMM (EJM)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-073_Velasquez-Munoz# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Philadelphia County Man Sentenced to 137 Months for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Possession in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Leon Weathersbe, age 38, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 7, 2025 to 137 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Keli M. Neary for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus and court documents, on April 12, 2022, Pennsylvania State Police troopers conducted a traffic stop on Weathersbe’s vehicle. During the stop, troopers recovered $1600 from Weathersbe’s person. Weathersbe provided consent to search the vehicle; however, he fled the stop on foot as troopers began to search the vehicle. Weathersbe was not apprehended at the time. Troopers continued their search of Weathersbe’s vehicle and recovered distribution quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana, as well as a loaded handgun under the driver’s seat.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams prosecuted the case.