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8 May 2025
Federal Jury Returns Guilty Verdicts Against Two Members of a Firearm and Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
After a three-day trial, a federal jury found Angel Lopez, 47, of Southern California, guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and Rochlem Eric Aquino Yadao, 48, of Santa Maria, guilty of conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents and evidence produced at trial, Lopez and Yadao were involved in conspiracies to traffic drugs and guns respectively. In March 2020, Angel Lopez negotiated the sale of 5 pounds of methamphetamine and directed others to complete the deal. Later, in a dark parking lot outside Disneyland, Lopez’s associate delivered the methamphetamine to the buyer. Shortly after the drug transaction, nearby law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop and seized the drugs. The methamphetamine was packaged in five individual plastic bags, with two of the bags containing “blue” methamphetamine.
Also in 2020, several individuals conspired to deal firearms without a license in Fresno, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties. Throughout the firearm dealing conspiracy, agents seized firearms and ammunition from four different gun deals between March and August of 2020. In April 2020, members of the firearm dealing conspiracy arranged for the sale of two AR-style rifles. The deal took place at Yadao’s residence in Santa Maria. Yadao personally stored and delivered the firearms at his house and took cash payment for the weapons. Both guns were “ghost guns,” and did not have serial numbers. Yadao did not have a license to deal firearms. The guns were seized by law enforcement shortly after the deal occurred.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Justice, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno Police Department, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie M. Stokman and Cody S. Chapple are prosecuting the case.
Lopez and Yadao are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Aug. 25, 2025. Lopez faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. Yadao faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Federal Jury Convicts Stacey Lancaster for Attempting to Sex Traffic a Minor at a Manchester HotelRead the Press Release
CONCORD – After a 3-day trial, a Hudson man was convicted by a federal jury for attempting to sex traffic a 12-year-old in a proactive federal and local law enforcement operation on November 14, 2024, Acting United States Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Stacey Lancaster, age 46, was convicted of one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor. United States District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro ordered Lancaster detained pending sentencing, which is scheduled for August 18, 2025.
On November 14 and November 15, 2024, in a proactive law enforcement operation, agents posted and monitored an advertisement on a website commonly used to advertise commercial sex. The advertisement contained images of what appeared to be two minor females, and a contact phone number. Law enforcement agents monitored the phone line and used it to communicate with potential sex buyers, including Lancaster. During a text conversation between an undercover agent and Lancaster, the agent stated that he/she had a 12-year-old girl available to perform sex acts in exchange for money. The agent then provided Lancaster with the address of a hotel in Manchester. Once at the hotel, the defendant met with an undercover agent and confirmed that he was in possession of the agreed upon $100 to pay for the commercial sex act, and that he would use a condom.
Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Krasinski and Matthew Vicinanzo are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Federal Detainee Admits to Possessing Contraband Inside Wyatt Detention CenterRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A federal detainee found to be in possession of contraband while detained at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center today pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy and to a charge of providing and possessing contraband in prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Anthony Whyte, 50, admitted that on May 21, 2023, he took possession of an envelope containing documents passed to him by a visitor. Upon further inspection, Wyatt officials determined that eight of the pages had the appearance of having been contaminated with some sort of substance. One of the eight pages later analyzed by the FBI was determined to have been treated with synthetic cannabinoids.
Court documents reflect that Whyte arranged for the delivery of the contaminated pages during recorded telephone conversations he made from inside the Wyatt Detention Center. The papers and the manilla envelope they were contained in were seized moments after Whyte took possession of them. At the time, Whyte was detained in an unrelated criminal matter brought in the District of Connecticut.
Whyte is scheduled to be sentenced on August 26, 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 Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, with the assistance of the Wyatt Detention Center Professional Standards Unit.
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Federal Charges Filed Against Former Local School Music Teacher and Filipino Man for Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed charges against a former local school music teacher, as well as a Filipino man living in Baltimore, Md. alleging that the two produced videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minor boys in the Philippines.
Joshua DeWitte, 50, of Cambridge, Mass., and Christopher Allan Tisoy, 27, a Filipino national residing in Baltimore, Md., were charged with one count each of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy).
DeWitte was arrested today and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for May 12, 2025. Tisoy was arrested in Baltimore yesterday and, following an initial appearance in the District of Maryland, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for May 14, 2025.
According to the charging documents, at the time of the alleged conduct, DeWitte was a music teacher at a local school in Massachusetts. Tisoy, a citizen of the Philippines who lawfully entered the United States in September 2024 on a H-1B Visa, is employed as a medical technologist at the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.
According to the charging documents, in December 2024, DeWitte was allegedly identified as the owner of a Snapchat account that uploaded a file of suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting the abuse of a boy who appears to be between approximately eight and 10 years old. Records obtained from Snapchat allegedly showed that, in September 2024, DeWitte engaged in multiple conversations that were sexual in nature with users who presented themselves as minors. In those conversations, it is alleged that DeWitte requested nude pictures from the purported minors; sent pictures of his penis to the purported minors; and discussed previous and potential in-person meetups for sexual relations with minors.
Additionally, it is further alleged that DeWitte paid, and offered to pay, another Snapchat user to obtain and produce child pornography and to recruit minor boys for himself.
Based on that information, state law enforcement obtained a search warrant for DeWitte’s Cambridge residence in January 2025. DeWitte was then arrested and charged in Cambridge District Court with six counts of disseminating obscene material to a child, one count of distribution of material depicting a child in a sexual act and one count of possession of child pornography. He was later released on conditions.
According to the charging documents, forensic examination of DeWitte’s cell phone seized at the time of his January 2025 arrest allegedly revealed a Telegram conversation between DeWitte and another user in which DeWitte allegedly shared three video files and stated: “I was in the Philippines. Most of my vids are from there and that’s where I was with a 10 yo and 12. 16 yo in Japan and Korea;” and “I have a contact there…He only records vids of the boys or arranges for my visit.”
It is alleged that a separate Telegram conversation between DeWitte and Tisoy was located on DeWitte’s phone, in which they discussed four minor boys by name and arranged for the production of videos depicting the sexual exploitation of at least two minor boys in the Philippines.
Specifically, it is alleged that in the conversations, DeWitte and Tisoy negotiated the terms of creating sexually explicit videos involving minors, including which minors should be involved; which sex acts the minors should perform; who should film, including whether a third party or one of the minors themselves should film; what angles should be filmed; and how much DeWitte should pay Tisoy for each video. The negotiation allegedly incorporated the sexual preferences of both DeWitte and Tisoy, with both agreeing on what they would each find sexually gratifying. Tisoy then allegedly relayed instructions to the minor victims to create a video.
DeWitte allegedly paid Tisoy for each video Tisoy produced and sent. It is alleged that, between July 3, 2023 and Dec. 27, 2024, DeWitte sent 87 PayPal payments to Tisoy, in amounts ranging from $27 to $958, to film the sexual exploitation of minors in the Philippines – totaling to approximately $23,752.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact [email protected].The charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy) provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cambridge Police Department; HSI-Baltimore; the Maryland Department of State Police; and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez and Anne Paruti of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
El Salvadorian National Previously Deported or Removed Three Times and a Guatemalan National Indicted for Unlawful Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – An El Salvadorian national, previously deported or removed three times, and a Guatemalan national were indicted on unrelated charges of unlawful reentry into the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Juan Ruiz, 30, an El Salvadorian national unlawfully residing in Manchester, was previously deported or removed to El Salvador three times on June 10, 2016, May 18, 2017, and October 14, 2021. He was located in New Hampshire on April 22, 2025.
Jorge Abelino Roque-Mejia, 36, a Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in the United States, was previously deported to Guatemala on May 22, 2009. He was located in New Hampshire on April 20, 2025.
Both Roque-Mejia and Ruiz are currently in ICE custody. They will appear in federal court at a later date.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement led the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the cases.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Dulce Man Indicted for Federal Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man has been charged by indictment with assault following an alleged incident that left the victim with severe injuries.
According to court documents, on February 1, 2025, James William Julian, 25, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, assaulted and seriously injured John Doe.
Julian is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Julian faces up to 10 years in prison.
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 Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Julian).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dubuque Man Who Attempted to Discharge a Firearm at a Police Officer Sentenced to over a Decade in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who assaulted a police officer by attempting to discharge a firearm was sentenced on May 6, 2025, to more than twelve years in federal prison.
Kentrell Vantrice Powell, age 29, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 20, 2024 guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Information from a plea agreement and a sentencing hearing showed that, on August 22, 2024, Dubuque police officers encountered Powell at a gas station. Powell was intoxicated and had shoplifted bottles of liquor from the gas station that were returned by one of his associates before officers arrived. Powell walked away from officers as they approached him despite repeated commands to stop, and he resisted arrest. While officers searched him, Powell kept reaching his hands into his back pockets, and the officers repeatedly told him to stop. When he reached his hands into his back pocket again, an officer heard a sound consistent with the action of a firearm. The officer looked down and saw Powell was holding a small derringer-size pistol, and the pistol was pointed at the officer. Subsequent examination of the pistol showed that a round of ammunition inside the pistol had a strike mark consistent with the round having misfired. The pistol also had an obliterated serial number.
Powell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Powell was sentenced to 150 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Powell is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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 prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-1030.
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Dominican National Sentenced for Passport Fraud and Stealing U.S. Citizen's IdentityRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national, residing in Fall River, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to charges related to passport fraud and other offenses.
Hector Eduardo Arias Mejia, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to two years and one day in prison and one year of supervised release. The defendant is also subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In March 2025, Arias Mejia pleaded guilty to misuse of a Social Security number, aggravated identity theft and making a false statement in an application for a United States passport. In December 2023, Arias Mejia was indicted by a federal grand jury.
According to the charging documents Arias Mejia unlawfully used the identity of a United States citizen from Puerto Rico since at least 2011. In 2011, using that stolen identity, Arias Mejia was convicted in the Fall River District Court of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, for which he served an 18 month jail sentence. In 2016, again using the stolen identity, Arias Mejia was convicted in the Fall River District Court of three counts of possession with intent to distribute drugs and was sentenced two years in jail.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo; Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Dominican National Deported in 2014 Following Convictions on Drug Trafficking and Other Crimes Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national, deported in 2014 after being convicted for drug trafficking, identity fraud, and forgery, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of illegal reentry, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Noel Ignacio Moronta, 43, deported in May 2014, again came to the attention of law enforcement in April 2023, when he was arrested on various Rhode Island state charges for drug trafficking and related crimes. He was convicted on those charges in November 2023.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The matter was investigated by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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District Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty in Unlawful Possession of Six FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dewayne Anthony Shorter Jr., 36, a resident of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to two felony charges related to armed drug distribution. The plea, which comes as part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative, was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Shorter pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan to distribution of marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids and to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. Judge Sooknanan set the sentencing hearing for August 28, 2025.
As part of his plea, Shorter admitted that he possessed with the intent to distribute 2.75 pounds of marijuana, two jars of THC wax, and 29.8 grams of suspected dimethylpentylone, a synthetic designer drug also referred to as “boot.” The drugs were recovered by MPD officers on Jan. 28, 2025, inside Shorter’s 2022 Infiniti SUV.
Shorter further admitted to possessing a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol loaded with 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition, an Aero Precision 5.56mm AR-Pistol loaded with 36 rounds, a Del Ton 5.56mm AR-Pistol loaded with 15 rounds, and a “double drum” 100-round capacity magazine containing 94 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition. All were recovered from inside the same SUV.
Shorter also admitted to possessing with intent to distribute 30 grams of synthetic cannabinoids, 28 grams of suspected fentanyl, and 18 grams of suspected “boot” in his apartment which was searched by MPD officers after his arrest. In addition, he admitted to possessing a Ruger 5.7x28mm handgun loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition, an FNH 5.7x28mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with 20 rounds, two disassembled AR-15 style rifles chambered for 5.56mm ammunition, three rifle magazines loaded with a total of 57 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and a handgun magazine loaded with 28 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Shorter is a previously convicted felon and has two prior convictions for assaulting police officers.
The case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
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Defendants Sentenced in Murder-for Hire ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Four defendants were sentenced for their involvement in a murder-for-hire conspiracy, among other crimes.
On January 10, 2025, a federal jury convicted Judy Owen, 61, and Mitzy Smith, 54, of Fairhope, AL, for conspiracy to commit murder for hire, transfer of a firearm in furtherance of a felony, and murder for hire.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Smith and Owen conspired together and with others to hire a hitman to murder another person. The sisters’ co-defendants, Rebecca Murphy, Sandra Grimes, and Jessica Montgomery previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for hire. The sisters were also convicted of transferring a firearm to another person in furtherance of a felony, murder.
On May 5, 2025, United States Chief District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Judy Owen to 120 months in prison, Sandra Grimes to 70 months in prison, and Jessica Montgomery to 60 months in prison for their roles in the conspiracy. Mitzy Smith was sentenced to time served. Rebecca Murphy was previously sentenced on January 27, 2025, and received a sentence of 60 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill and Tandice H. Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Dealers Sentenced for Supplying Local Fentanyl and Methamphetamine MarketsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A major supplier of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Southwest Virginia—and a pair of related dealers—were sentenced this week to lengthy federal prison terms, dealing a major blow to the drug market in Southwest Virginia.
Bradley Mitchell Chester, 39, of Pound, Va., was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison. Chester previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and two counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Also on Thursday, two methamphetamine and fentanyl dealers, Matthew Addington, 41, and Michael Hicks, 36, of Pound, Va., were each sentenced. Addington was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment and Hicks was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment.
According to court documents, Chester served as a major supplier of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Wise County, Virginia area from approximately March 2023 to March 2024. Chester routinely made trips to North Carolina and Kentucky with co-conspirators to obtain up to several pounds of methamphetamine and a pound of fentanyl at a time from drug suppliers. Chester also supplied Addington, Hicks, and other co-conspirators with fentanyl and methamphetamine, which they the redistributed locally.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Southwest Drug Task Force, Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.
Convicted Methamphetamine Distributor Pleads Guilty to Escape from Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Mark Daly (60, Summerfield) has pleaded guilty to escaping from federal prison. Daly faces a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to records and information presented in court, on February 21, 2025, Daly escaped from the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex prison camp in Sumter County, where he had been serving a 10-year prison sentence for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. DEA agents immediately began to search for Daly and obtained a search warrant for the GPS location information of a cellphone he was using. On February 27, 2025, Daly was located near an abandoned residence in Palatka, along with two others who were also wanted for criminal charges. One of the others was Daly’s girlfriend, who also had escaped from federal prison. Daly and the others were taken into custody.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie K. Boyer.
Cincinnati man sentenced to more than 2 years in prison for federal fraud crimesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Yaw Mintah Afari, 47, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 27 months in prison for fraud. He used a stolen identity for decades, compiling an extensive criminal record, getting married and fathering a child all under the assumed identity.
Court documents detail that the victim of Afari’s identity theft has significantly suffered from having his identity stolen. For example, the victim was arrested in 2009 for a warrant in Georgia for a crime that Afari committed while using his identity. The victim later had to take a DNA test to prove that he was not liable for child support payments for a child that Afari fathered under the victim’s name. Further, the victim lost his job as an Uber driver because of the criminal record Afari compiled under his identity.
Afari was born in Ghana in 1977 and entered the United States on a visitor’s visa in 1999. Afari obtained a Virginia driver’s license in 1999. In July 2001, he was charged with assault in Fairfax, Virginia.
After his assault charges, Afari stole the identity of an acquaintance that lived on his road.
Afari used the stolen identity in connection with various arrests, including on fraud, theft and forgery charges in Georgia in 2007 and 2009. The defendant was convicted and sentenced to prison terms for the crimes in Georgia and was paroled in 2012.
In 2018 or 2019, Afari moved to Cincinnati and then married a woman, using the stolen identity for a marriage certificate in Hamilton County. He also fathered a child while using the assumed identity.
Afari applied for a passport in Cincinnati using the victim’s name in February 2022, which led to an investigation into his true identity.
The defendant was charged and arrested in March 2024. He pleaded guilty in October 2024.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), U.S. Social Security Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Marshals, and Ohio BMV Investigations. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy A. Landry is representing the United States in this case.
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Choctaw County Resident Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Karen Sue Freeman, age 64, of Grant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hugo Police Department, and the Durant Police Department.
On January 14, 2025, Freeman pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 13, 2024, Freeman knowingly and intentionally distributed approximately 50 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Freeman will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Geizura represented the United States.
Chicago residents sentenced to prison for stealing over $100,000 from North Pole business through wire fraud, money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Two Chicago residents were sentenced to prison today for their roles in defrauding a North Pole restaurant of over $128,000 from July to August 2022.
Jacob Centeno, 40, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison and will serve three years on supervised release, while his co-defendant Amber Davila, 36, was sentenced to two years in prison and will serve three years on supervised release.
According to court documents, in August 2022, the owner of the North Pole restaurant noticed funds missing from a business bank account. The victim discovered that between Aug. 4-9, 2022, all of the funds intended for deposit into the restaurant’s account had been diverted to an unrecognized bank account. The total amount of funds diverted was $128,246.05.
An investigation revealed that, Centeno and Davila opened and used two shell companies in Chicago to steal the restaurant’s funds. In July 2021, they registered EROS LLC and opened a business bank account for the company. In July 2022, the defendants used stolen personal information to register ORODMEDLINE LLC and opened another business bank account for that company.
On July 29, 2022, an unknown co-conspirator surreptitiously changed the business bank account information connected to the restaurant to the fraudulent ORODMEDLINE LLC bank account so that the funds could be diverted. An email confirming the account change was sent to the restaurant, but Centeno, Davila and their co-conspirator unlawfully accessed the victim’s email, filled out the confirmation form and returned it to the sender. They then deleted all the email traffic to conceal their actions.
Centeno and Davila used the stolen funds from the ORODMEDLINE LLC account to purchase over $41,000 in money orders in Chicago. Centeno and Davila deposited the money orders into various personal and business accounts in amounts of less than $10,000 to avoid Bank Secrecy Act reporting requirements, and then moved the money to other accounts to further conceal their scheme.
Centeno and Davila were indicted in June 2024 and pleaded guilty on Jan. 31, 2025. Centeno and Davila both pleaded guilty to all 16 counts of the indictment. In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized the lasting impact the defendant’s conduct will have on the victims in this case.
“Mr. Centeno and Ms. Davila orchestrated an elaborate fraud scheme from Chicago to steal over $100,000 from a small business in North Pole, Alaska - 3,300 miles away,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This sentence sends a clear message—we will aggressively pursue and hold accountable criminals in any state who exploit innocent Alaskans for personal gain. I want to thank the FBI and North Pole Police Department for uncovering the truth and delivering justice to the victim.”
“To fund their own fraudulent lifestyle, the defendants’ complex and interstate fraud scheme involved stealing funds from a local business in North Pole, Alaska, affecting innocent victims along the way,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Today’s sentencings demonstrate that distance and complexity are no barriers to justice for the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners in Alaska.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office, Fairbanks Resident Agency, FBI Chicago Field Office and North Pole Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case, with significant legal support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois.
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Cedar Rapids Woman Sentenced for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A woman who was responsible for the distribution of over 150 pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than eleven years in federal prison.
Kris Marie Hagan, age 66, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 3, 2025 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Information from a plea agreement and a sentencing hearing showed that between 2019 and November 17, 2023, Hagan distributed methamphetamine from her residences in Marion and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. During that time, Hagan distributed more than 150 pounds of the controlled substance.
Hagan was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Hagan was sentenced to 134 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hagan is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-60. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Castle Shannon Felon Charged with Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The three-count Indictment named Vaughn James, 40, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about June 14, 2023, James possessed with intent to distribute quantities of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, protonitazene, heroin, MDMA, cocaine, and crack cocaine. The Indictment also alleges that James possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime and possessed a firearm and ammunition after having been convicted of multiple prior felonies, including for state drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 20 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10.5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police Drug Law Enforcement Division’s Southwest Strike Force Unit and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.
Career Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Bralyn Wadlington, who has numerous prior convictions for drug-related offense as well as other crimes, will spend the next 240 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
On January 22, 2025, Wadlington, 28, of Little Rock, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Miller also sentenced Wadlington to five years’ supervised release. On June 4, 2024, Wadlington was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
On May 29, 2024, an Arkansas State Police (ASP) trooper conducted a traffic stop on a black Kia Optima for speeding. The trooper made contact with the driver, Wadlington, however, Wadlington then fled the scene in his vehicle at a high rate of speed. The trooper then engaged in a vehicle pursuit of Wadlington. During the pursuit, Wadlington evaded police until running the red light at the intersection of Asher Avenue and University Avenue, colliding with a civilian in a white truck. After the collision, Wadlington continued to disobey the trooper’s commands to comply and exited the passenger side of his vehicle and fled on foot. A second ASP trooper arrived on scene to assist and deployed his taser to subdue Wadlington and take him into custody.
Troopers conducted a search of Wadlington’s Kia Optima and in located in the backseat approximately 446.6 grams of methamphetamine, one FN Herstal, model Five-Seven, 5.7x28 mm caliber firearm, multiple rounds of various ammunitions, multiple bags, and a digital scale used in drug distribution.
Wadlington received enhanced penalties for the drug conviction at sentencing due to his status as a career offender because of his criminal history that includes residential burglary, two convictions for theft by receiving, possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, two convictions for possession of a Schedule I/II controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with purpose to deliver a controlled substance, two convictions for fleeing, fraud/deceit to procure narcotics, two convictions for possession of a firearm by certain persons. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Arkansas State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katie Hinojosa.
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California man sentenced to 12 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine in BillingsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A California man who distributed methamphetamine in Billings was sentenced today to 144 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Sergio Rene Tagaban, 56, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
On November 7, 2022, law enforcement seized approximately two pounds of methamphetamine from a suspicious parcel shipped to Billings, Montana, from Calexico, California. Tagaban was identified as the person who mailed the package. The intended receiver of the package, Angelena LaFave, was sentenced on November 6, 2024, to five years in prison for her role in the offense.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Vestal prosecuted the case, and the investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Blue Springs Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Blue Springs, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.
Jon Hopkins, Jr., 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 14 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Hopkins to serve supervised release for Life following his incarceration and to pay $15,000 in restitution to his victims.
On October 29, 2024, Hopkins pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography. According to court documents, while Hopkins was employed with Honeywell in Kansas City, Missouri, he was discovered to be in possession of an electronic device within the Honeywell facility in a secure classified area which prohibits electronics. His electronic device was lawfully searched, and law enforcement discovered images depicting child pornography during an initial review. A federal search warrant was obtained, and following detailed forensic analysis, hundreds of images and videos of child pornography were discovered on his phone, many of which focused on preteen girls. These images included depictions of 10 previously identified child pornography victims.
Hopkins is also charged in Jackson County, Missouri with the felony offenses of Statutory Rape or Attempted Statutory Rape in the First Degree of a child less than 12 years old, as well Statutory Sodomy or Attempted Statutory Sodomy in the First Degree of a child less than 12 years old. Those charges have been pending while this federal case has been ongoing.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the Department of Energy, Office of the Inspector General, as well as the Independence Missouri Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Bay State Resident Charged in Alleged Attempt to Assassinate a Cabinet Member Nominee at the U.S. CapitolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ryan Michael English, 24, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, was charged in a two-count indictment, filed today in U.S. District Court, with the attempted assassination of a cabinet member nominee and carrying a dangerous weapon on the Grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building. The charges are related to English’s Jan. 27, 2025, alleged attempt to take a knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails into the building for the purposes of attacking a presidential cabinet nominee.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police. English, who is in custody, had an initial court appearance this afternoon.
English, aka “Reily,” is charged with carrying a dangerous weapon or incendiary device on the grounds of the Capitol and unlawful possession of an incendiary device.
According to the charging documents, on January 27, 2025, about 3:12 p.m., English approached a U.S. Capitol Police Officer near the South Door of the Capitol Building and stated “I’d like to turn myself in.” English further admitted to possessing a knife and two “Molotov cocktails.”
Officers searched English and recovered a folding knife, as well as two improvised incendiary devices from the inside pockets of English’s jacket. The devices were constructed of 50 milliliter bottles of vodka with a grey cloth affixed to its top. Police recovered a green lighter from another pocket.
During the search, English allegedly confessed to being at the Capitol to kill a presidential nominee who was testifying before the U.S. Senate. Police recovered a note to a family member in a pocket that said, in part, “This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters…Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying.”
English admitted to traveling to the District of Columbia with the intention of killing a government official or burning down a think-tank based in Washington, D.C.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bay Minette Man Sentenced to 17½ Years in Prison for Attempting to Entice a ChildRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Timothy Allen Arthur, age 66, was sentenced today to 210 months in prison after entering a guilty plea to a count of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Arthur entered his guilty plea on September 17, 2024.
According to court documents, during the summer months of 2023, Bay Minette Police Department (“BMPD”) was called to a school to address an issue about a nude photo of a student that was being distributed at a school. As part of the investigation into that incident, BMPD made contact with Arthur. Arthur’s behavior during his interview with BMPD was suspicious. Afterwards, teachers at the school began looking at the social media accounts of a 12-year-old child, and they discovered that Arthur was making inappropriate comments on the child’s social media posts. A teacher took screenshots of those comments and provided them to law enforcement.
The 12-year-old was interviewed and indicated that Arthur had been sending her inappropriate text messages for about a year, beginning when she was 11 years old. BMPD took the child’s phone into evidence and searched the phone. They found the text messages with Arthur. In those text messages, Arthur solicited the child to perform sex acts and produce naked images of herself. Arthur used sexually explicit language to describe the acts he wanted to engage in with the child. She did not encourage or respond positively to these comments. On at least one occasion, the child reminded Arthur that she was 12. After one of his comments about engaging in sexual activity, the child wrote “ur old. That’s rape, right?” Arthur wrote “I think we should get together” and the girl responded, in part, “I’m only 12 I can’t get together with u.” The child also repeatedly told Arthur to stop messaging her.
At sentencing, Judge DuBose imposed the 210-month sentence of incarceration and a 10-year term of supervised release upon his future release. During his term of imprisonment, Arthur will be subject to sex offender treatment, substance abuse testing and treatment, and mental health treatment. Arthur will be required to register as a sex offender and is to have no contact with minors. Arthur was ordered to pay $35,000 in restitution to the victims of his offenses and $5,100 in special assessments.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Bay Minette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources
Baltimore County Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $1.3 Million in COVID-19 Cares Act LoansRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced David Epstein, 46, of Owings Mills, Maryland, to one year and one day in federal prison and 12 months of home incarceration. The sentence is in connection with his previous guilty plea to one count of wire fraud for submitting fraudulent CARES Act loan applications.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It gives financial assistance including forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. Established by the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) — along with the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), helped businesses meet their financial obligations.
According to his plea agreement, and other court documents, beginning in May 2020, and continuing through February 2021, in the District of Maryland, Epstein engaged in a scheme to defraud financial institutions, including Cross River Bank, Bluevine, Celtic Bank, and the SBA, to obtain fraudulent loans for his business PEI Staffing (PEI), a temporary staffing company, under the PPP and EIDL programs.
On April 30, 2020, Epstein submitted a false and misleading PPP loan application in the name of PEI, seeking approximately $1,307,170 in funds. The application contained false statements and omissions relating to PEI including its number of employees. According to the application, PEI employed 382 workers but had only listed 79 on an IRS Form 941 for the second quarter of 2020. Other inaccuracies listed on the application were wages paid to employees and how funds would be used, such as for payroll and business rent and utilities. Epstein also falsely stated that he did not have common management with any other businesses, but he was a common manager of both PEI and Stafquik.
In February 2020, Epstein submitted a fictitious SunTrust Bank statement, claiming the account belonged to PEI. Instead, the account was connected to Stafquik. Epstein admitted that he altered the bank statement to submit PPP applications for PEI.
Then on May 4, 2020, approximately $1,307,170 in PPP loan proceeds were disbursed to the SunTrust Stafquik account. Within four days, Epstein opened four personal bank accounts at two separate banks where he subsequently transferred the PPP loan money that he eventually used for impermissible personal and other unauthorized expenses.
For example, one day after receiving the PPP funds, Epstein transferred $110,356.48 from the SunTrust account to Mercedes-Benz Financial in connection with a payment for a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GT43C4 automobile that he previously purchased. In addition, beginning on May 20, 2020, through August 2020, Epstein transferred approximately $138,522.22 in PPP funds to a contractor to complete extensive renovations on his home, including the installation of a pool. Epstein also admitted he used the PPP funds to pay a $100,000 settlement agreement; $344,341.05 debt to a business partner; and for various other personal expenses, including a trip to a luxury golf resort and personal debts.
Epstein also attempted to repeatedly add individuals whom he owed money to PEI’s payroll to make it appear that they were employees. Epstein attempted to hiding the PPP loan amount he received from family members, PEI employees, and various business partners he owed money.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the IRS-CI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley, who is prosecuting the case, and recognized Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber and the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force for their valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Athens Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Filing $3.5+ Million in False ReturnsRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A tax preparer who admitted to filing more than $3.5 million in fraudulent tax returns tied to a multi-state investigation of a COVID-19 pandemic unemployment benefit scheme in which she received a percentage of the ill-gotten gains was sentenced to serve eight years in prison for her crime.
Jessica Crawford, 34, of Athens, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III on May 8. Crawford previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aiding and assisting in preparing and presenting false income tax returns on Nov. 22, 2024. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Federal law enforcement uncovered a large-scale tax return scheme during the pandemic that was costing taxpayers while benefiting fraudsters,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Alongside our law enforcement partners, federal prosecutors will continue to uphold the law and pursue justice in these cases.”
“Jessica Crawford used her position as a tax preparer to defraud the U.S. government through a CARES Act program intended for those unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Atlanta Field Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Lisa Fontanette. “In addition, she continued her theft of taxpayers’ money by fraudulently filing tax returns on behalf of her clients. The sentencing Crawford received should serve notice to unscrupulous tax preparers that IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners will continue investigating and holding them accountable for their unethical conduct.”
"Jessica Crawford lied and took advantage of funds designed to help those who were truly in need during the pandemic," said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify and hold accountable anyone who defrauds taxpayers."
According to court documents and statements made in court, FBI agents investigating a multi-state unemployment benefit scheme conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic discovered text messages between individuals involved in the scheme and Crawford, a tax preparer with Crawford Tax Services in Athens. Crawford filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits on behalf of those individuals who had created fake businesses or submitted false information to fraudulently obtain benefits. In return, Crawford received a percentage of the ill-gotten gains.
Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) agents executed an undercover operation at Crawford’s business in April 2022 as part of the continuing investigation. The undercover agent (UA) met Crawford to have taxes prepared, and Crawford asked if the UA did anything on the side. At first, the UA responded no, but Crawford said that expenses could be deducted if he did, and the UA said he mowed an aunt’s lawn sometimes, which Crawford said was good enough. The UA did not provide any income or expense amounts. Still, Crawford created a Schedule C business for landscaping on the UA's federal income tax return based solely on that interaction. Crawford prepared a Form 1040 and filed electronically, including a fictitious Schedule C loss of $19,373, and claimed an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a Child Tax Credit (CTC), and a Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction, which were affected by the fraudulent Schedule C loss. As a result, the UA’s return claimed a fraudulent federal income tax refund of $12,359.
The IRS completed a statistical review of 1,261 total tax returns filed by Crawford in tax years 2020 and 2021. Of those, the IRS determined that Crawford fraudulently filed tax returns on behalf of clients, resulting in losses to the IRS exceeding $3 million from falsely claimed Form 7202 credits for sick leave and family leave, tax credits and dependent care credits.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the IRS-CI.
Criminal Chief Leah E. McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.
Armed repeat illegal alien admits to human smuggling and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 39-year-old Mexican national has pleaded guilty to four offenses related to a human smuggling event that occurred earlier this year, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Alejandro Ramirez-Carranza, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, admitted to transporting and bringing an alien into the United States as well as illegal reentry and being an alien in possession of a firearm. Mexican citizen Issac Azuara-Vasquez, 39, entered his plea April 10 to the same smuggling-related charges as well as selling a firearm to Ramirez-Carranza, an illegal alien.
On Feb. 12, authorities were conducting surveillance in an area notorious for alien, drug and weapon smuggling and heard a boat in the Rio Grande River coming in from Mexico. After hearing an individual in Spanish telling people to run, law enforcement witnessed a truck driving toward the river. It stopped by the river’s edge, and several individuals ran out of the brush and began climbing into the truck bed.
Azuara-Vasquez was driving and had brought an AR-15 type firearm to the scene. Ramirez-Carranza was standing by the vehicle, then retrieved the firearm and began running toward the back of the truck. He ignored multiple commands to stop and drop the weapon.
The investigation revealed Ramirez-Carranza was the river guide and had conspired with Azuara-Vasquez to transport and smuggle the individuals found in the truck bed. One indicated Ramirez-Carranza brought him across the Rio Grande River by boat and that his relatives were paying for him to be smuggled into the United States.
Ramirez-Carranza has felony convictions for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and illegal reentry after deportation. He was last removed from the United States in September 2009.
“The only thing worse than engaging in human smuggling is bringing along a weapon to facilitate your operation,” said Ganjei. “The rifle was there for a reason, and fortunately the scheme was interdicted before the firearm could be used against an innocent landowner or a law enforcement officer.”
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing for Azuara-Vasquez and Ramirez-Carranza July 2 and July 30, respectively. At those times, both men face up to 10 years in prison for the transportation charge and for bringing an alien into the United States as well as a maximum of 15 years for each of their respective firearms offenses. Ramirez-Carranza faces another 10 years for illegal reentry. All convictions also carry potential fines of up to $250,000.
Both have been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI and the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Demarius Chamon Johnson, a felon who possessed a firearm located next to a three-year old child, will spend the next 17 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the 204-month sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
A federal grand jury indicted Johnson, 35, of Jacksonville, in a superseding indictment on May 3, 2023. On January 24, 2025, Johnson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On September 17, 2021, officers with the North Little Rock Police Department located a vehicle that had been reported stolen out of El Dorado parked at the Fairview Inn in North Little Rock. The hotel’s surveillance footage showed that an individual had parked the stolen vehicle and entered one of the rooms on the second floor. Officers went to the room, noted the door was open, and saw Johnson by the doorway. When officers entered the room, they noticed a firearm next to a three-year old child who was lying on one of the beds. Johnson was initially detained in relation to the stolen car. While being placed in handcuffs, Johnson stated, “that gun’s mine, it belongs to me.” The Colt Commander, .45 caliber pistol that was located on the bed had one round in the chamber and six rounds in the magazine. The firearm had been reported stolen out of Little Rock.
Johnson has at least three prior convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense and is therefore classified as an armed career criminal. His criminal history includes residential burglary, attempted residential burglary, and felony drug possession and distribution.
Judge Miller also sentenced Johnson to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by ATF with assistance from the North Little Rock Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Jegley.
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21 Armed and Violent Drug Traffickers and Gang Members from Spokane Area Facing Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced that 21 individuals have been charged following the return of 15 separate indictments alleging dozens of charges against these defendants. Certain of the individuals indicated are not yet in federal custody.
The arrests follow a long-term joint federal investigation that began in October 2024, led by the by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This 7-month long investigation has targeted violent individuals and armed drug traffickers in Spokane as well as individuals operating in what has become nothing less than an open-air drug market on Division Street downtown.. These individuals have been problems in multiple states, impacting multiple communities during their lifetimes, in not only Washington State, but also Texas, Nevada, North Dakota, Montana, Alabama, Idaho, Oregon, and California.
Upon release of the latest indictment, which was unsealed earlier today upon the arrest of several additional suspects, Acting United States Attorney Rich Barker stated, “I am grateful for the coordinated efforts of so many law enforcement agencies, who worked together to coordinate the takedown of this alleged drug trafficking operation.” Acting U.S. Attorney Barker continued, “It is an honor work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners on such important prosecutions, which help remove illegal drugs and firearms from our community. Our community and nation are safer, because of the work of our law enforcement and prosecution teams.”
To date, agents seized just shy of 14-pounds of methamphetamine, over 1 kilogram of heroin, over 16,000 fentanyl pills, over 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, almost $60,000 in drug proceeds, as well as four vehicles and 36 firearms. In connection with the prosecution, the United States has filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the Eastern District of Washington against a local Spokane apartment complex located near North Central High School, which allegedly was being used to distribute illegal drugs and a place for individuals to obtain firearms. Properties such as this one are not only a community safety issue as a free for all of illicit activity, they are also a drain on public resources that could be used elsewhere. For example, in the last 2.5 years, records show there have been approximately 58 separate calls for service at the address.
According to unsealed charging documents, the following individuals, many of whom have ties to various street gangs and who have a history of violence, have been charged in connection with the investigation. Additionally, the names of others indicted in connection with this investigation will be unsealed upon the arrest of those individuals.
Andrew Vincent Auerbach, charged with Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking. Auerbach has a prior federal conviction for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Daryl Edward Boone, 45, charged with Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, Possess with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Distribution of 5 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine
James M. Ferguson, 33, charged with Unlawful Possession of a Short-Barreled Shotgun
Jonathan Jacob Inglis, 40, pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl. On January 30, 2025, he was sentenced to 151 months in prison.
Nathan Carlson Johnson, 44, charged with Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine.
James Lelacheur, 56, charged with Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine.
Christopher Wayne O’Neal, charged with Distribution of 5 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine. O’Neal is currently in Spokane County Jail stemming from a separate drug trafficking investigation.
Gabriella Sherif Rizkalla, charged with multiple counts of Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, and Conspiracy to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine
Roland Dewayne Sanders, 36, charged with Distribution of Fentanyl, Distribution of 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl. Sanders was on federal supervised release at the time of his offense and utilized his minor child to assist in the distribution of fentanyl.
Bernie Ray Shaw Jr., 45, charged with Distribution of Fentanyl
Courtney A. Wheeler, charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking
Andrew Lee Williams, charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking
Anthony Dale Williams, charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking and Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, multiple counts of Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Distribution of Cocaine.
Certain of the individuals will be arraigned at the Spokane Federal Courthouse on May 9, 2025, at 10:00am.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation along with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Moses Lake Police Department, Border Patrol, and the Washington Department of Corrections. Additional assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
WILLIAMS et al - 2:25-CR-75-RLP
SANDERS – 2:25-CR-15-MKD
LELACHER – 2:24-CR-16-MKD
FERGUSON – 2:24-CR-158-RLP
JOHNSON – 2:24-CR-159-MKD
AUERBACH – 2:25-CR-16-TOR
INGLIS – 2:23-CR-56-TOR
SHAW – 2:24-CR-163-MKD
BOONE – 2:24-CR-164-RLP
United States of America v. Real Property Known as 625 West Maxwell Avenue Spokane Washington et al, 2:25-cv-00148-RLP
19 Members of a Drug Trafficking Ring Indicted in ClevelandRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Ohio has returned a 29-count indictment against 19 members and associates of a Cleveland drug trafficking ring. Those charged are Derek Brantley, 41, Cleveland Heights; Juan Johnny Colon, 42, Cleveland; Luis Joel Rondon, 44, Cleveland; Sydney Anthony, 25, Parma Heights; Ryan Bell, 39, Brunswick; Mark Byrd, 44, Cleveland; Nicholas Calvert, 37, Avon Lake; Jocelyn Dolan, 22, Newton Falls; Antonio Greenlee, 37, Cleveland; Andre Jenkins, 43, Cleveland; Melanie Crespo, 32, Elyria; Jordan Marsh, 27, Cleveland; Nicholas Malusky, 38, Parma; Sean Masters, 54, Fort Pierce, Florida; Brandon Payne, 32, Cleveland; Lee Pomales, 38, Cleveland; Mason Pulvino, 28, North Ridgeville; Martha Rios, 68, Cleveland; and Kalem Watts, 45, Cleveland.
Federal and local law enforcement agents and officers made the apprehensions in a series of coordinated arrests.
According to court documents, from October 2023 to December 2024, the defendants charged were alleged to have trafficked various controlled substances but were mostly dealing cocaine. Although based in Cleveland, the ring operated throughout Northeast Ohio and as far away as Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Their operations also included attempts to infiltrate the Ohio prison system.
Throughout the investigation, authorities seized thousands of dollars in cash and a number of illegal drugs that included cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. Several illegally possessed firearms were also confiscated throughout the investigation.
During the investigation, several locations in Cleveland were found to be used as stash houses to store and package cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as store firearms.
An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio. The OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is composed of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF), and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Border Patrol, along with task force officers from numerous local law enforcement agencies, including the Cleveland Division of Police. Prosecutions are led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division.
Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Corts for the Northern District of Ohio is leading the prosecution in this case.
18-Year-Old Philadelphia Man Charged with Possession of Child Pornography, Including Videos He Recorded While Sexually Abusing Two Young ChildrenRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Isaiah Smith, 18, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with one count of possession of child pornography.
The indictment alleges that Smith possessed visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. As detailed in court filings, these visual depictions included videos that the defendant recorded as he sexually abused two different child victims, a six-year-old girl, and a nonverbal three-year-old boy, on multiple occasions, over more than a year. The child sexual abuse material was discovered after a friend of the defendant walked in on Smith orally raping one of the child victims.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of five years up to lifetime supervised release, mandatory financial penalties, and mandatory registration as a sex offender under SORNA and Megan’s Law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
7 May 2025
West Bridgewater Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A West Bridgewater man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Juan Levano, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In December 2024, Levano pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Levano was identified as a user of an internet-based communications application used for the trafficking of CSAM. As a user of the platform, Levano participated in groups where CSAM was disseminated.
At the time of the offense, Levano rented a room at a residence that is registered as a residential daycare. Both Levano and the owner of the residence and daycare denied that Levano worked at the residential daycare and denied that Levano had any contact with the children who attend it. During a search of the residence, various electronic devices belonging to Levano were seized.
During the search, Levano admitted to being a member of several groups on the chat application and obtaining CSAM from those groups. A review of Levano’s phone revealed that Levano was a member of several active groups on the platform that included the exchange of CSAM, including children ranging from infancy to 13 years old. Additionally, more than 100 video and image files, most of which appear to depict child pornography, were found stored in a photo application on Levano’s phone.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the West Bridgewater Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Virginia Man Charged with Traveling to the District to Have Sex with a Six-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Timothy Brockerman, 35, of Herndon, Virginia, was arrested on April 29, 2025, and federally charged with traveling to the District with the intent to engage in sexual contact with a purported six-year-old girl.
The criminal complaint was announced today by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Chief Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Brockerman is charged with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to court documents, on April 21, 2025, an undercover officer (UC) with the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation Task Force was monitoring an online chat group where individuals were known to trade images and videos of children.
During the conversation with the undercover officer, Brockerman indicated that he has an interest in the sexual abuse of children. The undercover officer told Brockerman that he had a child that he had access to. Brockerman indicated to the undercover officer that he was willing to travel to D.C. to sexually abuse the child.
On April 29, 2025, police placed Brockerman under arrest after he traveled from his home in Virginia and met the UC at a pre-arranged location in Washington, D.C.
This case is being investigated by the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. It was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Charges Three Child Sex Offenders as Part of Nationwide Operation Restore Justice CrackdownRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children. The FBI is relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us.”
“There is no greater responsibility than protecting our children,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. “The arrests made here in the District and across the country reflect our unwavering commitment to pursuing those who seek to exploit and harm the most vulnerable among us. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring these offenders to justice and to support the brave victims and families affected by these horrific crimes.”
In the District of Columbia, three individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes, including:
- Linwood Barnhill, 59, a registered sex offender and former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer living in the District, was arrested on May 1, 2025, and charged with sex trafficking children by force;
- Timothy Brockerman, 35, of Herndon, Virginia, was arrested on April 29, 2025, and federally charged with traveling to the District to engage in sexual contact with a purported six-year-old girl;
- Jamie Greer Spies, 24, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was arrested on May 2, 2025, and federally charged with distributing child sexual abuse materials online.
Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.
In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.
This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
Other online resources:
Electronic Press Kit
Violent Crimes Against Children
How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Sentenced for Roles in Eastern Panhandle Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two people have been sentenced for selling large quantities of crystal methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin in Berkeley, Morgan, and Hampshire Counties.
Andrew Ross Hose, age 40, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, was sentenced to 293 months in prison. Bradley Allen Lopp, age 36, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison. According to court documents and statements made in court, Hose and Lopp worked with the drug trafficking organization to sell controlled substances in the Eastern Panhandle.
Hose will serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Lopp will serve three years of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
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).
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Two Mexican men arrested for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Israel De La Cruz San Juan, 29, and Candido De La Cruz San Juan, 34, both citizens of Mexico, were arrested and charged in separate criminal complaints with illegal re-entry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on April 27, 2025, Buffalo Border Patrol Station agents were conducting plain clothes surveillance, when they spotted an out-of-state work truck with construction equipment inside in Tonawanda, NY. It was determined that the registration on the truck had expired in September of 2024 and a traffic stop was conducted. Records checks determined that all three occupants, including Israel De La Cruz San Juan and Candido De La Cruz San Juan, were illegally present in the United States. Israel De La Cruz San Juan and Candido De La Cruz San Juan were taken into custody. Israel De La Cruz San Juan was previously removed from the United States in November 2017, and Candido De La Cruz San Juan was removed from the United States in May 2012, and July 2013.
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.
The defendants made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroder, Jr. and were detained.
The complaint is a result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Juan Ramirez.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Tooele County Man Indicted After Allegedly Assaulting Two Motorcyclists for “Trespassing”Read the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Utah man with multiple violent crimes after he allegedly zip-tied, kidnapped, and assaulted two motorcyclists who were riding their bikes in Tooele County, Utah, when they unknowingly crossed onto the Skull Valley Indian Reservation.
Russell Allen, 50, of Tooele County, Utah, was charged by complaint on April 28, 2025.
According to court documents, on April 26, 2025, Allen and another person allegedly assaulted the victims and told them they were trespassing on Indian land. The victims were allegedly ordered to the ground facedown, zip-tied, kicked and threatened with a knife. Allen and the other person allegedly took the victims’ belongings, including their motorcycles, purportedly as an impound for trespassing. Law enforcement later recovered the motorcycles in a maintenance shed on Skull Valley Indian Reservation Road. However, a search warrant later showed that many of the stolen items (camera equipment, cash, gift cards, wallets, and cell phones) were not recovered. The victims were then transported in a truck traveling at an estimated 100 mph to a remote desert area. The victims were then released without any of their property and had to walk over 10 miles for help from the Dugway gate guards in a hike believed to have taken six or seven hours.
Allen is charged with kidnapping, assault, and theft while within Indian Country. His initial appearance on the indictment is May 7, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Sam Pead of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas and Lafourche Parish Residents Guilty of Federal Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that on April 29, 2025, YOLANDA TILLMAN, (“TILLMAN”), age 42, of Des Allemands, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long to 108 months imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, over 500 grams of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. TILLMAN was also sentenced to four (4) years of supervised release after release from prison, as well as a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court records, beginning on a time unknown, but continuing until at least June 5, 2024, TILLMAN, and others, conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, cocaine throughout Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish, within the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy involved obtaining narcotics from Houston, Texas and transporting them to Thibodaux, Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications, and the use of multiple vehicles. TILLMAN helped further this drug-trafficking conspiracy by using her bank account to help other co-conspirators move money to other drug traffickers and drug couriers.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Acting United States Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Thibodaux Police Department, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
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Texas Man Convicted of Making Threats to Kill Nashville District Attorney Glenn FunkRead the Press Release
David Aaron Bloyed, 60, of Frost, Texas, was found guilty today 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.
“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.”
“Antisemitic hate has no place in Nashville or anywhere, and this verdict shows these hateful threats for what they are: a crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Our office will do whatever it takes to defend our community, and the prosecutors who serve it, from being threatened by these hatemongers.”
“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.”
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.
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?”
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.
Tahlequah Resident Sentenced for ArsonRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Wesley Wayne Sutton, age 60, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for one count of Arson in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On October 23, 2024, Sutton pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 1, 2024, Sutton approached a Tahlequah residence, broke one window, attempted to break a second, then used gasoline to ignite the front door of the dwelling before entering the building and assaulting a resident. The crime occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Sutton will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Stilwell Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Clint Rogers Chuculate, a/k/a Clint Robert Chuculate, age 40, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On December 18, 2024, Chuculate pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on September 19, 2024, Chuculate was stopped for a traffic violation while driving through Stilwell, Oklahoma. During the stop, law enforcement discovered approximately 14 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, along with a 7.62x39mm caliber semi-automatic rifle loaded with a high capacity magazine and a 9mm caliber Luger semi-automatic pistol. During the ensuing investigation, Chuculate admitted to selling approximately 10 grams of methamphetamine in the month prior to the traffic stop.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Chuculate will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton on the Convictions of Own Every Dollar “OED” Gang MembersRead the Press Release
Today, a jury held three violent members of a Manhattan-based gang, “Own Every Dollar,” or OED, responsible for four murders, 10 attempted murders, drug trafficking, and gun running. Gang violence is a plague on our city, and today’s convictions make clear that rival gang members are not the only victims. All too often, innocent bystanders are caught in the crossfire, and entire communities are terrorized by gangs, guns, and deadly drugs. This prosecution, in which 24 members of OED have been charged with committing senseless acts of violence, is a testament to the commitment of the Federal Government, this Office, and our law enforcement partners to ending the gang and gun violence that has kept New Yorkers in fear for far too long. Because of the excellent work of our prosecutors and partners, Jowenky Nunez, Jr., Brian Hernandez, and Iyaury Rodriguez-Rosario face mandatory life sentences. They will never again terrorize this city. Other gang members are on notice.
Spiro Resident Sentenced for Possessing an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bryant Dewayne Underwood, age 36, of Spiro, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for one count of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office.
On January 13, 2025, Underwood pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on October 26, 2023, deputies conducting a traffic stop in LeFlore County discovered Underwood in possession of a 5.56 NATO (.223) caliber, short-barreled rifle. The rifle had previously been reported stolen from a location in Arkansas and Underwood was not the registered owner of the rifle in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Underwood will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarrod Leaman and Edith A. Singer represented the United States.
South Korean woman arrested, charged with illegal re-entry and making false statementsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Youngshin Nam a/k/a Yejin Nam, 41, a citizen of South Korea, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegal re-entry of a removed alien and making false statements, which carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who is handling the case, stated that on April 3, 2024, Nam attempted entry by plane at an airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was refused admission to the United States. She was sent back to South Korea and advised that she was no longer eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program for five years. In July 2024, Nam was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Texas and removed from the United States in September. On May 4, 2025, Nam was riding in a taxi registered in Ontario, Canada, which presented for primary inspection at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls, NY. Nam presented, as proof of identity, a South Korean passport containing the name Yejin Nam. The vehicle was then referred for secondary inspection. Initially, Nam did not comply with routine electronic fingerprinting, before agreeing to submit her fingerprints. This resulted in a positive response revealing that Nam was issued an immigration fingerprint identification number in the name “Youngshin Nam.” The number was issued after Nam’s arrest by Border Patrol agents in Texas in July 2024. Subsequent investigation determined that on paperwork for the Visa Waiver Program, Nam answered “NO” to questions concerning her use of any other names or aliases. She also answered “NO” to having been previously refused admission to the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Nam made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge h. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was detained.
The complaint is a result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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South Bend Man Sentenced to 135 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Demetrius Clark, 41 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Clark was sentenced to 135 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in February 2024, Clark delivered 5 pounds of methamphetamine to another distributor. A search warrant was executed at Clark’s home in South Bend resulting in the recovery of an additional 5 pounds of high-purity methamphetamine along with packaging materials, a firearm, and over $8,000 cash.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration including the DEA North Central Laboratory with assistance from the South Bend Police Department, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Elkhart County Interdiction and Covert Enforcement Unit, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
Six More Sentenced in Eastern Panhandle Fentanyl Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Six more people have been sentenced for their roles in a major drug trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of large quantities of illegal drugs in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
Gary Brown, Jr., age 39, of Baltimore, Maryland, was the leader of the operation. He was sentenced today to 327 months in prison and fined $1,000,000. The indictment, returned in January 2024 against Brown, Jr., and eighty-one others, charged that the defendants caused substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to be distributed in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties.
Others sentenced this week include:
- Linda Abshire, age 33, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison.
- Christopher Sterling Cogle, age 42, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced to 96 months.
- Saul Percy Powell, Jr., age 56, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison.
- Nathaniel Frederick Downing, Jr., age 69, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 18 months.
- James Sanford, age 40, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
Of the 82 defendants, 80 have been convicted. Including today’s six, 59 defendants have been sentenced. One defendant, Charles Delroy Singletary, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, remains a fugitive.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office (Virginia).
This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Shooting of 5-Year Old Child and an Adult in 2024 Gets District Man 156 Month Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alante Partlow, 30, of the District, was sentenced today in Superior Court to 13 years in prison for shooting a 5-year-old child and an adult in April 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Partlow pleaded guilty Oct. 18, 2024, to two counts of aggravated assault while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Robert Okun ordered five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, with which Partlow agreed, at approximately 11:20 p.m. on April 23, 2024, the adult victim and a 5-year-old child were walking out of an apartment building in the Fort Totten neighborhood, after the adult had argued with Partlow. Partlow followed the victims outside and then fired multiple shots at the adult victim. The adult tried to shield the child and sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The child also sustained injuries.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Roberts, who prosecuted the case.
This law enforcement activity is part of President Donald J. Trump’s Make DC Safe and Beautiful Executive Order. The Executive Order directs a coordinated federal effort to reduce crime, enhance public safety, and restore pride in the nation’s capital through targeted enforcement, improved policing, and strategic partnerships.
Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Robert M. Harvey, 48, a registered sex offender, pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 29, 2022, Harvey was at Dismas Charities Inc., a Bureau of Prisons residential reentry facility in St. Albans, when facility staff found Harvey in possession of a cell phone. Harvey was not allowed to possess a cell phone without the approval of his probation officer, and any cell phone he possessed was subject to search and seizure.
Law enforcement analyzed Harvey’s cell phone and found it contained images and videos of child pornography. As part of his guilty plea, Harvey admitted that these images and videos include depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Harvey is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
At the time of this offense, Harvey was on supervised release as a result of his conviction for receipt of child pornography in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on March 12, 2007. Harvey was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for that offense. On August 17, 2022, Harvey was sentenced to three years in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-69.
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Serial Bank Robber Convicted by Federal JuryRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Fayetteville man on Friday on one charge of bank robbery, three charges of armed bank robbery, and three charges of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Karim Brown, 32, engaged in a serial bank robbery spree that spanned a month from December 2021 to January 2022. The robberies occurred in Hope Mills, Angier, Fuquay-Varina, and Fayetteville. Karim Brown was the robber who entered each of the banks and brandished a firearm in three of them. Shiheem Brown, who pled guilty to one of the armed bank robberies and a charge of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison on December 11, 2024.
Karim Brown began his spree by robbing the PNC Bank in Hope Mills. He entered the bank and demanded money from the teller, which totaled $4,674. On New Year’s Eve 2021, Shiheem Brown was captured on surveillance footage scouting the First Bank in Angier, before Karim Brown entered, brandished a firearm, and demanded cash. He got away with $4,611. Two weeks later, on January 14, 2022, Karim Brown robbed the PNC on Main Street in Fuquay-Varina, brandishing a firearm and getting away with $9,000. For the final act in their spree, Shiheem Brown was again captured on surveillance footage scouting the Fidelity Bank on Village Drive in Fayetteville. Karim Brown then entered the bank, brandished a firearm equipped with a laser sight, and demanded cash. During this robbery he passed a note to the teller indicating that he was willing to shoot her. A bank manager at Fidelity exited her office to see what the commotion was about, and Karim Brown pointed his firearm at her and ordered her to walk across the bank to the teller counter while the tellers placed $15,336 in a bag. Karim Brown then fled, but during the flight, Shiheem Brown took a selfie as he drove away, capturing himself driving and Karim Brown removing his disguise in the back seat. The selfie was taken approximately 7 minutes after the robbery (pictured below).
Police broke the case open when they were able to track the vehicle used in the Fuquay-Varina bobbery back to Shiheem and Karim Brown. Shiheem Brown was arrested at an apartment in Fayetteville by Fayetteville PD and the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force on January 27, 2022. During the arrest, Shiheem Brown threw a loaded firearm off the balcony of the apartment, which was recovered. The firearm matched the description of the firearm used in the robberies. Police also recovered $2,650 cash during Shiheem Brown’s arrest. Karim Brown was arrested at this residence the same day.
Karim Brown faces a mandatory minimum of 31 years’ imprisonment and a statutory maximum of life in prison when sentenced on a later date.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the verdict. The Federal Bureau of Investigations, Hope Mills PD, Angier PD, Fuquay-Varina PD, Fayetteville PD and the United States Marshals Service helped investigate the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Kimberly Dixon prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:23-CR-251.
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Repeat Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A registered sex offender was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for child pornography charges.
Corey Bouchard, 34, of Douglas, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In January 2025, Bouchard pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with accessing with intent to view child pornography. Bouchard was charged by complaint in April 2024.
During a November 2023 search of Bouchard’s home, a cache file was found on Bouchard’s cell phone, which contained approximately 72 videos depicting child pornography. The file names of approximately 56 of those videos matched the file names from media files shared by others to Kik messenger group chats that Bouchard was in. Bouchard admitted to accessing child pornography with the intent to view it.
United States Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Uxbridge and Douglas Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Registered Sex Offender Charged with Sex Trafficking Children by ForceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Linwood Barnhill, 59, a registered sex offender living in the District of Columbia, was arrested on May 1, 2025, and federally charged with sex trafficking children by force and related counts. The alleged offenses occurred between April 1, 2024, and April 29, 2025.
The criminal complaint was announced today by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Chief Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Barnhill, a former officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, is charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; sex trafficking of children; coercion and enticement; transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; and interstate travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises. According to the complaint, the defendant allegedly recruited a series of minor children to engage in commercial sex acts and financially profited from those commercial sex acts.
This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.