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Thursday 27 March 2025
Valdosta, Georgia, Resident Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material, Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A Valdosta, Georgia, man was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 30 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), also known as child pornography, plus an additional three years of imprisonment for assaulting a jailer while in federal custody.
Laronce Howell, 46, of Valdosta, was sentenced to serve a total of 396 months in prison (the statutory maximum of 360 months for the production of child pornography and 36 months in prison for assault of a federal officer) by U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on March 26. In addition, he will serve 15 years of supervised release and will register as a sex offender upon release from prison. Howell pleaded guilty to the production of child pornography in Case No. 7:22-cr-00055 on Oct. 5, 2023, and he pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer in Case No. 7:24-cr-00041 on Feb. 20. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Recidivist violent offenders like Laronce Howell, who was only on parole from state prison for one month when he filmed a minor being sexually abused, will see their cases in federal court,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “In the pursuit of justice, we will maximize the use of our federal resources against those producing child sexual abuse material.”
“This is an outstanding effort by our detectives, the U.S. Attorney's Office and numerous community partners who dedicated countless hours to prepare this case for prosecution, resulting in a dangerous predator being removed from our community and held accountable for his actions,” stated Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan. “These cases are heartbreaking, and we remain committed to working together to ensure these victims receive the justice they deserve.”
According to court documents and statements made in Court, Howell used his cell phone to film a 13-year-old minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct with two adult men on Oct. 1, 2020, and sent the video to a family member. Valdosta Police Department officers investigated the case and arrested Howell on approximately Oct. 14, 2020. Howell was a federal inmate housed by the United States Marshals Service at the Tift County, Georgia, Jail when he assaulted an officer on Nov. 20, 2024. When Howell asked jailers to open his cell door, Howell immediately punched an officer in the face two times then attempted to mount the officer before he was placed in handcuffs. Howell has a lengthy criminal history at the state level, including five prior drug-related convictions, two family violence battery convictions and three robbery convictions. Howell has multiple revocations of probation and parole and was out of state prison on parole for a month before he committed the production of child pornography offense.
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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov
The Valdosta Police Department (VPD) investigated the production of child pornography case, and the United States Marshals Service (USMS) investigated the assault of a federal officer case.Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard prosecuted both cases for the Government.
United States Seeks Civil Forfeiture of Approximately $23 Million in Cryptocurrency Seized from GotbitRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover approximately $23 million in cryptocurrency alleged to be proceeds of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud and property involved in a transaction or attempted transaction in violation of one or more specified statutory offenses.
The government seized USDT (Tether) and USDC (Circle) from un-hosted cryptocurrency wallets controlled by Gotbit Consulting LLC (Gotbit). Tether and Circle are stablecoins, meaning their value is tied to the U.S. dollar.
On March 21, 2025, Gotbit, a financial services firm known in the cryptocurrency industry as a “market maker,” and its founder, Aleksei Andriunin, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to criminal charges relating to Gotbit’s fraudulent manipulation of cryptocurrency trading volume on behalf of client cryptocurrency companies. As part of Gotbit’s plea agreement, it admitted the cryptocurrency was subject to civil forfeiture and agreed to consent to civil forfeiture of the cryptocurrency.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit is handling the forfeiture matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the criminal case.
The details contained in the civil forfeiture complaint are allegations.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seizes 577 Pounds of Cocaine and 14 pounds of Fentanyl, and Multiple Firearms from Mail Stream in Joint Operation with DEA, Homeland Security, FBI, ATF, and the Puerto Rico Police BureauRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico–The United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted and seized 577 lbs. of cocaine, 14 lbs. of fentanyl and three firearms as part of a joint operation with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. From March 10 through March 20, 2025, these federal and state agencies collaboratively conducted “Operation Gatekeeper 3.0,” a domestic interdiction of suspect parcels mailed from San Juan, Puerto Rico to locations throughout the continental United States.
“We commend the outstanding efforts and collaboration between the federal and state law enforcement agencies responsible for the successful seizure of contraband in this case,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will continue our efforts to eradicate drug trafficking and violent crime in our communities.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to preventing drug and arms traffickers from using the U.S. Mail in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as an access point for all of America,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary R. Barksdale. “The Postal Inspection Service will continue our work to secure this border and prevent the mail stream from being used to further criminal activity and enrich transnational criminal organizations.”
As a result of this operation, federal and state authorities were able to seize evidence in several ongoing investigations, as well as identify targets of new investigations that will be worked collaboratively as part of “Operation Take Back America.”
Puerto Rico Police Department K-9 Officer “Nico”
This seizure 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.
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U.S. Department of Justice Announces Second Amendment Pattern-or-Practice Investigation into California’s Los Angeles CountyRead the Press Release
Protecting the Second Amendment rights of ordinary, law-abiding Americans is a high priority for this Administration.
As part of a broader review of restrictive firearms-related laws in California and other States, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division today announced an investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to determine whether it is engaging in a pattern or practice of depriving ordinary, law-abiding Californians of their Second Amendment rights. A recent federal court decision found that “the law and facts [we]re clearly in … favor” of two private plaintiffs who challenged the lengthy eighteen-month delays that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department had imposed when processing their concealed handgun license applications. And the Civil Rights Division has reason to believe that those two plaintiffs are not the only residents of Los Angeles County experiencing similarly long delays that are unduly burdening, or effectively denying, the Second Amendment rights of the people of Los Angeles.
The Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized that the Second Amendment is not “a second-class right.” And over the past two decades, the Supreme Court has recognized that the Second Amendment is a fundamental, individual constitutional right and has taken multiple opportunities to strengthen Second Amendment protections for ordinary, law-abiding citizens.
Some States and localities, however, have resisted this recent pro-Second Amendment caselaw. And California has been a particularly egregious offender. In response to recent Supreme Court caselaw, California enacted new legislation to further restrict the ability of ordinary, law-abiding Californians to keep and bear arms. And many California localities appear to be imposing additional burdens beyond those required by California state law, including by subjecting ordinary, law-abiding Californians to expensive fees and lengthy wait times associated with applications for concealed handgun licenses.
“This Department of Justice will not stand idly by while States and localities infringe on the Second Amendment rights of ordinary, law-abiding Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and under my watch, the Department will actively enforce the Second Amendment just like it actively enforces other fundamental constitutional rights.”
Attorney General Bondi hopes that states and localities will voluntarily embrace their duty to protect the Second Amendment rights of their citizens. But if necessary, today’s announcement will be the first of many similar investigations, lawsuits, or other actions involving other localities in California, the State of California itself, and any other states or localities that insist on unduly burdening, or effectively denying, the Second Amendment rights of their ordinary, law-abiding citizens.
Two Former VA Employees Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire FraudRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On March 26, 2024, Monika D. Schorer, 59, of Jonesborough, Tennessee, and Teresa Schorer, 59, of Jonesborough, Tennessee, entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud before the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge in the United States District Court at Greeneville.
Each defendant faces a term of up to 20 years in Federal prison, $250,000 in fines, and supervised release of three years. Under their written plea agreements, each defendant has agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $213,154.50 for a combined total of $426,309. Sentencing for Monika Schorer has been set for July 23, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. and sentencing for Teresa Schorer’s has been set for July 23, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., both before Judge Corker in the United States District Court at Greeneville.
According to their plea agreements, which have been filed with the court, each woman worked for the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tennessee, and each accepted cash bribe payments from individuals who worked as a surgical sales representative for an independent distributor of a nationwide orthopedic company that manufactured replacement joints and products used during surgeries in which those joints were implanted. The sales representatives routinely sold products to the VA Medical Center where the women worked. According to the filed plea agreements, the sales representatives (who have previously entered guilty pleas) formed a separate company in June 2018 and began selling their own acquired inventory to the VA at inflated prices or when not medically necessary, resulting in losses to the VA. By their written plea agreements, each defendant agreed that they conspired and accepted cash bribe payments from the sales representatives of $9,900 each in September 2018 and $7,000 each in October 2018 for their agreement to commit, collude, and aid in the fraud against the VA.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. “Trey” Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; Nate Landkammer, Special Agent-in-Charge, Mid Atlantic Field Office, VA Office of the Inspector General; Elisa Pellegrini, Special Agent-in-Charge, General Services Administration (GSA) Office of the Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Division; and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement.
This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the VA Office of the Inspector General, GSA Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mac D. Heavener, III, and Ryan Blackwell, represent the United States.
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Three District Men Indicted Following Firearms Arrest During Early Morning Traffic Stop in Logan CircleRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Wesley Hilliard, 32, and Sequan Collier, 27, and Naseer Green, 19, all of Washington D.C., were indicted today on federal gun charges in the latest case to be federally adopted as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Hilliard and Collier are both charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; Green is charged with carrying a pistol without a license and unlawful possession of a machine gun. The charges follow their March 16th arrests in the Logan Circle Neighborhood.
According to court documents, at approximately 2:00 a.m. on March 16, 2025, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a running vehicle parked illegally near a fire hydrant on 7th Street NW in the Logan Circle neighborhood.
Court documents allege that the vehicle was occupied by three individuals: driver Sequan Collier, front-seat passenger Naseer Green, and rear-seat passenger Wesley Hilliard. Officers allegedly observed open containers of alcohol in the vehicle and detected the presence of firearms. All three individuals were then detained by police.
It is alleged that a handgun was recovered from the seat where Hilliard had been sitting. Hilliard, also a convicted felon, is currently on supervised release for a federal narcotics offense.
It is further alleged that a loaded firearm was recovered from Collier’s waistband. A records check confirmed Collier is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms.
Green was also allegedly found with a loaded firearm, modified with a device that converts it to fully automatic fire. The firearm was reported stolen from the state of Georgia. Green does not possess a valid license to carry a firearm in the District.
All recovered firearms were allegedly loaded with rounds chambered. Due to the absence of firearms manufacturing in the District, the weapons are presumed to have traveled in interstate commerce.
The investigation is ongoing.
The ATF and MPD are investigating this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Dreher.
This case is part of Make DC Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District. 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.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Texas man charged federally with sexual abuse on aircraft flying from Chicago to SeattleRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 54-year-old Allen, Texas man who was flying from Chicago to Seattle was charged federally with abusive sexual contact for his repeated illegal touching of the victim sitting next to him, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Cherian Abraham, who works for a technology company, and the victim, were interviewed at SEA airport when the plane arrived on March 18, 2025. Mr. Abraham was arrested on Sunday March 23, 2025, and had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Monday, March 24, 2025.
According to the criminal complaint, Abraham was seated next to the 22-year-old victim on the flight. On three different occasions, the victim reported that he reached under her arm to touch her breast. The first time the victim thought perhaps it was inadvertent contact. The second time, some five minutes later, the victim looked pointedly at Abraham and he withdrew his hand. Apparently undeterred, the victim felt Abraham again poking her with his hand and she verbally confronted him. The victim got out of her seat, contacted the flight attendant, and was moved to a different seat.
When interviewed at SEA airport, Abraham denied touching the victim inappropriately.
An investigation by the responding FBI agent revealed that Abraham had twice before been alleged to have touched fellow passengers inappropriately. On April 24, 2024, a victim reported to the airline’s online customer service portal that Abraham had repeatedly touched her and attempted to put his hand between her thighs. The victim yelled at Abraham but was not able to get the attention of a flight attendant. On October 9, 2023, Minneapolis Airport Police interviewed Abraham after a victim reported that he had touched her leg with an open hand three times. The victim told him to stop and contacted the flight crew who put her in a different seat. When interviewed Abraham denied touching the victim. The victim did not want to pursue charges.
Abraham was released on bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 7, 2025.
Abusive sexual contact is punishable by up to two years in prison.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Ravindran.
Talihina Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jerad Daniel Abbott, age 39, of Talihina, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 23 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On October 15, 2024, Abbott pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on May 4, 2023, law enforcement discovered Abbott in possession of one 9mm Luger caliber semi-automatic pistol and a round of 9mm Luger caliber ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
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. Abbott 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 A. Leaman and Edith A. Singer represented the United States.
St. Michael man sentenced for possessing a firearm as a felon during a domestic violence assaultRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A St. Michael man was sentenced Tuesday to over three years in prison and will serve three years on supervised release for possessing a firearm as a felon during a domestic violence assault.
According to court documents, on Oct. 21, 2023, Ryan Washington, 40, began verbally assaulting witnesses in their residence in St. Michael. After this incident, Washington left the residence with a shotgun. Washington claimed he was going “duck hunting,” and one of the witnesses reported the incident to the Village Police Officer (VPO).
Court documents explain that Washington returned a short time later and pointed the shotgun at one of the witnesses, instructing him to get out of the residence. The witness immediately left out of fear of being shot by Washington and reported the assault to the VPO, who reported it to the Alaska State Troopers (AST).
The next morning, two Troopers arrived in St. Michael to investigate the assault. After interviewing one of the witnesses, the Troopers arrested Washington and seized the shotgun.
Prior to the charged conduct, Washington had been convicted of three state felonies, including assault and sexual abuse of a minor.
On Nov. 7, 2024, Washington pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Mr. Washington is a repeat criminal offender who has consistently caused problems in the St. Michael community,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “In my recent travel to a few rural villages, Tribal partners have voiced the widespread damage one criminal can cause in the community, which is why prosecuting federal crimes committed in these villages is a priority for my office. We encourage our rural Alaskan neighbors to continue reporting these crimes to law enforcement so we can continue working with partners to hold dangerous offenders accountable when federal jurisdiction is warranted.”
“The Alaska State Troopers will continue to work tirelessly with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to hold anyone that victimizes Alaskans accountable for their actions,” said Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes. “This sentence sends a clear message: violent offenders who use firearms to harm others will face significant jail time for their actions. There is no place for domestic violence in our state, and we remain committed to seeking justice for victims and ensuring the safety of Alaskans.”
“Domestic violence has no place in our communities,” said U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Furthering this with a firearm makes this even more heinous, particularly when, as a felon, Mr. Washington knew he was not supposed to possess them. This is a well-deserved sentence.”
AST and the ATF Anchorage Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody Tirpak prosecuted the case. This case was referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office by the Alaska Department of Law, Nome District Attorney’s Office.
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St. Louis County Man Admits Five Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Thursday admitted committing five bank robberies and one attempted robbery.
Derrick Snulligan, now 62, of Velda Village Hills, admitted handing a note demanding money to the teller of a bank in Northwoods, Missouri on April 18, 2023. He did the same thing at the same bank on Aug. 28, 2023. On Oct. 13, 2023, he tried a third time, but a teller activated an alarm and told Snulligan to leave.
In each robbery, Snulligan was wearing a mask.
After being thwarted in that robbery, Snulligan decided to make his notes more threatening. On June 24, 2024, he handed a note to an employee of a Hazelwood credit union that read, “I[f] you don’t want to get hurt, go in your drawer and give me 6-one hundred dollar bills, 4-fifty dollar bills, 10-ten dollar bills, and 20-5 dollar bills as quickly as possible,” his plea agreement says. The teller handed cash to Snulligan, who fled.
Three days later, Snulligan handed a note to the teller of a St. Louis credit union demanding money. After taking cash, he fled in a blue vehicle. That same day, he committed a similar robbery at a Florissant credit union. His note read, “If you don’t want to get shot I suggest you go in your drawer and give me 30 one hundred dollar bill[s], 20 fifty dollar bills, 30, 20 dollar bills and 40, 10 dollar bills as quickly as possible.” Snulligan again fled in a blue vehicle, which was identified as a Buick Encore.
Investigators traced the vehicle to Snulligan, who admitted committing the robberies and returned some of the money. Snulligan is also known as Derrick Jackson.
Snulligan, of Velda Village Hills, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday to five counts of bank robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI, the Florissant Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Northwoods Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
South Carolina Woman Sentenced for $1.7 Million Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Kristin Turney, 54, of Catawba, South Carolina, was sentenced today to 51 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for embezzling more than $1.7 million from her employer, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Turney was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,754,204.13.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
“Turney was a trusted employee that pilfered money from an unsuspecting employer,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Her conduct was not a lapse in judgement; it was a prolonged and deliberate pattern of deceptive behavior that nearly destroyed a small business. Today’s sentence is a reminder that embezzlement is not a shortcut to riches, but a path to federal prison.”
According to court documents, from 2016 to 2023, Turney executed a scheme to defraud her employer, a small, family-owned business, by embezzling more than $1.7 million. Turney was in charge of the company’s financial matters, including bank accounts, payroll, accounts payables and receivables, and tax filings. During the scheme, Turney misused her access and control over the company’s bank accounts and books and records to write herself company checks, which she then deposited into bank accounts she controlled. Turney made over 1,000 unauthorized bank deposits to herself totaling over $1.7 million. Court documents show that Turney covered up the fraud by making false accounting entries in the company’s books and records. She also provided fraudulent information to the company’s tax return preparer and lied to the company’s owner and employees. As a result of Turney’s embezzlement scheme, the company continues to be impacted by the defendant’s theft.
On November 8, 2024, Turney pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She will be ordered to report the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Sixth and Final Defendant Sentenced to 39 Years in Federal Prison in Louisville Case Involving String of Violent Crimes, Drug and Gun Offenses, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY - The final defendant was sentenced this week to 39 years in federal prison for his role in numerous felony offenses, including kidnapping, robbery, drug trafficking, and firearm offenses. Several other defendants were previously sentenced on the charges.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, Sheriff Walt Sholar of the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff John E. Aubrey of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
“This case is an example of the benefit of the strong working relationships that exist between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the Western District of Kentucky,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. “As a result of excellent collaboration and tireless work by our law enforcement agencies and federal prosecutors, violent offenders have been removed from our streets making our community safer for all who live, work, and visit here.”
“John E. Lohden, Jr. and his associates used law enforcement impersonation tactics to terrorize innocent individuals, ultimately undermining the public’s trust in legitimate police officers and creating a climate of fear and anxiety in our neighborhoods,” said Special Agent in Charge Stansbury. “Lohden, Jr.’s sentence of decades behind bars should serve as a clear message to violent offenders walking our streets. The FBI, working alongside our partners at all levels, will find you and ensure you face the full weight of the law.”
According to court documents, John E. Lohden, Jr., 35, of Louisville, was sentenced on March 25, 2025, to 39 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for two counts of kidnapping, two counts of impersonator making arrest or search, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm, robbery, using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. John E. Lohden, Jr. was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On November 16, 2021, in Jefferson Circuit Court, John E. Lohden, Jr. was convicted of receiving stolen property under $10,000.
On November 28, 2007, in Jefferson Circuit Court, John E. Lohden, Jr. was convicted of tampering with physical evidence, escape in the second degree, and complicity to wanton endangerment in the first degree (3 counts).
Dayton Peterson, 24, of Louisville, was sentenced on October 22, 2024, to 30 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for kidnapping, impersonator making arrest or search, robbery, using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and engaging in monetary transactions derived from a specified unlawful activity.
Joshua Lohden, 26, of Louisville was sentenced on July 24, 2024, to 22 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for kidnapping, impersonator making arrest or search, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and robbery.
David Langdon, 39, of Louisville was sentenced on September 11, 2024, to 11 years and 5 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for kidnapping, impersonator making arrest or search, robbery, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Langdon was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On October 14, 2015, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Langdon was convicted of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree, and possession of a controlled substance in the first degree.
On October 15, 2015, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Langdon was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree greater than 2 grams of heroin.
J. Louis Nance, 34, of Louisville was sentenced on July 24, 2024, to 6 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for kidnapping and impersonator making arrest or search.
Samantha Trummer, 30, of Louisville was sentenced on July 22, 2024, to 4 years of probation for engaging in monetary transactions derived from a specified unlawful activity.
Defendants Dayton Peterson, John E. Lohden, Jr., and Samantha Trummer were found guilty after a 10-day jury trial in March of 2024. The remaining defendants pleaded guilty prior to trial.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI, LMPD, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with assistance from the ATF, IRS, DEA, and Kentucky State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia P. Gomez and Frank E. Dahl III prosecuted the case, with assistance from paralegal Adela Alic.
Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Sarasota Man Who Repeatedly Fled from Law Enforcement Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Victor Lamar Orr (30, Sarasota) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Orr to forfeit two Glock pistols and assorted ammunition. Orr pleaded guilty on November 26, 2024.
According to court documents, on May 25, 2022, Orr, a convicted felon with four prior convictions for fleeing and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, fled from a deputy with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) during an attempted traffic stop. Orr drove his vehicle through a red light and fled at a high speed. The deputy did not pursue Orr, but the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Aviation Unit, which had been working with MCSO conducting narcotics surveillance, tracked Orr’s vehicle as he continued to flee. Orr ran through red lights, drove over medians, and passed vehicles by driving on the shoulder and in opposite lanes of travel. He drove into Sarasota, back into Manatee County, then east to DeSoto County and south to Charlotte County, where the SCSO Aviation Unit, running low on fuel, stopped surveillance. Orr made several evasive maneuvers during his flight, including driving through a yard and completely around a house, and driving on the opposite side of the highway to evade stop sticks placed by law enforcement.
At one point, Orr pulled off the highway and drove into a field off State Road 31 in Punta Gorda. There, Orr threw a backpack out of the vehicle. Deputies from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, having been informed by the SCSO Aviation Unit that the driver discarded something from the vehicle, responded to the field and recovered a backpack which contained a Glock pistol, fentanyl, methamphetamine, a digital scale, and various pills including oxycodone.
On August 5, 2022, while MCSO investigators and the SCSO Aviation Unit were investigating suspected narcotics trafficking and conducting surveillance, they observed Orr driving a pickup truck with three others in the vehicle. They tracked the vehicle to a clothing store, where all the occupants exited. When Orr and the others left the store and returned to the truck, MCSO investigators moved toward the vehicle and apprehended Orr and the others immediately after they entered the truck. Inside the truck, investigators located two firearms and a bag containing cocaine and other controlled substances.
DNA analysis determined that Orr’s DNA was consistent with DNA on the firearm found inside the backpack he had thrown from his vehicle on May 25, 2022, and DNA on one of the firearms found in the truck Orr drove on August 5, 2022.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Sinacore and David Chee. The asset forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench.
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.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Heroin TraffickingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Manuel Greenhalgh, 32, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to three years and 10 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Greenhalgh is among eight federal defendants charged with drug trafficking offenses as part of a multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers. In May 2020, Greenhalgh was heard during a wiretap discussing sourcing heroin from Mexico and the difficulties of getting people and drugs across the border. Thereafter, agents watched Greenhalgh meet with a co-defendant and pulled Greenhalgh’s vehicle over after he left the co-defendant’s house. Greenhalgh, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, possessed 1,986.6 grams of heroin that he intended to distribute.
Co-defendant Albert Gurley was sentenced to seven years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Co-defendants Delanious Ward, Agustin Gonzalez, Craig Hunter, David Byrd, and Kevin Yancy previously pleaded guilty to various drug trafficking crimes and are scheduled to be sentenced at later dates.
Charges are pending against co-defendant Jorge Mejia-Nolasco for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute heroin. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron L. Desmond and Emily G. Sauvageau are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a 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 Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.
Rodney Paul Martin Sentenced to 90 Months for Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On March 27, 2025, Rodney Paul Martin, 58, formerly of Homosassa, Florida, was sentenced to 90 months by the Honorable Charles E. Atchley, Jr., United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following Martin’s imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for 15 years and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Mr. Martin agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2422(b) and 2427.
According to the filed plea agreement, Martin, using a social media platform, contacted a notional 15-year-old minor boy, who was, in fact, an undercover officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Using a messaging application, Martin attempted to entice the notional minor into creating sexually explicit images and transmitting those images to Martin over the internet
U.S. Attorney, Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge, Joseph E. Carrico, of the FBI, made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Charles D. Minor, assigned from the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office, and Assistant United States Attorney James T. Brooks represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Revere Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Armed Robberies of Two Local Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Revere man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for the armed robberies of two Boston-area convenience stores in less than one week.
Jaquan Barrows, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In December 2024, Barrows pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce, commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to, and in furtherance of a crime of violence. In April 2024, Barrows was charged by criminal complaint.
On the morning of March 29, 2024, a male wearing a mask, dark clothing and an orange safety vest entered a Revere convenience store brandishing a handgun. The suspect walked behind the counter, demanded cash from the cash register drawer, additional cash and a cell phone from the store clerk. The suspect struck the clerk in the head with the firearm, took an ice cream bar from a store freezer and fled the scene.
Less than one week later, on the morning of April 4, 2024, a male wearing a black mask and dark clothing entered an Everett convenience store and appeared to be shopping. After being asked to pay for his items, the suspect brandished a handgun, pointed it at the store clerk and demanded cash from the cash register drawer and fled the scene.
A subsequent investigation identified a Honda Pilot captured in the vicinity of the Revere convenience store. The vehicle was registered to an individual who resided with Barrows. Surveillance footage obtained from the Revere convenience store and from Barrows’ residence showed Barrows wearing clothing similar to the robber. During a search of Barrows’ residence on April 4, 2024, clothing items matching the robber from the Revere robbery, as well as a handgun were found. Barrows was immediately taken into custody.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Revere and Everett Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Repeat illegal alien admits to human smuggling after high-speed chaseRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 36-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Laredo has admitted to unlawfully reentering the country and human smuggling charges, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jesus Hernandez-Herrera has five prior removals from the United States.
On Dec. 10, 2024, law enforcement was conducting surveillance on Clark Boulevard in Laredo in an area human smuggling organizations commonly use. There, a Ford Expedition and Cadillac were driving in tandem and stopped at an intersection where three suspected illegal aliens approached the two vehicles.
Authorities followed the Expedition to a location on Green Street where they observed suspected illegal aliens leave the residence and enter the Expedition. They attempted to perform a traffic stop, but the driver - Hernandez-Herrera - led them on a high-speed pursuit. At times, speeds reached 95 miles per hour with Hernandez-Herrera weaving in and out of heavy traffic.
The pursuit ended when Hernandez-Herrera crashed into two vehicles on Santa Maria Avenue. He and four illegal aliens ran on foot. Hernandez-Herrera ran into oncoming traffic, but law enforcement was able to apprehend him before he could cross onto the southbound lanes of IH-35.
He took full responsibility and admitted there were additional aliens in the Green Street residence. Authorities discovered an additional four people illegally in the United States and approximately 50.8 kilograms of marijuana at the location.
"This is precisely the type of dangerous behavior we need to deter through vigorous enforcement of our immigration laws," said Ganjei. “Here you have human smuggling, drugs, high-speed flight from officers, and a car crash. The Laredo community shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of such reckless criminality, and the Southern District of Texas is working hard to make sure they don’t have to. Similar offenders will find themselves in the same position, that being federal charges and a long prison stay."
U.S. District Judge John Kazen will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Hernandez-Herrera faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch is prosecuting the case.
Repeat Offender from Hampden Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Hampden man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child pornography involving a child under 12.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Michael King, 67, to 10 years imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $41,000 in restitution. King pleaded guilty on October 30, 2024.
According to court records, in November 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Bing indicating that a user had uploaded a sexually explicit image of a child. The user’s IP address was traced to Michael King, and in May 2023, investigators from the Maine State Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at King’s residence. In an interview with agents, King admitted to possessing child sexual abuse material and using the Bing application to copy images and videos. He advised the agents they would find his computer under the couch. The laptop was seized, and hundreds of images depicting child sexual abuse were recovered, many of young children. King is a repeat offender, having been also convicted of a similar offense in 2017 in Penobscot County Superior Court.
HSI and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with NCMEC at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Polk County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Possession with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Daniel J. Brewer, 58, of Polk County, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 27, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Brewer to 168 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Brewer’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On July 27, 2023, a confidential source purchased 28 grams of methamphetamine from Brewer at his Polk County residence. Officers conducted a search of Brewer’s residence later that day and recovered approximately 875 grams of methamphetamine, scales, packaging, and various live ammunition. Brewer was stopped after leaving his residence and found in possession of a meth pipe and the buy money from the controlled buy earlier that day.
This case was investigated by the Columbus Police Department and Specialized Narcotics Abuse Reduction Effort Task Force.
Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme to Transport Contraband into FCI McDowell with DroneRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gamalier Rivera, 33, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the introduction of contraband into a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 9, 2024, correctional officers at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell detected a drone flying over the prison facility. The flight path of the drone took it from the fence securing the prison facility to a cell in one of the housing units. Officers searched the cell and found a broken exterior window, numerous cell phones, tobacco, and marijuana within the cell.
Officers traced the flight path back to the drone’s launch site, where they found and apprehended Rivera and co-defendants Hector Luis Gomez DeJesus and Raymond Luis Saez Aviles. Officers seized the drone, the drone’s remote controller, and contraband consistent with what was found in the cell.
As part of his guilty plea, Rivera admitted that he, DeJesus, and Aviles participated in the introduction of the contraband into FCI McDowell by using the drone to transport marijuana, tobacco, and cell phones into the prison facility. Rivera further admitted that he expected to be paid for his participation in the contraband introduction.
Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
A federal grand jury indicted Rivera, DeJesus, 32, of Sanford, North Carolina, and Aviles, 37, of Poinciana, Florida, and also indicted Arturo Joel Gallegos, 26, Miguel Angel Aleman-Piceno, 22, and Francisco Alejandro Gonzalez, 24, all of Chicago, Illinois, in a separate case. Charges in both cases allege the defendants provided or attempted to provide contraband to FCI McDowell inmates in February 2024. The indictments against the remaining defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“Today’s guilty plea is the result of the vigilance and dedication of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and the excellent coordination and teamwork between BOP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-127.
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Pasco Drug Dealer Who to Attempted Assault a Richland Police Officer Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker announced that Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Leonardo Daniel Martinez, age 32, of Pasco, Washington to 125 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl. Chief Judge Bastian also imposed 5 years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on May 20, 2022, Richland Police Department (RPD) officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a house involving Martinez. Officers told Martinez to leave, but he refused and attempted to assault an officer. Officers took Martinez into custody, and during the arrest pat down, found a 9mm handgun on Martinez’s person. At the time he possessed the handgun, Martinez was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his criminal history, which included a domestic violence conviction.
Inside of Martinez’s dark blue BMW, RPD located an additional handgun, 10,179 fentanyl pills, $72,354 in cash, a small quantity of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and three cell phones.
“Domestic violence is a significant source of firearm-related crime in Eastern Washington and in the Tri-Cities area. Domestic violence offenders are far more likely to engage in intimate partner violence as well as violence directed at law enforcement officers responding to emergency calls,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Barker. “This danger is further exasperated when offenders, like Mr. Martinez, possess large quantities of dangerous narcotics. I am grateful for the dedication of the DEA and Richland Police Department for their diligent work in removing large volumes of dangerous fentanyl from our communities.”
“Mr. Martinez disregarded the safety of those around him by engaging in domestic violence, attempting to assault a police officer, carrying a handgun, and possessing enough fentanyl to potentially kill almost 6,000 people,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Our community is safer with Mr. Martinez behind bars, and I am gratified that the Drug Enforcement Administration could help the Richland Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office make that happen.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Richland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Van Marter and Brandon L. Pang.
4:22-cr-06034-SAB
Orlando Man Indicted for Unlawful Possession of A Machinegun Conversion DeviceRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jaquarius McDonald (24, Orlando) with unlawful possession of a machinegun conversion device. If convicted, McDonald faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on January 1, 2025, McDonald knowingly possessed a machinegun which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orlando Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Orlando Man Indicted for Possessing Multiple Firearms as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Latchman Singh (31, Orlando) with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, Singh faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the indictment, on January 17, 2025, Singh possessed multiple firearms including, two Glock firearms, two Sig Sauer firearms, two Specialized Tactical System firearms, an Aero Precision firearm, a Beretta firearm, a S.C. Nova Grup S.R.L firearm, a Ruger firearm, one Polymer 80 Inc. firearm, a privately made firearm made from a Polymer80 Inc. frame, a SOTA Arms firearm, a Remington firearm, a Springfield Armory firearm, a Spike’s tactical firearm, and a Palmetto State Armory firearm. At the time he possessed each firearm, Singh had multiple prior felony convictions, including fraudulent use of personal identification information and possession of cannabis with intent to see or deliver. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Operator of Fraudulent Investment Vehicle Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Securities Fraud, Tax Fraud and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison yesterday for defrauding investors, conspiring to defraud the IRS, filing false tax returns, employment tax fraud, wire fraud, obstruction, and other charges.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Joseph LaForte, of Philadelphia, engaged in a scheme to defraud investors using a fraudulent investment vehicle known as Par Funding. In total, LaForte and his co-conspirators caused an actual loss to investors exceeding $288 million.
LaForte also engaged in a series of federal tax crimes. LaForte and co-conspirators diverted approximately $20 million in taxable income from Par Funding to another entity controlled by LaForte and nominally owned by another, then filed false tax returns that did not report this income. He also received more than $9 million in cash kickbacks from a customer of Par Funding and did not report this income to the IRS on his individual tax returns. As a result, LaForte’s individual tax returns for the years 2016 through 2018 were false. He also paid off-the-books, cash wages to some employees of Par Funding. He did not report these wages to the IRS and did not pay employment taxes on wages paid to employees in cash. The total federal tax loss stemming from LaForte’s crimes exceeds $8 million. He also caused $1.6 million in state tax loss to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue by falsely reporting that he and his wife were residents of Florida from 2013 through 2019, when in fact they resided in Pennsylvania.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania made the announcement.
The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Newcomer, Sam Dalke, Eric Gill, and Patrick J. Murray for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Boscia for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania assisted with the prosecution.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Possessing with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Javier Guzman-Andrade, 41, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 26, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Guzman-Andrade to 168 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Guzman-Andrade is released from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. He will also forfeit to the United States $10,635.00 in United States currency that was drug proceeds.
In 2023, officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Omaha Police Department identified a multiple pound quantity methamphetamine distributor named Javier Guzman-Andrade. On November 27, 2023, law enforcement executed a state court-authorized search warrant at the residence of Guzman-Andrade. As a result, approximately eight pounds of methamphetamine were seized. In addition, a single shot Deringer firearm was located in a different room from where the drugs were found. A forensic laboratory analysis confirmed 2,964 grams of actual methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Omaha Police Department. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 29 Years in Prison for Trafficking MethRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – Joshua Fortson, 37, of Akron, has been sentenced to 29 years in prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Sara Lioi after a trial in which a federal jury found him guilty of distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was previously convicted of trafficking cocaine in 2009 and of committing sexual battery in 2011.
During this investigation, federal law enforcement officials learned that Fortson received his methamphetamine supply for a number of years from sources in Georgia who were affiliated with members of a gang “La Mara Salvatrucha,” also known as “MS-13.” The defendant paid a driver to transport methamphetamine from Atlanta, Georgia, to Akron, Ohio, while he followed closely behind on the 700-mile trek.
According to court documents, once back in Akron, Fortson would conduct the drug business out of his apartment. He was a known supplier of methamphetamine, as well as other drugs, to various individuals throughout Portage and Summit Counties.
In 2019, while out on supervised released after serving a prison sentence for a separate case, parole officers visited Fortson at his residence and found that he was not in compliance with the terms of his release. Subsequently, a search warrant was executed on Fortson’s residence where authorities discovered $26,275 in cash and a loaded pistol. Various bags containing suspected methamphetamine were found concealed in 18 different chip bags and a breakfast pastry box. A heat sealer was also discovered, and it was learned that it was used to seal the chip bags closed after being filled with drugs. The investigation also determined that Fortson possessed more than seven kilograms of methamphetamine that he intended to sell.
This case was investigated by the DEA Youngstown Field Office, the Streetsboro Police Department, and the Portage County Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ocean County Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Drug and Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was sentenced on March 26, 2025 to 151 months in prison for illegally possessing cocaine for distribution and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.
Masta Redding, 38, of Toms River, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On March 5, 2020, Redding possessed cocaine on his person and in his residence which he intended to distribute. Redding, a previously convicted felon, also possessed a Jimenez Arms pistol loaded with six rounds of ammunition. Redding admitted that sometime after he was arrested he paid another individual for, and then provided to the government, an affidavit in which the other individual falsely claimed ownership of the cocaine and firearm found in Redding’s house.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Redding to 3 years of supervised release and ordered him to forfeit the weapon and ammunition he used during the commission of the offense.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr., and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, with the investigation leading to the convictions and sentencing with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Giordano also thanked officers of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Asbury Park Police Department for their work on this case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. Belgiovine and Elisa T. Wiygul of the Criminal Division in Trenton and Camden, respectively.
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Defense counsel: Jonathan Sobel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Non-U.S. Citizen Charged with Voting and Passport FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A South Florida man has been charged with federal crimes after using false identity documents to apply for a U.S. passport and registering to vote (and voting) in multiple U.S. general elections using a fraudulent identity. The man, Ashley R. Rivers, 64, of Margate, Fla., is not a U.S. citizen.
According to the allegations in the indictment: Rivers submitted a U.S. passport application in 2016 under a fictitious name using fraudulent identity documents, including a fraudulent birth certificate. In 2020, Rivers registered to vote with the Broward Supervisor of Elections using the same fraudulent identity. Rivers voted in both the 2020 and 2024 U.S. general election, even though he is not a U.S. citizen, says the indictment.
Rivers made his initial appearance on yesterday in federal court in Fort Lauderdale. If convicted, Rivers faces up to 25 years in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Conklin of the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
The DSS Miami Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Killoran is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under 25-cr-60066.
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New York Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brian Ellis Jones, 44, of Freeport, New York, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from March 15, 2023 through June 24, 2023, Jones sent 11 packages containing methamphetamine from New York to co-defendant Jason Todd Painter in Clendenin, West Virginia. Jones admitted that the packages contained a total of at least 33 pounds of methamphetamine. Painter kept some of the methamphetamine for himself and held the rest for Jones to pick up. Jones occasionally directed Painter to deliver methamphetamine to other individuals in the Kanawha County area.
On July 15, 2023, Jones shipped a package through the United States Postal Service from New York to Clendenin. Law enforcement intercepted the package and discovered methamphetamine inside. On July 18, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Jones and found $1,133 on his person. Jones admitted that he possessed the money and that it was a portion of his drug proceeds.
Painter, 40, of Clendenin, was sentenced on November 13, 2024 to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-182.
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New York Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Laundering Proceeds of Fraudulent SchemesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man was sentenced to two years in prison for laundering the proceeds of elder fraud and computer fraud schemes, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.
Hector Claveria 51, of Elmhurst, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court on March 26, 2025 following his guilty to Count Two of an Indictment charging him with international money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In early 2020, Claveria acted as a money mule for a fraudulent scheme by picking up numerous packages that contained cash that he knew were proceeds of illegal activity. He then laundered some of this money in June 2020 by wiring $20,000 from his U.S. bank account to a foreign bank account. These funds were the proceeds of two fraudulent schemes: The first was an elder-fraud scheme in which the perpetrators tricked elderly victims into believing that they owed money to various government agencies and companies, and then into sending payments to locations identified by the perpetrators. The second was a computer-fraud scheme in which perpetrators tricked victims into believing that they owed money to a computer services company, and then into sending payments to locations identified by the perpetrators, purportedly at the direction of the computer company. At the time Claveria wired the funds to a foreign account, he knew that the transfer was designed to conceal and disguise the nature of the funds.
In additional the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Claveria to three years of supervised release. Claveria was also ordered to forfeit $20,000.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the Social Security Administration Office, of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chana Zuckier of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering and Recovery Unit and Jennifer Kozar of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Vinoo Varghese, Esq.
New Jersey Woman Sentenced for Investment FraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Diana Mae Fernandez, age 38, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 33 months in federal prison for an investment scheme in which victims from West Virginia and elsewhere lost more than $300,000.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Fernandez, also known as “Diana Fernandez Koporan,” “Dana Fernandez,” and “Dajana Ko,” operated purported investment firms known as “The Self Made Success” and “Diana Mae K., LLC.” She used social media to advertise her services as “no risk” or offering “guaranteed” profit returns. Multiple victims, including an individual from Marion County, West Virginia, were defrauded of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fernandez used the money she stole for her own benefit.
Fernandez was ordered to pay $330,144.00 in restitution to the victims. She will serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The FBI investigated the case.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Nevada Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Violent Tesla Arson in Las VegasRead the Press Release
A Las Vegas resident made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla collision business.
Paul Hyon Kim, 36, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of arson. Kim was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers on March 26. He remains in federal custody.
“The Department of Justice has been clear: anyone who participates in the wave of domestic terrorism targeting Tesla properties will suffer severe legal consequences,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will continue to find, arrest, and prosecute these attackers until the lesson is learned.”
“As promised, acts of violence and vandalism will not be tolerated, and today law enforcement personnel acted quickly to arrest an individual on charges including arson,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Under Attorney General Bondi's leadership, we will continue to pursue these investigations with the full force of law and will bring to justice anyone responsible for these attacks.”
“Today’s federal charges demonstrate our strong partnerships and collaboration with law enforcement partners and the joint pursuit to end domestic terrorism,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada. “Thank you to the detectives from the Southern Nevada Counterterrorism Center (SNCTC), FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) ARMOR (All-Hazard Regional Multi-Agency Operations and Response) unit, as well as Clark County Fire Department Arson Investigators, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, and the Justice Department’s National Security Division for their hard work and tireless efforts. We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and remain steadfastly committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat domestic violent extremism.”
According to allegations in the complaint, on March 18, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patrol officers responded to an emergency call about a person setting vehicles on fire and hearing gunshots at a Tesla collision business. The Clark County Fire Department arrived to suppress the fires. During the investigation, it was determined that Molotov cocktails and a .30 caliber AR-style firearm were used to damage and destroy five Tesla vehicles, and graffiti was sprayed to write “Resist” on the front of the building.
Criminal Complaint filed 03/27/2025; Case No.: 2:25-mj-00261-EJY, U.S. District Court District of Nevada. Criminal Complaint filed 03/27/2025; Case No.: 2:25-mj-00261-EJY, U.S. District Court District of Nevada.On March 26, law enforcement officials executed various state search warrants related to this case, including a search warrant at Kim’s residence. Inside the residence, they found various firearms, including an AR style rifle consistent with the firearm used in the March 18, incident and with a suppressor on it, a black gun belt with a pouch and a small drop of pink paint residue, a black hoodie, face masks, and a handwritten note with what appeared to be an escape plan.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi for the Department of Justice; Director Kash Patel of the FBI; Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Sheriff Kevin McMahill for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department made the announcement.
If convicted, Kim faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison for the unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum of 20 years in prison for the arson charge.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the ATF are investigating the case and with significant assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Operskalski for the District of Nevada and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nevada Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Violent Tesla Arson in Las VegasRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident made his initial appearance today in United States District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla collision business.
Paul Hyon Kim, 36, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of arson. Kim was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers on March 26. He remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for March 28, 2025, and preliminary hearing scheduled for April 10, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Elayna J. Youchah.
“The Department of Justice has been clear: anyone who participates in the wave of domestic terrorism targeting Tesla properties will suffer severe legal consequences,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will continue to find, arrest, and prosecute these attackers until the lesson is learned.”
“As promised, acts of violence and vandalism will not be tolerated, and today law enforcement personnel acted quickly to arrest an individual on charges including arson,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Under Attorney General Bondi's leadership, we will continue to pursue these investigations with the full force of law and will bring to justice anyone responsible for these attacks.”
“Today’s federal charges demonstrate our strong partnerships and collaboration with law enforcement partners and the joint pursuit to end domestic terrorism,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada. “Thank you to the detectives from the Southern Nevada Counterterrorism Center (SNCTC), FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) ARMOR (All-Hazard Regional Multi-Agency Operations and Response) unit, as well as Clark County Fire Department Arson Investigators, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, and the Justice Department’s National Security Division for their hard work and tireless efforts. We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and remain steadfastly committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat domestic violent extremism.”
“The arrest announced today showcases the remarkable outcomes achievable through collaborative task force partnerships,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans, FBI Las Vegas Division. “To ensure community safety, it is essential for law enforcement at all levels to work in unison. Although our agencies have distinct roles and responsibilities, the fight against crime is a shared commitment.”
“ATF responded alongside our law enforcement partners to the targeted attack on a Tesla collision shop in Las Vegas,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). “At the forefront of ATF’s mission is combating violent crime. Crimes of this nature will not be tolerated and are a threat to public safety. Threats to public safety will be taken seriously and law enforcement will utilize our resources to ensure justice is served. ATF deployed our experts in arson related crimes in response to this incident. Those experts included members of our Arson Task Force. A task force that is a collaboration between ATF and the Clark County Fire Department. A certified fire investigator, bomb technician, certified explosive specialist, and an accelerant detection K9 were utilized at the scene. Special agents from our local field office also responded to the incident. ATF is pleased to see the arrest made today. We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to ensure that these targeted attacks are investigated and that the person(s) responsible are prosecuted.”
According to allegations in the complaint, on March 18, 2025, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patrol officers responded to an emergency call about a person setting vehicles on fire and hearing gunshots at a Tesla collision business. The Clark County Fire Department arrived to suppress the fires. During the investigation, it was determined that Molotov cocktails and a .30 caliber AR-style firearm were used to damage and destroy five Tesla vehicles, and graffiti was sprayed to write “Resist” on the front of the building.
Photo: Suspect in black hoodie, black pants, and carrying a black backpack while spray painting the glass doors of a business.
Photo: A Molotov cocktail that did not ignite laying on seat in vehicle with broken glass window
On March 26, law enforcement officials executed various state search warrants related to this case, including a search warrant at Kim’s residence. Inside the residence, they found various firearms, including an AR style rifle consistent with the firearm used in the March 18, 2025 incident and with a suppressor on it, a black gun belt with a pouch and a small drop of pink paint residue, a black hoodie, face masks, and a handwritten note with what appeared to be an escape plan.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi for the Department of Justice; Director Kash Patel of the FBI; Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani of the ATF San Francisco Field Division; and Sheriff Kevin McMahill for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, and with significant assistance by the Clark County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Operskalski for the District of Nevada and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Kim faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison for the unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum of 20 years in prison for the arson charge.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the ATF are investigating the case and with significant assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Operskalski for the District of Nevada and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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usao-nv_criminal_complaint-paul_hyon_kim_2-25-mj-261_0.pdfNative of Mexico Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Daniel Martinez-Canjay, age 34, of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of illegal reentry.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about November 13, 2024, Martinez-Canjay was found in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, after previously having been removed from the United States. The indictment also alleges that Martinez-Canjay had been removed from the United States on or about April 24, 2019, through Hidalgo, Texas, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
This case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Mortgage Broker That Ran a Ponzi Scheme, Fraudulently Acquired CARES Act SBA Loans, and Filed a False Tax Return is Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Rhode Island mortgage broker who ran a Ponzi scheme with investors’ monies causing millions of dollars in losses, who fraudulently obtained more than $160,000 in COVID-19 pandemic-related SBA loans, and who failed to pay more than $140,000 in taxes due the IRS was sentenced today to more than four years in federal prison and was ordered to pay restitution to his victims, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Joseph Giuttari, owner and operator of Hybrid Capital Group, LLC, THE FENS CO., LLC, and Realty Funding Advisors, LLC, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 55 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, Giuttari was ordered to pay a fine of $20,000 and to pay restitution to victims of his Ponzi scheme, to SBA loan programs, and to the IRS totaling $4,579,130.95.
Mr. Giuttari pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024, to charges of wire fraud, theft of government property, and filing a false tax return. The day after his guilty plea he engaged in brokerage activities in violation of his condition of release. Upon discovery of his activities, the Court revoked its order of release and remanded him to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Court documents reflect that Joseph Giuttari purported to match borrowers seeking short-term loans with private lenders seeking secured investments in real estate. As part of the scheme, Giuttari served as the clearing house for funds between the borrowers and the investors. In executing his scheme, Giuttari directed investors and closing attorneys to send all or a portion of the loan proceeds directly to him through his multiple business entities and business bank accounts. Instead of forwarding these funds to borrowers as represented to the investors, Giuttari used the money personally or to repay earlier investors who were seeking a return on their investments.
Additionally, Giuttari fraudulently acquired $167,800 in COVID-19 pandemic Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for Hybrid Capital Group and THE FENS CO that he was not entitled to receive, and he falsely stated on his 2019 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return that his total income was $22,176, when in fact it was at least $541,000, thus failing to pay $140,102 due the IRS.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General.
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Mexican national extradited from Mexico to the United States pleads guilty to drug and money laundering conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Gilberto Alarcon-Holguin a/k/a Beto, 57, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000.
According to the plea agreement, on October 14, 2017, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized 10 kilograms of cocaine from an identified co-conspirator. HSI obtained a phone number as a point of contact for the delivery of the cocaine, which was linked to co-conspirators of Alarcon-Holguin. On October 19, 2017, HSI conducted a controlled delivery of 10 bricks of “sham” cocaine, which had been wrapped in the same manner as the seized kilograms of cocaine, to a motel parking lot in Corfu, NY. The bag was given to co-conspirator Eduardo Valdez, who was on the phone with Alarcon-Holguin during the delivery. Following the controlled delivery, the New York State Police conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Valdez was riding in. HSI seized $259,960 in cash as a result of the controlled delivery.
Subsequent investigation determined that Alarcon-Holguin had multiple communications with another co-conspirator, Edgar Pavia. Alarcon-Holguin provided instructions to Pavia about shipments of cocaine, packaging of money, and more, all of which was passed along to drug distributors supplied by Alarcon-Holguin in cities including Buffalo, and Louisville, KY. Alarcon-Holguin also passed information to Pavia that was separately conveyed to other co-conspirators, including those involved in the transportation of drugs. For example, on June 21, 2018, co-conspirator Adrian Goudelock received 40 kilograms of cocaine in Buffalo. Over the course of the conspiracy, Goudelock received multiple shipments of 10 kilograms of cocaine or more brokered by Pavia and supplied by Alarcon-Holguin. Alarcon-Holguin also provided instructions to Pavia on how Goudelock should wrap and mark money being sent back to Mexico. Specifically, Alarcon-Holguin told Pavia that Goudelock should wrap the money into 52 packages of $10,000 each.
Other deliveries organized by Alarcon-Holguin during the investigation included: 17 kilograms of cocaine seized from a co-conspirator in West Seneca, NY, and shipments of 10, 15, 20, and 40 kilograms of cocaine to a co-conspirator in Kentucky. In addition, approximately $1,144,735 in cash was seized from a commercial truck driver in Chicago, Illinois. During the course of the investigation, investigators seized approximately $2,600,000.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto; the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia; and Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Unit, under the direction of Brian Manaher, Director, Marine Operations. Additional assistance was provided by the New York National Guard and Homeland Security Investigations, El Paso, Texas. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Alarcon-Holguin.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 3, 2025, before Judge Sinatra.
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Mexican National Indicted for Passport and Visa Fraud After Assuming the Identity of a United States Citizen over 40 Years AgoRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Enrrique Ricardo Diaz Vazquez, 60, a Mexican national living in Arizona, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Phoenix on Tuesday with Passport and Visa Fraud.
According to the criminal complaint in this case, an individual purporting to be Gene Edward Katzorke (“Katzorke”), first applied for and received a U.S. passport in 1986, submitting an Arizona license and U.S. birth certificate as supporting documentation. In subsequent years, the same individual filed multiple passport renewal applications, using his previously issued passport to support his identity claim. In 2022, Katzorke’s application was flagged for investigation after agents discovered an obituary from the 1960s for a Gene Edward Katzorke.
During the investigation, United States Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents learned that Gene Edward Katzorke had died in 1966, at the age of 2 years old. They also learned that Katzorke’s name was linked in criminal databases to Enrrique Ricardo Diaz Vazquez, a Mexican national.
On March 7, 2025, Diaz Vazquez, purporting to be Gene Edward Katzorke, arrived at the Western Passport Center for a regularly scheduled appointment regarding his most recent passport applications. After confirming that he had applied for the renewal under Katzorke’s name, Diaz Vazquez was arrested for Passport and Visa Fraud.
During a post-arrest interview, Diaz Vazquez admitted his real name to be Enrrique Ricardo Diaz Vasquez and his place of birth as Guadalajara, Mexico. Diaz Vazquez told law enforcement agents that he wanted to join the U.S. military and picked the name Gene Edward Katzorke as his alias after visiting a cemetery. Diaz Vazquez successfully joined the military under Katzorke’s name, but then fled to Mexico after facing criminal charges for a homicide involving a nine-month-old infant in Tucson, Arizona. Diaz Vazquez was eventually deported from Mexico to the United States under the belief that he was a U.S. Citizen, and he has been living under Katzorke’s name since that time.
Passport and Visa Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Diplomatic Security Service Tucson Resident Office and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Sydney Yew, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution
diaz_vazquez-_indictment.pdfCASE NUMBER: CR-25-00469-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-042_Diaz Vazquez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Mexican National Indicted for Illegal Reentry After Three Prior Removals and Two Illegal Reentry Felony ConvictionsRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Abraham Moreno Garcia, 51, of Mexico, charging him with being an illegal alien present in the United States after having been previously convicted of a felony and removed from the United States.
According to a previously filed criminal complaint, Moreno Garcia was removed to Mexico at least three times and has two felony convictions for illegally reentering the United States. In 2019, he was convicted in the District of Hawaii for illegal reentry and sentenced to five months in federal prison. After serving his sentence, he was removed to Mexico in March of 2019. He later reentered the United States illegally and was arrested on Hawaii Island in March of 2025.
If convicted of the charged offense, Moreno Garcia would face up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charge in the indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren W.K. Ching.
Meridian Man Sentenced to 74 months for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Meridian, MS man was sentenced today to 74 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Lester Landrum, 42, while under state correctional supervision as a probationer was found in possession of a firearm during an operation led by the East Mississippi Drug Task Force in Meridian. Landrum pleaded guilty to the charged conduct on December 16, 2024. In delivering the sentence, the Court ordered that the 74-month sentence for the instant offense run consecutive to the unfinished term of his prior state sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.
The ATF and the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff prosecuted the case.
Mentmore Man Charged with Federal Assault and StrangulationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mentmore man is facing charges in federal court for allegedly assaulting and injuring a woman.
According to court records, on December 5, 2024, Alery Al Reid, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly assaulted and strangled Jane Doe. Reid is accused of inflicting substantial bodily injury on Jane Doe, including extensive facial bruising, neck abrasions, and other injuries.
Reid is charged with assault by strangling and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. Reid will remain with a third-party custodian on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Reid faces 15 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Melbourne Man Indicted for Enticing A Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and Other Child Sexual Abuse OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Kacey Caudill (28, Melbourne) with one count of enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, one count of production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), three counts of receipt of CSAM, and one count of possession of CSAM involving a minor under 12 years of age.
If convicted on the enticement count, Caudill faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. For the production of CSAM count, he faces a minimum sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years. Each receipt count carries a minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, and for the possession of CSAM count, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Caudill committed these offenses between August 2 and October 9, 2024.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
This is another case 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.justice.gov/psc.
McAllen man admits attempting to send kilograms of cocaine in the mailRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 26-year-old McAllen resident has entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Narciso Dominguez III attempted to place packages in the mail that contained narcotics.
On May 23, 2024, authorities were conducting surveillance at suspected stash house locations in McAllen. During the operation, they observed Dominguez purchase shipping products such as boxes and bubble wrap and followed him to one of the locations. He departed and drove to a local mail shipping establishment where he provided multiple packages to be mailed to Dallas.
Authorities conducted a search of the items and discovered a total of 19 kilograms of cocaine in the same shipping materials as he had previously purchased.
He admitted he knew the items contained cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton will impose sentencing July 15. At that time, Dominguez faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Indicted for Passport Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, a federal grand jury indicted Beautiful Life Allah, aka Tezelle Miller, aka Tezell Miller, 65, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland, charging him with passport fraud, aggravated identity theft, false statements, and false representation of a social security number.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with David M. Richeson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) – Washington Field Office, and Colleen Lawlor, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division.
According to the indictment, Allah used someone else’s social security number to submit a passport application; submitted a fraudulent custody order to apply for a passport for his minor child; and made false statements on passport applications from August 2022 through February 2023.
If convicted, Allah faces up to 10 years for passport fraud, a mandatory minimum sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft, up to five years for false statements, and up to five years for false representation of a social security number. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.
A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended DSS and SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Manhattan Franciscan Friar Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fraud Related to Fake Medical Charity in Beirut, LebanonRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that PAUL BIELECKI, a/k/a “Paul HRH Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,” a Manhattan-based Franciscan friar, was sentenced to five years in prison for perpetrating a multi-year scheme to obtain donations for a fake medical charity purportedly operating in Beirut, Lebanon. BIELECKI previously pled guilty to wire fraud on November 11, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti, who imposed today’s sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Paul Bielecki exploited his position as a friar to defraud hundreds of innocent victims. He faked a charity to rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars, and then used these stolen funds to live the high life. But Bielecki’s days of luxury and lies are over. Let today’s sentence be a lesson to all — if you abuse your position of trust to take advantage of others, you will be held accountable.”
According to the Complaint, Information, public court filings, and statements made in court:
BIELECKI is a friar in the Capuchin Order, a Catholic order of priests and brothers, based out of a friary in New York City. BIELECKI engaged in a fraudulent scheme related to fake medical clinics he claimed to operate in Lebanon.
Specifically, for nearly a decade, BIELECKI fraudulently raised money from victims by falsely claiming that he operated two medical clinics in Lebanon and was raising money for medicine, medical equipment, baby incubators, food, and an ambulance for those clinics. BIELECKI also lied to victims by falsely stating that he was a physician, vascular surgeon, cardiac surgeon, and/or general surgeon, who had earned multiple Ph.D. degrees, and by falsely claiming to have been badly injured—and his fake clinics badly damaged—by a widely reported August 2020 explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.
BIELECKI reached victims by fraudulently soliciting donations at church masses and through other church events, by appearing as a guest or through advertisements on radio programs and online podcasts, and through various other means, including campaigns on crowdfunding websites. Through his scheme, BIELECKI fraudulently obtained more than $560,000 in donations from more than 350 victims for his fake medical clinics. Despite taking a vow of poverty as a friar in the Capuchin Order, BIELECKI used the donations he fraudulently received to fund lavish personal spending, including first-class travel, a $334.40 per month membership at a luxury gym chain, multiple trips to the Hamptons, numerous meals at high-end restaurants, and aesthetic plastic surgery costing thousands of dollars.
If you believe you are a victim of fraud perpetrated by BIELECKI, please contact Special Agent Sean Smyth, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (914) 993‑1900 or by following the instructions available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/report-crime.
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In addition to the prison term, BIELECKI, 48, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to pay forfeiture of $563,448, and ordered to pay restitution.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Division. Mr. Podolsky also thanked the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Levander and Ryan W. Allison are in charge of the prosecution.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Large-Scale Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CONCORD –A Manchester man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Luis Maldonado, age 50, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely, fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2025. The defendant was originally charged with conspiracy on April 26, 2023, along with 20 other defendants. To date, 14 defendants in this conspiracy have been convicted.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant was involved in a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine in Manchester and elsewhere. As of 2022, the defendant’s role in the DTO was selling crack and other drugs for the DTO. On May 19, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which the defendant was a passenger. A search revealed that the defendant had $12,994 and a digital scale in his backpack, and the vehicle contained a secret compartment used to conceal narcotics. The defendant’s phone was searched and contained text messages between the defendant and others arranging drug transactions.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Long-Time Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips Leader Charged in 43-Count Indictment Alleging Murder, Extortion, Fraud, and Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury has returned a 43-count indictment charging a music label owner and purported anti-gang activist who is a long-time leader of a South Los Angeles street gang with dozens of felonies, including fraud, robbery, extortion, tax evasion, embezzlement of donations to his charity that receives public money, and running a racketeering conspiracy in which he allegedly murdered an aspiring musician, the Justice Department announced today.
Eugene Henley, Jr., 58, a.k.a. “Big U,” of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, two counts of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and extortion (Hobbs Act), one count of Hobbs Act robbery, nine counts of attempted Hobbs Act extortion, five counts of Hobbs Act extortion, one count of transportation of an individual in interstate commerce with intent that the individual engage in prostitution (Mann Act), 15 counts of wire fraud, five counts of embezzlement, conversion, and intentional misapplication of funds from an organization receiving federal funds, one count of bank fraud, one count of tax evasion, and two counts of willful failure to file a tax return.
Henley – a long-time member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips street gang – has been in federal custody since March 19 after being charged in a federal criminal complaint. His arraignment is scheduled for April 8 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He has a detention hearing scheduled for April 10, also in Los Angeles federal court.
Also charged in today’s indictment are:
- Sylvester Robinson, 59, a.k.a. “Vey,” of Northridge;
- Mark Martin, 50, a.k.a. “Bear Claw,” of the Beverlywood area of Los Angeles;
- Termaine Ashley Williams, 42, a.k.a. “Luce Cannon,” of Las Vegas;
- Armani Aflleje, 38, a.k.a. “Mani,” of Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles;
- Fredrick Blanton Jr., 43, of South Los Angeles; and
- Tiffany Shanrika Hines, 51, of Yorba Linda.
These defendants are in federal custody and are expected to be arraigned in the coming weeks.
“As the indictment alleges, Mr. Henley led a criminal enterprise whose conduct ranged from murder to sophisticated fraud that included stealing from taxpayers and a charity,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Eradicating gangs and organized crime is the Department of Justice's top priority. Today's charges against the leadership of this criminal outfit will make our neighborhoods in Los Angeles safer.”
According to the indictment returned on Wednesday, from 2010 until March 2025, Henley’s criminal group – identified in court documents as the “Big U Enterprise” – operated as a mafia-like organization that utilized Henley’s stature and long-standing association with the Rollin’ 60s and other street gangs to intimidate businesses and individuals in Los Angeles. Henley is widely regarded as a leader within the Rollin’ 60s and rose to prominence in the street gang during the 1980s.
While the Big U Enterprise at times partnered with the Rollin’ 60s and other criminal elements for mutual benefit, the Big U Enterprise is a distinct and independent criminal enterprise engaged in criminal activity including murder, extortion, robbery, trafficking and exploiting sex workers, fraud, and illegal gambling.
Not only did the enterprise expand its power through violence, fear, and intimidation, but it also used social media platforms, documentaries, podcasts, interviews, and Henley’s reputation and status as an “O.G.” (original gangster) to create fame for – and stoke fear of – the Big U Enterprise, its members, and its associates.
For example, in January 2021, Henley murdered a victim – identified in the indictment as “R.W.” – an aspiring musician signed to Uneek Music, Henley’s music label. Henley shot and killed R.W., who had recorded a defamatory song about Henley. Henley then dragged the victim’s body off Interstate 15 in Las Vegas and left it in a ditch.
Henley also committed other crimes, including fraudulently obtaining a COVID-19 business-relief loan for Uneek Music, which operated at a loss and was ineligible for such relief. He used his anti-gang charity, Developing Options, as a front for fraudulent activities and to insulate other members of the Big U Enterprise from law enforcement suspicion.
Henley further embezzled large donations that celebrities and award-winning companies made to Developing Options, which Henley immediately converted to his personal bank account. According to the indictment, Developing Options is primarily funded through the City of Los Angeles’s Mayor’s Office through the Gang Reduction Youth Development (GRYD) Foundation, portions of which receive federal funding, but also receives donations from prominent sources, including NBA players.
Finally, the indictment alleges that – as part of the racketeering conspiracy charge – that during the early morning hours of March 19, while law enforcement was arresting other members of the enterprise, Henley turned off his cellphones and fled his home. That day, Henley posted to the “Crenshaw Cougars” Instagram account, claiming racial profiling, blaming his co-defendants and opponents for the criminal charges filed against him in a federal criminal complaint, and instructing the public not to associate with his co-defendants and known opponents. Henley eventually surrendered to federal law enforcement without his phones.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Henley, Robinson, Martin would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the racketeering conspiracy count. The bank fraud count is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison. The Hobbs Act conspiracy, robbery, and extortion and the wire fraud counts each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The Mann Act count and the theft concerning programs receiving federal funds count each carry a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison. The tax evasion count carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison while the willful failure to pay file a tax return count is punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment.
The FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs; IRS Criminal Investigation; the United States Department of Justice Office of Inspector General; the Los Angeles Police Department; and the North Las Vegas Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Leader of $23 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JUNYI LIU, a/k/a “Jenny,” pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill insurance providers for acupuncture and physical therapy services that were unnecessary or never performed at medical offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. LIU, a licensed acupuncturist and leader of this scheme, pled guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Junyi Liu led a fraud scheme in which she and her co-conspirators bilked Medicare and other insurers out of millions of dollars by submitting fraudulent claims for acupuncture and physical therapy services. Liu took advantage of our health care system—and abused her licensing as an acupuncturist—and she now awaits sentencing for her crime. This Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to detect and dismantle fraud schemes, including schemes that seek to siphon money from our health care system.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the plea agreement, and statements made in court:
Between 2018 and 2021, LIU, a licensed acupuncturist, operated medical offices (the “Offices”) from which LIU and her partners fraudulently billed Medicare and other insurance providers (collectively, the “Insurance Providers”) for physical therapy and acupuncture services that were not rendered in the manner represented or not rendered at all. During the scheme, LIU partnered with other licensed medical professionals, including licensed physical therapists and at least one other licensed acupuncturist (collectively, the “Partners”). The Partners’ roles in the scheme typically included: allowing the Offices to use their enrollments with the Insurance Providers to submit to the Insurance Providers materially false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement for physical therapy and acupuncture services that were not rendered in the manner represented or were not rendered at all; creating materially false medical documentation, which stated that certain physical therapy and acupuncture services had been rendered, when such services in fact were not rendered in the manner represented or were not rendered at all; and contributing financing for the Offices, including for the payment of cash kickbacks to patients (the “Paid Patients”) to induce those patients to provide their insurance information and receive medically unnecessary and/or non-existent services at the Offices. LIU and certain of the Partners also agreed to give kickbacks, including cash and expensive wine, to employees of Insurance Providers to enable the scheme to continue.
In furtherance of the scheme, LIU employed receptionists, cashiers, marketers, financial and billing personnel, acupuncturists, massagists, and other personnel. The cashiers distributed tens of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks to the Paid Patients. In some instances, these Paid Patients visited the Offices, signed in, and received unnecessary physical therapy and acupuncture services. In other instances, the Paid Patients visited the Offices, signed a sign-in sheet and other documents, and then left without receiving any services at all. In yet other instances, the Paid Patients did not visit the Offices at all and instead signed sign-in sheets and other documents brought to them elsewhere. Regardless of whether the Paid Patients received any services or even visited the Offices at all, the conspirators used the Paid Patients’ insurance information to fraudulently bill the Insurance Providers for unnecessary and/or never rendered services.
While LIU and her Partners were defrauding the Insurance Providers of millions of dollars, from April 2020 through September 2021, LIU also engaged in a scheme to obtain COVID-19 unemployment benefits for herself and a family member (the “Family Member”) by fraudulently submitting and causing to be submitted to the New York Department of Labor materially false online applications and certifications for COVID-19 benefits. Among other things, the applications and/or certifications represented that LIU was unemployed when she continued to operate the Offices for all or nearly all of this period and that LIU’s Family Member was unable to work because of COVID-19 during a five-month period when the Family Member was in China. In connection with her guilty plea, LIU agreed to pay back the misappropriated COVID-19 unemployment benefits received by her and the Family Member.
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JUNYI LIU, 70, of Great Neck, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. As part of her plea agreement with the Government, LIU agreed to pay $23,855,425 in restitution to the Insurance Providers and $40,075 to the New York State Department of Labor. She additionally agreed to forfeiture of $15,368,171.
In addition to LIU, NOEMI ALGODON, MOHAMED ELMANDOUH, GERARD ESTRELLA, RAMON GARCIA, III, HENLER DATU TAHIL, JONATHAN LAQUI, and MITZY BALDOVINO have also pled guilty in connection with their participation in the health care fraud scheme.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General’s New York Office and the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Mr. Podolsky also thanked the New York State Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy V. Capozzi and Jerry Fang are in charge of the prosecution.
Latin Music Talent Agency and Its CEO Found Guilty of Violating U.S. Sanctions by Doing Business with Cartel-Linked Concert PromoterRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The CEO of a Latin music conglomerate and his talent agency were found guilty by a jury today of conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act by conducting business with a Guadalajara-based concert promoter with ties to Mexican drug cartels.
José Ángel Del Villar, 44, of Huntington Beach, the CEO of Del Records and its related talent agency Del Entertainment Inc., was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers in violation of the Kingpin Act and 10 counts of violating the Kingpin Act.
Co-defendant Del Entertainment also was found guilty of all 11 counts of which Del Villar was convicted.
According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, in April 2018, the defendants did business with Jesús Pérez Alvear, a.k.a. “Chucho,” of Guadalajara, Mexico, a music promoter who controlled Gallistica Diamante, a.k.a. Ticket Premier. Pérez promoted concerts for Del Entertainment in Mexico until March 2019.
The U.S. Treasury Department listed Pérez and his company as “specially designated narcotics traffickers” under the Kingpin Act on April 6, 2018, after concluding he facilitated money laundering for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the Los Cuinis drug trafficking organization. The Kingpin Act prevents people in the United States from conducting business with sanctioned persons and entities.
Even though Del Villar and Del Entertainment were aware that it was illegal to engage in transactions or dealings with Pérez, they willfully did business with him by continuing to have a Del Entertainment musical artist perform at concerts in which Pérez and Del Entertainment had a financial interest.
For example, on April 19, 2018, FBI agents approached a well-known musician and explicitly told him about Pérez’s designation under the Kingpin Act and how that prohibited him from conducting business with Pérez and performing concerts that Pérez promoted.
On April 28, 2018, the musician performed at a music concert which Pérez organized. Del Villar’s credit card was used to pay for a private jet that brought the musician from Van Nuys Airport to the performance in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
On multiple other occasions in 2018 and 2019, Pérez and Del Villar continued to do business by arranging for the musician to perform at concerts in Mexico – including Mexicali and San José Iturbide, Guanajuato.
“The defendants here chose to get into business with an individual they knew had ties to the CJNG and had been designated a narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Cartels and transnational criminal organizations cause immeasurable harm to our country. We are using every tool to eliminate these organizations and will prosecute those that do business with cartels.”
“Doing business with government-sanctioned individuals is illegal and can have very serious consequences,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s guilty verdict sends a message to music industry associates and others who engage in business with those sanctioned for laundering money for Mexican cartels that such criminal activity will not be tolerated by the FBI and our partners at the IRS and the United States Attorney’s Office.”
United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled an August 15 sentencing hearing, at which time Del Villar will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count. Del Entertainment will face a sentence of five years of probation and a fine of $10 million for each count.
Co-defendant Luca Scalisi, 58, of West Hollywood, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in this case and is scheduled to be tried separately in July 2025.
Co-defendant Pérez, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers, was murdered in Mexico in December 2024.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control provided significant assistance in this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benedetto L. Balding and Alexander B. Schwab of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, and Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, prosecuted this case, with substantial assistance from the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.
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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Killeen Man and Former Soldiers Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Fort Cavazos Equipment Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Killeen man was sentenced in a federal court in Waco to 120 months in prison for buying and selling U.S. Army equipment that had been stolen by soldiers and former soldiers.
According to court documents, beginning in January 2017, Benjamin Alvarado Jr., 32, purchased thousands of military items, owned by the United States, from co-conspirators Darius Alston, Justin Wallas and Gabriel Taylor, and Kynyqus Bryant. The co-conspirators were U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Fort Cavazos and had participated in at least seven thefts of U.S. government property from Fort Cavazos. Collectively, they coordinated with Alvarado throughout the scheme through telecommunications and text messages.
Investigators with the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army CID) traced several transactions through online sellers, such as eBay, to Alvarado, who, on Aug, 9, 2021, was discovered to be selling multiple M-50 gas masks similar to what had been reported stolen from Fort Cavazos. Alvarado was also selling filters for the masks, night vision device image intensifier tubes, Litefighter tents, and other miscellaneous sensitive property being transported in interstate and foreign commerce with a value of $5,000 or more.
Executed search warrants resulted in the recovery of more than 24,000 individual items stolen from the U.S. government, including, in addition to the items previously named, weapons parts, and Level III and Level IV body armor. The recovered properties were valued at approximately $2.75 million. Another search warrant led to the recovery of another $100,000 worth of military property at a Killeen storage building. The investigation also revealed that, on or about Jan. 5, 2021, Alvarado participated in the sale and transfer of a Joint Chemical Agent Detector M4A1 to a buyer in China through an intermediary in Delaware.
Alvarado stated he had purchased 90% of the 24,000 items seized from Bryant and Alston, who were assigned to the 553rd Combat Service Support Battalion. Taylor later confessed that he had participated as the lookout in a July 2021 robbery on Fort Cavazos, while other members of the conspiracy retrieved the items. Alston stated that he had conducted seven or eight theft operations with Bryant and the others, also as a lookout.
On Sept. 3, 2019, Alvarado transferred a cashier’s check for $52,890.55 to a title company for a residence in Killeen. On July 7, 2021, Alvarado transferred a personal check for $50,000 to a licensed automobile dealer for the purchase of a 2013 McLaren MP4. Following the April 2022 indictment, Alvarado forfeited the house and the car.
Alvarado pleaded guilty on Oct. 31, 2023 to one count of theft of government property conspiracy, one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, two counts of money laundering, and one count of smuggling goods from the United States. On March 26, Alvarado was sentenced to 120 months custody in federal prison.
Alston, Wallas and Taylor were also sentenced with Alvarado. Alston and Wallas were each sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Taylor was sentenced to five years of probation. Bryant was sentenced to five years of probation and incurred a $2,000 fine on March 24.
In addition to their sentences, Alston, Wallas, Taylor, and Bryant were ordered to pay $618,750 in restitution. Alvarado was ordered to pay a restitution of $2,367,780.12.
“Alvarado and his co-conspirators engaged in a massive scheme to steal, store and sell millions of dollars’ worth of U.S. military equipment—not only taking advantage of our government but placing personal profit over national security and military readiness,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Thank you to all of the federal law enforcement agencies involved for provided their individual specialized investigative skills to this case and reinforcing the fact that criminals who engage in this illicit reckless behavior will be caught and prosecuted.”
“We traced Alvarado’s sales and profits, which helped lead the team to seize assets like his real estate, his bank accounts and his McLaren. There are no sports cars and lavish lifestyles for Alvarado in prison,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan, of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “The moment he left a money trail, it sealed his fate. As the law enforcement division of the IRS, we follow the money to bring criminals to justice.”
"These sentencings are a result of a highly successful joint investigative effort by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our investigative partners" said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch of the Department of Defense – Office of Inspector General, DCIS Southwest Field Office. "Ensuring the integrity of DoD supply chains, safeguarding taxpayer investments and, most importantly, protecting the warfighter are top priorities for DCIS."
“Joint efforts with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners demonstrate our unified commitment to actively identify, disrupt, deter, and dismantle unlawful activity," said Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Central Texas Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Maria Thomas. “The result of this investigation shows that our agents, and those of our partner law enforcement agencies, are relentless in our pursuit of those who violate their position of trust in safeguarding Army resources and property for monetary gain. Corruption and fraud in U.S. Army programs jeopardize the safety of our warfighters.”
“This case highlights the partnership and commitment between Homeland Security Investigations and Army CID in securing the Homeland by targeting malicious actors stealing and exporting sensitive military equipment,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “HSI, in collaboration with law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and dismantle criminal networks that threaten the country’s national security.”
IRS-CI, DCIS, Army CID, the Department of State and HSI investigated the case with assistance from the Killeen Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton prosecuted the case.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Donald Renard Taylor, 49, of Dunbar, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 31, 2023, Taylor sold 104.63 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $850. Taylor admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling 27.71 grams of methamphetamine for $240 on June 14, 2023, and 55.75 grams of methamphetamine for $440 on July 13, 3023, to the confidential informant. All three transactions occurred in Dunbar.
On August 2, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Taylor’s Dunbar residence and seized 139.7 grams of methamphetamine, over 200 grams of fentanyl, 544.8 grams of cocaine and $19,479. Officers also seized six firearms: a Highpoint 9mm pistol, a Bearman .38-caliber pistol, a F.I.E. Corp .25-caliber pistol, a Glock L9 9mm pistol, a Taurus GX4 9mm pistol, and a Davis Industries .25-caliber pistol.
Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-44.
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