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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Tuesday 25 March 2025
Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ERIC HERMAN, 32, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to drug distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, following two fatal overdoses involving fentanyl in 2021, both of which were believed to be connected to Herman, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stratford Police Department began investigating Herman’s drug trafficking activities. In May and June 2022, investigators made two controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine from Herman.
Herman was arrested on September 15, 2022. At the time of his arrest, he possessed a distribution quantity of cocaine, a loaded 9mm “ghost gun” with a laser sight attached, and additional rounds of ammunition.
Herman’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug and firearm offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Herman pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine base (“crack”), fentanyl, and heroin, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
Herman has been detained since his arrest. He has also pleaded guilty in state court to narcotics and manslaughter charges stemming from an overdose death investigation.
The DEA’s HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, and Stratford Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.
- Brazilian Citizen Charged with Illegal Re-entry into U.S.
Boston Man Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting MinorsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for child exploitation offenses.
Jalen Latimer, 26, of Roxbury, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 28 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. In December 2024, Latimer pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Latimer is currently serving a state prison sentence on related offenses. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor on Feb. 16, 2024.
In July 2022, Latimer and another adult recorded themselves raping a ten year old. The minor victim’s five year old sibling was used to create the recording of the sexual assault. Over a year later, in July 2023, Latimer conspired with that same adult to arrange the sexual assault of another child. Latimer was asked to pay $50 for the child, however, Latimer offered $20 and marijuana.
Latimer was arrested in January 2024. He was subsequently convicted by state authorities in Worcester Superior Court of three counts of aggravated rape of a child, four counts of aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child and human trafficking of a minor. On March 17, 2024, he was sentenced to 15 years in state prison which will run concurrent with the federal sentence.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier; and Oxford Police Chief Michael K. Daniels made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Rhode Island State Police and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Bakersfield Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Burglarizing a Kern County Post OfficeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Shawn Van Dixon, 39, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez for burglarizing a U.S. Post Office in Caliente, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on Oct. 28, 2023, Van Dixon forcefully broke into the U.S. Post Office in Caliente by smashing in a glass door with a black hatchet. Van Dixon broke in just before working hours when the post office was empty. Once inside he stole several mail items, including envelopes, letters, and packages, from P.O. boxes and other locations belonging to more than 10 victims before driving off in a stolen truck.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.
Armed robber sentenced to over 12 years in prisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chesterfield man was sentenced today to 12 years and three months in prison for armed robbery.
According to court documents, on April 22, 2023, two victims were robbed at gunpoint on Dunston Avenue in Richmond. The victims described the incident and the robber to police, who then located surveillance cameras that captured a suspect vehicle. Police identified the vehicle as a four-door Acura with a moon roof and distinctive stickers on the two rear passenger windows. They also identified the license plate and determined that the Acura was registered to the girlfriend of Kumkio Leftha Martin, 31.
The next day, Martin entered a convenience store in Chesterfield, pointed a gun at the victims inside, and demanded money and cigarettes. He took the victims’ iPhones as well as a bag containing a laptop, payroll checks, credit cards, cash, and car keys. Footage from a nearby camera showed a sedan resembling the Acura.
On May 4, 2023, Martin entered a tobacco store in Richmond and, while brandishing a firearm, demanded money and vaping products from a store employee. Martin's girlfriend was also in the store. About two minutes after Martin fled, the Acura with the distinctive stickers on the passenger side rear windows drove past the store.
Police located Martin and the vehicle and performed a felony traffic stop. Law enforcement later performed a search of Martin’s girlfriend’s residence and located the firearm the defendant used in the May 4, 2023, robbery.
On Nov. 12, 2024, Martin pled guilty to armed robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence related to the May 4, 2023, robbery. As a part of his plea, the defendant also admitted to committing the April 23, 2023, robbery.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Anthony and Vetan Kapoor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-150.
Arizona man gets life in prison for kidnapping victim and sexually exploiting minorsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – An Arizona man was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting his victim at gunpoint as he transported her across state lines. A federal judge also sentenced the defendant to 95 years in prison for other related crimes, to be served concurrent with his life sentence.
Martin Brandon Gillen, 27, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of transportation for criminal sexual activity, one count of transportation of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
In late 2021, Martin Brandon Gillen began an online relationship with a minor female who was then 17 years of age. He persuaded her to take and send him sexually explicit images and videos which he kept and later used to threaten the victim. Over the course of the online relationship, Gillen repeatedly made violent threats against the victim. In March 2024, Gillen traveled to Illinois to pick up the victim then transported her across state lines, from Illinois to Missouri to Kansas. During this trip, Gillen sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions.
Gillen and the victim were found in Kansas by officers with the Iola Police Department. In his possession, Gillen had a firearm, multiple magazines, and zip ties. Gillen admitted to officers that his cell phone contained child sexual abuse materials. Subsequent examination by law enforcement revealed hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse materials on his cell phone, as well as sexually explicit images of the female from when she was 17 years old. Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) also found images of Gillen sexually abusing an unrelated 4-year-old child from Utah on the phone.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Iola Police Department, the New Baden, Illinois Police Department, and the Illinois State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart prosecuted the case.
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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.###
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Public Land Violations
Douglas Wolfley, 49 of Fairview, Wyoming, was sentenced to a 10-day term of incarceration with credit for 2 days served after pleading guilty to driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol in Yellowstone National Park, his third DUI conviction in 10 years. He also pled guilty to possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. In addition to the term of incarceration, Wolfley was placed on 3 years of unsupervised probation, terms of which include a ban from Yellowstone National Park during that period and was ordered to pay $3,050 in fines and court costs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Calmes prosecuted the case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on March 18, 2025.
Angela Flaherty, 44, of Seattle, Washington was sentenced to a 7-day term of incarceration after pleading guilty to violating 36 CFR 7.13(j), which requires all foot travel in thermal areas of Yellowstone National Park be confined to marked trails or boardwalks. Ms. Flaherty left the boardwalk and viewing area surrounding Old Faithful geyser and walked approximately 10 feet onto the cone of Old Faithful. Some of her conduct was captured on video by another park visitor. In addition to the term of incarceration, Ms. Flaherty was ordered to pay $40 in mandatory court costs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Calmes prosecuted the case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on March 19, 2025.
Yiyang Shen, 25 of Doraville, Georgia was sentenced to a 7-day term of incarceration and five years of unsupervised probation, the terms of which include a ban from Yellowstone National Park, after he drove off the designated roadway and parked his vehicle in a thermal area in Yellowstone. Mr. Shen was charged with operating a motor vehicle in a prohibited area in a manner that caused damage to park resources and foot travel in a thermal area not confined to any designated and marked trail or boardwalk. In addition to the terms of incarceration and probation, Mr. Shen was ordered to pay $1,050 in fines and court costs. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on March 12, 2025.
Firearm Offenses
Jeffrey Cletus Geist, 58, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, with three years of supervised release to follow for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on March 12, 2024, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office stopped Geist on his motorcycle for a traffic violation. A canine was deployed on the exterior of the motorcycle and immediately alerted to the presence of narcotics. Deputies located three bags of methamphetamine and a 9mm handgun. Geist is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was indicted on Sept.18, 2024 and pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2024. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on March 11 in Casper. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christyne Martens prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-CR-00157
Illegal Re-Entry of a Previously Deported Alien
Antonio Pacheco-Bautista, 37, of Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. Upon release, the defendant shall be delivered to a duly authorized immigration official for deportation in accordance with the established procedures provided by the Immigration and Naturalization Service Act. According to court documents, on Nov. 18, 2024, Pacheco-Bautista, was arrested by the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office for driving while under the influence and an open container. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) determined Pacheco-Bautista is not a United States citizen, had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter the U.S. Pacheco-Bautista had a history of illegally re-entering the U.S. since 2009. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on March 21 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00025Omar Pacheco-Alonso, 34, of Mexico, was sentenced to time served plus 10 days to allow for deportation proceedings, with no term of supervised release. According to court documents, on Jan. 19, 2025, Pacheco-Alonso was arrested by the Gillette Police Department for driving while under the influence of alcohol. ICE determined Pacheco-Alonso is not a United States citizen, had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Pacheco-Alonso has a previous conviction for illegally re-entering the U.S. ICE investigated the crime. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on March 21 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00024
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Operation Take Back America
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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
A Resident of Both Pittsburgh and Chicago Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of both Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal law regarding the sexual exploitation of children, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Ashok Panigrahy, age 53, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from on or about November 21 through November 22, 2022, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Panigrahy knowingly possessed images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor.
Judge Wiegand scheduled sentencing for July 17, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000.00, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Homeland Security Investigations (Pittsburgh and Chicago) conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Panigrahy.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Monday 24 March 2025
Wayne County Man Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Role in Theft of Timber from Public LandRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jeff Allen Parsons, 28, of Genoa, pleaded guilty today to unlawful destruction of timber and was sentenced to a 90-day term of incarceration and ordered to pay $1,465.29 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 8, 2023, Parsons traveled with co-defendants Ronald Lee Frye and Eugene Luther Cochran onto public land at or near East Lynn with intent to cut and remove multiple trees illegally from the property. Parsons admitted that he assisted in cutting down the trees while on the property, and that they broke open a metal gate located on the property to bring their truck closer to one of the cut trees.
Parsons further admitted that they attempted to leave the property after they were spotted by employees of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Charges against Frye, 33, of Wayne, and Cochran, 36, of Genoa, are pending. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District, and the West Virginia Division of Forestry.
United States Magistrate Judge Joseph K. Reeder presided over the hearing and imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes and former Assistant United States Attorney Owen Reynolds 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. 3:24-cr-161.
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Violent Level 3 Sex Offender from Harwich Sentenced to Decade in Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Level 3 sex offender from Harwich, with prior violent convictions involving minor victims, was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Jonathan Fleischmann, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Fleischmann was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,500. In July 2024, Fleischmann pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
“Despite his prior predatory behavior and the fact that he was already facing serious charges in state court – charges that involved ambushing and attempting to kidnap a young girl at gunpoint outside her home – this defendant continued to demonstrate a complete disregard for the safety and well-being of children by downloading hundreds of atrocious CSAM from the dark web. Each image and video he viewed or shared re-victimized the real, vulnerable children depicted in them. These crimes do not exist in a vacuum; they cause significant harm to the children and families affected,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness with which we treat these crimes and our commitment to protecting children from individuals like Mr. Fleischmann, who refuse to learn or take steps toward remediating their vile tendencies.”
“Over and over, Fleischman committed deeply disturbing sex crimes aimed at children. For years, he has been a threat to the community but after today’s sentence, he will be off the streets for a decade,” said Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “Child sexual abuse material immortalizes the abuse of a child and those who download, trade, and possess CSAM are perpetuating the trauma those children experienced. We are committed to protecting kids and seeking justice for those victimized through child exploitation.”
Fleishmann is a Level 3 sex offender due to prior convictions in Barnstable District Court of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14 in 2006, as well as Open and Gross Lewdness and Possession of Child Pornography in 2017 for masturbating to CSAM in a Honey Dew Donuts parking lot.
Additionally, in September 2020, Fleischmann was charged in Barnstable Superior Court with home invasion, armed kidnapping and assault to rape for invading a Yarmouth home and forcibly taking a 16-year-old female at gunpoint into her house as she arrived home from school. That investigation also revealed that Fleishmann had accessed a dark web hidden service on his cellphone dedicated to the trafficking of child pornography. He was later released in April 2021 on conditions including cash bail and GPS monitoring.
Fleischmann is prohibited from possessing digital devices due to his prior convictions.
On March 18, 2023, law enforcement was notified that Fleischmann was observed downloading suspected CSAM media files onto a cell phone at his workplace in Brewster. Specifically, while the phone was left open and charging on a counter, Fleischmann’s co-workers saw that it displayed media files in the process of downloading, with file names that were consistent with CSAM.
When approached by law enforcement at his residence later that day, Fleishmann initially denied owning the cell phone but eventually agreed to produce it – retrieving the device from a hidden location beneath a bathroom sink. A subsequent search of the cell phone revealed approximately 255 image files and 55 video files depicting CSAM – including files portraying child rape, sadistic or masochistic conduct and the abuse of infants or toddlers.
Fleischmann has remained in federal custody since his May 2023 arrest in this case. In May 2024, Fleischmann was sentenced to 12 years in state prison in connection with the Yarmouth home invasion. Following today’s hearing, the defendant was released into state custody to serve the 12-year state sentence, which will run concurrently with the federal sentence imposed today.
U.S. Attorney Foley and HSI SAC Krol made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office and the Brewster Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
United States Announces Plans to Extradite Three Tren de Aragua Members, Who Have Been Declared Alien Enemies, Wanted by Chile for Homicide and Kidnapping OffensesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, the United States declared three members of Tren de Aragua (TdA) Alien Enemies and announced plans to extradite them to Chile, where they are wanted for violent crimes including homicide, kidnapping for ransom, and other offenses.
TdA is a foreign terrorist organization with thousands of members, many of whom have unlawfully entered the United States to commit brutal crimes, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, and human and drug trafficking. Three known TdA members, Adrian Rafael Gamez Finol, Miguel Oyola Jimenez, and Edgar Javier Benitez Rubio, illegally entered the United States after allegedly committing horrific crimes in Chile. Recognizing the grave threat that TdA poses to the nations it infiltrates, Chile has asked the United States to help return these men to Chile to face justice. Today, the Department of Justice announced that it will take swift action to grant these requests and send these Alien Enemies to Chile.
“These three Tren de Aragua members pose a grave risk to the public safety and national security of the United States, just as they allegedly did in Chile,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Based on their membership in TdA, they have been declared Alien Enemies. We will not tolerate violent illegal aliens in our country. The Justice Department is taking every step within the bounds of the law to ensure these individuals are promptly sent to Chile to face justice for their abhorrent crimes. In fact, we would have already removed these violent gang members to Chile to face justice were it not for the nationwide injunction imposed by a single judge in Washington D.C., which we are challenging today in the D.C. Circuit,” he added. “We hope common sense and justice will prevail.”
The three TdA members are:
- Adrian Rafael Gamez Finol, also known as Rafael Enrique Gamez Salas, 38, a dual Venezuelan and Colombian citizen, is wanted in Chile for extortion, kidnapping resulting in homicide, kidnapping for extortion, unjustified firearm discharge, and criminal association. Gamez Finol was removed from the United States to Venezuela in August 2023, and allegedly subsequently illegally re-entered the United States. On Feb. 18, Gamez Finol was indicted in the Southern District of Texas for illegally reentering the United States, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. Gamez Finol is currently in Texas county prison serving a sentence for human smuggling;
- Miguel Oyola Jimenez, 37, a dual Venezuelan and Ecuadorian citizen, is wanted in Chile for two counts of kidnapping for ransom. Oyola Jimenez is currently in federal custody in the Western District of Washington, having been arrested on a provisional arrest request submitted by Chilean authorities seeking his return to Chile to stand trial on the kidnapping charges; and
- Edgar Javier Benitez Rubio, 37, a Venezuelan citizen, is wanted in Chile for kidnapping with homicide, kidnapping for ransom, and criminal association. Benitez Rubio is in immigration custody in the Southern District of Indiana, pending removal.
The Justice Department will work expeditiously to return these Alien Enemies to Chile to face justice.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two illegal alien human smugglers arrested after dangerous pursuit and crashRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two Mexican nationals have been charged with conspiring to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose Manuel Zamarripa-Torres, 38, and Daniel Flores-Hernandez, 19, are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano.
The criminal complaint alleges that on March 20, law enforcement observed a raft cross the Rio Grande River from Mexico and make landfall in the United States. Zamarripa-Torres then allegedly picked up five illegal aliens from that raft in a Ford SUV. The charges allege one of those was Flores-Hernandez who was the brush guide.
Law enforcement attempted to make a traffic stop, but Zamarripa-Torres fled the scene and subsequently failed to yield, according to the charges. The complaint alleges authorities successfully deployed vehicle immobilization devices throughout the pursuit, but Zamarripa-Torres continued driving.
Zamarripa-Torres allegedly crashed into an occupied civilian vehicle, a power pole and fence and ultimately came to a stop after the 6.1-mile pursuit.
If convicted, Zamarripa-Torres and Flores-Hernandez face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Two Sylacauga Residents Sentenced in Fake Gold SchemeRead the Press Release
According to court documents and testimony, Rossie Windham, age 42, and Dylan Jemison, age 21, both of Sylacauga, conspired with a third individual who, due to his age at the time of the conspiracy, is identified only as Minor-1, to fraudulently sell counterfeit precious metals to victims in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.
Starting around April 2023, the minor began advertising gold and silver coins and bars for sale on Facebook Marketplace. According to the minor, he inherited these items from a relative and was selling them below market value because he wanted to buy a truck and put money towards college. Between April and August 2023, Windham helped the minor sell these items by communicating with some of the victims to arrange sales and sometimes accompanying the minor to the location where the victim would pay cash for what the victim believed to be genuine precious metals. On at least one occasion, Windham handled the fraudulent transaction himself. Around August 2023, Windham stopped operating with the minor, who then recruited then-19-year-old Dylan Jemison into the scheme. In October 2023, a victim in Foley, Alabama purchased counterfeit gold bars from Jemison and the minor. After the victim determined that the gold bars were counterfeit and notified police, the Foley Police Department set up a sting operation to purchase more gold. Jemison was arrested when he attempted to sell more counterfeit gold to the victim, and a search of Jemison’s phone revealed the scale of the fraud scheme and the involvement of both the minor and Windham.
In total, Windham, Jemison, and the minor fraudulently obtained over $120,000 from victims. Some of the victims were reimbursed by Windham during the course of the conspiracy. However, the court ordered both Windham and Jemison to pay $87,000.00 in restitution to seven victims who had not been reimbursed. In addition to restitution, Windham and Jemison both agreed to forfeit their illicit proceeds to the United States.
The Foley Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with special assistance from the Foley Coin Shop.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bodnar prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Tonawanda man charged with distributing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Shawn Demmick, 33, of Tonawanda, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with distribution of child pornography, which carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in late December 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a Cybertip that someone had uploaded or shared eight files of child pornography with another user or group of users on the Kik application on December 19, 2024. A review of the files determined that they did include images and videos of child pornography. The screen/username of the suspect listed in the report was “sirbannedalot.” Subsequent investigation traced the account back to Shawn Demmick.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Tennessee man pleads guilty to fraudulent investment schemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Tennessee man was convicted for running a Ponzi scheme that victimized individuals across the country.
According to court documents, Alcides Roman, 66, of Lebanon, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
While operating Remain in Control LLC, Roman defrauded a victim in Overland Park, Kansas, after offering investment opportunities and attractive returns.
From June 2020 to October 2020, the victim made multiple wire transfers into Roman’s company bank account and subsequently received “returns” that were in reality partial amounts from the victim’s own investment funds. When the victim stopped receiving payments and inquired, Roman made excuses and sought to lull the victim into a false sense of security.
Other victims of Roman’s investment fraud scheme included individuals in New York, New York, Houston, Texas, and Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.
The total known loss, based on victims identified to date, is $1,977,857.88.
Roman used funds from his schemes to pay for his personal living expenses, buy vehicles and land, send money to numerous foreign and domestic companies, and to make purported “returns” to other victim investors.
Roman is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka is prosecuting the case.
If you believe you have been victimized by this defendant, please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation by calling 816-512-8200 or visiting https://tips.fbi.gov/home.
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Tama Man Charged with Federal Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Jacob Samuel Yang, age 36, from Tama, Iowa, has been charged with four counts related to child pornography. The charges are contained in an Indictment filed on March 18, 2025, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The Indictment alleges that Yang distributed child pornography in March 2024 and that he received child pornography between September 2019 and February 2025. The Indictment also alleges that Yang possessed child pornography on a hard drive between September 2019 and February 2025, and that he possessed child pornography on a cellular telephone between March 2024 and April 2024.
If convicted on all charges, Yang faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 80 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Yang appeared today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond. Yang’s next appearance for trial is set for May 27, 2025.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, the Tama Police Department, and the Marshalltown Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-24.
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Syracuse Man Sentenced for Federal Robbery OffenseRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Quashawn Pettiford, age 34, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 71 months in federal prison for Interference With Commerce Through Robbery. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his prior plea agreement, Pettiford admitted that on January 11, 2022, he and two others entered a gas station in Salina, New York, wearing masks. The other two individuals carried BB guns that appeared to be real firearms. Those individuals pointed the BB guns at the store clerk and one of them pressed a gun into the clerk’s neck while directing the clerk to open the cash register. Pettiford further admitted that he and the other robbers took approximately $1,200 in merchandise from the store shelves, approximately $1,495 from the cash register, and $513 from the clerk’s wallet.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to begin after Pettiford is released from prison. Pettiford was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims of the offense and to forfeit the $3,208 proceeds of the offense.
FBI investigated the case with assistance from the New York State Police, Syracuse Police Department, DeWitt Police Department, and Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie and Thomas R. Sutcliffe prosecuted the case.
St. Lawrence County Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Robert LaVair, age 19, of Louisville, New York, pled guilty today to receipt and possession of child pornography announced United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
As part of his guilty plea, LaVair admitted that in January of 2024, he received numerous images and videos of child pornography by downloading them from the dark web. In addition to child pornography obtained from the internet, LaVair also admitted that he possessed sexually explicit images and videos of a nine-year-old child that he produced while the child was sleeping.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the United States Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. However, if Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes accepts the parties’ agreed-upon disposition at sentencing, scheduled for July 18, 2025, LaVair will receive a federal prison term of between 14 and 15 years to be followed by 15 years of post-release supervision. LaVair will also be required to pay restitution to the children whose images he received and possessed, and will have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The case was investigated by HSI and the New York State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adrian S. LaRochelle and Benjamin Gillis as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
South Carolina Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Trafficking More Than Two Dozen Illegal Firearms into BostonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Columbia, S.C. man was sentenced on March 21, 2025 in federal court in Boston for conspiring to traffic more than two dozen illegal firearms from South Carolina to Boston.
Trevon Brunson, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In October 2024, Brunson pleaded guilty to one count of firearms trafficking and conspiracy to do so. In January 2024, Brunson was charged along with co-conspirator Aizavier Roache.
The investigation arose after a firearm recovered from a shooting in Boston was identified as having been purchased in South Carolina 15 days prior. Over a three-year period, Brunson and Roache conspired to traffic dozens of illegal firearms from South Carolina to Massachusetts. Specifically, Roache would text Brunson photos of the firearms he wanted. The two would then meet and Roache would provide Brunson with the cash to purchase the firearms. After purchasing the firearms in South Carolina, Brunson would meet Roache at different locations in Columbia, S.C. to transfer the firearms. Roache traveled between Massachusetts and South Carolina numerous times to obtain the firearms.
Numerous text messages as well as bank, travel and firearm records detailed the conspiracy. Intercepted communications uncovered an instance were Brunson used Roache’s credit card to complete a multi-gun purchase because he didn’t have enough cash on hand, during which Roache texted Brunson the pin number for the card. Additionally, a video recovered from Roache’s phone showed him on a bus showing off a carry-on bag that contained four firearms. The date of the video corresponded with Roache’s trip back to Massachusetts after a multi-gun purchase in April of 2023.
In total, the defendants trafficked more than 24 illegal firearms into Massachusetts from South Carolina. Eleven of the trafficked firearms were recovered in Massachusetts after being used in a crime.
In February 2025, Roache was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Six Illegal Aliens Indicted for Federal Offenses, Including Illegal Reentry and Firearms Violations as Part Operation Take Back AmericaRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today that as part of Operation Take Back America, six illegal aliens were indicted in March for federal offenses above-and-beyond simply being in the country illegally such as firearms violations and reentering the country illegally after removal.
The six defendants facing federal criminal charges are:
Santo Antonio Barradas-Leon, a/k/a Santos Antonio Leon-Barredas, 36, of Mexico, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States by an aggravated felon. Barradas-Leon was previously removed from the United States in April 2009 and again in March 2020. Barradas-Leon was arrested on March 9, 2025, by the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
Ruben Duran-Mercado, a/k/a Ruben Mercado Duran, 26, of Mexico, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States by an aggravated felon. Duran-Mercado was previously removed from the United States in August 2024. Duran-Mercado was arrested on February 8, 2025, by the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
Deyvi Carlos Perez Morales, a/k/a Carlos Perez Morales, 32, of Mexico, is charged with illegally reentering into the United States. Morales was previously removed from the United States three times: in July 2010, in September 2011, and again in July 2017. He was arrested on February 8, 2025, by the Marshville Police Department.
Jairo Ernesto Perry Santos, 40, of Honduras, is charged with illegally reentering into the United States. Santos was previously removed from the United States in August 2016. An arrest warrant has been issued against the defendant.
Eusebio Fuentes-Soto, a/k/a Eusebio Sotos, Edgar Perez-Berillos, or Edgar Perez, 27, of Mexico, is charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien. Fuentes-Soto was previously removed from the United States in 2018. An arrest warrant has been issued against the defendant.
Raul Bello Rojas, 43, of Mexico, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and illegal reentry into the United States. Rojas is currently in federal custody.
The charges in the indictments are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Emergency Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for their investigations that led to the charges. U.S. Attorney Ferguson also commended the local law enforcement agencies that assisted in the apprehension of the defendants, to include the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the Marshville Police Department, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys with the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the cases.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Second Bronx Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with Shooting of Five-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that AUSTIN MORRISHOW pled guilty today to illegally possessing multiple rounds of ammunition in connection with a June 30, 2023, shooting in which MORRISHOW and his co-defendant, CURTIS WHITE, fired multiple shots on a residential street in the Bronx, striking and seriously injuring a five-year-old girl. MORRISHOW pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, who also presided over WHITE’s guilty plea on February 5, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “On June 30, 2023, Austin Morrishow and his co-defendant, Curtis White, engaged in a brazen act of violence by firing several shots onto a busy residential street in the Bronx. As these shots rang out, panicked bystanders rushed for cover, and one child—a five-year-old girl—was struck by a bullet and seriously injured. Morrishow then tried to evade arrest, but he was tracked down by our law enforcement partners, and now faces time in prison for endangering our city with senseless gun violence.”
According to court filings and statements made in court proceedings:
On June 30, 2023, MORRISHOW, WHITE, and several others were gathered on a residential sidewalk in the Bronx. After a car engine backfired, MORRISHOW took cover behind a parked vehicle, assumed a shooting stance, and fired several shots from a .40 caliber pistol at three cars idling nearby, which began fleeing from the gunfire. WHITE ran after the fleeing cars, firing shots from a .380 caliber pistol.
The shots fired by MORRISHOW and WHITE left at least seven .40 caliber shell casings, two .380 caliber shell casings, and two fired bullets in the street, as well as two bullet fragments, bullet holes, and shattered windows in vehicles parked on the street. One of these shots hit the five-year-old girl sitting in the back of a car, and she was rushed to the hospital.
MORRISHOW was not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition because of his prior federal conviction for using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a narcotics conspiracy, and WHITE was not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition because of his prior state conviction for attempted first-degree assault with intent to cause serious injury with a weapon.
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MORRISHOW, 27, and WHITE, 27, both of the Bronx, New York, each pled guilty to one count of possession of ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. MORRISHOW is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2025, and WHITE is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2025.
The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department, and also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance with the investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry J. Fang is in charge of the prosecution.
San Joaquin County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison on Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Alphonso Jimenez, 34, of Stockton, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl and for possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, in 2021, a team of local and federal law enforcement officers partnered in an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Jimenez and co-defendant Erik D. Mendoza-Contreras, 33, of Stockton. On multiple occasions during the investigation, confidential sources working with law enforcement purchased several pounds of narcotics from Mendoza and Jimenez. On Feb. 23, 2022, Jimenez delivered 28 pounds of methamphetamine to Mendoza for further distribution to a customer. A subsequent search of Jimenez’s home recovered 69.2 pounds of methamphetamine, 62.8 pounds of cocaine, 15 pounds of heroin, 9 ounces of counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl, approximately $297,000 in cash, and a firearm.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case.
Charges are pending against Mendoza; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Roofing Business Owner and Payroll Administrator Sentenced for Employment Tax ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Two Florida residents were sentenced today to three years and a year and a day in prison, respectively, for conspiring to defraud the United States by not paying employment taxes to the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, William Skaggs Jr. owned and operated Nastar Roofing, a roofing company that worked throughout the Ft. Myers area. Billie Adkison was the business’ main office administrator, whose duties included managing payroll.
Between 2013 and 2023, Nastar employees — including Skaggs, Adkison, and others acting at their direction — withdrew over $21 million from the company’s bank accounts to pay employees predominantly in cash without withholding Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from those wages. They did this to escape paying employment taxes they knew were legally required.
At times, Nastar used a payroll provider to issue employees nominal paychecks, but Nastar did not inform the payroll company about the cash wages. As such, when the payroll company filed employment tax returns with the IRS, the forms were false because they did not report the cash wages. Similarly, when Nastar did not use a payroll provider and filed its own employment tax returns, it did not report the substantial cash wages paid to employees. Both Skaggs and Adkison signed some of these tax returns, knowing that they were false.
In total, Skaggs and Adkison caused a tax loss to the IRS of nearly $2.5 million.
In addition to their prison sentences, U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell for the Middle District of Florida ordered Skaggs and Adkison to serve three years of supervised release. The court will determine restitution at a later date.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Sara Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Tax Division and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Leeman and current Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Winter for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Roofing Business Owner and Payroll Administrator Sentenced for Employment Tax ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL - Two Florida residents were sentenced today to three years and a year and a day in prison, respectively, for conspiring to defraud the United States by not paying employment taxes to the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, William Skaggs Jr. owned and operated Nastar Roofing, a roofing company that worked throughout the Ft. Myers area. Billie Adkison was the business’ main office administrator, whose duties included managing payroll.
Between 2013 and 2023, Nastar employees — including Skaggs, Adkison, and others acting at their direction — withdrew over $21 million from the company’s bank accounts to pay employees predominantly in cash without withholding Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from those wages. They did this to escape paying employment taxes they knew were legally required.
At times, Nastar used a payroll provider to issue employees nominal paychecks, but Nastar did not inform the payroll company about the cash wages. As such, when the payroll company filed employment tax returns with the IRS, the forms were false because they did not report the cash wages. Similarly, when Nastar did not use a payroll provider and filed its own employment tax returns, it did not report the substantial cash wages paid to employees. Both Skaggs and Adkison signed some of these tax returns, knowing that they were false.
In total, Skaggs and Adkison caused a tax loss to the IRS of nearly $2.5 million.
In addition to their prison sentences, U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell for the Middle District of Florida ordered Skaggs and Adkison to serve three years of supervised release. The court will determine restitution at a later date.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Sara Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Tax Division and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Leeman and current Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Winter for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Rochester Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Kevyn Bradley Heath, a Rochester man, has been sentenced to 252 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for the production and distribution of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, between November 19, 2023, and December 31, 2023, Kevyn Bradley Heath, 28, produced child pornography and distributed it over Discord, an online social platform. Heath’s offense involved sexual contact of infant or toddler victims in his custody, care, or control.
On November 7, 2024, Heath pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Katherine M. Menendez. Heath was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $106,000.
“Child abusers who commit horrific sex crimes and then document that abuse in pictures and videos are among the most vile offenders we prosecute. This conduct is—in a word—sickening,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “My office will continue to stand up for the victims of sexual abuse and seek only the strongest of sentences against defendants who commit these terrible crimes.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Rochester Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. It 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. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes prosecuted the case.
Riverside County Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking 44 Kilograms of Cocaine and 10 Kilograms of HeroinRead the Press Release
37 kilograms of cocaine and 10 kilograms of heroin hidden in car’s roof
FRESNO, Calif. — Jose Miguel Perez, 42, of Corona, pleaded guilty today to cocaine and heroin trafficking, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Perez was pulled over by law enforcement officers while driving north on Interstate 5 in Fresno County. Deputies seized 56 kilograms of various narcotics in the car’s two hidden compartments. Seven kilograms of cocaine were hidden in the ceiling of the car, while an additional 37 kilograms of cocaine, 10 kilograms of heroin, and 2 kilograms of ketamine were seized from a hidden compartment in the car’s roof.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.
Jose Miguel Perez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff on June 23, 2025. Perez faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
River Hills Man Sentenced to 21 Months’ Imprisonment for Paying Healthcare KickbacksRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that, on March 21, 2025, Justin Drew Hanson was sentenced to 21 months’ incarceration for paying healthcare kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Hanson was also ordered to pay over $2.2 million in restitution to Medicaid and Medicare as well as a $75,000 fine.
According to court records, Hanson and his co-defendant, Mohammed Kazim Ali, owned a Milwaukee-area clinical laboratory called Noah Associates. Beginning in 2017, Ali and Hanson engaged in a three-year-long scheme to pay kickbacks to the owner of a Milwaukee substance use treatment clinic in exchange for referrals of Medicaid and Medicare patients for urine drug testing performed by Noah Associates. Hanson and Ali procured sham agreements that further concealed their fraud, ultimately paying over $400,000 in kickbacks to procure the tests. The tests, however, were not ordered by any physician and were not medically necessary for the treatment of patients. As a result of the scheme, Medicaid and Medicare paid Noah Associates over $2.2 million for the unnecessary tests. Hanson personally received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Noah Associates during the scheme.
At sentencing, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller emphasized the seriousness of Hanson’s crime, including Hanson’s manipulation and breach of trust of the Medicaid and Medicare programs to receive millions of dollars that were not truly earned. Judge Stadtmueller further noted that Hanson’s criminal conduct was significant and detrimental because he stole “from every taxpayer citizen in the United States.” In addition to his sentence, Hanson will also be excluded from participation in the Medicaid and Medicare programs and has shut down Noah Associates. His co-defendant, Ali, also pleaded guilty for paying healthcare kickbacks and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment earlier this year.
“Mr. Hanson’s kickbacks resulted in Medicaid and Medicare – and taxpayers – repeatedly paying for unnecessary services,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Frohling. “Rather than bill the government for tests that patients truly needed, Hanson abused the Medicaid and Medicare programs for his own benefit. The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to working with its law enforcement partners to hold individuals who engage in these schemes accountable for their actions.”
"The FBI will relentlessly pursue individuals like Mr. Hanson whose actions defrauded the American people and wasted taxpayer money,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure those responsible for schemes to defraud the American people are brought to justice.”
“HHS-OIG is dedicated to protecting the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid and to ensure taxpayer money is used as intended to serve vulnerable populations,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The kickback scheme in this case undermined the public’s trust in our nation’s health care system and can interfere with impartial medical decision-making. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who manipulate taxpayer-funded health programs to boost their profits.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Carter and Julie Stewart handled the prosecution.
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Repeat Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
EL DORADO – A Smackover, Arkansas man was sentenced on March 19, 2025, to 180 months in prison without the possibility of parole for receiving child pornography. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in El Dorado.
According to court documents, Eric David Ponder, age 46, used an online peer-to-peer program to download child pornography to two different electronic devices. Ponder’s crime came to light when an Ozark Police detective discovered illegal online activity from Ponder’s use of the peer-to-peer program. El Dorado Police detectives and agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation then served a search warrant at Ponder’s residence and discovered the two devices Ponder used to access and receive child pornography.
In 2014, Ponder was convicted for Distributing, Possessing, or Viewing Sexually Explicit Conduct Involving a Child in Benton County, Arkansas, and was sentenced to five years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. Ponder was a registered sex offender when he committed the federal offense.
Ponder was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in March of 2024 and entered a plea of guilty in September of 2024.
U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, El Dorado Police Department, Ozark Police Department, and Smackover Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devon Still and Trent Daniels prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ramsey County Carjacker Sentenced to over 5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Ramsey County man has been sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for a string of carjackings and illegal possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on June 30, 2022, Ricardo Rydell Walker, Jr., 22, approached the owner of a black 2021 Toyota Highlander as they exited the car, demanded everything in the driver’s pockets, and hit them on the left side of the head with a handgun. Walker also participated in three additional armed carjackings between February 2021 and June 2022, one in Minneapolis and two in Saint Paul. In each case, Walker and others used the threat of violence and intimidated the victims with firearms.
On July 6, 2022, Walker was arrested in Maplewood, MN, in a stolen car, while in possession of a Springfield Hellcat 9mm pistol.
On November 26, 2024, Walker pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of receipt of a firearm while under felony indictment. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Katherine M. Menendez.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the St. Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Mattessich and Mary Riverso prosecuted the case.
Philadelphia Man Found Guilty of Conspiring to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, man was found guilty of conspiring to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.
Marvin Murphy, 48, of Camden, New Jersey, was convicted on March 18, 2025 after a two-day bench trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb. Murphy was remanded into custody after the verdict.
According to documents filed in this case and evidence at trial:
From June 2021 through July 13, 2021, Murphy conspired with Carl Lee Holloway, Lavinston Lamar, and others to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. On June 23, 2021, Holloway traveled to San Diego, California, to meet with an undercover agent posing as a drug dealer. Holloway and the undercover agent discussed arranging a drug deal in New Jersey during which the undercover agent would deliver at least 10 kilograms of cocaine for Holloway and his associates. During the meeting, Holloway called Murphy, and the two proceeded to communicate about the drug deal during the subsequent weeks.
On July 13, 2021, Holloway, Murphy, and Lamar separately arrived at a hotel in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, each with bags containing U.S. currency collectively totaling over $340,000. They met with undercover agents inside a hotel room at the hotel. They briefly inspected one of the kilograms of cocaine previously brought into the room by undercover agents, after which agents entered the room and arrested Holloway, Lamar, and Murphy.
Chief Judge Bumb previously sentenced Holloway to 120 months in prison after Holloway pleaded guilty to his involvement in the same conspiracy. Chief Judge Bumb also previously sentenced Lamar to 114 months in prison, which was later reduced to 100 months, after Lamar pleaded guilty to his involvement in the same conspiracy and to violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior conviction for conspiring to distribute cocaine.
The count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine carries a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sentencing is scheduled for July 17, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark and Special Agent in Charge Shawn S. Gibson in San Diego; and the Mount Laurel Police, under the direction of Chief Timothy Hudnall, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Waegener of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
Philadelphia Felon Convicted at Trial of Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Norman Copper, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted Friday at trial of one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession of firearms by a felon.
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment with those offenses in June 2024.
In December 2023, the Upper Merion Township Police Department had received information from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Parole Field Services that Copper, who was on state parole at the time for attempted murder, had been intercepted on recorded prison calls and video visits that suggested he might be involved in narcotics sales and/or the illegal possession of firearms. As a condition of his parole, Copper wore a GPS monitor.
As proven at trial, GPS location data indicated that he spent many early morning hours at an unapproved area in King of Prussia, Pa., which investigators determined was the apartment of his then-girlfriend. Through physical and video surveillance, Upper Merion detectives saw Copper entering and exiting the apartment on many occasions, often heading in the direction of what was later learned to be a storage unit associated with his girlfriend’s apartment.
In January of last year, law enforcement served search warrants on the apartment and storage unit, seizing more than a pound and a half of methamphetamine, three semiautomatic handguns, one of them equipped with a silencer, and one AK-style semiautomatic rifle, weapons that he was not permitted to possess due to his previous felony conviction.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 30. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 45 years in prison and a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Upper Merion Township Police Department, the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey Mills and Justin Ashenfelter.
Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today to transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to sexually abuse the child and to accessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, George “Travis” Woodfield, 41, of Macungie, Pennsylvania, drove an eleven-year-old child across state lines for an overnight trip to New York City in November 2018 in order to engage in sexual activity with the child. During the trip, Woodfield sexually abused the child in their hotel room. Further, between September 2015 and July 2024, Woodfield accessed numerous depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.
Woodfield pleaded guilty to one count of transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and one count of accessing with intent to view child pornography, including that of a prepubescent minor. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced by the court on July 1 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer Toritto Leonardo and Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca J. Kulik for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Columbus, Ohio, man, Jeffrey Headley, 61, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves to 22 years in prison for the production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, law enforcement learned that the victim of a known series of child sexual abuse imagery was located in the Eastern District of Kentucky. The images were originally shared on a Russian-based image sharing website in May 2013 and then distributed worldwide. Based upon the pictures of the offender and the account information of the individual that posted the images, law enforcement identified Headley as the person responsible for creating the images. Headley admitted to producing the images of the victim at a time when the victim was in his care, custody, and control.
Under federal law, Headley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by HSI and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Newark Expediter Admits Conspiring to Give Bribes to Newark Officials and Other FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark-based expediter today admitted to conspiring to give bribes to Newark public officials, including then-Newark Councilmember Joseph A. McCallum, Jr., in connection with real estate development and construction-related transactions and conspiring with others to create and sell falsified documents supposedly issued by the City of Newark in connection with development, construction, rental or sale of such properties in Newark. Baxter also admitted to feigning the need to pay a bribe to a Newark official to fraudulently obtain money for himself and participating in a separate scheme to fraudulently obtain federal COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.
Lamont Baxter, 49, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to seven counts in an information charging him with conspiring to give bribes to Newark officials, giving bribes to McCallum in connection with a developer’s real estate transactions, committing wire fraud in connection with a purported cash bribe payment, conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with falsifying documents purportedly issued by the City of Newark, and committing wire fraud to obtain PPP loans.
According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in court:
As an expediter on real estate and construction matters in Newark, from 2017 through August 2022, Baxter served as a liaison between Newark officials and agencies and individuals seeking permits, Certificates of Continued Occupancy (CCO), Certificates of Code Compliance (CCC), approvals and other actions on an expedited basis. To provide these expediting services, for years, Baxter conspired with others, including developers, to pay cash bribes to various Newark officials so that these officials completed the official acts that Baxter requested on behalf of the developers and others. Baxter would often use the term “taking care of” a Newark official to indicate to a developer when additional cash or extra payment was needed to be added to official fees charged by Newark so that Baxter could use the extra money to bribe a Newark official, such as an official handling the issuance of a CCC.
In addition to paying bribes to Newark officials on behalf of others, Baxter also once fraudulently obtained a $10,000 cash payment for himself by falsely indicating to his developer client that the cash was needed to pay a bribe to a Newark official. In that instance, Baxter kept the entire payment for himself and simply pretended that he had given the payment to a Newark Official.
Part of Baxter’s participation in the bribery schemes included delivering cash bribes exceeding $5,000 from 2019 to 2020 to then-Councilmember McCallum on behalf of a Newark developer who sought and obtained McCallum’s official assistance in obtaining approvals for real estate projects in Newark. On March 15, 2022, before Judge William J. Martini, McCallum admitted receiving bribes while serving as a Councilmember and a director of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation, as part of his guilty plea to wire fraud for devising a scheme to defraud Newark and of the right to McCallum’s honest services and subscribing to a false personal tax return for calendar year 2018.
Part of Baxter’s expediting services from 2017 to August 2022, included conspiring with others to create and deliver falsified and fraudulent CCOs, CCCs, and certificates of approval issued by the City of Newark notifying a utility that was to provide electricity for a property that the required inspection had been conducted at the property (known as “cut-in cards”) to individuals who needed these official documents in relation to the development, construction, rental or sale of properties in Newark. Baxter and others used this scheme to fraudulently obtain payments from the individuals who required these official documents from the City of Newark.
Baxter also used the various entities he incorporated to obtain payments as an expediter to facilitate a scheme to fraudulently obtain PPP loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, Baxter participated in preparing and submitting fraudulent PPP loan applications that included false tax forms and documents and contained false information on the application forms, concerning, among other things, the companies’ gross revenue. As part of this scheme, Baxter even attempted to obtain a PPP loan for a lounge that he did not actually own and control, pretending to be its owner. As a result of his fraudulent scheme, Baxter obtained over $40,000 in PPP loan funds.
The conspiracy to commit bribery charge in Count 1 of the information to which Baxter pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and the bribery charge in Count 2 to which Baxter pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy charges in Counts 3 through 7 to which Baxter pleaded guilty each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. All of the charges carry a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the pecuniary gain to the defendant or loss to the victims, whichever is greater. Sentencing for Baxter is scheduled for August 12, 2025 at 11 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge in Newark Terence G. Reilly in Newark; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea by Baxter.
The government is represented by Deputy Chief Jihee G. Suh and Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division and Chief Katherine Calle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Opioid Unit.
All other co-conspirators identified in the Information are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: John A. McMahon, Esq.
baxter.information.pdfNew Bern Gang Member Sentenced to 10 years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A New Bern man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Nathan Sheptock, 24, pled guilty to the charge on August 22, 20224.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Nathan Sheptock, a validated Crip street gang member, illegally possessed two firearms including an AK-style 12-guage shotgun with a 10-round magazine. On August 9, 2023, North Carolina Probation responded to a verbal altercation between Sheptock and a woman at Sheptock’s house on Kinston Street in New Bern. Since Sheptock was actively on probation at the time, probation officers conducted a warrantless search of the house and observed what appeared to be narcotics in plain sight. A witness also reported that Sheptock was keeping firearms in the house. New Bern Police then obtained a search warrant for the house and found firearms hidden in the backyard. The firearms were DNA tested and lab confirmed to contain Sheptock’s DNA.
Sheptock has a violent criminal history, including multiple convictions for Common Law Robbery from a series of robberies of pizza delivery drivers that Sheptock and an accomplice carried out in 2017.
“When violent felons such as Mr. Sheptock possess firearms, they are committing serious federal crimes and endangering our communities,” Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar stated today. “I commend the FBI and our state partners at the New Bern Police Department and NC Probation for their hard work in this case, which brought Sheptock to justice.”
“The FBI will not tolerate violent gang members who break the law and then disregard the restrictions they brought upon themselves as convicted felons. Mr. Sheptock was convicted of multiple robberies in 2017, therefore prohibited from owning a weapon. The FBI and our partners at the New Bern Police Department are unwavering in our commitment to making our communities safer for everyone,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
This case was brought as part of the New Bern Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) which is a collaboration of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the New Bern Police Department, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the District Attorney for the region. A primary objective of VCAP is to investigate and prosecute individuals contributing significantly to crime in New Bern and surrounding areas.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. New Bern PD, the FBI, and NC Probation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip Aubart and Julie Childress prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-CR-61-D-BM.
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Naples Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Coercion and Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Juan Sebastian Perez (24, Naples) to 30 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and possession of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Perez was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Perez entered a guilty plea on December 18, 2024.
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 26, 2024, Perez was involved with child exploitation, to include the enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and the distribution and possession of CSAM. Perez sought out and chatted with at least one minor over the internet through a social media application.
In June 2024, the FBI received a report concerning a 14-year-old child being persuaded by Perez to produce sexually explicit pictures to send to him. At Perez’s urging and direction, the minor sent sexually explicit pictures and videos to Perez.
When the FBI executed a search warrant at Perez’s home, Perez agreed to speak with agents and admitted to using several social media applications. Perez told agents that he had come across CSAM online and admitted to soliciting nude images from users with whom he had communicated with. A subsequent forensic examination of Perez’s electronic devices revealed images and videos of CSAM.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Lake Oswego Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
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.
Muncie Drug Trafficking Ring Dismantled, Six Sentenced to a Combined 87 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— Five defendants have been sentenced to a total of 70 years in federal prison for their roles in a large methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. The defendants plead guilty and were sentenced as follows:
DefendantCharge(s)SentenceJamarr Hill, 30, MuncieConspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, money laundering, and conspiracy to make a false statement in connection with purchasing a firearm17 years’ imprisonment, 5 years supervised release.Terry Hill, 49, MuncieConspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine5 years’ imprisonment, time served, 5 years' supervised release.Lance McGee, 32, MuncieConspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances15 years’ imprisonment, 5 years supervised release.Nakevius Shannon, 33, MuncieMaking a false statement in connection with purchasing a firearm3 years’ probationAccording to court documents, between May and November of 2022, Jamarr Hill, Lance McGee, Terry Hill, and others conspired together to distribute controlled substances including cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.
Jamarr Hill acted as the ringleader for the conspiracy, obtaining large quantities of drugs from Rodolfo Silva in San Diego, California for redistribution in Muncie. Terry Hill and Lance McGee served as distributors, dealing the drugs into communities in Muncie and elsewhere in central Indiana.
On November 12, 2022, Nakevius Shannon purchased two firearms from Rural King, a federally licensed firearms dealer, completing an ATF Form 4473 in connection with the purchase. At the time Shannon completed the Form 4473, he falsely stated on the form that he was the intended transferee/buyer of handguns, when in fact, he purchased the firearms for Jamar Hill in order to further Hill’s drug trafficking conspiracy.
In total, the defendants obtained and distributed no less than 2,004 grams of fentanyl, 10 kilograms of cocaine, and 203 pounds of methamphetamine.
As part of the investigation, two other defendants were charged and have been sentenced. Joseph Haskins, of Muncie, Indiana, was charged in August 2021 with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. After a two-day trial in December 2023, Haskins was sentenced as a career offender to 33 years’ imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release. Rodolfo Silva was charged in 2024 in the Southern District of California with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Silva plead guilty and was sentenced to 17 years’ and 6 months’ imprisonment.
“Drug traffickers like these defendants, responsible for pushing poison from across the country into our neighborhoods, must be held accountable for the suffering they cause in search of quick profits,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. This case is an outstanding example of the impact we can have with the help of our state and local law enforcement partners. I commend the efforts of the FBI, and the Muncie and Anderson Police Departments to make our communities safer by getting drugs and drug dealers off our streets.”
“This is a significant victory in the ongoing efforts to target and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that send a flow of illegal drugs into our communities and threaten public safety,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure every available resource is used to disrupt these criminal enterprises and hold those responsible accountable.”
The FBI, IRS, Muncie Police Department, Anderson Police Department, and Fishers Police Department investigated this case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsay Karwoski and Barry Glickman, who prosecuted this case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Morgantown Construction Company Owner Admits to Harboring Illegals, Tax FraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Hetzon Marroquin Reyes, owner and operator of A&M Homes, LLC, in Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to harboring illegal aliens for financial gain and tax interference.
According to the court documents and statements made in court, Reyes, also known as “Hector,” age 40, hired and harbored illegal aliens to work for his construction company. Reyes created fraudulent driver’s licenses and immigration forms to provide to the West Virginia Division of Labor inspectors. Reyes also used social security numbers issued to persons other than the illegal employees for tax purposes. In some cases, the social security numbers used actually belonged to deceased individuals.
“We are committed to protecting the integrity of the United States’ immigration system and preventing the exploitation of that system for any purpose, including commercial advantage and private financial gain,” stated Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard. “Those, like the defendant, who choose to violate the law for a perceived profit will do so at their peril and at the expense of a substantial fine and imprisonment.”
Reyes faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the harboring charge and faces up to three years for the tax interference count. A federal district court judge would determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, and the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America [link], 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).
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty; Forty-Fifth Conviction in the $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Abdihakim Ali Ahmed, a Minneapolis man, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, from September 2020 through January 2022, Abdihakim Ali Ahmed, 39, claimed to be operating a child nutrition site in St. Paul, Minnesota. As part of the scheme, on or about September 4, 2020, Ahmed registered ASA Limited LLC with the Minnesota Secretary of State. Four days later, Ahmed applied for ASA Limited to operate a purported food site in the Federal Children Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future at the Gurey Deli, a small market located in a St. Paul strip mall. Ahmed submitted his application together with Aimee Bock, Feeding Our Future’s executive director. Within just three weeks of creating the ASA Limited site, Ahmed and his co-conspirators falsely claimed to be serving meals to 2,000 or 3,000 children each day, seven days a week. During the one-year period from September 2020 to September 2021, Ahmed his co-conspirators fraudulently claimed to have served more than 1.6 million meals at the ASA Limited site.
To accomplish his scheme, Ahmed submitted multiple fake attendance rosters that purported to identify both the names and ages of approximately 2,000 children who attended the ASA Limited site’s “after-school program” in September through December 2021. The lists of names and ages were fake, and Ahmed’s roster spreadsheets contained a formula that inserted a random number between 7 and 17 in the age column for each “child” on the list.
According to court documents, rather than use fraudulently obtained money to serve meals or feed children, Ahmed and his co-conspirators misappropriated much of it. Ahmed transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to himself and other co-conspirators, which included transferring fraud proceeds to a shell company he created called 1130 Holdings Inc. He and his co-conspirators also created another shell company called Five A’s Projects LLC, where they transferred more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Ahmed used these proceeds to purchase the former location of Kelly’s 19th Hole, a bar and restaurant in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, which will be now forfeited to the United States. Ahmed used more fraudulent proceeds to purchase a 2022 Mini Cooper vehicle, which has been seized and will be forfeited to the United States.
According to court documents, Ahmed paid more than $49,000 in bribes and kickbacks to Abdikerm Eidleh, a Feeding Our Future employee, in exchange for sponsoring and facilitating ASA Limited’s fraudulent participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. In exchange, Feeding Our Future received nearly $400,000 in administrative fees for sponsoring ASA Limited’s participation in the program.
In total, Ahmed and his co-conspirators caused a loss of $7.3 million to Federal Child Nutrition Programs based on fraudulent claims submitted through Feeding Our Future.
“I am proud of the unrelenting efforts of our prosecution team to hold the defendants—who engaged in a massive pay-to-play fraud scheme that exploited Minnesota and the Federal Child Nutrition Program—accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
Ahmed pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Mexican national caught dealing drugs and guns sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 49-year-old Vancouver, Washington resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 10 years in prison for drug and gun trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Juan Onofre Flores Carrillo, 49, and his co-defendant Jesus Daniel Valenzuela Ayala, 24, were arrested in March 2024 when law enforcement raided their stash house and seized more than seven pounds of fentanyl, 43 pounds of methamphetamine and an assault rifle equipped with a grenade launcher. At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “These controlled substances create significant problems for the community. There are individuals who overdose and die from these substances and those who don’t become addicted and become a drain on everyone.”
According to the criminal complaint, Flores Carrillo aka “El Cholo,” was identified in early 2023 as a significant fentanyl pill dealer in southwest Washington. For over a year, working with confidential informants, law enforcement made a series of significant drug buys from Flores Carrillo. In one instance Flores Carrillo sold an informant 3,000 fentanyl pills. On another occasion he sold the informant a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine. Twice Flores Carrillo sold the informant high-powered firearms: an AR-type rifle that was a “ghost gun” with no serial number, and a Norinco Mak-90 rifle.
In January and February 2024, law enforcement worked to identify the stash house where Flores Carrillo kept his drugs. Flores Carrillo continued to make drug sales of heroin as well as fentanyl. On March 13, 2024, Flores Carrillo agreed to sell 10,000 fentanyl pills. Shortly after he turned over the drugs he was arrested.
On November 13, 2024, Flores Carrillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
In asking for a ten-year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Firearms are a tool of the drug trade, and the danger of drug trafficking comes not only from the effect of drugs on users but from the violence associated with drug trafficking. The firearms that Flores Carrillo possessed and sold to…a person he believed to be a drug trafficker, are highly dangerous and not intended to be in the hands of drug users or drug traffickers.” In imposing sentence, Judge Estudillo commented, “If there’s firearms involved [in drug trafficking], violence could occur among drug dealers and innocent people could get hurt.
Codefendant Valenzuela Ayala was the only occupant of the stash house and was arrested. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. Both men are citizens of Mexico who will likely be deported following their prison terms.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Vancouver Police Department, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Unit, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Dillon and Max Shiner.
Mexican National Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Jonathan Ovalle Solis, 33, of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, was sentenced on March 21, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Solis to 78 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Solis is released from prison, he will be subject to deportation to Mexico as he is not a United States citizen.
Solis was charged as a result of his involvement as a local courier with a Mexico Source of Supply (SOS) of meth who supplies the Omaha and Council Bluffs areas. On July 20, 2023, special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation utilized a cooperating witness who purchased one pound of meth from Solis at an Omaha location. During the course of the conspiracy, surveillance officers observed Solis meet with other co-conspirators and conduct suspected drug deals, including a delivery of 174 grams of meth on August 23, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Mexican National Living in Sacramento Sentenced to over 10 Years in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Luis Vasquez-Lopez, 47, a Mexican national residing in Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to 10 years and one month in prison for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on May 22, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a stop of Vasquez-Lopez’s vehicle in Sacramento. During the stop, they located a large brick of fentanyl, a digital scale with residue on it, and a loaded 9 mm handgun.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt prosecuted the case.
Massachusetts Man Caught in HSI Investigation into Online Child Predators Pleads Guilty to Sending Sexually Explicit ImagesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to attempting to transfer obscene materials to a minor.
According to court records, in May 2023, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent in Portland began posing as a 13-year-old girl on Facebook as part of an investigation to identify potential child predators looking to travel to meet minors for the purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual contact. While on the platform, the undercover agent received numerous friend requests from adult men, including from Steven Tsaitsios, 60.
Within the first few conversations, Tsaitsios asked “Kim” her age, and “Kim” told him she was 13. He told the undercover agent that he was 45 years old and lived in Massachusetts, providing his cell phone number so that “Kim” could communicate with him. Tsaitsios communicated with “Kim” for approximately a month during which time he sent two sexually explicit images of himself. The images were later recovered from his phone and sexually explicit conversations were recovered from his Facebook account. In an interview with investigators, Tsaitsios admitted to messaging and having conversations with “Kim” and that he believed her to be a minor.
Tsaitsios faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 fine to be followed by up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI investigated the case.
Reports of child sexual exploitation are increasing: In 2023, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received more than 36 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. That included nearly 187,000 reports of online enticement of children for sexual acts and 36 million reports of child sexual abuse materials. Victimization can take place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. To make a CyberTipline Report, visit https://report.cybertip.org/. 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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Massachusetts Man Admits to Robbing a Rhode Island BankRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Springfield, MA, man has admitted to a federal judge that he robbed a Smithfield, RI, bank branch of more than $2,400, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Radelle Hubbard, 47, admitted that on March 23, 2023, he entered a bank branch located inside a supermarket in Smithfield, RI, and proclaimed to bank tellers, “I have a gun, give me all the large bills from your drawer.” The tellers handed over $2,420 in cash after which Hubbard fled the bank. The tellers told police they did not see a firearm.
According to information presented to the court, a private citizen followed Hubbard after he left the bank and provided law enforcement with a vehicle description and license plate number. Massachusetts State Police observed the vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, at which time the vehicle accelerated. The vehicle was ultimately stopped after spike trips, devices used to stop or impede the movement of vehicles by puncturing their tires, were deployed. Law enforcement seized $2,341 in cash and a high-capacity firearm from inside the vehicle.
Appearing in U.S. District Court on Friday, Hubbard pleaded guilty to a charge of bank robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, Smithfield Police Department, and Massachusetts State Police.
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Man Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Prison for Gun Possession and Courthouse Assault on Deputy U.S. MarshalsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Julian Jared Gill, 34, of Charlotte, was sentenced late Friday to 111 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for gun possession and assaulting two Deputy U.S. Marshals, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson is joined in making the announcement by Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Terry J. Burgin, United States Marshal of the United States Marshals Service for the Western District of North Carolina (USMS), and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).
According to filed court documents and information presented at Gill’s plea and sentencing hearings, Gill was arrested in 2022 by CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team and found to be in possession of a loaded Glock pistol with a high-capacity magazine. Gill is prohibited from possessing firearms, and, in an effort to conceal the firearm, he hid it in the toilet tank of his hotel room before surrendering to police.
Gill was indicted in federal court, and while in custody and appearing in court in 2023 for possession of that firearm, Gill became upset in court at a judge’s ruling. Once out of the courtroom and in the holding cell blocks of the courthouse, Gill assaulted two Deputy U.S. Marshals and refused to comply with lawful instructions.
On February 28, 2024, Gill pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and felony assault, resist and impede a federal officer. The defendant has multiple criminal convictions dating back to 2007. At the sentencing hearing, District Court Judge Michael F. Urbanski sentenced Gill to 70 months in prison for the firearm conviction and 41 months in prison for the assault on law enforcement officials and ordered the sentences to be served consecutively for a total sentence of 111 months.
“Attacks on our law enforcement officers cannot be tolerated, and I hope the extra time sentenced is a warning to others,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF, USMS, and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Lexington County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Terry Leslie Washington, 46, of West Columbia, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that a Columbia Police Officer initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for operating without a tag light. Washington was the lone occupant. Washington informed the officer that he did not have a valid driver’s license. Washington told the officer he had a gun and marijuana with him in the car. The officer conducted an inventory of the vehicle, where he found a loaded 9mm pistol along with three plastic pouches of marijuana and a clear plastic baggie containing psilocybin mushrooms. Washington was arrested.
Washington was prohibited from possessing a firearm based upon prior convictions for strong-armed robbery, robbery/armed with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, robbery while armed or allegedly armed with a deadly weapon and attempted armed robbery.
United States District Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Washington to 180 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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Lehigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that George “Travis” Woodfield, 41, of Macungie, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson, Jr., to one count of transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and one count of accessing with intent to view child pornography.
Woodfield was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 5, 2024.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Woodfield drove an 11-year-old child across state lines for an overnight trip to New York City in November 2018 in order to engage in sexual activity with the child. During the trip, Woodfield sexually abused the child in their hotel room. Further, between September 2015 and July 2024, Woodfield accessed numerous depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including images of prepubescent children being sexually abused.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and FBI Richmond with assistance from the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section’s High-Tech Investigations Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca J. Kulik, CEOS Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer T. Leonardo, and CEOS Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban.
Lee County Man Sentenced for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Pascual Francisco, Jr. (26, Fort Myers) to nine years and three months in federal prison for distributing a controlled substance, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a machinegun. Francisco pleaded guilty on September 16, 2024.
According to court records, over the course of several transactions in late-2023 and early-2024, Francisco sold an undercover law enforcement agent cocaine, fake Percocet pills laced with p-fluorofentanyl, an illegal machinegun, and an illegal machinegun conversion device. Francisco used a social media application to facilitate his drug and gun transactions prior to his arrest in this case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
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.
Lee County Drug Dealers Sentenced for Their Roles in Large Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Sam Austin Young (28, Fort Myers) and Bryant Eric Scharoun (35, Lehigh Acres) to 20 and 15 years in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy. Young pleaded guilty on July 23, 2024, and Scharoun pleaded guilty on May 14, 2024.
According to court records, Young and Scharoun held leadership roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy during which large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine were possessed and sold in Lee County between approximately June 2022 and March 2023. The investigation revealed that Young and Scharoun used an elderly, drug addicted individual to courier drugs and money for them as part of the conspiracy. During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 3 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 2 kilograms of cocaine, approximately one-half kilogram of fentanyl, and 10 firearms that were possessed in furtherance of the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
Kidnapper Sentenced to 12.5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
According to court documents, Tony Scott, Jr., 28, pleaded guilty to kidnapping a woman in Mobile, Alabama, in December 2019. Court records show that Scott forced her at gunpoint to drive him across state lines into Georgia where she was able to escape. Law enforcement utilized a K-9 unit to track Scott, and he was ultimately captured in possession of a handgun. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Scott was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following the conclusion of his sentence.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasee S. Heisterhagen prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.