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Wednesday 19 March 2025
U.S. Attorney announces immigration case updates for the Eastern District of VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today significant case updates on six immigration cases in the district.
On Jan. 20 the President signed executive orders addressing the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Protecting the American People Against Invasion recognized that enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States, and that it is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people. The order tasked the Department of Justice with prioritizing the prosecution of criminal offenses related to the unauthorized entry or continued unauthorized presence of aliens in the United States. Securing Our Borders prioritizes the pursuit of criminal charges against illegal aliens who violate immigration laws and against those who facilitate their unlawful presence in the United States.
Carlos Alberto Sosa Horellana, a Honduran national, was removed from the United States in 2004. On Nov. 13, 2009, Sosa Horellana was removed again after reentering the United States and being convicted for an aggravated criminal felony in 2007 on two counts of rape with a child under age 13 as the victim. On Feb. 4, Sosa Horellana was arrested in Stafford, and a federal grand jury returned an indictment on March 4 charging him with illegally reentering the United States after removal for an aggravated felony conviction and failing to register as a sex offender. (Case No. 1:25-cr-48)
On Oct. 2, 2023, Mario Ernesto Ortiz Escobar, a Salvadoran national, was convicted in the Southern District of Texas for illegally reentering the United States after a felony conviction and on Oct. 27, 2023, he was removed. Ortiz Escobar returned, however, and on Feb, 24 pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5. (Case No. 3:25-cr-31)
Mayron De Jesus Salazar-De La Rosa, a Guatemalan national, was removed on April 3, 2014. Salazar-De La Rosa subsequently returned and was found in Alexandria. On Feb. 27, he pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States. Salazar-De La Rosa is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29. (Case No. 1:25-cr-11)
Jose Charles Medrano, a Mexican national, first entered the United States illegally in 2008. After voluntarily departing the country, Medrano illegally reentered the United States and on July 2, 2014, was convicted of driving under the influence (DUI). He was removed to Mexico on July 31, 2014. After illegally reentering the United States in January 2015, Medrano was convicted on March 21, 2016, of making terroristic threats in Houston, Texas. Medrano was removed to Mexico on March 29, 2016. When Medrano reentered the United States again, immigration officials located him and immediately removed him to Mexico on May 31, 2016. On April 22, 2023, Medrano was arrested in Henrico County for DUI and felony child abuse/neglect. On June 28, 2023, Medrano pled guilty to DUI and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and on Oct. 10, 2023, was removed again to Mexico. On August 17, 2024, Medrano again was arrested in Henrico County, this time charged with assault and battery of a family member and abduction. On Jan. 24, 2025, he was convicted of assault and battery of a family member. On March 5, Medrano pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20. (Case No. 3:24-cr-175)
On July 8, 2019, Brayan Josue Flores-Torres, a Salvadoran national and MS-13 member, was arrested in Prince William County and charged with aggravated malicious wounding. On April 23, 2020, Flores-Torres pled guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possession of illegal alcohol, and assault and battery by mob. On Aug. 14, 2020, Flores-Torres was removed to El Salvador. On Dec. 13, 2022, Chesapeake Police responded to a report of a stabbing in which the victim, who was dating Flores-Torres’ ex-girlfriend, identified Flores-Torres as the person who stabbed him. Flores-Torres was arrested following a high-speed chase. On March 21, 2024, Flores-Torres pled guilty to eluding police and failing to identify himself. On Nov. 7, 2024, Flores-Torres pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States. He was sentenced on March 11 and is subject to removal. (Case No. 2:23-CR-59)
Melvin Mauricio Valencia Gil, a Salvadoran national, first illegally entered the United States before 2017. On Aug. 20, 2018, Valencia Gil was convicted in Nassau County, New York, of attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and reckless endangerment. On Nov. 26, 2021, Valencia Gil, a member of the Latin Kings gang, was removed to El Salvador. Less than a week after his removal, Valencia Gil left El Salvador and illegally reentered the United States. After being involved in a car accident in Virginia, Valencia Gil was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 2, 2023, for illegal reentry. He pled guilty on Sept. 23, 2024, and was sentenced on March 18 to three years in prison. (Case No. 3:23-CR-54)
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for the case number provided above.
Two Hazleton Men Charged with Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Cesar Altagracia Mateo Lara, a/k/a Miguel Carrasquillo Apolinaris, age 46, and Luis Mercado-Alicea, a/k/a Yensi Mateo, age 44, both of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, were indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that between November 2024 and February 2025, the defendants conspired to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl. The indictment also alleges that during that time the defendants distributed fentanyl and possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute it.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, and the Hazleton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 40 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Trafficker sent to prison after cocaine found in batteryRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old Illinois resident has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute more than four kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Rodrigo Mendez pleaded guilty Sept. 1, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Mendez to serve 78 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
On June 23, 2022, Mendez approached the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Sarita driving a Porsche Cayenne. Following a K-9 alert, law enforcement conducted a search of the vehicle and found 4.34 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside a battery under the driver’s seat.
The investigation linked Mendez to 10 previous trips from South Texas to the Chicago, Illinois, area to transport narcotics. Authorities also linked seven other narcotic seizures to the same organization where the drugs were found inside the vehicle’s battery. Six of those seizures also involved cocaine.
Mendez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Pruitt and John Marck prosecuted the case.
Topsham Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Charges Stemming from Burglary at Brunswick ResidenceRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Topsham man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a stolen firearm.
According to court records, in May 2024, officers from the Brunswick Police Department responded to a citizen’s report of suspicious activity at a nearby residence. The responding officers found that the door of the residence’s garage was open and cabinets inside appeared to have been pried open, with ammunition scattered on the floor. The owner informed the officers that multiple firearms were stored in the locked cabinets. Officers located a vehicle matching the description the reporting witness had provided. Christopher Tucker, 34, the owner and only occupant of the vehicle, fled on foot before being secured and placed into custody. Officers recovered a total of 20 firearms from inside the vehicle. Tucker was prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple past felony convictions.
Tucker faces up to 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 to be followed by up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Brunswick Police Department and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
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Three Venezuelans Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Fake Green CardsRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A Venezuelan man who entered the United States illegally and who admitted to possessing a fraudulent Green Card during the murder investigation of a 22-year-old nursing student was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison—above the federal sentencing guideline range—and to be deported along with his brother and a former roommate.
Diego Jose Ibarra, aka “Gocho,” 29, was sentenced to serve a total of 48 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a fraudulent document on July 15, 2024. Argenis Ibarra, aka “Meny,” 25, of Venezuela, was sentenced to time served after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a fraudulent document on Dec. 10, 2024. Rosbeli Flores-Bello, aka “La Gorda,” 29, of Venezuela, was sentenced to time served after she pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a fraudulent document on Dec. 11, 2024.
All three defendants are to be delivered to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation. Diego Ibarra will be placed in ICE custody at the conclusion of his federal prison sentence; Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello will be placed in ICE custody immediately. U.S. District Judge Tilman E. Self, III handed down the sentences on March 19 in Athens. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was made aware of Deigo Ibarra’s undocumented presence in the United States on Feb. 23, 2024, during the murder investigation of Laken Hope Riley, who was kidnapped and brutally murdered on Feb. 22, 2024, during a morning run at the University of Georgia, where she previously attended as an undergraduate prior to transferring to the Augusta University College of Nursing. At the time, an Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) officer approached Diego Ibarra because he matched the description of the primary suspect in the murder investigation, which was his brother, Jose Antonio Ibarra. Diego Ibarra gave the ACCPD officer a counterfeit U.S. Permanent Resident Card (also called a Green Card) as identification and was taken into custody. Jose Ibarra was convicted of Laken Riley’s murder on Nov. 20, 2024, in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court and is serving a life sentence.
On April 30, 2023, Diego Ibarra illegally entered the United States, along with four other Venezuelan men, by crossing the border near the Ysleta station in El Paso, Texas. The men fled when approached by the United States Border Patrol (USBP) agents. Diego Ibarra resisted an agent’s efforts to detain him and grabbed the agent’s service radio, threw it into a nearby yard, and then attempted to bite the agent. Agents scuffled with him and another Venezuelan man for several minutes before the National Guard arrived and assisted in subduing both men. Diego Ibarra was taken to a local hospital after complaining of chest pains and pain in his back and leg, which he indicated to FBI agents he sustained from scaling and falling from the border fence during his illegal crossing. He admitted to illegally crossing the border, resisting arrest and attempting to avoid apprehension at any cost. He said his injuries were not from the fight with agents.
According to information uncovered during the investigation and provided in multiple court documents, Diego Ibarra is likely affiliated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), based on evidence including his multiple TdA tattoos and photos of him on social media making the TdA gang signs and wearing TdA clothing. Further investigation concluded that Diego Ibarra was previously removed from the United States to Mexico on April 3, 2023, after agents apprehended him illegally entering the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas. After the above incident on April 30, 2023, Diego Ibarra claimed asylum and fear of return to Venezuela. On May 11, 2023, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) placed him in the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program, and he was released from immigration custody the following day. The ATD program required Diego Ibarra to wear a global positioning system (GPS) ankle monitoring device, and he was directed to report to New York, New York, pending asylum proceedings. He failed to report in New York as directed.
On May 25, 2023, Diego Ibarra’s ankle monitor last “pinged” near Littleton, Colorado, and he cut it off at some point prior to his final arrest in Athens, Georgia. Diego Ibarra settled in Athens and was subsequently arrested three times by law enforcement: on Sept. 24, 2023, he was arrested by ACCPD for driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a license; on Oct. 27, 2023, he was arrested by ACCPD for theft by shoplifting; and on Dec. 8, 2023, he was arrested by ACCPD for shoplifting and for an outstanding arrest warrant that was issued when he failed to appear in court for his DUI charge. In addition, ACCPD responded to a domestic incident involving Diego Ibarra and his girlfriend on Sept. 26, 2023. And, while in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and housed in the Butts County Detention Center, Ibarra caused “severe water damage” inside the jail when he damaged the fire sprinkler system in a jail cell block. On June 25, 2024, jail officers found Ibarra in possession of two improvised weapons: a sharpened sprinkler head with a make-shift grip and a pen wrapped in saran wrap.
Co-defendants Argenis Ibarra (Diego and Jose Ibarra’s younger brother) and Flores-Bello (Deigo and Jose Ibarra’s roommate) admitted to possessing a fraudulent U.S. Permanent Resident Card in the names of Argenis Jose Ibarra Ibarra and Rodrianny Brito Brito respectively on Feb. 23, 2024. In addition, agents found counterfeit Social Security cards for Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello in the apartment they shared with Diego and Jose Ibarra.
Investigators determined that Argenis Ibarra entered the United States illegally on April 3, 2023, near Eagle Pass, Texas, and the USBP returned him to Mexico. On April 30, 2023, the USBP encountered and arrested him near El Paso, Texas, and transported him to an ICE processing center in El Paso. Because the processing center lacked space, Ibarra was released on his own recognizance on May 4, 2023. Argenis submitted Form I-765 for Employment Authorization on Oct. 20, 2023, and Nov. 2, 2023, both of which were rejected.
Flores-Bello illegally entered the United States on May 3, 2023, and was arrested by the USBP. She was transported to an ICE processing center in El Paso. On May 5, 2023, Flores-Bello was released on her own recognizance because the processing center lacked space. She provided a residential address in New York and was scheduled for immigration court there on Oct. 18, 2023. In Dec. 2023, she and Jose Ibarra, whom she met in New York, took a humanitarian flight from New York to Atlanta, Georgia. She settled in Athens and lived with the Ibarra brothers until Laken Riley was murdered.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with critical assistance from FBI, GBI, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, University of Georgia Police Department and Clarke County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison prosecuted the case for the Government
Three KC Men Indicted for Multi-State Business Burglary ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Kansas City, Mo., men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to burglarize beauty product and liquor stores across seven states.
Gary Bailey, 24, Jermaine Threat, 25, and Dalvin Poindexter, 26, were charged in a nine-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 4, 2024. That indictment was unsealed and made public today following the arrest and initial court appearances of Bailey and Poindexter.
The federal indictment alleges that Bailey, Threat, and Poindexter stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise during a series of business burglaries from March 2023 to January 2024.
According to the indictment, the conspirators targeted beauty product and liquor stores in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Indiana, and Texas. The conspirators smashed the storefront door or window glass to enter the stores afterhours and then stole fragrances, cosmetics, liquor, spirits, and other merchandise. The conspirators allegedly used posts on Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Stories, as well as group chat text messages, to sell the stolen goods and received payment in cash or through peer-to-peer payment services like CashApp. The indictment says they also kept some of the stolen items for themselves or gave it away to their friends and family.
In addition to the conspiracy, Bailey, Threat, and Poindexter are charged together in seven counts of transporting stolen property across state lines.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Constance. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Olathe, Kansas, Police Department, with assistance from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Platte County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments of Derby, KS, Belton, MO, Blue Springs, MO, Columbia, MO, Creve Coeur, MO, Edwardsville, KS, Fairview Heights, IL, Kansas City, MO, Kansas City, KS, Lawrence, KS, Leawood, KS, Lee’s Summit, MO, Lenexa, KS, Liberty, MO, Olathe, KS, Omaha, NE, Overland, Park, KS, Papillion, NE, Parkville, MO, Plainfield, IN, Plano, TX, Platte City, MO, Shawnee, KS, Springfield, MO, St. Joseph, MO, Terre Haute, IN, Topeka, KS, and West Des Moines, IA.
Three Dominican Men Arrested for Trafficking Cocaine and Crack Cocaine in NashuaRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Three Dominican men were arrested this morning in connection with their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine in Nashua, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Elizardo Escaria Delison, 32, Belisario Luis Delison, 49, and Rayddy Delison De Aza, 28, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, specifically cocaine and crack cocaine. They will appear in federal court today.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, during the course of the conspiracy, the defendants sold controlled substances, namely cocaine and crack cocaine, to law enforcement on more than 10 occasions.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Nashua Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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St. Louis County Man Caught Sharing Child Pornography with PoliceRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted being caught sharing child sexual abuse material with an undercover police officer
James C. Astorian, 40, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of child pornography. He admitted sharing multiple images and videos containing child sexual abuse material with a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer in January of 2020 via a peer-to-peer network. St. Louis County police conducted a court-approved search of Astorian’s home and recovered electronic devices containing 6,110 images and 728 videos containing child pornography. Astorian told investigators that he has been searching for and downloading child pornography for about two years.
Astorian is scheduled to be sentenced on August 13. The crime carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Sampson County Illegal Alien Caught with 30 Kilograms and 9 Firearms Sentenced to 17 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A man from Sampson County was sentenced today to 17 years in prison after he was caught with 30 kilograms of drugs and 9 firearms. On November 7, 2024, Antonio Tamoya Mondragon pled guilty to his charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Mondragon, age 45, was born in Mexico and illegally entered the United States. Mondragon started distributing drugs as early as 2008. Law enforcement began investigating Mondragon in 2019 and conducted controlled purchases of pure methamphetamine from him on three occasions.
The investigation culminated in a traffic stop with follow-on search warrants on April 18, 2023. On that day, law enforcement was conducting early morning surveillance at Mondragon’s house. Mondragon and others appeared to be transferring packages into a car. In a traffic stop, law enforcement found just under 9 kilograms of cocaine hidden in the car’s headliner. As the traffic stop was executed, law enforcement observed a flurry of activity back at Mondragon’s house followed by a second car departing. This car was later searched. Inside was 7 kilograms of fentanyl, 9 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, 144 grams of methamphetamine, and a drug ledger. The car also had 8 guns inside with ammunition. Law enforcement then searched Mondragon’s house and seized $28,881 in cash and another gun. Subsequent interviews and investigation made clear that the drugs, guns, and cash all belonged to Mondragon.
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. The DEA, Sampson County Sherriff’s Office, and SBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Lemons 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. 7:24-CR-040.
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Salinas Man Sentenced to over 22 Years for Conspiracy to Commit Child Sex Trafficking, Child Enticement, and Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Daniel Philip Aguirre was sentenced yesterday to 270 months (22.5 years) in federal prison and ordered to pay $19,100 in restitution for child sex trafficking, child enticement, and child pornography offenses. U.S. District Judge Beth L. Freeman handed down the sentence.
Aguirre, 33, of Salinas, pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2024, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1594(c), sex trafficking of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1591(a)(1), (b)(2), and (c), coercion and enticement of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), distribution of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2), and possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B).
According to the plea agreement, between 2014 and 2017, Aguirre used Grindr, SnapChat, Craigslist, and other websites to recruit and entice multiple adolescent boys for sexual exploitation and abuse. In May 2014, he enticed a 14-year-old victim into illegal sexual acts with Aguirre and another man in San Jose, during which amyl nitrates, commonly known as “poppers,” were used to keep the child intoxicated. Between April and September 2017, Aguirre sex trafficked a second 14-year-old victim while also maintaining an illegal sexual relationship with the child. He also used the victim to create and distribute child sexual abuse materials. Aguirre also acknowledged allegations by two other boys that Aguirre subjected them to online and in-person sexual abuse at various times from 2013 to 2015, while they were minors. Numerous child sexual abuse materials were found on devices seized from Aguirre’s residence during a search in 2022.
“This defendant preyed on and exploited children, and subjected them to nightmare scenarios. We are grateful for the courage shown by these victims in coming forward. Thanks to the work of our federal and state law enforcement partners, Aguirre will spend over 20 years in federal prison for his heinous conduct,” said Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins.
“This individual is the absolute personification of a predator and has cruelly impacted the lives of countless innocent children,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. “This sentencing is the direct result of dedicated HSI agents, in partnership with state and local law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who prioritize a victim-based approach combined with aggressive investigative work and prosecution to remove threats to the children of our community.”
At the sentencing hearing, the government and the Court commended the bravery of the victim who first reported his abuse to the Carmel-by-the Sea Police Department in 2020. Three other victims came forward to report abuse by Aguirre after the initial criminal charges were reported.
In addition to the prison term and restitution, Judge Freeman also sentenced the defendant to a 15-year period of supervised release, ordered the forfeiture of devices containing child sexual abuse materials that were seized from Aguirre’s residence, and imposed a $500 special assessment fee. Aguirre was immediately remanded into custody to begin serving his sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Harris prosecuted the case with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. The prosecution is the result of a three-year investigation by HSI and the Carmel-by-the-Sea Police Department.
Robbery at Busboys and Poets Nets a Maryland Man a 84-Month Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isaiah Chase, 27, of Silver Spring, MD, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in federal prison for participating in a gunpoint robbery at Busboys and Poets, a café and bookstore, in the 400 block of K Street, NW.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Chase pleaded guilty on August 5, 2024, to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence before U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton, who in addition to the 84-month sentence, ordered Chase to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Chase was one of multiple conspirators who worked with an employee at Busboys and Poets to rob the business on February 6, 2022. The employee instructed Chase to come to the establishment at around 9:30 p.m. and to enter when a specific person was visible at the front of the establishment.
Chase and two of the other conspirators, wearing dark clothing, masks, and hoodies, entered the establishment as the staff was cleaning up for the night. Inside, each of the three individuals brandished firearms and pointed them at employees. The conspirators demanded money but received none. Instead they took keys to the business and fled in a vehicle.
On November 4, 2022, law enforcement arrested Chase at his apartment in Silver Spring, MD. During a search of his residence, agents recovered a loaded Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun with a magazine and 24 rounds of ammunition; a loaded .556 caliber machine gun capable of being fired fully automatically with a magazine containing 49 rounds of ammunition; a loaded .556 caliber AM-15 rifle with a magazine containing 25 rounds of ammunition; a .40 caliber magazine containing 9 rounds of ammunition; and 2 bags of marijuana intended for distribution.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and MPD's Carjacking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel and Matthew Kinskey.
22cr349Roanoke Man Sentenced to over 17 Years on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man, who agents found in possession of more than 3,800 images of child pornography, was sentenced this week to 210 months in federal prison.
Joshua Jennings, 43, pled guilty in September 2024, to one count of knowingly receiving child pornography. In addition to prison time, Jennings was also sentenced to 20 years of supervised release following his release from prison.
According to court documents, in February 2024 agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) determined that Jennings’s IP address was sharing child pornography on the Internet. Agents subsequently learned that Jennings was a registered sex offender with two prior state convictions for possessing child pornography.
On February 26, 2024, agents with HSI executed a search warrant at the home address associated with Jennings’ IP address and seized a HP laptop computer belonging to Jennings. A forensic review of the laptop revealed more than 3,800 images and video files of identified child victims of abuse from more than 300 known child pornography series.
Search history on the laptop showed Jennings conducted multiple searches related to his sexual interest in children, including “CP,” “PTHC,” and “CP dog.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and ICE Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security- Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Valuable investigative assistance was provided by the Albemarle County Police Department, the Virginia State Police, Virginia Probation & Parole, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Parkersburg (West Virginia) Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Rioter Federally Sentenced for Damaging U.S. Government Property at Union Station Following RallyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isabella Giordano, 21, of Towson, Maryland, was sentenced today in federal court to six months of probation for spray painting graffiti on several pieces of federal property at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., following a protest on July 24, 2024.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Courtland Rae of the Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).
Giordano pleaded guilty to destruction of government property before U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg, who in addition to probation, ordered Giordano to pay $500 in restitution to the National Park Service.
According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate near Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Ave. NE, and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators who had gathered in Columbus Circle pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles; burned flags and objects; sprayed graffiti on multiple statutes and structures; and interfered with law enforcement’s ability to place individuals under arrest.
Footage obtained from a review of open-source videos posted to X (formerly Twitter) showed Giordano using red spray paint to write “Gaza” on the Columbus Fountain. She also spray-painted the base of two of the flagpoles in Columbus Circle. On July 30, 2024, the U.S. Park Police posted a bulletin with multiple photos and coordinated with the FBI in seeking information on five individuals who engaged in criminal activity on July 24, 2024. On August 1, 2024, USPP received two tips identifying Giordano.
The flags pulled down from the flag poles, and the statutes and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated that the cost to clean and repair the site at about $11,282.23.
This case was investigated by the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan.
24cr441Raleigh Armed Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Darius Donte Privette, a/k/a “Heavy,” a 31-year-old resident of Zebulon, N.C. was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine hydrochloride, and methamphetamine while armed in the Raleigh, Louisburg, and Zebulon areas. Privette pled guilty on November 12, 2024.
According to the court documents and other information presented in court, the investigation began on January 19, 2023, when officers with the Raleigh Police Department (RPD), stopped Privette on an outstanding warrant for his arrest. While conducting a search incident to his arrest, law enforcement located and seized a large sum of money and a key to his car.
A search of Privette’s car resulted in the seizure of the following items: 13 round blue tablets labeled as Percocet but containing fentanyl and ANPP, a fentanyl precursor, with a total weight of 1.43 grams of fentanyl; 22 MDMA pills with a total weight of 8.55 grams; 5.88 grams of crack cocaine; 9.94 grams of cocaine; 48.2 grams of marijuana; a 9mm firearm; various ammunition; various drug paraphernalia including digital scales and rolling papers; and a total of $1,886.00 in U.S. currency.
In an unrelated investigation, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Louisburg, North Carolina conducted three controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Privette in October and November 2023. During each buy, Privette sold a confidential informant approximately one gram of crack in exchange for $100.
Law enforcement then executed a search warrant on Privette’s home on November 9, 2023. In the upstairs bedroom, officers seized a large amount of marijuana, U.S. currency, and a firearm. On the back porch, law enforcement found a drum-style large-capacity magazine inside a children’s backpack. In total, law enforcement recovered 3 firearms, 1 large-capacity magazine; approximately 348.8 grams of cocaine hydrochloride, 898.11 grams of marijuana, a drug ledger, and a total of $5,020.00.
The investigation further revealed that Privette had been previously convicted of Possessing Marijuana, Carrying a Concealed Firearm, Fleeing Law Enforcement with a Motor Vehicle, and Possession with Intent to Sell Cocaine.
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. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Raleigh Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and Nash County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci 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 number 5:24-CR-00199-D-001.
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Putnam County Nurse Practitioner Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Shawn R. Blankenship, 54, of Winfield, pleaded guilty today to four counts of health care fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Blankenship is a licensed nurse practitioner and owner of Holistic Inc., a medical clinic in St. Albans. Blankenship admitted that he knowingly and willfully caused the submission of materially false claims to Medicaid and its Managed Care Organizations for medical services that were not provided and not medically necessary.
Holistic provided multiple services to patients during the time period in question, primarily office-based opioid treatment and weight loss counseling as well as smoking and tobacco use cessation counseling. The investigation revealed that claims submitted to Medicaid for smoking cessation counseling, office visits, and weight loss counseling required a licensed provider to be present.
Blankenship admitted that four materially false claims were filed during the time period. Three were for smoking cessation services and one was for a 15-minute office outpatient visit, all purportedly conducted on October 29, 2020. Blankenship admitted that he knew such services were not provided because he and Holistic’s other licensed nurse practitioners were in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and not at Holistic from on or about October 28, 2020, through on or about October 30, 2020.
Investigators concluded the losses from Blankenship’s criminal conduct is approximately $600,000.
Blankenship is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Blankenship also owes restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court.
Today’s guilty pleas result from a multi-year investigation of fraudulent medical billing practices in the Southern District of West Virginia. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Trial Attorney Jody King of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division-Fraud Section and Assistant United States Attorney Owen Reynolds are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-37.
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Pittsburgh Resident Indicted on Fentanyl Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal narcotics law, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Marc Anthony Smith, 36, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about November 9, 2024, Smith knowingly possessed with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Reserve Township Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on March 18, 2025, to a charge of bank robbery, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Mark Laughner, 38, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on May 16, 2024, Laughner entered a Reserve Township bank wearing a baseball cap and neck gaiter that covered his mouth and nose and instructed the teller to give him all of her large bills. After the teller handed over the $100 and $50 bills from her cash drawer, the defendant demanded the teller provide more cash quickly or he would shoot her in her face. Laughner left the bank with $1,370 in U.S. currency and was ultimately identified through the utilization of surveillance recordings as well as witness interviews.
Allegheny County Police Department (ACPD) detectives obtained a warrant for Laughner’s arrest, and, on May 20, 2024, attempted to apprehend the defendant when detectives observed Laughner in the passenger seat of a vehicle outside of a Pittsburgh fire station. As detectives converged on the vehicle with their emergency lights activated, the driver exited the vehicle and Laughner jumped from the passenger side of the vehicle into the driver’s seat, where he began fleeing detectives by driving in reverse at a high rate of speed. Ignoring multiple verbal commands to stop, Laughner came within inches of striking two ACPD detectives before stopping and exiting the vehicle in the middle of the street and fleeing on foot. Using a police K-9 unit, law enforcement apprehended Laughner after finding him hiding in thick brush.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for July 22, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Allegheny County Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Laughner.
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.
Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dylan C. Irvin, 26, of Bradford, PA, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that sometime in June or July 2023, Irvin engaged in sexual activity with a 13-year-old female (victim). Irvin used his cellular telephone to record the sexual activity and then received the video on a Snapchat account he controlled. On March 5, 2024, Irvin was arrested on state charges related to the sexual contact, at which time his cell phone was seized. A search of the phone recovered the video of Irvin and the victim.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 28, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
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Pascagoula Man Sentenced to 260 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Pascagoula man was sentenced today to 260 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, Terry Lynn McNeal, Jr., 35, sold fentanyl on three occasions between February and April 2024. After those sales, a search warrant was executed at McNeal’s residence where agents discovered over a 100 grams of fentanyl, and over 500 grams of methamphetamine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter McCreight prosecuted the case.
Ohio man going to prison for his role in Jamestown drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Justin Whitfield, 25, of Cincinnati, OH, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 77 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that since April 2019, the DEA has investigated the drug trafficking activities, including heroin/fentanyl and methamphetamine, of Rocco Beardsley in the Jamestown, NY area. During the investigation, Whitfield was identified as an associate and co-conspirator of Beardsley, who is also his cousin. Beardsley utilized a source of supply for methamphetamine in the Cincinnati area, and Whitfield was responsible for introducing Beardsley to the source. Whitfield utilized social media to conduct drug related conversations and facilitate his drug trafficking activities.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department and the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division; and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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Nigerian National Charged with Theft of Pandemic Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A Nigerian national residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of theft of government property, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Funke Iyanda, 43, with no U.S. status, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from May 27, 2020, to May 24, 2021, Iyanda prepared and submitted a false application and claim for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in the name of another person to the PA Department of Labor, for which Iyanda received approximately $40,980 in unemployment benefits to which Iyanda was not legally entitled.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General and Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses, Including Traveling to Connecticut to Engage in Sexual Activity with a MinorRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, announced that JAMES PAGLIARO, 26, of Middletown, New York, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with multiple child exploitation offenses, including traveling to Connecticut to engage in sexual activity with a minor.
Pagliaro appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in approximately October 2024, Pagliaro began messaging a 15-year-girl (“minor victim”) on TikTok. In December 2024, the minor victim told Pagliaro that she was 15 years old, and they began text messaging. In January 2025, Pagliaro traveled to Connecticut multiple times to engage in sexual conduct with the minor victim.
It is further alleged that in February 2025, a forensic examination of the minor victim’s iPhone revealed hundreds of sexually explicit images and videos of the minor victim, and more than 11,000 text messages and more than 300 iOS and FaceTime calls between Pagliaro and the minor victim. In the messages, Pagliaro instructed the minor victim to perform specific sex acts, including sadistic and masochistic conduct. Pagliaro also frequently referenced the minor victim’s age, acknowledging that what he was doing was “illegal”; referred to the minor victim as his “slave” and had her send him a “slavery contract”; berated and punished the minor victim when she failed to accurately and precisely follow his instructions; and asked the minor victim to recruit other minors to engage in sexual conduct with him.
The complaint charges Pagliaro with production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years of imprisonment; receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; traveling to engage in sexual activity with a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years; and transfer of obscene material to a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by HSI New England, HSI New York, the Orange County (N.Y.) Sheriff’s Office, and the Danbury, Ridgefield, and Watertown Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
New Braunfels Man who Planned Mass Murder Attacks Sentenced to over 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A New Braunfels man was sentenced in federal court today to 78 months in prison for a charge related to his planned mass murder attacks that were thwarted by federal and local law enforcement.
According to court documents, Cameron Darrick Peterson, 20, began planning mass shootings since November 2022. On Jan. 4, 2024, Peterson attempted to purchase a 12-gauge shotgun from a New Braunfels pawn shop. He completed the required background check and was denied due to his age and the type of firearm he was attempting to purchase. On May 31, he attempted to purchase an assault weapon-style 12-gauge shotgun from the pawn shop and was denied a second time.
FBI agents obtained an arrest warrant on June 5, and Peterson was immediately taken into custody by the New Braunfels Police Department. During a search of his home, FBI agents found and seized an altered .22 caliber long rifle with a sawed-off buttstock and six magazines loaded with 60 rounds.
On June 6, as part of a federal search warrant, agents reviewed Peterson’s Instagram account, revealing statements Peterson had made about plans to attack a gas station. Also on June 6, Peterson was recorded from jail instructing a witness to hide or destroy a videotape he had made in which he surveilled a grocery store to plan a future attack.
On June 10, another search of Peterson’s home revealed a box that contained 11 aerosol containers and other ingredients to manufacture destructive devices. One of the containers was determined that it could be readily made operational and was categorized as an Improvised Explosive Device. The IED was not registered in the National Firearms Registry, nor could it be due to Peterson’s age.
Peterson was indicted in June 2024 for three counts related to firearm and explosive offenses. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2024, to one count of attempt to receive firearm to use to commit a felony.
“This case is demonstrative of how our law enforcement and the systems in place to prevent certain firearm purchases by those under the legal age work in tandem to successfully prevent mass murder events like this defendant had planned,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Due to the fine investigative efforts and teamwork of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the New Braunfels Police, and other local and federal partners, Peterson’s plans to detonate explosives and slaughter innocents in multiple locations in our district were deterred.”
“Americans should be able to live free from fear of becoming a victim of a mass shooter. Thankfully, Peterson’s plans were thwarted when vigilant citizens saw something and said something,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “We are grateful to our partners on the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force - especially the San Antonio Fire Department, the New Braunfels Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the United States Attorney's Office for their continued assistance in keeping our communities safe. Cases like this are a priority for the FBI and we encourage anyone who observes something suspicious, potential indicators of violence, or threats against our community to report them at tips.fbi.gov. Together we can prevent acts of mass violence.”
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, San Antonio Fire Department, New Braunfels Police Department, and ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Eric Yuen prosecuted the case.
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Mobile Man Sentenced to 51 Months for Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
According to court documents, in September 2024, members of the Mobile Police Department encountered Jones following a traffic stop. Jones’ infant was in the vehicle with him at the time of the stop. During the course of the traffic stop, officers discovered that Jones possessed two firearms and that one of those firearms was equipped with a machinegun conversion device. A machinegun conversion device is commonly referred to as a “Glock switch,” and is capable of converting a pistol into a fully automatic weapon. Jones made a statement to law enforcement following the stop indicating that he was aware how the Glock switch worked and had previously fired the weapon with the device attached.
At sentencing, Judge Granade imposed a 51-month sentence of incarceration and a 3-year term of supervised release upon Jones’ discharge from prison. The firearm and machinegun conversion device were forfeited to the United States as part of the sentence.
The Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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.
Mississippi Man Indicted for Federal Civil Rights and Arson Charges for Setting Fire to Mormon ChurchRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Gulfport, MS, returned a six-count superseding indictment today charging Stefan Day, also known as Stefan Pete Day Rowold, with federal civil rights and arson violations for vandalizing and setting fire to a house of worship.
According to the superseding indictment, on July 5, 2024, and July 7, 2024, Day set fire to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Wiggins, Mississippi. Counts one and four of the superseding indictment charge Day with arson for setting fire to the church. Counts two and five of the superseding indictment charge Day with intentionally damaging, defacing, and destroying religious real property because of the religious character of the property. Counts three and six of the superseding indictment charge Day with using fire to commit a federal felony offense.
If convicted, Day faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the arson charges, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the civil rights charges, and a minimum penalty of ten years in prison for the use of fire to commit a federal felony offense.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Jackson Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi State Fire Marshal, and the Wiggins Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner for the Southern District of Mississippi and Trial
Attorney Chloe Neely of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mississippi Man Indicted for Federal Civil Rights and Arson Charges for Setting Fire to Mormon ChurchRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Gulfport, Mississippi, returned a six-count superseding indictment today charging Stefan Day, also known as Stefan Pete Day Rowold, with federal civil rights and arson violations for vandalizing and setting fire to a house of worship.
According to the superseding indictment, on July 5, 2024, and July 7, 2024, Day set fire to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Wiggins, Mississippi. Counts one and four of the superseding indictment charge Day with arson for setting fire to the church. Counts two and five of the superseding indictment charge Day with intentionally damaging, defacing, and destroying religious real property because of the religious character of the property. Counts three and six of the superseding indictment charge Day with using fire to commit a federal felony offense.
If convicted, Day faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the arson charges, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the civil rights charges, and a minimum penalty of ten years in prison for the use of fire to commit a federal felony offense.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Jackson Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi State Fire Marshal, and the Wiggins Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner for the Southern District of Mississippi and Trial Attorney Chloe Neely of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Minnesota State Senator Charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota state Senator Justin David Eichorn has been charged via federal criminal complaint with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to the criminal complaint, on March 12, 2025, Bloomington Police detectives began an undercover operation to target commercial sex involving juveniles. Law enforcement placed online advertisements offering commercial sex. Unbeknownst to the prospective sex buyers, it was in fact undercover law enforcement officers who received and responded to the messages.
On March 11, 2025, undercover officers began receiving messages from Eichorn, age 40, inquiring, “I saw your post and [sic] chance you are still available tonight?” and then later, “What’s a guy gota do to get with the hottest girl online tonight.” Over the course of messaging over several days, the undercover officer repeatedly said that she was not 18 but was, in fact, 17 years old. Even so, Eichorn proceeded to ask the undercover officer about pricing for various sex acts she might perform, and then Eichorn arranged an in-person meet-up to pay for commercial sex. Eichorn also requested that the undercover officer—whom he believed to be a 17-year-old minor—send him “a naught[y] pic” including one “with lot less clothes.” Eichorn arrived at the agreed-upon location to find law enforcement waiting to apprehend him. In his car, among other things, law enforcement found cash and a condom.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office has no tolerance for public officials who violate federal law—particularly those laws meant to protect children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “I am grateful to the Bloomington Police Department, to the FBI, and to all law enforcement officers who use undercover operations to identify and arrest child sex predators to prevent them from abusing real children.”
“The actions alleged in this case are an appalling attempt to exploit an innocent and vulnerable minor," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our partners are committed to protecting children from predators who seek to harm them. Every child deserves to grow up in a safe environment, free from the threat of exploitation.”
“If you come to the Orange Jumpsuit District looking to have sex with someone’s child, expect to leave in handcuffs,” said Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges. “We will not tolerate predators in our community. I have long advocated for stronger penalties for these crimes, and this case is yet another example of why tougher laws are necessary. Our state legislature must take this issue seriously—protecting children should never be up for debate.”
Eichorn was charged by complaint today in U.S. District Court with one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution and Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Michigan man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to a conspiracy to import and sell illegal pharmaceuticals, including opioids, and to fund the operation of the scheme by fraudulently obtaining a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan.
Donald Nchamukong, 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States, to commit loan fraud and to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2025.
Starting in 2019 and continuing to 2022, Nchamukong and a co-conspirator, Doyal Kalita, conspired to distribute drugs to persons in the United States over the internet and using call centers in India. Nchamukong used shell companies, including a purported dietary supplements company and an auto parts supplier, and associated bank and merchant accounts to process sales of illegal foreign drugs, including the Schedule IV opioid, tramadol. Nchamukong and Kalita also received shipments of tramadol from India and reshipped the drug to customers across the United States, including in Massachusetts. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Nchamukong and Kalita fraudulently obtained a $200,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan to fund their illegal drug scheme.
Kalita was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating the online drug distribution scheme and a technical support fraud scheme and related money laundering.
The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the monetary gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New York, Small Business Administration and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial, and Cyber Fraud Unit, is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Miami Bank Employee Guilty of Embezzling Deceased Customer’s MoneyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami man who used his position as an employee at an international financial institution to embezzle over $190,000 from a deceased customer’s accounts pled guilty to a federal information yesterday in the Southern District of Florida.
Billy Gedeon, 34, admitted the following: After learning that one of the bank’s regular customers had died, Gedeon went into the deceased customer’s accounts several times without authorization. In 2023, Gedeon stole over $19ok from one of the accounts by forging the deceased customer’s signature on a bank form (which closed the account), withdrawing all the money, and depositing it into Gedeon’s personal account at another bank.
Senior U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno set Gedeon’s sentencing for June, 10 at 10:00AM Eastern Time. Gedeon faces a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison. Judge Moreno will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors when arriving at a sentence.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-OIG) made the announcement.
U.S. Secret Service and FRB-OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Latoya C. Brown of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea R. Rooney of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20067.
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Mexican national indicted for assaulting federal agentRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Mexican national with physically attacking a federal law enforcement agent.
According to court documents, Diego Barron-Esquivel, 23, of Wichita was indicted on one count of forcible assault of a federal officer.
In February 2025, Barron-Esquivel is accused of forcibly assaulting and causing bodily harm to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer while the officer was performing his official duties.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Charles Wayne Franke, 21, of Wellington, Kansas, was indicted on two counts of sexual exploitation of a child-production of child pornography, four counts of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case.
Juan Francisco Ulloa-Gonzalez, 46, was indicted on one count of reentry of a removed alien. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting 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.An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Mexican National Previously Deported Sentenced to Six Years for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican National illegally residing in Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Mario Alberto Hernandez-Lugo, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to six years in federal prison without parole.
On August 1, 2024, Hernandez-Lugo pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Hernandez-Lugo admitted he was in possession of a Beretta, 9mm pistol and .45 caliber and 9mm ammunition following his arrest during a traffic stop by Independence, Missouri Police Officers on May 28, 2023.
Under federal law it is illegal for any alien knowingly illegally or unlawfully in the United States to possess a firearm or ammunition. Hernandez-Lugo admitted he was in the United States illegally, having been previously deported and removed from the United States. At sentencing District Judge Greg Kays noted that Hernandez-Lugo had previously been deported or removed from the United States on seven separate occasions.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Kansas City and Independence, Missouri Police Departments, and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to over Twenty Years Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman who worked with others to distribute a significant amount of methamphetamine was sentenced March 17, 2025, to more than 24 years in federal prison.
Candace Sue Thein, age 42, from Dike, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 3, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Evidence disclosed at sentencing showed that, from December 2023 through May 22, 2024, Thein worked with others to receive numerous packages of ice methamphetamine and marijuana from a source of supply in California. In total, the group received over 50 pounds of methamphetamine from the source of supply in California, which the group then redistributed to individuals in Waterloo, Dike, Reinbeck, and Hudson, Iowa. Law enforcement searched several of the residences of individuals receiving these packages, including Thein’s residence in Dike, on May 22, 2024. In the early morning hours of June 15, 2024, Thein and two other individuals went to the residence of one of Thein’s drug customers, demanding money. The two other individuals threatened to kill Thein’s drug customer, while Thein broke into the drug customer’s residence and stole his cellphone.
Thein was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Thein was sentenced to 292 months’ imprisonment, and she must also serve a three‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Thein is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; United States Postal Service; the Tri‑County Drug Enforcement Task Force, consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Mid‑Iowa Drug Trask Force; the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa State Patrol; and the Santa Ana, California Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-00052-CJW.
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Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Travel with Intent to Engage in Unlawful Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Frank Twing, Sr. age 33, of West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old victim and travel with intent to engage in unlawful sexual conduct with an approximately 12-year-old victim. 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.
Twing admitted that he engaged in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old child during which he created sexually explicit videos depicting that child. He also admitted to traveling from his home in Massachusetts to New York, planning to have sex with an approximately 12-year-old child.
Twing will also have to forfeit to the United States the property he used to commit the offenses, pay special assessments, and is required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the New York State Police, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Benjamin A. Gillis are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Les 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.
Maryland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Pandemic Relief Loan Fraud and Commercial Loan FraudRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Andra Shirone Thompson, 48, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to a year and a day for two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Thompson pled guilty to conspiring to defraud Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act loan programs and his role in a years-long scheme to defraud commercial equipment financing companies. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised released and ordered to forfeit $847,280, and pay $813,363.01 in restitution to the victims of his schemes.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, made the announcement with Supervisory Official Matthew Galeotti, Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C., Field Office; Jeffrey D. Pittano, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region; Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite, Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to his guilty plea, Thompson admitted to participating in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of companies he controlled. The companies included Alpha Bravo Tango LLC., Senergy Consulting Group Inc., and Novus Ordo Seclorum LLC. Through the scheme, Thompson fraudulently obtained $716,375. He spent a portion of the proceeds on vehicles, including a 2014 Lamborghini Aventador, and on renovating a home in North Carolina.
Thompson also joined a conspiracy to defraud equipment financing companies by submitting fraudulent invoices that falsely showed the sale of substantial quantities of computer servers and related equipment. Thompson and his co-conspirators caused borrowers to submit fraudulent invoices to lenders to support their loan applications to purchase items. After approval, lenders deposited loan proceeds into accounts controlled by Thompson and his co-conspirators. The lenders were unaware that the sales on the invoices never occurred. Thompson and his co-conspirators typically “kicked back” a portion of the proceeds to the borrower who submitted the application and kept the rest for themselves. Thompson personally participated in three executions of this scheme, causing approximately $813,362 in fraudulently induced lending.
Additionally, the co-conspirators caused more than $60 million of fraudulently induced lending across more than 350 separate loans through this scheme. Thompson’s principal co-conspirator, Craig David Davis, 49, of Venice, California, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and was sentenced earlier this month to 93 months incarceration.
Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses, through the PPP, administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA also offered an EIDL and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the IRS-CI, FDIC-OIG, SBA-OIG, and the FBI who investigated the case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Wenner, along with Trial Attorney David A. Peters from the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Longtime Rollin’ 60s Crips Leader and Show Business Entrepreneur Charged in Federal Complaint Alleging Racketeering CrimesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A longtime leader of the South Los Angeles-based Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips street gang – who also is an entertainment entrepreneur and a self-proclaimed community activist – has been charged in a federal complaint alleging he ran a criminal enterprise that committed a series of racketeering crimes, including extortion, human trafficking, fraud, and the 2021 murder of an aspiring rap musician, the Justice Department announced today.
Eugene Henley Jr., 58, a.k.a. “Big U,” of the Hyde Park neighborhood of South Los Angeles, is charged in the complaint with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
Two other alleged members of the criminal enterprise – Sylvester Robinson, 59, a.k.a. “Vey,” of Northridge, and Mark Martin, 50, a.k.a. “Bear Claw,” of the Beverlywood area of Los Angeles – were arrested today on the same criminal complaint in which Henley is charged.
Robinson, and Martin are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Henley is considered a fugitive.
“The allegations in the complaint unsealed today reveal a criminal enterprise that engaged in murder, extortion, human trafficking, and fraud – all led by a supposed anti-gang activist and purported music entrepreneur who was nothing more than a violent street criminal,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Eliminating gangs and organized crime is the Department of Justice’s top priority. Today’s charges and arrests target the leadership of this criminal outfit and will make the neighborhoods of Los Angeles safer. I am grateful for the work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners.”
“The lead defendant and others in this case have for too long gotten away with violent acts and stealing money from taxpayers and well-intentioned donors whether they use intimidation tactics or wield influence as purportedly rehabilitated original gangsters,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI and our partners have worked for four years to bring justice in this case and will continue to root out this kind of criminal behavior plaguing the streets of Los Angeles.”
In total, law enforcement in the last 24 hours arrested 10 Rollin’ 60s members and associates who are charged with various federal crimes, including drug trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and firearms offenses. Four defendants already were in custody. Law enforcement is seeking the whereabouts of five other defendants – three of whom are expected to be in custody shortly. Two defendants, including Henley, are considered fugitives.
According to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint filed Monday and unsealed today, from 2010 to the present, Henley’s criminal group – identified in court documents as the “Big U Enterprise” – operated as a mafia-like organization that utilized Henley’s stature and long-standing association with the Rollin’ 60s and other street gangs to intimidate businesses and individuals in Los Angeles. Henley is widely regarded as a leader within the Rollin’ 60s and rose to prominence in the street gang during the 1980s.
While the Big U Enterprise at times partnered with the Rollin’s 60s and other criminal elements for mutual benefit, the Big U Enterprise is a distinct and independent criminal enterprise engaged in criminal activity including murder, extortion, robbery, trafficking and exploiting sex workers, fraud, and illegal gambling.
For example, in January 2021, Henley murdered a victim – identified in the affidavit as “R.W.” – an aspiring musician signed to Uneek Music, Henley and Martin’s music label. Shortly before R.W.’s murder, Henley and Uneek Music paid for R.W. to travel to Las Vegas to record music at a Grammy Award-winning music producer’s studio.
But R.W. did not record at the agreed-upon rate and instead recorded a defamatory song about Henley, causing Henley and Robinson to travel to Las Vegas to confront him. Henley allegedly drove R.W. to North Las Vegas, shot him in the head, and dragged the victim’s body off Interstate 15 into the desert and left it in a ditch. Henley returned to Los Angeles with Robinson and ordered studio workers to leave while his associate removed security surveillance footage from the studio. Henley allegedly later ordered witnesses to not speak with law enforcement about R.W.’s murder.
Not only did the enterprise expand its power through violence, fear, and intimidation, but it also used social media platforms, documentaries, podcasts, interviews, and Henley’s reputation and status as an “O.G.” (original gangster) to create fame for – and stoke fear of – the Big U Enterprise, its members, and its associates.
In furtherance of the enterprise, Henley allegedly submitted a fraudulent application for a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan in which he claimed that Uneek Music was operating at a $200,000 profit in 2019 despite operating at a $5,000 loss that year, which should have disqualified it from loan eligibility.
The enterprise also enriched itself by defrauding donors to nonprofit entities under the control of the Big U Enterprise, including Henley’s charity, Developing Options, a Hyde Park-based nonprofit. Henley marketed Developing Options as giving South Los Angeles youth alternative choices to gang violence, drugs, and other criminal activity. But the Big U Enterprise allegedly used it as a front for fraudulent purposes and to insulate its members from suspicion by law enforcement.
Henley allegedly embezzled large donations that celebrities and award-winning companies made to Developing Options, which Henley immediately converted to his personal bank account. According to the complaint, Developing Options is primarily funded through the City of Los Angeles’s Mayor’s Office through the Gang Reduction Youth Development (GRYD) Foundation, portions of which receive federal funding, but also receives donations from prominent sources, including NBA players.
“The RICO charges against Mr. Henley and his associates reflect a pattern of crimes that runs the gambit from extortion to tax evasion, all under the umbrella of a well-organized criminal organization led by Mr. Henley,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Additionally, Mr. Henley allegedly duped the County of Los Angeles by running a charitable organization that promoted anti-gang solutions while continuing criminal activity that was directly contrary to his charity. IRS-CI is proud to partner with fellow law enforcement organizations to investigate these criminal organizations to protect our communities from further harm.”
“From day one, the Los Angeles Police Department has been proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the FBI in this critical investigation,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. “The invaluable expertise provided by the Operations South Bureau FBI Task Force on the Rollin’ 60’s criminal street gang has played a pivotal role in securing these charges. This is a major step forward in our ongoing fight against gang violence, and it brings hope and relief to a community that has endured far too much. Together, we will continue to protect and serve, working tirelessly to ensure the safety of our neighborhoods.”
Criminal complaints and indictments contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Henley would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. If convicted, Robinson, and Martin would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs; IRS Criminal Investigation; the United States Department of Justice Office of Inspector General; the Los Angeles Police Department; and the North Las Vegas Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Littleton Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for False Tax Return PreparationRead the Press Release
DENVER — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces Thuan Bui, 60, of Littleton, Colorado, was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 36 months in federal prison, one year of supervised release, and a $50,000 fine, after pleading guilty to one count of aiding or assisting in preparation of false documents.
According to the plea agreement, from about 2016 to 2021, Bui operated a tax preparation business that operated under several names. Bui falsely told his clients he was a certified public accountant. During that time, and on hundreds of tax returns, Bui understated his clients’ tax liability by overstating or falsely creating expenses on the Schedule C form which is used to report income or loss on a business.
“This defendant willfully and repeatedly abused his clients’ trust when his job was to help them accurately file their annual tax returns,” said Acting United States Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “I encourage all taxpayers to be vigilant during the ongoing tax season to make sure their information is captured and reported accurately.”
“Tax preparers are entrusted to file accurate and truthful tax returns on behalf of their clients to ensure they are meeting their tax obligations,” said Amanda Prestegard, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations Denver Field Office. “Bui violated that trust and federal tax laws in the process. Identifying these fraudulent preparers remains a top priority for IRS-CI and we will continue holding them accountable.”
United States District Court Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing.
The case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Weber handled the prosecution.
Lewiston Woman Sentenced, Ordered to Repay $90,674 for Defrauding Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for Social Security fraud.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Donna Desrosiers, 62, to one year of probation and ordered her to pay $90,674 in restitution. Desrosiers pleaded guilty on October 21, 2024.
According to court records, Desrosiers began receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in 2003. At that time, she was informed that she was required to report any changes in her household composition, income, or resources. In a 2012 eligibility review, Desrosiers was reminded of her reporting responsibilities yet did not indicate that her husband was part of her household or that he contributed any income. She received additional reminders of her reporting responsibilities over the years. In 2022, she acknowledged being married to her husband but claimed they had not lived together since 2003, the year she became eligible for SSI. The investigation showed that the couple deposited their funds into a joint bank account.
During an October 2022 interview with investigators, Desrosiers admitted that her husband lived with her and stayed at her apartment at least part of each month for the previous 11 years. When investigators asked what would have happened if she had reported the presence of her husband in her household, she responded, “They would probably take my check.” From 2011 to 2022, Desrosiers fraudulently collected approximately $90,674 in SSI benefits.
SSA’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
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Leader of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios Pleads Guilty to Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former leader of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios gang pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges.
Aaron Diaz Liranzo, a/k/a “Sosa,” 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2025. Diaz Liranzo was arrested and charged in February 2025 at which time he was the Leader of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios.
The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to or organize and execute violence, and undertaken extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.
In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multi jurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. Diaz Liranzo is the sixth Defendant to plead guilty.
During a period from at least 2021 through 2025, Diaz Liranzo served as the Primera or Number One of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios. Diaz Liranzo admitted to participating in a shooting that took place in March 2019 that targeted multiple rival gang members outside of a Lynn nightclub. The victims were lured there by another member, who posed as a woman who needed a ride. Equipped with a firearm and knowledge of the victims whereabouts and vehicle they were driving, the defendant travelled to the nightclub and opened fire at the vehicle, discharging at least six rounds. During the incident, Diaz Liranzo shot two of the three victims seated in the car. Both victims suffered life-threatening injuries, but ultimately survived the incident.
The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Redd made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office; the Rockingham County District Attorney’s Office (NH); and the Andover, Boston, Lawrence, Peabody and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Leader of Multi-Year ‘Operation Fox Hunt’ Repatriation Campaign Directed by the People’s Republic of China Sentenced to 20 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, defendant Quanzhong An, 58, of Roslyn Heights, New York, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for acting as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), for his participation in a scheme to cause the coerced repatriation of a U.S. resident (the U.S. Resident) to the PRC as part of the PRC government’s international extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” In addition to the term of imprisonment, An was ordered to pay a financial penalty of approximately $5 million, including approximately $1.3 million in restitution to the U.S. Resident and his family, as well as a $50,000 fine. An pleaded guilty in May 2024 and was charged in October 2022.
As set forth in the government’s sentencing memoranda and other court filings, An was a leading member of an international campaign to threaten, harass, and intimidate the U.S. Resident and his family members, with the goal of coercing the U.S. Resident to repatriate to the PRC. An participated in the multi-year scheme to elevate his status within the PRC government as a means of furthering his own economic interests.
An’s involvement in the repatriation scheme began in 2017, when he attempted to locate the U.S. Resident by visiting the home of the U.S. Resident’s adult son, without notice or invitation. The following year, An sent his daughter, as well as two PRC government officials, to the home of the U.S. Resident’s son. An subsequently met with the U.S. Resident’s son on numerous occasions, during which time An served as a mouthpiece for the PRC by conveying threatening messages on behalf of the PRC government. For example, An said he did not want to pronounce “ruthless words” from the PRC government but stated that PRC officials would “keep pestering [the U.S. Resident’s son], [and] make [his] daily life uncomfortable” if the son was unable to convince his father to repatriate to the PRC. An’s harassment continued unabated from 2017 until his arrest in 2022. An’s conduct intimidated individuals living in the United States and their loved ones in the PRC – just as it was intended to do – for the benefit of the PRC government.
At sentencing, Judge Matsumoto considered that An participated in additional criminal conduct. Specifically, he perpetrated a bank fraud and money laundering scheme to defraud U.S. financial institutions so that he could enjoy continued access to U.S.-based bank accounts. As part of this scheme, he moved millions of dollars from the PRC into the United States, deliberately deceiving U.S. financial institutions regarding the source and purpose of the funds.
The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit the FBI’s website.
Supervisory Official Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York, and Acting Assistant Director in Charge Leslie R. Backshies of the FBI New York Field Office made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Solomon, Meredith A. Arfa, and Antoinette N. Rangel for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Claire S. Kedeshian of the Eastern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters and Madeline O’Connor and Daniel Saavedra of the Eastern District of New York’s Financial Litigation Program are assisting with restitution matters.
Leader of Multi-Year "Operation Fox Hunt" Repatriation Campaign Directed by the People’s Republic of China Sentenced to 20 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, defendant Quanzhong An was sentenced by United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto to 20 months in prison for acting as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), for his participation in a scheme to cause the coerced repatriation of a U.S. resident (the “U.S. Resident”) to the PRC as part of its international extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Matsumoto ordered An to pay a financial penalty of approximately $5 million, including approximately $1.3 million in restitution to the U.S. Resident and his family, as well as a $50,000 fine. An pleaded guilty in May 2024 and was charged in October 2022.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Sue Bai, Supervisory Official and head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Leslie R. Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (“FBI”) announced the sentences.
“Quanzhong An acted at the direction of the PRC government to harass and intimidate individuals living on U.S. soil as part of a pernicious scheme to force their repatriation to the PRC,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Thanks to our collective efforts, the scheme failed, and the defendant has been brought to justice. Our Office remains steadfast in its efforts to protect both U.S. national security interests and individuals living in our District from transnational repression schemes perpetrated by hostile foreign powers.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations for its work on the case.
“For years, Quanzhong An threatened, harassed, and attempted to intimidate a U.S. resident and his family at the behest of the People’s Republic of China, with the ultimate goal of strong-arming the individual into leaving the United States and returning to China to face an unknown fate. Today’s sentencing represents justice for this victim and his family, and demonstrates to others that the FBI is committed to protecting all victims of transnational repression,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Backschies. “Threats, harassment, and intimidation – whether perpetrated by individuals or nation states – will not be tolerated in this country, and the FBI will continue to lead the charge to protect all individuals who are threatened and harassed on U.S. soil.”
As set forth in the government’s sentencing memoranda and other court filings, An was a leading member of an international campaign to threaten, harass, and intimidate the U.S. Resident and his family members, with the goal of coercing the U.S. Resident to repatriate to the PRC. An participated in the multi-year scheme to elevate his status within the PRC government as a means of furthering his own economic interests.
An’s involvement in the repatriation scheme began in 2017, when he attempted to locate the U.S. Resident by visiting the home of the U.S. Resident’s adult son, without notice or invitation. The following year, An sent his daughter, as well as two PRC government officials, to the home of the U.S. Resident’s son. An subsequently met with the U.S. Resident’s son on numerous occasions, during which time An served as a mouthpiece for the PRC by conveying threatening messages on behalf of the PRC government. For example, An said he did not want to pronounce “ruthless words” from the PRC government but stated that PRC officials would “keep pestering [the U.S. Resident’s son], [and] make [his] daily life uncomfortable” if the son was unable to convince his father to repatriate to the PRC. An’s harassment continued unabated from 2017 until his arrest in 2022. An’s conduct intimidated individuals living in the United States and their loved ones in the PRC – just as it was intended to do – for the benefit of the PRC government.
At sentencing, Judge Matsumoto considered that An participated in additional criminal conduct. Specifically, he perpetrated a bank fraud and money laundering scheme to defraud U.S. financial institutions so that he could enjoy continued access to U.S.-based bank accounts. As part of this scheme, he moved millions of dollars from the PRC into the United States, deliberately deceiving U.S. financial institutions regarding the source and purpose of the funds.
The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Solomon, Meredith A. Arfa, and Antoinette N. Rangel are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistant United States Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters and Assistant United States Attorneys Madeline O’Connor and Daniel Saavedra of the Office’s Financial Litigation Program are assisting with restitution matters.
The Defendant:
QUANZHONG AN
Age: 58
Roslyn Heights, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-460 (KAM)
Lead Defendant in Federal Case Against High-End Brothel Network Sentenced to Four Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The manager responsible for operating an interstate prostitution network of sophisticated high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia was sentenced today in federal court in Boston.
Han Lee, 42, of Cambridge, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to four years in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered pay forfeiture in the amount of $5,418,572 and restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. In September 2024, Lee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Han Lee was arrested and charged in November 2023 with co-defendants Junmyung Lee, 31, of Dedham, Mass., and James Lee, 69, of Torrance, Calif. The defendants were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024.“Han Lee didn’t just recruit women to sell their bodies for sex – she built a criminal enterprise designed to thrive in the shadows, evading law enforcement while profiting off her victims like commodities,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “We will relentlessly pursue and prosecute those who exploit vulnerable women through interstate sex trafficking and launder their illicit gains. Those who engage in this conduct will be identified, held accountable and sent to federal prison. Full stop.”
“Han Lee and her co-conspirators crafted an elaborate scheme to set up an interstate commercial sex network and to hide their activity by laundering the proceeds. This secretive and covert industry treats women like commodities and provides no protection for the safety and wellbeing of the participants. Today’s sentence reinforces the seriousness of this crime and our commitment to use every investigative tool we have to pursue justice,” said Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol.
From at least July 2020, Han Lee operated an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Mass., as well as in Fairfax and Tysons, Va. The defendant established the infrastructure for these brothels in multiple states for the purposes of persuading, inducing and enticing women – primarily Asian women – to travel to Massachusetts and Virginia to engage in prostitution.
Specifically, Han Lee and her co-defendants, rented high-end apartments as brothel locations, which they furnished and regularly maintained. The defendants coordinated the women’s airline travel and transportation and permitted them to stay overnight in the brothel locations so they did not have to find lodging elsewhere, therefore enticing women to participate in their prostitution network. To protect and maintain the secrecy of the business and ensure that the women did not draw attention to the prostitution work inside apartment buildings, Han Lee and her co-defendants established house rules for the women during their stays.
The defendants advertised their prostitution network and offered appointments with women in either greater Boston or eastern Virginia via bostontopten10.com and browneyesgirlsva.blog, respectively. Both websites purported to advertise nude models for professional photography at upscale studios as a front for prostitution offered through appointments. Investigators searched and seized the domain names for both websites pursuant to search warrants executed in November 2023.Additionally, each website described a verification process that interested sex buyers undertook to become eligible for appointment bookings– including requiring that clients complete a form providing their full names, email address, phone number, employer and reference if they had one. Han Lee and her co-defendants persuaded the women to work for their prostitution network because the business maintained a regular customer base of men that were adequately screened, ensuring that the customers were not members of law enforcement or men who posed a risk to the safety and security of the commercial sex workers.
Han Lee and her co-defendants maintained local brothel phone numbers which they used to communicate with verified customers and schedule appointments via text messages; send customers a “menu” of available options at the brothel, including the women and sexual services available and the hourly rate; and to text customers directions to the brothel’s location where they engaged in commercial sex with the women.
According to the charging documents, the defendants charged sex buyers a premium price for appointments with the women advertised on their websites, which ranged from approximately $350 to upwards of $600 per hour depending on the services and were paid in cash. In total, Han Lee’s brothel network generated over $5.6 million in revenue from approximately 9,450 scheduled dates with sex buyers.
To conceal the proceeds of the prostitution network, Han Lee deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash proceeds into personal and third-party bank accounts and peer-to-peer transfers. Additionally, the defendants regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds. These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at brothel locations in Massachusetts and Virginia.
In October 2024, Junmyung Lee pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18, 2025. James Lee pleaded guilty in February 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2025.Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should contact [email protected].
U.S. Attorney Foley; HSI SAC Krol; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Central District of California; Eastern District of Virginia; U.S. Postal Service; the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquelle Kaye, of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case.
Last Sentence Imposed in Massachusetts-to-Vermont Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on March 13, 2025, Christopher Morgan, 21, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 78 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Morgan previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to court records, Christopher Morgan and co-defendant Javon Calderon spent substantial time in Bennington, Vermont, in 2022 distributing fentanyl and cocaine. During a portion of that time, Morgan and Calderon were hosted by co-defendants and Bennington residents Shavonne Doucette and Kyle Winnie. Morgan and Calderon employed locals to sell drugs for them. Doucette and Winnie also occasionally sold drugs for Morgan and Calderon.
In early September 2022, inside the Doucette/Winnie residence, Calderon and Morgan threatened with firearms and assaulted one such local distributor over a drug debt. Portions of the assault were captured on video and depicted Calderon striking and threatening the victim and holding a firearm to the victim’s neck while making threats. The video depicted Morgan pointing a firearm at the victim and issuing threats. The victim sustained scalp injuries that required staples.
Like Morgan, Calderon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. On December 23, 2024, Chief Judge Reiss sentenced Calderon to 85 months of imprisonment to be followed by an 8-year term of supervised release. Doucette and Winnie pleaded guilty to making their residence available for the distribution of fentanyl and cocaine. On January 21, 2025, Doucette was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison to be followed a 3-year term of supervised release. On February 18, 2025, Winnie was sentenced to time-served followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the HSI Special Response Team, the Vermont State Police, the Bennington Police Department, the Bennington County Sheriff’s Department, the Rutland City Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne Smith. Morgan was represented by Peter Langrock, Esq.; Calderon was represented by Devin McKnight, Esq; Doucette was represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq.; Winnie was represented by Jordana Levine, Esq.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Justice Department Announces Actions to Combat Cost-of-Living Crisis, Including Rescinding 11 Pieces of GuidanceRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it is taking action in response to President Trump’s Presidential Memorandum “Delivering Emergency Price Relief for American Families and Defeating the Cost-of-Living Crisis.” First, the Department is withdrawing 11 pieces of guidance to streamline Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance resources for American businesses. Next, the Department is raising awareness about tax incentives for businesses related to their compliance with the ADA.
The Jan. 20 Presidential Memorandum described the regulatory demands put in place by the prior administration and called on the heads of all executive departments and agencies to take appropriate actions to lower the cost of living throughout the country. Today’s withdrawal of 11 pieces of unnecessary and outdated guidance will aid businesses in complying with the ADA by eliminating unnecessary review and focusing only on current ADA guidance. Avoiding confusion and reducing the time spent understanding compliance may allow businesses to deliver price relief to consumers.
In addition, to further the goals of the Presidential Memorandum and to aid businesses during tax season, the Department is highlighting tax incentives available for businesses to help cover the costs of making access improvements for customers or employees with disabilities. The Department expects that small businesses will find this reminder helpful in reducing costs, especially as they prepare their tax filings. An explanation of these tax incentives is featured prominently on the ADA.gov website.
“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that businesses and members of the public can easily understand their rights and obligations, including the tax incentives that are available to help businesses comply with the ADA,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Putting money back into the pockets of business owners helps everyone by allowing those businesses to pass on cost savings to consumers and bolster the economy.”
The Department has identified the following 11 pieces of guidance for withdrawal:
- COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Can a business stop me from bringing in my service animal because of the COVID-19 pandemic? (2021)
- COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Does the Department of Justice issue exemptions from mask requirements? (2021)
- COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Are there resources available that help explain my rights as an employee with a disability during the COVID-19 pandemic? (2021)
- COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Can a hospital or medical facility exclude all “visitors” even where, due to a patient’s disability, the patient needs help from a family member, companion, or aide in order to equally access care? (2021)
- COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Does the ADA apply to outdoor restaurants (sometimes called “streateries”) or other outdoor retail spaces that have popped up since COVID-19? (2021)
- Expanding Your Market: Maintaining Accessible Features in Retail Establishments (2009)
- Expanding Your Market: Gathering Input from Customers with Disabilities (2007)
- Expanding Your Market: Accessible Customer Service Practices for Hotel and Lodging Guests with Disabilities (2006)
- Reaching out to Customers with Disabilities (2005)
- Americans with Disabilities Act: Assistance at Self-Serve Gas Stations (1999)
- Five Steps to Make New Lodging Facilities Comply with the ADA (1999)
Jury: Defendant is Guilty of Hostage Taking and Murdering U.S. Citizen in TijuanaRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Brian Alexis Patron Lopez was found guilty by a federal jury today for his role in the kidnapping, hostage taking, torture, and murder of 18-year-old M.A.R., a U.S. citizen whose death was punishment for a dispute over a stolen load of methamphetamine that was supposed to have been smuggled into the United States.
The jury deliberated for less than a full day at the end of a seven-day trial. The jury found Patron guilty on all counts, including Intentional Killing While Engaged in Drug Trafficking, Hostage Taking Resulting in Death, and Conspiracy to Commit Hostage Taking Resulting in Death.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy, where a young man lost his life, leaving his family shattered,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “Drug traffickers are ruthless and will stop at nothing. But their resolve pales in comparison to the commitment of the United States to the safety of its citizens wherever they may be. This kidnapping and murder of a U.S. citizen happened in the dark corners and remote ravines of Tijuana, at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the incredible assistance of FBI San Diego and our Mexican counterparts, our prosecution team did not rest until justice was served for the victims of this heinous senseless cruelty.”
“Today’s verdict is an impactful outcome to a ruthless, vicious, and violent hostage taking and murder, and brings justice to the victim’s family,” said San Diego FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “FBI San Diego will continue to be a formidable force against drug cartels and cartel violence, which threaten the safety and security of Americans both here and abroad and devastate our communities.”
Patron is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2025, before U.S. District Judge William Q. Hayes.
The victim was abducted from a hotel in Tijuana, Mexico on May 29, 2020. He was then beaten, tortured, and finally shot to death, all while his attackers sought a ransom from his family. His body was recovered on a hillside in Tijuana six days later.
According to evidence presented at trial, on May 29, 2020, at approximately 11:57 p.m., Patron and others forcibly removed the victim from his hotel room. Patron and others punched, kicked, and pistol-whipped M.A.R. Once subdued, the attackers put M.A.R. in a waiting car and drove away.
Patron and his co-conspirators then drove M.A.R. to Patron’s neighborhood, where they continued to beat and torture M.A.R. At around the same time, Patron and his co-conspirators began to make ransom demands on M.A.R.’s family over texts and calls, with the demand ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 to methamphetamine in exchange for M.A.R.’s release.
In the afternoon of May 30, 2020, Patron and his co-conspirators brought M.A.R. to a different motel and then to an apartment before bringing him to a deserted hillside on the night of May 30, 2020. There, Patron fatally shot M.A.R., even as his family attempted to pay his ransom.
During the trial, the government presented evidence connecting Patron to the crimes, including Facebook messages between Patron and co-conspirators about the crimes, plus surveillance video that captured the kidnapping outside a Tijuana hotel. In that video, Patron wore a jacket that matched the one he wore earlier in the night. Patron’s bracelet was left behind at the kidnapping and was later recovered by law enforcement. Patron was wearing the same bracelet in Facebook photos posted before the murder. Jurors were also presented with the call logs and WhatsApp messages with the ransom demands and proof-of-life evidence.
Assistant U. S. Attorneys Mario Peia and Alexandra F. Foster prosecuted this case.
DEFENDANT Case Number 21CR1683-WQH
Brian Alexis Patron Lopez Age: 23 Tijuana
AKA Leobardo Garcia
SUMMARY OF CHARGE
Intentional Killing While Engaged in Drug Trafficking, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §848(e)(1)(A)
Maximum Penalty: Life in Prison
Minimum Penalty: Twenty years in Prison
Hostage Taking Resulting in Death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1203
Maximum Penalty: Life in Prison
Minimum Penalty: Life in Prison
Conspiracy to Take Hostages Resulting in Death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1203.
Maximum Penalty: Life in Prison
Minimum Penalty: Life in Prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. [use if applicable] Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter While Armed for a Murder at a Gender-Reveal PartyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Superior Court Jury found Nyjell Outler, 22, of Washington, D.C., guilty, yesterday, of voluntary manslaughter while armed for the March 2021 shooting death of 21-year-old Demetris Johnson on Madison Street NE, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In addition to the manslaughter charge, the jury found Outler guilty of aggravated assault while armed for the shooting of Daloni Williams. Superior Court Judge Jason Park scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2025.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on March 20, 2021, Outler arrived at a gender-reveal party with an AK-style rifle (known as a “Draco”) in a backpack. He was at the party for a little more than a half hour before the shooting. After interacting with different guests throughout the evening, at approximately 7:43 p.m., he stepped away from the driveway of the home where he had been hanging out, pulled the Draco out of his backpack, held it at his right side, and returned to the driveway where Demetris Johnson, Daloni Williams, and another young man were standing. With dozens of other guests inside the house and in the fenced-in area just off the driveway, Outler approached with the gun. When Daloni Williams took a couple steps toward the defendant with his arm extended, as if to say, “put that away” the defendant raised the Draco and shot Daloni Williams twice, from point-blank range. The defendant then pivoted and pulled the trigger two more times as Demetris Johnson and the other young man on the driveway were trying to run away. One of the shots hit Demetris Johnson in the back. Outler then ran from the area. Demetris Johnson died in the backyard of the house hosting the gender reveal party. Daloni Williams spent nine days in the hospital after emergency surgery to save his leg and had to undergo months of physical therapy.
At the time of the shooting, the defendant was wearing a GPS monitor due to an arrest for possessing another Draco in February 2021. About 2 hours after fleeing from 1 Madison St., he cut off his GPS. He was on the run for 11 months and was placed on the U.S. Marshal Service’s Top 15 most wanted list. Finally, in February 2022, the defendant was arrested in Florida following an anonymous tip.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They thanked the U.S. Marshals Service and its task force officers for their diligent work in capturing the defendant. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Mabry Johnson and Sharon Newman, Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams, Victim/Witness Service Coordinators Katina Adams Washington and Shanika McCullough, and Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis Clark, Kristian Hinson, and Yasmin Emrani, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jennifer LaBonte Imprisoned for Embezzling from EmployerRead the Press Release
Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Jennifer LaBonte, 45, of Essex Junction, was sentenced on Monday in United States District Court in Rutland to four months of imprisonment following her guilty plea to a charge of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier also ordered that LaBonte serve a one-year period of supervised release following completion of her prison sentence. She also ordered LaBonte to pay $192,675 in restitution and a $7500 fine. The court noted that, prior to sentencing, LaBonte had paid in full her restitution obligation. LaBonte must surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on May 6 to begin serving her sentence.
Last October, the United States Attorney filed an information charging LaBonte with a single count of wire fraud. That is the charge to which she pleaded guilty. According to the information, between 2001 and January 2024, LaBonte was employed by automobile dealerships located in Burlington. From about 2012 until her termination, LaBonte served as office manager for the dealerships, a position that gave her oversight over all accounting matters. LaBonte had check-signing authority.
The information charged that, beginning no later than 2013, LaBonte began embezzling from the dealerships. For the most part, LaBonte stole cash receipts that had been paid over by dealership customers, but she also issued checks to herself for non-business-related purposes. LaBonte tried to cover up her thefts by manipulating and falsifying entries about individual transactions in the dealerships’ computerized accounting systems. An officer at the dealerships uncovered the fraud in January 2024 and LaBonte was immediately fired. The total loss resulting from her embezzlement was about $192,000.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
LaBonte is represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Jamaican National Charged with Illegal Reentry by A Previously Deported AlienRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Garville Gary Gayle (36, Jamaica) with illegal reentry by a previously deported or removed alien. If convicted, Gayle faces up to ten years in federal prison.
According to the complaint, Gayle is a Jamaican citizen and national who was previously removed from the United States on November 19, 2009, and again on May 26, 2016. Prior to being removed from the United States, he was convicted of felony offenses, including illegal reentry by a previously removed alien. He has never applied to the Attorney General of the United States and/or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for permission to re-enter the United States. On April 29, 2024, Gayle was found voluntarily back in the United States.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO), the Orlando Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Del Mastro.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indian National Found Guilty of Possession with Intent to Distribute More than 170 Pounds of MDMA in Eastern WashingtonRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced today that a jury returned a verdict in the federal trial of Jaskaran Singh, age 31, who is a native of Punjab, India. Singh was found guilty of Possession with Intent to Distribute 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), which is more commonly known as “Ecstasy” or “Molly.” United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice presided over Singh’s trial, which began March 17, 2025. At sentencing, which is set for June 25, 2025, Singh faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years. He may also face removal from the United States.
The evidence presented at trial established that on April 29, 2023, at approximately 10:00 p.m., three unknown individuals tripped motion sensor cameras in a remote area just south of the U.S.-Canada border, approximately one-half-mile west of the Danville, Washington port of entry. U.S. Border Patrol officials at the Curlew Border Patrol Station saw images of these individuals, who had crossed into the United States from Canada and were carrying backpacks and a suitcase. From the U.S. side of the border, the only route to drive into or out of this area is an unestablished dead end, dirt road known as Fourth of July Creek Road.
Minutes later, Border Patrol observed a 2014 Honda Odyssey traveling east on Fourth of July Creek Road. Border Patrol Agents responded to the area and stopped Singh, who was driving the rented Honda Odyssey away from the U.S. Canada border.
From outside the van, Border Patrol agents observed backpacks and suitcase in the rear cargo area of the Odyssey. The backpacks and suitcase were same as those carried across the border by the three individuals, who tripped the motion sensor cameras just a few minutes earlier. Border Patrol Agents obtained authorization to search the van and seized 173.7 pounds of MDMA stored inside the backpacks and suitcase. Investigators later located a map of the area on Singh’s phone and messages detailing where Singh should go, when he should arrive, and directing him to “leave the back hood open.”
Testimony at trial established that the three men transported the MDMA from the Canadian side of the border by carrying the backpacks and suitcase through approximately 300 yards of remote wilderness to where Singh had parked the rented Odyssey van. The three men then returned to the Canadian side of the border, escaping apprehension by law enforcement.
Just one day before the massive seizure, Singh traveled from Northern California to Washington State. Singh had purchased his ticket just prior to the flight and then rented a car in Seattle, before driving to the remote area where the drugs were smuggled across the U.S.-Canada border.
“Mr. Singh trafficked more than 170 pounds of illegal drugs across our northern border into the United States,” stated Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker. This seizure, which was one of the largest ever in Eastern Washington, had a street value exceeding $7.8 million. Today’s guilty verdict sends a clear message that those who seek to exploit our nation’s borders by flooding our communities with dangerous controlled substances will be held accountable for their crimes.”
“The transnational drug trafficking organization for whom Singh worked had identified the ideal, isolated location in rural Washington to smuggle illegal drugs across the northern border,” continued Acting United States Attorney Barker. “Fortunately, our team of experienced Border Patrol agents were ready, and they intercepted this poison before it could harm communities in Eastern Washington.”“International drug traffickers like Mr. Singh profit by flooding our country with illicit, dangerous drugs that harm our citizens,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “I am gratified that we, at the Drug Enforcement Administration, can stand with our partners in the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold people like Mr. Singh accountable for their crimes.”
“Spokane Sector agents are vigilantly safeguarding our borders, swiftly detecting, and interdicting cross-border smuggling activities. This conviction highlights the Spokane Border Patrol Sector’s unwavering commitment to protecting communities from illicit drugs and those who attempt to smuggle them across our borders,” said Jason Liebe, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the Spokane Sector for the U.S. Border Patrol.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison L. Gregoire and Dan Fruchter.
2:23-cr-00052-TOR
Illicit Massage Parlor Operators SentencedRead the Press Release
Shaoping Wen and her son, Xu Wang, were sentenced on March 18, 2025, for their roles in operating massage parlors that operated as fronts for commercial sex operations, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In September 2024, Wen, 65, and Wang, 42, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Lubbock, Texas, for conspiracy to commit interstate travel and use of interstate facilities in aid of racketeering enterprises and other offenses related to the operation of illicit massage parlors in Texas and New Mexico and money laundering. According to court documents, Wen owned and operated at least seven massage parlors where Asian women engaged in illegal commercial sex. Wang operated the parlors on Wen’s behalf when Wen was out of state.
Shaoping Wen pled guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate travel and use of interstate facilities in aid of racketeering enterprises in November 2024. She was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, to be followed by a one-year term of supervised release. Wen was also ordered to forfeit $291,990.88 in U.S. currency and pay a money judgment of $1,771,360 to the United States.
Xu Wang pled guilty to misprision of a felony in November 2024 and was sentenced by Judge Kacsmaryk to time served (362 days), to be followed by a one-year term of supervised release.
Court documents revealed that, on at least 10 occasions between June 2023 and February 2024, undercover officers purchased massages for varying dollar amounts at Wen’s parlors in Texas and New Mexico. The officers were generally greeted by lingerie-clad women who agreed to have sex with them for an additional fee of between $140 and $200. Several of the women used translation apps to negotiate for sexual services. When the women were arrested for prostitution, they identified themselves as Chinese citizens and listed their occupation as simply, “laborer.” On several occasions, Wen or Wang facilitated payment of the arrested women’s cash bond.
Officers also observed Wen’s vehicle transporting Asian females directly from the airport to her massage parlors. Neighbors said the women never left the building. Searches of the premises revealed beds placed on the floors, suggesting the women lived at the massage parlors.
On at least one occasion, a passerby heard a woman screaming and entered the parlor to check-in. He reported seeing three women between the ages of 30 and 50 dressed in provocative clothing.
Officers found the massage parlors advertised on sites often used to advertise for commercial sex. The ads included photos of partially naked women and promoted “100% sexy” girls who “like to spend time with nice upscale gentlemen.” They advertised the “girlfriend experience,” “porn star experience,” and “fantasy outfits on request.” Prostitution is illegal in Texas and New Mexico.
In March 2024, Wen’s seven illicit massage parlors were searched. During the search, law enforcement located further evidence that the women were residing in the parlors, as well as condoms and other items indicative of sexual activity, and approximately $291,990.88 in U.S. currency. Casino records revealed that Wen frequently traveled to California to launder the proceeds of her illicit massage parlor businesses. From between January 2018 and August 2023, Wen cashed out approximately $1,771,360 in chips from the casino.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency, Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Lubbock Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, HSI’s Albuquerque Field Office, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Wolfforth Police Department, the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, the Carlsbad Police Department, the Roswell Police Department, the Clovis Police Department, the Roswell Fire Department, the Carlsbad Fire Department, the Lubbock County District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.
Human Smuggling Foot Guide Convicted of 2 Counts by Federal Jury in Del RioRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A federal jury in Del Rio convicted Nicacio Arellano-Garcia today for one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens and one count of illegal alien transportation placing lives in jeopardy.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Arellano-Garcia, 34, of Mexico, conspired to transport five illegal aliens with codefendant Alexander Galvez-Zelaya, 30, of Honduras, and other facilitators. Arellano-Garcia served as the foot guide, while Galvez-Zelaya was the driver.
Arellano-Garcia walked the five illegal aliens through the brush for two days. One of the illegal aliens fainted just before getting picked up by Galvez-Zelaya and, at some point before or entering the vehicle, the alien died. A medical examiner later confirmed the deceased illegal alien died from a combination of dehydration and environmental exposure to walking in the brush.
On Feb. 11, 2024, the illegal aliens and the foot guide were picked up in the vehicle driven by Galvez-Zelaya. A high speed chase with law enforcement ensued when a Zavala County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop for defective license plate lighting. Galvez-Zelaya exceeded speeds of 100 miles per hour and crashed into a private property fence near La Pryor. Both Arellano-Garcia and Galvez-Zelaya were arrested and confirmed to be illegally present in the United States.
Galvez-Zelaya pleaded guilty Nov. 4, 2024 to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens placing lives in jeopardy and is scheduled to be sentenced May 28. Both defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison for each count.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Warsame Galaydh and Matt Kass are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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