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28 April 2025
Two Lincoln Men Convicted by Jury for Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that a federal jury in Lincoln, Nebraska, returned a guilty verdict on April 24, 2025, against Olen Warner aka Dan Warner, age 51, and Ernesto Leyva, age 36, both of Lincoln. Warner was convicted for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogue and one count of distribution of a mixture or substance containing any fentanyl analogue and a mixture of substance containing fentanyl. Leyva was convicted for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and heroin. The verdict subjects Warner to a potential prison term of up to life and a minimum of ten years for count one and a potential prison term of up to 40 years and a minimum of five years for count two. The verdict subjects Leyva to a potential prison term of up to life and a minimum of ten years. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis presided over the trial and set sentencing as to both defendants for July 17, 2025.
Olen Warner was involved in drug trafficking meth and fentanyl in Lincoln and the District of Nebraska, since at least October 2019. Ernesto Leyva was involved in the distribution of fentanyl, pills and powder, and heroin in the Lincoln area since 2021. He also trafficked in meth. Co-defendant Danna Hespen, who had pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge, had been involved in the distribution of meth in the Lincoln area since at least 2021. She mainly dealt in meth but would also occasionally sell fentanyl and heroin.
The three began working together in earnest shortly after Hespen got out of jail in November of 2022. Phone records show that the trio was working together by December 2022. From December 2022 until July 2023 the three worked together to sell meth, fentanyl, and heroin.
Warner brought meth and fentanyl from Colorado to Hespen, Leyva, and others, in Lincoln to distribute. Over the course of the conspiracy, Warner brought pounds of meth and thousands of M30 pills to Lincoln for Hespen and Leyva to sell. Warner made trips to Colorado about once a week to pick up the drugs for Hespen and Leyva. Hespen and Leyva were dating and were often involved in transactions together. Hespen sold most of the meth and Leyva sold most of the M30 pills. They made sales together and occasionally sold each other’s product on the other’s behalf.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force and the Greater Omaha Safe Streets Task Force.
Three New Orleans Men Convicted for 2017 Edna Karr High School Double HomicideRead the Press Release
Correction: Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, especially the New Orleans Gang Task Force, the New Orleans Police Department, Sulphur Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Privitera, David Haller and Sarah Dawkins are in charge of the prosecution.
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson announced that TERRAN WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Funky” (“WILLIAMS”), TYRONE BOVIA, a/k/a “Sixx” (“BOVIA “), and JAVONTA DOLEMAN, a/k/a “Dutt” (“DOLEMAN “), all from New Orleans, were found guilty on April 21, 2025 after a two-week jury trial before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo. They were found guilty of various violations, including RICO conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, firearms conspiracy and Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering (VCAR) murder.
All three defendants were members of the Byrd Gang, which operated primarily out of the former Magnolia Housing Development, but additionally had ties to the Westbank. Its members daily distributed drugs, including heroin, fentanyl, crack cocaine and marijuana, and always possessed firearms. WILLIAMS, BOVIA and DOLEMAN participated in numerous drug trafficking activities and violent crimes and acted as gunmen for the Byrd Gang.
On January 31, 2017, Lawrence Williams, IV, and Wynston Jackson, a/k/a “Ghost,” were shot and killed by the three defendants shortly after leaving an Edna Karr High School basketball game. Jackson was a member of the rival group, Ghost Gang, while Williams was an associate. Byrd Gang member, Briyan Love, attended the basketball game, and when she saw Jackson enter the auditorium, she communicated with Terran WILLIAMS and informed him that Jackson was at the game. WILLIAMS, BOVIA and DOLEMAN, and other Byrd Gang members and associates, drove across the river to Edna Karr School to kill rival Jackson.
When Williams and Jackson left the basketball game and sat in a car in front of the school, WILLIAMS, BOVIA and DOLEMAN approached the car with two rifles and a handgun and unloaded a torrent of bullets. Jackson attempted to return fire with his nine-millimeter handgun but was shot and killed on the scene. Williams, who was also shot, later died at the hospital.
TYRONE BOVIA was also convicted for his role in another shooting that he committed in May 2017 at the Bernmas Apartments, where M.I., another Ghost Gang member, resided and was the intended target. BOVIA’S companion and fellow Byrd Gang member, Terrence Augustine, was shot and killed during this incident by return fire. Byrd Gang member, James Alexander, has additionally pled guilty to this shooting.
During the trial, evidence was presented that showed back-and-forth retaliatory shootings between the Byrd Gang and the Ghost Gang, much of which was fueled by social media posts, rap music and videos. Numerous individuals have been shot and killed on both sides, and many innocent bystanders have likewise been shot during these inner-city rivalries.
During the investigation, dozens of firearms, most with large-capacity magazines, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition, have been recovered from Byrd Gang members, including from the three defendants.
WILLIAMS, BOVIA and DOLEMAN all face a mandatory life sentence for the VCAR murders. Sentencing in this matter will be held before Judge Milazzo on July 30, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, especially the New Orleans Gang Task Force, and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Privitera, David Haller and Sarah Dawkins are in charge of the prosecution.
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.
Texas title company employee sent to prison for orchestrating $350,000 real estate wire fraud schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 55-year-old McAllen resident has been ordered to prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Mayela Saby Cantu pleaded guilty Dec. 20, 2024.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has ordered Cantu to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $350,000 in restitution. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that detailed Cantu’s role in the scheme. The victim also reported the significant loss due to Cantu’s actions and asked the court for a sentence that would operate as a deterrent for others. In handing down the prison term, the court noted the complexity of the scheme and emphasized that Cantu’s role as an escrow officer allowed her to facilitate the scheme.
At the time of her plea, Cantu admitted she knowingly participated in a scheme that used falsified lien payoff statements, fraudulent warranty deeds and deceptive emails to mislead lenders, title companies and property buyers.
From November 2020 until her arrest, Cantu defrauded buyers and lenders in multiple property transactions while working at a McAllen title company. Using her position of trust, she facilitated closings backed by falsified documents. In one notable case, she directed others to create a fraudulent email address resembling that of a legitimate lienholder. Cantu then used the fake account to send false payoff amounts via interstate wires, leading a title company to improperly disburse more than $350,000.
Cantu facilitated additional fraudulent property transactions, including arranging closing on properties that had already been sold and accepting undisclosed cash payments. By concealing the true nature of these deals, she caused significant financial harm to the affected parties.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI, McAllen Police Department and Texas Department of Insurance conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Garcia prosecuted the case.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to over Eight Years for Selling Methamphetamine and FirearmsRead the Press Release
A Tennessee man was sentenced Thursday to eight years and five months in prison for selling methamphetamine, unlawfully possessing a firearm, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.
According to court documents, Jamaal Derrell Maxwell, 30, of Memphis, sold methamphetamine pills and firearms to a confidential informant and an ATF undercover agent. Beginning Feb. 2, 2024, and continuing until April 3, 2024, the defendant sold more than 500 pills containing methamphetamine and four firearms. The firearms included two semi-automatic rifles, one assault-style rifle, and one shotgun. Maxwell, a felon at the time he sold the firearms, was prohibited from possessing any firearm. In 2022, Maxwell was convicted in the State of Oklahoma for inducing an adult teenager to become a prostitute.
Because Maxwell sold firearms while simultaneously trafficking drugs, he was also guilty of possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Interim U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr. for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The ATF investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Marcus Johnson and Amanda Kotula of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neal Oldham and Wendy Cornejo for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
Syracuse Man Sentenced for Distribution, Transportation and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Paul Mignacca, age 46, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 78 months in federal prison for distribution, transportation, and possession of child pornography. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig R. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Between September 2023 and February 2024, Mignacca uploaded several videos of child sexual abuse material to a social media application group chat dedicated to sharing child pornography files, as well as to Mignacca’s private account on an Internet-based filesharing application. Law enforcement arrested Mignacca in April 2024 and seized his electronic devices. Digital forensic analysis revealed that Mignacca possessed more than 3,400 files constituting child pornography.
United States Chief District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also ordered Mignacca to serve a 10-year term of post-incarceration supervised release, to pay a total of $60,000 in restitution to children identified from the child pornography he possessed, and to forfeit the electronic device he used to commit the offenses. Mignacca will also be required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis prosecuted the case as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Southfield Doctor Convicted of Illegally Prescribing more than 200,000 Opioid pillsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – On April 25, 2025, a federal jury convicted Dr. Charise Valentine, 69, of Southfield, of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute prescription opioids, including Oxycodone and Oxymorphone, and 10 counts of illegal distribution of Oxycodone and Oxymorphone, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.
Beck was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvorea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.
Dr. Valentine was convicted for her role as one of two primary doctors at Orthopedic Medical Building who issued illegal opioid prescriptions. From November 2016 to July 2018, Dr. Valentine issued more than 3,000 prescriptions for more than 200,000 pills to supposed “patients” who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs. The “patients” were typically brought to the clinic by “patient recruiters/marketers.” Orthopedic Medical Building, a sham clinic that operated out of a warehouse in Oak Park, Michigan, accepted only cash, and charged patients $200-500 per prescription, but did not charge anything if the patient didn’t receive an opioid prescription. The prices were not based on the service provided, but instead based on the quantity, type, and dosage of prescription opioids that the “patient” received, usually Oxycodone 30mg or Oxymorphone 40mg, two of the most addictive prescription opioids. These prescription drugs are also among the most highly diverted prescription opioids due to their high street value. The clinic also charged cash for the creation of fraudulent medical records for the supposed “patients.”
Dr. Valentine was paid about 50% of the clinic’s proceeds – more than $500,000 in cash over about 19 months – and was paid only if she wrote an opioid prescription to a patient, not based on any supposed “medical care.” She received an envelope of thousands in cash each day she worked.
The other defendants charged in the case, including clinic operator Iris Winchester, Dr. Michele Ritter, clinic employee Kristina Brown, and Joyce Robinson, previously pleaded guilty.
“Addressing the sources of the opioid epidemic – which include addictive opioid prescription pills as well as street drugs – remains a top priority of this office,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Beck. “We continue to focus on doctors who, rather than helping to address the terrible impact the opioid epidemic, use the cover of a “medical office” to write illegal prescriptions for the opioids that fuel the crisis.”
"The conviction of Dr. Valentine, who abused her position of trust by prescribing opioids in exchange for cash, underscores the FBI's strong commitment to holding medical professionals accountable under federal law," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Physicians and other healthcare providers are entrusted with the well-being of our communities and are expected to maintain the highest ethical standards. Those who violate that trust for personal financial gain can expect to be investigated and brought to justice by the FBI's Detroit Field Office. I also want to thank our partners at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General for their collaboration and support throughout this case."
“Physicians who prescribe powerful opioids and other controlled substances, without regard for medical necessity, endanger the health and safety of the very patients they have sworn an oath to protect,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Working in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, our agency is committed to identifying and investigating those medical providers who place profits over patient safety.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Lievense and Wayne F. Pratt. The Eastern District of Michigan is one of the twelve districts included in the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit, a Department of Justice initiative that uses data to target and prosecute individuals that are contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis.
The case was investigated by special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General.
Saugus Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy Involving Tens of Thousands of Counterfeit Pills and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Saugus man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a drug conspiracy involving tens of thousands of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine, pills containing fentanyl and a firearm offense.
Aaron Lenardis, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In November 2024, Lenardis was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. In February 2023, Lenardis was indicted along with co-conspirator Charles Bates.
In August 2022, an investigation began into Bates after he ordered 50 kilograms of an orange binding agent commonly used to make counterfeit Adderall pills, which he was observed picking up at a UPS store in Boston. Bates brought the binding agent to Lenardis’s house in Saugus, where he and Lenardis used it to manufacture counterfeit pills using a pill press.
Throughout September 2022 and October 2022, Bates exchanged text messages with drug customers and associates in which he spoke about pills that are “made to order,” described being physically present at the place where the pills were made—Lenardis’s house—and “watching the guy work so no corners have been cut.” Bates described the pill press being used for 20 hours at a time and producing 5,000 pills per hour. In total, the offense involved at least 136,000 counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine, equivalent to approximately 40 kilograms of such pills.
After the pill press broke, Bates traveled to Pawtucket, R.I. to obtain a replacement. Bates and Lenardis were observed carrying the replacement pill press into Lenardis’ residence in Saugus.
A search of Lenardis’ residence in Saugus on Oct. 25, 2022 resulted in the seizure of an industrial pill press; 14 firearms including a Glock outfitted to operate as a machinegun; at least 1.85 kilograms of pills; powder containing methamphetamine; at least 87.6 grams of pills and powder containing fentanyl and “M30” stamps commonly used to manufacture counterfeit pills.
In November 2024, Bates was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel R. Feldman and Charles Dell’Anno of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Sarasota Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Javier Chavez (35, Sarasota) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor. Chavez pleaded guilty in December 2024.
According to court documents, beginning on May 15 and continuing through May 16, 2024, Chavez communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as both the mother of a 14-year-old girl and her 14-year-old daughter. After learning of the girl’s age, Chavez directly engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the “girl” and sent explicit videos of himself. Chavez was apprehended by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office when he arrived at a home with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with the girl. Chavez later admitted to deputies that his intentions with the girl were sexual.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Salvadoran National Guilty of Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOSE ALFREDO JIMENEZ-CENTENO (“JIMENEZ-CENTENO”),age 72, a citizen of El Salvador, pleaded guilty on April 22, 2025 to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the indictment, JIMENEZ-CENTENO reentered the United States after he was previously deported on August 20, 1996. JIMENEZ-CENTENO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of up to one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. He also faces a sentencing enhancement of 20 years because of a prior felony conviction.
The case was investigated by the United States Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
Repeat Felon who Fought Police Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. - Arthur Gene Young, a multi-convicted felon with a history of violence, has been sentenced to federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm while resisting police officers in a small west Georgia city.
“Armed felons cannot be allowed to terrorize the citizens of our district,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “After Young was arrested with a firearm for the third time in two years, local law enforcement wisely sought federal assistance to ensure he would be removed from the community. We will continue to work with our partners at all levels to protect the public from gun violence and repeat violent offenders.”
“The law-abiding citizens of this community are safer because of today’s sentence which will ensure the incarceration of a dangerous criminal and contribute to the restoration of order and peace to this area,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Gibbons. “This sentence sends a direct message to criminals that ATF and our local law enforcement partners will investigate violent criminals and protect citizens.”
“The partnership of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies is imperative to help local communities stay safe,” said Bremen Police Department Lieutenant Joshua Newman. “The Bremen Police Department would like to thank all the agencies and law enforcement officers that were involved in this case.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges and other information presented in court: On May 2, 2023, less than a month after his release from state prison for other criminal conduct, Arthur Gene Young shoplifted from a pharmacy located in Bremen, Georgia. He returned to the pharmacy the following morning and argued with the store manager. Police officers responded and, upon learning of the earlier shoplifting incident, escorted Young from the store to arrest him. Young refused to obey the officers’ commands and shouted that he would not go back to prison as he fled the scene.
As officers pursued Young through the center of town and towards a church preschool, Young exclaimed that he was armed and demanded to be left alone. As additional officers responded, Young crossed a highway, scaled a berm, and walked onto an active train track. There, he grabbed the wrist and arm of a deputy sheriff who attempted to detain him. Ultimately, Young tripped, giving officers an opportunity to place handcuffs around one of his wrists. But Young fought the officers and refused to comply as the officers attempted to fully cuff him. During the struggle, one of the officers noticed the grip of a loaded 7.65mm semiautomatic pistol in Young’s right pants pocket. The officer managed to secure the weapon before Young was finally handcuffed.
As a multi-convicted felon, Young was legally prohibited from possessing firearms. Young’s decade-long criminal record included convictions for crimes of violence, such as attempted robbery by intimidation and terroristic threats, as well as other offenses. Additionally, at the time of his arrest following the incident at the Bremen pharmacy, Young was under indictment and on pretrial release in three cases brought in 2021 and 2022 charging him with attempted armed robbery, attempted robbery by intimidation, and two counts each of felon in possession of a firearm, aggravated assault, and simple assault.
Arthur Gene Young, 34, of Bremen, Georgia, was sentenced on April 22, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. to 14 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Young was convicted of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person on January 14, 2025, after he pleaded guilty in the middle of a jury trial.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bremen Police Department. The Haralson County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and Georgia State Patrol provided valuable assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore S. Hertzberg and Amy M. Palumbo prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 37 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Alex Kai Tick Chin, 40, of San Francisco, California, was sentenced today to 37 years in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography, enticement of a minor, and committing a sex crime against a minor while a registered sex offender.
A federal jury convicted Chin on August 22, 2024, after a three-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that from on or about December 12, 2020, through on or about February 14, 2021, Chin coerced a minor female residing within the Southern District of West Virginia to record and send him sexually explicit images of herself via the Snapchat multimedia instant messaging app. Chin threatened to harm himself if the minor female did not send him sexually explicit images.
Chin exchanged messages with a second minor female during the same time period who also resided within the Southern District of West Virginia, engaging in sexual conversations and soliciting nude images from her as well. Chin also threatened to harm himself in conversations with the second minor female unless she complied with his demands. Chin sent photos and videos of himself to the second minor female, including an image of himself masturbating.
Chin continued to communicate with both minor females until early March 2022, when he drove from California in a white panel van equipped with a mattress to the Southern District of West Virginia. There, he attempted unsuccessfully to meet both minor females in person.
Chin was a registered sex offender at the time of these offenses, and has been since his felony conviction for possession of child pornography in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, on December 27, 2017.
“The defendant was already a convicted sex offender when he targeted these two minor victims online. He groomed them, preyed upon their vulnerabilities, and coerced them into sending him pictures,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “He has shown a complete inability to take any responsibility for his own actions or demonstrate any remorse for his conduct, which was reprehensible in this case.”
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-87.
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Prior felon arrested for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jhonser Rafael Coste-Morales, 38, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegal re-entry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on May 26, 2024, a New York State Trooper in Painted Post, NY, arrested two individuals for possession of fentanyl. U.S. Border Patrol was contacted to assist in verifying foreign documents provided by the two individuals. Record checks determined that one of the individuals, Coste-Morales, was a citizen and national of the Dominican Republic and had been previously deported from the United States following an aggravated felony conviction. On April 14, 2025, Border Patrol agents received a call that Coste-Morales was going to be released from custody. Coste-Morales was subsequently arrested again and taken into custody.
Coste-Morales legally entered the United States in April 2013 and became a Lawfully Admitted Permanent Resident in August 2017. In April 2022, he was convicted of a felony drug charge in Montour County, Pennsylvania, and in October 2023, he was deported back to the Dominican Republic.
Coste-Morales made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and was detained.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The complaint is a result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Juan Ramirez and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Philadelphia Man Who Allegedly Shot at Pursuing PPD Officer Charged with Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Shahiem Groover, 45, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested today and charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
As alleged in court filings, on February 24, 2025, Groover was the driver and sole occupant of a Buick with a suspended license plate. Philadelphia police officers observed the suspended plate and pulled the defendant over for a routine traffic stop. The defendant initially stopped his car and got out to speak with officers, but eventually got back into the car, rolled up his windows, locked the doors, and fled at high speed.
The pursuit lasted several blocks, until Groover jumped out of his car and ran up the street. As officers caught up to the defendant, he stumbled. While on the ground, he allegedly produced a loaded Sterling Arms .22 caliber pistol, turned, and fired one shot at the closest officer. After a brief struggle, the defendant was arrested and the pistol recovered. Detectives subsequently searched the defendant’s car and located cocaine and methamphetamine packaged in a manner consistent with drug trafficking.
Groover had previously been convicted in a court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was not permitted to possess a firearm.
If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Parisi.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Philadelphia Man Charged with Two Armed Carjackings, Two Commercial Robberies, and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Azzubayr Ibn Abdul Josey, 23, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment with two counts of carjacking, two counts of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, two counts of robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), and one count of possession of a stolen firearm.
The defendant was arrested this morning and made his initial appearance in Magistrate Court before the Honorable Scott W. Reid.
As alleged in the indictment, on November 9, 2024, Josey carjacked a 2011 Toyota Sienna in Philadelphia at gunpoint. Then on November 24, 2024, he is alleged to have carjacked a 2006 Honda Civic in Philadelphia, again at gunpoint. The same day, the defendant allegedly robbed a Family Dollar in West Philadelphia, where he simulated that he had a firearm. Finally, on November 25, 2024, Josey is alleged to have robbed a CVS in West Philadelphia, again simulating that he had a firearm.
The indictment also alleges that the defendant possessed a stolen firearm on December 11, 2024.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Osborne.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael David Enoch, 33, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 15, 2024, Enoch possessed a Taurus model PT111 G2 9mm semiautomatic pistol in Parkersburg.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Enoch knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for wanton endangerment involving a firearm, escape, and receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle in Wood County Circuit Court on February 25, 2019.
Enoch has a long criminal history that also includes multiple convictions for battery, domestic battery, fleeing from an officer, battery on a government representative, and violation of a protective order.
Enoch is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Parkersburg Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-26.
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Orleans Parish Man Guilty of Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on April 8, 2025, JUAN K. SIMPSON (“SIMPSON”), age 30, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty to bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a). Sentencing is set for July 8, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion.
SIMPSON faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on November 25, 2024, SIMPSON robbed a Capital One Bank location, in New Orleans.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Jackson County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Mark Leslie Lively, 58, of Kenna, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
A federal jury convicted Lively on July 17, 2024, following a two-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that Lively participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area from about November 2022 to in or about March 2023. Members of the DTO conspiracy commonly obtained their controlled substances on consignment, paying their suppliers with proceeds from distributing them to customers. On February 2, 2023, law enforcement officers watched Funderburk and Lively meet in an alley near Washington Street West in Charleston, where Funderburk provided approximately 138 grams of methamphetamine to Lively.
As Lively drove away from the meeting place, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of Lively’s vehicle and requested the assistance of a police K-9 unit. The police K-9 alerted to the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle. The officer searched Lively’s vehicle and seized the methamphetamine hidden underneath the dashboard.
The evidence at trial established that Lively intended to distribute the methamphetamine that he received from Funderburk.
Lively has a long criminal history that now includes 34 criminal convictions, with at least eight of those prior convictions for felony offenses.
“The defendant is a hardened criminal who has shown time and again that if he is on the streets, he is committing crimes,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “After decades of failing to curb his lawlessness, he participated in a large-scale drug trafficking organization that caused untold harm to the community. Today’s sentence will spare the community further harm by this defendant for an extended period of time.”
Lively and Funderburk are among 31 individuals convicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Funderburk, 39, of Charleston, was sentenced on October 3, 2024, to 13 years and six months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute a quantity of cocaine, conspiracy to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, and for violating supervised release. Funderburk is among 30 of the defendants who pleaded guilty.
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe and Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.
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Ohio Men Receive Lengthy Prison Sentences for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine, and other chargesRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – Andrew Corbin, 36, and Calvin Roberts, 42, both of Akron, have been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy charges. U.S. District Court Judge John R. Adams sentenced Corbin to 15 years (180 months) in prison. Corbin pleaded guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and to using his residence to conduct drug-related activities. Roberts was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison (235 months) by Judge Adams. Roberts pleaded guilty to conspiracy and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine and for using his home to store the substances and conduct drug transactions. Additionally, Roberts pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was previously convicted of trafficking heroin in 2013 and 2020.
According to court documents, from about April 1 to about Aug. 28, 2023, Roberts obtained distribution quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from a local supplier. In turn, Roberts would sell drugs to his neighbor, Corbin, who lived only a short distance away on the same street. The two defendants regularly sold drugs out of their homes. Using a network of co-conspirators, they further distributed these drugs to customers in and around the Summit County area.
During a search warrant execution of Roberts’s residence on Aug. 28, 2023, investigators seized a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol, ecstasy pills, a digital scale, an extended magazine, and two cellphones. He later admitted to selling fentanyl and methamphetamine out of his home for about $1,600-$1,900 per pound. On the same day, investigators executed a search warrant at Corbin’s residence and seized a Phoenix Arms 9mm pistol, ammunition, scales, drug paraphernalia, and several cellphones. During the investigation, Corbin admitted to using and selling drugs that he purchased from Roberts.
Collectively, the seized drugs weighed in at approximately 17 ounces and were calculated to have a street value of more than $8,000.
Other co-conspirators were also indicted in this case. Ernest Shropshire, 39, of Akron, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges and is scheduled to be sentenced May 22, 2025. Phillip August, 57, of Akron, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges and is scheduled to be sentenced May 20, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ocala Convicted Felon Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Lewis Tinson, Jr. (30, Ocala) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Tinson entered a guilty plea on January 8, 2025.
According to court records, on August 27, 2021, Tinson’s girlfriend called 911 because Tinson had threatened her with a gun. When deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office arrived, Tinson was outside the girlfriend’s home with firearms in his hands. Upon seeing the deputies, Tinson fled inside the residence and unsuccessfully tried to hide three loaded firearms in a clothes hamper.
Tinson is a four-time convicted felon. Each of his prior felony convictions involve firearms—carjacking with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a delinquent, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and shooting at/within/into a vehicle. As a convicted felon, Tinson is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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.
Northwest Arkansas Business Owners Plead Guilty to Scheme to Defraud Pandemic Relief Loan ProgramsRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE —A Florida couple, formerly of Northwest Arkansas, pleaded guilty Monday to defrauding Pandemic Relief Loan Programs. U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the plea hearing, in which Fawaad Welch, age 41, and Julia Youngblood, age 41, both waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a criminal information. Welch pled to wire fraud and Youngblood pled to misprision of a felony related to the scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between May of 2020 through October of 2021, Welch and Youngblood applied for Pandemic Relief Loan Programs through their Arkansas business, Slipstream Creative, LLC, which was a Northwest Arkansas advertising and marketing company located in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Throughout the applications, Welch provided the lenders with false statements regarding their assets and liabilities and the intended use of funds received through the SBA7(a), Economic Injury Disaster Loan and Main Street Loan Programs. Youngblood them signed those application on behalf of the business. According to the information filed by the Government, after receiving the loan funds, Welch then diverted large parts of the loan proceeds for the personal benefit of the couple. For example, in the applications submitted for these loans, the couple failed to disclose material information such as tax liabilities and the fact that they were receiving loans from the other loan programs. Also, within months of receiving $1.5 million in “working capital” Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds in October 2021, Welch transferred $1.3 million of that loan to the couple’s personal bank account. The couple then purchased a home in Florida using $445,000 of those Government program loan funds.
According to the plea agreement entered into by Welch, after being asked by Generations Bank officials if Welch and Youngblood take salaries and informed that “the Fed restricts changes to your salaries with the [Main Street Loan Program] and doesn’t allow distributions, Welch replied, “Yes sir we do at 10k a month so all is good there. 5k a piece.” After receiving the $3 million in program funds, within a month Welch had transferred $950,000 in Main Street Loan Program funds out of the business and to himself.
In the plea agreements with the Government, the couple agrees that pursuant to this scheme, they should be held accountable for more than $3.5 million but less than $9.0 million in intended loss.
Following the preparation of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office, Welch and Youngblood will be scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. Welch faces a maximum penalty of twenty (20) years in prison, and Youngblood faces a maximum penalty of three (3) years in prison. Both individuals will also be assessed a period of supervised release, monetary penalties, and restitution. U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks will determine the couple’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney David Clay Fowlkes announced the change of plea hearings.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Relief investigated the case.
U. S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Wulff are prosecuting the case for the United States.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at
Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.
Norteño Gang Member Who Fled Days Before 2024 Sentencing Date Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Nicholas Addleman was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge James Donato handed down the sentence.
According to court documents, Addleman, 38, of Vallejo, Calif., a longtime member of the San Francisco Mission District Norteños, previously served five years in state custody following convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and shooting at an inhabited dwelling. Addleman was released on parole in July 2022. A few months after his release, on Oct. 14, 2022, police officers conducted a parole search of Addleman’s vehicle and recovered two Glock firearms, including one with a loaded extended magazine, in a hidden compartment behind the center console. Addleman admitted to officers that the firearms were his, and his DNA was found on the grip of one of the guns.
Addleman was charged by complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) in November 2022. He pleaded guilty to the offense in September 2023, and was originally scheduled to be sentenced on his federal firearms conviction in February 2024. Days before the sentencing, Addleman absconded from pretrial supervision, and the Court issued a bench warrant for his arrest. At the time of his arrest in December 2024, a search of his Vallejo residence found multiple assault rifles, large capacity magazines, and suspected gun silencers.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Donato ordered Addleman to serve three years of supervised release and to forfeit the firearms and ammunition seized by police.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This prosecution was brought by the Violent Crime Strike Force and is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leif Dautch prosecuted this case, with the assistance of Nina Burney. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the San Francisco Police Department, and Vallejo Police Department.
Norteño Gang Member Sentenced for Manufacturing Destructive Devices and Possessing a SilencerRead the Press Release
Joseph Marcus Silva, 28, of Porterville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to five years and 11 months in prison for manufacturing three destructive devices and possessing an unregistered silencer, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Silva is a member of the Norteño gang subset called Varrio Central Poros and a convicted felon. Silva manufactured three destructive devices, using a 3D printer to make two of them. One of the 3D-printed destructive devices was similar to a military claymore mine that read, “FRONT TOWARDS ENEMY.” A claymore mine is a directional fragmentation, antipersonnel mine that is capable of incapacitating, injuring, or killing people. The second 3D-printed destructive device was a military-type M67 grenade. Silva also made a destructive device consisting of a glass tube with flash powder, BBs, and a fuse. In addition, Silva admitted that he unlawfully possessed an unregistered silencer, which had previously been used. Silva also possessed nine additional firearms, including six 3D-printed orange and gray frames, as depicted below:
3D-printed orange and gray frames possessed by Silva
A frame, which is the part of a firearm that integrates other components by providing housing for internal action components, is considered a firearm.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Tulare County Agency Regional Gun Violence Enforcement Team of the California Department of Justice, the Porterville Police Department, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Nine Charged in Staged Automobile Collision Scheme, Including Two Men Charged with the Murder of a Federal WitnessRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS –The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice announce that a thirteen-count second superseding indictment has been returned, April 25, 2025, by the grand jury in relation to the scheme to stage automobile collisions in the New Orleans area. The indictment includes new allegations against two defendants for their participation in the homicide of a federal witness.
According to the second superseding indictment, SEAN D. ALFORTISH (“ALFORTISH”), age 57, of New Orleans, and LEON M. PARKER, a/k/a “Chunky,” (“PARKER”), age 51, of New Orleans, conspired to murder federal witness, Cornelius Garrison. Garrison had been a “slammer” in the scheme to stage automobile collisions, including by sideswiping 18-wheeler tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles. Garrison was cooperating with the FBI when he was murdered on September 22, 2020, at his mother’s home in New Orleans. Ryan J. Harris, a former codefendant in this case, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to causing death through the use of firearm, for his role in Garrison’s homicide, along with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
In addition, the second superseding indictment charges ALFORTISH; PARKER; VANESSA MOTTA (“MOTTA”), age 43, of New Orleans; MOTTA LAW, LLC (“MOTTA LAW”), a law firm in New Orleans; JASON F. GILES (“GILES”), age 46, of New Orleans; THE KING FIRM, LLC (“THE KING FIRM”), a law firm in New Orleans; DIAMINIKE F. STALBERT (“STALBERT”), age 34, of Metairie; CARL MORGAN (“MORGAN”), age 66, of New Orleans; and TIMARA N. LAWRENCE (“LAWRENCE”), age 34, of New Orleans, with participating in the scheme to defraud insurance companies and commercial trucking companies through fraudulently staged automobile collisions.
The superseding indictment alleges that ALFORTISH, MOTTA, MOTTA LAW, GILES, THE KING FIRM, MORGAN, PARKER, STALBERT, LAWRENCE, Cornelius Garrison (“Garrison”), then attorney Danny Patrick Keating (“Keating”), Damian Labeaud (“Labeaud”), Roderick Hickman (“Hickman”), and others participated in a scheme in which they intentionally staged automobile collisions with other vehicles in the New Orleans metropolitan area. The scheme included individuals who rode in automobiles as passengers knowing they would be part of staged collisions. Those individuals later lied as part of fraudulent insurance claims and fraudulent lawsuits based on the staged collisions. Additionally, the scheme included individuals who drove automobiles and intentionally collided with 18-wheeler tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles, to stage collisions (“slammers”). After the staged collisions, the slammers would flee the scene, and a passenger would falsely claim to have been driving at the time of the collision. Harris, Garrison, Labeaud, and Hickman were slammers, and they recruited and conspired with others to participate in staged collisions. The scheme included individuals (“spotters”) who drove getaway cars that allowed the slammers to flee the scene after causing a collision and evade detection by law enforcement. The spotters would sometimes also pretend to be eyewitnesses and would flag down the commercial vehicles after the staged collisions, alleging that the commercial vehicles were at fault. The scheme included individuals, including ALFORTISH, MOTTA, GILES, Keating, other attorneys, and others associated with the attorneys, who pursued fraudulent claims and fraudulent lawsuits knowing they were based on staged collisions.
Count One charges ALFORTISH, MOTTA, MOTTA LAW, GILES, THE KING FIRM, MORGAN, PARKER, STALBERT, and LAWRENCE with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341, 1343, and 1349. The maximum penalty for this count is up to twenty years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain to any defendant or twice the gross loss to any victim.
Count Two charges GILES and THE KING FIRM with mail fraud, and Count Three charges ALFORTISH, MOTTA, MOTTA LAW, and PARKER with mail fraud, both in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341. The maximum penalty for each of these counts is twenty years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain to any defendant or twice the gross loss to any victim.
Count Four charges ALFORTISH, MOTTA, and MOTTA LAW with obstruction of justice, and Count Six charges GILES and THE KING FIRM with obstruction of justice, both in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1503(a). The maximum penalty for each of these counts is ten years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain to any defendant or twice the gross loss to any victim.
Count Five charges ALFORTISH, MOTTA, and MOTTA LAW with witness tampering, and Count Seven charges GILES and THE KING FIRM with witness tampering, both in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(b)(1)(B). The maximum penalty for each of these counts is twenty years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain to any defendant or twice the gross loss to any victim.
Count Eight charges STALBERT with making false statements to a federal agent. If convicted, she would face up to five years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
Counts Nine through Thirteen concern the homicide of federal witness Cornelius Garrison. Count Nine charges ALFORTISH and PARKER with conspiracy to commit witness tampering through murder of Garrison, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1512(a)(1)(C), 1512(a)(3)(A), and 1512(k). Count Ten charges ALFORTISH and PARKER with witness tampering through murder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 11512(a)(1)(C), 1512(a)(3)(A), and 2. Count Eleven charges ALFORTISH and PARKER with conspiracy to retaliate against a witness through murder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1513(a)(1)(B), 1513(a)(2)(A), and 1513(f). Count Twelve charges ALFORTISH and PARKER with retaliation against a witness through murder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1513(a)(1)(B), 1513(a)(2)(A), and 2. As to each of these counts, ALFORTISH and PARKER face a maximum of life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.
Count Thirteen charges ALFORTISH and PARKER with causing Garrison’s death through the use of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(j)(1) and 2. The maximum penalty is any term of years including life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.
Including this superseding indictment, sixty-three (63) defendants have been charged in the federal probe into the staging of automobile collisions with other vehicles in the New Orleans metropolitan area.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the superseding indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, would like to acknowledge the tremendous work of the FBI, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne; Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman; and Trial Attorney J. Ryan McLaren of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
Nigerian National Sentenced to Prison for International Fraud Scheme that Defrauded Elderly U.S. VictimsRead the Press Release
A Nigerian national was sentenced on Friday to 97 months in prison for his role in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, 36, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States over the course of several years. The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died overseas years before. Ogbata and his co-conspirators told a series of lies to victims, including that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Ogbata and his co-conspirators collected money victims sent in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. Victims who sent money never received any purported inheritance funds. In pleading guilty, Ogbata admitted to defrauding over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.
“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute, and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov M. Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime. I want to thank our U.S. law enforcement partners, as well as those who assisted across the globe, including the Portuguese Judicial Police and Public Prosecution Service of Portugal, for their outstanding contributions to this case.”
“The long arm of the American justice system has no limits when it comes to reaching fraudsters who prey on our nation’s most vulnerable populations, to include the elderly,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “We will not allow transnational criminals to steal money from the public we serve. Individuals who defraud American consumers will be brought to justice, no matter where they are located.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has a long history of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Acting Postal Inspector in Charge Steven Hodges of the USPIS Miami Division. “Today’s sentencing is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, HSI and USPIS to protect our citizens from these scams.”
“It’s inconceivable to imagine any human being robbing from those who’ve spent a lifetime working and building a life, and then are duped out of it all,” said Special Agent in Charge Fransisco B. Burrola of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona. “Together, with our law enforcement partners, we will not tolerate this kind of behavior – we will bring justice to those who have wronged and stolen from so many people.”
Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. USPIS and HSI investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol, and authorities from the UK, Spain, and Portugal all provided critical assistance.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Using Stash House to Violate Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on April 15, 2025, TRAVIS ENCLADE (“ENCLADE”), age 43, was sentenced to 288 months imprisonment after previously being found guilty of conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and 100 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of heroin, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and 100 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of heroin, and of being a felon in possession of firearms. Following his imprisonment, ENCLADE will be placed on supervised release for 5 years.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, ENCLADE and his co-defendant, conspired together, and with others, to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl in New Orleans from August 2022 through October 12, 2022. During this time, ENCLADE and the co-defendant engaged in multiple hand-to-hand transactions, almost daily, with drug customers in the Hollygrove area.
In September 2022, law enforcement identified a residence in the 3500 block of Encampment Street in New Orleans as a stash house used by the co-defendant and ENCLADE. Both the co-defendant and ENCLADE each made short trips to the stash house regularly. Both men, also had key access to enter the house. All of these facts were indicative of going in the house quickly to access drugs. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the stash house, and other addresses associated with the co-defendant and ENCLADE, on October 12, 2022.
During the search of the stash house, law enforcement seized over 534 grams of heroin and fentanyl, over 120 grams of fentanyl, and 363 grams of methamphetamine, which included 327.5 grams of pure methamphetamine. Law enforcement also seized a Diamondback, Model DB9, multicaliber pistol, and a Palmetto State Armory, Model PA-X9, multicaliber pistol. The stash house was nearly vacant other than the drug paraphernalia, such as numerous unused vacuum seal bags, a plastic mixer bottle containing a brownish residue, numerous digital scales with suspected drug residue, a large mechanical press used to compress drugs into kilogram shaped packages for later distribution, and several bags of brown sugar, which is often used a cutting agent.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Orleans Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration Special Response Team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Response Team, the New Orleans Police Department, the Louisiana State Police, the Slidell Police Department, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, and the Thibodeaux Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and André Jones of the Narcotics Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
New Haven Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Gun Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that QUINN MOORING, 43, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for his role in a gun trafficking scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2021, ATF Task Force officers learned that Mooring was receiving firearms from a source, subsequently identified as Marquis Jerome Pollard, in South Carolina and selling them in Connecticut. On April 19, 2021, investigators made a controlled purchase of a 9mm Glock handgun and a drum magazine from Mooring and Pollard in New Haven in exchange for $1,500.
On April 22, 2021, investigators made a controlled purchase of 9mm ammunition from Mooring in New Haven.
Mooring’s criminal history includes state convictions for felony robbery, unlawful restraint, and failure to appear offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Mooring was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on June 14, 2021. On January 13, 2022, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Mooring who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on June 18.
Pollard pleaded guilty and, on February 27, 2023, was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), West Haven Police Department, New Haven Police Department, Beaufort (S.C.) Police Department, and Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.
Nevada Printer and Mailer Pleads Guilty to Participating in Elder Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Nevada woman pleaded guilty today for engaging in a prize notice fraud scheme that defrauded thousands of consumers, many of whom were elderly, across the United States and abroad. Barbara Trickle, 80, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
According to the indictment, Trickle and her co-conspirators prepared and mailed millions of fraudulent prize notices that led their victims to believe that they had been individually selected to receive a large cash prize and would receive their prize if they paid a $20 to $50 fee. In reality, no victim ever received a large cash prize from Trickle or her co-conspirators. Instead, victims received a “report” describing sweepstakes opportunities or a trinket of minimal value. After victims responded to one fraudulent prize notice mailing, Trickle and her co-conspirators inundated them with additional fraudulent mailings. Trickle and her co-conspirators used the scheme to steal more than $15 million from victims.
The fraud scheme operated from 2012 to February 2018, when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) executed multiple search warrants and the Justice Department obtained a court order shutting down the fraudulent mail operation. Trickle was the owner and operator of a printing and mailing business that produced the fraudulent prize notice mailings for the scheme. Trickle supervised the lasering, printing, and mailing of the fraudulent mailings.
“The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch is committed to protecting elderly consumers from fraudulent mass-mailing schemes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are grateful to the Postal Inspection Service for their thorough investigation in this matter.”
“The defendant and her co-conspirators used the promise of sweepstakes winnings to defraud the most vulnerable members in our communities,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to aggressively investigate mass-mailing schemes and other types of fraud to protect older Americans from financial exploitation and bring criminals to justice.”
The USPIS conducted the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Carolyn Rice and Charles Dunn of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
The department urges individuals to be on the lookout for fraudulent lottery, prize notification, sweepstakes, and psychic scams. If you receive a phone call, letter or email promising a large prize in exchange for a fee, do not respond. Fraudsters often will use official-sounding names or the names of real lotteries or sweepstakes or pretend to be a government agent purportedly helping to secure a prize.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
Missouri Felon Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for $822,000 Fraud, Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Friday sentenced a convicted felon who possessed dozens of guns and committed an $822,000 fraud to 84 months in prison.
Dennis Latour, now 41, hatched a scheme in June of 2022 to bilk aspiring investors in the cannabis industry. Latour falsely claimed to have made successful investments in the industry and invited two victims to piggyback on his investment. Latour used the fraudulently obtained money to fund his personal lifestyle and to pay for guns, vehicles, jet skis and other items. One victim lost about $713,000 and the other lost about $109,000. Latour was ordered Friday to repay the money.
Latour, along with his former paramour Jennifer Keegan, also admitted the purchase and possession of dozens of firearms. Latour is a convicted felon who is barred from possessing firearms.
They began in February of 2023, with Keegan filling out the required paperwork, despite knowing that many of the guns would be possessed and/or used by Latour. Their purchases included a Barrett .50-caliber rifle, other rifles, pistols and a shotgun. When the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) performed a court-approved search of the home the couple shared in Des Peres, Missouri on Sept. 26, 2023, they found 27 firearms in a “vault” room and two pistols in the couple’s bedroom.
Latour pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of conspiracy to purchase one or more firearms for a convicted felon and 13 counts of wire fraud. Keegan pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to purchase one or more firearms for a convicted felon.
Keegan, 51, was sentenced on April 16 to three years of probation.
The ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Szczucinski and Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Michigan Small Business, Slifco Electric, LLC, Pays over $1.4 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Regarding Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced today that a Sterling Heights, Michigan small business, Slifco Electric, LLC, which is wholly owned by John P. Slifco, has paid $1,460,062 to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by falsely certifying to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) that it was eligible for full loan forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Congress created the PPP in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to American businesses suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible small businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the SBA. When applying for PPP loan forgiveness, borrowers were required to certify the truthfulness and accuracy of information provided to the SBA, including disclosing whether the borrower had paid any dividends or other capital distributions to its owner(s) during the loan forgiveness covered period.
In April 2020, Slifco Electric obtained a first draw PPP loan for $2,633,170. The United States alleged that Slifco Electric falsely certified its eligibility for full forgiveness of that loan, given its failure to disclose that, from March 13, 2020, through the end of the loan forgiveness covered period, Slifco Electric paid $730,031 in capital distributions to its only owner, John P. Slifco, for Mr. Slifco’s personal expenses.
“When businesses and individuals obtained COVID-19 relief funds that they didn’t deserve, taxpayers were cheated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julie A. Beck for the Eastern District of Michigan. “This office is committed to addressing fraud perpetrated against government programs, and we will continue to hold accountable those who violate the law.”
“The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SBA’s Office of Inspector General and other Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as private individuals who uncover fraudulent conduct to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Gentner from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to 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
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.Miami Return Preparer Agrees to Injunction and DisgorgementRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued an injunction today against Miami tax return preparer Nia Daniel, which bars her from preparing tax returns for others, having any ownership stake in any tax preparation business, or assisting or training others in tax return preparation through at least Jan. 27, 2028. The court also ordered Daniel to disgorge $446,000 in ill-gotten gains she received from her return preparation business. Daniel agreed to both the injunction and ordered disgorgement.
The complaint alleged that Daniel understated customers’ tax liability and claimed inflated refunds largely by:
- Falsifying or overstating business expenses claimed on a Schedule C;
- Claiming the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for clients who did not qualify for it;
- Falsely claiming other credits, such as the American Opportunity Credit and Residential Energy Credit; and
- Falsifying income and filing status to increase the Earned Income Tax Credit.
According to the complaint, the IRS estimated a tax loss of more than $500,000 in 2023 alone from returns prepared by Daniel.
The Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways safeguard personal information.
In the past decade, the Department of Justice Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Mexican National Sentenced for Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Adrian Lopez-Aparicio, 40, of Mexico, was sentenced on April 24, 2025, by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 41 months in prison. Lopez-Aparicio previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On October 3, 2024, Lopez-Aparicio was found in possession of 20,000 fentanyl pills in Tucson, Arizona, that he intended to sell and distribute to another person. Three weeks later, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Lopez-Aparicio for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, conspiring with others to distribute fentanyl, and illegal reentry of a removed alien.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Cavanaugh, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-07590-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-064_Lopez-Aparicio# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 151 MonthsRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Big Stone Gap, Virginia man, who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, was sentenced last week to 151 months in federal prison.
James Eugene Gamble, 50, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Gamble conspired with Eric Coffey, Daniel Hafemeister, Thomas Ray Houston, Jr., and others to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Southwest Virginia.
Gamble served as a major supplier of methamphetamine in the Lee and Wise County, Virginia areas, selling over ten kilograms of methamphetamine between approximately October 2023 and March 2024.
Gamble routinely made trips to North Carolina with co-conspirators to obtain several pounds of methamphetamine and up to a pound of fentanyl at a time from a drug supplier. On several of the trips, co-conspirator Thomas Houston, Jr. drove Gamble to North Carolina to conduct the drug transactions, and Gamble paid Houston $2,000 each trip to drive him. Gamble redistributed the drugs he purchased in North Carolina to individuals in southwest Virginia.
Co-conspirator Thomas Houston, Jr. was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment in February 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Southwest Drug Task Force, Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.
Leader of Federal Pandemic Fraud Unemployment Scheme SentencedRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Josef Ludwig Brown, one of the leaders of a 17 defendant conspiracy to defraud the United States, commit program fraud, and commit mail fraud in connection with a scheme to file fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits was sentenced last week to 35 months in federal prison.
Brown previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to defraud the United States in connection with emergency benefits. Additionally, Brown was ordered to pay $119,660 in restitution.
Previously sentenced as part of the conspiracy were: Christopher Webb, 20 months; Russell Stiltner, 24 months; Jessica Lester, 19 months; Cara Camille Bailey, 19 months; Justin Meadows, 18 months; Terrence Vilacha, 18 months; Joseph Hass, 27 months; Brian Addair, 24 months; and Stephanie Amber Barton, Clinton Michael Altizer, Jeramy Blake Farmer, and Hayleigh McKenzie Wolfe were each sentenced to 12 months and 1 day.
Jonathan Webb, the individual charged with recruiting others to file fraudulent claims, mostly inmates at local jails, was sentenced to 48 months was ordered to pay $150,218 in restitution.
All defendants were also ordered to pay restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission for the amount of their individual fraudulent claims.
According to court documents, between March 2020 and September 2021, Josef Brown, Jonathan Webb, and Crystal Shaw developed a scheme to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment befits via the Virginia Employment Commission website. The scheme involved the collection of personal identification information (PII) of inmates housed at SWVRJA-Haysi and Abingdon, as well as personal friends and acquaintances of Brown, Webb, and Shaw. The conspirators used that information to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment benefits for incarcerated individuals and others who were ineligible for the benefits.
In all, the defendants stole $341,205 in pandemic relief to which they were not entitled.
As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General were charged with identifying major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. According to the United States Department of Labor, Virginia paid approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the sentences.
Agencies that assisted with this investigation included the Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority, the FBI, U.S. Department of Labor, and the Virginia Employment Commission.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Drug Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Zevion La’Quawn Collins (31, Jacksonville) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure or actual methamphetamine. The court also ordered Collins to forfeit $4,970 in cash, which are traceable proceeds of the offense, a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol and all ammunition seized with the firearm, which were used to facilitate the conspiracy. Collins pleaded guilty on January 7, 2025.
According to court documents, between April 2023 and the time of his arrest on June 17, 2024, Collins distributed methamphetamine in Jacksonville. During this time, federal agents observed Collins conduct multiple drug transactions, including on 6 separate occasions, where Collins sold one to two ounces of pure methamphetamine per transaction. On June 17, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Collins’s stash house in Jacksonville and arrested him on federal drug charges. From this residence, agents seized approximately $4,970 in cash and a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh and Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lasry.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Iraqi Man Charged with Illegal Voting by an AlienRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Akeel Abdul Jamiel, age 45, formerly of South Glens Falls, New York, was charged on Friday with illegally voting in the 2020 election. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
According to an information filed in federal court, Jamiel, an Iraqi who was not a United Citizen, voted in the November 2020 election in Saratoga County, New York. The charge in the information is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “As alleged, Jamiel’s voting in the 2020 election was a callous and illegal act. We will continue to investigate and prosecute illegal schemes aimed at corrupting the election process.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Election security is and will continue to be one of the FBI’s highest national security priorities. Americans have a right to expect free and fair elections and the FBI is committed to working with our partners to seek justice for anyone trying to interfere with the democratic process.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “This defendant’s alleged crimes are an insult to the democratic process and demonstrate his blatant disregard for the sanctity of American constitutional rights. I commend HSI Albany and our law-enforcement partners for their success in this unified effort.”
The charge filed against Jamiel carries a maximum term of 1 year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) assisted in this investigation.
Illegal alien guilty of assaulting federal agent and fleeing scene in underwearRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 21-year-old Mexican citizen has pleaded guilty to assaulting a Border Patrol (BP) agent who was assisting him and inflicting bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Marco Cupil-Hernandez, an illegal alien from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, admitted he struck the agent’s body and face repeatedly while attempting to flee.
On the evening of Jan. 23, law enforcement had arrested Cupil-Hernandez after he had waded across the Rio Grande River. A BP agent transported him to a local hospital for emergency care after Cupil-Hernandez complained of injuries to his knees.
Medical personnel cleared him for release, though he walked with a limp. As the agent attempted to assist him into the vehicle, Cupil-Hernandez forcefully pushed him away and attempted to flee.
A struggle ensued on the concrete. Each time the agent grasped an article of Cupil-Hernandez’s clothing, he removed it. Cupil-Hernandez then elbowed the agent’s face which caused him to lose his hold, at which time Cupil-Hernandez jumped to his feet and fled wearing only his underwear and shoes.
Authorities took him into custody a short time later after discovering him hiding under the covered parking spaces of a nearby gym.
“The defendant’s conduct, in brief, was quite revealing; he attacked a federal agent and barely escaped,” said Ganjei. “The naked truth here is if you assault a federal officer, you are going to federal prison.”
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Cupil-Hernandez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Cupil-Hernandez has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Hutchinson man sentenced for child pornography distributionRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 151 months in prison for distributing child exploitation sexual abuse materials.
According to court documents, Zachary Charles Hiskey, 27, of Hutchinson pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.
In June 2021, Hiskey used his account on a messaging app called Kik to share videos depicting adult males engaged in sexually explicit activities with prepubescent children. Kik detected the videos and reported the account to law enforcement through a cyber tipline. This led to the discovery of other child exploitation sexual abuse materials connected to Hiskey’s email account and to IP logs at his home in Hutchinson.
While executing a search warrant at Hiskey's home, investigators found an electronic device with an Internet browser thumbnail of recently viewed child exploitation sexual abuse materials. A forensic examination revealed the Kik account in question had been installed and then deleted on his cell phone.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.###
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Michael Vernon Pinson Jr., 30, of Huntington, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 20, 2024, law enforcement officers responding to reports of an unresponsive male in a vehicle in Huntington encountered Pinson in the vehicle’s driver’s seat. Officers searched the vehicle during the encounter and found a loaded Taurus model PT111 Millennium Pro 9mm pistol in the vehicle.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Pinson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for unlawful wounding in Cabell County Circuit Court on February 16, 2016.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-149.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Robert Lee Taylor, 44, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 19, 2025, law enforcement officers obtained consent to search a Huntington residence and found approximately 104 grams of heroin, three digital scales, and plastic bags for packaging the heroin in a storage tote on the back deck of the residence. As part of his guilty plea, Taylor admitted that he possessed the seized heroin and that he intended to distribute it. Taylor further admitted to selling approximately 7 grams of heroin to a confidential informant for $491 on the back deck of the Huntington residence the day before the search.
Officers executed a search warrant at Taylor’s residence in Huntington on March 19, 2025, and seized approximately $8,661. Taylor admitted that the seized cash was proceeds from the distribution of heroin.
Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Violent Crime and Drug Task Force West.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-74.
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Honduran Man in U.S. Illegally is Charged with Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Marvin Enrique Pena-Portillo, 38, a Honduran national unlawfully residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of a firearm by a felon. He was ordered detained in federal custody at a detention hearing this afternoon.
The criminal complaint alleges that, on April 15, 2025, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents arrested the defendant for immigration violations, Pena-Portillo had a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic pistol in his waistband.
In August of 2024, in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Pena-Portillo pleaded guilty to carrying an illegal firearm in public and was sentenced to two years of probation for that offense.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and the ATF.
The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Guatemalan National Responsible for Vehicle Crash Causing Six Deaths Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry into the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – JOSE PAXTOR-OXLAJ, 45, of Guatemala, has pleaded guilty to illegally reentering after removal from the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On September 17, 2024, a federal Grand Jury charged Paxtor-Oxlaj with illegal reentry after previous deportation. According to an affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint, on November 21, 2023, Paxtor-Oxlaj was the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident near Elk City, Oklahoma, in which his six passengers—including five children—died, and a seventh passenger was critically injured. An investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed Paxtor-Oxlaj was ordered to be removed by an Immigration Judge on June 29, 2010, and he had been removed from the United States to Guatemala on July 9, 2010. According to investigators, Paxtor-Oxlaj did not have permission to reenter the United States after his prior deportation.
“Six individuals would be alive today, including five children, and another would not have been critically injured, if this defendant did not illegally reenter the United States after his deportation,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “His failure to comply with our immigration laws has resulted in horrific and tragic consequences which can never be undone. I applaud the federal and state law enforcement officials and prosecutors for their efforts with this case.”
On March 21, 2025, Paxtor-Oxlaj pleaded guilty, and admitted he was knowingly in the United States without having obtained the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission into the United States. Sentencing will take place in federal court in approximately 60 to 90 days.
In Beckham County District Court, Paxtor-Oxlaj was convicted of six counts of first-degree manslaughter and one count of causing accident with great bodily injury without a valid driver’s license in case number CF-2023-257. He was sentenced to serve four years in state prison.
This case is the result of an investigation by the HSI, ICE, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Hale and Elizabeth Joynes.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Glades County Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Possessing and Accessing with Intent to View Child Sexual Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Rodney Alan Hortman (59, Okeechobee) to five years in federal prison for possessing and accessing with intent to view images depicting the sexual abuse of children. Hortman was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Hortman entered a guilty plea on January 22, 2025.
According to court documents, in December 2022, the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip from an electronic service provider reporting that Hortman had uploaded files that depicted child sexual abuse material from his cellphone.
On June 6, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hortman’s residence and seized Hortman’s cellphones and computer tower. Hortman agreed to speak with law enforcement and admitted that there would be child sex abuse material on his electronic devices. The subsequent forensic examination of Hortman’s electronic devices revealed images of child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Glades County Sheriff’s Office and FDLE. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Fresno County Farmer Sentenced to Prison for Crop Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
Jatinderjeet “Jyoti” Sihota, 40, of Selma, was sentenced today to one year in prison for conspiring to commit crop insurance fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court records, for many years, Sihota’s family’s farming operation produced table grapes and other crops in Fresno and Tulare Counties, and it sold many of those crops through a fruit packing company where Ralph Hackett, 69, of Clovis, was a member and manager.
Beginning in 2012, Sihota became involved with her family’s farming operation. Thereafter, from 2012 through 2016, she and Hackett carried out a fraud scheme to obtain more than $650,000 in crop insurance payments to which they were not entitled. They caused altered records that underreported the amount of crops the farming operation sold through the fruit packing company to be provided to the insurance company to make it appear as though the farming operation had suffered significant crop losses when that was not true.
Emails and other evidence showed that the fraud was Sihota’s idea. She pleaded with Hackett to make the alterations, instructed him on the specific changes that needed to be made, and asked him to keep everything a secret. Sihota emailed other fruit brokers asking them to alter records for her, but they refused to do so.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and Risk Management Agency Special Investigations Staff. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.
Hackett was charged separately and has pleaded guilty for his role in the fraud. Hackett is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2025. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison and $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Former labor union president admits to embezzling over $280,000 in union fundsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 42-year-old Corpus Christi resident has pleaded guilty to embezzling from a local labor union, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Robert Cirilo, a former president of the United Steelworkers Local 13-1647 in Corpus Christi, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of embezzlement from a labor organization.
Cirilo admitted he made approximately 430 unauthorized transactions from union accounts for personal purchases. He also concealed those transactions by lying to union members. As part of his plea, he acknowledged the embezzlement totaled over more than $280,000.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Aug. 12. At that time, Cirilo faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine for wire fraud and up to five years and a possible $10,000 fine on the embezzlement count.
The FBI and Department of Labor’s Office of Labor Management Standards conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Foster and John Marck are prosecuting the case.
Former Teacher in New York City Charged with Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) announced today the arrest of SAMUEL GONZALEZ, a former teacher at an acting school in New York City. GONZALEZ is charged with distributing and possessing child pornography, including videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers. GONZALEZ will be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged, Samuel Gonzalez distributed a large volume of child pornography, including images of sexual abuse of children as young as a few months old. The lasting scars from the horrific abuse of children are deeply troubling to all New Yorkers. Together with our partners, we will relentlessly pursue those who victimize children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Samuel Gonzalez allegedly distributed thousands of pornographic images of infants and minors to an undercover federal agent over a brief period. Gonzalez’s alleged actions grossly disregarded the victims’ welfare and repeatedly violated their privacy by sharing this twisted material. The FBI is deeply committed to preventing crimes against children and will continue to apprehend any individual who supplies these explicit images.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]
GONZALEZ is an actor, dancer, theater producer, and former teacher at an acting school in New York City. In or about January 2023 and April 2023, GONZALEZ used an online messaging application to send links containing over 1,500 files of child pornography to a federal law enforcement agent acting in an undercover capacity. In addition, in or about June 2023, federal agents executed a judicially-authorized search warrant of GONZALEZ’s apartment. Pursuant to that warrant, federal agents seized and searched GONZALEZ’s phone and laptop, which were found to contain over 80 unique files of child pornography, including videos and images of infants and prepubescent adolescents who had not attained 12 years of age.
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GONZALEZ, 31, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with one count of distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. GONZALEZ is further charged with one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the FBI/New York City Police Department Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Cheng and Diarra M. Guthrie are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._gonzalez_complaint.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former School Bus Driver Pleads Guilty to Possessing Thousands of Images of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – A San Bernardino County man who once worked as a school bus driver pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for possessing thousands of images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Donal James Seaver, 51, of Hesperia, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
Seaver has been in federal custody since March 2024.
According to his plea agreement, federal and local law enforcement executed a search warrant at Seaver’s residence in March 2024. Law enforcement seized four digital devices from Seaver and his bedroom, three of which contained CSAM. One of the devices – a Samsung tablet – contained thousands of images depicting CSAM.
Seaver admitted in his plea agreement that he knew the files contained videos and images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He further admitted to knowingly downloading CSAM from the internet onto his devices – material that depicted children under the age of 12 years.
United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal scheduled an August 25 sentencing hearing, at which time Seaver will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Foreign National Indicted for Buying A Fraudulent Social Security Card and Possessing A Fake Green CardRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Carlos Alberto Urribarri Dominguez (34), a Venezuelan national, with knowingly buying a fraudulent Social Security card and possessing a fake U.S. Permanent Resident Card, commonly known as a “Green Card.” If convicted for the Social Security card offense, Urribarri Dominguez faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The Greed Card offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
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).
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General, and the Veterans Affairs Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam W. McCall.
Florida Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Supervising Maryland Unemployment Insurance SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Tiia Woods, 47, of Jacksonville, Florida, to 74 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence is in connection with Woods’s role as an organizer of an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme. Through the conspiracy, victims lost approximately $3,296,725.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the guilty plea, beginning in June 2020, and continuing through at least May 2021, Woods engaged in a conspiracy to defraud and obtain money through materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises in connection with the UI scheme. Woods obtained the personal identifiable information of real persons and used the information to submit false and fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL).
Woods and her co-conspirators used UI benefits, which were designated to assist unemployed or underemployed people due to the COVID-19 national emergency, for their personal use. She instructed her co-conspirators Tyshawna Davis and Devante Smith via text message in furtherance of the conspiracy. Woods’s guidance included instructions on how to obtain benefits, expedite a claim, and how much Woods would keep for herself.
Smith was previously sentenced to 54 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized increased unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits. UI benefits have historically been a state and federal program that provided monetary benefits to eligible workers. The CARES Act expanded states’ ability to provide UI benefits for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including self-employed workers or independent contractors, who would not normally be eligible for UI benefits.
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 DOL-OIG and FBI, along with Bank of America – Detection and Complex Investigations Fraud Rings and Analytics, for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evelyn Lombardo Cusson and Harry M. Gruber who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Final men admit guilt in million-dollar stolen mail credit card fraud schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The final two people in a large-scale mail theft and credit card fraud scheme have been convicted, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Bradley Kane Zarco, 39, and Travis Castaneda Qawasmeh, 28, both of Houston, admitted to obtaining stolen U.S. mail containing new credit cards and bank statements for intended account holders. They called financial institutions to activate the stolen credit cards, increased credit limits and changed information. The stolen credit cards were used to purchase goods, services, gift cards, cash and merchandise at retail stores.
Over a six-month period, they fraudulently activated at least 120 stolen credit cards and caused approximately $1 million in losses to Chase Bank.
Three others had also previously pleaded guilty to the same charges - Christopher McGee, 43, and Daniel Sanchez, 37, both of Houston, and Nigerian citizen Omokehinde Muyiwa Oyegoke-Tewogbade, 64, who illegally resided in Houston.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen accepted the pleas and set sentencing for Aug. 11.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum five-year prison term and a potential fine of up to $1 million. McGee also admitted one count of aggravated identity theft which carries a mandatory two years in prison which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
Sanchez has already been sentenced. He was ordered to serve 41 months in prison in February.
With the exception of Qawasmeh who was permitted to remain on bond, all others have been and will remain in custody.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Lansden is prosecuting the case.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts 12 on Drug Conspiracy and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia has charged 12 individuals in a 24-count indictment in connection with narcotics, firearms, and conspiracy offenses. These charges stem from an investigation targeting individuals engaged in the illegal possession and distribution of narcotics in Richland and Lexington County. During this investigation, agents seized multiple firearms, ammunition, and large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, and marijuana.
The individuals charged include:
- William Larry Javis, 43, of Columbia
- Demetrius Tyare Glenn, 34, of Columbia
- Pearish Pierre Pretty, 41, of Columbia
- Issac Christopher Bates, 53, of Columbia
- Johnny Lee Dickerson, 44, of Columbia
- Quinton Lamar Anderson, 32, of West Columbia
- Miranda Ruth Garrett, 53, of Hopkins
- Darwin Tramaine Sims, 34, of Columbia
- Marsha Beth Gurwitch, 53, of Columbia
- Maynard Felder Bartlett, 39, of Lexington
- Douglas Steven Raley, 41, of West Columbia
- Billy Joe Davis, 42, of Gaston
The defendants are each charged with offenses carrying a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of up to life in federal prison. The defendants appeared for arraignment last week. Ten defendants waived their right to a bond and United States Magistrate Judge Shiva V. Hodges ordered them detained pending trial. Douglas Steven Raley and Marsha Beth Gurwitch have detention hearings scheduled for tomorrow. The remaining defendants retain the right to ask for a detention hearing at a later date.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, City of Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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