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Monday 13 July 2026
Antisemitic Threats Result in Four Federal Prosecutions by Atlanta-Based U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Today, as part of the Justice Department’s ongoing and concerted effort to crack down on rising antisemitism, United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg announced federal charges against a Texas man who threatened to kill Jews at a Georgia company. Jordan Nicholas Hadley is the fourth defendant in 12 months to face federal prosecution in the Northern District of Georgia for allegedly making antisemitic threats online or by phone. Each defendant faces up to five years in prison for transmitting threatening communications through means of interstate or foreign commerce.
“These men allegedly spewed vile hate and threatened violent attacks against Jews,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Threats against any person based on his or her religious beliefs will not be tolerated, and these charges reflect my office’s commitment to working with law enforcement partners to combat the pernicious evil of antisemitism and hold accountable anyone who threatens members of our community.”
“Antisemitic hate has no place in Georgia or anywhere,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI's work to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution includes the assurance to every single American that they are allowed to practice their religion without fear of threats or harm.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On April 24, 2026, Jordan Nicholas Hadley, 31, of Houston, Texas, allegedly left a message in the voicemail inbox of Flock Safety, a company based in Atlanta, Georgia. The message stated, “You’re a bunch of Jewish fa--ots who are breaking the Constitution. Film me and see what f--king happens. I’ll find you and I’ll f--king kill you.” Hadley was arrested on a criminal complaint on July 9, 2026, and will make an initial appearance in Atlanta at a later date.
Since August 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged three additional individuals with communicating interstate antisemitic threats. One of those defendants has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced later this week.
Aaron John Sasser
On or around April 3, 2026, Aaron John Sasser, 36, of Finksburg, Maryland, allegedly sent numerous threatening messages to employees of PrizePicks, a company based in Atlanta, Georgia, via the company’s online customer service chat. Directing his messages to multiple specific PrizePicks employees, Sasser allegedly wrote, among other messages, “You better leave town because I’m driving down to Atlanta to blow up the PrizePicks headquarters and then I’ll head to your house, tie you up and rape your wife in front of you. Then, I’ll dismember the both of you before heading off to [Jewish PrizePicks employee’s] place. I’m gonna have fun tying up [his] Zionist wife. Before that though, I’m gonna cut [his] eyelids off. So he’s forced to watch. Then I’m gonna blow his f--king body up in the name of Palestine because he’s a Zionist piece of s--t and every last one of them are going to die.”
Sasser was arrested on a criminal complaint on April 6, 2026, and his charges are currently pending.
Christopher Robertson
On July 30, 2025, staff members at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta notified security staff that they observed a man, later identified as Christopher Robertson, 43, of Fairburn, Georgia, allegedly wandering around the parking lot inside the secure area of its Midtown Atlanta facility. Security staff met Robertson in the parking lot, who allegedly stated that he was “the official spokesperson for the white race” and that he wanted to speak with a high-ranking Jewish official.
After being asked to leave, Robertson allegedly drove to The Temple, a Jewish synagogue, also located in Midtown Atlanta. At The Temple, Robertson encountered two staff members and asked to speak to a rabbi. Robertson allegedly made derogatory remarks about Jewish people and ranted about the decline of the white race. An Atlanta Police Department officer was present inside The Temple, and Robertson left.
On July 31, 2025, Robertson allegedly entered a Jewish Chabad building in Peachtree City, Georgia. The Chabad rabbi called 911 while members of the staff barricaded themselves in an office. Robertson allegedly recorded the encounter and posted it on Facebook. In the post, Robertson identified himself as the “official delegate of the white race” and told the rabbi that Jewish people were on the “verge of extermination.” After police arrived at the Chabad, Robertson left.
Robertson allegedly used several social media accounts to post antisemitic and threatening video posts before and immediately after these incidents. On July 24, 2025, Robertson allegedly posted a video to Facebook in which he chanted, “This is not Israel. Jews don’t have no protection. F--k the Jews, and f--k you if you Jewish, b--ch. Hey, f--k the Jews, f--k you if you Jewish. Hey, one shot, two shot, three shot, leave you in the sewage.” On July 28, 2025, Robertson allegedly posted on Facebook a photo of himself holding a black pistol while speaking about the “cultural genocide” of the white race. A caption on the video read, “I will not tolerate cultural genocide get that understood -- I will fight for it, I will die for it, I will kill for it.”
Robertson was arrested on a criminal complaint on August 1, 2025, and a federal grand jury later indicted him on two counts of communicating interstate threats. Robertson has been detained since his initial arrest, and his charges are currently pending.
Matthew Alan Souza
On or about July 15, 2025, Matthew Alan Souza, 25, of Acworth, Georgia, posted on X: “I just want more Jews dead / The more Jew lives I take / The better a place the world can be / Death to the Jewish people.” One week later, Souza posted, “Death to every Jew breathing / I can’t wait for the war of America against Israel / The day I snipe a Jew will put a huge smile on my face.”
On June 11, 2026, Souza pled guilty to two counts of communicating interstate threats. He has been detained since May 8, 2026, and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2026.
Each case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Grill is prosecuting the case against Hadley, Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wylly is prosecuting the case against Sasser, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brent Alan Gray and Bret R. Hobson are prosecuting the case against Robertson, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chloe Smith and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Woods are prosecuting the case against Souza.
Members of the public are reminded that the defendants who have not yet pled guilty are presumed innocent of the charges, and the government bears the burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Alleged Drug Trafficker with Connections to 2022 Drug Tunnel Extradited to San Diego from MexicoRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Genaro Lopez was arraigned in federal court today following his extradition from Mexico Friday in connection with allegations that he moved cocaine and other drugs into the United States via a sophisticated tunnel discovered in 2022.
At the hearing, the defendant entered a not guilty plea to drug trafficking charges. U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel E. Butcher granted the government’s request to hold Lopez without bond on grounds that he posed a serious risk of flight from prosecution.
According to court records, Lopez, who is a United States citizen, was a powerful drug trafficker operating on both sides of the border. Prior to July 2021, Lopez operated from the United States out of a stash house in Chula Vista, until July 9, 2021, when investigators stopped three cars leaving the stash house with drugs and executed a search warrant. Authorities seized 241 kilograms of cocaine, eight guns (including two ghost guns), a bulletproof vest, ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and close to $40,000 in cash.
Lopez was not present at the search; he fled to Mexico after the search and remained a fugitive until his recent arrest in Mexico on March 10 at the request of the United States. Four of Lopez’s employees were arrested and charged with drug trafficking crimes and have since pleaded guilty and been sentenced.
The United States also alleges that Lopez used a cross-border tunnel discovered in 2022 to smuggle illegal drugs into the United States. Investigators discovered the tunnel on May 12, 2022, while surveilling a second stash house in National City. Authorities stopped four cars leaving the stash house and during subsequent searches of the house and cars, investigators seized close to 800 kilograms of cocaine, 74.8 kilograms (163 pounds) of methamphetamine, and 1.6 kilograms (3.5 pounds) of fentanyl. For more information, please see this link.
Beneath the warehouse, they discovered a tunnel from Tijuana to a warehouse in Otay Mesa that was estimated to be about 1,744 feet long, 61 feet deep and 4-feet in diameter, with reinforced walls, a rail system, electricity and a ventilation system. Six people were arrested in that case; five have since pleaded guilty and been sentenced while one other fled while awaiting sentencing and remains a fugitive.
Lopez’s next court appearance for motion hearing and trial setting is scheduled for August 14 before U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Benjamin and Lawrence Casper. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Genaro Lopez.
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr681-LL
Genaro Lopez Age: 54 Tijuana, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance- – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841 and 846
Maximum penalty: Life in prison
Conspiracy to Import a Controlled Substance- – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 952, 960, and 963
Maximum penalty: Life in prison
PREVIOUS DEFENDANTS AND SENTENCES
22-CR-01697-LL
Soukha Phimpasouk 48 months
Gabriel Ali Ruelas 70 months
Kevin Omar Carbajal 30 months
Josselyn Paige Smitko 345 days
22-CR-1169-LL
Juan Cruz 24 months
Mario Jaramillo 27 months
Manuel Perez-Herrera Fugitive
Vanessa Ramirez 120 months
Luz de Luna Olmos 92 days
Adrian Enriquez 120 months
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego Sheriff’s Department
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and INTERPOL, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Admitted Leader of La Nuestra Familia Prison Gang Sentenced to 10 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl from his Prison CellRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington — First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on July 9, 2026, Felipe Feliciano Ramirez (a/k/a “Casper”), age 45, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Stanley Bastain to 120 months of incarceration to be followed by 8 years of supervised release stemming from his conviction for Distribution of Fentanyl while inside the Bureau of Prisons.
Ramirez was convicted in 2014 in the Eastern District of California for his role as a Regimental Commander for La Nuestra Familia (“NF”), a violent prison gang, where he was responsible for the trafficking of a significant amount of methamphetamine and cocaine into the community. He was sentenced to 336 months of imprisonment in the Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”). While serving this sentence, Ramirez was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in NF’s paramilitary organizational structure. He was ultimately housed at the United States Penitentiary in Florence, Colorado. From there, he continued his drug trafficking activities, which included the distribution of a significant amount of fentanyl via the mail, which he orchestrated from his prison cell.
The Bureau of Prisons’ National Gang Unit (“NGU”) learned Ramirez was utilizing the recorded BOP phone line and email system to broker drug deals, the proceeds of which he used to pay his mandatory ‘contribution’ to his NF superiors. Ramirez would source drugs, mostly fentanyl, from NF’s Mexican Regiment, and direct their distribution into various communities. Through the NGU’s diligence, they uncovered this scheme, broke the code being used, and determined there was a package of fentanyl pills heading to Spokane, Washington. They passed this information to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, who located and seized the package from the commercial carrier preventing their distribution into the community.
During the process of resolving his case, Ramirez admitted he was a leader in this criminal organization and affirmed he was an NF Lieutenant. In imposing sentence, the Court noted Ramirez’s 20 plus years of involvement in the criminal justice system and the commission of this serious offense while already serving a significant drug trafficking sentence. The Court declined Ramirez’s request to impose his sentence concurrent to his 336 months sentence, noting there is no free crime. Ultimately, the Court decided to impose the 120-month sentence with 80 months running consecutive to his current sentence with the rest to run concurrently. It was also noted Ramirez’s initial sentence would be extended by the loss of “good time” credits with this new criminal conduct.
“This prison-based gang is a threat to our communities. From within the prison walls, they are trying to assert their influence, power, and control through the recruitment of our youth forcing themselves into our communities, coordinating, directing and engaging in ongoing criminal conduct,” stated First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano. “This admitted Lieutenant is just one example. We are thankful for the hard work of our partners within the BOP and the ATF for targeting this threat and remaining vigilant to continue to hold them accountable for their conduct.”
ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais stated, “Mr. Ramirez is a textbook example of recidivism. Not only was he already serving a significant prison sentence for his prior offenses, but he continued to push poison into our neighborhoods from behind bars. Mr. Ramirez and La Nuestra Familia are a plague on our communities, and ATF will continue to bring the full might of the Department of Justice to their doorstep.”
"This case demonstrates how the BOP's intelligence capabilities extend far beyond our institution walls," said Federal Bureau of Prisons Director William K. Marshall III. "Our NGU worked with law enforcement partners to disrupt a fentanyl trafficking scheme and protect the community from these deadly drugs. This additional sentence sends a clear message that criminal activity will be pursued relentlessly, and those who continue to orchestrate crimes from behind bars will be held fully accountable."
For additional information, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.
4-CR-02027-SAB-3
2 Montana women sentenced to prison for Billings carjacking homicideRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – Two women who helped carjack a pickup truck that ended with the driver’s death in a South Side Billings neighborhood were sentenced to prison last week, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Violet Jean Littlelight, 23, from Hardin, who pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count carjacking that resulted in death, was sentenced Wednesday to 24 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Shyanna Jo Whitewolf, 21, from Billings, who pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count carjacking that resulted in death, was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Littlelight, along with Whitewolf and a third conspirator, Brian Contreraz, 31, lured an acquaintance of Littlelight’s to South Park in Billings to rob him and steal his pickup truck.
Littlelight was spending time with Whitewolf and Contreraz in Billings on May 16, 2025, and had been texting that evening with Keith Breckenridge, 51, asking if he would come pick her up. When Littlelight told Whitewolf and Contreraz she’d asked Breckenridge for a ride, the three made plans to steal his truck and take it to a drug dealer they knew in Hardin to exchange for drugs or money.
Littlelight told Breckenridge to meet her at South Park; Whitewolf and Contreraz came along under the pretense of needing a ride. When Breckinridge arrived and saw the two additional people, he grew suspicious and kept the doors on his pickup locked, asking to know who Whitewolf and Contreraz were. Littlelight vouched for them and told Breckenridge they just wanted a ride. With Littlelight’s assurances, Breckenridge opened the doors and the three climbed into his truck.
Contreraz told Breckenridge to drive to the alleyway behind Adams Street on Billings’s South Side while Whitewolf chatted with Breckenridge to keep him calm. Once there, Breckenridge stopped the truck and Contreraz leaned over and stabbed him approximately 20 times in the neck, chest, and stomach. Littlelight, Whitewolf, and Contreraz then pulled Breckenridge from the truck, placed him on the ground and drove away. Breckenridge died in the alley from his stab wounds.
The three drove the pickup to a house in Hardin where they changed their blood-stained clothes and placed them in the truck. From there they drove to a house on the Crow Reservation, where Littlelight and Contreraz decided they would clean the interior of the pickup and burn their bloody clothes along with other evidence from the truck. As they were cleaning the pickup, BIA officers pulled up. Littlelight and Contreraz ran off; Whitewolf stayed and told officers she had nothing to do with the truck. By the end of the month, law enforcement had all three in custody.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. The FBI adopted the case to assist with expedition of laboratory testing and for federal prosecution purposes.
Friday 10 July 2026
Woodinville, Washington, man indicted for stealing $440,000 from the financial institutions where he workedRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 41-year-old Woodinville, Washington man has been indicted for 30 federal felonies related to his scheme to steal from financial institutions where he worked and then launder the money through other banks, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Joshua Shore will make his initial appearance on the indictment today at 2:00 PM.
“This defendant allegedly victimized two financial institutions, stealing huge piles of cash and casting suspicion on all the employees who worked there,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “His attempted cover-up – repeated deposits of thousands of dollars to other bank’s ATMs, provided a trail for law enforcement and will be part of our work to hold him accountable for the theft and money laundering.”
According to the indictment, between July 2019 and April 2022, Joshua Shore was an operations manager of the cash vault for a nationwide bank. The facility was located in Tukwila, Washington. On December 6, 2021, Shore allegedly stole approximately $40,000. On January 28, 2022, Shore allegedly stole an additional $100,000. The next ten counts of the indictment detail how Shore allegedly sought to launder the stolen funds by making repeated $3,000 cash deposits of hundred-dollar bills into ATM’s for the local bank where he had his personal accounts. Ultimately, Shore moved the funds from his bank to another financial institution – another count of money laundering.
From September 2023-December 2025, Shore was employed as a Market Manager at a financial institution in Renton. The indictment alleges that on the eve of the Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day (the start of a bank holiday), Shore stole $300,000 from the vault. The next 16 counts describe how he deposited cash up to $10,000 at a time via ATMs into his personal bank account at a different financial institution.
The indictment seeks to forfeit any money seized from Shore as part of this investigation.
Theft by an employee from a financial institution is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. The types of money laundering alleged in this case are punishable by up to 20 years or 10 years in prison depending on the count.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Charlotte Storey. Ms. Storey is an attorney with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
shore_indictment.pdfWoodbridge felon pleads guilty to federal gun charge following domestic disputeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge man pled guilty today to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on Feb. 18, 2026, Fairfax County Police (FCPD) responding to a 911 call regarding a domestic dispute at an apartment in Herndon arrived to find Khari Wheeler, 27, who acknowledged that he had been knocking on the door of the apartment. When officers attempted to conduct a pat down, Wheeler attempted to flee, at which point a loaded handgun he had been carrying fell from his person. Wheeler was apprehended after a brief pursuit.
USAO EDVAAs a previously convicted felon, Wheeler cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Wheeler is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22 and faces up to 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division investigated this case with assistance from FCPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amber N. Rieff and April N. Russo are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-cr-101.
United States Files False Claims Act Complaint Against Founder of Cannabis Companies for Illegally Obtaining Pandemic LoansRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act (FCA) against Laurie Holcomb, founder of multiple cannabis companies, alleging that she illegally obtained five pandemic-related loans from the federal government.
The United States alleges that Holcomb secured $1.4 million in federally-guaranteed Paycheck Protection Program loans, and subsequent forgiveness of the loans, by falsely certifying under penalty of perjury on loan applications that the businesses were not involved in illegal activity.
In fact, Holcomb and her companies were engaged in the cultivation, distribution, and retail sale of recreational cannabis and cannabis products, which is illegal under federal law.
Congress created the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to eligible small businesses experiencing economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers the PPP.
Due to its status as a Schedule I controlled substance under the United States Controlled Substances Act, the manufacture, distribution, dispensation, and possession of cannabis, with the exception of use in federal government-approved research, is illegal under federal law. SBA eligibility rules generally excluded a business from eligibility for PPP loans if the business engaged in activities involving federally illegal cannabis, even if state law permitted cultivation or sale.
The government’s complaint alleges that Ms. Holcomb, a resident of Huntington Beach, California, obtained loans for the following businesses she founded and controlled: Gold Flora LLC; GF Distribution LLC; Gold Flora Partners LLC; and Black Lion Farms LLC - collectively known as the “Gold Flora Companies”.
The Gold Flora Companies have since filed for receivership in California State Superior Court. As alleged in the United States’ complaint against Ms. Holcomb, the Gold Flora Companies’ petition in support of receivership stated that Gold Flora LLC and Black Lion Farms LLC, along with other affiliate entities, could not file for bankruptcy protection due to the illegality of cannabis under federal law.
The United States filed its complaint in a lawsuit originally brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The act permits the United States to intervene in such lawsuits, as it has done in this case. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Aidan Forsyth v. Gold Flora LLC, et al., No. 23cv1962-W (MMP) (S.D. Cal.).
This matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Price Jr.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here.
The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama Highlights Three Landmark CasesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to highlight three landmark cases that achieved historic outcomes and reflect the Office’s commitment to protecting the public, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
“The good people of north Alabama should know that the federal prosecutors in the Northern District have been setting the bar high with cases that make waves on a national scale. These cases demonstrate the hard work and dedication of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. “Whether dismantling a sophisticated criminal enterprise, helping bring one of the FBI’s most wanted fugitives to justice, or prosecuting those engaged in dog fighting, our mission remains the same: protecting the public and enforcing the rule of law.”
Largest Sports Betting Takedown in Department of Justice History
The U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully prosecuted a nationwide illegal sports betting scheme that resulted in the largest sports betting enforcement action in Department of Justice history.
In February 2025, Timothy J. Pughsley, Nathan Burdette, Christopher Burdette, Thomas Zito, Gary Rapp, Mark Giaquinto, Matthew Voorhees, David Richards, and Joshua Gentrup pleaded guilty to managing a multi-million-dollar sports betting operation. The organization eventually became known as “Red44,” and bookmaking and betting activities occurred online via an offshore server located in Costa Rica. It is estimated that the organization accepted over $2 billion in wagers during its existence. Within the plea agreements, the defendants—all senior agents within Red44—agreed to pay excise tax restitution totaling $19,777,382.61 to the IRS arising from their acceptance of wagers from sports betters across the U.S. and to satisfy any income tax obligations that remain outstanding.
Assistance in the Arrest of an FBI Most Wanted Child Pornographer
In this case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked alongside law enforcement partners to assist in the arrest of William Michael Spearman. The Office assisted the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida to secure the warrants that led to the FBI executing a no-knock warrant on Spearman’s house in Madison which resulted in the seizure of his servers and his arrest. Prosecutors handled the preliminary and detention hearings in Huntsville to ensure Spearman remained in federal custody. Spearman pleaded guilty in the Florida district to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise and received a life sentence. Notably, in June 2026, the Eleventh Circuit issued a published opinion dismissing Spearman’s claim of an illegal search of his home and affirming his conviction.
Spearman controlled one of the world’s largest darknet websites dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material. It was international in scope. It’s very likely that thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of innocent children were victimized. Spearman oversaw thousands of users, gave directions, and promoted and perpetrated child sexual exploitation in such a size and scope that he became the FBI’s most wanted child pornographer.
Second-Largest Animal Rescue in Department of Justice History
In another significant case, the Office prosecuted Carlton Lenard Adams for his role in a large-scale dog fighting operation that resulted in the rescue of 78 dogs. At the time of rescue, this was the second largest number of dogs ever recovered from a single defendant in a federal case.
Carlton Lenard Adams maintained a stock of 78 fighting dogs among three properties. When they were rescued, some of the dogs bore scars and other injuries, and some were living in conditions of extreme neglect. In addition to the dogs, law enforcement also recovered tools and supplies used in training and keeping dogs used for fighting. These items included modified treadmills to hold dogs in place for conditioning, injectable veterinary steroids, suture materials and syringes, skin staplers, intravenous bags and lines, a homemade breeding stand, and a break stick device used to break the bite hold of a dog. Adams was sentenced to 120 months in prison. In addition to the prison sentence, the court also imposed a restitution of $548,449 for the costs of care of 78 pit bull-type dogs rescued during this investigation.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 151 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 151 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On July 2, Julio Villa-Urzua, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 929 pounds – 28 buckets – of liquid methamphetamine dissolved into the fluid of the passenger-side fuel tank of a semi-truck driven by Villa-Urzua while applying for entry to the U.S. at the Otay Import Cargo Facility Port of Entry.
- On July 4, Edgar Clemente Gonzalez Huales, a Guatemalan national, was arrested and charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. According to a complaint, a Border Patrol agent made a traffic stop of Gonzales Huales’ vehicle in Boulevard. The defendant stopped briefly, ordered two undocumented aliens to exit his car and run, and then sped away in his white BMW sedan. The defendant was apprehended two days later, on July 6, after agents used a spike strip to disable his vehicle.
- On July 7, Geronimo Benitez Velazquez, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered the undocumented defendant hiding under a tree approximately 500 yards north of the U.S.-Mexico border, three miles east of the Tecate Port of Entry. He was previously deported in April 2026 from San Diego.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Twice-Deported Mexican National Charged with Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Ignatio Mateos-Herrera (33, Mexico) has been charged by federal indictment with illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Mateos-Herrera faces up to two years in federal prison and subsequent deportation and removal from the United States. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on March 18, 2016, and again on April 27, 2017, Mateos-Herrera was removed from the United States by immigration authorities. On June 20, 2026, Mateos-Herrera was found to be voluntarily back in the United States and was arrested in the Middle District of Florida. Records checks confirmed that he had not applied to U.S. immigration authorities for permission to lawfully reenter the United States after his prior removals.
An indictment is only an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
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.
Suspected Dominican National Charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl Analog, Healthcare Benefit Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A suspected Dominican national unlawfully residing in Boston has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possession with intent to distribute, as well as healthcare benefit fraud and aggravated identity theft.
John Doe, an individual whose identity is unknown but allegedly has been residing in the United States without lawful status since at least 2004, was charged with possession with intent to distribute meta-Fluorofentanyl, a Schedule I fentanyl analogue, healthcare benefit fraud and aggravated identity theft. John Doe was arrested on June 18, 2026, and has been held in pretrial custody since his arrest.
According to the charging documents, Doe allegedly used the stolen identity of a U.S. citizen, including the citizen’s social security number, to obtain government benefits. Specifically, the defendant allegedly represented that he was a U.S. citizen when applying for healthcare benefits in Massachusetts and submitted a sworn affidavit falsely alleging the same. According to the criminal complaint, Doe allegedly obtained over $30,000 in MassHealth benefits using the stolen identity. Doe also allegedly committed prior drug offenses in the name of the U.S. citizen, including federal convictions in April 2015 in the District of Massachusetts for possession with intent to distribute heroin and conspiracy, for which the defendant received two-year sentence, and January 2025 state convictions for drug possession and distribution, for which defendant received a six-month sentence.
The charge for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of making false statements relating to a health care program provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin T. Missett of the Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The Team is led by two senior federal prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, whose mission it is to aggressively investigate and prosecute misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
St. Louis Gang Leader Sentenced to 200 months for Illegal Gun Sales, Robbery of ATF AgentRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday sentenced a gang leader and felon to 200 months consecutive in prison for illegally selling guns to an undercover agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives before setting up the agent’s robbery.
Joseph Burchett, 26, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in March to one count of aiding and abetting firearms trafficking, one count of robbery of an undercover federal agent and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to that plea agreement and a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj, Burchett sold a Glock to the agent on April 30, 2024. The agent was accompanied by Burchett’s co-defendant, Cryland Robinson, who was armed with an AR-style rifle. Burchett obtained the gun from fellow gang member Terrence Robinson. The agent had already bought three guns and methamphetamine from Cryland Robinson. At that meeting, Burchett said he had a fully automatic Glock for sale. Burchett then set up sales and used teenagers to conduct the transactions.
On May 14, Burchett arranged for the sale of a fully automatic Glock 19 equipped with a drum magazine.
Burchett next arranged for the sale of another fully automatic pistol and fentanyl, while secretly planning to rob the agent. On August 1, co-defendant Todd Lumpkins got into the back seat of the agent’s car. The agent, reluctant to hand over money without seeing the firearm, gave about half of the promised $1,100 to Lumpkins. Burchett and the agent were on the phone during the transaction. Lumpkins left the agent’s car and retrieved the pistol, while Burchett told the agent, “If I was you, I would have just gave it to him.” Lumpkins returned, opened the car door while brandishing the gun and stole the rest of the cash from the agent. That agent, in a letter to Judge Ross, wrote, “When Burchett said that to me over the phone, I thought there was a significant chance I was about to lose my life.” Burchett and his co-conspirators then fled from police.
“Joseph Burchett illegally sold fully automatic weapons and put society at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “When he set up the robbery of an undercover ATF agent, he risked the life of someone who was doing nothing more than trying to protect the rest of us. This sentence should send a message that this kind of conduct will not be tolerated.”
"This job asks a lot of the people who do it," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bernard "Butch" Hansen of the Kansas City Field Division. "These defendants showed they were willing to use violence to advance their criminal enterprise, even against a federal undercover agent. I am grateful our undercover agent walked away safely from a situation that could have ended very differently. ATF agents accept extraordinary risks to take violent offenders and illegal firearms off our streets, and today's sentencing ensures everyone who played a role in this case has been held accountable."
Burchett was one of four men to plead guilty in the case. Cryland Robinson, 36, of St. Louis, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Todd Lumpkins, 20, of St. Louis, was sentenced to eight years in prison. Terrence Robinson, 35, of St. Louis, was sentenced to 46 months.
The case was investigated by the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj 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.
Shaler Township Man Charged with Threatening to Kill Member of CongressRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Shaler Township, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of interstate threats and influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threat, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The 12-count Indictment named Robert Hlovchiec, 32, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, between February and March 2026, Hlovchiec posted comments to YouTube videos in which he threatened acts of violence against a member of Congress (identified in the Indictment as “Victim 1”), Democrats and liberals, transgender people, and various minority groups. At times, Hlovchiec identified himself as a Nazi and a white supremacist, also detailing the acts of violence he desired to carry out, including mass shootings, assassinations, and running people over with his truck. The Indictment charged Hlovchiec with issuing the following threats:
- “If i get the chance im going to do a mass shooting wherever [Victim 1] is standing. [Victim 1] needs to die. All trailers to America beware. America is not for sale. America is not a Muslim country.”
- “If i get the chance I’ll shoot everyone in [Victim 1]’s family. America is a white Christian nation. We are ready to kill and die before foreigner ll Muslims take over”
- “I would put a bullet in [Victim 1]’s head. [Victim 1] isn’t American”
- “I would shoot [Victim 1] if I get close enough to [Victim 1]”
- “I’ll shoot [Victim 1] if I get the chance”
- “I’ll put a bullet in any democrats head especially democrat politician or [Victim 1]”As to each of the six counts of interstate threats, the law provides for a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. As to each of the six counts of influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official while they were engaged in, and on account of, their performance of their official duties by threat, the law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan J. McKenna and Alyssa R. Angotti are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.Prior Felon from Locust Grove Sentenced to More than Twenty Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Locust Grove man was sentenced today for possessing methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm while drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Jason Dewayne Glass, 42, for Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Glass was ordered to serve 248 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
In September 2024, Cherokee Nation Marshals executed a search warrant at Glass’s home. During a search of his home, Marshals found 88 grams of methamphetamine and numerous firearms. In the plea agreement, Glass admitted to knowing he was not allowed to carry a firearm and that he carried a loaded pistol on him for protection while selling methamphetamine.
At sentencing, the Court found sufficient evidence to show that Glass had used one of the firearms during the commission of an aggravated sexual assault, and that the victim sustained serious bodily injury. Court documents show that Glass has a lengthy criminal history. He has a prior conviction for manufacturing a controlled substance, being a felon in possession of a firearm, assaulting a police officer, pointing a firearm at law enforcement, and being shot in return, as well as numerous assault and battery convictions.
Glass will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Cherokee National Marshal Service investigated the case with assistance from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd prosecuted the case.
Previously deported illegal alien convicted of multiple violent offenses in Houston areaRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 35-year-old illegal alien from Mexico who unlawfully resided in Houston has pleaded guilty to robbery, carjacking, brandishing a firearm, and illegal reentry.
On September 9, 2023, Jose Luis Reyes-Martinez entered the Fiesta Supermarket on Airline Drive in Houston. He brandished a handgun at two employees, forced one into a frozen meat locker, and demanded cash before fleeing on a bicycle.
Reyes-Martinez then broke into a nearby residence and held a family hostage at gunpoint for several hours. He tied one of them up, sexually assaulted a woman while again brandishing the firearm, and then stole their car.
Forensic analysis on a condom recovered from the assault matched Reyes-Martinez.
Authorities had first encountered Reyes-Martinez in Arizona in 2012. He had illegally entered the United States and was subsequently deported. However, law enforcement discovered him in Houston on October 21, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake will impose sentencing September 24. At that time, Reyes-Martinez faces up to 20, 15, and two years for the robbery, carjacking, and illegal re-entry convictions, respectively. In addition, he will also receive a minimum of seven years and up to life for brandishing a firearm which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. All convictions also carry as possible punishment up to a $250,000 fine.
The FBI and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
North Carolina Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
A North Carolina man was sentenced today to 42 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for the possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, Blace Arthur Nalavany, 59, of Winterville, North Carolina, possessed images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Nalavany pleaded guilty to the charge on March 11.
According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Nalavany was an associate professor of social work at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, and a licensed clinical social worker, at the time of his arrest. His research publications include research into children who had experienced child sexual abuse. According to evidence in the case, the crime Nalavany was convicted of was committed at his home and was not connected to his employment or to any work as a licensed clinical social worker.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney W. Ellis Boyle for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI's Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office, Greenville Resident Agency and the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit investigated the case in collaboration with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen K. Haughton for the Eastern District of North Carolina 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 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.
Middleburg Man Convicted by Jury of Federal Firearms and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found James Malcolm Davis (47, Middleburg) guilty of possession of methamphetamine and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Davis faces a maximum of 16 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to evidence presented at trial, on October 31, 2024, as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, Clay County Sheriff’s Office narcotics detectives conducted a traffic stop on Davis and located a baggie containing methamphetamine in Davis’s pants pocket, and approximately 40 grams of methamphetamine in his backpack. Following his arrest, the detectives applied for and executed a search warrant for Davis’s camper, which was located in Middleburg, Florida. Inside the camper were four firearms, over 1,500 rounds of ammunition, pipes used to smoke methamphetamine, and a bullet proof vest. The firearms included a .22 caliber rifle, two semi-automatic assault style rifles, and a revolver. Davis provided a detective with the combination to a safe, inside of which were two of those firearms.
Davis has prior felony convictions, including for aggravated assault, felony battery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
Mexican National Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – On July 10, 2026, Jonathan Mastache Juarez was sentenced to 156 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 1.7 kilograms of 98% pure methamphetamine in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). Mastache Juarez, age 39, of Sanford, North Carolina, appeared before Chief Judge William L. Osteen and was also sentenced to 4 years of supervised release following his prison term. Mastache Juarez was charged by federal indictment in August 2025 and pled guilty in February 2026.
Dan Bishop, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, made the announcement and thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the State Bureau of Investigation, Sanford Police Department, and Lee County Sheriff’s Office for their work investigating the case. “Today’s sentencing concludes a successful collaboration with our state and local partners that makes Sanford and Lee County safer and stronger communities,” said U.S. Attorney Bishop. “Stopping the flow of dangerous drugs trafficked by Mexican organizations is a top priority for federal prosecutors.”
“This operation highlights the power of our federal and state partnerships to dismantle trafficking networks flooding North Carolina with high-purity methamphetamine,” said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Carolinas. “Working alongside the North Carolina SBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HSI remains relentless in targeting those who endanger our neighborhoods with narcotics and firearms.”
In December 2024, law enforcement intercepted a package containing 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine mailed from California to Mastache Juarez’s residence in Sanford. Homeland Security Investigations conducted a controlled delivery followed by the execution of a search warrant. Agents found Mastache Juarez in possession of the package which he had partially opened. In Mastache Juarez’s bedroom, agents recovered 200 grams of cocaine, three rifles, and a handgun. Mastache Juarez’s cousin arranged the shipment of methamphetamine from Mexico. Mastache Juarez was initially arrested on state charges.
Mastache Juarez is a Mexican national who had lawful permanent status in the United States at the time of his arrest and conviction. Following conviction, his legal status was revoked and his application for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was denied. Upon completion of his sentence, he will be removed from the United States and returned to Mexico.
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Methamphetamine Trafficker Will Spend 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – After selling methamphetamine from her New Martinsville, West Virginia apartment, Jamie Ann Tanner was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Tanner, 44, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. She sold methamphetamine on several occasions to a confidential informant and was found with additional quantities of the drug during a traffic stop. The investigation led officers to her apartment, where they executed a search warrant. Officers seized approximately 31 small plastic baggies containing about 3.7 grams of methamphetamine each, a larger bag with more of the substance, and hundreds of unused baggies. A black safe in the room, with the keys still inserted, contained an additional two pounds of methamphetamine and $2,674 in cash.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Investigative agencies include Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office; and the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is a part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Mason City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Luke Braniff, age 26, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City today to nine years for his felon in possession of ammunition conviction. Braniff was previously convicted of two counts of lascivious acts with a child in 2017, and sex offender registry violations, in 2018, 2023, and 2025. These felony convictions prohibit Braniff from possessing any guns or ammunition.
At the plea hearing on March 3, 2026, Braniff admitted to possessing ammunition knowing he was prohibited from doing so due to his previous convictions. Law enforcement officers became aware of Braniff’s illegal possession of ammunition during an investigation regarding reports of Braniff sending vulgar sexual messages on Snapchat to a minor female and requesting nude images of the child.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Braniff to 108 months’ imprisonment and he must serve a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Braniff is being held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Mason City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3039.
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Maryland Woman Sentenced for Role in Multi-Million Dollar Money Laundering Conspiracy HSTF CaseRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland woman received a federal-prison term in connection with her role in a multi-million-dollar money laundering scheme.Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Fatoumata Boiro, 32, of Largo, to two years in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiring to engage in a large, multi-member, money laundering conspiracy. Additionally, Judge Maddox ordered Boiro to pay $6,838,558.31 in restitution. Boiro, who pled guilty to participating in the money laundering conspiracy, admitted that at least $3 million in money laundering occurred pursuant to her direct participation in the conspiracy.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) – Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge George Golliday, Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General (EPA-OIG). This prosecution is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud along with the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF).
According to court documents, beginning in 2021, and continuing until February 2024, Boiro conspired with multiple individuals to launder proceeds of a large-scale wire fraud. The co-conspirators engaged in various financial transactions to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the wire-fraud proceeds, while carrying out the conspiracy.
The victims included government agencies, organizations, and companies, including an environmental trust, urban redevelopment program, medical center, transportation and logistics company, school district, college, and county government, among others.
Boiro and her co-conspirators worked with each other to create limited liability companies to serve as shell entities; open bank accounts and/or cause bank accounts to be opened in the name of shell entities; and receive and launder fraud proceeds.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland previously charged 14 defendants in two different cases in connection with the money laundering conspiracy – 13 already pled guilty. Faizou Gnora, 28, previously of Alexandria, Virginia, remains a fugitive from justice. The Office also charged other co-conspirators in additional cases.
The District Court previously sentenced:
- Yahya Sowe, 42, of College Park, to 114 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution of $13,050,827.03, and forfeiture of $1 million;
- Bright Boateng, 45, of Bladensburg, Maryland, to 108 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution of $1,247,950, and a forfeiture of $431,750;
- Victor Killen, 33, of Hyattsville, Maryland, to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution of $7,070,656.46, and a $3-million forfeiture order;
- Gedeon Agbeyome, 31, of Montgomery County, Maryland, to 72 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, along with restitution of $2,938,424.65, and a $2.8 million preliminary order of forfeiture;
- Lawrence Ogunsanwo, 33, to 40 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and restitution of $5,648,816.23;
- Lakeisha Parker, 33, of Baltimore, to 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release, and restitution of $8,306,930.95;
- Martin Ogisi, 37, of Severn, Maryland, to 33 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, restitution of $11,077,044.17; and a $500,000 forfeiture order;
- Kevin Colon, 34, of Curtis Bay, Maryland, to 27 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, restitution of $2,515,159.63, and a $214,518.42 forfeiture order;
- Areal Harris, 27, of Hanover, Maryland, to 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and restitution of $3,159,482.83;
- Emily Gil Arias, 29, of Silver Spring, Maryland to 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and restitution of 2,102,919.27;
- Lorena Perez Herrera, 29, of Washington, DC, to 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and restitution of $1,473,125.58; and
- Blondel Ndjouandjouaka, 31, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, restitution of $733,941.48, and a $757,562.63 forfeiture order.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
This prosecution is also part of the HSTF initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Baltimore is comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Maryland; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); the United States Marshals Service (USMS); the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA (W/B HIDTA); the Maryland State Police (MSP); the Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HSI-led Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, and thanked IRS-CI and EPA-OIG for their work in the investigation, and praised the Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County Police Departments for their assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Bijon A. Mostoufi, who prosecuted the federal case, and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber, for her assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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- Yahya Sowe, 42, of College Park, to 114 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution of $13,050,827.03, and forfeiture of $1 million;
Marianna Felon Indicted for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Michael Dontavious James, 34, of Marianna, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
James appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for July 27, 2026, at 8:30 am, before Chief District Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee, Florida.
James faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a controlled substance count; a minimum mandatory 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense count; and up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count.
The case was jointly investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric W. Welch and Jessica S. Etherton.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Man Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl Within 1,000 Feet of Elementary SchoolRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – The final defendant in a drug trafficking operation that stretched from Cleveland, Ohio, to the Ohio Valley was sentenced today, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.
Joshua Carney, 32, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base, fentanyl, and heroin and the distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location. The investigation began in January 2024 after reports of drug activity at Carney’s residence on Wetzel Street in Wheeling. A traffic stop of two individuals leaving the home resulted in the seizure of more than $5,000 in cash and multiple cell phones. A search warrant executed at the residence led officers to Carney and a co-defendant hiding in a utility closet and resulted in the seizure of cocaine base and fentanyl. Throughout the investigation, the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force conducted controlled drug purchases, including more than 5 grams of methamphetamine Carney sold near Ritchie Elementary School.
The other three defendants in this case have been convicted and sentenced for their roles. Rahim Duncan, 32, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 63 months in prison in October 2025. Terrell Sparks, 30, also from Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced in January 2026 to 41 months in federal prison. Tyshaun Johnson, 30, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced to 115 months in prison in March 2026.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Kansas City Woman Indicted for SNAP Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City woman was indicted by a federal grand jury for one count of theft of government money and four counts of wire fraud related to fraudulently obtaining government benefits. This charge is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Viridiana Luna-Mejia, 34, made fraudulent statements and representations to the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) to obtain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from 2021 through 2026. The SNAP program is intended to assist low-income individuals who might otherwise experience food insecurity by providing monthly benefits to purchase approved foods and beverages. SNAP recipients are subject to income restrictions and are required to truthfully report all income sources for the household to remain eligible. Recipients must re-certify their eligibility every six months while receiving benefits.
Luna-Mejia began receiving SNAP benefits in June of 2021 and continued to receive benefits through 2026. Every year she was required to re-certify the income her household was receiving both on a written form and verified through a phone interview. The re-certifications also ask for information about resources of the household including assets and bank accounts.
As part of a broader employment investigation, it was discovered that Luna-Mejia’s employer had removed her from the wage and hour tax reporting required by the State of Missouri. Further investigation determined Luna-Mejia had been receiving wages from that employer the entire time she received SNAP but she did not report it on her recertifications. She also did not report the existence of her bank account in which she deposited her paychecks to further conceal her income. Investigators determined that had she been truthful about her income, she would have been ineligible for nearly $40,000 in benefits she received during that time.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, Luna-Mejia is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda K. Hanson. It was investigated by Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security Investigations and Missouri Department of Social Services.
National Fraud Enforcement Division
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Justice Department Files Proposed Settlement with Owner and Operator of Keystone Pipeline to Resolve Clean Water Act Violations for 2022 Pipeline Rupture in KansasRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State of Kansas, today filed a complaint and proposed consent decree to resolve allegations that South Bow (USA) LP and South Bow Infrastructure Operations Inc. — the owner and operator of the Keystone Pipeline — violated the Clean Water Act related to the 2022 rupture of the Keystone Pipeline in Washington County, Kansas.
On Dec. 7, 2022, nearly 13,000 barrels of oil (approximately 543,000 gallons) leaked from the ruptured pipeline over land and into Mill Creek, creating an imminent and substantial threat to human health and the environment. The event was one of the largest inland oil spills in recent history, and the largest discharge ever from the Keystone Pipeline system.
As part of the settlement, South Bow has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $26,867,789 and complete work designed to prevent future similar discharges, which South Bow estimates will cost approximately $40 million. South Bow has also agreed to contribute over $3 million to the state of Kansas towards natural resource restoration projects to resolve violations of Kansas state laws.
“Pipelines are the safest means of transporting large quantities of oil and other liquids and gases over long distances,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “However rare, when a pipeline leaks, it can quickly escalate. That’s why an important part of this proposed settlement is the work the company has committed to do to help prevent future leaks.”
“This case demonstrates why the oil pipelines crossing our heartland must be maintained properly. The oil spill blanketed land and water, rendering the waterway lifeless and useless and requiring extensive cleanup and remediation,” said Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The substantial penalty reflects the seriousness of the environmental harm, and the other requirements of the settlement reflect the need to prioritize pipeline integrity and maintenance for this critical infrastructure.”
“It is important that we are all good stewards of the environment,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas. “The incident had a massive impact on the State of Kansas, and we are happy that this settlement will mitigate that damage.”
“Dedicated EPA staff logged many thousands of hours cleaning up Mill Creek and were supported by multiple federal and state agencies,” said Administrator Jim Macy of EPA Region 7. “This fair and comprehensive settlement represents a federal-state partnership commitment to protect our nation’s waters and prevent future oil spills.”
According to the complaint, after the 2022 spill, crude oil an inch thick covered Mill Creek bank-to-bank for 3.5 miles downstream of the rupture site. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a stream advisory for Mill Creek to prohibit contact with the creek by people, livestock, or pets. The discharge covered vegetation and soil in the immediately surrounding area, and oil residue was found in the 35 acres surrounding the discharge. The spill killed or impacted more than 2,700 animals.
Following a 2023 EPA cleanup order, South Bow removed oil from the creek and surrounding areas and completed restoration of aquatic habitat, stream banks, and shorelines.
The Keystone Pipeline is a 2,687-mile liquid oil pipeline system between Hardisty, Alberta, Canada, and Port Arthur, Texas. The rupture occurred in a section of the pipeline that stretches from Steele City, Nebraska, to Cushing, Oklahoma.
The consent decree was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas and is subject to a 30-day public comment period. The complaint and proposed consent decree are available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
The Environmental Protection Agency investigated this matter. More information on the settlement is available on EPA’s South Bow Clean Water Act settlement summary: www.epa.gov/enforcement/south-bow-lp-cwa-settlement-summary.
Attorneys with ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas are handling this matter.
Jury Convicts Delhi Man of Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
A man who agreed to distribute methamphetamine and was found in possession of over 1,800 grams of methamphetamine was convicted by a jury on July 8, 2026, after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Jesse Jon Harbach, age 45, from Delhi, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The verdict was returned on the afternoon of July 8, 2026, following two hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Harbach obtained methamphetamine from his source of supply in Arizona for over two years. During that time, Harbach received multiple packages at a rural Delhi residence. On March 10, 2025, after Harbach and an associate picked up a package, law enforcement officers stopped the car Harbach was in. Officers found a package at Harbach’s feet that contained over 1,800 grams of methamphetamine.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Harbach remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Harbach faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham and was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa State Patrol, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations Forensic Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2059. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Iowa Man Charged with Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Iowa man has been charged by criminal complaint for travelling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and receipt of child pornography over the internet.
Lyle M. Moser, 51, appeared in federal court this week on a two-count criminal complaint.
According to court documents, Moser drove from Iowa to Kansas City, Mo. to engage in sexual conduct with a minor child. Moser was intercepted by law enforcement. After a forensic examination of Moser’s electronic devices, law enforcement discovered images depicting Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) saved to Moser’s device.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett and Kelly Collins. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Illegal reentry into US lands convicted felon in federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 48-year-old illegal alien from Mexico has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country again.
Juan Francisco Juarez-Rodriguez illegally resided in Houston and pleaded guilty on March 10, 2026.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has now ordered Juarez-Rodriguez to serve 57 months in federal prison. As an alien in the United States illegally, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the United States.
Juarez-Rodriguez has prior convictions for carrying a concealed weapon, burglary, criminal mischief, drug charges, resisting an officer, shoplifting, criminal trespass, battery, and illegal reentry.
Authorities first removed him from the United States in October 1999, and he repeatedly returned illegally. On January 25, 2023, law enforcement again discovered him in Houston with no authorization to be in the country.
Juarez-Rodriguez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Hostetter 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.
Illegal alien gets federal prison time for unlawful reentry into US after seven previous removalsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 49-year-old illegal alien from Mexico has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country again.
Israel Garcia-Garcia illegally resided in Houston and pleaded guilty March 20, 2026.
U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein has now ordered Garcia-Garciato serve 54 months in federal prison. As an illegal alien in the United States illegally, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the United States.
Garcia-Garcia has prior convictions for illegal reentry and transporting illegal aliens.
Authorities removed him from the United States seven times since the first instance in February 2008. He repeatedly returned illegally. On December 25, 2025, law enforcement again discovered him in Houston with no authorization to be in the country.
Garcia-Garcia has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Hostetter and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Whitney 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.
Illegal PRC National Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Saipan, M.P. – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Bai Yichuan, age 40, an illegal alien from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was sentenced by Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona in the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to 24 months in federal prison for Unlawful Possession of Ammunition by an Illegal Alien, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(5)(A) 9 and 924(a)(8). The court also imposed a one‑year term of supervised release, 50 hours of community service, and a $100 special assessment. Bai must thereafter report to immigration authorities for removal proceedings.
In September 2025, Bai surrendered to the CNMI Department of Public Safety (DPS) due to an outstanding warrant seeking his arrest for alleged violent offenses. During his arrest, Bai possessed a blue bag containing a Sig Sauer magazine loaded with fifteen rounds of 9mm ammunition. He claimed ownership of the ammunition but denied knowing the location of any firearm.
Bai was conditionally paroled into the CNMI in January 2018 and authorized to remain there until February 5, 2019. He continued to reside there without authorization. He was ordered removed by an immigration judge in November 2021 following a conviction for methamphetamine trafficking in the CNMI Superior Court. He was released from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) custody in March 2022 due to COVID‑19 concerns and suspended repatriation flights to the PRC. After release, he failed to report as required and was later deemed a fugitive by DHS.
“Federal law prohibits illegal aliens from possessing firearms and ammunition in any quantity,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “DPS’s referral of this case to HSI and ATF resulted in the successful prosecution of Bai, which will facilitate his removal from the United States. This case demonstrates our continuing commitment to keeping our communities safe.”
“We’ll continue working with our local law enforcement partners to keep the CNMI safe. Remember that even if you’re here legally on a visa, federal law says you may not possess firearms or ammunition as an alien, and HSI will investigate and enforce these laws,” said CJ Ammons, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the CNMI Department of Public Safety.
Assistant United States Attorney Garth R. Backe prosecuted the case in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Homeland Security Task Force shuts down Mexican cocaine smuggling operation leading to 15 prison sentencesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – The last of 15 defendants was sentenced to prison after a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation dismantled a Kansas City metro-based drug trafficking ring linked to Mexico.
In December 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) launched an investigation into a drug trafficking ring headed by Santiago Gamboa-Saenz. Gamboa-Saenz, 39, is an illegal alien from Chihuahua, Mexico. His network of traffickers smuggled cocaine from Mexico into the United States, which was then transported and distributed in Kansas City, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri, Saint Louis, Chicago, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and Indiana.
Through investigation, agents tied the criminal network to houses on West 98th Street in Overland Park and South Montebello in Olathe. They also determined a mechanic shop on Kaw Drive in Kansas City, Kansas, was being used to outfit vehicles with hidden compartments to transport drugs and drug money.
Search warrants executed at these locations and others resulted in the seizure of over $733,000 and over 18.0 net kilograms of cocaine. Vehicle stops led to the discovery of hidden compartments with $533,780 in cash, more than 12.0 net kilograms of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and many drug ledgers. The drug ledgers alone document drug proceeds from cocaine sales in the amount of $48,783,269. The drug trafficking organization sold cocaine to its customers for $29,000 to $36,000 per kilogram.
“What may look like legitimate businesses from the outside can sometimes be criminal operations. These smugglers used a mechanic shop as a front in attempt to fly under the radar of law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “They used the space to custom outfit vehicles with hidden compartments allowing them to move large amounts of illegal narcotics and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash at a time.”
“This operation demonstrates to Americans the vast reach of drug trafficking organizations within the Midwest, but more importantly, puts on display the impressive capabilities of combined law enforcement efforts,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer said. “Cartel members and affiliates are not welcome here. The DEA and our many partners will not slow down or be deterred as we work toward dismantling the drug trafficking organizations terrorizing our communities.”
“Let this case serve as a warning: Homeland Security Investigations and our task force partners will relentlessly pursue and dismantle any criminal organization that dares to smuggle drugs, money, or violence into our communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City Acting Special Agent in Charge Rick Sabatini. “We will not tolerate cartel operations in Kansas City or anywhere in the Midwest. Our agents are committed to rooting out traffickers, seizing their profits, and ensuring they face justice. The message is clear—if you threaten the safety of American families, HSI will find you, shut you down, and put you behind bars.”
Santiago Gamboa-Saenz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced to 276 months imprisonment.
Other defendants received the following prison sentences:
- Frank Gallo De La Cruz, 41, an illegal alien from Mexico, 108 months
- Dimas Simoes Calixto-Filho, 46, an illegal alien from Brazil, 108 months
- Efrain Garcia-Perez, 42, an illegal alien from Mexico, 104 months
- Juan Alvarez-Perez, 40, an illegal alien from Mexico, 96 months
- Bryan Eduardo Dominguez-Green, 24, an illegal alien from Mexico, 71 months
- Miguel Angel Vasquez-Rodriguez, 37, an illegal alien from Mexico, 64 months
- Maria Ileana Cota, 37, of Henderson, Colorado, 48 months
- Eduardo Ramirez-Ochoa, 36, a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico residing in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, 46 months
- Jaime De Jesus Ocampo, 62, of Kansas City, Kansas, 24 months
- Irlanda Areyim Grajeda, 37, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, 22 months
- Jesus Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 41, an illegal alien from Mexico, 21 months
- Homero Baca-Marquez, 28, an illegal alien from Mexico, 21 months
- Jose Cera-Acosta, 40, of Kansas City, Kansas, 17 months
- Vladimir Blanco-Garciga, 54, a Cuban national residing in Riverside, Missouri, 4 months
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Zabel and Taylor Hines prosecuted the case.
This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from FBI; HSI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.
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Hartford Man Charged with Gun Possession and Fentanyl Distribution OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and Hartford Police Chief James C. Rovella today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging KIJUAN TERRELL, 40, of Hartford, with firearm possession and fentanyl distribution offenses.
The indictment alleges that, on March 11, 2026, Terrell possessed a Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver with an obliterated serial number, and fentanyl that he intended to distribute.
It is alleged that Terrell’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for criminal possession of a firearm, possession of narcotics, and escape. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The indictment, which was returned on May 13, 2026, charges Terrell with unlawful possession of a firearm by felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years; and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Terrell has been detained since his arrest. He appeared yesterday in Hartford federal court and pleaded not guilty to the charges in the indictment.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Hartford Police Department and the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, which includes members from the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the East Hartford, Hartford, New Britain, West Hartford, Wethersfield, and Newington Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Dearington.
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.
Glenn County Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Manuel Ruben Perez, 40, of Orland, was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge Troy L. Nunley to 19 years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between April and July 2018, Perez worked with others to sell methamphetamine and heroin in and around Orland. During this time, Perez sourced methamphetamine from Southern California and sold it in Northern California. Over the course of the investigation, he executed at least six drug deals with a confidential informant, selling multiple kilograms of methamphetamine in total. During these transactions, Perez also sold the informant heroin when he could obtain it. Perez negotiated the prices for each deal and often had others deliver the drugs and collect the money on his behalf. The investigation uncovered that Perez sold to multiple buyers across Northern California.
On Jan. 29, 2026, Perez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, the Lassen County District Attorney’s Office, the Susanville Police Department, and the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Conolly prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Sacramento is composed of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
Genesee Valley Club agrees to pay $1.05 million to resolve False Claims Act allegationsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that the Genesee Valley Club has agreed to pay $1,050,000 to resolve allegations that it improperly obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which it was not eligible to receive. This action is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
The PPP loan program, enacted in March 2020, provided emergency financial assistance to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program allowed eligible small businesses to receive loans guaranteed by the federal government. Private clubs that limited memberships for any reason other than capacity, or restrict patronage for any reason other than capacity, were not eligible for PPP loans.
In May 2021, Genesee Valley Club applied for a PPP loan and certified that it was eligible to receive the loan. After receiving the PPP loan, Genesee Valley Club sought and received forgiveness of the entire loan amount. The United States contends that Genesee Valley Club falsely represented its eligibility to receive the PPP loan because it operated as a private club that restricted membership for reasons other than capacity.
“The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to support small business during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “As evidenced by the numerous settlements we have obtained involving PPP loans, this office continues to work tirelessly to recover taxpayer dollars that were improperly obtained by ineligible entities.”
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan W. Ferris and Investigator Margaret McFarland.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination or admission of liability.
GVC settlementGainesville Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Robert Lee Johnson, III, 39, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of production of child pornography. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This defendant preyed upon and sexually exploited a minor child, but thanks to the excellent investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners and the aggressive prosecution by my office he is on his way to federal prison. Keeping disgusting predators, like this defendant, locked away is key to keeping our kids safe.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant met the minor victim in 2020, when the victim was 14 and the defendant was 33. The defendant recorded sexual acts with the minor victim and then threatened to post the videos of the victim online. A search warrant revealed the defendant’s phone contained the sexually explicit videos of his exploitation of the minor victim.
For each count, Johnson faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to 30 years imprisonment. Johnson will be required to register as a sex offender.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 1, 2026, at 11:30 am, at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie Utt.
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 Justice.gov/PSC.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Four Men Sentenced for Bringing over 70 kilograms of Marijuana to St. ThomasRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that James King, Masaca Creque, Dwayne Blash, and Harry Davis were sentenced this week for their roles in bringing a large amount of marijuana to St. Thomas in their checked suitcases through the Cyril E. King airport.
On July 8, 2026, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy sentenced James King, 46, of St. Thomas, to 18 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
The same day, Judge Molloy sentenced Masaca Creque, 41, of St. Thomas, to 37 months incarceration with 3 years of supervised release for conspiring to possess and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
On July 9, 2026, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy sentenced Dwyane Blash, 42, of St. Thomas, to 15 months imprisonment and three years of supervised release for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.
The same day, Judge Molloy sentenced Harry Daivs, 29, of Atlanta, GA, to 22 months incarceration with 3 years of supervised release for conspiring to possess and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
According to court documents, on November 27, 2025, King, Creque, Blash and Davis arrived at the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas after arriving on a flight from San Franciso, CA. A routine search of passenger luggage revealed what law enforcement believed to be narcotics within several suitcases. The four men were identified as owners of the luggage and escorted to the Customs and Border Protection offices for further inspection. Once searched, officers found over 70 kilograms of marijuana in the group’s checked suitcases.
This case was investigated jointly by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cherrisse Amaro, Erik Tate and Criminal Chief Kyle Payne.Former nurse loses license after forging prescriptions for Percocet and Oxycodone using coworker’s padRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Missouri woman’s crimes to get illegal access to prescription narcotics resulted in the loss of her nursing license and gained her a lifetime ban from working at any hospital that receives federal funding.
According to court documents, Brooke Haller, 41, of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance by deception and subterfuge.
Haller previously worked as a registered nurse at a hospital in Kansas City, Kansas. She used her position to gain access to a nurse practitioner’s prescription pad and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) number. In March 2024, Haller began to use this information to write forged prescriptions for herself using the names of her relatives for Percocet and Oxycodone, which she filled and paid for at pharmacies in Kansas and Missouri.
An investigation was initiated in October 2024, after a pharmacy called the hospital to inquire about an Oxycodone prescription allegedly written by a nurse practitioner. The nurse practitioner advised she only writes electronic prescriptions. The victim indicated she had never spoken to Haller nor had she given Haller her prescription pad and DEA number.
When Haller realized her scheme was falling apart, she tried to cover up her crimes. She called the hospital several times pretending to be from the pharmacy indicating the pharmacy staff questioned the validity of the prescription by mistake. Haller spoofed the pharmacy’s phone number and used several vocal disguises, including pretending to be “Peter”, but the hospital staff recognized her voice.
Haller later admitted to DEA investigators that she fraudulently wrote 13 prescriptions. She obtained 90 Percocet tablets and 540 Oxycodone tablets from a pharmacy in Kansas and 1,350 Oxycodone tablets from a Missouri pharmacy.
U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser said, “While this was a unique case, unfortunately, cases involving health care workers gaining unauthorized access to prescription narcotics are becoming more common. These professionals spent years studying and building their careers just to throw it all away, usually because of addiction. Health care professionals facing addiction need to seek help before it’s too late. Otherwise, we must make sure they are stopped for the safety of the patients they serve.”
“The diversion of pharmaceutical drugs is not a victimless crime,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer said. “Brooke Haller took advantage of a system intended to assist patients and violated the trust of those truly in need. Our DEA investigators did a fine job building a case that showed the copious amounts of fraud committed by Haller. As a result, she will no longer be allowed to practice in Kansas.”
Haller was sentenced to three years of probation and must pay a $5,000 fine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra prosecuted the case.
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Former and Current MBTA Employees Charged for Conspiracies to Falsify Red Line Track Inspection Reports and Collect Fraudulent Overtime PaymentsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Six former Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) employees and one current MBTA employee were charged today in a Superseding Indictment for multiple conspiracies, including allegedly conspiring to falsify Red Line track inspection reports as well as to commit overtime fraud.
- Brian Pfaffinger, 48, of Marshfield, was indicted for conspiracy to falsify records; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; falsification of records, aiding and abetting; and false statements, aiding and abetting;
- Ronald Gamble, 63, of Dorchester, was indicted for conspiracy to falsify records; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; wire fraud, aiding and abetting; falsification of records, aiding and abetting; and false statements, aiding and abetting;
- Magda Trinh, 45, of Avon, was indicted for conspiracy to falsify records; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; wire fraud, aiding and abetting;
- Jensen Vatel, 43, of Brockton, was indicted for conspiracy to falsify records; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; wire fraud, aiding and abetting; falsification of records, aiding and abetting; and false statements, aiding and abetting;
- Nathalie Mendes, 54, of New Bedford, was indicted for conspiracy to falsify records; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; wire fraud, aiding and abetting; falsification of records, aiding and abetting; false statements, aiding and abetting; and wire fraud;
- Danny Barbosa, 37, of Dorchester, was indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, aiding and abetting; and
- Matthew Leonard, 37, of Easton, was indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, aiding and abetting.
Pfaffinger, Gamble, Vatel and Mendes were previously indicted on May 22, 2025 and arrested on May 29, 2025. Trinh, Barbosa and Leonard were arrested this morning and appeared in federal court in Boston today.
According to the charging documents, the defendants were all former Red Line Maintenance of Way employees. Pfaffinger served as the team’s supervisor and Gamble, Trinh, Vatel and Mendes were former track inspectors. As track inspectors, Gamble, Trinh, Vatel and Mendes’ job duties included completing track inspections for the Red Line. To complete the inspections, track inspectors used MBTA-issued cellular phones with an application called MaxTrax to record information regarding their track inspections, including whether the inspection was completed. The application then generated a report with details concerning the inspection:
Rather than complete inspections, from Jan. 1, 2024 to Oct. 16, 2024, it is alleged that Pfaffinger, Gamble, Trinh, Vatel and Mendes either falsified track inspection reports or aided and abetted the submission of falsified inspection reports. To avoid scrutiny from senior MBTA officials about the lack of work being performed, Gamble and Trinh allegedly instructed Vatel, Mendes and other Red Line track inspectors to falsely extend the duration of their track inspections on the reports. It is further alleged that some of the track inspectors, including Vatel and Mendes, falsified the train numbers on their inspection reports by inserting train numbers they found online rather than completing train rides as required for inspections.
Additionally, during the times when some of the inspections were reported as having been conducted, it is alleged that Gamble, Trinh, Vatel and Mendes were actually present inside Cabot Yard – a MBTA location that contained a coffee and breakroom for Red Line inspection employees. Cabot Yard also contained a large garage where Gamble, Vatel, Barbosa and Leonard allegedly worked on private vehicles during work hours:
It is alleged that Pfaffinger not only knew that his subordinates worked on private vehicles during work hours, but had his subordinates perform work on his own personal vehicle as well. In one instance, in July 2024, Pfaffinger notified his subordinates that multiple tracks – supposedly being inspected by track inspectors subordinate to him – had serious defects. Only 10 days later, however, Pfaffinger allegedly requested his subordinates use their workday to perform work on his private vehicle:
Furthermore, it is alleged that from Jan. 1, 2024 to Oct. 16, 2024, Gamble frequently created overtime sheets, which he submitted directly to payroll, falsely claiming that he, Trinh, Mendes, Vatel, Barbosa and Leonard worked overtime shifts that they did not. Rather than work their overtime shifts, Gamble, Trinh, Mendes, Vatel, Barbosa and Leonard allegedly did the following: (1) they did not show up at all for the shift; (2) they showed up hours late for their shifts; or (3) they showed up at the beginning of the shift, used the hand scan and then disappeared for hours (sometimes to sleep in their vehicles) before returning to work.
Gamble allegedly submitted overtime sheets for Leonard, Barbosa and others, even knowing that they did not complete their overtime shifts, to compensate them for working on private vehicles during MBTA hours. On at least one occasion, Trinh allegedly aided and abetted the submission of a falsified time sheet, alleging that Vatel worked an overtime shift that he did not. Gambled allegedly copied Pfaffinger on these overtime submissions to payroll and, as the supervisor, Pfaffinger allegedly approved all time sheets for his subordinates.
The charge of conspiracy to falsify records provides a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of falsification of records, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of false statements provides a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aiding and abetting provides that an individual who aids and abets is punishable as a principal. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Elise Chawaga, Principal Inspector General of the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General; and Anthony D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Sun of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
Former Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office “No Show” Cousin and Chaplain Sentenced in Public Corruption Scheme Orchestrated by former Sheriff Chuck WrightRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Lawson B. Watson, 74, of Reidville, and Amos Durham, 62, of Woodruff, were sentenced for their roles in a public corruption scheme led by former Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright, who was sentenced on Tuesday to 41 months in federal prison.
Chief District Court Judge Timothy M. Cain sentenced Watson to 16 months in federal prison, the top end of the recommended sentencing range under the United States Sentencing Guidelines, as well as a three-year term of supervised release. Watson was also ordered to pay $349,885.22 in restitution. The Court also ordered that Watson make monthly payments of $2,000 in restitution payments upon his release from federal prison, and he was ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution by the close of business on the day of his sentencing.
Durham was the only defendant of the three who was eligible for a probationary sentence pursuant to the United States Sentencing Guidelines. Judge Cain sentenced Durham to five years of probation, the maximum term of probation allowed by statute. Durham was also ordered to pay $95,442.39 in restitution. Durham will begin paying $3,000 a month towards restitution until it is satisfied within the next 60 days.“The taxpayers of Spartanburg County and the members of the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office deserved better, and these defendants have now been held accountable for their roles in Chuck Wright’s schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office as well as our state and federal law enforcement partners will remain ‘at the ready,’ continuing to investigate and prosecute public corruption in South Carolina.”
According to court documents, from 2021-2025, Watson receiving an annual salary of $57,000 with full benefits, a county-issued Chevrolet Tahoe maintained by the county, with unlimited access to taxpayer-funded gas. In return, Watson was a no-show employee for four years, failing to work in his county capacity. Instead, Watson used his county-issued Tahoe and phone to run his own grading business, including by listing his county-issued phone as the contact number for his private business, and he had a county employee prepare quotes and bids for his grading business. As the record revealed, Watson did not check his county email, he did not know how to submit a time sheet, and employees reported not seeing him at the sheriff’s office for several years.
Durham, while serving as the senior chaplain for SCSO, in another fraudulent scheme led by Wright, oversaw the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain’s Benevolence Fund. The Benevolence Fund is non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to SCSO deputies and their families during times of need, such as bereavement, financial difficulties, and traumatic line-of-duty events. Wright directed Durham to withdraw cash from the fund and cut checks to Wright, which Wright used for his own personal enrichment, to include the purchase of illegal opioids instead of assisting deputies and their families in need.
When one employee’s family approached the chaplain seeking assistance to cover hospice bills from the Benevolence Fund for help covering hospice bills, they were turned away because the fund was empty. When a deputy asked for assistance with bills associated with a tree that fell on the deputy’s house, they were also turned away. Around the same time, Wright took more than $89,000 donated cash from the Benevolence Fund for his private use. Wright also used the fund for personal purchases and expenses, to include hotel rooms, food, and travel bills. Durham also used the fund for pay for just over $3,000 for his own personal expenses, to include payments to Joseph A. Bank Clothiers, Discount Tire, and Lenscrafters.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the office of 10th Circuit Solicitor Micah Black. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lothrop Morris and Criminal Chief Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.###
Former Pinckneyville Correctional Center employee pleads guilty to falsifying husband’s timesheets causing $124,000 loss to the State of IllinoisRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A former account technician at Pinckneyville Correctional Center, which is a part of the Illinois Department of Corrections, appeared in district court to plead guilty to federal charges for wire fraud and misapplication of property from federally funded programs.
Maggi R. Tudor, 34, began working as an Account Technician at Pinckneyville Correctional Center (PCC) in 2022. At the time, Tudor’s husband was employed as a Correctional Officer at Murphysboro Life Skills Reentry Center, which is a satellite facility of PCC. According to court documents, Tudor acted as a timekeeper and backup payroll clerk for PCC and Murphysboro Life Skills Reentry Center.
Tudor admitted to abusing her position of trust as an Account Technician to falsely modify her husband’s timesheets, so he obtained higher payroll payments he was not entitled to. Tudor manipulated her husband’s timesheets to make it appear her husband worked overtime and holiday hours he did not work. In all, Tudor caused a loss to the State of Illinois in the amount of $124,917.35.
“Fraud against taxpayers is a high priority for the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Tudor siphoned hard-earned taxpayer dollars for personal gain. Public service is a privilege, not a personal piggy bank. We will continue to safeguard every taxpayer dollar and hold those who abuse their positions fully accountable.”
"The Illinois State Police is dedicated to upholding public integrity and pursues any state employee committing criminal behavior," said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly.
Tudor’s sentencing hearing is set for November 9, 2026 at 9:30 AM in Benton.
Illinois State Police is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Former Deputy U.S. Marshal Sentenced for Assault on Prisoner in Louisiana CourthouseRead the Press Release
A former Deputy U.S. Marshal was sentenced today to 45 months in prison for assaulting a federal inmate and writing a false report about the incident.
In April 2026, after a three-day trial, a federal jury in the Western District of Louisiana convicted Joshua Firmin, 49, of one count of Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law and one count of Falsification of Records.
“The great majority of law enforcement officers do essential work honorably and lawfully under difficult and high-risk conditions,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “But Joshua Firmin knowingly overstepped his authority when he assaulted a shackled prisoner and failed to uphold the trust placed in him when he lied about it in official documents. Today’s sentence represents appropriate accountability, and we are grateful to the law enforcement personnel who reported the misconduct and cooperated with the investigation.”
“The civil rights protections afforded to all U.S. citizens are a fundamental part of the Constitution,” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “The unlawful civil rights violation committed by Mr. Firmin against a shackled inmate, not only tarnishes the reputation, it also engenders public distrust of the innumerable law enforcement officers who so honorably protect and serve all of us. Today’s sentencing ensures that Mr. Firmin is being held accountable for his actions.”
“Firmin violated his oath as a law enforcement officer by abusing his authority,” said Special Agent in Charge Cloey Pierce of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) South Central Region Houston Office. “The DOJ OIG will continue working with its law enforcement partners to ensure that anyone participating in this type of behavior will be brought to justice.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on February 29, 2024, Firmin, who was then assigned to operations duties at the federal courthouse in Lafayette, Louisiana, learned that a prisoner awaiting a court appearance in the courthouse cell block had made insulting remarks about Firmin to another courthouse employee. Shortly thereafter, Firmin entered the courthouse cellblock and unlocked the cell where the prisoner was being held, yanked the prisoner, who was restrained in handcuffs, waist shackles, and leg irons, out of the cell by his hair and slammed his head into the cellblock wall. As a result of the assault, the prisoner suffered a laceration to his scalp that required staples to close. Following the assault, Firmin wrote an official use of force report in which he falsely stated that the prisoner had attempted to spit on him and then inadvertently struck his head on a door while resisting efforts to escort him to another cell. However, another Deputy U.S. Marshal, who had witnessed the assault, promptly reported the misconduct to his chain of command, leading to an investigation by the DOJ OIG.
The case was investigated by the DOJ OIG South Central Region Houston Office.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Former Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Pays $20,000 for Post-Employment Restriction ViolationRead the Press Release
Deirdre Walsh, the former Chief Operating Officer of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), has agreed to pay $20,000 to resolve allegations that she violated post-government employment restrictions during the one-year cooling off period after she left the ODNI.
“The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to enforcing the restrictions imposed on officers and employees of the Executive Branch after they leave the government, especially those who held senior positions, in order to protect the integrity of the Executive Branch,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This resolution should work to deter individuals from attempting to exert undue influence on their former agency.”
“The collaboration between our IC OIG investigators and Department of Justice partners on this case exemplifies effective interagency oversight,” said Intelligence Community Inspector General Christopher Fox. “This outcome reinforces the critical importance of working across agency boundaries to strengthen national security. Regardless of position or title, we will hold people accountable.”
The United States alleged that within the first year after leaving employment at the ODNI, Walsh contacted an ODNI employee on behalf of her employer, a government contractor, regarding a request for equitable adjustment (REA) valued at approximately $18 million. Her employer’s senior leadership had identified Walsh as part of a “pressure campaign” in connection with the REA on or around the same day that Walsh contacted the ODNI employee. This conduct violated Walsh’s post-government employment restrictions under 18 U.S.C. § 207(c), which prohibits any former senior officer or employee of the Executive Branch from knowingly making, within one year of her termination and with the intent to influence, any communication to or appearance before any officer or employee of the department or agency in which she served within one year before such termination, on behalf of any other person, in connection with any matter on which she seeks official action by any officer or employee of such department or agency. Under 18 U.S.C. § 216(b), a person who violates Section 208 is liable for a civil monetary penalty, and Walsh has agreed to pay a $20,000 civil penalty to resolve the allegations that her conduct violated her post-government employment restrictions.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the Intelligence Community Office of the Inspector General.
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Robin Overby of the Civil Division.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Former Austin ISD Elementary Teacher Sentenced to 16 years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A former elementary school teacher was sentenced by a federal court in Austin to 200 months in prison and 10 years supervised release for receipt and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, a digital forensic analysis of seized devices determined that Carl David Innmon, 51, possessed more than 16,000 files depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on a laptop computer and an additional 349,728 files depicting CSAM on an external hard drive. Thousands of the images possessed by Innmon involved prepubescent minors under the age of 12.
Innmon was a fifth-grade teacher in the Austin Independent School District at the time of his April 2025 arrest and had previously worked as a substitute teacher at approximately 20 other schools within the district. He faced up to 20 years in prison.
“This now-convicted pedophile was tasked with caring for the most vulnerable among us: our children,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin R. Simmons. “Instead, he used children to satisfy his deviant sexual desires. In cooperation with our state, local and federal law enforcement partners, my office will always aggressively pursue pedophiles like this one, and our message to them is this: pedophilia is not a sexual preference; it’s a crime, and we will always make sure you do the time.”
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Sparks 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 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.
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Former Anne Arundel County Police Officer Sentenced in Connection with Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal judge sentenced a former Anne Arundel County police officer for his role in an auto-insurance fraud scheme.
Judge Lydia Griggsby sentenced Jaron Earl Taylor, 32, of Ft. Washington, Maryland, to three years of probation, with the first five months served on home detention, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Griggsby also ordered Taylor to pay $38,670 in restitution to the United States Automobile Association. Co-conspirator Michael Anthony Owen, Jr., 38, of Accokeek, Maryland, previously pled guilty to falsifying records, in connection with the conspiracy.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to court documents, between August 2018 and February 2020, Taylor and Owen, who were Anne Arundel County Police Department and PGPD officers, respectively, at the time, conspired with fellow police officers to engage in mail and wire fraud. Taylor and Owen, along with officers Candace Tyler, 39, of Bowie, Maryland, who pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud; Conrad D’Haiti, 56, of La Plata, Maryland, who pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud; and Davion Percy, 41, of Suitland, Maryland, who a jury convicted at trial in June 2026, of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and others, devised a scheme for insurance companies to pay out the remaining financing costs of unwanted vehicles.
Members of the conspiracy reported fictitious losses to insurers to obtain money or avoid paying off vehicles that were now worth less than the amount owed on them. The co-conspirators used their statuses as police officers to assist each other’s claims by writing false police reports. Then co-conspirators submitted fictitious police reports to insurers to validate the claim. The false police reports were intended to impede, obstruct, or influence subsequent investigations of the false insurance claims.
In August 2018, Taylor and Owen staged the theft of Taylor’s Chevrolet Tahoe. After Taylor filed a fraudulent police report, Taylor and Owen stripped the vehicle and drove it deep into the woods of a Maryland State Highway property near Largo, Maryland. Taylor then made a false claim to the United Services Automobile Association (USAA) for the loss, for which USAA paid out a total of $38,670.
Then in January 2020, Owen assisted D’Haiti in avoiding payment on the loan balance of a Jaguar XKR. In cooperation with D’Haiti and Percy, Owen devised a scheme to fake the vehicle’s theft. On January 4, D’Haiti parked his Jaguar behind Marlow Heights Shopping Center where Percy worked as police chief.
D’Haiti then paid Percy $350 to arrange for another co-conspirator to tow the vehicle and extensively vandalize it for the purpose of creating a total insurance loss. Tyler subsequently filed the fictitious police report which D’Haiti used to substantiate his claim against Liberty Mutual Insurance. In February 2020, Liberty Mutual paid the Jaguar’s lienholder, Navy Federal Credit Union, $17,585, on the false claim.
Additionally, in January 2020, Taylor and Owen assisted with disposing of an Infiniti sedan to help a co-conspirator avoid making further payments on the vehicle while on extended overseas duty. The co-conspirator gave Taylor $1,000 via CashApp to stage the theft. Taylor then forwarded the money to Owen who filed a false police report with PGPD, stating the vehicle was stolen.
But Taylor, Owen, and others moved the car to the top floor of a Camp Springs, Maryland, apartment-complex parking garage. The co-conspirators attempted to conceal the car’s identity by removing the vehicle’s license plates and replacing them with different ones registered to another vehicle. Then the owner and co-conspirator filed a claim with GEICO that was eventually denied on grounds of fraud.
Owen’s sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, at 2:30 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Baldwin, Adeyemi Adenrele, and Caroline Schechinger who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Former Afghan General and First Deputy House Speaker Extradited to U.S. to Face Charges of Conspiring to Traffic Hundreds of Kilograms of Heroin and Methamphetamine and Provide Arsenal of Military-Grade WeaponryRead the Press Release
A complaint was unsealed today charging Abdul Zahir Qadeer, also known as “Haji Abdul Zahir,” a former general in Afghanistan’s Border Force and First Deputy Speaker of Afghanistan’s National Assembly’s House of the People, with conspiring to import heroin and methamphetamine and related firearms offenses. Qadeer is expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan today following his arrest in Nairobi, Kenya, on April 15, 2025, and extradition to the United States on July 10, 2026.
“While purporting to be a political leader of Afghanistan, Abdul Zahir Qadeer was allegedly leading a criminal enterprise dealing in dangerous and addictive narcotics and heavy weapons,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Drug Enforcement Administration led an investigation that ended Qadeer’s audacious criminal activity, and now he will face justice in the United States.”
“Abdul Zahir Qadeer, a former high-ranking Afghan government official, allegedly also held a dual role as a large-scale international narcotics and military-grade weapons trafficker,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “In an attempt to traffic massive amounts of poison and weaponry — including heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers — Qadeer allegedly sold a two-kilogram test shipment to a buyer, which was delivered in South Africa. Unbeknownst to Qadeer, that buyer was working with the DEA. The scale of potential devastation Qadeer was attempting to bring to the U.S. is terrifying. This brazen effort underscores the need for the commitment and expertise of our career prosecutors and DEA partners.”
“"The world is safer now that Abdul Zahir Qadeer is facing justice in the United States. As a former General for Afghanistan's Border Force, Qadeer was entrusted to protect his country's borders — instead, he exploited his position to facilitate drug and weapons trafficking that fueled violence and instability,” said Administrator Terrance C. Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Make no mistake; we will use the full weight of the United States government to bring such individuals to justice. No matter where you are, no matter how powerful you think you are — you are not out of our reach.”
According to the allegations contained in the complaint and other public filings: Qadeer is a former member of Afghanistan’s National Assembly, which functioned as the legislature of Afghanistan until the Taliban regained control of the country in or about August 2021, and he was elected First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly’s House of the People in or about 2012. Qadeer previously served as a general in Afghanistan’s Border Force, a paramilitary police organization responsible for securing Afghanistan’s border, commanding its Eighth Border Battalion in Takhar Province, Afghanistan. Qadeer is pictured below, dressed in blue, toward the left of the image:
Photo of Qadeer (in blue and on the left) with the Eighth Border Battalion. From the complaint.Qadeer was also, until his arrest, a large-scale international narcotics and weapons trafficker. As alleged in the complaint, Qadeer engaged in extensive negotiations with an individual who purported to be a member of an international drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) but, unbeknownst to Qadeer, was in fact a confidential source (CS-1) working at the direction of the DEA.
In or about November 2024, CS-1 began communicating with Qadeer about their potential partnership in trafficking hundreds of kilograms of heroin and methamphetamine for importation into and sale in the United States for the purported DTO. As an early step in their partnership, on or about Dec. 10, 2024, Qadeer sold a two-kilogram test shipment of methamphetamine delivered to CS-1’s associate in Johannesburg, South Africa, in exchange for approximately $14,000.
Photo of two-kilogram test shipment of methamphetamine allegedly sold by Qadeer. From the complaint. Screenshot of message thread between Qadeer and CS-1. From the complaint.Thereafter, Qadeer continued to negotiate with CS-1 regarding the sale to the DTO of hundreds of kilograms of heroin and methamphetamine, along with hundreds of heavy machine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, pistols, and grenades, which CS-1 represented would be used by the DTO to protect its drug trafficking activities from interdiction by the United States government. Pictured below is a purported weapons order from CS-1 that Qadeer agreed to fulfill:
Screenshot of a purported weapons order that Qadeer allegedly agreed to fulfill. From the complaint.Upon receiving the weapons order, Qadeer provided CS-1 with quotes of how much he would charge to source each weapon, including, for example, $11,579 for one sniper rifle, $9,670 for one type of machine gun, and $1,770 for 10 grenades in one box.
In or about April 2025, Qadeer attended a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, with several individuals who he believed to be members of the DTO he would supply with narcotics and weapons. In reality, it was a meeting between Qadeer and multiple DEA confidential sources. Kenyan law enforcement officers arrested Qadeer immediately following the meeting.
Qadeer has been charged with narcotics importation conspiracy, which carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; using and carrying machine guns and destructive devices during, and possessing machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the narcotics-importation conspiracy, which carries a minimum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison; and conspiring to use and carry machine guns and destructive devices during, and possess machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the narcotics-importation conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The statutory maximum and mandatory minimum penalties in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case. The FBI’s Tactical Aviation Unit assisted with Qadeer’s extradition to the United States from Kenya. The Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Directorate of Criminal Investigations also provided assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Bodansky and Chelsea L. Scism for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
The charges contained in a complaint are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Afghan General and First Deputy House Speaker Extradited to U.S. to Face Charges of Conspiring to Traffic Hundreds of Kilograms of Heroin and Methamphetamine and Provide Arsenal of Military-Grade WeaponryRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Acting Attorney General for the United States, Todd Blanche, and Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Terrance C. Cole, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging ABDUL ZAHIR QADEER, a/k/a “Haji Abdul Zahir,” a former general in Afghanistan’s Border Force and First Deputy Speaker of Afghanistan’s National Assembly’s House of the People, with conspiring to import heroin and methamphetamine and related firearms offenses. QADEER was presented earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo and ordered detained pending trial, following his arrest in Nairobi, Kenya, on April 15, 2025 and extradition to the United States on July 10, 2026.
“Abdul Zahir Qadeer, a former high-ranking Afghan government official, allegedly also held a dual role as a large-scale international narcotics and military-grade weapons trafficker,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “In an attempt to traffic massive amounts of poison and weaponry—including heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers—Qadeer allegedly sold a two-kilogram test shipment to a buyer, which was delivered in South Africa. Unbeknownst to Qadeer, that buyer was working with the DEA. The scale of potential devastation Qadeer was attempting to bring to the U.S. is terrifying. This brazen effort underscores the need for the commitment and expertise of our career prosecutors and DEA partners.”
“While purporting to be a political leader of Afghanistan, Abdul Zahir Qadeer was allegedly leading a criminal enterprise dealing in dangerous and addictive narcotics and heavy weapons,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Drug Enforcement Administration led an investigation that ended Qadeer’s audacious criminal activity, and now he will face justice in the United States.”
“The world is safer now that Abdul Zahir Qadeer is facing justice in the United States,” said DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole. “As a former General for Afghanistan’s Border Force, Qadeer was entrusted to protect his country's borders—instead, he exploited his position to facilitate drug and weapons trafficking that fueled violence and instability. Make no mistake; we will use the full weight of the United States government to bring such individuals to justice. No matter where you are, no matter how powerful you think you are—you are not out of our reach.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint and other public filings:(1)
QADEER is a former member of Afghanistan’s National Assembly, which functioned as the legislature of Afghanistan until the Taliban regained control of the country in or about August 2021, and he was elected First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly’s House of the People in or about 2012. QADEER previously served as a general in Afghanistan’s Border Force, a paramilitary police organization responsible for securing Afghanistan’s border, commanding its Eighth Border Battalion in Takhar Province, Afghanistan. QADEER is pictured below, dressed in blue, toward the left of the image:
QADEER was also, until his arrest, a large-scale international narcotics and weapons trafficker. As alleged in the Complaint, QADEER engaged in extensive negotiations with an individual who purported to be a member of an international drug trafficking organization (the “DTO”) but, unbeknownst to QADEER, was in fact a confidential source (“CS-1”) working at the direction of the DEA.
In or about November 2024, CS-1 began communicating with QADEER about their potential partnership in trafficking hundreds of kilograms of heroin and methamphetamine for importation into and sale in the United States for the purported DTO. As an early step in their partnership, on or about December 10, 2024, QADEER sold a two-kilogram test shipment of methamphetamine delivered to CS-1’s associate in Johannesburg, South Africa, in exchange for approximately $14,000. Thereafter, QADEER continued to negotiate with CS-1 regarding the sale to the DTO of hundreds of kilograms of heroin and methamphetamine, along with hundreds of heavy machine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, pistols, and grenades, which CS-1 represented would be used by the DTO to protect its drug trafficking activities from interdiction by the United States government. Pictured below is a purported weapons order from CS-1 that QADEER agreed to fulfill:
Upon receiving the weapons order, QADEER provided CS-1 with quotes of how much he would charge to source each weapon, including, for example, $11,579 for one sniper rifle, $9,670 for one type of machine gun, and $1,770 for 10 grenades in one box.
In or about April 2025, QADEER attended a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, with several individuals who he believed to be members of the DTO he would supply with narcotics and weapons. In reality, it was a meeting between QADEER and multiple DEA confidential sources. Kenyan law enforcement officers arrested QADEER immediately following the meeting.
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ABDUL ZAHIR QADEER, 52, of Afghanistan, has been charged with narcotics importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; using and carrying machine guns and destructive devices during, and possessing machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the narcotics-importation conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and conspiring to use and carry machine guns and destructive devices during, and possess machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of, the narcotics-importation conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The statutory maximum and mandatory minimum penalties in this case are 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 efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Tactical Aviation Unit, which assisted with QADEER’s extradition to the United States from Kenya; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; and Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Directorate of Criminal Investigations for their assistance.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Bodansky and Chelsea L. Scism 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.
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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.
Felon with Prior Attempted Carjacking Convictions Sentenced for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Damian Barnett, 22, a felon residing in the District who was previously convicted of two attempted carjackings, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 28 months in prison for illegally possessing a loaded unholstered pistol in a residential neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Barnett chose to illegally carry a loaded firearm in D.C., less than a year after being released from prison for attempted carjacking,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This felon’s actions put law-abiding citizens at risk and demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law. His prior conviction should have been a turning point. Instead, it became a prelude to another crime.”
Barnett pleaded guilty Nov. 20, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 28-month prison term, Judge Jia M. Cobb ordered Barnett to serve two years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 33-month prison term.
According to court documents, on July 14, 2025, police officers on patrol in Northeast Washington encountered a group of people on the 1100 block of 16th Street, NE. Among the group was Barnett, who appeared to be smoking a marijuana cigarette. When Barnett spotted the officers, he handed off the cigarette and ran down an alley. Officers pursued Barnett and saw him reach for his waistband, pull out a firearm, and toss it into the air.
Officers apprehended Barnett and recovered a Glock 19 pistol, loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition, in the alley off Levis Street, NE. The pistol had been reported stolen in November 2024 in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Barnett previously was convicted of two counts of attempted carjacking. For those offenses he received two consecutive 24-month prison sentences and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Washington Field Division.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Green and Lauren Ibanez as part of the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Initiative.
Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenses, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Barnett runs from officers on the 1100 block of 16th Street, NE.
Investigators recovered this Glock 19 pistol in an alley off Levis Street, NE.
An image of a handheld Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) thermal imaging device that indicated the firearm had recently been held.
Evidence photo of the Glock 19, magazine, and 23 rounds of ammunition that police recovered in the alley.
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Felon Sentenced to 27 Months for Possessing ‘Ghost Gun’ While Unconscious on D.C. SidewalkRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – James Fredrick Moore, 52, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 27 months in prison in connection with his unlawful possession of a “ghost gun” and ammunition recovered after he was found passed out on a public sidewalk in Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Moore pleaded guilty on March 9, 2026, without the benefit of a plea agreement, before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to unlawful possession of ammunition by a felon, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and to unlawful possession of a ghost gun.
In addition to the 27-month prison term, Chief Judge Boasberg ordered Moore to serve two years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a prison term of 33 months.
According to court papers, on Sept. 3, 2025, a witness called 911 to report that Moore was unconscious and in possession of a firearm at the intersection of 1st Street NW and Florida Avenue NW, a busy downtown D.C. intersection.
Responding officers from the Metropolitan Police Department found Moore with a 9mm privately made pistol lacking a serial number, tucked in the back of Moore's waistband. Officers subdued Moore and recovered the loaded weapon. A search incident to arrest also uncovered suspected drug paraphernalia and a substance that field-tested positive for amphetamines.
Prior to this offense, Moore had been convicted 18 times for an array of crimes that include attempted cocaine distribution, assault and sex abuse, and multiple weapons counts.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Office.
The matter was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Ibanez.
Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
The Polymer80 ghost gun recovered from Moore on Sept. 3, 2025.
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Federal Judge Sentences Man to Four Years in Prison for $2 Million COVID-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – A man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for submitting—and teaching others how to submit—false Covid-relief loan applications on behalf of themselves and others who paid kickbacks to him and his co-schemers. Under the leadership of United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and consistent with the Administration’s priorities to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal fraud in the federal government entitlement and benefit programs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois has been taking a fresh look at Covid-19 fraud.
JAMES TOWNSEND schemed to fraudulently obtain more than $2 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). In 2021, Townsend submitted and caused to be submitted more than 100 applications for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) on behalf of dozens of sole proprietorships purportedly operated by Townsend and others. The applications contained numerous false statements and misrepresentations regarding the purported proprietorships’ operations, including the number of employees, gross revenues, and payroll expenses. In reality, the applicants did not operate sole proprietorships, nor did they employ any individuals or incur operational expenses such as payroll. For each successful fraudulent loan, Townsend and his co-schemers received kickback payments from the loan applicants.
Townsend pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal wire fraud charge. On June 24, 2026, U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall sentenced Townsend to four years in federal prison and ordered him to pay full restitution.
Townsend also recruited and directed co-defendants SARAH STOKES 37, of Crestwood, Ill., and AMANDA HELLER, 40, of Crestwood, Ill., to find putative borrowers, complete and submit fraudulent applications on their behalf, and then share the proceeds. Stokes and Heller each pleaded guilty to a federal wire fraud charge. Stokes was sentenced in November 2025 to 18 months in federal prison. Heller’s sentencing is set for Oct. 28, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Boutros announced Townsend’s sentence along with Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
“Defendant’s crime was serious,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L. Rosenbloom argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum in Townsend’s case. “He defrauded the government of millions of dollars meant to help regular Americans survive a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.”
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
El Salvadoran man pleads guilty to, sentenced for resisting a federal officer and damaging government propertyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Manuel De Jesus Jandres Martinez, 33, of El Salvador, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to depredation of government property, and assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer. He was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
On December 31, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents observed a vehicle registered to Jandres Martinez parked in a hotel parking lot on Millersport Highway in Amherst, NY. Law enforcement approached the vehicle and identified themselves as Border Patrol officers. As they approached, Jandres Martinez started his ignition and tried to escape from the parking lot. In his attempt to flee, he reversed and rammed his car into the Border Patrol vehicle, which was parked behind his car, causing more than $1,000 in damage to the Border Patrol vehicle. Jandres Martinez then actively resisted Border Patrol agents when he got out of his car, ran from the agents into the hotel, and locked himself in a hotel room.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright. The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Acting Chief Patrol Agent James D’Amato and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone.
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