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25 April 2025
Michigan Man Sentenced in Maryland to Five Years in Federal Prison for Tax-Refund Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Jerome Brown, 42, of Detroit, Michigan, to five years in federal prison for his role in laundering money stolen from federal and North Carolina state-tax refunds. Additionally, Brown was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $604,889.64. On January 28, 2022, Brown pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool, U.S. Secret Service (USSS) – Washington Field Office; Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS-OIG); and Acting Special Agent in Charge Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration (SSA-OIG) Office of Inspector General – Philadelphia Field Division.
In his guilty plea, Brown acknowledged that from February through August 2020, he conspired with individuals in Nigeria and Michigan to launder wire-fraud proceeds. The co-conspirators placed the wire-fraud proceeds on Green Dot pre-paid debit cards. Brown laundered the fraudulent funds by depositing them into bank accounts and cashing them out through ATM withdrawals and purchasing money orders and cryptocurrency.
These fraudulent proceeds were comprised of stolen funds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR). The IRS and NCDOR administer federal and North Carolina state-revenue laws, respectively, and pay “tax refunds” to individuals who are entitled to them under the law. At the time, these funds could be paid onto pre-paid debit cards. Brown and his co-conspirators regularly cashed out these funds soon after the government agencies added funds to a card.
Through the fraudulent scheme, one of Brown’s co-conspirators, who was working from Nigeria, and others, caused funds to be placed on the pre-paid debit cards. The co-conspirators registered the cards with Green Dot using stolen personally identifiable information (PII) from identity theft victims around the country, including in Maryland.
Co-conspirators purchased the pre-paid debit cards in the United States and then sent the associated card information to the co-conspirator in Nigeria to receive the stolen government funds. The co-conspirators aided the fraudulent scheme by using stolen PII to file for false IRS tax refunds. Additionally, the co-conspirators applied for NCDOR tax refunds and state unemployment insurance payments.
The federal and state agencies then deposited the proceeds through ACH transfers directly onto the pre-paid debit cards. After the funds were placed onto the pre-paid debit cards, the co-conspirator in Nigeria informed others, including Brown, that the funds were available on the cards. In exchange for a commission, Brown and the other co-conspirators facilitated the cashing out of the cards and returned the remaining funds to the co-conspirator in Nigeria.
Brown and the other co-conspirators took steps to conceal their identities, the money laundering conspiracy, and scheme to defraud. The co-conspirators attempted to hide the fraudulent scheme by enlisting others to make withdrawals from the cards, withdrawing from multiple locations, converting funds into cash rather than depositing them into bank accounts, and making money orders payable to other individuals.
The defendant cashed out at least approximately $540,975.80 from pre-paid debit cards as part of the scheme. Brown kept approximately 40 percent of the proceeds, for a total of $216,390.36, and sent approximately $324,585.44 in Bitcoin to his co-conspirator in Nigeria. The co-conspirators used the pre-paid debit cards to apply for at least approximately $1,255,761 in benefits from the IRS and $588,716 in benefits from the NCDOR.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the IRS-CI, USSS, DHS-OIG, SSA-OIG, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) – Detroit Division for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Darren Gardner who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Mexican National Sentenced for Production of False Identity Documents and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Mexican national residing in Kentucky, Miguel Angel Paez-Aguinaga, 53, was sentenced on Friday to 54 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for one count of conspiracy to produce fraudulent identification documents and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to his plea agreement, Paez-Aguinaga conspired with others, through social media applications and texts, to make fraudulent Social Security cards, state ID cards, and U.S. Permanent Resident Alien cards. Paez-Aguinaga frequently used improperly obtained means of identification that he knew belonged to real people. Paez-Aguinaga would then send these cards out via the U.S. mail to recipients in other states, and hand deliver sets of cards for individuals without legal status to use for employment purposes. In return, the recipients paid him in cash or through Zelle payments. Paez-Aguinaga admitted that from October 1, 2022, until his arrest in July 2024, he produced and transferred over 100 sets of fraudulent identification documents. Paez-Aguinaga admitted to receiving more than $233,000 from the fraudulent scheme during that same time period.
Under federal law, Aguinaga must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Aguinaga was also ordered to pay a $233,433.67 money judgement.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Lesley Allison, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Field Division; and Gail Ennis, Inspector General, Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by USPIS and SSA-OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Mexican National Indicted on Firearm and Immigration ChargesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On Wednesday, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned a 5-count indictment against Teodoro Diaz-Ochoa, 44, of Mexico, for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, Alien in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, and Reentry of a Removed Alien.
The charging documents filed in the case allege that Diaz-Ochoa is an alien, illegally present in the United States, who was previously convicted of felony Attempted Sexual Assault and last removed from the United State on April 22, 2016. On January 22, 2025, Arizona Game and Fish Officers encountered Diaz-Ochoa while conducting a hunting without a license investigation. Diaz-Ochoa was found in possession of a Savage bolt action rifle and 80 rounds of various ammunition. On March 26, 2025, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a federal search warrant at Diaz-Ochoa’s residence, where they discovered a Remington semi-automatic shotgun and 18 rounds of various ammunition.
A conviction for the firearm and ammunition charges carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A conviction for the reentry of a removed alien charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-25-01989-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-062_Diaz-Ochoa# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Mesa Man Arrested for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Terrell Maurice Mars, 47, of Mesa, Arizona, was arrested on April 18, 2025, and charged by criminal complaint for bank robbery.
The complaint filed in this case alleges that, on April 18, 2025, Mars entered a credit union in Mesa, Arizona, waving what appeared to be a handgun, and directing the employees and customers to get down. Mars then demanded money from the tellers, and later the bank manager, who complied. After leaving the credit union with the stolen cash, witnesses observed Mars flee on an electric scooter.
Mesa Police Department patrol officers responded to a dispatch about the bank robbery and located Mars hiding under a truck in a nearby apartment parking lot. He was taken into custody without incident and was found in possession of the same amount of cash that was stolen from the credit union. Police officers also found a hot glue gun near Mars that looked like the ostensible handgun he was seen carrying in credit union surveillance video.
A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Mesa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Schesnol, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-05233-PHX-DMF
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-061_Mars# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Massachusetts Doctor Agrees to Plead Guilty to $35.5 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A doctor from Boston has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a multi-million-dollar health care fraud scheme in which she allegedly defrauded Medicare for genetic testing services she never provided.
Le Thu, 69, is charged and has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of making false statements relating to health care matters. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, from in or about March 2017 through in November 2020, Thu knowingly and willfully engaged in a scheme to deceive the Medicare Program in connection with payments for genetic testing for beneficiaries. Specifically, Thu allegedly signed and/or caused other individuals who had no medical training to sign and submit false medical documentation and orders for beneficiaries’ genetic testing – which was generally not covered by Medicare – therefore making it appear that Thu was providing legitimate services. Thu allegedly signed or caused these orders to be signed that falsely claimed she had consulted with beneficiaries, conducted examinations prior to ordering genetic testing, obtained consent, and/or would use the testing results to treat the beneficiaries.
However, it is alleged that Thu did not see, speak to, or otherwise communicate, examine or provide any medical services to Medicare beneficiaries in connection with any of the false orders submitted, without regard to whether the beneficiaries needed the genetic testing. It is alleged that in one of the orders, Thu stated, among other things that the test results would “assist [Thu] in making patient-specific clinical decisions” and would “directly impact [Thu’s] patient’s medical management.” In connection with that alleged false order, a third-party laboratory billed Medicare approximately $5,368, for which Medicare paid approximately $2,886. Thu allegedly falsely stated in another order for genetic testing that the results of the testing would “determine [a] patient’s medical management and treatment decision.” In connection with that alleged false order, a third-party laboratory billed Medicare for over $24,052.
It is alleged that, as a result of the orders submitted on false medical documentation, Thu caused laboratories to submit approximately $35.3 million in claims to Medicare based on doctors’ orders containing materially false representations, for which Medicare paid approximately $25.3 million.
The charges of making false statements relating to health care matters each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Man Charged with Providing Material Support to a Conspiracy to Murder, Kidnap, and Maim Individuals in CameroonRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has indicted Eric Tano Tataw, 38, of Gaithersburg, Maryland. The Cameroonian national, also known as “the Garri Master,” is charged with conspiring to provide material support to armed separatist groups in Cameroon and making threatening communications to injure or kidnap Cameroonian civilians.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Maryland.
According to court documents, multiple armed and violent secessionist groups in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon are fighting to form a new country called “Ambazonia.” The armed separatist groups sought to achieve secession by not only attacking the Cameroonian military, but also intentionally attacking the civilian population in Cameroon in an attempt to coerce and intimidate the Cameroonian government into allowing these regions to secede. These separatist fighters are frequently referred to as “Amba Boys.”
“Tataw and his co-conspirators masterminded and financially supported a vicious scheme to overthrow a foreign government. They resorted to an unthinkable level of violence while instilling fear in innocent victims to advance their political agenda,” Hayes said. “We, along with our law enforcement partners, are committed to relentlessly pursuing anyone who attempts to inflict mayhem on others. Tataw and his co-conspirators demonstrated a total disregard for human life so now they must pay the price.”
“The defendant is alleged to have ordered horrific acts of violence, including severing limbs, against Cameroonian civilians in support of a violent secessionist movement,” Galeotti said. “This indictment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to hold accountable human rights violators who direct brutal political violence and fundraise for armed militias from the comfort of the United States.”
“The Justice Department will not tolerate those who help murder, maim, and kidnap,” Bai said. “We will continue to hold accountable those who aim to turn American soil into a staging ground for political violence abroad.”
As alleged in the indictment, Tataw was a citizen of Cameroon living in Maryland and was a member of the Cameroonian diaspora with a large social media following. Beginning no later than April 2018, Tataw conspired to provide material support and resources — including money, weapons, and personnel — to Amba Boys in Cameroon, and called for the murder, kidnapping, and maiming of Cameroonian civilians. Tataw and his co-conspirators directed the maiming of Cameroonian civilians by severing their limbs, a practice Tataw called “Garriing.” Tataw used the phrase “small Garri” to refer to removing fingers or other small appendages and the phrase “large Garri” to refer to removing large limbs or killing people. Additionally, Tataw referred to himself as the “Garri Master,” or master of mutilation.
Tataw and his co-conspirators targeted those believed to be working for or collaborating with the government, including municipal officials, traditional chiefs, and employees of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), a government-owned company that grew, processed, and sold bananas, palm oil, and rubber. As alleged, Tataw personally wrote hundreds of social media posts on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter calling for attacks against Cameroonian civilians, seeking to raise funds to arm Amba Boys, and threatening those he viewed as cooperating with the Cameroonian government. These social media posts were regularly viewed by tens of thousands of people, including Amba Boys and their leaders, and were often further disseminated by third parties allegedly acting at Tataw’s direction or encouragement.
Tataw and his co-conspirators solicited and raised funds to supply Amba Boys with firearms, ammunition, explosive materials, and other equipment for enforcing lockdown or “ghost-town” orders and carrying out violent attacks. A fundraising campaign, known as the “National AK Campaign,” was designed to arm each Amba Boy in Cameroon with an AK-47 rifle. From about September 2018 through December 2020, Tataw and his co-conspirators raised more than $110,000. Tataw and co-conspirators transferred portions of these funds — either directly or through intermediaries — to Amba Boys located in Cameroon and neighboring Nigeria. Additionally, Tataw communicated directly with Amba Boy leaders on the ground in Cameroon. Tataw also, on multiple occasions, personally took credit for Amba Boys murdering, kidnapping, and maiming civilians in connection with the separatists’ cause.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. All defendants charged by indictment are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. If convicted, Tataw faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on the material support count and five years in prison on each count of making threatening communications to injure or kidnap. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HSI Maryland’s Document and Benefit Fraud/El Dorado Task Force, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigation – Baltimore Field Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christina A. Hoffman and Joseph Wenner; Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section; and Michael Dittoe and Andrew Briggs, National Security Division, who are prosecuting this case, along with the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. To report a Maryland-based hate crime, contact the FBI Baltimore field office at (410) 265-8080 or www.tips.fbi.gov.
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Maryland Man Admits to His Role in Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Lester Luna, 30, of Hagerstown, Maryland, has admitted his role in a drug trafficking organization in Berkeley County.
According to court documents, Luna was one of the members of the drug trafficking conspiracy that sold large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The FBI; the U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative (agencies included are the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Sherriff’s Department, Ranson Police Department, Charles Town Police Department, and Martinsburg City Police Department); West Virginia State Police; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Hagerstown Police Department; the National Resources Police Department; FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force; the New York Police Department; the New Jersey State Police; the Washington County (Maryland) Drug Task Force; the Maryland State Police; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania investigated.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Find the related case here: www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/34-indicted-expansive-drug-trafficking-operation
Marathon County Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Conspiring to Traffic MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dustin P. Brunker, 37, Weston, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Brunker pleaded guilty to this charge on January 28, 2025.
In early 2024, investigators with the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force began investigating a group of individuals who were distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine in the Marathon County area. Brunker was identified as a distributor for the group.
Following a series of controlled purchases of methamphetamine involving Brunker in March and April of 2024, task force officers executed a search warrant at a residence that Brunker shared with co-defendant Mercadys A. Perkins in Weston. Officers found over 300 grams of methamphetamine, over $2,000 in cash, drug ledgers, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia during the search.
Further investigation revealed that between February 18, 2024, and April 12, 2024, a co-conspirator provided Brunker and Perkins approximately 16 pounds of methamphetamine and 6 ounces of cocaine intended for further distribution.
At the time of these events, Brunker was serving a term of state supervision for two felony cases and out on state bond for a felony drug charge. His state supervision was revoked, and he was sentenced to a total of 3 years in state prison, which he is currently serving. Judge Conley ordered the federal sentence run concurrently with the remainder of Brunker’s state prison sentences.
At sentencing, Judge Conley called Brunker’s large quantity methamphetamine trafficking egregious. Judge Conley further observed that while Brunker had a lengthy prior record, the conduct in the present case showed an escalation in criminality.
Three others were charged in connection with this drug trafficking conspiracy. Mercadys Perkins was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and sentenced to 6 years in federal prison on April 17, 2025. Joshua Lake and Jessica Colby have pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming weeks.
The charge against Brunker was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of investigators from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Bay Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. The Marathon County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
Man Indicted and Arrested for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by an Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 24, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Ilario Ernesto D’Oleo-Rosario (the Defendant) with one count for firearms violation and one count for re-entry after deportation. The defendant was arrested on April 19, 2025, by agents from the Puerto Rico Police Bureau and the investigation is being conducted by the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
According to the indictment, on or about April 19, 2025, the Defendant, knowing he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States, possessed a firearm -- a Glock 27, .40 caliber, and 9 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. The Defendant had been previously removed from the United States and was found and arrested in Puerto Rico, without obtaining, prior to his return to the United States, the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission into the United States.
According to the facts set forth in a criminal complaint filed on April 19, 2025, in Case No. 25-388 (M), at approximately 12:27 a.m., on April 19th, the defendant’s vehicle was observed by agents of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) driving in the oncoming traffic lane and swerving in and out of lanes. A PRPB agent stopped the Defendant’s vehicle, but the Defendant fled. The PRPB pursued the Defendant and again intervened with the Defendant in front of a residence where he had parked the vehicle. The Defendant attempted to flee on foot, failed to comply with police commands and resisted arrest. The Defendant had to be tasered three times before he was subdued. A PRPB agent observed in plain view (and later recovered) the loaded firearm described above in the vehicle. A PRPB agent administered a breathalyzer test that reflected a blood alcohol content of 0.174%.
“I commend the outstanding work of the agents of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau in the apprehension of the Defendant,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for the firearms violation (18 USC § 922(g)(5)), and two years for reentry after deportation (8 USC § 1326(a)). A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Corinne Cordero-Romo from the Violent Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Machinegun Conversion Device Found in Baby Crib Lands Oklahoma City Man in Federal Prison for Nearly Two YearsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – GENESIS NYRELL YOUNG, 21, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 22 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On September 4, 2024, a federal Grand Jury charged Young with unlawful possession of a machinegun. According to public record, on April 24, 2024, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) executed a search warrant on Young’s home, during which they found a machinegun conversion device (MCD) inside a baby’s crib. Commonly referred to as switches, MCDs convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machineguns. Possession of an MCD violates federal law. A pistol and an extended magazine were also located lying next to the crib.
On January 9, 2025, Young pleaded guilty, and admitted he knowingly possessed the MCD.
At the sentencing hearing on April 23, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jodi W. Dishman sentenced Young to serve 22 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing her sentence, Judge Dishman noted the serious nature and circumstances of the offense.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and OCPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nichols, Jr. prosecuted the case.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case is also part of “Project Switch Off,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation of PSN. “Project Switch Off” targets illegal machinegun conversion devices to address the significant danger these illegal devices present and to remove them from our streets. For more information about PSN and “Project Switch Off,” please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Lame Deer man sentenced to 2 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine on the Northern Cheyenne Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Lame Deer man who distributed methamphetamine on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 24 months in prison to be followed by 6 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Shannon Tyrone Seminole, 50, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in the spring of 2022, law enforcement received reports that Shannon Seminole was selling methamphetamine on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. Agents arranged two controlled purchases from Seminole, one in December 2022 and the other in September 2023. Following the second buy, agents executed a search of Seminole’s residence. During the search, agents seized an airsoft pistol and an AR-15 upper receiver and bolt.
In an interview, Seminole admitted to providing methamphetamine to the many drug users that helped him with his work. He admitted selling methamphetamine starting when he was released from jail three years prior. His source provided him with a regular supply of meth that he would sell. Seminole also admitted he carried firearms when selling drugs.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten prosecuted the case, and the investigation was conducted by the FBI.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Kissimmee Drug Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A man was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for drug trafficking. The defendant had previously pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl in February.
On Aug. 21, 2024, Jardon Kianu Jackson, 34, of Kissimmee, Fla., sold 442.2 grams of methamphetamine in Sebastian, Fla. Then, on Oct. 22, 2024, Jackson sold 53.02 grams of fentanyl in Fellsmere, Fla.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, Sheriff Paul Blackman of the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), Sheriff Eric Flowers of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO) and Sheriff Noel E. Stephen of Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks.
The DEA Miami Field Division, HCSO, IRCSO and Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted the case.
According to the DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment, synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, are poisoning our nation. Fentanyl has proven to be a deadly poison that does not discriminate. Its victims include every gender, race, age, and economic background, and its debilitating effects are the same across all demographics. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, fentanyl can be deadly. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida has also seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. In 2022, more than 5,622 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in Florida.
For more information visit: https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MEC/Publications-and-Forms/Documents/Drugs-in-Deceased-Persons/2022-Annual-Drug-Report-FINAL-(1).aspx; https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html; and https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-14066.
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Kansas Woman Indicted for Defrauding Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas woman was indicted by a federal grand jury for interstate transportation of solen goods.
Amanda Rutherford, 45, was indicted on one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods for traveling across the state line to sell stolen coins. Rutherford traveled to Missouri to sell over $100,000 in gold and silver coins that belonged to an elderly couple who resided in Kansas.
The Dickinson County, Kansas Sheriff’s Office received a report in 2022 that several items, including firearms and collector coins, were stolen from the farm of an elderly couple. Rutherford lived on their property and claimed to be a caregiver for the couple. In early 2024, the Sheriff’s Office received a tip that Rutherford had sold gold coins to a jewelry store in Clay County, Missouri and had received several checks totaling $100,000. The Sheriff’s Office was able to confirm this information and served a search warrant on her vehicle soon after she cashed those checks at the bank. In conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Sheriff’s Office found newly purchased merchandise, the remainder of the bundled currency, and other coins belonging to the victims in the vehicle. The victims identified the remainder of the coins as part of those that were stolen from their farm in 2022.
Under federal law, it is illegal to transport stolen goods across state lines. If convicted, Rutherford faces a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Hanson. It was investigated by the Dickinson County, Kansas Sheriff’s Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Justice Department Corrects Past Administration’s Manipulation of Legal System that Sought to Force States to Provide Surgery to Transgender InmatesRead the Press Release
In a pair of filings today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, the Justice Department undid the past administration’s abuse of the legal system that pushed an agenda driven by politics, not law. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division withdrew an incorrect statement of interest in one case and submitted a new statement of interest in a separate case brought by inmates seeking to force the state to provide — and taxpayers to fund — dangerous, elective surgery as treatment for inmates’ gender dysphoria claims. The Justice Department’s new filings lay bare the past administration’s manipulation of supposed medical guidelines to try to create an inmate’s right to optional surgeries where no such entitlement exists.
“The prior administration’s arguments in transgender inmate cases were based on junk science. There has never been an Eighth Amendment right for inmates to demand elective and experimental surgeries. States’ limited resources need not be wasted to provide these dubious surgeries to inmates,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The prior administration’s nonsensical reading of the Americans with Disabilities Act was an affront to the very people the statute intended to protect”
In both Fuller v. Georgia Dep’t. of Corrections and Doe v. Fuller v. Georgia Dep’t. of Corrections, the plaintiffs sought sexual reassignment surgeries at state expense. The prior administration portrayed such claims as necessary medical care for gender dysphoria under the ADA. That portrayal was based on guidelines that were political motivated and based on junk science. The administration has now corrected the record by removing the statement that was filed in Doe and filing a new statement in Fuller that correctly explains the extent of the ADA and the Eighth Amendment.
For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. Complaints about discriminatory practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division through its internet reporting portal at civilrights.justice.gov.
Justice Department Announces Two Cases Involving Judicial Misconduct and Obstruction of Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced federal criminal charges in two separate cases involving the alleged obstruction of federal law enforcement operations and unlawful concealment of individuals residing illegally in the United States.
“The allegations against Judge Dugan and Judge Cano are serious: no one, least of all a judge, should obstruct law enforcement operations," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "Doing so imperils the safety of our law enforcement officers and undermines the rule of law. The Department of Justice will continue to follow the facts — no one is above the law.”
“Sanctuary jurisdictions that shield criminal aliens endanger American communities,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Justice Department will not stand by as local officials put politics over public safety. Reckless sanctuary city policies create a sanctuary for one class—criminals. Those days are over.”
United States v. Jose Luis Cano; United States v. Nancy Ann Cano, District of New Mexico
Nancy Ann Cano, 68, and Jose Luis Cano, 67, were arrested yesterday for evidence tampering offenses related to the federal investigation and prosecution against Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a Venezuelan national residing unlawfully within the United States and with alleged ties to transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
“Judges are responsible for upholding our country’s laws. It is beyond egregious for a former judge and his wife to engage in evidence tampering on behalf of a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member accused of illegally possessing firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to dismantling this foreign terrorist organization by disrupting its criminal operations in New Mexico. That starts by prosecuting those who support gang members — including judges.”
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) initiated the investigation into Ortega-Lopez after receiving an anonymous tip that the individual was unlawfully present in the United States and in possession of firearms. Subsequent investigation confirmed that the defendant illegally entered the country on Dec. 15, 2023, near Eagle Pass, Texas, and was released shortly thereafter due to overcrowding at the Border Patrol facility.
Evidence uncovered by federal agents revealed the defendant had posted multiple photos and videos on social media showing him and other illegal aliens handling firearms at a shooting range in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Among the weapons allegedly pictured were a Sig Sauer P365 handgun, an AR-15 rifle equipped with a suppressor, and other high-powered firearms and ammunition. Distinctive tattoos confirmed Ortega-Lopez’s identity in the photos and videos. Further review of his social media activity revealed content suggesting affiliation with Tren de Aragua, including gang-related tattoos, hand gestures, and clothing.
According to court documents, in January 2025, HSI received a tip that Ortega-Lopez was unlawfully residing with other illegal aliens at a property in Las Cruces owned by Nancy and Jose Cano. Prior to his resignation in March 2025, Jose Cano served as a judge of the Dona Ana County Magistrate Court.
On Feb. 28, 2025, HSI executed two federal search warrants in connection with the investigation, resulting in the arrest of the Ortega-Lopez and multiple associates, and the seizure of four firearms.
Ortega-Lopez was arrested for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Four firearms believed to be in Ortega-Lopez’s possession, along with three of his cell phones, were seized during the operation. During the search, Ortega-Lopez was permitted to make a phone call before being taken to the Doña Ana County Detention Center (DACDC). He informed agents that a particular phone he wished to use was not among the devices recovered. Video calls from DACDC later showed Nancy Cano holding a black iPhone believed to be Ortega’s fourth phone.
In a March 7 call with Ortega-Lopez, Nancy Cano used the device to contact a person named “Michelle” via WhatsApp, then facilitated a FaceTime conversation between Michelle and Ortega-Lopez using her personal phone. Additionally, in an April 20 call, Nancy Cano and Ortega-Lopez discussed deleting his Facebook account – a platform where he had previously shared incriminating content, including gang affiliations and images with firearms.
On April 24, HSI agents executed a subsequent search warrant at the Cano residence to locate the missing cellphone. During questioning, Jose Cano admitted to destroying Ortega’s cellphone by smashing it with a hammer approximately five weeks prior, believing it contained incriminating photos and videos of Ortega with firearms.
Forensic analysis of the recovered phones revealed messages linked to Ortega’s criminal activities, including affiliations with the Tren de Aragua gang and images of Ortega with firearms.
Jose Cano is charged with one count of tampering with evidence and Nancy Cano is charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised released, and up to a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Ortega-Lopez is charged with being an unlawful alien in possession of firearms and ammunition, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Despite strong evidence and pre-trial services’ assessment that the defendant poses a serious risk of flight and danger to the community, a U.S. Magistrate Judge ordered the defendant released on conditions. The government has since filed a notice of appeal challenging that decision, citing the defendant’s unlawful status, gang affiliations, disregard for previous release conditions, and risk to public safety.
HSI is investigating the cases, with valuable assistance from the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Armijo, Randy Castellano, and Elizabeth Tonkin for the District of New Mexico are prosecuting both cases.
United States v. Hannah C. Dugan, Eastern District of Wisconsin
The Justice Department today announced the filing of a federal criminal complaint against Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah C. Dugan, 65, for her alleged interference with a federal law enforcement operation and unlawful concealment of an individual subject to arrest.
According to court documents, the charges stem from events occurring on April 18, when members of the Milwaukee office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), along with federal partners from the FBI, DEA, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, attempted to execute a lawful arrest warrant for Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national previously removed from the United States and recently charged in Milwaukee County with multiple counts of domestic abuse-related battery.
According to court documents, federal agents arrived at the Milwaukee County Courthouse intending to arrest Flores-Ruiz in a public hallway following his court appearance before Judge Dugan. Upon learning of the agents’ presence in the hallway, Judge Dugan allegedly confronted and ordered federal agents to leave the courthouse. After being made aware of a valid immigration arrest warrant, Judge Dugan told agents that they needed a judicial warrant and demanded that they go to the Chief Judge’s office. Once the agents were no longer in the vicinity of her courtroom, Judge Dugan allegedly elected not to conduct a hearing on Flores-Ruiz’s criminal case, despite the fact that victims of his offense were present, and instead personally escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a restricted “jury door” exit not typically used by defendants or attorneys. This doorway led to a non-public hallway through which Flores-Ruiz and his attorney exited her courtroom. According to the affidavit, Judge Dugan’s actions directly resulted in Flores-Ruiz temporarily avoiding federal custody. He was ultimately arrested outside the courthouse, following a brief foot pursuit.
Dugan is charged with obstruction of proceedings before a department or agency of the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and concealing a person to prevent arrest, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison.
Flores-Ruiz was previously deported in 2013 and had reentered the United States unlawfully. He was subject to arrest based on an administrative warrant issued by ICE for immigration violations following his recent criminal charges in Milwaukee County.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Indian Citizen Convicted of Submitting Fraudulent Immigration ApplicationRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that yesterday, after a two-day trial before United States District Judge Joseph Laplante, a federal jury convicted Nasir Hussain, 31, a citizen of India who had been living in Orlando, Florida, of submitting a false statement of material fact on an immigration application, specifically an I-360 Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”) self-petition. Immediately following his conviction at trial, Hussain was sentenced to time-served.
Hussain has been in continual federal custody since his arrest in May of 2023 on a wire fraud conspiracy charge. The wire fraud case proceeded to trial in October 2024, resulted in a jury verdict of guilty, which was subsequently set aside by the Court via a judgment of acquittal. The United States has entered a notice of appeal of the judgment of acquittal and that appeal remains pending.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial in the immigration fraud case, Hussain traveled to Connecticut in October of 2021 for the purpose of entering a sham marriage to a United States Citizen. Hussain never saw the woman prior to nor after the date of the wedding. After the wedding, Hussain paid for insurance policies in the name of his “wife,” subscribed to magazines in her name, and ordered merchandise in her name, all to manufacture evidence that Hussain and his “wife” were living together at his Orlando residence. After manufacturing this evidence, Hussain went to an urgent care facility, and falsely claimed he was abused by his “wife.” Hussain thereafter caused the submission of the evidence he had manufactured, along with medical records, to the United States Immigration and Citizenship Office in support of an I-360 VAWA self-petition, claiming he was the spouse of an abusive U.S. citizen with whom he had been cohabitating at his Orlando apartment. The evidence at trial, including testimony of his “wife” and former roommates, established beyond a reasonable doubt that Hussain’s “wife” never lived in Florida as he had claimed, and therefore could never have abused him as he alleged. Had Hussain’s immigration package been successful, he would have been awarded a VAWA visa and potentially Lawful Permanent Residence status in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher praised the investigatory work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. At trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle M. Arra and Jonathan A. Ophardt represented the government. Hussain was represented by Kevin Henry, Esq.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Illegal Possession of Firearms and Machinegun Conversion Devices Lands Oklahoma City Man in Federal Prison for Four YearsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, THAO DUC HA, 41, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 48 months in federal prison for receiving trafficked firearms and unlawful possession of machineguns, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On June 26, 2024, Ha was charged by Superseding Information with receiving trafficked firearms and unlawful possession of machineguns. According to public record, on February 5, 2024, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) executed a search warrant on Ha’s home. As officers approached the home, Ha fled the residence while holding a box. Ha was commanded to stop and drop the box, and he complied. Inside the box, law enforcement located multiple firearms, including firearms that had been modified with machinegun conversion devices (MCDs). When installed, MCDs convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machineguns. Possession of MCDs violates federal law.
On July 3, 2024, Ha pleaded guilty to the Superseding Information, and admitted he knowingly received firearms despite being a convicted felon, and that he possessed four MCDs, one of which was fitted to a Glock pistol.
At the sentencing hearing today, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Ha to serve 48 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Russell noted the level of harm that could be caused by the quantity of firearms and MCDs Ha possessed. Judge Russell also noted Ha’s criminal history. Public record further reflects that Ha has a previous felony conviction in Oklahoma County District Court for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a weapon while committing a felony, and possession of stolen property in case number CF-2008-7014.
This case is the result of an investigation by the ATF and OCPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew E. Davis prosecuted the case.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case is also part of “Project Switch Off,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation of PSN. “Project Switch Off” targets illegal machinegun conversion devices to address the significant danger these illegal devices present and to remove them from our streets. For more information about PSN and “Project Switch Off,” please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Howe Residents Sentenced to Life in Prison for Crimes Relating to Sexual Abuse of A ChildRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Armondo Joseph Palma, age 23, and Brooklyn Elaine Wilson, age 28, of Howe, Oklahoma, were sentenced in federal district court for sexually abusing a child under the age of 12.
On April 24, 2025, Palma was sentenced to life in prison for one count of Transportation of a Minor.
On April 23, 2025, Wilson was sentenced to life in prison for four counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor and to 10 years in prison for one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently.
The charges arose from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations-Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force, the District 16 Drugs and Violent Crime Task Force, the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office, the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Carl Albert State College Campus Police.
On November 12, 2024, Palma and Wilson pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, law enforcement became aware that Palma was sending images of a child being sexually assaulted to another person over the internet. The ensuing investigation revealed that between November 2023 and March 2024, Wilson and Palma sexually abused a child under the age of 12, often recording or photographing their abuse. On more than one occasion, Wilson and Palma transported the child across state lines, where the abuse continued. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement also seized electronic images from the defendants’ cell phones depicting the sexual abuse and the sexual exploitation of additional children.
The crimes occurred primarily in LeFlore County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“These defendants routinely abused an innocent child, showing a complete lack of concern for the life-altering physical and emotional damage their sexually exploitative behavior would inflict,” said Travis Pickard, Special Agent in Charge for HSI North Texas and Oklahoma. “The lengthy healing journey for this child's unwarranted trauma can now begin with these child predators incarcerated for the rest of their lives.”
“The sexual abuse the defendants perpetrated on the victim is sickening, and a prison cell is where they deserve to spend the remainder of their days,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Seeking justice for victims is a priority of the Department, and I commend the exceptional investigative work of HSI’s Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force and the other law enforcement agencies that assisted in this case.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.com, through the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or through Homeland Security Investigations at 1-877-4-HSI TIP.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings. Palma and Wilson will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah McAmis represented the United States at the sentencing hearings.
Hopkinsville Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A federal grand jury in Paducah returned an indictment on March 11, 2025, charging a Hopkinsville, Kentucky man with distributing methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jason Newby of the Hopkinsville Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Tommy Powers, 41, was charged with two counts of distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine in Christian County, Kentucky on October 11, 2014, and October 15, 2024.
The defendant made his initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered the defendant detained pending trial. If convicted, Powers faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the DEA Paducah Post of Duty Office, the ATF Bowling Green Field Office, and the Hopkinsville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Hopkinsville Felon Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Distributing Cocaine and Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A federal grand jury in Paducah returned an indictment on March 11, 2025, charging a Hopkinsville, Kentucky man with distributing cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jason Newby of the Hopkinsville Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, DeMarcus McCarley, 41, was charged with distributing a cocaine mixture and being a felon in possession of a firearm. On May 15, 2024, McCarley, possessed a Glock, model 22 Gen. 4, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. McCarley is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On or about August 4, 2010, in Christian Circuit Court, McCarley was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine.
On or about December 15, 2009, in Christian Circuit Court, McCarley was convicted on 2 counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine.
On or about January 15, 2015, in Christian Circuit Court, McCarley was convicted on 4 counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine, less than four grams.
The defendant made his initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered the defendant detained pending trial. If convicted, McCarley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the DEA Paducah Post of Duty Office, ATF Bowling Green Field Office, and the Hopkinsville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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High-seas mariners sentenced to a decade in prison for violating Maritime Drug Law Enforcement ActRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two Nicaraguan nationals were sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute over two tons of marijuana on the high seas, in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, on board a stateless vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Sept. 27, 2023, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific, a maritime patrol aircraft located a go-fast vessel (GFV) in international waters 97 nautical miles southwest of Malpelo Island, Colombia. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) James (WSML 754), a National Security Cutter, was patrolling nearby and maneuvered to intercept the GFV.
After requesting and receiving authority, Cutter James launched a helicopter, which first attempted to contact the GFV on a maritime channel, then activated its blue warning lights, fired three warning shots across the bow, and, as the vessel failed to yield, engaged a precision gunner to disable the GFV’s engines.
A boarding team launched from the Cutter James and found three individuals onboard, including Maximo Zacarias, 43, Ismael Alexis Martinez, 30, and Bernacio Solares Ramon, 31. The boarding team determined the GFV, El Tanque, was without nationality. The team was authorized to recover 74 bales of marijuana, weighing a total of 4,610 pounds, and a five-gallon bucket containing electronics devices such as a GPS, SAT phone, ship-to-ship walkie-talkie, and other communication devices. Solares Ramon was in possession of paperwork with GPS coordinates for the routes of travel to near a Pacific island off the coast of Costa Rica.
Zacarias and Solares Ramon were convicted by a federal jury on Aug. 23, 2025.
Martinez pled guilty on Aug. 8 to possession with intent to distribute more than 1000 kilograms of marijuana on board a vessel. He was sentenced on Jan. 23 to two years and six months in prison.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Rear Admiral Joseph R. Buzzella, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes. The Maritime and Counternarcotics Unit within the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division provided substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin M. Comstock, Eric M. Hurt, and Joseph E. DePadilla prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-129.
Halifax County Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Distributing Narcotics in Halifax CountyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Troy Covington, age 54, was sentenced Tuesday to 11 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine. Covington pleaded guilty to the charges on January 23, 2025.
According to court records and evidence presented at sentencing, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) conducted a series of controlled purchases from Covington from April 2023 to May 2024. Specifically, on July 20, 2023, HCSO conducted a purchase of more than 80 grams of pure methamphetamine from Covington using a confidential source of information. HCSO conducted another controlled purchase from Covington on September 28, 2023, where he sold seven grams of pure methamphetamine to the source. That same day, HCSO executed a search warrant at Covington’s house in Roanoke Rapids. As a result, HCSO located more than 700 grams of pure methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, drug packaging and distribution materials, a firearm, ammunition, and approximately $2,200 in U.S. Currency.
Covington has prior felony convictions for drug distribution, including possession with intent to distribute heroin from 2013 and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance in 2022. Additionally, Covington has a prior robbery with a dangerous weapon conviction from 2014.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, Roanoke Rapids Police Department and DEA investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Dixon prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 4:24-CR-00042 .
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Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry into the United States by A Previously Deported AlienRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Samuel Ortiz-Ordonez (24, Guatemala) has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. Ortiz-Ordonez faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison and subsequent deportation and removal from the United States. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, Ortiz-Ordonez was previously ordered to be removed from the United States on August 28, 2019. He was deported from the back to Guatemala on June 15, 2023. Ortiz-Ordonez has never applied to the Attorney General of the United States and/or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for permission to lawfully reenter the United States. On March 13, 2025, Ortiz-Ordonez was found voluntarily back in the United States in Jacksonville, where he was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. After being approached by ICE officers, Ortiz-Ordonez abandoned the vehicle that he was driving and fled on foot through a local residential neighborhood. After a brief chase, he was apprehended.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). 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 United States Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and human trafficking.
Guam Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Lorina Ann Fejeran, aka Lori Leon Guerrero, age 55, from Dededo, Guam was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment. She was convicted in the U.S. District Court of Guam for Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or more Grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), and Engaging in Monetary Transactions with Proceeds of Specified Unlawful Activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(1)(1)(B)(i). The Court ordered that Fejeran forfeit $1,636.00 and pay a money judgment in the amount of $45,500.00. The money judgment represented money she wired to her supplier to pay for drugs. The Court also ordered three years of supervised release and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
On November 29, 2022, the United States Postal Inspection Service intercepted a suspicious package addressed to “Srgt. Vincent Fejeran.” The package contained 437 gross grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride with a purity of 98 percent. On December 1, 2022, Fejeran and co-defendant Jesse Fergurgur Belen attempted to receive the drugs. As law enforcement stopped Fejeran’s car, Jesse Fegurgur Belen grabbed the package and fled on foot. He abandoned the package in a residential yard before being arrested.
The investigation revealed that Fejeran communicated with her drug supplier using WhatsApp and received three prior drug packages containing methamphetamine. Fejeran wired or had others wire over $45,000.00 to her supplier or his nominee using MoneyGram. At the time of her arrest, she possessed $1,636 in illegal proceeds from drug sales. Fejeran admitted that she recruited Jesse Fegurgur Belen to receive “dope” as well to “make some cash” in exchange for assisting her in picking up the package.
Jesse Fergurgur Belen, was previously sentenced in this matter to 105 months in federal prison for Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Fifty or more Grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release, forfeiture of $1,636, 50 hours of community service, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
“This case demonstrates the substantial penalties a drug trafficker may face in federal court,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Even when evidence is insufficient to charge an individual, we will still remove illicit drugs from the mail to stop the supply to Guam. No community should suffer from this criminal activity.”
"The sentencing of Ms. Fejeran underscores HSI's commitment to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to keep drugs out of Guam,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “We recognize the severe harm illegal narcotics inflicts on communities and spare no effort in ensuring that those who contribute to drug trafficking are held accountable for their actions.”
“Dangerous controlled substances like methamphetamine put postal workers and our communities at risk. Postal inspectors will aggressively pursue anyone who uses the US Mail to transport and distribute deadly drugs,” said United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) San Francisco Division - Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood. “We thank our federal and local law enforcement partners, including Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, Guam Police Department, and the Guam National Guard Counterdrug Program for working with us to combat these crimes in the effort to make our communities a safer place to live and work.”
This investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations and United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Rosetta L. San Nicolas prosecuted the case in the District of Guam.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Grand Jury for the District of NebraskaRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 22 unsealed Indictments charging 24 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Julius Phillips, age 40, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Phillips with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about November 21, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Phillips with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about November 21, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release not more than 3 years, and a $100 special assessment.
Jason Vorse, age 50, of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, is charged with possession of child pornography on or about October 28, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Jonnathan Ernesto Santos-Fuentes, age 29, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Santos-Fuentes with false representation of a social security number with intent to deceive on or about September 25, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Santos-Fuentes with use of false identification documents on or about September 25, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Santos-Fuentes with false claim to U.S. citizenship to obtain employment on or about September 25, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Pedro David Jaimes-Diaz, age 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Jaimes-Diaz with false representation of a social security number on or about June 5, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Jaimes-Diaz with use of immigration documents not lawfully issued on or about June 5, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Jaimes-Diaz with false claim to U.S. citizenship on or about June 5, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 3 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Walter Agustin Navarro-Santa Cruz, age 48, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Navarro-Santa Cruz with false representation of a social security number with intent to deceive on or about November 30, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Navarro-Santa Cruz with use of false identification documents on or about November 30, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Navarro-Santa Cruz with illegal reentry of a previously removed alien on or about March 21, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Edwin Abraham Navarro-Santacruz, age 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Navarro-Santacruz with false representation of a social security number on or about September 14, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Navarro-Santacruz with use of false claim to U.S. citizenship on or about September 14, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 3 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Patrick Campbell, age 41, of North Platte, Nebraska, is charged with acquiring a controlled substance by fraud beginning on or about March 1, 2023, to April 5, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not more than 4 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Ricardo Gutierrez-Castillo, age 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, Heleodoro Luviano-Cabrera, age 37, of Cypress, Texas, and Eric Luviano-Cabrera, age 40, of Cypress, Texas, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine beginning on or about December 28, 2024, and continuing to on or about January 3, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Nelson Geovani Santos-Parada, age 25, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Santos-Parada with use of a false identification document on or about June 23, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Santos-Parada with false representation of a social security number with intent to deceive on or about June 23, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Santos-Parada with false claim to U.S. citizenship on or about June 23, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 3 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Jose Dimas Escobar, age 45, of Fremont, Nebraska, is charged with false representation of a social security number on or about December 1, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not more than 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Jose Guadalupe De La Torre, age 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine beginning on or about February 20, 2025, and continuing to on or about April 3, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than 5-years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Jorge Leonardo Hernandez-Romero, age 35, of Gretna, Nebraska, is charged with money laundering conspiracy from on or about May 7, 2022, and continuing to on or about December 14, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States:
Paul Randolfo Gutierrez Gamez, age 40
Eliseo Israel Escobar Marroquin, age 32
Jorge Luis Mejia Narciso, age 23
Maximiliano Rolando Perez-Gomez, age 30
The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States following a felony conviction and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States:
Martin Silva Bravo, age 35
Ever Roberto Sauceda Castillo, age 37
Marcos Eliseo Tercero-Bautista, age 27
The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States following an aggravated felony conviction and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States:
Alfredo Hernandez Lopez, age 48
Roberto Lamadrid Campuzano, age 36
Luis Edgardo Herrera-Ramos, age 61
The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Amy Donato at 402-661-3700 for further information.
Gaffney Woman Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C. —Ashley Nicole Cromer, 39, of Gaffney, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.
Evidence before the court established that in the fall of 2023, Cromer conspired with Jonathan Willingham, another man charged in this conspiracy, to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Specifically, on Oct. 27, 2023, law enforcement conducted surveillance on Cromer during a trip to Atlanta, Georgia. Law enforcement stopped Cromer and searched her car, recovering approximately 5 kilograms of methamphetamine. Cromer’s phone was searched, connecting the drug trafficking conspiracy with Willingham. Cromer additionally collected fentanyl for the conspiracy.
Cromer faces a maximum of life in federal prison, a $10 million fine, and a maximum of lifetime supervision.
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr., accepted the guilty plea and will sentence the defendant after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General, Greenville County Drug Enforcement Unit, and Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Schoen is prosecuting the case.
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Four Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Visa and Marriage FraudRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has charged four individuals, Ella Zuran, 65, Tatiana Sigal, 74, and Alexandra Tkach, 41, all from New York City, New York — along with Shawnta Hopper, 33, of Sicklerville, New Jersey — with conspiracy to commit visa and marriage fraud.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, and Field Office Director Elizabeth Grant, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) – Baltimore Field Office.
“The defendants’ greed led them to concoct an illegal-marriage scheme that compromises the integrity of our immigration system,” Hayes said. “This indictment sends a clear message: the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who try to exploit our immigration system through fraud and deception.”
“Marriage fraud is not a victimless crime — it compromises the integrity of our immigration system, diverts critical resources, and erodes public trust in a process that countless individuals follow legally and in good faith,” McCarthy said. “These arrests mark a critical milestone in our broader effort to dismantle a criminal network that has sought to undermine our nation’s immigration laws. HSI remains committed to safeguarding the lawful immigration process and holding accountable those who seek to exploit it.”
“Some marriages are made in heaven. Some are just made up,” said USCIS Spokesperson Matthew Tragesser. “Our work with ICE crushed a marriage fraud ring where U.S. citizens were paid to marry aliens. Under Secretary Noem, fraudsters are walking out in handcuffs. Buying a spouse doesn’t make you a citizen.”
According to the indictment, the defendants induced United States citizens, residing in Maryland and elsewhere, to enter sham marriages with aliens living in the U.S. in exchange for payment. The defendants paired U.S. citizens with aliens seeking immigration benefits that the non-citizens were not entitled to, including permanent residency in the United States. The defendants then allegedly arranged for the preparation of false documentation to submit to USCIS and received money in exchange for arranging the fraudulent marriages.
If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in federal prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force and USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Unit – Baltimore for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Spencer Todd and Michael Aubin 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 www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Four Defendants Sentenced for Violent Robbery of Hopkins Grocery StoreRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The fourth defendant in a Hobbs Act Robbery case has been sentenced to 34 months in federal prison for their role in an “inside job” armed robbery of a grocery and tobacco store, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, Darius Curtis Elam, 30, Ryan Michell Elam, 30, Katrice Rene Sanders, 32, and Kynesha Jhaunae Jones, 34, conspired together to rob the U.S. Grocery and Tobacco store in Hopkins, Minnesota. On February 15, 2024, Darius and Ryan Elam entered the store before 10:00 p.m., both armed with firearms. They bound three employees’ hands to their eyes with duct tape, demanded the code to the safe, and pistol-whipped the manager.
According to court documents, the robbery was planned over a period of two weeks. Jones worked at the store and provided details about the store layout and how cash was handled. Sanders helped plan and owned the getaway vehicle used after the robbery. The robbery resulted in a $45,000 total loss to the store.
Sanders was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court. Jones was previously sentenced to 32 months in prison; Darius Elam received a sentence of 112 months, and Ryan Elam was sentenced to 109 months. Each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, and all were sentenced by Judge Donovan W. Frank.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Hopkins Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.
Former Turkey Leg Hut owner indicted for arsonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 42-year-old Houston man has been taken into custody on charges of conspiracy to commit arson of a commercial building and conspiracy to use an interstate facility to commit arson of a vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Lyndell “Lynn” Price, former owner of the Turkey Leg Hut who now owns The Oyster Hut, is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo at 2 p.m. Also in custody and set to appear are Armani Williams, 27, and John Lee Price, 39, both also of Houston.
The indictment, returned April 8 and unsealed upon the arrests, alleges Price and others conspired to set fire to Bar 5015. The charges allege the owner of that bar was a former co-owner of the Turkey Leg Hut and Price’s business partner.
In early June 12, 2020, Price had allegedly recruited a group which included Williams, John Price and others. The charges allege Williams, John Price and others were involved in pouring gasoline at the entrance ramp before igniting a fire at Bar 5015. Lynn Price later provided payment to them, according to the charges.
Prior to the arson, the indictment alleges that in April 2020, Lynn Price also paid John Price and others to set fire to a stolen blue 1975 Chevy Nova.
Lynn Price and the others are charged with conspiracy to commit arson and arson and face up to 20 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Lynn Price and John Price are also charged with conspiracy to use an interstate facility to commit arson of a vehicle and could receive another five years as possible punishment, upon conviction.
The indictment remains sealed to those charged but not as yet in custody.
FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Arson Bureau conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety and Harris County Constable’s Office – Precinct 4. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sebastian A. Edwards and Keri Fuller are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Former Trinidad ISD business manager sentenced to federal prison for theft from school districtRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – An Orange, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for theft from the Trinidad Independent School District, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Brandon Delane Looney, 39, pleaded guilty to theft from a program receiving federal funds and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on April 24, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Looney stole nearly $340,000 from Trinidad ISD between 2017 and 2023 while he served as Trinidad ISD’s business manager. Federal law makes it a crime for someone to steal from an organization receiving more than $10,000 in federal funds annually. Looney used the stolen funds to purchase personal trips to Walt Disney World and on spending sprees at the Disney Store. Trinidad ISD is one of the poorest school districts in Texas and suffered adverse financial consequences as a result of Looney’s theft.
Looney worked with the Financial Litigation Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to liquidate his available assets, including his home, to pay $200,000 of the restitution before sentencing. The remaining balance of the restitution judgment will be collectible for 20 years after the termination of Looney’s incarceration.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Tyler Field Office, with assistance from the Tyler Police Department and the Trinidad ISD. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Austin Wells.
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Former Taliban Commander Haji Najibullah Pleads Guilty to Hostage Taking and Providing Material Support for Acts of Terrorism Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that HAJI NAJIBULLAH, a/k/a “Najibullah Naim,” a/k/a “Abu Tayeb,” a/k/a “Atiqullah,” a/k/a “Nesar Ahmad Mohammad,” pled guilty to hostage taking and providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death in connection with NAJIBULLAH’s role in the hostage taking of an American journalist and two Afghan nationals in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2008 and 2009, and his leadership of Taliban fighters who carried out attacks on U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009, resulting in the deaths of American soldiers. NAJIBULLAH pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Haji Najibullah was a Taliban commander who committed acts of terrorism against U.S. servicemembers and civilians in Afghanistan. His vicious acts of terrorism included taking hostage multiple civilians and providing material support for attacks that resulted in the deaths of brave Americans. Najibullah committed his crimes in Afghanistan over 15 years ago, and now faces justice in an American courtroom. Today’s guilty plea serves as an emphatic reminder that this Office, and our law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue those who harm Americans through acts of terror, no matter where in the world they may be, and no matter how long it may take to achieve justice for their victims. I thank the career prosecutors of this Office, and our dedicated partners, for their work in holding Najibullah accountable for his heinous crimes.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “For years, the FBI New York JTTF and our law enforcement partners tirelessly sought justice for the hostage taking of civilians, and also for the deaths of United States service members at the hands of Taliban fighters under Najibullah’s command. These terrorist attacks demonstrated utter disregard for humanity, and Najibullah finally admitted to his role in these premature deaths of our citizens. Today’s plea emphasizes the FBI New York JTTF’s unwavering resolve to disrupting all acts of terrorism and ensuring any individual who targets our country will be held accountable.”
As alleged in the charging instruments, court filings, and statements in the public record:
Between approximately 1996 and 2001, the Taliban controlled Afghanistan and harbored and supported terrorists, including terrorists involved in perpetrating the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S. After losing power in approximately October 2001 as a result of the U.S. and NATO-led invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban engaged in a deadly insurgency campaign to regain control of the country. Beginning in the early 2000s, as part of that campaign of violence, the Taliban conducted numerous suicide bombings, targeted killings, assassinations, improvised explosive device (“IED”) attacks, paramilitary ambushes, and hostage takings against the then-government of Afghanistan, U.S. military forces and their NATO and Afghan partners, and American civilians in Afghanistan.
Between in or around 2007 and 2009, NAJIBULLAH served as a Taliban commander in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province, which borders Kabul. During that time, Taliban fighters under NAJIBULLAH’s command carried out deadly attacks against American and NATO troops and their Afghan allies, using, among other things, suicide bombers, automatic weapons, IEDs, and rocket-propelled grenades (“RPGs”) and other anti-tank weapons and explosives, including against U.S. military helicopters.
For example, on or about June 26, 2008, Taliban fighters under NAJIBULLAH’s command ambushed and attacked a U.S. military convoy in the vicinity of Wardak Province, Afghanistan, with IEDs, RPGs, and automatic weapons, killing three U.S. Army servicemembers: Sergeants First Class Matthew L. Hilton and Joseph A. McKay, and Sergeant Mark Palmateer, and their Afghan interpreter. Several other servicemembers were also injured in the attack.
In or about November 2007 and September 2008, NAJIBULLAH participated in two videorecorded interviews with a French reporter in Afghanistan. NAJIBULLAH and fighters under his command discussed how they targeted American and French troops—including a specific attack they conducted against French troops in or around August 2008. They also identified a particular location where they had used IEDs and anti-tank weaponry to destroy American military vehicles. During the interview, NAJIBULLAH further demonstrated how to operate a rocket-propelled grenade launcher to shoot troops guarding checkpoints and boasted that fighters under his command were ready to fight the “holy war,” including that they were “ready to be suicide bombers” and “put on a belt and blow themselves up if we ask them.” In September 2008, in the French reporter’s presence, NAJIBULLAH and fighters under his command attacked and destroyed an Afghan National Police outpost using automatic weapons and rockets.
On or about November 10, 2008, NAJIBULLAH and other Taliban fighters took hostage an American journalist (“U.S. Hostage-1”) and two Afghan nationals who were assisting U.S. Hostage-1 (together with U.S. Hostage-1, the “Hostages”) at gunpoint in Afghanistan. Shortly thereafter, NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators forced the Hostages to hike across the border from Afghanistan to Pakistan, where NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators detained the Hostages. For the next approximately seven months, NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators held the Hostages captive in Pakistan. NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators forced the Hostages to make numerous calls and videos seeking help, in an attempt to compel ransom payments and the release of Taliban prisoners by the U.S. Government.
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NAJIBULLAH, 49, pled guilty to providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, and to hostage taking, which also carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department. He also thanked the New York and New Jersey Port Authority Police, the Department of Defense, and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their assistance with this investigation, as well as the Ukrainian authorities and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance in the arrest and extradition of the defendant.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Burke of the Counterterrorism Section.
Former District Employee Sentenced for Extorting Money from Low-Income Individuals to Process Assistance ApplicationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON— Ruth Nivar, 57, a former D.C. Department of Human Services employee, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 24 months in federal prison for extorting money from low-income individuals to process applications for public assistance programs, even though it was part of her job responsibilities to do that work free of charge.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean T. Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and the District of Columbia Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas.
Nivar pleaded guilty on January 13, 2025, to one count of Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right and to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right. In addition to the 24-month prison term, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Nivar to serve 12 months of supervised release.
According to court documents, beginning at least since 2018 and continuing through at last May 2023, Nivar used the authority of her public office to obtain money from public assistance applicants to which she was not entitled. Nivar preyed on impoverished, largely non-English speaking individuals who lacked the resources to navigate what can be the complicated process of obtaining health care coverage from the government. In 2022, after Nivar understood that law enforcement may have become aware of her scheme, she added an accomplice, a civilian who did not work for the D.C. government, to assist in the extortion scheme.
Because Nivar worked on public assistance programs for the D.C. government, Nivar was able to provide information to her accomplice about eligibility requirements for applicants – including certain documents that needed to be submitted with applications – as well as information about applicants from the internal DHS database, including historical benefits information, status of benefits, identity verification, and dependent information. The accomplice then created online accounts and submitted application materials for health care coverage on behalf of the individuals they extorted. Nivar told individuals to pay her accomplice, who would then split the monies evenly with Nivar, even though it was Nivar’s duty to provide all these services for the community free of charge.
The accomplice, Yessica Moya, pleaded guilty in the same case on January 8, 2025, to one count of aiding and abetting Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right and to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right. Her sentencing hearing is pending.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and D.C. Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Madhu Chugh and Will Hart of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
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Former Air Force Reservist Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Attempted Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
Hagatña – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announces that, Richard Jay Ais Solang, age 46, from Dededo, Guam, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment in the U.S. District Court of Guam for Attempted Enticement of a Minor, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory assessment fee. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Solang must register in every jurisdiction he resides, works, and goes to school.
On May 2, 2024, Solang, using the screen name “AAFB Throater 99” began communicating with an undercover agent on Grindr, a social media application. Solang stated he was interested in having sexual contact with the undercover. On May 9, 2024, the undercover indicated he was a 13-year-old male. Solang attempted to gain the alleged minor’s trust by telling him about a sexual experience he had with a 15-year-old in a restroom. He claimed to have also met that minor on Grindr. Solang traveled to Andersen Air Force Base to perform oral sex on the minor. He was arrested at a pre-arranged rendezvous point by special agents with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Solang was interviewed by Homeland Security Investigations special agents and confessed to his actions.
Prior to Solang’s arrest, he was an Air Force Reservist, a civilian with Andersen Air Force Base passenger terminal, and also employed by the Mayor’s Council of Guam.
“Our efforts to combat child predators will not stop,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “The welfare of our children remains a cornerstone of community safety. This case serves as a reminder to all parents and guardians to be alert for online threats to their families. I encourage them to promptly report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”
“The sentencing of former Air Force reservist Mr. Solang for attempted sexual misconduct with a minor underscores HSI’s commitment to protecting the most vulnerable of our community,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “HSI has zero tolerance for the abuse of minors and will spare no effort in securing justice for these most heinous crimes.”
Investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and Air Force Office of Special Investigations Service, Detachment 602.
This case was prosecuted by Devarup Rastogi, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
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.
Foreign National Arrested for Making False Statement During Attempted Firearms PurchasesRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant was issued this week charging an illegal alien with making false statements during multiple attempts to purchase firearms as well as falsely claiming to be a U.S. Citizen.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, made the announcement.
According to the complaint, Ulises Macario Gonzaga-Guillen, age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with making multiple false statements during attempts to purchase firearms from licensed dealers between January 15 and February 16, 2025, in McCracken and Marshall Counties, Kentucky. Gonzaga-Guillen, during one of the attempted purchases, also falsely claimed to be a U.S. Citizen. Gonzaga-Guillen was not able to successfully purchase a firearm from any of the firearm dealers involved.
This case is being investigated by the ATF Paducah Satellite Office and the HSI Paducah Office.
The defendant was taken into federal custody this week and will make his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on April 28, 2025. If convicted on the charges in the complaint, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 43 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Hancock, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Grand Jury in Louisville Indicts 7 Foreign Nationals for Money Laundering and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned a multi-count indictment on April 16, 2025, charging seven foreign nationals with money laundering related offenses and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Cincinnati Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, and Chief Richard Sanders of the Jeffersontown Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Jose Malagon Castro, 49, a citizen of Mexico, operated three grocery stores in the Western District of Kentucky and offered, among other things, international money transmission services at each location. Yeimi Hernandez Barahona, 34, Kenia Hernandez Barahona, 35, Kelin Hernandez Barahona, 31, all citizens of Honduras, and Suri Rosmeri Hernandez Del Cid, 27, a citizen of Guatemala, were employed by Castro and conducted wire transfers as part of the money transmission service. Vanessa Avila Galaviz, 28, and Jose Martin Romero, 32, both citizens of Mexico, along with other individuals, were narcotics traffickers, who directed monetary wire transfers conducted at Castro’s stores to send drug proceeds to Mexico.
The indictment alleges that between at least January 2020 and continuing until at least December 2024, all the named defendants engaged in a conspiracy to knowingly conduct, and attempt to conduct, millions of dollars’ worth of financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce, knowing that the transactions were designed in whole or in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the drug proceeds and to avoid federal and state reporting requirements for the transmission of those proceeds.
The indictment further alleges between August 6, 2024, and August 30, 2024, all the named defendants, aided and abetted by each other and others, knowingly conducted financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce, which involved approximately $62,042 in proceeds from the sale and distribution of controlled substances knowing that the transactions were designed in whole and in part to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds of the drug trafficking and to avoid Federal and State reporting requirements for the transmission of those proceeds.
The indictment further alleges that on April 23, 2024, Jose Malagon Castro, Kenia Hernandez Barahona, and Suri Rosmeri Hernandez Del Cid, aided and abetted by each other and others, knowingly conducted financial transactions, with undercover law enforcement agents acting as alleged narcotics traffickers, to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of property represented to be the proceeds of drug trafficking, and to promote the carrying on of the alleged drug trafficking, and to avoid a transaction reporting requirement under state and federal law.
The indictment further alleges that, Jose Malagon Castro, possessed firearms on December 4, 2024, in Jefferson County, Kentucky, knowing he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. On that date he illegally possessed the following firearms: an Aguirre y Aranzabal (AYA), model 4/53, 12-gauge shotgun; a Marlin Firearms Company, model 336W, 30-30 rifle; a Henry Repeating Rifle Company, model H004GE Golden Eagle, .22lr rifle; a Maverick Arms, model 88, 12-gauge shotgun; a Colt, model King Cobra, .357 magnum revolver; a Smith & Wesson, model CSX, 9mm pistol; and ammunition.
On April 24, 2025, defendants Jose Malagon Castro, Yeimi Hernandez Barahona, Kelin Hernandez Barahona, Suri Rosmeri Hernandez Del Cid, and Jose Martin Romero each made an initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Defendants Kenia Hernandez Barahona and Vanessa Avila Galaviz remain fugitives with outstanding warrants for their arrest.
If convicted, Jose Malagon Castro faces a maximum sentence of 475 years in prison and Yeimi Hernandez Barahona, Kenia Hernandez Barahona, Kelin Hernandez Barahona, Suri Rosmeri Hernandez Del Cid, Vanessa Avila Galaviz, and Jose Martin Romero each face a maximum sentence of 460 years in prison. The United States is seeking forfeiture of $516,800.00 in United States Currency seized from Jose Malagon Castro. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the IRS, ATF, DEA, HSI, FBI, LMPD, and the Jeffersontown Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Shannon and Joseph Ansari are prosecuting this case.
This investigation is a part of the IRS-CI’s Cincinnati Field Office’s Third Party Money Laundering (3PML) Project. This project focuses on Complicit Money Service Businesses (MSB) working for Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations. The purpose of this project is to develop high-impact 3PML cases for IRS-CI and other agencies across the United States, by utilizing data analytics.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Ex-Congressman George Santos Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Former Congressman George Anthony Devolder Santos was sentenced today by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert at the federal courthouse in Central Islip to 87 months in prison for committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of the sentence, Santos was ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $373,749.97 and $205,002.97 in forfeiture. Santos pleaded guilty in August 2024.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York); and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney announced the sentence.
“Today, George Santos was finally held accountable for the mountain of lies, theft, and fraud he perpetrated. For the defendant, it was judgment day, and for his many victims including campaign donors, political parties, government agencies, elected bodies, his own family members, and his constituents, it is justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Durham. “To Mr. Santos and other dishonest individuals of that ilk, who lie, steal identities and commit frauds to get elected to public office, this prosecution speaks to the truth that my Office is committed to aggressively rooting out public corruption and that public officials who criminally abuse our electoral process will end up in a federal prison.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the New York State Department of Labor, for their assistance.FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia stated, “Today, former United States Congressman George Santos is held accountable for his repeated criminal dishonesty – financing his election campaign with ill-obtained funds, stealing COVID unemployment benefits, and providing materially false information in his financial disclosure. Santos abused his authority to garner illicit donations and campaign support; ultimately betraying the public’s trust and violating our democratic systems. May today’s sentencing emphasize the FBI’s continued commitment to dismantling any fraudulent scheme designed to unlawfully benefit those in positions of power.”
“George Santos blatantly disregarded campaign finance laws and abused the trust of his constituents and contributors. While he may have made a mockery of his position in public office, today’s sentencing is justice for those he has wronged. CI New York proudly worked with the Eastern District of New York, the FBI and Nassau County DA’s office to ensure that Santos faces the consequences of his years of deception,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
“George Santos spent his brief career in public service conning his donors and constituents until the deceit caught up to him and he was exposed as an opportunist and a fraud. Today’s lengthy prison sentence is a just ending for a weaver of lies who believed he was above the law,” stated Nassau County District Attorney Donnelly. “Being elected to represent any community is accepting a solemn responsibility and a position of great trust. George Santos failed the people he was elected to represent in Nassau County and Queens. He broke that trust and traded in his integrity for designer clothes and a luxury lifestyle. I will continue to work with my partners to root out public corruption and ensure that the crucial standards to which we hold our elected officials and public institutions are upheld.”
The counts to which Santos pled guilty relate to the following criminal scheme, as set forth in the superseding indictment:
The Party Program Scheme
During the 2022 election cycle, Santos was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in New York’s Third Congressional District. Nancy Marks, who pleaded guilty on October 5, 2023 to related conduct, was the treasurer for his principal congressional campaign committee, Devolder-Santos for Congress. During this election cycle, Santos and Marks devised and executed a fraudulent scheme to obtain money for the campaign by submitting materially false reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), in which they inflated the campaign’s fundraising numbers for the purpose of misleading the FEC, a national party committee, and the public.
The purpose of the scheme was to ensure that Santos and his campaign qualified for a program administered by the national party committee to provide financial and logistical support to Santos’s campaign. To qualify for the program, Santos had to demonstrate, among other things, that his congressional campaign had raised at least $250,000 from third-party contributors in a single quarter.
To create the public appearance that his campaign had met that financial benchmark and was otherwise financially viable, Santos and Marks agreed to falsely report to the FEC that at least 11 of their family members had made significant financial contributions to the campaign. In fact, Santos and Marks both knew that these individuals had neither made the reported contributions nor given authorization for their personal information to be included in such false public reports. In addition, Santos and Marks knew that the national party committee relied on FEC fundraising data to evaluate candidates’ qualification for the program, and agreed to falsely report to the FEC that Santos had loaned the campaign significant sums of money, when, in fact, Santos had not made the reported loans and, at the time the loans were reported, did not have the funds necessary to make such loans. These falsely reported loans included one for $500,000 when in fact Santos had less than $8,000 in his personal and business bank accounts.
Through the execution of this scheme, Santos and Marks ensured that Santos met the necessary financial benchmarks to qualify for the program administered by the national party committee. As a result of qualifying for the program, the congressional campaign received significant financial support.
As part of his plea agreement, Santos stipulated that he had engaged in the following additional criminal conduct, as set forth in the superseding indictment and other court filings, and agreed that this criminal conduct would be considered by the Court at the time of sentencing:
The Credit Card Fraud Scheme
Between approximately July 2020 and October 2022, Santos devised and executed a fraudulent scheme to steal the personal identity and financial information of contributors to his campaign. He then repeatedly charged contributors’ credit cards without their authorization. Because of these unauthorized transactions, funds were transferred to Santos’s campaign, to the campaigns of other candidates for elected office, and to his own bank account. To conceal the true source of these funds and to circumvent campaign contribution limits, Santos falsely represented in FEC filings that some of the campaign contributions were made by other persons, such as his relatives or associates, rather than the true cardholders. Santos did not have authorization to use their names in this way. In furtherance of the scheme, Santos sought out victims he knew were elderly persons suffering from cognitive impairment or decline.
Fraudulent Political Contribution Solicitation Scheme
Beginning in September 2022, during his successful campaign for Congress, Santos operated a limited liability company (Company #1) through which he defrauded prospective political supporters. Santos enlisted a Queens-based political consultant (Person #1) to communicate with prospective donors on Santos’s behalf. Santos directed Person #1 to falsely tell donors that, among other things, their money would be used to help elect Santos to the House, including by purchasing television advertisements. In reliance on these false statements, two donors (Contributor #1 and Contributor #2) each transferred $25,000 to Company #1’s bank account, which Santos controlled.
Shortly after the funds were received into Company #1’s bank account, the money was transferred into Santos’s personal bank accounts—in one instance laundered through two of Santos’s personal accounts. Santos then used much of that money for personal expenses. Among other things, Santos used the funds to make personal purchases, including of designer clothing, to withdraw cash, to discharge personal debts, and to transfer money to his associates.
Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme
Beginning in approximately February 2020, Santos was employed as a Regional Director of a Florida-based investment firm (Investment Firm #1). By late March 2020, in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States, new legislation was signed into law that provided additional federal funding to assist out-of-work Americans during the pandemic.
In mid-June 2020, although he was employed and not eligible for unemployment benefits, Santos applied for government assistance through the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL), claiming falsely to have been unemployed since March 2020. From that point until April 2021—during which time Santos was working and receiving a salary on a near-continuous basis, and throughout his first unsuccessful run for Congress—he falsely affirmed each week that he was eligible for unemployment benefits when he was not. As a result, Santos fraudulently received more than $24,000 in unemployment insurance benefits.
False Statements to the House of Representatives
Santos, like all candidates for the House, had a legal duty to file with the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives a Financial Disclosure Statement (House Disclosures) before each election. In his House Disclosures, Santos was personally required to give a full and complete accounting of his assets, income, and liabilities, among other things. He certified that his House Disclosures were true, complete, and correct.
In September 2022, in connection with his second campaign for election to the House, Santos filed a House Disclosure in which he vastly overstated his income and assets. In this House Disclosure, he falsely certified that during the reporting period:
- He had earned $750,000 in salary from the Devolder Organization LLC, a Florida‑based entity of which Santos was the sole beneficial owner;
- He had received between $1,000,001 and $5 million in dividends from the Devolder Organization LLC;
- He had a checking account with deposits of between $100,001 and $250,000; and
- He had a savings account with deposits of between $1 million and $5 million.
These assertions were false: Santos had not received from the Devolder Organization LLC the reported amounts of salary or dividends and did not maintain checking or savings accounts with deposits in the reported amounts. Further, Santos failed to disclose that, in 2021, he received approximately $28,000 in income from Investment Firm #1 and more than $20,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from the NYS DOL.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section and the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division, along with the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Harris, Anthony Bagnuola, and Laura Zuckerwise, along with Trial Attorney John Taddei, are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Rachel Friedman and Dinora Orozco.
The Defendant:
GEORGE ANTHONY DEVOLDER SANTOS
Age: 36
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-197 (S-2) (JS)
Eight Guatemalan Nationals Indicted for Smuggling Illegal Aliens into the United States for CashRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Eight Guatemalan nationals were indicted in court for allegedly being paid to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States from Guatemala, Mexico, and other countries in Central or South America, including Asia. The activity is alleged to have occurred over the past four years. Once across the Mexico border, the defendants would further help conceal and harbor aliens illegally across more than 24 states.
“For the past four years, this illegal alien smuggling group has operated and laundered proceeds in the Northern District of Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “These defendants would not be in custody today without federal and state law enforcement working collaboratively, with prosecutors across the United States. The arrest and ongoing investigation surrounding these Guatemalan Nationals, and their conspirators not only protects the citizens in the Northern District of Oklahoma but also further protects lawful citizens across the United States.”
“ICE is committed to pursuing human smugglers regardless of their location or attempts to evade arrest,” said Travis Pickard, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations Dallas. “This indictment indicates the extensive nature of our human smuggling investigations and role in immigration enforcement. HSI’s special agents across several field offices have worked relentlessly to trace those transporting and harboring aliens from their countries of origin to their final destinations, effectively dismantling their illegal smuggling operations and money laundering schemes.”
Cidia Marleny Lima Lopez, 39, and Ottoniel Castro Argueta, 33, were arrested today in Charlotte, North Carolina; Veronica Maribel Lima Lopez, 33, and Esvin Alexander Rodriguez Luis, 26, were arrested in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Ariz Obdulio Argueta, 28, and Cesar Rodolfo Garcia Argueta, 20, were arrested in Clarksville, Arkansas; Pedro Cucul Gualna, 25, was arrested in Sallisaw, Oklahoma; Carlos Enrique Ramos Caal, 30, was arrested in Flagstaff, Arizona. All are charged with conspiring to bring, transport, and conceal aliens in the United States.
Ottoniel Castro Argueta and Cidia Marleny Lima Lopez are further charged with engaging in monetary transactions with the proceeds from the conspiracy.
During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that the aliens being helped across the border did not have prior authorization to enter and reside in the United States. Once inside the United States, the defendants would help harbor the aliens in Oklahoma, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington.
The indictment alleges that several associates in Central and South America accepted various forms of payment from the aliens to be brought into the United States illegally. While the investigation is still ongoing, the indictment shows that aliens paid roughly $5,000 per alien to enter the United States. Proceeds from the illegal aliens were laundered through mobile applications and banks across the United States, including the Northern District of Oklahoma.
The Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Flagstaff, and Charlotte Homeland Security Investigations field offices; the Tulsa, McAlester and Greensboro, North Carolina Drug Enforcement Administration field offices; the Tulsa and Oklahoma City IRS field offices; the Tulsa and Oklahoma City U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations field offices; and the U.S. Marshals offices in the Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, Eastern District of Oklahoma, the Middle District of North Carolina, and the Western District of Arkansas are investigating the case with the assistance of several state law enforcement agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McConney and David Nasar are prosecuting the case with assistance from the Eastern District of Oklahoma and the Western District of Oklahoma.
An indictment is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of Operation Take Back America. The Homeland Security Task Force, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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.
Drug Supplier Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Alejandro Manuel B. Gagarin, aka Alex, age 31, from Inarajan, Guam was sentenced on April 24, 2025, to serve 12 months and 1 day imprisonment. He was charged in the U.S. District Court of Guam with Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846. The Court also ordered five years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
Between March 2021 through April 2022, Alejandro Manuel B. Gagarin conspired with Timothy Jerome Concepcion, a person identified as I.M.C., Jacob Vance Manibusan, and other persons to distribute more than 50 grams of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride. The drug distribution occurred at hotel rooms rented from a local resort hotel. Gagarin and his co-defendant Manibusan rented out two hotel rooms. Gagarin then greeted customers in the lobby of the hotel and escorted them to the hotel room for the drug transactions. After receiving the methamphetamine from Gagarin, the customers would stay in the hotel room and smoke methamphetamine with Concepcion. The customers would pay Gagarin for the drug, he would in turn return the proceeds from the sale of the methamphetamine to Concepcion.
Co-conspirators:
Timothy Jerome Concepcion, age 26, was sentenced on February 7, 2024, to 120 months imprisonment and 5 years supervised release. He pled guilty for Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine and Using and Carrying a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.
Jacob Vance Manibusan aka Kadi, age 36, was sentenced on April 3, 2024, to 70 months imprisonment and 4 years supervised release. He pled guilty for Conspiracy to Distribute Five or More Grams of Methamphetamine.
“Minor participants in federal drug crimes will not walk away without penalties,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Considering the effects of methamphetamine on our communities, those with any role in drug trafficking are potential targets for prosecution. The public rightly demands accountability for this unlawful conduct.”
"The sentencing of Mr. Gagarin is a testament to HSI's zero tolerance for those who engage in drug trafficking in Guam," said Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. "HSI will aggressively pursue those, like Gagarin, who facilitate the infiltration of harmful substances into our communities."
This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Rosetta L. San Nicolas, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
District of Arizona Charges 232 Individuals for Immigration-Related Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During this week of enforcement operations from April 19, 2025, through April 25, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 232 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 110 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 110 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 9 cases against 11 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. The United States also charged one individual with failing to register, as required by law.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), 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).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Alex Esparaza Sanchez, et al: On April 22, 2025, Alex Esparza Sanchez, Nikolas Baldriche, Carlos Zuniga-Lizo, Sherman James-Guzman, and Benjamin Lopez-Barron were indicted for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens and Bringing in Illegal Aliens to the United States for Profit. According to the court documents, Esparza Sanchez, Baldriche and Zuniga-Lizo coordinated with James-Guzman and Lopez-Brown who picked up illegal aliens at the border in Yuma, Arizona. [Case Number: CR-25-00600-PHX-SMB]
United States v. Hakeem Alberto Lucero-Parra: On April 22, 2025, Hakeem Alberto Lucero-Parra, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged for illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed. According to the criminal complaint, after being arrested on local charges in Phoenix, Arizona, it was determined that Lucero-Parra had been previously deported after a conviction for Aggravated Assault and Attempt to Commit Kidnapping. [Case number: MJ-25-6149-PHX-ASB]
United States v. Jacinto Medina-Palacios: On April 22, 2025, Jacinto Medina-Palacios, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged for illegally reentering the United States after being previously removed. According to the criminal complaint, after being arrested on local charges in Phoenix, Arizona, it was determined that Medina-Palacios had been previously deported after a conviction for Carrying a Loaded Firearm while not the Registered Owner. [Case Number: MJ-25-6152-PHX-ASB]
United States v. Teodoro Diaz-Ochoa: On April 23, 2025, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned a 5-count indictment against Teodoro Diaz-Ochoa, 44, of Mexico, for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, Alien in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, and Reentry of a Removed Alien. According to the charging documents in the case, Arizona Game and Fish Officers encountered Diaz-Ochoa in possession of a bolt action rifle while they were conducting a hunting without a license investigation. ATF agents also found a shotgun and ammunition at Diaz-Ochoa’s residence pursuant to a search warrant. Diaz-Ochoa was previously convicted of felony Attempted Sexual Assault and deported from the United States on April 22, 2016. [Case Number: CR-25-01989-TUC-JCH]
Criminal complaints and indictments are simply methods by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-063_April 25 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. On Saturday, April 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) will provide the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Location information is available from the DEA, along with items that cannot be accepted. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
This April's event is DEA's 28th nationwide event since its inception 15 years ago. Last spring, Americans turned in 629,953 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 4,644 sites operated by the DEA and 4,425 from its state and local law enforcement partners.
The DEA will now accept vaping devices and cartridges at any of its drop-off locations during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. It is important to note that DEA cannot accept devices containing lithium-ion batteries. If batteries cannot be removed prior to drop-off, DEA encourages individuals to consult with stores that recycle lithium-ion batteries. Concerns have been raised across the United States over illnesses and deaths caused by vaping and the high youth vaping initiation rates. To support a healthy lifestyle and energetic population, especially among America’s youth, DEA is committed to doing all it can to help safely dispose of vaping devices and substances.
The DEA’s “Take Back” day and “Get Smart About Drugs” initiatives address the vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses because of these drugs. Synthetic opioids, such as illicit fentanyl, are the primary driver of the increase in overdose deaths. For information on DEA’s “Take Back” in Spanish, click here, or for more information on the “Get Smart About Drugs” publication, click for English or Spanish.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the 11,000 authorized collectors that are available all year long. For more information, visit DEA’s year-round collection site locator. Participating in the next DEA Take Back Day on Saturday, April 26th, simply means cleaning out your medicine cabinet or anywhere you keep unused, unwanted, or expired medications and dropping them off at your nearest collection site.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 26th Take Back day event, go to DEA Drug Take Back event or by calling 800-882-9539.
The FDA also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs.
More information is available here: English or Spanish.
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Convicted felon sentenced to over 5 years in prison for firearm possessionRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A convicted felon from Basin, Wyoming who possessed a firearm illegally was sentenced today to 66 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Juan Ortiz, 48, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on or about August 29, 2023, Billings police were called to a house on Midland Road in Billings, Montana for a weapons complaint. At the house, police learned the Defendant, Juan Ortiz, was in possession of a firearm and had fled on foot. Police searched the area and located Ortiz. Nearby, police located a pistol that Ortiz had discarded. At the time Ortiz possessed the firearm, he had been, and knew he had been, convicted of multiple felony drug offenses in Montana and Wyoming.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Hendricks prosecuted the case, and the investigation was conducted by the ATF and Billings Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Choctaw County Resident Sentenced for Federal Drug and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joe Clay Harris, age 40, of Boswell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 56 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The terms were ordered to be served concurrently.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hugo Police Department.
On December 2, 2024, Harris pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on April 6, 2024, law enforcement serving a search warrant on Harris’s residence discovered Harris in possession of methamphetamine, digital scales, and several small plastic baggies commonly used to package illegal narcotics for distribution. Law enforcement also seized one .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle and five rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. Harris was previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Harris will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Cherry Creek Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Cherry Creek, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on April 22, 2025.
Pacer Hayes, age 27, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hayes was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He pleaded guilty on January 24, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in November 2023 in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. On November 10, 2023, the victim agreed to give Hayes a ride from a bar after he had been drinking. After convincing the victim to let him sleep on her couch because he was locked out of his home, Hayes entered the victim’s bedroom during the night and sexually assaulted her. Hayes used his phone to photograph and video the victim’s body during the assault. The offense occurred in the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Hayes was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Cherokee County Resident Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Steven DeWayne Beard, age 51, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to life imprisonment for First Degree Murder in Indian Country and to a consecutive sentence of 120 months for Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.
On September 14, 2024, a federal jury convicted Beard on both counts. According to investigators, on March 29, 2023, Beard, who was a romantic rival for a woman’s affections, became angry and ordered the woman to remove her property from his residence while he was away. Knowing that the victim was the woman’s only ride and would accompany her to remove her items, Beard hid his vehicle from view, then waited inside his residence for the pair to arrive. When the woman arrived with Beard’s intended target, Beard shot the victim in the chest with a shotgun. The victim fell to the ground and Beard shot the victim in the chest again at pointblank range. The crimes occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from investigations by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Beard will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gross and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Cameroonian Man Indicted for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Armed Separatist Fighters to Murder, Kidnap, and Maim Individuals in Cameroon and for Making ThreatsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Baltimore returned an indictment yesterday charging a Cameroonian national residing in Maryland, Eric Tataw, also known as “the Garri Master,” 38, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, with conspiring to provide material support to armed separatist militias in Cameroon and threatening violence against Cameroonian civilians. He surrendered and will make his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson today.
According to court documents, multiple armed and violent secessionist groups in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon are fighting to form a new country called “Ambazonia.” The armed separatist militias sought to achieve secession by not only attacking the Cameroonian military, but also intentionally attacking the civilian population in Cameroon in an attempt to force the Cameroonian government into allowing these regions to secede. These separatist fighters are frequently referred to as “Amba Boys.”
“The defendant is alleged to have ordered horrific acts of violence, including severing limbs, against Cameroonian civilians in support of a violent secessionist movement,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This indictment represents the Justice Department’s commitment to hold accountable human rights violators who direct brutal political violence and fundraise for armed militias from the comfort of the United States.”
“The Justice Department will not tolerate those who help murder, maim, and kidnap,” said Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those who aim to turn American soil into a staging ground for political violence abroad.”
“Tataw and his co-conspirators masterminded and financially supported a vicious scheme to overthrow a foreign government. They resorted to an unthinkable level of violence while instilling fear in innocent victims to advance their political agenda,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “We, along with our law enforcement partners, are committed to relentlessly pursuing anyone who attempts to inflict mayhem on others. Tataw and his co-conspirators demonstrated a total disregard for human life so now they must pay the price.”
As alleged in the indictment, Tataw was a citizen of Cameroon living in Maryland and was a member of the Cameroonian diaspora with a large social media following. Beginning in April 2018, Tataw and others sought to raise funds for the Amba Boys to finance violent attacks in Cameroon. Tataw also allegedly called for the murder, kidnapping, and maiming of civilians and the destruction of public, educational, and cultural property in Cameroon. Tataw and his co-conspirators allegedly directed the maiming of Cameroonian civilians by severing their limbs, a practice Tataw called “Garriing.” Tataw allegedly used the phrase “small Garri” to refer to removing fingers or other small appendages and the phrase “large Garri” to refer to removing large limbs or killing people. Additionally, Tataw allegedly referred to himself as the “Garri Master,” or master of mutilation.
Tataw and his co-conspirators allegedly targeted those believed to be working for or collaborating with the government, including municipal officials, traditional chiefs, and employees of the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), a public company that grew, processed, and sold bananas, palm oil, and rubber. As alleged, Tataw personally wrote hundreds of social media posts on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter calling for attacks against Cameroonian civilians, seeking to raise funds to arm Amba Boys, and threatening those he viewed as cooperating with the government of Cameroon. These social media posts were regularly viewed by tens of thousands of people, including Amba Boys and their leaders, and were often further disseminated by third parties allegedly acting at Tataw’s direction or encouragement.
Tataw is charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support and four counts of interstate communication of a threat to harm. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on the material support count and five years in prison on each count of communication of a threat to harm. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Sue J. Bai, Head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland; and Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Maryland made the announcement.
HSI and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, with assistance from the FBI, are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Hoffman and Joseph Wenner for the District of Maryland, and Trial Attorneys Michael Dittoe and Andrew Briggs of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Note: the headline has been updated.
CDCA Federal Prosecutors This Week Charge 32 Defendants with Being Illegal Aliens Reentering the United States Following RemovalRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Working alongside law enforcement partners at United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal prosecutors in the Central District of California this week filed criminal charges against 32 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States after being removed, the Justice Department announced today.
Many of the defendants charged were previously convicted of felonies before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include committing lewd and lascivious acts on a child under the age of 14 years.
The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year sentence and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
The recently filed cases include the following:
- Misael Alberto Feliciano, 29, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Feliciano, who was removed from the U.S. in 2018, was charged after he was recently arrested by the West Covina Police Department on suspicion of possessing of a controlled substance and unlawful paraphernalia. Feliciano was on parole at time of his arrest. Feliciano was previously convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2016 for lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, for which he was sentenced to three years in California state prison. The Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Federal prosecutors also announced their intent to prosecute Oscar Eduardo Ortega, 43, of Mexico, who was federally charged in 2022 in a one-count indictment with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Ortega was removed from the United States in 2016 and 2018. Ortega was charged after he was arrested in Orange County for killing two teenagers in a fatal DUI accident in 2021. His criminal history includes two felony convictions in 2005 in Los Angeles Superior Court for grand theft of personal property, for which he received a sentence of one year in California state prison, and for unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle, for which he was sentenced to 19 days in state custody. Ortega also was convicted in Orange County Superior Court in 2014 of false imprisonment by violence/deceit. For that conviction, he was sentenced to 16 months in state prison. Ortega is set for release after serving 3.5 years of a 10-year sentence in California state prison for the fatal DUI accident. Ortega faces up to an additional 20 years in federal prison if convicted on felony immigration charges.
Criminal complaints and indictments contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Ansonia Man Admits Trafficking Narcotics in and around BridgeportRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EVERARD BOOTHE, also known as “Gordo,” “Unc,” “Uncle,” “Love,” “Lovah,” and “Luver, 41, of Ansonia, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to a narcotics trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department identified Boothe, Christian Pichardo, and others as significant distributors of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack, and narcotic pills in and around Bridgeport. During the investigation, investigators intercepted calls and text messages between Boothe, Pichardo, their associates, and their drug customers over court-authorized wiretaps, and made controlled purchases of narcotics from members of the conspiracy.
Boothe was arrested on related state charges on August 3, 2023. On that date, a search of his residence revealed more than 40 grams of fentanyl, approximately 10 grams of heroin, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale.
On July 17, 2024, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned a superseding indictment charging Boothe, Pichardo and six alleged co-conspirators with controlled substances offenses.
Boothe pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18 in Hartford.
Boothe has been detained since his arrest.
Pichardo has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck and through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Assault
Charlene Brown, 26, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced to three years of probation for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The court also imposed $34,777.33 in restitution. According to court documents, the defendant and the victim had been drinking heavily into the morning of May 29, 2024. The defendant took the victim for a drive in the victim’s car and crashed the car. The defendant’s blood alcohol content was .327. The victim sustained serious injuries, including one that involved a substantial risk of death. The FBI and Fremont County Sheriff’s Office investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson prosecuted the crime. The defendant was indicted on July 18, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Jan. 27. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on April 21 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00124
Firearm Offenses
Jason Sikkila, 46, a transient, was sentenced to 15 months with three years of supervised release to follow for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on June 3, 2024, the defendant was stopped in Buffalo, Wyoming, for blaring an airhorn in a mobile home park. Officers suspected he had been drinking and asked Sikkila to take a breath test, which he consented to, resulting in a .290 BAC. During a search of his vehicle, officers located a .380 caliber pistol. When questioned, Sikkila admitted he was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. The Buffalo Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Page Hammer prosecuted the case. Sikkila was indicted on July 19, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Jan. 28. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence in Casper on April 24. Case No. 24-00113
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Operation Take Back America
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
5 Defendants Arrested on Complaints Alleging They Submitted Fraudulent Claims Seeking FEMA Funds for Wildfire Disaster ReliefRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Five defendants have been arrested on federal criminal complaints alleging they fraudulently obtained federal disaster-relief funds by falsely claiming their properties were damaged in the wildfires that struck Los Angeles County in January 2025, the Justice Department announced today.
The allegedly false claims were made in the wake of the Eaton and Palisades fires that started on January 7. Together, the wildfires burned nearly 60,000 acres, destroyed more than 16,000 structures, and resulted in the deaths of 30 people. As a result, the President approved a Major Disaster Declaration, which prompted the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop a program to provide financial assistance to fire victims.
Victims of the Eaton and Palisades fires, including renters who lost their residences, could qualify for a one-time payment of $750 noted as a FEMA relief payment, $43,600 for other needs assistance (personal property, transportation, medical, etc.), and housing assistance for up to 18 months at varying rates. Homeowners are also potentially eligible for additional relief up to $43,600 for home repair.
Each defendant listed below – four of whom were arrested on Thursday; one of whom was in state custody in Arizona on Wednesday – is charged with fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
- United States v. Hogan
Deanniah Hogan, 32, of Compton, on January 26 allegedly submitted a false claim for federal disaster assistance related to the Palisades Fire, listing an address in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles as the purportedly damaged dwelling in which she claimed to live and rent. After approving the application, FEMA sent a total of approximately $17,351 to Hogan, including for personal property damage and displacement assistance.
The actual Pacific Palisades homeowner – and resident who lost the property in the fire – later confirmed to law enforcement that the property was not being rented out at that time.
Hogan was arrested and made her initial appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. A federal magistrate judge ordered her released on $10,000 bond. Her arraignment is scheduled for May 20.
Assistant United States Attorney Solomon Kim of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Johnson
Delvonne Dashon Johnson, 31, of the East Hollywood area of Los Angeles, on February 4 allegedly submitted a fraudulent claim for FEMA benefits related to the Palisades Fire, listing an address in Pacific Palisades as his purported dwelling that he owned. Later in February 2025, FEMA sent Johnson a total of approximately $64,138 in federal disaster relief.
On April 2, law enforcement interviewed the property’s actual owner, who stated she had lived at that residence since 2015, that it was her primary residence, and she was living there at the time of the Palisades Fire. She also said she never rented the property out to anyone and did not know Johnson. She further said when she submitted a disaster assistance application to advise authorities that her house had been destroyed, FEMA notified her that someone already filed such a claim on her property’s behalf.
Johnson was arrested Thursday and is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Lowe
Keandre Lowe, 21, of Long Beach, on January 22 allegedly submitted a fraudulent claim for FEMA benefits, claiming that he rented an Altadena property that was destroyed in the Eaton Fire. By February 13, FEMA had submitted approximately $28,286 in disaster relief to Lowe.
The actual property owner later confirmed to law enforcement that they were residing in the home at the time and since 2007 had not rented the property out to anyone.
Lowe was arrested and made his initial appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. A federal magistrate judge ordered him released on $10,000 bond. Lowe’s arraignment is scheduled for May 27.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. McIntre
Zenalyn McIntre, 38, of Sherman Oaks, on January 20 allegedly submitted a false claim for federal disaster relief by claiming that she was a renter of a residence in Pacific Palisades that was destroyed in the Palisades Fire. Eight days later, she submitted additional documents online to FEMA, including her California driver’s license – which listed a Sherman Oaks address – and a natural gas utility bill that appeared to be fake.
Based on her false claim, FEMA distributed approximately $25,229 in disaster-relief funds to McIntre.
McIntre was arrested Thursday and is scheduled to make her initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
Assistant United States Attorney Sarah S. Lee of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
- United States v. Woods
Katrina Woods, 33, of Maricopa, Arizona, on January 30 allegedly submitted a fraudulent claim for disaster assistance, listing a nonexistent Altadena address as her primary residence that purportedly was destroyed in the Eaton Fire.
FEMA eventually disbursed approximately $23,441 in disaster relief to Woods, who also made reservations through FEMA to stay at two hotels – one in downtown Los Angeles, the other in Hawthorne – during February and March of 2025 paid for by FEMA. On March 10, FEMA discontinued lodging for Woods at the hotel in downtown Los Angeles where she was staying.
Woods has been in state custody in Arizona since Wednesday on an unrelated matter and is expected to make her initial appearance in federal court in the coming weeks.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Complaints contain allegations of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
One defendant arrested last month, Hedeshia Robertson, 36, of Lakewood, is scheduled to plead guilty on May 2 to one count of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits. Robertson admitted in her plea agreement that she filed a fraudulent application for FEMA benefits on January 28, seeking disaster relief for a Pacific Palisades property that she neither owned nor rented. As a result of her fraudulent application, Robertson fraudulently obtained approximately $24,899 in FEMA benefits.
Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Paetty and Roger Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.
Another defendant, Jaime Arturo Carrillo, 48, of South Los Angeles, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits. On January 13, Carrillo falsely stated to FEMA on an application for wildfire-relief benefits that he rented property in South Los Angeles – approximately 20 miles from the Palisades and Eaton fires – and had suffered personal property damage and a disruption in his utilities. Carrillo was not renting at the South Los Angeles residence.
As a result of Carrillo’s false statements, FEMA authorized him to receive transitional sheltering assistance. Using these benefits, Carrillo received free lodging for 13 nights at two Los Angeles County hotels, with a total cost of approximately $2,173. Carrillo also charged approximately $107 to the room paid for by FEMA at an El Segundo hotel for food and incidental costs.
Carrillo’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 11.
Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth S.P. Douglas of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
The cases announced today were investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California, including the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG).
To report fraud related to FEMA disaster-relief public assistance, please contact the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) hotline at (800) 323-8603. The HSI tip line may be contacted at (866) 347-2423.
344 Immigration Cases Filed in the Western District of Texas This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today that federal prosecutors in the district filed 344 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from April 18 through April 24.
Among the new cases, Henry Cruz-Lemas, an illegal alien and a Honduran national previously convicted of aggravated kidnapping in September 2011 and sentenced to five years in prison. Cruz-Lemas was arrested on April 18 during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ERO) investigation in San Antonio. He is charged with one count of illegal reentry of an alien.
Jose Angel Escarcega-Briones, an illegal alien from Mexico, was found approximately 4 miles west of the Tornillo Port of Entry. Border Patrol Agents determined that he did not have immigration documents allowing him to be in the United States legally and that he has previously been removed from the United States 5 times. He has 3 prior convictions for illegal reentry as well as a federal drug trafficking conviction.
Jose Alfonso Deras-Valle, a citizen of El Salvador, was found near mile marker 87 of Interstate 10 in Fort Hancock, Texas. U.S. Border Patrol determined that Deras-Valle had recently been deported to El Salvador on February 21, 2025. His criminal record includes a murder conviction in Florida for which he received fifteen years in prison.
U.S. Border Patrol Agents performing line watch operations in an area near Sierra Blanca, Texas encountered three people attempting to conceal themselves in a culvert. After questioning and investigation, the agents determined the group was in the United States illegally. Sergio Aguirre-Isidro was determined to be a foot guide for the group and that he was to collect 10,000 Mexican Pesos if the group arrived in the U.S. successfully.
Junior Enrique Garcia-Escobar, a Honduran national with a prior conviction out of the State of New York for Burglary using/threatening use of a dangerous instrument, was arrested on illegal reentry charges near Eagle Pass, Texas. He had been sentenced to five years in prison on the burglary charge and was deported in 2019.
Raul Rodriguez-Morales was arrested by Border Patrol Agents in Del Rio, Texas on April 18, 2025, for illegal reentry after having been deported in January 2025. Rodriguez-Morales has previous drug convictions in California as well as a conviction for felon in possession of a firearm and two previous convictions for illegal reentry of an alien in 2011 and 2019.
In Carrizo Springs, Texas, Devarick Dewayne Benson was arrested for conspiring to transport two illegal aliens further into the United States. Benson was driving a vehicle with fictitious plates and was pulled over for driving 10 miles over the speed limit. He had two illegal aliens in the trunk of his car.
A Honduran citizen, Angel Almendarez-Ulloa, was arrested on April 19, 2025, by Border Patrol Agents near Eagle Pass, Texas. Almendarez has been deported from the United States 10 times, with his last deportation to Honduras being on April 21, 2023.
These cases were referred or supported by our federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), 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 additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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.