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Friday 14 March 2025
Springfield Man Indicted for Possessing Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was indicted in federal court in Springfield with possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and firearms offenses.
Pedro Deleon, 32, was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug distribution.
According to the charging document, Deleon possessed with the intent to distribute drugs and a firearm on Oct. 22, 2024.
Deleon was previously convicted of a crime punishable for a crime exceeding one year.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of felon in possession provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possessing a firearm if furtherance of drug distribution provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, and Brian Keys, United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts and Colonel Geoffrey Nobel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announced today. The case is being prosecuted by Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office.
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.
Southern District of Texas charges nearly 250 people in second week of March in relation to border enforcement effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 245 new cases have been filed in the last week related to immigration and border security, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Of those, 115 are charged with illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses. A total 118 face charges of illegally entering the country, 10 cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to firearms and assault of federal officers.
Of those facing allegations of illegally re-entering the country is Santos Demetrio Marquez-Hernandez from El Salvador. The criminal complaint indicates he has a felony conviction of contact with a minor with sexual intent and was removed just over two months ago on Jan. 8. He could receive up to 20 years in U.S. prison.
Juan Daniel Pena and Jose Cristian Cantu Jr. were also arrested this week for attempting to smuggle 15 aliens through the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita. The charges allege the aliens, who were from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Vietnam, were hidden inside two trucks being hauled on a flatbed trailer. Five of the illegal aliens were allegedly previously ordered removed from the United States and are now facing their own charges of illegal reentry into the United States.
Relevant cases also featured this week include an Arkansas man who was found guilty of transporting illegal aliens in a truck’s wheel well and fuel tank. The jury deliberated for under 30 minutes following a less than two-day trial before finding Noel Mercado guilty on two counts of alien smuggling. An x-ray scan revealed at least two individuals in the truck’s wheel wells – found bolted inside modified wheel well compartments. Law enforcement also discovered two more individuals in the auxiliary fuel tank below the truck bed. All four were illegal aliens from the countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala with no authority to be in the United States.
Among those charged this week also includes Gerardo Hervey Rodriguez-Toscano, a Mexican citizen who allegedly ran up the Mexican side of the Hidalgo port of entry and attempted to evade U.S. law enforcement at the midpoint. Authorities were able to detain him, but after a struggle, according to the allegations. One officer allegedly suffered injuries to his wrist, knee and elbow. If convicted, Rodriguez-Toscano faces up to eight years in prison.
In addition, a Honduran man attempted to enter the country illegally by pretending to be a minor. Elger Fabricio Cotto-Navarro claimed he was born in May 2007, when he was actually born the previous year. He initially denied the allegations and made a written statement as such, but ultimately acknowledged he was an adult and that he provided an incorrect date of birth and made false statements.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Several charged in firearms conspiracy linked to weapons at Canadian borderRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - Seven people have been arrested following the return of a nine-count indictment in a conspiracy to provide false information to federal firearms licensed dealers, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Authorities have now taken the final man charged into custody in Chicago. Gemale Sheali, 23, Houston, is expected to make his initial appearance there and will then be ordered to appear for his arraignment in Houston in the near future.
The other six - Eddylson Patino, 23, a Mexican citizen illegally residing in Houston, Mozambique citizen Muhammad Dagha, 22, who also illegally resided in Houston, and Abuelgasim Siddig, 23, Omar Farooq, 24, Erik Aguirre, 23, and Andres Ferman, 24, all of Houston - were previously taken into custody and made appearances in federal court.
According to the charges, the investigation began following the discovery of 68 firearms, including a suppressor, firearm magazines and ammunition, in Neche, North Dakota, along the Canadian border. The indictment alleges some of the Houston-area conspirators had purchased some of the recovered firearms. Further investigation allegedly revealed the conspirators had been acquiring the weapons on behalf of the conspiracy by providing false information to federal firearms licensed dealers.
According to the indictment, beginning around 2024, the conspirators acquired firearms by providing false information as to being the actual purchaser to federal firearms licensed dealers. The investigation allegedly linked two guns, respectively recovered in Mexico and Canada, to the conspiracy.
It is alleged that Patino was responsible for obtaining firearms for later exportation out of the United States, while Dagha recruited conspirators to purchase them on behalf of Patino. Both are charged with conspiracy and aiding and abetting providing false information to federal firearms licensed dealers.
Siddig, Farooq, Aguirre, Sheali and Ferman are all charged with conspiracy, and providing false information to a federal firearms licensed dealers during the acquisition of firearms
All seven face up to five years in federal prison on each count as charged and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Houston and Fargo, North Dakota, and Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Canadian law enforcement and the Houston Police Department.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Smith is prosecuting the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lee of the District of North Dakota.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Robert Burkich, M.D. Settles Case Alleging that he Submitted False Claims for Chelation Therapy to MedicareRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. - Robert Burkich, M.D., of Chattanooga, Tennessee and Preventive Medicine Anti-Aging & Chelation, Inc., his practice in Ringgold, Georgia, have settled claims under the False Claims Act to resolve allegations that they knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary chelation therapy.
“By falsely certifying that services provided to patients are medically necessary, healthcare providers deplete the resources available to Medicare beneficiaries who are actually in need of care,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “In coordination with our law enforcement partners, our Office will continue to identify and pursue individuals who commit acts of waste, fraud, and abuse against the Medicare program.”
“Providers who knowingly submit unreasonable and medically unnecessary claims prioritize personal profits over their duty to patients and federal health care programs,” said Kelly J. Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, in partnership with our law enforcement allies, remains committed to investigating fraudulent billing practices that undermine the integrity of federal health care programs and jeopardize the well-being of beneficiaries.”
“We must assure patients and taxpayers that the care provided by federally- funded healthcare programs is dictated by clinical needs, not fiscal greed,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our partners are committed to combining resources to investigate and hold providers accountable for billing the government only for necessary services.”
The United States alleges that between September 2009 and January 2017, Dr. Burkich billed Medicare for administering the chelation drug edetate calcium disodium (EDTA) to Medicare beneficiaries who were not suffering from lead poisoning. EDTA is a rarely used drug that is indicated for use only in individuals suffering from lead poisoning and lead encephalopathy.
Medicare has several long-standing rules preventing reimbursement for EDTA when not used for cases of lead poisoning or lead encephalopathy. The United States alleges that Dr. Burkich falsely represented to Medicare that his patients suffered from lead poisoning or other heavy-metal-related diseases to avoid Medicare’s restrictions and obtain reimbursement.
Based on these allegations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia filed suit against Dr. Burkich and his practice, accusing them of violating the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. 3729, et seq. That statute prohibits, among other conduct, the knowing submission of false claims for payment to government agencies. The case is titled United States v. Burkich et al., No. 1:19-cv-03510-MLB (N.D. Ga.).
The settlement was reached under the Department of Justice’s ability-to-pay guidelines, which can be used to settle cases where defendants lack the financial ability to pay a merits-based settlement. The guidelines require defendants to submit to a rigorous financial analysis to determine their ability to pay a settlement. Per the resolution, Dr. Burkich and his practice will jointly pay $700,000 to the United States to be used as restitution to Medicare.
This matter was litigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paris Wynn.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Exploitation Crime Against South Florida MinorRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal district judge in Miami has imposed a 30-year prison sentence against an Ohio man who solicited sexually explicit images from a 14-year-old South Florida girl.
Adam Gino James Cotte, 36, met the minor victim on an internet messaging website. In August 2022, he communicated with her through social media, text messages, and video chats. During their exchanges, Cotte (located in Ohio) directed the 14-year-old girl (located in South Florida) to take and send him nude images of herself. In addition, Cotte instructed the victim to have her friend (also a 14-year-old child) record a video of herself masturbating. At the time of these illicit communications, Cotte was a registered sex offender and had been convicted in Ohio in 2020 of a state child exploitation crime. On Oct. 29, 2024, Cotte admitted to the illegal conduct, pleading guilty to one count of attempted production of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors.
In addition to the 30-year prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom sentenced Cotte to a lifetime of supervised release after prison. He also will have to register as a sex offender. A restitution hearing is set for May 23, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami announced the sentence.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Audrey Pence Tomanelli and Nardia Haye prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Anyone with information relating to child sexual exploitation or abuse is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
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-20150.
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Ravia Resident Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joses Ric-e Beck, a/k/a Ric-e Beck, age 37, of Ravia, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender.
The Indictment alleged that Beck received a felony conviction from the State of Oklahoma on August 12, 2008, for Lewd or Indecent Proposals to a Child Under Sixteen and was required to register as a sex offender. From August 30, 2023, until December 20, 2023, Beck failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Beck will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Bove and Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Postal Worker Found Guilty of Stealing over $1.6 Million in Checks from the U.S. MailRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Hachikosela Muchimba, 44, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday on charges of mail theft and bank fraud that illegally netted him over $1.6 million, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge Kathleen Woodson, of the U.S. Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.
The jury found Muchimba guilty of conspiracy to commit theft of mail and bank fraud, theft of mail; bank fraud; engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity, and unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization. U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for August 8, 2025, and detained the defendant until that time.
According to court documents, between December 2020 and March 2023, Muchimba was an employee of the U.S. Postal Service when he executed a scheme to steal U.S. Treasury checks and private party checks from the U.S. mail. Muchimba then deposited the checks, which he either altered and/or falsely endorsed, into bank accounts under his control.Muchimba altered some of the checks by removing the name of the proper payee on the checks and replacing it with his own name. Bank surveillance footage captured images of him making deposits and withdrawals of the funds. The total amount of the U.S. Treasury checks fraudulently deposited into Muchimba’s various bank accounts was just over $1.6 million.
Muchimba used the proceeds of the stolen checks to fund a lavish lifestyle that included international travel, stays at luxury hotels, and purchases at gentlemen’s clubs.
Muchimba was also found guilty at trial of unlawful procurement of naturalization. During the scheme, Muchimba applied to become a naturalized U.S. citizen and provided false information to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers by telling them that he had not committed any crimes for which he had not been arrested. That offense carries a maximum penalty of ten years of incarceration and possible administrative denaturalization.
The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years in prison; and for mail theft is five years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. Muchimba’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation into this matter was conducted by the U.S. Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorneys John Borchert and Diane Lucas of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Phoenix Man Sentenced to Prison for Alien Smuggling Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Steven Beltran-Lugo, 19, of Glendale, was sentenced on March 11, 2025, by United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez to 38 months in prison for his role in transporting two illegal aliens in March 2024, one of whom suffered fatal injuries after jumping out of the vehicle while it was moving. Beltran-Lugo pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person and Resulting in Death on October 1, 2024.
On March 6, 2024, Beltran-Lugo and his co-defendant, Cesar Velazquez-Munoz, picked up two illegal aliens near the border to transport them further into the United States. Beltran-Lugo was riding as a passenger in the front seat of the vehicle, and he was on the phone with a Phoenix-based smuggling coordinator throughout the event. When law enforcement began to follow the vehicle, the victim aliens were told to get out of the vehicle. One of the victims then jumped out of the vehicle while it was still moving at about 45 miles per hour. The driver accelerated as the second victim exited the moving vehicle and hit the pavement, causing a brain hemorrhage and internal bleeding. The victim eventually succumbed to these injuries and passed away at the hospital two days later. Cesar Velazquez-Munoz is scheduled to be sentenced on March 31, 2025.
The sentencing is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with DHS, has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 300 U.S. convictions; more than 250 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-01674-TUC-AMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-035_Beltran-Lugo# # #
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.Petersburg, Illinois Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison and a Lifetime of Supervision for Multiple Crimes Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Petersburg, Illinois man, Adam Power, 32, of the 500 block of South 8th Street in Petersburg, Illinois, was sentenced to 60 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release on March 13, 2025, after pleading guilty to a multitude of crimes of against children. Power pleaded guilty on May 2, 2024, to thirty-four counts which included charges for sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
At the sentencing hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Collen R. Lawless, the government established that the defendant, a former substitute teacher, choir director, and theater director in the Central District of Illinois, used at least thirteen online accounts on multiple platforms to portray himself as a teenage girl in order to persuade and entice and attempt to persuade and entice, at least twenty-four boys between the ages of eight and sixteen years of age to produce images of child pornography for him. He also used the images of a female victim in order to engender the trust of his male victims. The government noted that the defendant had targeted not just strangers online but victimized children he knew or had met. Finally, the government commented that the defendant, because he had distributed victim images, had placed the minors in scenarios where their images could now be anywhere in the world.
In imposing the Court’s sentence, Judge Lawless found that Power’s actions had been heinous. She stated he had been methodical in his approach to obtaining the child pornography from his victims, and that the defendant, who had referred to himself as a perfectionist during the hearing, had used this perfectionism to prey upon the children in his community. Judge Lawless further observed the defendant’s use of his accomplishments and positions ultimately led to the loss of the victims’ security, privacy, and trust.
“The defendant believed he was untouchable online, and that the mask he wore in public disguised the predator he was underneath. However, with tremendous cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement we were able to put a stop to another internet-based offender.” said Assistant United States Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs.
“This case is a stark reminder that predators lurk where we least expect them – hiding behind screens, positions of trust, and false identities to exploit the most vulnerable among us. Power’s calculated and egregious crimes have forever impacted his victims, but today, justice has prevailed,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “Through the dedicated commitment of HSI and our law enforcement partners, we have ensured that this offender won’t have the opportunity to victimize another child.”
Power was indicted in July 2023 and pleaded guilty in May 2024. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest in June of 2023.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Athens Police Department with assistance from the Menard County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Petersburg Police Department, and Illinois State Police investigated the case. The Menard County State’s Attorney’s Office provided valuable support. Assistant United States Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Pasco Tow Truck Operator Charged with Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced today that Socorro Jesus Lopez-Spindola, 59, has been charged by criminal complaint with one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Lopez-Spindola was arraigned on March 13, 2025, before the U.S. District Court in Richland, Washington.
According to court documents, in November of 2024, Pasco Police detained Lopez-Spindola in connection to an investigation involving robbery, extortion, and threats to kill. Pasco Police also obtained a search warrant for the business Classic Towing and Recovery, which is owned and operated by Lopez-Spindola. During a search of Lopez-Spindola’s office, investigators allegedly located a loaded .22 caliber revolver in a desk drawer.
Prior to November of 2024, Lopez-Spindola had been convicted of a number of crimes, including an Unlawful Reentry after Deportation conviction.
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).
This case is being investigated by the FBI and the Pasco Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon L. Pang.
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An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Owensboro, Kentucky Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Owensboro, KY – An Owensboro, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to 12 years in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Sheila G. Lyons of the DEA Chicago Field Division made the announcement.
According to court documents, Montae Goodnight, 37, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On November 29, 2022, Goodnight distributed 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture. On January 20, 2023, Goodnight possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it and possessed a Taurus, model 740 Slim, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and ammunition. Goodnight was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On August 22, 2006, in Daviess Circuit Court, Goodnight was convicted of robbery in the second degree.
On April 7, 2008, in United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Owensboro Division, Goodnight was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.
On or about October 2, 2013, in Daviess Circuit Court, Goodnight was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree.
On June 29, 2018, in Daviess Circuit Court, Goodnight was convicted of possession of controlled substances.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the DEA Evansville Resident Office with assistance from the Owensboro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Nicholas Rabold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Orlando Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for String of Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Dany Telfort (20, Orlando) to 18 years in federal prison for two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The court also ordered Telfort to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offenses. Telfort pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, between March 23 and April 1, 2023, Telfort and his co-defendant, Nijah Jahni Mitchell, participated in a string of nine armed robberies of various convenience stores throughout Central Florida. During some of the robberies, Telfort entered the store, pointed a firearm at the store clerks, and demanded the money from the cash registers. During others, Telfort acted as the getaway driver.
Mitchell is currently pending trial. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orlando Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Clermont Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oakland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
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.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Case Concludes with Nine Defendants Sentenced to a Total of over 79 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Nine defendants involved in an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) operation have all been sentenced for their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. This investigation in the Avoyelles Parish area resulted in a total sentence of over 79 years in federal prison for these defendants who conspired together in this drug trafficking organization. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell sentenced the nine defendants as follows:
Darrell Joseph Sampson, Jr., 39, of Marksville, Louisiana, has been sentenced to 113 months (9 years, 5 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Christopher Glynn Bradford, 46, of Marksville, was sentenced to 50 months (4 years, 2 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Travis Demond Carroll, 34, of Baton Rouge, was sentenced to 180 months (15 years) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Kelly Johnson, Jr., 32, of Lake Charles, was sentenced to 90 months (7 years, 6 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Troy Wayne Dominick, 42, of Mansura, was sentenced to 80 months (6 years, 8 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Arthor Francisco, 37, of Moreauville, was sentenced to 160 months (13 years, 4 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Desmond Dewayne Jordan, 46, of Alexandria, was sentenced to 225 months (18 years, 9 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Joseph Patrick Murray, III, 27, of Cottonport, was sentenced to 37 months (3 years, 1 month) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Tremayne Lee Lavalais, 34, of Bunkie, was sentenced to 20 months (1 year, 8 months) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Each defendant will serve a term of supervised release following their release from prison.
The FBI Central Louisiana Gang Task Force began an investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine in the Avoyelles Parish area. During their investigation, agents conducted surveillance of the defendants and observed them conducting drug transactions. Law enforcement agents received authorization to conduct wiretaps on phones which the defendants were using to conduct their drug trafficking business. Between January and September of 2023, numerous communications between the defendants wherein they discussed their narcotics trafficking were intercepted by law enforcement. This organization sourced the methamphetamine from the Houston, Texas area and distributed it throughout central and south Louisiana.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Louisiana State Police, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John W. Nickel and LaDonte A. Murphy.
The investigation and conviction of these defendants is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Operation Take Back America Results in the Administrative Arrest of 81 Illegal Aliens, 25 of Whom Were Also Charged with Felony Criminal OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – During the week of March 10 through March 14, 2025, as part of Operation Take Back America, multiple federal law enforcement agencies in Kentucky worked together to repel the invasion of illegal immigration throughout the Commonwealth. The operation, coordinated out of Louisville, resulted in 81 administrative arrests of illegal aliens. Of the 81 illegal aliens arrested, 25 were also charged with immigration-related criminal offenses, including illegal reentry after deportation or removal, illegal possession of firearms, and illegal possession of controlled substances. In the Western District of Kentucky, 53 illegal aliens were administratively arrested, with 18 being criminally charged.
The illegal aliens not charged criminally will be held in ICE custody, pending removal proceedings and potential deportation.
The arrests included illegal aliens from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, India and Palau.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, Sam Olson, Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and U.S. Marshal Gary B. Burman of the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement.
“I commend the work of our federal law enforcement partners, prosecutors, and support personnel who worked tirelessly to make this operation a success,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “The aggressive investigation and prosecution of those who violate immigration laws positively impacts the security of our communities and of the Nation.”
The following 18 illegal aliens were charged by indictment or criminal complaint in the Western District of Kentucky:
Moises Archaga-Garcia, age 46, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Archaga-Garcia was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about July 30, 2003. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.
Luis Alberto Torres-Flores, age 35, a citizen of El Salvador, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Torres-Flores was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about August 29, 2014. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.
Lorenzo Perez-Perez, age 33, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Perez-Perez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 7, 2011, and January 21, 2016. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.
Aroldo Rodriguez-Navarro, age 40, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Rodriguez-Navarro was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about August 25, 2009, and June 5, 2014. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.
Angel David Zuniga-Baca, age 35, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. On or about October 12, 2024, Zuniga-Baca possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. On or about March 10, 2025, Zuniga-Baca was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about November 16, 2009, and April 25, 2014. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.
Ewin Cabrera-Cabrera, age 33, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Cabrera-Cabrera was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about April 10, 2014, and February 7, 2013. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.
Roberto Cruz-Pacheco, age 34, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Cruz-Pacheco was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 31, 2008. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.
Darwin Martinez-Figueroa, age 41, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Martinez-Figueroa was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about May 17, 2014, and April 11, 2018. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.
Williams Josue Rodriguez-Calix, age 28, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Rodriguez-Calix was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 12, 2018. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.
Jose Rodriguez, age 39, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Rodriguez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 1, 2011, and February 28, 2020. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.
Zoiber Hernandez-Dominguez, age 50, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. On or about December 16, 2024, Hernandez-Dominguez possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Marcos Juarez-Morente, age 38 a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 13, 2025, Juarez-Morente was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 20, 2006, and May 19, 2006. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.
Esteban Perez-Cristostomo, age 45, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 13, 2025, Perez-Cristostomo was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 21, 2010. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.
Ramiro Galeana-Arzate, age 28, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 14, 2025, Galeana-Arzate was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 4, 2020. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.
Humberto Avila-Duran, age 54, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 14, 2025, Avila-Duran possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. On the same day, Avila-Duran was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 21, 2011, March 3, 2011, March 8, 2011, August 14, 2012, May 9, 2014, May 13, 2014, and November 13, 2020. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.
Humberto Avila-Murillo, age 28, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. On or about March 14, 2025, Avila-Murillo possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Edi Diaz-Lopez, age 30, a citizen of Mexico, was charged possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On or about January 3, 2025, Diaz-Lopez possessed a firearm and methamphetamine with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
Alvaro Mandujano-Rodriguez, age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. On or about October 7, 2023, Mandujano-Rodriguez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about November 29, 2025. On the same date, Mandujano-Rodriguez possessed two firearms in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 17 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.
The operation was coordinated by HSI Nashville and ICE/ERO Chicago. The cases are being investigated by the HSI, ICE/ERO, FBI, ATF, DEA, and USMS.
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).
An indictment or 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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Omaha Women Sentenced for Wrongful Disclosure of Health InformationRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Oliva Gross, 47, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 14, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for wrongful disclosure of health information. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Gross to two years’ probation. On March 7, Chief Judge Rossiter sentenced co-defendant, Kiara Gross, 24, of Omaha, Nebraska, to two years’ probation for wrongful disclosure of health information. There is no parole in the federal system.
Mid-City OB-GYN in Omaha provided obstetrics and gynecology services, amongst other services. Mid-City OB-GYN is a health care provider. As such, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was applicable to the employees of Mid-City OB-GYN. HIPAA precludes access to, and use of, and disclosure of a patient’s individually identifiable health information without a patient’s authorization. Kiara Gross was employed at Mid-City OB-GYN from on or about May 2019, to on or about December 13, 2023. Kiara Gross worked as a medical assistant. Oliva Gross was employed at Mid-City OB-GYN from on or about July 2009, to on or about December 2023. Olivia Gross worked as a medical assistant.
Victim 1 was a patient who obtained medical treatment at Mid-City OB-GYN. Victim 1’s last medical appointment at Mid-City OB-GYN was in approximately July 2023. On December 11, 2023, Kiara Gross and Olivia Gross while working at Mid-City OB-GYN, obtained individually identifiable health care information related to Victim 1 without authorization.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 180 months in Prison for Dealing Drugs with a GunRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Freeman L. Johnson, Jr., age 47, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 14, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for distributing crack cocaine, possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and crack cocaine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Johnson to 120 months’ imprisonment on the drug charges and a consecutive 60 months’ imprisonment on the firearms charge, for a total sentence of 180 months. Additionally, $9,005.00 in drug proceeds was forfeited. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
Federal Bureau of Investigations, Safe Streets Task Force Officers utilized a cooperating source to purchase crack cocaine from Johnson outside of his residence near the 46th block of Reddick Avenue on four occasions: on December 14, 2023, the source purchased 13.70 grams crack cocaine; on December 19, 2023, the source purchased 26.12 grams of crack cocaine; on January 5, 2024, the source purchased 38.64 grams of crack cocaine; and on January 31 2024, the source purchased 9.64 grams of crack cocaine.
As a result of Johnson’s crack sales, Safe Streets Task Force Officers obtained a search warrant for his residence and served it on February 8, 2024. During the search of his residence, the task force seized 446 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 1,784 pills containing 317.98 grams of methamphetamine, 38.18 grams of crack cocaine, 81.52 grams of cocaine, a digital scale, $9,005.00 of cash drug proceeds, a Canik TP9 9mm handgun, a Polymer 80 handgun, and multiple boxes of handgun ammunition. One firearm was found near the bulk of the drugs. The other was found near the cash proceeds.
Johnson is also prohibited from possessing firearms due to several, prior felony convictions, including convictions for delivery of cocaine (2001), possession of cocaine (2003), and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine (2003).
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Safe Streets Task Force.
New task force launched in Virginia to eliminate transnational criminal organizationsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert of the Eastern District of Virginia along with federal and state partners announced today the recently established Virginia Homeland Security Task Force (VHSTF), an interagency group founded to combat transnational organized crime and coordinate ongoing immigration enforcement efforts across Virginia. In the two weeks since the VHSTF’s creation on March 3, task force members have arrested 247 individuals.
Hundreds of personnel are supporting the task force, including representatives from U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI’s Washington, Norfolk, and Richmond Field Offices; Homeland Security Investigations; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service; Virginia Department of Corrections; Virginia Office of the Attorney General; Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security; Virginia State Police; and the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
The VHSTF is part of Operation Take Back America, which streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). HSTFs, 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The VHSTF is the first of these task forces. Task force members are building on existing partnerships and initiatives to enforce immigration laws and policies to dismantle TCOs threatening the safety of millions of Virginians.
These organizations operate across international borders, wholly or in part, by illegal means. Regardless of structure, TCOs destabilize local communities and fuel violence by engaging in drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, human trafficking, assault, kidnapping, murder, and extortion.
One of the VHSTF’s goals is the elimination of TCOs across Virginia. Task force members seek to target these organizations’ infrastructures — including leaders, intermediaries, and street-level offenders — utilizing the State Department’s new foreign terrorist designations of various gangs, such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13); Cártel de Sinaloa; and Tren de Aragua (TdA). Under the guidance provided by Attorney General Pamela Bondi, leaders and managers of cartels and TCOs may be prosecuted for such crimes as terrorism, racketeering, continuing criminal enterprise offenses, violations of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, and violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
To date, the VHSTF has arrested numerous gang affiliates, including 18 MS-13 affiliates, six TdA affiliates, and 12 individuals affiliated with other TCOs.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
New defendants charged with violating federal immigration laws include alleged rapist & murderer, transnational gang member, drug traffickerRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio announced today four new immigration convictions and charges pending against an additional five defendants for allegedly violating federal immigration law. New defendants include a man with pending rape and sexual battery charges and a man who is alleged to be part of a transnational gang.
Sixto Garcia-Garcia, 34, was previously indicted by a grand jury in Franklin County with three counts of rape and one count of sexual battery. There is also a warrant for his arrest in Texas on charges for reckless homicide. These charges all remain pending. On Wednesday, he was charged federally with illegally reentering the United States. Garcia-Garcia is a citizen of Mexico and has no legal status in the United States.
Milton Guevara-Cruz, 31, is a citizen of El Salvador who allegedly reentered the United States illegally after deportation. Charging documents filed against Guevara-Cruz detail that he is a member of the violent 18th Street transnational gang from El Salvador. It is alleged that he is a member of the gang’s Tyni Locos Surenos clique and has been arrested in El Salvador three times for related criminal activity.
A federal grand jury indicted Roberto Carlos Mar-Herrara, 33, yesterday. The Mexican national allegedly reentered the United States illegally twice following deportations. He is currently booked in the Franklin County Jail on felony drug trafficking charges.
Jose Antonio Alvarenga, 43, is an El Salvadoran national who allegedly reentered the United States illegally after deportation. He was arrested outside of his home in New Lebanon, Ohio.
Agents encountered Ever Amador-Medina, 37, at the Butler County Jail. He is a native of Honduras and has no legal status in the United States. He was previously deported on two occasions, once from Atlanta and once from Houston.
Four other defendants pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus this week to federal immigration crimes. They include Elmer Edison Rodriguez-Guzman, 46; Sergio Gutierrez-Hernandez, 32; Mario Juarez-Iribe, 44; and Carlos Gonzales Hernandez, 55.
Illegally reentering the United States is a federal crime punishable by up to two years in prison. If the offender has a prior felony conviction (or multiple prior misdemeanor convictions of certain types), the penalty is increased to 10 years in prison, and if the offender has been previously convicted of an aggravated felony, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Robert Lynch, Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; announced the charges. Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant United States Attorneys Sheila G. Lafferty, Anthony Springer, Noah R. Litton, Elizabeth Geraghty, Emily Czerniejewski and Erica Lunderman are representing the United States in these cases.
Charging documents merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of the Southern District of Ohio Immigration Enforcement Task Force, which dedicates agents, attorneys and other staff to investigating and prosecuting immigration violations.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that XAVION WATTS, age 22, formerly a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on March 12, 2025 by United States District Judge Lance M. Africk to the statutory maximum of 120 months imprisonment, after previously pleading guilty to Possession of a Machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o). Judge Africk ordered WATTS placed on supervised release for three (3) years following his release from imprisonment and pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Court documents reveal that NOPD officers were on patrol on October 29, 2022, in the French Quarter when they saw a firearm in WATTS‘s waistband as he walked down Bourbon Street. As officers approached WATTS, he fled on foot but was caught and arrested shortly thereafter. During the arrest, officers recovered a Glock Model 17, nine-millimeter handgun with a fully automatic switch and extended magazine, containing 21 rounds and one in the chamber, from WATTS. The fully automatic switch converted the Glock into a fully automatic machine gun.
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.
Acting United States Attorney Simpson praised work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit handled the prosecution.
Nashville Man on Bond for Attempted Murder Arrested for Federal Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A criminal complaint charges Adrees Bumphus with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to court documents, Bumphus was on bond for Attempted First Degree Murder, Felonious Possession of a Dangerous Weapon, Theft over $10,000, and Evading Arrest and other charges when police attempted to stop a car he was traveling in on March 12, 2025. The car fled from police at high speed and had to be stopped using spike strips. Once the car was immobilized, the complaint alleges that Bumphus fled from officers on foot before being apprehended. Once in police custody, officers recovered a firearm in his waistband and three more firearms in a backpack he was wearing. Bumphus was convicted in Cannon County for distribution of heroin in 2019, is on 12 years of Community Corrections from that case, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
After his initial arrest by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) for his flight and firearm possession on March 12, 2025, Bumphus made bond again and was released on March 13, 2025. On the morning of March 14, 2025, officers of the MNPD TITANS team and federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) arrested Bumphus for the second time in forty-eight hours.
If convicted, Bumphus faces up to fifteen years in federal prison for the firearms offense.
“Our Operation Bond Watch was created to keep those out on bond for violent felonies from re-arming themselves and putting our citizens at risk,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “If local jurisdictions see it fit to put those charged with attempted murder on bond, and then release them again and again after re-arrests, we will seek to intervene federally to protect our community.”
"We are working with the U.S. Attorney's Office and our federal partners to hold accountable those persons who pose a real danger to Nashvillians," Chief John Drake said. "Convicted felons with guns demand precision-like attention. Mr. Bumphus is getting just that."
“ATF Nashville in partnership with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department remain committed to combatting violent crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz. “As part of Operation Bond Watch, dangerous criminals like this will continue to be brought to justice.”
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Moroccan National Arrested for Being an Illegal Alien in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Moroccan national residing in Medford has been charged for unlawfully possessing ammunition as an illegal alien.
Ayoud Haddad, 24, was charged with one count of unlawful or illegal alien in possession of ammunition. Haddad was arrested yesterday and was ordered detained pending an hearing scheduled for March 17, 2025 in federal court in Worcester.
According to the charging documents, Haddad, a Moroccan national, is an alien who was admitted into the United State on or about April 12, 2012, on a B-2 non-immigrant visa. Haddad’s visa was obtained by his parent on his behalf as he was a minor at the time. His visa expired on Oct. 12, 2012.
In the afternoon of June 6, 2024, law enforcement responded to several calls reporting shots fired outside a multi-floor apartment complex in Lawrence. Surveillance footage identified one of the vehicles believed to be allegedly involved in the shooting – a white BMW leased to Haddad. Surveillance footage also allegedly identified Haddad as the driver of the vehicle. When stopped by law enforcement on June 8, 2024, Haddad was driving the BMW which authorities had towed. A search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of a rifle with no serial number and 20 pieces of live .223 Remington Bronze full metal jacket rifle rounds under the hood.In 2019, Haddad was arrested and charged by the state with carrying a firearm without a license; receiving a firearm with a defaced serial number; possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance; conspiracy to violate the drug laws; and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license. It is alleged that, in or about March 2019, Haddad, was encountered by federal immigration authorities while being held at a correctional facility on these charges because his B-2 visitor visa had expired. According to the charging documents, the firearms charges were dismissed on June 10, 2019 and the remaining charges were dismissed by nolle prosequi on Sept. 4, 2020 after a period of “general continuance.”
The charge of unlawful or illegal alien in possession of ammunition provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon competition of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston; Acting Lawrence Police Chief Millix Bonilla; and Medford Police Chief Jack D. Buckley made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Miami Inspector Pleads Guilty in a Scheme to Obstruct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Oversight of the Medicare ProgramRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Manuel Delgado, 64, has pleaded guilty to accepting cash bribes and self-dealing as part of a conspiracy to impede and obstruct the lawful functions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) in their administration and oversight of the Medicare program.
According to court documents, Manuel Delgado was a contractor for the Board of Certification/Accreditation, International (“BOC”), who performed inspections of durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies to determine if they complied with CMS quality standards. BOC accreditation was required before CMS would approve a company to bill Medicare for supplying durable medical equipment to Medicare patients.
Delgado accepted cash bribes from numerous owners of DME companies to facilitate and expedite the accreditation process so those companies could be enrolled with and bill Medicare. Delgado also formed DME companies in the names of family members in order to conceal his own personal interest in the companies. Delgado himself inspected these companies and obtained BOC accreditation and CMS approval for the companies. Delgado then sold the companies to others, having made them valuable as Medicare-enrolled suppliers of durable medical equipment. The estimated value of the fraudulently accredited DME companies that Delgado inspected was over $1.4 million.
Delgado entered his guilty plea during a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ellen D’ Angelo, who will prepare a report and recommendation pursuant to a referral and instructions from U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore.
Delgado faces up to five years in prison. Any further proceedings will be set by the court.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan P. Lynch of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
FBI Miami and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aimee C. Jimenez and Trial Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling the asset forfeiture.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20006.
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Mexican National Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Mexican man convicted of Illegal Reentry after Deportation. The sentencing took place on March 10, 2025.
Jose Jimenez, a/k/a Jose Lidio Chavez Flores, 42, was sentenced to two months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Jimenez was also ordered to be removed from the United States.
Jimenez was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Illegal Reentry after Deportation by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025.
On November 8, 2024, in Rapid City, South Dakota, law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle Jimenez was driving. Instead of stopping, Jimenez led law enforcement on a pursuit. Once stopped, law enforcement located a semi-automatic rifle in a rear seat of the vehicle. Jimenez is not a United States citizen, and he has been removed from the United States to Mexico on two previous occasions. Jimenez had not obtained consent to reenter the United States from the U.S. Attorney General or the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
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.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Jimenez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mexican National Indicted for Illegal Re-Entry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that MARCO GOMEZ-ARGUELLO (“GOMEZ-ARGUELLO”), age 36, a native of Mexico, was indicted for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the indictment, GOMEZ-ARGUELLO reentered the United States after being previously deported on October 28, 2013. For this offense, GOMEZ-ARGUELLO faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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).
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson praised the work of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Member of ‘764’ Network Sentenced for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Jack Rocker, 19, of Tampa, was sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) followed by a lifetime of supervised release. The court also ordered Rocker to forfeit an iPhone 12, thumb drive, and laptop, all of which possessed CSAM. Rocker will also have to register as a sex offender and pay $126,500 in restitution to the victims. Rocker pleaded guilty on Dec. 16, 2024.
According to court filings, Rocker was a member of “764” a network of violent online extremists who engage in criminal conduct within the United States and abroad, in furtherance of political, social, or religious goals that derive primarily from a hatred of society at large and a desire to bring about its collapse by sowing indiscriminate chaos, destruction, and social instability. These extremists work individually or as part of a network with these goals of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors. 764 uses known online social media communications platforms, as mediums to support the possession, production, and sharing of extreme gore media and CSAM.
On Jan. 19, 2024, the FBI conducted a search of Rocker’s residence located in the Middle District of Florida. The FBI seized Rocker’s iPhone, thumb drive, and laptop. At this time, the FBI has determined that Rocker’s devices contain over 8,300 images and videos of CSAM, including images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, masochistic sexual behavior, and bestiality.
This case was investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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.
Member of ‘764’ Network Sentenced for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Jack Rocker, 19, of Tampa, was sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) followed by a lifetime of supervised release. The court also ordered Rocker to forfeit an iPhone 12, thumb drive, and Acer Laptop, all of which possessed CSAM. Rocker will also have to register as a sex offender and pay restitution to the victims.
Rocker pleaded guilty on Dec. 16, 2024. According to court filings, Rocker was a member of “764” a network of violent online extremists who engage in criminal conduct within the United States and abroad, in furtherance of political, social, or religious goals that derive primarily from a hatred of society at large and a desire to bring about its collapse by sowing indiscriminate chaos, destruction, and social instability. These extremists work individually or as part of a network with these goals of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors. 764 uses known online social media communications platforms, as mediums to support the possession, production, and sharing of extreme gore media and CSAM.
On Jan. 19, 2024, the FBI conducted a search of Rocker’s residence located in the Middle District of Florida. The FBI seized Rocker’s iPhone, thumb drive, and Acer laptop. At this time, the FBI has determined that Rocker’s devices contain over 8,300 images and videos of CSAM, including images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, masochistic sexual behavior, and bestiality.
This case was investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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.
Medical Equipment Business Owner Sentenced to Federal Prison and Ordered to Pay Restitution in the Amount of over $1.3 MillionRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY–A former Kentucky man was sentenced this week to over 1 year in prison for engaging in a conspiracy to commit health care fraud and money laundering in connection with his Durable Medical Equipment (DME) businesses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the United States Department for Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Atlanta Regional Office, made the announcement.
According to court documents, Shafi Abbas, 57, formerly of Pendleton, Kentucky, was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of money laundering. Abbas, through his companies, Aidmen Medical Equipment LLC and Justright Medical Equipment LLC, fraudulently billed Medicare for Durable Medical Equipment, which was medically unnecessary, unwanted by patients, and not prescribed by the patients’ medical providers. Abbas further transferred funds, in criminally derived property of a value greater than $10,000, which came from specified unlawful activity, specifically the health care fraud conspiracy.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Abbas was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,333,722.21.
This case was investigated by the FBI and HHS.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Ansari prosecuted the case.
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Marshalltown Woman Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to Drug DiversionRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Marshalltown woman pleaded guilty yesterday to diverting controlled substances for her own use and falsely noting the administration of a controlled substance in a patient record.
According to public court documents, Amanda Nicole Manatt, 37, was employed as a registered nurse at a hospital in Marshall County in 2023 and at a hospital in Story County in 2024. While working as a nurse at each hospital, Manatt obtained controlled substances intended for patient use. Manatt took the controlled substances, including fentanyl and hydromorphone (Dilaudid), for her own use. Manatt also falsely documented the administration of a controlled substance in a patient record.
Manatt is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2025, and faces a potential sentence of up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the United States sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (DIA/MFCU), the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau investigated this case.
Leaders of Los Zetas, a Violent Mexican Drug Cartel, Arraigned on Drug Trafficking, Firearm, and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
Mexican nationals and former leaders of the Los Zetas cartel were arraigned today in Washington, D.C., on charges of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that involved multiple murder conspiracies, conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the United States, using firearms — including a machinegun — during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes, and conspiring to launder monetary instruments.
According to court documents, Miguel Trevino Morales, also known as Z-40, Zeta40, and 40, age 52, and Omar Trevino Morales, also known as 42 and Z-42, age 48, ascended to the highest level of leadership in Los Zetas, a violent cartel comprised of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Miguel Trevino Morales allegedly took over leadership of Los Zetas in October 2012 until his arrest by Mexican authorities in 2013, at which point, his brother, Omar Trevino Morales, allegedly assumed primary leadership of the cartel until his arrest by Mexican authorities in 2015. After their arrests, the defendants allegedly renamed Los Zetas to Cartel del Noreste (CDN) and continued to control the cartel while incarcerated in Mexico. Through the date of the fifth superseding indictment, CDN allegedly continued Los Zetas’ criminal drug trafficking activities and acts of violence including murders, assaults, kidnappings, assassinations, and acts of torture. On Feb. 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of State designated CDN as a foreign terrorist organization.
“The DEA has never wavered from the global fight against this vicious, ruthless cartel led by brothers Miguel (Zeta 40) and Omar Trevino Morales (Zeta 42). These brothers are charged with importing tons of dangerous drugs into our country, and we believe they continued to run their business while serving time in a Mexican prison. Now they will face justice in the United States,” said Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Our work is far from over. DEA will continue to keep the pressure on violent organizations, like Los Zetas, to disrupt their operations and relieve the stranglehold they exert along the southwest border.”
“The Criminal Division is dedicated to achieving the Attorney General’s goal of the Total Elimination of Cartels,” said Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As alleged, former Zetas cartel leaders Z-40 and Z-42 engaged in conspiracies to kill members of the Mexican government, Mexican citizens, members of rival cartels, members of the Guatemalan government, and Guatemalan drug traffickers. We will aggressively pursue and bring to justice in the United States violent transnational criminals and leaders of cartels and hold them accountable for the death and violence they have committed here and abroad and for the large amounts of dangerous drugs that devastate our communities.”
“As alleged, the defendants represent some of the world’s most vicious cartel leaders, who oversaw Los Zetas’ reign of terror with grotesque impunity and ruthlessness, and a sheer disregard for anything beyond their wealth, power, and control,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso of ICE Homeland Security Investigations New York. “I commend ICE Homeland Security Investigations’ El Dorado Task Force for consistently proving itself as a formidable opponent against cartels intent on causing harm. We will use whatever means necessary to protect the safety and security of Americans from threats both here and abroad.”
The defendants are charged with one count each of continuing a criminal enterprise, conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana for importation into the United States, use of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking crimes, and international money laundering conspiracy. As part of the continuing criminal enterprise count, the defendants are alleged to have engaged in conspiracies to kill members of the Mexican government, Mexican citizens, members of rival cartels, members of the Guatemalan government, and Guatemalan drug traffickers. Because the defendants are charged with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, they face a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment.
The defendants were subject to longstanding U.S. extradition requests, that were not honored during the prior Administration, but the Mexican government elected to transfer to the current U.S. government in response to the Justice Department’s efforts pursuant to President Trump’s and the Attorney General’s leadership against Mexican drug cartels. On Feb. 27, the defendants were transferred by Mexican authorities to the United States.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, ICE HSI, and the FBI are investigating the case.
Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth and Trial Attorneys Jayce Born and Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wang for the Eastern District of New York, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Las Vegas Man Indicted for Forced Labor Trafficking, Illegal Acts Related to Documents, and Falsifying Immigration DocumentsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident made his initial court appearance on Thursday before United States Magistrate Judge Brenda N. Weksler for allegedly forcing three victims from Cuba into domestic servitude, confiscating their passports and other identifications, and providing false statements on immigration documents.
According to allegations contained in court documents and statements made in court, beginning on or about September 20, 2023, to about July 31, 2024, Rafael Juan Mitjans (50) took the passports, immigration documents, and other government identification documents belonging to three victims with the intent to restrict the victim’s ability to move and travel in order to maintain the labor and services of the victims.
Further, as alleged, between June 18, 2023, and September 17, 2023, Mitjans provided false statements to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services that he would provide the victims with basic living needs, including money each month, a room with a bed, television, desk, and laptop, clothing, shoes, hygiene products, and three meals per day. He knew the statements on the immigration forms were false.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment on March 12, 2025, charging Mitjans with three counts of forced labor, three counts of unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of trafficking and forced labor, and three counts of false statements on immigration documents. A jury trial has been scheduled before United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware II on May 19, 2025.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalty is 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and HSI Las Vegas acting Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes, Jr. made the announcement.
HSI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Clark County School District Police Department, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Diplomatic Security Service. Assistant United States Attorney Steven Rose is prosecuting the case.
To report criminal violations of forced labor, contact the Homeland Security Investigations tip line at 1-866-347-2423 or submit an HSI tip form online.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Lackawanna man pleads guilty to child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Maxwell H. Gawley, 34, of Lackawanna, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 20 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who is handling the case, stated that in August 2022, Gawley engaged in sexually explicit conversations via Snapchat with a minor victim, who was a 14-year-old male. During these conversations, Gawley asked the minor victim to send him pictures of himself and discussed having sexual contact with him, which the minor victim complied with. In response, Gawley told the minor victim that he “might even have to make a road trip ... [come] see you if we were dating.” In September 2022, Gawley engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with another individual over Snapchat, during which Gawley shared images and videos of child pornography over the internet via Snapchat.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 8, 2025, before Judge Sinatra.
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Lackawanna County Man Sentenced to 96 Months’ Imprisonment for Theft of Major ArtworkRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Thomas Trotta, age 49, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 13, 2025, to 96 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a term of supervised release, and to pay restitution in the amount of $2,759,073, by U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for one count of theft of major artwork.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Trotta had previously pleaded guilty to one count of theft of major artwork, and admitted to stealing the following:
- “Le Grande Passion” by Andy Warhol and “Springs Winter” by Jackson Pollock stolen in 2005 from the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania;
- Nine (9) World Series rings, seven (7) other championship rings, and two (2) MVP plaques all belonging to Yogi Berra, worth over $500,000 stolen in 2014 from the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Little Falls, New Jersey;
- Six (6) championship belts, including four belonging to Carmen Basilio and two belonging to Tony Zale stolen in 2015 from the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York;
- The Hickok Belt and MVP Trophy belonging to Roger Maris, stolen in 2016 from the Roger Maris Museum in Fargo, North Dakota;
- The U.S. Amateur Trophy and a Hickok Belt awarded to Ben Hogan, stolen in 2012 from the USGA Golf Museum & Library;
- Fourteen (14) trophies and other awards worth approximately $300,000 stolen in 2012 from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York;
- Five (5) trophies worth over $30,000, including the 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy, stolen in 2013 from the National Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York;
- Three antique firearms stolen in 2006 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum in Wantage, New Jersey;
- A 1903/1904 Tiffany Lamp stolen in 2010 from the Lackawanna Historical Society in Scranton, Pennsylvania,
- “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Crospey, worth approximately $120,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey;
- Antique firearms worth over $150,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey;
- Hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of gold nuggets stolen in 2011 from the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg, New Jersey;
- An antique shotgun worth over $30,000 stolen in 2018 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum in Wantage, New Jersey;
Trotta committed the above thefts as part of a larger, eight-person conspiracy. After a month-long trial held earlier this year, co-conspirators Nicholas Dombek, age 54, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, Damien Boland, age 48, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, and Joseph Atsus, age 48, of Roaring Brook, Pennsylvania, were convicted of conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property, as well as multiple related substantive offenses. They are presently pending sentencing.
Three additional co-conspirators pleaded guilty pursuant to felony informations and were sentenced by Judge Mannion earlier this year. They include:
- Dawn Trotta, age 53, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property;
- Frank Tassiello, age 52, of Taylor, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property; and
- Ralph Parry, age 47, of Springbrook Township, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to three years of probation as well as a period of home-confinement for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
After stealing the above-described items, the conspirators would transport the stolen goods back to northeastern Pennsylvania, often to the residence of Dombek, and melt the memorabilia down into easily transportable metal discs or bars. The conspirators would then sell the raw metal to fences in the New York City area for hundreds or a few thousands of dollars, significantly less than the sports memorabilia would be worth at fair market value.
Dombek burnt the painting “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Crospey, valued at approximately $100,000, to avoid the painting being recovered by investigators and used as evidence against the members of the conspiracy. The whereabouts of many of the other paintings and stolen objects are currently unknown, however, several antique firearms stolen from the Space Farms: Zoo and Museum and the Ringwood Manor Museum, both in New Jersey, were recovered by investigators.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the New York State Police, the New Jersey State Park Police, the Newport Police Department (Rhode Island), the Fargo Police Department (North Dakota), the Chester Police Department (New York), the Exeter Borough Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Scranton Police Department, the Franklin Police Department (New Jersey), the Village of Goshen Police Department (New York), the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.), the West Milord Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Montclair Police Department (New Jersey), the Saratoga Springs Police Department (New York), the Canastota Police Department (New York), the South Abington Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Bernards Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Salisbury Township Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Montclair State University Police Department (New Jersey) the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office (Pennsylvania), the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (New York), and multiple other local law enforcement agencies from across the country.
Assistant United States Attorneys James M. Buchanan, Jenny Roberts, and Sean Camoni prosecuted the case.
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Jury Convicts Hayward Man of Bankruptcy Fraud and Contempt of CourtRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – A Hayward, Wisconsin, man has been convicted of two counts of bankruptcy fraud and one count of criminal contempt of court. Bernard Seidling, 73, also of Key West, Florida, was convicted following a four-day trial in federal court in Madison. The jury reached a verdict yesterday afternoon after about five hours of deliberation. The guilty verdict is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
“Fraud threatens the free and fair markets upon which our economy is based. Moreover, fraud against the Court—in this case, the Bankruptcy Court—has the potential to undermine public trust in the fairness of the courts. This case reflects my office’s commitment to prosecuting financial crime and protecting the integrity of the bankruptcy system,” said U.S. Attorney O’Shea. “I am grateful for our partnership with the U.S. Trustee’s Office and I commend our federal and state law enforcement partners, the FBI, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, and the U.S. Postal Inspectors.”
“The FBI is unwavering in its commitment to holding individuals like Mr. Seidling accountable,” stated FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “Criminal bankruptcy fraud threatens the integrity of our legal processes, and the FBI remains committed along with our law enforcement partners in bringing those to justice who would abuse and exploit the bankruptcy system.”
Seidling filed for bankruptcy in 2022. He falsely stated he had no real estate, retirement accounts, trusts, partnerships, or business-related property, and that he had only one deposit account with a balance of $195. Through 25 witnesses and 115 exhibits, the government established Seidling had millions of dollars in personal and business assets, many of which were hidden behind trusts and partnerships. As one example, the day he filed bankruptcy, Seidling had four bank accounts in the names of trusts and a partnership with a combined balance of more than $3,000,000. In 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Seidling’s Hayward residence and located over $100,000 in cash and over $4,000,000 in uncashed cashier’s checks, most of which were drawn on business bank accounts but made payable to Seidling.
The government also proved Seidling defrauded the bankruptcy court and the bankruptcy trustee by falsely representing that he could not meaningfully participate in the bankruptcy case due to his physical and mental health. This stalled the trustee’s efforts to identify and liquidate Seidling’s assets for the benefit of his creditors. During the period of Seidling’s alleged incapacitation, he continued to manage his businesses, conduct banking activity, and play tennis. He also represented himself and participated in state court litigation.
The government also proved Seidling violated an order issued by the bankruptcy court. A November 2023 injunction prohibited Seidling from transferring or dissipating assets held by 37 of Seidling’s businesses, plus any other business entity Seidling was associated with. The injunction further prohibited Seidling from directing or instructing anyone else to transfer assets. Seidling violated the injunction by transferring real estate and draining bank accounts. He hid more than $1,000,000 in cash in a crawl space under his house. Seidling also used an unwitting individual to transfer a parcel of real estate.
Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2025. Seidling faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of bankruptcy fraud. There is no maximum penalty for criminal contempt of court.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The United States also received assistance from the Office of the United States Trustee. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith P. Duchemin and Megan R. Stelljes.
James Island Man Charged for Arson of a N. Charleston Tesla Charging StationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Daniel Clarke-Pounder, 24, of James Island has been arrested on criminal charges related to an arson at a North Charleston Tesla charging station.
The complaint alleges that on March 7, the North Charleston Police Department and North Charleston Fire Department responded to a Tesla charging station on Tanger Outlet Boulevard to reports of an arson. Witnesses reported that a man spray painted in red paint, “F*ck Trump” and “Long Live Ukraine” in a Tesla charging station parking spot. The man then pulled out five incendiary explosive devices, commonly known Molotov cocktails, and threw them at the Tesla chargers, damaging the chargers. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the arson and identified a defendant, Daniel Clarke-Pounder. He was arrested last night and arraigned this afternoon in federal court.
"While we will defend the public’s right to peaceful protest, we will not hesitate to act when protest crosses the line into violence and mayhem. These kinds of attacks have no place in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “We are grateful for the prompt response of our first responders and law enforcement. We must remain united in our commitment to safety and respect for all, regardless of political differences.”
“We’re very proud of the response from our Special Agents and the collaborative effort on this investigation between ATF, the North Charleston Police Department, and the North Charleston Fire Department,” said Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Our Certified Fire Investigators played an especially critical role here in identifying the evidence that led us to the suspect. Our fire investigation program proved to be an important factor in the outcome of this investigation and we’re grateful to have played a part in bringing this individual to justice.”
Clarke-Pounder faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. He is currently detained pending a detention hearing and preliminary hearing scheduled for March 17 at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Gordon Baker.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the North Charleston Police Department, and the North Charleston Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cole Shannon and Everett McMillian are prosecuting the case.
All charges in the complaint are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Iowa City Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced yesterday to 41 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, Javeyel Johnta Jones, 22, was identified at the scene of a May 2023 shooting in Muscatine. A gun was recovered from the scene and, following additional analysis, Jones’ fingerprint was found on the gun. During a 2024 investigation, Jones was found to be in possession of a second gun in West Liberty.
In 2023, Jones was convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County and was on probation for this charge at the time of federal indictment.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Jones will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Muscatine County Police Department and Muscatine County Drug Task Force.
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.
Illinois Doctor Pleads Guilty to Evading Approximately $1.6M in TaxesRead the Press Release
An Illinois doctor pleaded guilty yesterday to tax evasion for hiding assets and lying to the IRS about his ability to pay approximately $1.6 million in taxes, penalties, and interest.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Krishnaswami Sriram was a medical doctor who resided in Lake Forest. From approximately 2011 to 2017, Sriram evaded payment of approximately $1.6 million he owed to the IRS. Among other steps, Sriram transferred ownership, in name only, of two rental properties from himself to his children without their knowledge, even though he continued to receive income from these properties. He also transferred approximately $600,000 from bank accounts he controlled in the United States to accounts in India. To fraudulently reduce the money he owed the IRS, Sriram submitted documents to the IRS that omitted an investment account in the United States, bank and investment accounts in India, and ownership of the rental properties.
In total, Sriram caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $1.6 million.
As part of the plea, Sriram also admitted that, between February 2012 and January 2022, he caused false billing to Medicare for episodes of in-home physician care, which he purportedly provided to Medicare beneficiaries on dates when those beneficiaries resided at inpatient facilities other than their homes or were deceased. Sriram’s false statements in medical records relating to these episodes of care resulted in false billing to Medicare in the amount of $136,980.36.
Sriram is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara E. Henderson for the Northern District of California prosecuted the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Victor Yanz, of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Hugo Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Maxie Darryl Caston, age 58, of Hugo, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The Indictment alleged that on September 6, 2024, Caston knowingly possessed one .22 caliber revolver, one .20 gauge break-open shotgun, one .243 Winchester caliber bolt-action rifle, two .22 caliber semi-automatic rifles, one .22 caliber lever-action rifle, together with six rounds of .22 Magnum caliber ammunition, one round of .20 gauge ammunition, 13 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, and five rounds of .243 Winchester caliber ammunition after having been previously convicted a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Caston will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Honduran National Guilty of Re-entry of a Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ActingU.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that HIBIS TURCIO-SANCHEZ (“TURCIO-SANCHEZ”), age 45, a native of Honduras, plead guilty on March 13, 2025, to reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and (b)(1).
According to court documents, TURCIO-SANCHEZ reentered the United States after he was previously deported on October 17, 2016.
TURCIO-SANCHEZ faces an enhanced maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, up to 3 years of supervised release, up to a $250,00 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee because of his prior felony conviction for assaulting a federal official in 2016. Sentencing is set for June 17, 2025, before United States District Judge Susie Morgan.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Honduran Citizen Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargeRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Elio Yoel Cardona-Torres, age 43, a Honduran citizen, was indicted on March 12, 2025, by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about February 22, 2025, Cardona-Torres was encountered in Bradford County after previously being removed from the United States. The indictment also alleges that Cardona-Torres had been removed from the United States on June 2, 2010, through Phoenix, Arizona, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
This case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense is 20 years and a fine. A sentence for this offense may also include a period of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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High-Ranking Member of Violent Mexican Drug Cartel Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A Mexican national and high-ranking, violent member of the Los Zetas cartel pleaded guilty today to conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the United States.
According to court documents, Eleazar Medina-Rojas, also known as El Chelelo, 53, was a member of Los Zetas, a drug trafficking organization comprised primarily of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Los Zetas later formed an alliance with the Gulf Cartel, and they collectively operated under the name “The Company.” Medina-Rojas was responsible for enforcement actions and protection of drug trafficking routes, which he often carried out through violence, threats of violence, and the use of weapons. For example, Medina-Rojas participated in acts of violence against rival drug trafficking groups during conflicts for control over drug plazas and trafficking routes.
Medina-Rojas rose through the ranks of The Company and held important leadership roles. Between 2006 and 2007, he served as a “plaza boss” in Monterrey, Mexico, commanding dozens of members of The Company in drug trafficking activity and acts of violence. Specifically, he coordinated cocaine and marijuana loads from Mexico into the United States, shipping the drugs in box trucks and other vehicles outfitted with hidden compartments, and coordinated the repatriation of bulk cash drug proceeds to Mexico. Medina-Rojas and those under his command and control taxed other shipments of illegal drugs that crossed through The Company’s territory, often en route to the United States. Medina-Rojas was personally responsible for the importation into the United States of more than 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2025. Medina-Rojas faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Field Division made the announcement.
The DEA Houston Division investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and July 2023 extradition of Medina-Rojas.
Trial Attorneys Jayce Born and Kirk Handrich and Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Hickman, Kentucky Man Charged with Federal Narcotics and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY –A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant was issued this week charging a Hickman, Kentucky man with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
According to court records, on or about and between October 20, 2023, and March 11, 2025, Christopher Tyler Wilson, 31, conspired to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. On March 11, 2025, agents obtained a search warrant for two USPS packages addressed to Wilson at his residence. Inside the packages, they located a large amount of suspected counterfeit Adderall pills. When Wilson came to the post office to retrieve the packages, a firearm was in plain view in the vehicle. Wilson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On April 22, 2021, in Hickman Circuit Court, Wilson was convicted of first-degree unlawful imprisonment and assault under extreme emotional disturbance.
A search warrant was later executed at Wilson’s residence resulting in the seizure of additional suspected counterfeit Adderall pills, suspected fentanyl pills packaged for sale, suspected Xanax bars, and suspected crystal methamphetamine. Agents also located a large amount of U.S. currency, a money counter, a digital scale, an empty pistol box with ammunition, and a suspected firearm suppressor.
Wilson made an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on March 12, 2025. Wilson was ordered detained pending trial. If convicted on the charges in the complaint, Wilson faces a maximum sentence of 20 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.
This case is being investigated by the ATF Paducah Satellite Office, the U.S. Postal Inspectors Service Bowling Office, the HSI Bowling Green Office, and the DEA Paducah Post of Duty, with assistance from the Kentucky State Police, the Hickman Police Department, and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
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 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A 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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Hampton County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Meth and FentanylRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — John Maurice Anderson, 40, of Hampton, was sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute high potency methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Evidence presented to the court showed that beginning in January 2023 and continuing through June 2023, Anderson conspired with others to distribute and did distribute over 340 grams of high potency methamphetamine and approximately 5 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating source and undercover officer. During a search of Anderson’s vehicle after his arrest, agents located two loaded firearms and a loaded extended magazine. During a search of Anderson’s residence in Hampton, agents located nine loaded firearms, two of which were stolen; approximately 1.9 grams of fentanyl, 29 grams of high potency methamphetamine, 26 grams of cocaine, 23 grams of crack cocaine, and 8 grams of bath salts; various drug trafficking supplies; and over $35,000 in cash.
"Anderson's distribution of illegal narcotics presented a grave threat to the public, and this prison sentence makes our community safer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to dismantle these criminal operations that bring drugs and violence into our community.”
“Drug traffickers exploit vulnerable members of our community to generate profits,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “The success of this investigation is proof that those trying to destroy our communities with drugs and violence will be held accountable.”
“Drug trafficking has plagued our communities for far too long,” said Hampton County Sheriff Anthony Russell. “This case is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the men and women in law enforcement who put their lives on the line to protect our citizens. Their efforts have made a significant impact in our fight against crime, and we will continue to stand together to ensure the safety of our communities.”
“I’d like to thank all the agencies, local, state, and federal, involved in this case,” said Hampton Police Chief Perry McAlhaney. “Prior to this operation our community had an overwhelming number of overdoses and this cut down on those significantly, removing dangerous fentanyl and meth from our streets.”
United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Anderson to 130 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, Hampton Police Department, and Jasper County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carra Henderson is prosecuting the case.
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Haines City Man Arrested for String of Convenience Store RobberiesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the arrest of Davian Walker (19, Haines City) for robberies of convenience stores throughout the Middle District of Florida. If convicted, Walker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the complaint and court statements, Walker committed five robberies over the course of less than three months. Each robbery involved Walker brandishing what appeared to be a handgun to store clerks and demanding cash.
Through an investigation into the first four robberies, law enforcement was able to link Walker to the robberies by identifying his phone number and the vehicle Walker was using to travel to each of the robberies. Using that information, law enforcement tracked and ultimately arrested Walker shortly after he committed a robbery in Titusville during the early morning hours of March 13, 2025.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Zephyrhills Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Titusville Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.
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 Neighborhoods (PSN).
Guilty Plea in Sale of Fentanyl that Resulted in Deaths of Two Northwest D.C. MenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jevaughn Mark, 33, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in connection with a conspiracy that distributed large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine in the metropolitan area, and included the sale of fentanyl that resulted in the December 2023 deaths of two District men.
Mark, aka “Ledo,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, and to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. before U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2025.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mark had been charged with eight counts of unlawful distribution (of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin) and distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl between January 10, 2024, and March 13, 2024. The charges stemmed from six controlled purchases in which undercover DEA and MPD taskforce officers (UC-DEA/MPD) contacted Mark and purchased narcotics. In each instance, the UC-DEA/MPD agents requested to buy “Special K” or ketamine. In every instance, he supplied a mixture of fentanyl and other substances, including heroin, but not ketamine.
After obtaining an indictment, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Mark’s primary residence and recovered two firearms, cocaine, fentanyl, about $38,000 in cash, body armor vests, and drug trafficking paraphernalia.
On June 13, 2024, Jevaughn Mark was charged in a second superseding indictment in connection with distributing fentanyl and cocaine on December 26, 2023, that resulted in the deaths of two men, Brandon Román and Robert Barletta, at their home in Northwest Washington. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Mark admitted to causing the death of both individuals by selling “ketamine” (which was actually fentanyl) to one victim who shared the drugs with the other victim. Both men were found unresponsive the day after Mark sold them the “ketamine.”
The case is being investigated by the DEA’s Washington Division and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Iris McCranie and Dan Seidel, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) section.
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Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal Reentry by A Previously Deported AlienRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Gudelito Adin Cinto-Gonzalez (43, Guatemala) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Cinto-Gonzalez faces up to two years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Cinto-Gonzalez was previously removed from the United States on September 16, 2004. He has never applied to the Attorney General of the United States and/or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for permission to re-enter the United States. On July 4, 2024, he was found voluntarily back in the United States.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) and the Ocoee Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Del Mastro.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Great Falls businessman sentenced for tax and investment fraudRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Great Falls man was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison for tax crimes and his wire fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Rick Tariq Rahim, 56, owned and operated several businesses, including laser tag facilities and an Amazon reseller. From 2015 to 2021, Rahim did not pay the IRS the taxes withheld from his employees’ paychecks or file the required quarterly employment tax returns reporting those withholdings.
Between October 2010 and October 2012, Rahim filed two personal income tax returns on which he reported owing substantial taxes, but did not pay all the taxes due. When the IRS attempted to collect the unpaid taxes, Rahim submitted a false statement that omitted valuable assets he owned, including a helicopter, a Bentley, a Lamborghini, and real estate in Great Falls. Approximately two weeks later, Rahim transferred ownership of the Great Falls property to his wife. He also paid personal expenses from his business bank accounts, including more than $889,000 toward his mortgages and more than $669,000 to purchase or lease cars, including three different Lamborghinis. Rahim withdrew more than $1.1 million in cash in amounts less than $10,000 to avoid triggering currency transaction reports from the bank. Rahim has not filed a personal income tax return since 2012 despite earning more than $34 million in gross income.
In total, Rahim caused a loss to the IRS of at least $4.4 million.
Rahim also defrauded customers who invested using his automated trading bots and by “copying” Rahim’s supposed trading activities that he posted to Discord. He marketed his products on websites named BotsforWealth, TradeAutomation, ProChartSignals, OptionCopier, CopyAndWin, SnipeAlgo, and QQQtrade. Rahim charged customers a subscription fee to access his bots and other software, and to copy his supposed trades. Rahim also offered a “lifetime membership” through which customers received access to Rahim’s private Discord channel, some of his products, and his “in-office” trading days. Rahim personally traded stocks for at least two individuals, claiming “We'll hit home runs and make $500k+ per day very very often.” Instead, Rahim lost over $300,000 of his clients’ funds in eight months.
Rahim induced customers to subscribe to his products by using social media tools, including TikTok, YouTube, and Discord. He also sought to induce customers by claiming he was extremely wealthy, boasting about trading millions of dollars and posting about his large home, pool, and luxury cars, including his Lamborghini. He posted false information to his websites and to his social media accounts claiming to “beat the stock market every day” and promising extreme profit margins. His claim of regularly beating the market was exaggerated. In reality, he did not post his trades that lost money. In fact, Rahim realized over $500,000 in losses from February 2021 through December 2022, and did not earn millions in the market during this time as he had claimed. As part of his fraud scheme, Rahim also created at least 20 Discord user profiles where he posted emojis, likes, and symbols showing agreement and excitement regarding Rahim’s posts. Rahim earned at least $1,397,000 in subscription fees during his schemes.
In addition to Rahim’s prison sentence, he agreed to forfeiture of over $1.3 million and must pay restitution to the IRS and to his investment fraud victims.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Karen E. Kelly, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated Rahim’s tax fraud and FBI investigated his investment fraud. The case was consolidated for sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Shartar for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys William Montague and Ashley Stein of the Tax Division prosecuted Rahim for his tax fraud. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shartar prosecuted Rahim for his investment fraud.
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 Nos. 1:23-cr-173 (Rahim’s Tax Fraud Case) and 1:24-cr-179 (Rahim’s Investment Fraud Case).
Georgia Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine from Inside an Alabama PrisonRead the Press Release
According to court documents, Justin Brian Melton, 35, was convicted of trafficking heroin in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama in 2022. The state court sentenced Melton to serve 20 years in prison. Melton served that sentence at the Ventress prison in Clayton, Alabama.
Between March 2023 and May 2024, while incarcerated at Ventress, Melton used contraband cell phones to orchestrate shipments of bulk fentanyl and methamphetamine from the Atlanta, Georgia area into southern Alabama and elsewhere. In November 2023, agents arrested one of Melton’s coconspirators in Atmore, Alabama and seized half a kilogram of fentanyl from him. Melton’s coconspirator was on his way back from Atlanta after completing a bulk fentanyl deal that Melton had brokered. Agents extracted the contents of the coconspirator’s cell phone, which contained several messages between Melton and the coconspirator about coordinating bulk fentanyl and methamphetamine transactions.
Agents obtained AT&T records regarding the contraband cell phones that Melton used to broker drug deals while he was in prison. The phones were subscribed in Melton’s name. Cell tower location data for the phones showed that during the conspiracy, the phones consistently pinged off the same cell tower in the vicinity of the Ventress prison. Additionally, agents captured recorded communications between Melton and coconspirators that showed Melton using contraband phones from state prison.
In addition to the 210-month prison sentence, Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock ordered Melton to serve a ten-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Beaverstock ordered Melton to pay $200 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.Fort Wainwright Soldier arrested on multiple child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Soldier stationed at Fort Wainwright was arrested yesterday evening on the military base after a criminal complaint was filed in federal court charging him with production and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2024, the Fort Eustis Resident Unit of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (DACID) received a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) cybertip reporting that five images of alleged child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were uploaded to an online platform. Fort Eustis DACID reviewed the images and determined they depicted CSAM of prepubescent female children.
A subsequent investigation resulted in law enforcement executing search warrants in October 2024 for the residence of David Andres Mayoral, 20, Mayoral’s electronic devices and his account on the previously mentioned online platform.
A review and forensic examination of Mayoral’s accounts and electronic devices allegedly revealed over 2,500 images and over 680 videos of suspected CSAM that Mayoral possessed and communicated across four messaging applications.
The complaint also alleges Mayoral engaged in sexually explicit conversations with minor victims, where he requested and directed the victims to take sexually explicit photos and send them to him.
Mayoral is charged with three counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. If convicted, Mayoral faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka of the DACID Western Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.
The DACID and FBI Anchorage Field Office are investigating the case. If anyone has information concerning Mayoral’s alleged actions or may have encountered an individual using the name “David Mayoral” or “ghoulishclown” online, please contact DACID at (907)353-6212 or anonymously at www.cid.army.mil/Submit-a-Tip/.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carly Vosacek and Jennifer Ivers are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
A criminal complaint 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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Former Mt. Carmel Borough Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Violate Civil RightsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that former Lt. David Donkochik, age 53, of the Mt. Carmel Borough Police Department, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. Chief District Judge Matthew W. Brann, to conspiring to use excessive force when arresting people over a three-year period.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, former Lt. Donkochik was previously indicted on June 15, 2023, with former Officer Jonathan McHugh, age 36, and former Officer Kyle Schauer, age 36, on charges of conspiracy to deprive rights under color of law. Donkochik, McHugh, and Schauer conspired to violate the civil rights of those they arrested from 2018 to 2021. During 22 different arrests, one or more of the defendants kicked, punched, choked, or otherwise used excessive force against those they were arresting. In those arrests, they caused bodily injuries to their victims.
Donkochik, McHugh, and Schauer also took steps to ensure that video of the arrests was not captured by police cameras, or if footage that incriminated them was captured, took steps to ensure that footage was not preserved. They falsely reported that arrestees acted in a manner requiring violence and then charged arrestees with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and related offenses to conceal their own use of violence.
Schauer pleaded guilty on October 24, 2024, to conspiracy to deprive rights under color of law.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Consiglio and Carlo D. Marchioli and are prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Former Mohawk Executive Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA, Ga. – Jana Kanyadan, the former Global Chief Information Officer of Mohawk Industries, Inc. (“Mohawk”), has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for defrauding Mohawk.
“Kanyadan held a position of authority as a C-suite executive at Mohawk and abused his fiduciary duty by stealing from the company that trusted him,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “His sentence is a reasonable one that reflects the seriousness of his criminal conduct.”
“The defendant stole money that should have gone to his employer,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “We will continue to investigate and hold accountable anyone who attempts to scam their employer out of funds.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Kanyadan was Mohawk’s Global Chief Information Officer, responsible for Information Technology (“IT”) services and decisions. In 2019, Mohawk began a large, multi-year IT project and outsourced work for the project to IT consulting firms. Kanyadan secretly organized and controlled a Georgia company, Meta Technology Platforms, LLC (“Meta Tech”), and used his position at Mohawk to retain Meta Tech as a Mohawk vendor and divert Mohawk’s outsourced IT consulting work to Meta Tech.
Between approximately May 7, 2022, and October 2, 2022, Meta Tech submitted invoices to Mohawk totaling approximately $3,016,011.40. But these invoices did not disclose Kanyadan’s relationship to Meta Tech. Moreover, the invoices charged Mohawk for services that had not actually been performed and for software that had not actually been provided. The invoices also charged Mohawk inflated hourly rates that Kanyadan approved on Mohawk’s behalf. Based on the fraudulent invoices, Mohawk paid Meta Tech approximately $1,857,741.40, in total, with approximately $820,577.40 of that amount arising from fraud.
Jana Kanyadan, 54, of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to seven years, six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Kanyadan was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and $985,166.66 in restitution. Kanyadan pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and seven counts of wire fraud on November 1, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Tal C. Chaiken prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.