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23 April 2025
Federal Jury Convicts Remaining Two Defendants in Moorhead Methamphetamine Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – Two individuals from Moorhead, Minnesota, were convicted by a federal jury for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to evidence presented at trial, on February 22, 2024, acting on a canine alert, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant on a suspicious package that had been intercepted in North Dakota. Inside the package, law enforcement found over nine pounds of methamphetamine. Agents removed a majority of the methamphetamine, added a tracking device to the package, and returned it to the intended delivery address, a rental unit in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Once delivered, law enforcement observed Alberto St. Martin Lopez, Jr., 58, retrieve the package and take it to his residence nearby. There, Lopez met with two of his other co-conspirators. At trial, evidence demonstrated that the trio recorded opening the suspect parcel. They departed quickly afterwards, each with different parts of the parcel evidence. One co-conspirator left in possession of the remaining methamphetamine and quickly met up with a fourth co-conspirator. A second co-conspirator left Lopez’s residence, recovered three additional pounds of methamphetamine separately stored on Lopez’s property, and left. Lopez left his residence with the GPS tracker. All were quickly apprehended and found in possession of the tracking device, the additional three pounds of methamphetamine, digital scales and other miscellaneous drug distribution materials.
As proven at trial, Terri Lee Weideman, 46, worked at a Fargo property management company and since at least April 2023 had been providing the conspiracy with the addresses of rental units she knew to be vacant, thereby facilitating the shipments of methamphetamine from California.
“Transnational criminal organizations continue to pour methamphetamine into Minnesota by various means, including by mail,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “As this case demonstrates, this office, working hand in glove with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue to dedicate resources to stop the flow of methamphetamine into our state.”
In total, once all search warrants had been executed, 12 pounds of methamphetamine was seized on February 23, 2023, at the time comprising the largest combined seizure of methamphetamine in Clay County, Minnesota.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Moorhead Police Department, and other supporting agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren O. Roso and Allen A. Slaughter Jr. tried the case.
FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force Turns 45 - Dallas Division Reflects on Past Success, Continues VigilanceRead the Press Release
DALLAS – This week, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) R. Joseph Rothrock is joining FBI offices around the country in marking the 45th anniversary of the FBI’s first Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). Formed in New York in 1980, the first JTTF became a model for law enforcement cooperation across the nation.
JTTFs can be found at each of the FBI’s 55 field offices and many resident agencies—around 280 locations in all. The Dallas Field Office organized the North Texas JTTF in 1995 and it is comprised of dozens of investigative personnel from more than 20 agencies across the Division’s territory.
JTTFs gather trained investigators, intelligence analysts, linguists, and tactical experts from federal, state, local, territorial, tribal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Task force members share intelligence and investigative leads and respond to threats and incidents.
“We know from each potential crisis or thwarted attack that we cannot do this job alone,” said SAC Rothrock. “Each member of the North Texas JTTF brings unique skills and specialized resources from their agency to enhance our collective investigative capabilities. We are proud to work side-by-side with our partners in the fight against terrorism, and will continue to vigorously defend the Dallas Division’s territory.”
The FBI’s JTTF model dates to 1979, when the New York Police Department and the FBI’s New York Field Office created a joint task force to tackle violent bank robberies. They imitated the model in 1980, when terrorist bombings, bomb threats, and other violence plagued the city, and announced the formation of the first JTTF in April 1980.
“The JTTF has proven to be a world class model of what can be accomplished when law enforcement resources from federal, state, and local agencies converge to combat terrorism and disrupt the plans of evil actors throughout the United States,” said Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. “The JTTF has been called upon to investigate some of the most horrific acts of violence imaginable and we should all be thankful for the work the JTTF does daily to keep communities across the United States safe.”
After the 9/11 attacks, FBI leadership directed all FBI field offices to establish a JTTF. In addition, the FBI established its National Joint Terrorism Task Force to support the local task forces in June of 2002. The NJTTF, at FBI Headquarters, enhances communication, coordination, and cooperation from partner agencies.
“This Office depends on the critical work of the JTTF in keeping Americans safe,” said Acting U. S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “We applaud the JTTF’s decades of significant efforts in partnership with the USAO-NDTX.”
Nationally, JTTFs have disrupted dozens of plots in the past four decades. Notable investigations in Dallas’ territory include:
• Hosam Maher Husein Smadi: Sentenced to 24 years in prison for his attempted bombing of a downtown Dallas skyscraper in September 2009. According to documents filed, Smadi knowingly took possession of a truck that contained a weapon of mass destruction, and while the bomb was inert when Smadi took possession of it, it was a readily-convertible weapon of mass destruction.
• Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari: Sentenced to life in prison for the attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in connection with his 2011 purchase of chemicals and equipment necessary to make an improvised explosive device (IED) and his research of potential U.S. targets, including persons and infrastructure.
• Omer Kuzu: Pleaded guilty in 2020 to conspiring to provide material support to terrorism. In March 2019, Kuzu was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces, alongside 1,500 suspected ISIS fighters. He was handed over to FBI custody, returned to American soil, and charged with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS.
Report suspicious activity to 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324). You can also submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov tips.fbi.gov.
Ellwood City Resident Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Coercing Minor to Produce and Send Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on April 22, 2025, to 252 months of incarceration, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, on his conviction of coercion and enticement of a minor, and production and receipt of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Shayne A. Clapper, 31.
According to information presented to the Court, in January 2023 through February 2023, Clapper initiated a sexual relationship with a minor known to him. Clapper provided the minor with a cell phone that he used to communicate with the minor, including requesting and receiving nude images from the minor. Clapper also induced the minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Ellwood City Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Clapper.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
El Paso Man Pleads Guilty to Alien Smuggling and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An El Paso man who led a major human smuggling operation has pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiring to transport and harbor illegal aliens and to launder the proceeds of the smuggling scheme.
According to court records, between July 7, 2022, and March 21, 2023, Jose Luis Avalos, 42, the leader of the organization and the final defendant to plead in the case, along with co-conspirators and his wife, Kristina Hardin, coordinated the illegal transportation and harboring of unauthorized immigrants throughout New Mexico. In return, Avalos and Hardin received numerous money transfers into their bank accounts as proceeds from the smuggling operation and paid others for expenses related to the conspiracy.
In addition, from August 10, 2021, through December 27, 2022, Avalos conspired with Hardin and others to launder the proceeds from the smuggling activities. They deposited illicit funds into multiple bank accounts and used the money for personal and mutual benefit, intentionally concealing the source and nature of these funds to avoid detection. In his plea agreement, Avalos admitted to knowingly participating in the conspiracy and working with others for their shared benefit.
Avalos was indicted on May 18, 2023, along with eight co-conspirators, as part of a federal investigation into a large-scale migrant smuggling and money laundering operation. Subsequently, Hardin pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy to launder proceeds, while Avalos’ brother, David Avalos-Solis, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. Twin brothers Dario Rey Gamboa and Diego Rean Gamboa, along with Justin Walker, Cindy Escobar, and Adam Guerrero, also pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. Nancy Orellana-Recinos pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting eluding examination or inspection.
Orellana-Recinos was sentenced to time served and was provided a notice to appear for immigration proceedings. Hardin received two years of probation. Walker was sentenced to 21 months in prison. Diego Rean Gamboa, Dario Rey Gamboa, Cindy Escobar, and Adam Guerrero were each sentenced to time served.
At sentencing, Avalos faces 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Randy M. Castellano is prosecuting the case as part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 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 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 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 330 U.S. convictions; more than 275 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
East Lyme Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax ChargeRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that ANALIA MOUNTZOURES, 48, of East Lyme, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a tax offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mountzoures operated Mountzoures Cleaning, a business with approximately 10 employees that provided cleaning services to more than 200 commercial and residential clients in southeastern Connecticut. During the 2018 through 2023 tax years, Mountzoures often paid her employees in cash, did not report their wages to the state or federal government, did not file required IRS forms related to her employees, did not issue W-2 forms, did not withhold employee taxes as required, and did not pay federal employment taxes and withholding. She also provided her tax return preparer with false information that resulted in personal tax returns that significantly underreported her gross receipts, income, and taxes due and owing.
As an example, Mountzoures’ 2023 tax return reported gross receipts of $12,095 and total taxes before credits as $1,450. In fact, Mountzoures’ gross receipts were approximately $628,072 and the tax due was approximately $96,650.
Mountzoures has agreed to pay restitution of $380,167.60 to the IRS.
Mountzoures pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting a false tax return, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for July 22. Mountzoures is released on a $40,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Dresden Man Sentenced to Federal Imprisonment for Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Chapell Dain Cissell, 31, to ten years in federal prison for possession of several firearms and a large amount of ammunition. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to the evidence presented in court, in March 2021, several deputies with the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department responded to Fast Eddie’s Bar in Dresden, Tennessee, after receiving a report of an assault in progress. Upon arrival, the deputies spoke with the victims who said that an individual, later identified as Cissell, drove a black SUV into the parking lot of the bar wearing a “bullet proof vest” and holding an assault rifle firearm. Cissell pointed the firearm at the three victims, threatened to kill them, and fled the parking lot.
Deputies later found Cissell wearing a ballistic vest while sitting inside a pickup truck, preparing to leave his residence. The deputies observed a wooden handle of a revolver sticking out of the top of the vest. Deputies also found three firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition either on Cissell or in the vehicle he was occupying. Cissell admitted that there were additional firearms in his residence. Three additional firearms and over two thousand rounds of various caliber ammunition were discovered after a search of Cissell’s residence.
On April 11, 2025, United States District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Cissell to 120 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release, the maximum term of imprisonment, after Cissell pled guilty to six counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Weakley County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Adam Davis prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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Dominican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Carlos Yuniol Pimentel-Ortiz, 38, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He will appear in federal court on a later date.
According to the indictment, Pimentel-Ortiz was deported from the United States on or about Nov. 7, 2023. It is alleged that sometime after his removal, Pimentel-Ortiz illegally reentered the United States without permission. He was found in the United States on March 21, 2025.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in criminal cases.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in Lawrence, Mass. has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Santo Beato Aybar-Aybar was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Aybar-Aybar was arrested on March 23, 2025 and is currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement Custody. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Aybar-Aybar was previously deported from the United States on or about Sept. 21, 2021. It is alleged that sometime after his September 2021 removal, Aybar-Aybar illegally reentered the United States without permission.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crime Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican Man Who Illegally Entered the U.S. After Multiple Prior Deportations Sentenced to 15 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Melvin Gutierrez-Almonte, 42, a Dominican national unlawfully residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced this morning by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to 15 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Gutierrez-Almonte was charged by indictment in September of last year and pleaded guilty to the charge against him in January. He admitted to illegally entering the United States in April 2023, crossing from Mexico into Arizona.
According to immigration records, the defendant had been removed from the United States on four prior occasions — on or about March 1, 2011, September 27, 2016, March 20, 2018, and September 1, 2020 — and had not sought permission to reenter. He has three previous illegal reentry convictions, all in the District of Puerto Rico.
As detailed in court filings, on May 18, 2024, Gutierrez-Almonte was arrested by West New York Township Police in Hudson County, New Jersey, and charged with simple assault and receiving stolen property. The case remains active and there is currently a detainer.
Then, on July 10, 2024, Gutierrez-Almonte was arrested by Philadelphia Police and charged under the name “Conjeo Almonet” with aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of a crime, and simple assault.
The next day, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials received a biometric notification of the Philadelphia arrest.
Gutierrez-Almonte was subsequently charged by federal criminal complaint with illegal reentry, and on September 3, 2024, an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officer arrested him, following the defendant’s release from Philadelphia custody.
“Melvin Gutierrez-Almonte is a serial violator of our country’s sovereignty. He has entered the United States illegally and been removed multiple times already,” U.S. Attorney Metcalf said. “Not only has he flouted our immigration laws, he has also been arrested several times for assault, gun possession, and more. He is a great example of how certain immigrants repeatedly disrespect our laws. Anyone who wants to come to this country must do so legally, and anyone who wants to stay must honor the obligations of our laws.”
“Ensuring the safety of our communities is at the core of our mission at ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. This individual’s repeated unlawful reentry and criminal activity posed a significant risk to public safety,” said ICE ERO Philadelphia Acting Field Office Director Brian McShane. “By apprehending, prosecuting, and removing those who threaten our neighborhoods, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the well-being of law-abiding residents. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to uphold our nation’s immigration laws and keep our communities safe.”
The case was investigated by ICE ERO and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosalynda M. Michetti.
District Man Indicted for Illegal Firearm Possession Following Arrest in Northeast D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antowan Tyrone Hagans, 30, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on a federal firearm charge as part of the Make D.C. Safe Again initiative. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin aimed at reducing violent crime in the District by prioritizing federal firearms violations, seeking tougher penalties, and pursuing detention for firearms offenders.
Hagans is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to court documents, on March 27, 2025, MPD officers encountered Hagans in a high-crime area of the Sixth District. As officers approached, Hagans fled into an apartment building. During the pursuit, he fell in a stairwell, and a loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol fell to the ground during the struggle with officers
Hagans was arrested at the scene. He is prohibited from possessing firearms due to two prior felony convictions, including robbery while armed and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Detroit Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jovonne Haynes, age 30, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 135 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization selling controlled substances that spanned from Michigan to Monongalia County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Haynes was allowing his apartment in Morgantown to be used for the drug trafficking operation. Haynes pled guilty to a methamphetamine distribution charge in December 2024.
Haynes will serve three years of supervised release following his sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Clarksburg; the FBI Clarksburg; the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; WVU Police Department; the DEA Cincinnati District Office; the DEA Detroit Field Division; and the FBI Detroit.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Darknet Drug Trafficker from Western Pennsylvania Sentenced in D.C. for Selling Mass Quantities of Fentanyl OnlineRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jacob Blair, 27, of Aliquippa, Pa., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 180 months in federal prison for his role in a drug conspiracy that distributed a wide variety of narcotics, including large amounts of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine. Blair sold and distributed the narcotics on Tor2Door and other darknet markets.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr.; Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti of the Western District of Pennsylvania; Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Kevin P. Rojek of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division; Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division; Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Pittsburgh Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
Blair pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine, and to a charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Blair also pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to a charge, originally filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, of distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In addition to the 180-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Blair to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Blair was responsible for distributing more than 1.2 kilograms but less than 4 kilograms of fentanyl, and at least 50 grams but less than 200 grams of methamphetamine. He also admitted to mass-marketing the narcotics by means of an interactive computer service.
Blair’s co-defendant Dyani Pezzelle pleaded guilty March 5, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine. Pezzelle is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 18, 2025.
Between August 1, 2022, and Feb. 24, 2023, Blair and Pezzelle operated vendor accounts on various darknet marketplaces. On the marketplace Tor2Door, Blair and Pezzelle advertised their controlled substances using the monikers “YVS” and “YVendor Supplier” which they touted as “a syndicate of professionals that specialize in making the best products the markets have to offer. We focus on quality, consistency, stealth, and speed.” The conspiracy completed at least 459 sales of illegal narcotics.
Blair manufactured and obtained counterfeit Oxycodone, Adderall, and Xanax pills for sale. Blair posted advertisements for the controlled substances on Tor2Door and four other marketplaces and accepted payment in cryptocurrency. During the conspiracy, Blair shipped counterfeit oxycodone pills to the District of Columbia at least six times. These pills contained fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and metonitazene, a Schedule I controlled substance. In addition, they also shipped counterfeit Xanax and Adderall pills to the District multiple times.
On February 22, 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants at Blair’s residence in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and other locations. During the searches, law enforcement recovered 10 firearms, over 20,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl, an industrial pill press, and other manufacturing and distribution supplies.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Field Offices in Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. Valuable assistance was provided by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Moon Township Police Department.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Strong and Peter Roman of the District of Columbia’s Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) section and Assistant U.S. Attorney DeMarr Moulton of the Western District of Pennsylvania. The case was initially investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg.
Darknet Drug Trafficker from Pennsylvania Sentenced in D.C. for Selling Mass Quantities of Fentanyl OnlineRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jacob Blair, 27, of Aliquippa, Pa., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 180 months in federal prison for his role in a drug conspiracy that distributed a wide variety of narcotics, including large amounts of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine. Blair sold and distributed the narcotics on the darknet marketplace Tor2Door and other darknet markets.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr.; Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti of the Western District of Pennsylvania; Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Kevin P. Rojek of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division; Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division; Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the US Postal Inspection Service Pittsburgh Division for; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
Blair pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine, and to a charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Blair also pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to a charge, originally filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, of distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In addition to the 180-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Blair to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Blair was responsible for distributing more than 1.2 kilograms but less than 4 kilograms of fentanyl, and at least 50 grams but less than 200 grams of methamphetamine. He also admitted to mass-marketing the narcotics by means of an interactive computer service.
Blair’s co-defendant Dyani Pezzelle pleaded guilty March 5, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine. Pezzelle is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 18, 2025.
Between August 1, 2022, and Feb. 24, 2023, Blair and Pezzelle operated vendor accounts on various darknet marketplaces. On the marketplace Tor2Door, Blair and Pezzelle advertised their controlled substances using the monikers “YVS” and “YVendor Supplier” which they touted as “a syndicate of professionals that specialize in making the best products the markets have to offer. We focus on quality, consistency, stealth, and speed.” The conspiracy completed at least 459 sales of illegal narcotics.
Blair manufactured and obtained counterfeit Oxycodone, Adderall, and Xanax pills for sale. Blair posted advertisements for the controlled substances on Tor2Door and four other marketplaces and accepted payment in cyrptocurrency. During the conspiracy, Blair shipped counterfeit oxycodone pills to the District of Columbia at least six times. These pills contained fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and metonitazene, a Schedule I controlled substance. In addition, they also shipped counterfeit Xanax and Adderall pills to the District multiple times.
On February 22, 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants at Blair’s residence in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and other locations. During the searches, law enforcement recovered 10 firearms, over 20,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl, an industrial pill press, and other manufacturing and distribution supplies.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Field Offices in Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. Valuable assistance was provided by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Moon Township Police Department.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Strong and Peter Roman of the District of Columbia’s Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) section and Assistant U.S. Attorney DeMarr Moulton of the Western District of Pennsylvania. The case was initially investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg.
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D.C. Man Admits to 2023 Killing at Navy Yard Metro StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyriq Williams, 31, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder for the 2023 shooting murder of Terry Clark, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2025. The guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, called for an agreed-upon prison sentence of between 14 and 18 years, followed by a period of supervised release.
On January 7, 2023, the defendant and his girlfriend encountered Mr. Clark on an escalator leaving the Navy Yard Metro Station. The defendant and Mr. Clark did not know each other. After both men left the station, Williams turned around and shot Mr. Clark one time, causing his death. The defendant then went back into the station and took the train to Congress Heights Metro Station, where he took a bus to his place of employment. Williams told a friend that he needed a ride, and his friend picked the defendant up and drove him to the bus stop, where Williams got back on the same bus that he previously rode. The shooting was not captured on video, but law enforcement located the defendant on other video surveillance, including Washington Metro Area Transit Authority surveillance around the metro station and on the bus. After an investigation, Williams was apprehended, and detectives found, pursuant to a search warrant of the defendant’s home, distinctive clothing that he wore on the night of the shooting.
Williams has been in custody since his arrest on January 20, 2023.
This case is being investigated by detectives and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department and Metro Transit Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Jamie Carter. This case was investigated by former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Interrante.
Convicted Sex Offender Indicted for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Nicholas Lugo of Chaska, Minnesota, has been charged with distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Nicholas Richard Lugo, 25, distributed multiple CSAM videos over the internet. Lugo has a 2021 conviction in Hennepin County for first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor.
“Lugo is a child predator. He was convicted of sexually abusing a child. And then—like so many sexual predators—went on to offend again,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Minnesotans should have no tolerance for serial child sex offenders in our midst. The U.S. Attorney’s Office certainly doesn’t. Defendants like Lugo who repeatedly prey on children should expect to see federal charges and do federal prison time.”
Lugo is charged with one count of distribution child pornography. At his arraignment hearing, Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster ordered that he remain in custody pending further court proceedings.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Chaska Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the FBI. It 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. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Companies and President Operating Oregon Wood Treatment Facility to Pay $1.5M in Criminal Fines for Hazardous Waste and Air Pollution ChargesRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.— Two companies responsible for the operation of the J.H. Baxter wood treatment facility in Eugene, Oregon, and their president, were sentenced Tuesday for hazardous waste and Clean Air Act violations. Collectively, they were ordered to pay a total of $1.5 million in criminal fines. In addition, the court ordered the companies to serve five years of probation and the companies’ president, Georgia Baxter-Krause, 62, of Deschutes County, Oregon, to serve 90 days in federal prison and one year of supervised release.
Both companies — J.H. Baxter & Co. Inc. and J.H. Baxter & Co., A California Limited Partnership (collectively J.H. Baxter) — previously pleaded guilty to charges of illegally treating hazardous waste and knowingly violating the Clean Air Act’s regulations for hazardous air pollutants. Georgia Baxter-Krause previously pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal statute governing hazardous waste management.
"On more than 100 different days, J.H. Baxter knowingly and illegally boiled off hazardous waste, emitting the discharge into the air,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “J.H. Baxter’s President, Georgia Baxter-Krause, then made false statements about the unlawful practice. Protecting the public’s health is among our highest priorities, and we will prosecute those who violate environmental laws."
“The J.H. Baxter companies knowingly mishandled hazardous waste and repeatedly violated the Clean Air Act by venting hazardous substances directly into the air, right across the street from people’s homes. The company president then lied to cover up these crimes,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s sentencing highlights the significant penalties that Congress has provided for illegally treating or disposing of hazardous waste as well as the Agency’s continued efforts to ensure that Americans have clean air, land, and water.”
“The defendant companies boiled hazardous waste into our community’s air instead of properly dealing with it and Georgia Baxter-Krause lied when confronted about it,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the Eugene and Medford Branches of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute those who put Oregonians at risk in violation of federal law.”
According to court documents, J.H. Baxter used hazardous chemicals to treat and preserve wood at its Eugene facility. The wastewater from the wood preserving processes was hazardous waste.
To properly treat wastewater from its wood treatment process, J.H. Baxter operated a legal wastewater treatment unit to treat and evaporate the waste. For years, however, when J.H. Baxter had too much water on site, including process wastewater and precipitation, J.H. Baxter’s employees at the facility would transfer hazardous process wastewater to an available wood treatment retort to “boil it off,” greatly reducing its volume. J.H. Baxter would then remove the remaining waste from the retort, label it as hazardous waste and ship it offsite for disposal.
Photo sent to Georgia Baxter-Krause in 2019, depicting the inside of a J.H. Baxter retort after weeks of boiling hazardous waste, from the government’s sentencing memo in United States v. J.H. Baxter, et al., 6:24-cr-441 in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
J.H. Baxter did not have a permit to treat its hazardous waste in this manner, as required by RCRA. Additionally, J.H. Baxter’s facility was subject to certain Clean Air Act emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants, which required it to minimize air pollution emissions. However, during the illegal treatment, employees were directed to open all vents on the retorts, allowing discharge to the surrounding air.
After Oregon inspectors discovered this activity, they requested information about the companies’ practice of boiling off hazardous wastewater. On two separate occasions, Georgia Baxter-Krause gave false information in response, which included information about the dates the practice took place and which retorts were used.
The investigation determined that Georgia Baxter-Krause knew J.H. Baxter maintained detailed daily production logs for each retort. From approximately January to October 2019, J.H. Baxter boiled off hazardous process wastewater in its wood treatment retorts on 136 known days. Georgia Baxter-Krause was also aware that during this time J.H. Baxter used four of its five retorts to boil off wastewater.
This case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, EPAs Pacific Northwest (Region 10) office, and the Oregon State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren for the District of Oregon, Trial Attorneys Rachel Roberts and Stephen J. Foster of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla G. Perrin.
This case was an Environmental Crimes Task Force (ECTF) investigation. ECTF is an initiative in the District of Oregon that identifies, investigates, and prosecutes significant environmental, public lands, and wildlife crimes. ECTF leverages the resources and effort of federal, state and local regulatory agencies and law enforcement to protect human health, safeguard natural resources and wildlife and hold violators accountable.
Companies and President Operating Oregon Wood Treatment Facility to Pay $1.5M in Criminal Fines for Hazardous Waste and Air Pollution ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal judge in Oregon yesterday sentenced the two companies responsible for the operation of the J.H. Baxter wood treatment facility in Eugene, Oregon, and their president, for hazardous waste and Clean Air Act violations. Collectively, they were ordered to pay a total of $1.5 million in criminal fines. In addition, the court ordered the companies to serve five years of probation and the companies’ president, Georgia Baxter-Krause, of Deschutes, Oregon, to serve 90 days in prison and one year of supervised release.
Both companies — J.H. Baxter & Co. Inc. and J.H. Baxter & Co., A California Limited Partnership (collectively J.H. Baxter) — previously pleaded guilty to charges of illegally treating hazardous waste and knowingly violating the Clean Air Act’s regulations for hazardous air pollutants. Georgia Baxter-Krause previously pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal statute governing hazardous waste management.
“On more than 100 different days, J.H. Baxter knowingly and illegally boiled off hazardous waste, emitting the discharge into the air,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “J.H. Baxter’s President, Georgia Baxter-Krause, then made false statements about the unlawful practice. Protecting the public’s health is among our highest priorities, and we will prosecute those who violate environmental laws.”
“The J.H. Baxter companies knowingly mishandled hazardous waste and repeatedly violated the Clean Air Act by venting hazardous substances directly into the air, right across the street from people’s homes. The company president then lied to cover up these crimes,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s sentencing highlights the significant penalties that Congress has provided for illegally treating or disposing of hazardous waste as well as the Agency’s continued efforts to ensure that Americans have clean air, land, and water.”
“The defendant companies boiled hazardous waste into our community’s air instead of properly dealing with it and Georgia Baxter-Krause lied when confronted about it,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the Eugene and Medford Branches of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute those who put Oregonians at risk in violation of federal law.”
According to court documents, J.H. Baxter used hazardous chemicals to treat and preserve wood at its Eugene facility. The wastewater from the wood preserving processes was hazardous waste.
To properly treat wastewater from its wood treatment process, J.H. Baxter operated a legal wastewater treatment unit to treat and evaporate the waste. For years, however, when J.H. Baxter had too much water on site, including process wastewater and precipitation, J.H. Baxter’s employees at the facility would transfer hazardous process wastewater to an available wood treatment retort to “boil it off,” greatly reducing its volume. J.H. Baxter would then remove the remaining waste from the retort, label it as hazardous waste and ship it offsite for disposal.
United States v. J.H. Baxter, et al., 6:24-cr-441J.H. Baxter did not have a permit to treat its hazardous waste in this manner, as required by RCRA. Additionally, J.H. Baxter’s facility was subject to certain Clean Air Act emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants, which required it to minimize air pollution emissions. However, during the illegal treatment, employees were directed to open all vents on the retorts, allowing discharge to the surrounding air.
After Oregon inspectors discovered this activity, they requested information about the companies’ practice of boiling off hazardous wastewater. On two separate occasions, Georgia Baxter-Krause gave false information in response, which included information about the dates the practice took place and which retorts were used.
The investigation determined that Georgia Baxter-Krause knew J.H. Baxter maintained detailed daily production logs for each retort. From approximately January to October 2019, J.H. Baxter boiled off hazardous process wastewater in its wood treatment retorts on 136 known days. Georgia Baxter-Krause was also aware that during this time J.H. Baxter used four of its five retorts to boil off wastewater.
This case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, EPAs Pacific Northwest (Region 10) office, and the Oregon State Police.
This case was an Environmental Crimes Task Force (ECTF) investigation. ECTF is an initiative in the District of Oregon that identifies, investigates, and prosecutes significant environmental, public lands, and wildlife crimes. ECTF leverages the resources and effort of federal, state and local regulatory agencies and law enforcement to protect human health, safeguard natural resources and wildlife and hold violators accountable.
Trial Attorneys Rachel Roberts and Stephen J. Foster of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren for the District of Oregon and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla G. Perrin prosecuted the case.
Chula Vista Towing Company Agrees to Settle Allegations That It Illegally Auctioned a Servicemember’s Car During DeploymentRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Tony’s Auto Center, a towing company in Chula Vista, California, has agreed to a settlement to resolve allegations that it violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) when it auctioned a car owned by an active-duty servicemember while he was deployed at sea.
According to the United States’ complaint, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Jonathan Liongson was deployed in November 2022 aboard the USS Bunker Hill. Before leaving for deployment, Lieutenant Liongson had placed personal items in his 2011 Mazda 6 and parked the car at a friend’s house.
While Lieutenant Liongson was at sea, the Chula Vista Police Department impounded the car because of an expired registration, and Tony’s Auto Center towed the car to its facility. About two months later, Tony’s Auto Center, through its agent, sold Lieutenant Liongson’s car at auction without first obtaining a court order authorizing the sale, as is required by the SCRA. In March 2023, the Lieutenant returned home from deployment to find that his car had been towed. He then contacted Tony’s Auto Center and learned that they had sold his car.
The SCRA is a federal law that provides legal and financial protections to military members and their families while they are in military service. One of the SCRA’s protections requires anyone holding a lien on the property of a servicemember to obtain a court order prior to auctioning off, selling or otherwise disposing of that property.
“The SCRA protects the rights of the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, which allows them to devote their full attention to defending our country,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “While Lieutenant Liongson was at sea, he understood that his ship’s mission and the duration of their deployment could change at any moment. He accepted that reality in the fulfillment of his solemn oath. In turn, the SCRA provides grace and understanding about certain personal affairs. Lieutenant Liongson’s car should not have been auctioned off in his absence. We hope this settlement encourages all towing companies to review and improve their policies and ensure that the rights of all servicemembers are honored and respected.”
“Members of our armed forces should not have to worry about their cars being auctioned off while they are deployed on missions defending our freedoms, liberties and rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “This settlement should send a strong message to other towing companies that they should not take advantage of our servicemembers while they are keeping Americans safe.”
Under the settlement agreement, Lieutenant Liongson will receive $7,500 in damages. The United States will also receive a $2,000 civil penalty, and Tony’s Auto Center must implement new policies to prevent future violations of the SCRA.
The Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California jointly handled this case. Since 2011, the Justice Department has obtained more than $481 million in monetary relief for more than 147,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit https://www.justice.gov/servicemembers.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at https://legalassistance.law.af.mil/.
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Reis.
Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing AI-Generated Images of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. –Daniel Joseph Broadway, 53, of Charlotte, appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to possessing AI-generated images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to plea documents and today’s court hearing, on December 12, 2023, CMPD officers executed a search warrant at Broadway’s Charlotte residence. From the residence, officers seized nine electronic devices that were later forensically analyzed and found to contain images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material. Some of the images and videos in Broadway’s possession had been AI-generated and some had not. A forensic analysis of the devices revealed that Broadway possessed 8,661 images and two videos of non-AI CSAM. Broadway also possessed 20,292 images and videos of AI-generated CSAM. Many of the non-AI and AI-generated CSAM depicted prepubescent minors that were nude or partially clothed, lasciviously displaying their genitals or engaging in sexual intercourse with adults.
Broadway pleaded guilty to possession and access with intent to view child pornography involving prepubescent minors and possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children, each of which carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Broadway was remanded into custody following his guilty plea. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked FBI and CMPD for their investigation which led to the guilty plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Charleston Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drugs and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Omar D. Milligan, 47, of Charleston, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring and possessing with intent to distribute 5 kilograms of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and being a felon in possession of ammunition.
Evidence presented to the Court established that Milligan played a key role in a drug trafficking organization operating in Charleston, with national and international ties. On March 25, 2022, Milligan received approximately 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl, which he intended to deliver to another member of the organization for further distribution into the community. He had also arranged to obtain an additional 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl once the first shipment was delivered.
As the investigation unfolded, law enforcement discovered that Milligan was using a local apartment as a base of operations for his drug trafficking activities. During the investigation, he was observed selling both fentanyl and cocaine directly to others. On Aug. 23, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at the apartment and recovered a kilogram of marijuana, 6 grams of cocaine, and ammunition. Milligan previously served time in federal prison for drug and firearm related felony offenses.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Milligan to 10 years in prison, to be followed by a 10-year term of court ordered supervision.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Charleston Police Department, and the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.
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Canadian Man Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Julio Pinto, 57, of Canada, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after having been previously deported.
On April 22, 2025, Pinto appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Pinto be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, Pinto was served an Expedited Order of Removal in October 2023 and thereafter departed the United States. He was barred from entering the United States for five years. Nevertheless, he illegally crossed the United States-Canada international border on April 21, 2025, and was found in a gas station in Alburgh, Vermont.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Pinto is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Pinto faces up to two years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the U.S. Border Patrol.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Pinto is represented by the Federal Public Defender’s Office.
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).
California Man Faces Federal Charges for Cyberstalking Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Granite Bay, California man was arrested and appeared in federal court Tuesday after he was indicted in Oregon for cyberstalking his ex-girlfriend and posting sexually explicit photos online.
Jason David Campos, 42, has been charged with stalking, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, between 2009 and 2023, Campos is alleged to have stalked and harassed the victim, a former intimate partner, by posting sexually explicit images and personal information online using social media platforms and public forum websites.
In May 2007, while still in the relationship, Campos told the victim that the laptop containing the sexually explicit images had been stolen from his vehicle. Campos and the victim ended their relationship in 2008.
The following year, the victim searched her name online and discovered that sexually explicit images, taken by Campos during their relationship, had been posted to Facebook, Craigslist, Classmates.com, in sex ads, and a Swedish website, without the victim’s consent. Campos used the victim’s name, including her maiden name, to create accounts on several social media platforms and public forum websites. Over the next 14 years, Campos used these accounts to publish sexually explicit images of the victim online. In numerous instances, Campos asked viewers to contact the victim directly and shared her personal information in order to further harass the victim.
On July 16, 2021, Campos is further alleged to have created an email account using the victim’s name, which he used to contact the victim’s attorney in Oregon. Posing as the victim, Campos requested the client file which contained personal information including the victim’s address and information about a child. After obtaining the file, Campos contacted the victim directly.
On January 23, 2022, the victim received an email from an account later linked to Campos, in which he referred to the child by name and asked if the victim was the child’s mother. Additionally, Campos used the email account to post several sexually explicit images of the victim to an online message board. He asked viewers to print the images and post them around a neighborhood in Oregon that the victim was residing in at the time.
Campos was arrested in Granite Bay and made his initial appearance in federal court Tuesday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Sacramento, California. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
If convicted, Campos faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for wire fraud, a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, three years’ supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for stalking, and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in federal prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 for aggravated identity theft.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Gregory R. Nyhus and Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bookkeeper Sentenced to More Than One Year in Prison for Tax Evasion and Disability Benefit FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former bookkeeper for an electrical contracting business has been sentenced for concealing income from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and stealing disability benefits.
David Tetreault, 55, of Attleboro, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Tetreault has also been ordered to pay $623,602 to the Internal Revenue Service, $159,816 to the Social Security Administration and $161,835 to the Employment Retirement System of Rhode Island in restitution. In October 20204, Tetreault pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion, one count of theft of government money and one count of wire fraud.
Tetreault worked as a bookkeeper for a Massachusetts-based electrical contractor between 2015 and 2021. During those years, Tetreault received wages in cash and used company funds to pay his personal credit card bills. Tetreault manipulated the company’s accounting records and bank statements to disguise these payments as business expenses. As a result of this conduct, Tetreault underreported his personal income by at least $2.1 million, causing a loss to the IRS of over $600,000.
In addition, Tetreault did not report his work for the electrical contractor or his income to the Social Security Administration and submitted false information about his employment and income to the Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSRI). As a result of this conduct, Tetreault collected over $320,000 in Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and ERSRI disability pension benefits to which he was not entitled between 2016 and 2024.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Armed Drug Dealer Receives 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Eric Harris, 38, of Wilmington, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Harris pled guilty to the charges on January 16, 2025.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, law enforcement received information that Harris had traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina to purchase methamphetamine that he planned to sell in Wilmington. Between August 20 and September 9, 2024, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office made controlled purchases from Harris of more than 3 ounces of methamphetamine and 10 grams of fentanyl at the Campus Edge Apartments in Wilmington. On September 9, 2024, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office arrested Harris following the last controlled purchase and then searched Harris’ Campus Edge apartment. Law enforcement found an additional two ounces of methamphetamine, nineteen grams of fentanyl, and a loaded firearm in the apartment.
This is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:24-cr-00092.
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April Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the April Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Jose Alvizo-Ramirez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Alvizo-Ramirez, 38, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2022. He is further charged with knowingly failing to register as a sex offender from January 6, 2025, to on or about March 26, 2025. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dill is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-143
Richard Glenn Bexfield. Drug Conspiracy; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Destruction and Removal of Property to Prevent Seizure; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Bexfield, 32, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 2025 through Apr. 2025. He knowingly destroyed and disposed of property in an effort to prevent law enforcement from seizing the property. Further, Bexfield is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-136
Cesar Castorena-Dondiego. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Castorena-Dondiego, 44, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Sep. 2018. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Heign is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-145
Clint Allen Hubble. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Hubble, 46, of Afton, is charged with attempting to persuade and entice a minor child to engage in sexually explicit activity. The Homeland Security Investigations and the Owasso Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Brandon is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-146
Wilber Martinez-Bonilla. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Martinez-Bonilla, 39, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2014. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case.
25-CR-147Paul Eugene McClain. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. McClain, 56, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of several felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-148
Aaron Wilkie Murphy; Hong Thoa Thi Nguyen; Joshua Clay Murphy; Toymeka Louise Shackleford. Continuing Criminal Enterprise (Count 1); Drug Conspiracy (Count 2); Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute (Count 3); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 4); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 5 & 6); International Travel to Promote, Manage, Establish, Carry On, and Facilitate Drug Conspiracy (Count 7) (superseding). Aaron Murphy, 51, of Broken Arrow, is charged with organizing, leading, and profiting from the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. He knowingly conspired with several others to possess and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, while maintaining a residence for the purpose of drug distribution, and traveled to Mexico to manage and further promote his enterprise drug conspiracy. Nguyen, 45, of Tulsa, Joshua Murphy, 47, of Milfay, Shackleford, 49, of Tulsa, are charged with conspiring to possess and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl from Mar. 2022 through Feb. 2025. Nguyen is additionally charged with maintaining a residence for the purpose of narcotics distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the U.S. Marshal Service Tulsa Field Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are investigating the case. The DEA Mexico City Country Office, along with the Hermosillo Mexico Resident Office, the U.S. Marshal Service Mexico City Field Office, Mexican Marines, and the Mexico Federal Police, assisted in the arrest and return of Aaron Murphy and Nguyen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-199
Roberto Perez-Cruz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Perez-Cruz, 21, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Oct. 2021. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-149
Carlos Alberto Vazquez Parra. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Vazquez Parra, 33, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing more than 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-150
Albuquerque Man Sentenced in Federal Firearms Case Adopted from Second Judicial District Attorney’s OfficeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A previously convicted felon has been sentenced to 84 months in prison after violently assaulting his pregnant partner and threatening her with a loaded rifle during a domestic incident.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on August 13, 2023, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a violent domestic assault at a residence in the South Valley. The victim, who was six months pregnant, reported that Marlando Luis Martinez, 36, had physically assaulted her throughout the night, including punching her, striking her with a whip, choking her multiple times to near unconsciousness, and threatening her with an AR-15 rifle, which he discharged near her face. Deputies observed visible injuries on the victim, including welts, bruising, and a cut lip.
The victim recounted to responding officers that Martinez threatened to kill her and her unborn child if she contacted law enforcement. After Martinez fell asleep, the victim escaped and sought help from a neighbor. Deputies transported her to safety and documented her injuries. A subsequent search of the residence uncovered multiple firearms, ammunition, and evidence corroborating the victim’s account, including a rifle with a round in the chamber and a bullet hole in the headboard.
The loaded rifle, ammunition and extended magazine Second rifle, ammunition and extended magazineMartinez was apprehended later that day with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force. He was arrested without incident and federally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, having previously been convicted of aggravated battery against a household member.
Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Haynes is prosecuting this case as part of an agreement with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Through the agreement, Assistant District Attorneys are designated Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs) in the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA from the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office screens felony criminal complaints filed in Bernalillo County for federal criminal offenses, prioritizing federal charges against those who drive violence in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Since 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office has reviewed almost 3,000 cases and has charged more than 300 criminal cases pursuant to this program.
The United States Attorney’s Office has similar agreements with the New Mexico Department of Justice and the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office and plans to expand the program throughout the state.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston Encourages West Virginians to Participate in DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 26, 2025Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston is encouraging West Virginians to dispose of old, unwanted and unneeded medications during the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Properly disposing of unneeded prescription drugs can save lives and prevent medication misuse and abuse,” Johnston said. “Every household that participates in Drug Take Back Day makes themselves and their community safer from potential harm and tragedy.”
Take Back Day offers a free, safe and anonymous way to get rid of prescription drugs that are susceptible to diversion and abuse. More than 60 collection sites throughout the Southern District of West Virginia and elsewhere in the state have already been announced. A collection site locator and other information is available at www.DEATakeBack.com.
Law enforcement and other collection site partners will accept tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, or illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container and the cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage.
April 26, 2025, is the 28th National Take Back Day since the DEA launched this initiative. In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed 9,600 tons of medication from circulation since its inception. The total includes 68.77 tons collected in West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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22 April 2025
Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Chemical Weapon PrecursorsRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 21, 2025, United States District Judge Brett Ludwig accepted the guilty plea of James Morgan (formerly Karactus Blome) to one count of possession of chemical weapon precursors—chemicals that combine to create chlorine and chlorine gas—not intended for peaceful purposes, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 229(a).
According to court documents, on December 21, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at Morgan’s storage unit and found the precursor chemicals. Morgan had studied chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and had described himself as a weapon designer who did not need a conventional weapon. In a video, Morgan displayed the chemicals and said they were for making a lot of chlorine very quickly. In messages in 2022, he said that what he had was “scary,” and that the chemicals react to produce a lot of chlorine gas, which can be “effective if your enemy is not ready for it.” He sent links for purchasing the chemicals and discussed the amounts needed to make a lot of chlorine gas really fast. In messages in 2023, Morgan discussed a plan to defeat the government, if it came for his guns, by producing a large amount of chlorine that he claimed could be used against approximately twenty government agents. The FBI Laboratory determined that the chemicals Morgan possessed could produce a large amount of chlorine that could result in rapid, serious health effects, including death.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 1, 2025, before Judge Ludwig. Morgan faces up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release after any period of imprisonment.
The FBI, the Janesville Police Department, and the Whitewater Police Department investigated the case, which also resulted in Morgan’s conviction for possession of destructive devices in the Western District of Wisconsin.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Scully is prosecuting the case in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Duchemin prosecuted the case in the Western District of Wisconsin, and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section, assisted on both prosecutions.
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White Supremacist Receives Life Sentence in Federal Court for Kidnapping and MurderRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A California man was sentenced yesterday to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for Aiding and Abetting the Kidnapping and Murder of a Northwest Arkansas man. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in November of 2021, the defendant, Daniel Paul Blanks, age 46, and his co-defendant, Reginald Baker, age 37, drove to the Springdale apartment of a Northwest Arkansas resident. Per witnesses, the men, armed with a shotgun, forcefully entered the apartment, assaulted and beat the resident, and then dragged his unconscious body down the exterior staircase of the apartment complex and placed him in the back of Blanks’ truck bed. Blanks and Baker then transported the victim from Arkansas to the Mark Twain National Park, located in Barry County Missouri, where Blanks shot the victim numerous times. The victim’s body lay undiscovered for several days until a hunter located him in a heavily wooded logging road.
On November 29, 2021, both Blanks and Baker were charged in the Circuit Court of Washington County, with Capital Murder, Kidnapping, and Residential Burglary. On April 5, 2024, Baker pleaded guilty in Washington County Arkansas Circuit Court to Accomplice to Murder in the 1st Degree, Accomplice to Kidnapping, and Accomplice to Residential Burglary. He was sentenced to a total of 60 years imprisonment. On October 25, 2024, Blanks entered a guilty plea to Aiding and Abetting Kidnapping Resulting in Death, in federal court.
During the sentencing hearing, the Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks cited Blanks’ affiliation with white supremacist groups as an aggravating factor supporting the imposition of a life sentence.
This case involving Daniel Blanks was prosecuted in cooperation with the 4th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Springdale Police Department, Barry County Missouri Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Bentonville Police Department, and the Arkansas Office of Probation and Parole all investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
West Haven Man Who Made and Trafficked Narcotic Pills Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILLIS TAYLOR, 68, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 138 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for operating a drug trafficking ring involving fentanyl and methamphetamine pills disguised as legitimate prescription medication, as well as other controlled substances.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force targeting the manufacture and distribution of thousands of counterfeit oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall tablets containing methamphetamine, and the distribution of heroin and cocaine, in the New Haven area. The investigation revealed that Taylor coordinated the manufacture and distribution of the counterfeit narcotic pills. Taylor obtained drugs from others, including gang members, and sold them, or pressed them into pills at locations in New Haven, Branford, and Shelton, before selling them. Taylor also arranged counterfeit pill transactions between second and third parties, sometimes being supplied by a co-conspirator.
On October 20, 2022, Taylor was arrested on related state charges when, after having been directed by his girlfriend to clear drugs out of her home, he was stopped in a car and found in possession of more than three kilograms of various narcotics. A subsequent search of his residence revealed additional quantities of narcotics and drug paraphernalia.
The investigation also revealed that an individual overdosed and died at Taylor’s West Haven residence on May 7, 2022.
During the investigation, investigators seized from Taylor and his co-conspirators more than two kilograms of fentanyl, including thousands of counterfeit Oxycodone tablets; approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine, including thousands of counterfeit Adderall pills; three kilograms of cocaine and other drugs; four pill-press machines; one industrial mixer; five firearms; and more than $200,000 in cash.
Fourteen individuals were charged as a result of this investigation.
Taylor has been detained since his federal arrest on March 28, 2023. On September 4, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 100 grams or more of heroin, and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
This matter has been investigated by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad, the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police, and the East Haven, West Haven, and Hamden Police Departments. The DEA Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Haven, Hamden, Manchester, Bristol, Fairfield, and Seymour Police Departments. The FBI Task Force includes participants from the FBI, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, and the New Haven, Milford, East Haven, West Haven, and Wallingford Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Pierpont, Jr., Konstantin Lantsman, and Katherine Boyles through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney’s Office charges 11 new immigration cases, obtains 1 guilty pleaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio announced today charges pending against 11 new defendants for allegedly violating federal immigration laws and one new conviction. The defendants include a previously convicted sex offender, a man who allegedly opened fire near a local taco restaurant and a man who is alleged to be part of a transnational gang.
A criminal complaint was filed in Columbus on April 18 charging Abel Velasquez-Avecedo, 29, of Mexico, with illegally possessing a firearm as an illegal alien. On April 11, Velasquez-Avecedo and another individual allegedly had an argument at Taco Nice restaurant in Columbus. It is alleged that the defendant fired multiple shots from a vehicle while driving near the restaurant.
Local law enforcement authorities found Velasquez-Avecedo to be in possession of a pistol and 30 to 40 small baggies of suspected cocaine. The defendant has prior convictions including operating a vehicle while intoxicated and assault.
A federal grand jury indicted Adiel Hernandez-Orellana, 39, of El Salvador, with illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony. Hernandez-Orellana was previously convicted of sexual assault in Arkansas.
Milton Guevara-Cruz, 31, of El Salvador, was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly reentering 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 also indicted Sergio Diego-Sevilla, 35, of Mexico, for illegally reentering the United States.
Diego-Sevilla was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by Adalberto Calixto-Tolentino, 21, who pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus last week to two counts of transporting illegal aliens. Calixto-Tolentino admitted to being paid cash to pick up illegal aliens near the Mexico border in Arizona and transport them throughout the United States.
Juan Jacobo Ortega-Guevara, 36, also allegedly transported illegal aliens. He was charged yesterday by criminal complaint. Ortega-Guevara was stopped by law enforcement while in a vehicle in Guernsey County with six other individuals. The defendant had $3,000 in cash on him and is alleged to have transported illegal aliens from the southwest toward the midatlantic for pay.
Six other defendants were charged by criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after deportation. They include Carlos Garcia Carillo, 47, of Mexico; Saul Lopez-Rojas, 39, of Mexico; Gelacio Macias-Olivares, 42, of Mexico; Anselmo Munguia Martinez, 36, of Mexico; Zenaido Neri Perez, 31, of Mexico and Jose Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 28, of Mexico.
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. Transporting illegal aliens is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Possessing a firearm as an illegal alien is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 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 Tyler J. Aagard, Elizabeth Geraghty, Peter K. Glenn Applegate, Ryan A. Keefe, Noah R. Litton, Ebunoluwa Taiwo and David J. Twombly 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 were investigated and prosecuted by the Southern District of Ohio Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Two Foreign Nationals with Prior Convictions Charged for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Mexican and Salvadorian nationals unlawfully residing in Las Vegas made their initial court appearances Monday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Heraldo Neftali Gomez-Jacobo, 54, and Ismael Perez-Reyes, 38, are both charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. Preliminary hearings for both defendants are scheduled for May 5, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaints and statements made during court proceedings, Gomez-Jacobo, a citizen and national of El Salvador, and Perez-Reyes, a citizen and national of Mexico, were both previously deported and removed from the United States and reentered the United States illegally.
On April 5, 2025, Gomez-Jacobo was remanded to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), from the Clark County Detention Center, based on an ICE detainer after he had been arrested on a bench warrant. Gomez-Jacobo had previously been deported on or about October 15, 2003, after being convicted of four counts of Attempt Lewdness with A Child Under the Age of 14.
On March 31, 2025, Perez-Reyes was remanded to the custody of ICE, from the Clark County Detention Center, based on an ICE detainer after he been arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Allow Child Abuse/Neglect, by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police. Perez-Reyes had previously been deported to Mexico on December 7, 2022, and November 8, 2023. Perez-Reyes has two prior felony convictions: one for Possession or Use of a Controlled Substance in a Correctional Facility, and another for Illegal Reentry After Deportation. Perez-Reyes also has an active warrant out of Utah for violating the terms his probation by returning to the U.S illegally.
If convicted, Gomez-Jacobo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
If convicted, Perez-Reyes faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Texas Man Sentenced to 11 Years’ Imprisonment After Traveling to Utah to Sexually Abuse a 12-Year-OldRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Carl William Wyckoff, 25, of New Boston, Texas, was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release, after he traveled to Utah and sexually abused a 12-year-old victim.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Robert J. Shelby, comes after Wyckoff pleaded guilty in November 2024 to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
According to court documents and statements made at Wyckoff’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Wyckoff began exchanging messages with a 12-year-old girl he met playing an online game. The messages between Wyckoff and the victim became sexual, and images were exchanged. Initially, Wyckoff believed the child was an adult, but after she disclosed her true age, Wyckoff continued exchanging sexual messages and images. Wyckoff admitted that between April 13, 2024, and April 15, 2024, he then traveled from Texas to Arizona and then transported the 12-year-old victim to Utah to engage in sexual activity with her.
Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Chris Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Teen’s Murder in September 2019 Results in Guilty VerdictRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bernard Eddy, 24, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury, earlier today, of second-degree murder while armed and related weapons offenses for the September 2019 shooting of 16-year-old Steffen Brathwaite, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict was returned following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael Ryan scheduled sentencing for June 20, 2025. Eddy faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison for the murder conviction.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 12:12 a.m., on September 10, 2019, in the 3000 block of 24th Place, S.E., Eddy approached Steffen as Steffen was walking alone through the neighborhood, on his way to a friend’s house. Eddy, who was armed with a 9 mm handgun, proceeded to fire multiple gunshots at Steffen. Steffen fell to the ground and the defendant fled on foot. Steffen was declared deceased several hours later.
The evidence against the defendant included a 15-second audio-video recording found on the defendant’s cell phone, which was recovered eight days after the murder. In the recording, which was made about three hours after the shooting, Eddy is shown celebrating Steffen’s murder.
Eddy was arrested on January 6, 2023, and has been held without bail since then.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Liebman and Mark Levy.
Statement of United States Attorney Jay ClaytonRead the Press Release
I am honored to serve as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, alongside the women and men of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, an institution synonymous with excellence and integrity. I would like to thank President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for this remarkable opportunity. Along with the talented prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, I look forward to protecting public safety, combatting fraud, particularly on the elderly and most vulnerable, ensuring the integrity of our financial system, and defending our national security. Finally, I want to thank Acting United States Attorney Matthew Podolsky for his leadership and service.
St. Louis Rapper Admits Possessing Fentanyl, GunRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis, Missouri rapper on Tuesday pleaded guilty to drug and gun charges.
Antonio Harris, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession a firearm as a convicted felon. Harris, who performs as “LA4ss,” admitted being caught by police with fentanyl and a firearm.
On Feb. 16, 2022, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers tried to make a traffic stop on North Broadway in the Baden neighborhood, but Harris sped off in a Toyota Corolla. Officers used spike strips, but Harris continued at a high rate of speed north on Riverview Drive. He passed vehicles on the shoulder and swerved into oncoming traffic before colliding with a retaining wall while attempting to turn into Spring Garden Drive.
Harris got out and ran, leaving a loaded Glock 9mm pistol in the car, he admitted as part of his plea agreement. While running, he dropped a bag containing 394 capsules of fentanyl and plastic baggies containing more fentanyl, for a total weight of nearly 40 grams of the drug. Harris is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm.
Harris is scheduled to be sentenced in August. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by at least five years in prison. The felon in possession charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin 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.
St. Louis Man Admits Bank Robbery and Attempted Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man admitted robbing a St. Louis bank in 2024 and trying to rob the same bank three months later.
Isaac Perry, 39, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of bank robbery and one count of attempted bank robbery. He admitted entering a bank on Loughborough Avenue in south St. Louis on June 25, 2024, and handing a note to a bank employee. The note read, “I nee[d] you to hand over 10,000 in cash if not it aint gone end good please.” Perry drew a red heart around the word “please.” He left the bank with about $340.
On Oct. 3, 2024, Perry returned, and again handed a note to a bank employee. The note said, “This is a stick up I need you to give me 6,000 dollars in all hundreds in make it quick.” The note had another heart. The bank employee told Perry that she had activated an alarm and police were on the way. Perry fled the bank but was identified in photos of the robbery that were released to the public.
Perry is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole Frankenberg 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.
Sex Offender from Uxbridge Charged with Possessing Child Pornography While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Uxbridge man has been charged in federal court in Worcester for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while on federal supervised release for a prior CSAM conviction.
Scott Morrill, 52, was charged with possession of child pornography. Morrill was arrested on April 7, 2025 and remains detained in federal custody following a detention hearing that was held on April 17, 2025.
According to the charging documents, during a search of his residence, Miller’s laptop was allegedly found to contain images and videos depicting CSAM. At the time of the alleged offense, Morrill was on federal supervised release for a 2013 conviction of distribution of child pornography, for which he was sentenced to five years in federal prison.The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and the Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Uxbridge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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.
San Fernando Valley Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining at Least $1.8 Million Through Mail and ID TheftRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man was sentenced today to 61 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining at least $1.8 million by stealing Beverly Hills residents’ identities – often by stealing mail and packages from their homes – then using that information to open fraudulent bank accounts to which he unlawfully transferred money from the bank accounts of the victims, of which included elderly people.
Oren David Sela, 36, of North Hills, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee, who also ordered him to pay $1,818,369 in restitution.
Sela pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Sela has been in federal custody since October 2023.
From November 2021 to October 2023, Sela stole mail to obtain debit cards, bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, and other personal identifiable information (PII) belonging to victims, especially victims living in and around Beverly Hills. He then used the victims’ PII to gain access to their online bank and financial accounts, at times SIM-swapping – a type of identity theft where a fraudster illegally obtains a victim’s phone number by transferring it to a new Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card – or porting the victims’ phone numbers to gain temporary control over those numbers to defeat two-factor authentication security protocols in place on their accounts.
Sela then opened additional fraudulent accounts in the victims’ names to transfer funds into intermediary accounts he controlled and withdrew money from those accounts or used them to make purchases or transfers. He also caused debit or credit cards linked to victim accounts to be issued to him, so he could spend directly from those cards.
Sela engaged in hundreds of fraudulent withdrawals and transfers from dozens of victim accounts, attempting to steal at least approximately $2,590,836, and stealing at least approximately $1,818,369.
He defrauded numerous banks and at least 62 individual victims, including various elderly victims. Sela often used victim funds to purchase expensive goods for himself, including, for example, a nearly $17,000 watch.
In 2022, Sela was arrested in Beverly Hills and found with nearly $25,000 in cash, various expensive items of jewelry, and numerous fraudulent debit and credit cards belonging to four elderly victims.
After Sela’s 2022 arrest, he was released, and his conduct persisted. During two subsequent searches of Sela’s properties in 2022 and 2023, law enforcement identified more than $70,000 in cash, many items of expensive jewelry and similar such receipts, stolen mail, extensive PII, means of identification including driver’s licenses, and banking information including debit cards, credit cards, and checks, belonging to dozens of victims.
The United States Secret Service and the Beverly Hills Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Aaron B. Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Raleigh Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 23 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wake County man was sentenced today to more than 23 years (283 months) in prison on drug charges. Myquan Taquil Houston, aka “Dirty,” pled guilty on January 13, 2025, to the offenses of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a substance containing fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a substance containing fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Houston conspired with another person to sell fentanyl to a confidential informant on five occasions in Raleigh. Law enforcement searched Houston’s house in Knightdale, North Carolina on July 26, 2023. The search revealed 502.29 grams of cocaine, 41.54 grams of cocaine base (crack), 134.46 grams of fentanyl and ANPP, 26.6 grams of Oxycodone, digital scales, a loaded .45 caliber handgun, two cellphones, and $7,970 in U.S. currency. The investigation determined that Houston sold approximately $1,400 of fentanyl every other week for at least a year prior to his arrest, making him responsible for 1,590.46 grams of fentanyl and 635.1 grams of cocaine.
Houston has prior convictions for felony breaking and entering and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and a quantity of cocaine base (crack), distribution of a quantity of cocaine, and aiding and abetting. Houston was on federal supervised release in the Eastern District of North Carolina at the time of these offenses.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aria Q. Merle prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-00238.
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Pittsburgh Man Admits to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Queshawn Keand Williams, age 20, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has admitted to the distribution of p-Fluorofentanyl and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Williams, also known as “TJ,” was selling fentanyl in Harrison County.
Williams is facing up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Northern District of Ohio U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Multiple Defendants with Immigration ViolationsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have returned indictments for the following individuals on charges of immigration-related law violations. These are separate cases and are not related.
Hector Linares, 47, a citizen of El Salvador, has been indicted on three counts. He has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition, and for being an alien in possession of a firearm, for possessing a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol and ammunition. In 2010, he was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine. Linares was also charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Nov. 24, 2023. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the United States Marshals Service.
Edil A. Martinez-Padilla, 38, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States twice with the last being April 24, 2013. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Carlos Daniel Romero-Esborar, 39, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being April 27, 2012. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the USAO’s criminal division are prosecuting the cases above.
Additionally, Juan Tiul Xi, 26, a citizen of Guatemala unlawfully residing in Cleveland, has been indicted for allegedly submitting a sponsorship application with false statements to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Tiul Xi encouraged and induced a 14-year-old female unaccompanied minor from Guatemala to illegally enter the United States. It is alleged that he used his sister’s identity for the girl to provide as an alias which he included on paperwork in an effort to obtain custody of her. This indictment is the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The ICE HSI and FBI Cleveland Division are jointly investigating with assistance from HSI’s attaché team in Guatemala. Senior Trial Attorney Christian Levesque of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), Joint Task Force Alpha detailee/Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik and Criminal Division Chief Michael L. Collyer for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Analyst/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
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, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Multiple-time felon pleads guilty to illegally reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Salvadoran national pled guilty today to illegally reentering the United States after felony convictions.
According to court documents, Carlos Azucar-Menjivar, 27, entered the country illegally and committed an attempted felony armed robbery in Chesterfield County. In January 2015, Azucar-Menjivar was sentenced to 10 years in prison (with seven years and six months suspended) for that attempted armed robbery. After his release from state prison, Azucar-Menjivar was convicted in federal court of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In June 2019, Azucar-Menjivar was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for the firearm offense. Azucar-Menjivar was removed from the United States in September 2022 after completing his sentence.
Azucar-Menjivar then again illegally reentered the United States and was found in Virginia in 2024.
Azucar-Menjivar is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Russell Hott, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-4.
Missouri Man Sentenced 21 Years in Prison for Recording Minor Victim in BathroomRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday sentenced a man whose trial for recording a girl in the bathroom revealed allegations that he had sexually abused at least three other children to 21 years in prison.
Rayford Evans, 52, of Doniphan, in Ripley County, was convicted of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor after a one-day bench trial in January. Evidence and testimony showed that Evans used his cell phone to record a 15-year-old girl while she was bathing and using the bathroom by holding it up to a window above the bathroom door. The victim saw the phone and told a friend, the friend’s father and then her own father, who contacted the Doniphan City Police Department. An officer found three videos of the girl that Evans tried to delete.
During Evans trial, another victim testified about her sexual abuse at the hands of Evans, and there was testimony that Evans had recorded videos of a different girl. Three others testified at Evans’ sentencing hearing Tuesday about his sexual abuse of them.
“Evans has sexually exploited children for decades,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter wrote in a sentencing memo, and “used bribery in the form of electronics, toys, and candy to violate the trust of innocent children to sexually abuse them.”
One victim described Evans in a letter as a predator who has “hunted children, for his depraved sexual appetite, for at least 26 years.”
Evans has disputed the allegations involving other victims.
The FBI and the Doniphan City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter 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 Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Michigan Woman Sentenced to 30 years for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Detroit, Michigan, woman, Chanel Lashae Logan, 25, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves to 360 months in prison, for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to her court records, between March 1, 2024 and June 6, 2024, Logan conspired with co-defendant Saruba Asante Smith to distribute substantial quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Lexington, Kentucky area. In her plea agreement, Logan admitted to selling methamphetamine and fentanyl to an undercover operative on April 23, 2024, followed by an additional larger quantity of methamphetamine to the same undercover operative on May 30, 2024. Both transactions occurred in Lexington. Shortly thereafter, Logan agreed with the undercover operative to sell 10 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 ounces of fentanyl, which she intended to obtain in Detroit. On June 6, 2024, in Shelby County, Kentucky, law enforcement stopped Logan and Smith in Logan’s vehicle as it traveled back from Detroit. Law enforcement located 6.8 kilograms of methamphetamine in the car, along with 76 grams of fentanyl. A search warrant executed at Logan’s and Smith’s Lexington apartment that same day led to the seizure of an additional 4.3 kilograms of methamphetamine and 892 grams of fentanyl.
Logan’s co-defendant, Saruba Smith, was previously sentenced to 92 months in prison.
Under federal law, Logan must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, she will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; and Sheriff David Charles, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, Lexington Police Department, and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Mexican National Admits to Reentry ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Apolinar Armando Lopez-Gutierrez, age 38, of Mexico, has admitted to reentry of a removed alien.
According to court documents and statements made in court, a stabbing investigation in Tennessee led officials to Lopez-Gutierrez, who was believed to be friends with the stabbing suspect. Lopez-Gutierrez was found living and working in Sutton, West Virginia. He was previously removed from the United States in April of 2024.
Lopez-Gutierrez is facing up to two years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service investigated.
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).
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Massachusetts Man Indicted for Illegally Possessing Ammunition and ExplosivesRead the Press Release
BOSTON –A Hadley, Mass. man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield for allegedly possessing ammunition and explosives after being convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.
Jacob D. Miller, 43, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition and one count of being a felon in possession of explosive materials. Miller was arrested on April 9, 2025 on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition. He remains in federal custody as the Court has taken the matter of pretrial detention under advisement.
On April 8, 2025, following the execution of a search warrant at Miller’s Hadley residence, a box of approximately 50 rounds of Federal brand, American Eagle .45 auto, 230 grain ammunition were found in a bedside table, in addition to six firearms found in a hallway safe. Additionally, explosive materials, hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials, including plutonium, were found in Miller’s home.
According to evidence presented at a subsequent detention hearing, Miller has exhibited a long-standing and unlawful obsession with explosives, dangerous chemicals and radioactive substances dating back to at least 2002. That year, during a search of Miller’s prior residence, blasting caps, bomb-making instructions, military equipment including an apparent rocket launcher, a homemade pipe bomb and a video depicting the Miller igniting several improvised explosive devices, including one that he referred to as a “hand grenade,” were recovered. Miller was later convicted in state court of possessing those devices.
According to court records, while still on probation in 2014, the Massachusetts Radiation Control Program issued a cease-and-desist letter to Miller after discovering he was selling depleted uranium on eBay. Despite Miller’s claims that he had ceased such activity, he allegedly launched his own online business called “Collect the Periodic Table” in 2017, through which he marketed and sold radioactive materials, including Plutonium-239 allegedly derived from Cold War-era Soviet smoke detectors. It is further alleged that between June and October 2023, Miller conducted at least five PayPal transactions for the sale of plutonium. Additional records of plutonium sales were allegedly recovered from his residence during the 2025 search.
In 2023, Miller allegedly directed an associate to purchase five pounds of hazardous black powder and have it shipped to his residence in Hadley. Witnesses allegedly reported that Miller used the powder to ignite a fireball and detonate a dishwasher in his backyard during gatherings at his residence. During the April 2025 search, remnants of the shipment, including multiple bottles of explosive powder, one of which had been opened, were found.
According to court records, authorities cataloged and secured numerous other potentially hazardous substances found at Miller’s residence – including fuels, alkali metals, oxidizers, acids and toxic elements such as arsenic. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) warned that these substances posed a serious risk to occupants, first responders and the public in the event of a fire, accident, or natural disaster. The Court has since ordered that MassDEP conduct a comprehensive safety evaluation and oversee the removal of hazardous materials from the residence.
According to the charging documents, on Feb. 9, 2004, Miller was convicted in two of in Hampshire Superior Court of one count of possession of child pornography and sentenced to seven years of probation. Miller was also convicted in a separate case in Hampshire Superior Court of two counts of possession of an explosive device and sentenced to two and one-half years in jail and 10 years of probation. As a result of those convictions, Miller is prohibited under federal law from possessing ammunition, firearms and explosives.
The charges of being a felon in possession of ammunition and explosives each provide for a sentence of 15 years in prison, three 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 James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Hadley Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Man Admits to Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Donaven Eugene Simms, age 22, of Hagerstown, Maryland, has admitted to his role in a firearms trafficking operation in Berkeley County, West Virginia.
Simms pled guilty to aiding and abetting a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. According to court documents, Simms worked with other defendants to purchase firearms in Martinsburg to provide to individuals in states outside of West Virginia.
Simms is facing up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Find a related release here: www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/maryland-men-admit-roles-firearms-trafficking-operation
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing a Credit Union in Manchester while on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man and former resident of New York pleaded guilty in federal court to bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Jesse Hippolite, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. U.S. District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for August 4, 2025.
According to the charging documents, Hippolite was previously convicted of several counts of bank robbery in federal court in the Eastern District of New York. After his release from federal prison, he was placed on supervised release and moved to New Hampshire. On February 4, 2025, he robbed a credit union in Manchester. He was wearing a gray beanie cap, scarf, sunglasses, and gloves to conceal his identity. He passed a note to three tellers reading:
$100,000
ALL $100 Bills
*No Dye Packs
Give Back Note
Hippolite stole $3,139 from the bank. A few minutes after leaving the bank, Hippolite took off the scarf that covered his face and was caught on surveillance footage.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. The U.S. Probation Office provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
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Manchester Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with Operating a Counterfeit Pill Press SchemeRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man pleaded guilty today in federal court in connection with manufacturing and trafficking counterfeit pharmaceutical pills, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Jerry Summers, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of manufacturing controlled substances, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, two counts of distributing controlled substances, and two counts of trafficking in a drug and knowingly using a counterfeit mark on or in connection with such drug. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2025.
According to the charging documents, on July 1, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant of Summer’s Manchester office, rented under the name of “Summertime Drywall and Maintenance LLC.” During the search, law enforcement located a pill press that was covered in powdered residue and wrapped in soundproofing material, and large amounts of colored tablets. Drug testing revealed the presence of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the various pills as well as in the residue found on and around the pill press.
On two prior occasions, Summers sold pills to a confidential informant. On March 21, 2024, Summers sold a quantity of blue pills that were marked as being OxyContin but later tested positive for fentanyl. On April 10, 2024, Summer sold a quantity of blue pills that were marked as being OxyContin but later tested positive for fentanyl as well as a quantity of orange pills that were marked as being Adderall but later tested positive for methamphetamine.
On the manufacturing and possession with intent to distribute charges the charging statutes provide a sentence of up to life in prison, a term of supervised release of at least five years, and a fine of up to $10,000,000. On the distribution charges the charging statute provides a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a term of supervised release of at least four years, and a fine of up to $5,000,000. On the charge of trafficking in a drug and knowingly using a counterfeit mark on or in connection with such drug, the charging statute provides a sentence of up to 20 years, a term of supervised release of not more than three years and a fine of up to $5,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S Attorney Geoffrey Ward is prosecuting the case.
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