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21 April 2025
Bakersfield Drug Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Ramon Maldonado Jr., 33, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, psilocybin, and marijuana, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on Aug. 10, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at a residence in Bakersfield that served as a stash house. The residence was set up as a shop for the sale of psychedelic drugs (psilocybin mushrooms) and marijuana. A stolen firearm was found in the sales area. Maldonado was found in bed in one of the bedrooms, where agents located a bag of psilocybin mushrooms, a plastic tote containing psilocybin and marijuana wax and edibles, another tote containing jars and bags of marijuana, a clear plastic bag of heroin, a clear plastic bag containing fentanyl, bindles of fentanyl and heroin, and a Ruger .22‑caliber rifle with an inserted magazine. In another bedroom, agents located fentanyl, including a kilogram “brick” of fentanyl with a Louis Vuitton imprint. In the kitchen, agents found a clear plastic bag containing methamphetamine near five semi-automatic pistol magazines.
In total, agents seized 5.5 pounds of fentanyl, 25.9 pounds of psilocybin, 23.4 pounds of marijuana, 20 ounces of heroin, and 1.15 ounces of methamphetamine.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Kern County Probation Office Gang Unit and Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Maldonado is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Aug. 4, 2025. Maldonado faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, along with a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Baker Woman Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Erin D. Jones, 49, of Baker, Louisiana, to 30 months in federal prison following her conviction for wire fraud. The Court further sentenced Jones to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment, ordered her to pay $334,092.03 in restitution, and entered a money judgment against the defendant for an additional $334,092.03.
According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, Jones worked part-time at a small business in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that provided truck and diesel engine repair services and was trusted to assist with the company’s book-keeping and accounting, among other tasks. Jones held bank accounts at JPMorgan Chase Bank and Hancock Whitney Bank (collectively, the “banks”), and the company also maintained a business bank account at Hancock Bank.
Beginning in or about May of 2019 and continuing through April of 2024, Jones knowingly executed a scheme to defraud the company and to obtain money by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.
One of Jones’ job responsibilities was to retrieve the company’s mail from a post office box that the company maintained in Baton Rouge. Using her access to the post office box, she would retrieve checks that had been issued to the company and mailed to the company by its customers. The checks were drawn on the customers’ bank accounts at banks located across the country. After gaining control of each check, Jones would endorse the back of the check and deposit it into one of her own personal bank accounts, either by using an ATM or making a remote online deposit.
Jones concealed her scheme in several ways. On many occasions, she would use her access to the company’s accounting program to delete the underlying invoices that caused the company’s customers and vendors to make the payments.
Over the course of the scheme, Jones embezzled and fraudulently deposited approximately 431 checks payable to the company, totaling approximately $334,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Leon stated, “Small businesses are the backbones of a local economy. Employees are entrusted with duties and responsibilities that contribute to those companies either thriving or failing. Therefore, prosecuting fraud at these establishments are important, and we join our federal and local law enforcement partners in prioritizing them accordingly. We truly appreciate the hard work of the United States Secret Service and East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of this financial crime and acknowledge the impact these prosecutions have on our small businesses and local economy when offenders are held accountable.”
“The U.S. Secret Service takes our mission to investigate financial crimes seriously. As a result of a true team effort between our amazing local law enforcement partners, federal prosecutors, and our agents, another fraudster was brought to justice. This individual abused their position of trust to steal from their company and its clients, and now they will face the consequences of those actions. This type of crime will not be tolerated in Louisiana, and the U.S. Secret Service is proud to stand with our partners to protect our citizens,” stated U.S. Secret Service SAIC James A. Kearns.
This matter was investigated by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, with substantial assistance from the United States Secret Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel.
Armed Repeat Offender Sentenced to 97 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Isaac Augustin Santoyo, 25, of Nampa, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison for seven counts of distributing cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. U.S. District Court Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also sentenced Santoyo to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence, pay a $9000 fine and pay a $900 special assessment.
According to court records, Santoyo had previously been convicted of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver in Ada County in 2017. When he completed probation for that offense, he continued to distribute cocaine in Canyon County. From October 2023 through April 2024, Santoyo sold cocaine during controlled buys with law enforcement on seven different occasions, totaling 868 grams. A search warrant was served on his residence, where law enforcement seized (and ultimately forfeited) $25,291, a semi-automatic handgun, and 174 grams of cocaine. Santoyo pleaded guilty to all nine offenses on January 16, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nampa Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, Idaho State Police, and Idaho Probation and Parole.
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Arizona Man Indicted for Federal Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man has been charged by indictment with assault following an alleged incident that left the victim with severe injuries.
According to court records, on September 23, 2023, Emerson Hayes, 61, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted John Doe with a knife, causing serious bodily injury.
Hayesis charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Hayes faces up to 10 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and 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 Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Hayes)_0.pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Albanian National Charged with Conspiring to Smuggle Illegal Aliens into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Fatjon Shytani, an Albanian national and resident of the Bronx, New York, with a scheme to smuggle illegal aliens from Canada into the United States for financial gain. Shytani was arrested yesterday morning and was arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and indictment.
“As alleged, Shytani conspired to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States to benefit himself financially, but was thwarted by the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “These types of schemes represent a significant threat to our national security and will not be tolerated. This case demonstrates our Office’s continued dedication to protect our border security and the integrity of the immigration process.”
Mr. Durham also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the New York City Police Department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Albanian State Police for their valuable assistance during the investigation.
"Fatjon Shytani, an Albanian national, allegedly facilitated the illegal entry of foreign nationals into the United States in exchange for cash payments. This alleged conspiracy established unauthorized border access designed to circumvent proper protocols and evade authorities. The FBI remains dedicated to apprehending any individual who profits from violating the borders and security of our nation," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
As alleged in court filings, Shytani and his co-defendants conspired to smuggle foreign nationals into the United States via illegal border crossing at the U.S. border with Canada. During the course of the investigation, Shytani accepted cash from an undercover agent (UC-1) in exchange for arranging to have the agent’s significant other, who purportedly was from the Republic of Kosovo, smuggled across the Canadian border into the United States. In reality, the agent’s significant other was another undercover law enforcement agent (UC-2). Between March 12, 2024 and March 13, 2024, Shytani and UC-1 exchanged phone calls and text messages during which they agreed to meet in person on March 14, 2024, at a coffee shop on Long Island, New York. On March 14, 2024, Shytani met UC-1 at the agreed-upon location where they discussed details regarding UC-2’s illegal crossing from Canada into the United States. At the conclusion of the meeting, UC-1 paid Shytani $14,000 in cash for the planned smuggling service. On March 16, 2024, Shytani’s co-conspirators then attempted to smuggle UC-2 and two other aliens from Canada into the United States before being apprehended and later released by Canadian law enforcement.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of alien smuggling and transportation conspiracy, Shytani faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Roddin, Stephanie Pak, and Kate Mathews are in charge of the prosecution.
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 other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.
The Defendant:FATJON SHYTANI (also known as “Fati”)
Age: 41
Bronx, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-133 (SJB)
25-cr-133_indictment_redacted.pdf27 Members or Associates of Tren de Aragua Charged with Racketeering, Narcotics, Sex Trafficking, Robbery and Firearms offensesRead the Press Release
Note: A copy of the Anti-Tren indictment can be found here.
Today, two superseding indictments were unsealed charging 27 individuals currently or formerly associated with the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, robbery, and firearms offenses. The first superseding indictment (the “TdA Indictment”) charges six alleged members of TdA. The second superseding indictment (the “Anti-Tren Indictment”) charges 19 alleged members of “Anti-Tren,” a splinter faction comprised of former TdA members, along with two additional associates of Anti-Tren. Of the 27 defendants, 21 are in federal custody, including 16 who were already in federal criminal, immigration, or state custody and five who were arrested last night and today in operations in New York and other jurisdictions.
“As alleged, Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate TdA’s infrastructure as we work to completely dismantle and purge this organization from our country.”
“Today, we have filed charges against 27 alleged members, former members, and associates of Tren de Aragua, for committing murders and shootings, forcing young women trafficked from Venezuela into commercial sex work, robbing and extorting small businesses, and selling ‘tusi,’ a pink powdery drug that has become their calling card,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky for the Southern District of New York. “Today’s Indictments make clear that this Office will work tirelessly to keep the law-abiding residents of New York City safe, and hold accountable those who bring violence to our streets.”“Tren de Aragua is one of the most dangerous gangs in the country, and the NYPD has taken significant action to shut down their operations in New York City,” said New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “For the first time ever, TdA is being named and charged as the criminal enterprise that it is. This isn’t just street crime—it’s organized racketeering, and this gang has shown zero regard for the safety of New Yorkers. As alleged in the indictment, these defendants wreaked havoc in our communities, trafficking women for sexual exploitation, flooding our streets with drugs, and committing violent crimes with illegal guns. Thanks to the dedicated members of the NYPD and the important work of our federal partners, their time is up.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictments:
The TdA Indictment
TdA is a criminal organization that operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, as well as internationally in Venezuela, Peru, and elsewhere. The purposes of TdA included:
- Preserving and protecting the power and territory of TdA and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, robbery, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at former members and associates of TdA who associated with a splinter organization known as Anti-Tren.
- Enriching the members and associates of TdA through, among other things:
- The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including young women from Venezuela, into Peru and the United States;
- The sex trafficking of young women (whom members and associates of TdA often refer to as “multadas”) who had been unlawfully smuggled into Peru and the United States;
- The trafficking of controlled substances, including a mixed substance called “tusi” that contains ketamine; and
- Armed robberies.
- Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of TdA and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence.
- Promoting and enhancing TdA and the reputation and activities of its members and associates.
- Providing assistance to members and associates of TdA who committed crimes for and on behalf of TdA, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of TdA to flee prosecution.
- Protecting TdA and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of TdA.
Members and associates of TdA transported “multadas” from Venezuela into Peru and the United States in exchange for debts that the “multadas” would pay back to TdA by engaging in commercial sex work. Members of TdA enforced compliance among “multadas” by, among other things:
- Threatening to kill “multadas” and their families,
- Assaulting “multadas,”
- Shooting or killing “multadas,” and
- Tracking down and kidnapping “multadas” who tried to flee.
Members of TdA also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and expand TdA’s criminal operations; resolve disputes within TdA; to retaliate against rival organizations, including Anti-Tren; and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims. TdA members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.
The TdA Indictment charges Jarwin Valero-Calderon, also known as “La Fama,” 29; Samuel Gonzalez Castro, also known as “Klei” and “Kley, ” 28; Eferson Morillo-Gomez, also known as “Jefferson” and “Efe Trebol,” 20; Brayan Oliveros-Chero, 28; Sandro Oliveros-Chero, 25; and Armando Jose Perez Gonzalez, also known as “Biblia,” 30, (the “TdA Defendants”) with conspiring to participate in the TdA racketeering enterprise. Various of the TdA defendants are also charged with participating in offenses relating to drug trafficking, carjacking, robbery, and extortion, as well as firearms offenses. This case is assigned U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote for the Southern District of New York.
If convicted of racketeering conspiracy, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, Morillo-Gomez, Brayan Oliveros-Chero, Sandro Oliveros-Chero, and Perez Gonzalez face up to life in prison. If convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy, Valero-Calderon, Brayan Oliveros-Chero, Sandro Oliveros-Chero, and Perez Gonzalez face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of carjacking conspiracy, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to five years in prison. If convicted of carjacking, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of Hobbs Act robbery, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of firearm use, carrying, and possession, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison. If convicted of attempted Hobbs Act extortion, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, and Morillo-Gomez face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of firearm use, carrying, and possession – conspiracy, Valero-Calderon, Gonzalez Castro, Morillo-Gomez, Brayan Oliveros-Chero, and Sandro Oliveros-Chero face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of possession of ammunition by an illegal alien, Brayan Oliveros-Chero faces up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, Sandro Oliveros-Chero faces up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of firearm use, carrying, and possession, Perez Gonzalez faces up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, Perez Gonzalez faces up to 15 years in prison.
The Anti-Tren Indictment
Anti-Tren is a criminal organization almost exclusively comprised of former members and associates of TdA. Anti-Tren operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, and in New Jersey, and elsewhere. Like TdA, the purposes of Anti-Tren included:
- Preserving and protecting the power and territory of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at members and associates of TdA.
- Enriching the members and associates of Anti-Tren through, among other things:
- The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including women and girls from Venezuela, into the United States;
- The sex trafficking of “multadas” who had been unlawfully smuggled into the United States;
- The trafficking of controlled substances, including “tusi”; and
- Armed robberies.
- Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence.
- Promoting and enhancing Anti-Tren and the reputation and activities of its members and associates.
- Providing assistance to members and associates of Anti-Tren who committed crimes for and on behalf of Anti-Tren, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of Anti-Tren to flee prosecution, or bail money for members or associates of Anti-Tren who are detained.
- Protecting Anti-Tren and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of Anti-Tren.
Like TdA, Anti-Tren engaged in human smuggling and sex trafficking of “multadas,” into the United States in exchange for debts that the “multadas” would pay back by engaging in commercial sex work. And like TdA, members of Anti-Tren enforced compliance among “multadas” by, among other things:
- Threatening to kill “multadas” and their families,
- Assaulting “multadas,”
- Shooting or killing “multadas,” and
- Tracking down and kidnapping “multadas” who tried to flee.
Members of Anti-Tren also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and to expand Anti-Tren’s criminal operations, resolve disputes within Anti-Tren, to retaliate against rival organizations, including Tren de Aragua, and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims. Anti-Tren members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.
The Anti-Tren Indictment charges Reinaldo Rafael Gonzales-Valdez, also known as “Mariguana” and “Marijuana,” 41; Jose Manuel Guerrero-Zarate, also known as “Mantequilla,” 29; Jose David Valencia-De La Rosa, 27; Johan Carlos Mujica-Urpin, also known as “Sobrino,” 27; Luis Jose Velasquez-Hurtado, also known as “Chito,” 30; Stefano Said Pachon-Romero, 21; Guillermo Freites Velazquez, 26; Jesus David Barrios Garcia, also known as “Morocho,” 27; Giovanny Valentin Blanco Luciano, also known as “Cachorrito,” 20; Anderson Jesus Duran Berroteran, also known as “Cachorro, ” 22; Roiman Noe Bello Ferrer, 37; Luis Miguel Rodriguez-Tapia, 25; Mario Andres Pereda, also known as “Cara de Hombre,” 44; Anderson Smith Zambrano-Pacheco, 26; Yeferson Alejandro Prieto Galviz, also known as “Flaco T” and“Flacote,” 24; Jhonkennedy Bravo-Castro, also known as “Negrito,” 27; Yender Maykier Mata, 36; Kellen Alejandro Jaspe Bustamante, 20; and Luis Andres Bello-Chacon, also known as “Care de Peo,” 31 (the “Anti-Tren Defendants”) with conspiring to participate in an Anti-Tren racketeering enterprise. Various of the Anti-Tren Defendants, along with co-defendants Wilfredo Jose Avendaño Carrizalez and Carlos Gabriel Santos Mogollon, are also charged with participating in offenses relating to sex trafficking, conspiracy to import and harbor aliens, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, and firearms offenses. This case is assigned U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil of the Southern District of New York.
If convicted of racketeering conspiracy, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Valencia-De La Rosa, Mujica-Urpin, Velasquez-Hurtado, Pachon-Romero, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Blanco Luciano, Duran Berroteran, Bello Ferrer, Rodriguez-Tapia, Pereda, Zambrano-Pacheco, Prieto Galviz, Bravo-Castro, Maykier Mata, Jaspe Bustamante, and Bello-Chacon face up to life in prison. If convicted of sex trafficking conspiracy, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Valencia-De La Rosa, Mujica-Urpin, Velasquez-Hurtado, Pachon-Romero, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Duran Berroteran, Rodriguez-Tapia, Pereda, Zambrano-Pacheco, and Bravo-Castro face up to life in prison. If convicted of alien importation and harboring for immoral purpose – conspiracy, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Valencia-De La Rosa, Mujica-Urpin, Velasquez-Hurtado, Pachon-Romero, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Duran Berroteran, Rodriguez-Tapia, Pereda, Zambrano-Pacheco, and Bravo-Castro face up to five years in prison. If convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Mujica-Urpin, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Blanco Luciano, Duran Berroteran, Prieto Galviz, Maykier Mata, Jaspe Bustamante, and Bello-Chacon face up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of firearm use, carrying, and possession, Gonzales-Valdez, Guerrero-Zarate, Mujica-Urpin, Freites Velazquez, Barrios Garcia, Blanco Luciano, Zambrano-Pacheco, Prieto Galviz, Maykier Mata, Jaspe Bustamante, and Bello-Chacon face up to life in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. If convicted of obstruction of justice, Velasquez-Hurtado faces up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of unlicensed dealing of firearms, Pachon-Romero faces up to five years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a fugitive from justice and illegal alien, Zambrano-Pacheco, faces up to 15 years in prison. If convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, Bravo-Castro, Avendaño Carrizalez and Santos Mogollonface up to 15 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Attorney General Bondi and Acting U.S. Attorney Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and NYPD. They also thanked the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office in Colorado; the Aurora Police Department in Aurora, Colorado; the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); the HSI National Gang Unit and New York Human Intelligence Division; ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations New York; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and the New York City Crime Analysis Center at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
This case received significant support from Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target Tren de Aragua, and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern District of New York; the Eastern District of New York; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; the Southern District of Texas; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; HSI; ATF; USMS; and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department 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). In February 2025, Tren de Aragua was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jun Xiang, Kathryn Wheelock, and Timothy Ly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
27 Members or Associates of Tren De Aragua Charged with Racketeering, Narcotics, Sex Trafficking, Robbery and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Pamela Bondi, the Attorney General of the United States; Kristi Noem, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”); Todd M. Lyons, the Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE"); and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today two Superseding Indictments charging 27 individuals currently or formerly associated with the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (“TdA”) with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, robbery, and firearms offenses. The first Superseding Indictment (the “TdA Indictment”) charges six alleged members of TdA. The second Superseding Indictment (the “Anti-Tren Indictment”) charges 19 alleged members of “Anti-Tren,” a splinter faction comprised of former TdA members, along with two additional associates of Anti-Tren. Of the 27 defendants, 21 are in federal custody, including 16 who were already in federal criminal, immigration, or state custody and five who were arrested last night and today in operations in New York and other jurisdictions.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Today, we have filed charges against 27 alleged members, former members, and associates of Tren de Aragua, for committing murders and shootings, forcing young women trafficked from Venezuela into commercial sex work, robbing and extorting small businesses, and selling ‘tusi,’ a pink powdery drug that has become their calling card. Today’s Indictments make clear that this Office will work tirelessly to keep the law-abiding residents of New York City safe, and hold accountable those who bring violence to our streets.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said: “As alleged, Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities. Today’s indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate TdA’s infrastructure as we work to completely dismantle and purge this organization from our country.”
ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons said: “We are at the forefront of efforts to identify, disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal gangs like Tren de Aragua from operating in our cities and around the world. I commend the members of our New York-based Homeland Security Investigations Violent Gang Task Force; without their efforts these indictments wouldn’t be possible. Together with our partners, ICE HSI is committed to addressing the threats posed by illicit narcotics, weapons and human smuggling networks, and ensuring these violent criminals are prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: “Tren de Aragua is one of the most dangerous gangs in the country, and the NYPD has taken significant action to shut down their operations in New York City. For the first time ever, TdA is being named and charged as the criminal enterprise that it is. This isn’t just street crime—it’s organized racketeering, and this gang has shown zero regard for the safety of New Yorkers. As alleged in the indictment, these defendants wreaked havoc in our communities, trafficking women for sexual exploitation, flooding our streets with drugs, and committing violent crimes with illegal guns. Thanks to the dedicated members of the NYPD and the important work of our federal partners, their time is up.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictments:[1]
The TdA Indictment
TdA is a criminal organization that operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, as well as internationally in Venezuela, Peru, and elsewhere. The purposes of TdA included:
- Preserving and protecting the power and territory of TdA and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, robbery, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at former members and associates of TdA who associated with a splinter organization known as Anti-Tren.
- Enriching the members and associates of TdA through, among other things:
- The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including young women from Venezuela, into Peru and the U.S.;
- The sex trafficking of young women (whom members and associates of TdA often refer to as “multadas”) who had been unlawfully smuggled into Peru and the U.S.;
- The trafficking of controlled substances, including a mixed substance called “tusi” that contains ketamine; and
- Armed robberies.
- Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of TdA and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence.
- Promoting and enhancing TdA and the reputation and activities of its members and associates.
- Providing assistance to members and associates of TdA who committed crimes for and on behalf of TdA, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of TdA to flee prosecution.
- Protecting TdA and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of TdA.
Members and associates of TdA transported “multadas” from Venezuela into Peru and the U.S. in exchange for debts that the “multadas” would pay back to TdA by engaging in commercial sex work. Members of TdA enforced compliance among “multadas” by, among other things:
- Threatening to kill “multadas” and their families,
- Assaulting “multadas,”
- Shooting or killing “multadas,” and
- Tracking down and kidnapping “multadas” who tried to flee.
Members of TdA also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and expand TdA’s criminal operations; resolve disputes within TdA; to retaliate against rival organizations, including Anti-Tren; and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims. TdA members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.
The TdA Indictment charges JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON, a/k/a “La Fama”; SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO, a/k/a “Klei,” a/k/a “Kley”; EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ, a/k/a “Jefferson,” a/k/a “Efe Trebol”; BRAYAN OLIVEROS-CHERO; SANDRO OLIVEROS-CHERO; and ARMANDO JOSE PEREZ GONZALEZ, a/k/a “Biblia” (the “TdA Defendants”) with conspiring to participate in the TdA racketeering enterprise. Various of the TdA Defendants are also charged with participating in offenses relating to drug trafficking, carjacking, robbery, and extortion, as well as firearms offenses. This case is assigned U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote.
The Anti-Tren Indictment
Anti-Tren is a criminal organization almost exclusively comprised of former members and associates of TdA. Anti-Tren operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, and in New Jersey, and elsewhere. Like TdA, the purposes of Anti-Tren included:
- Preserving and protecting the power and territory of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at members and associates of TdA.
- Enriching the members and associates of Anti-Tren through, among other things:
- The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including women and girls from Venezuela, into the U.S.;
- The sex trafficking of “multadas” who had been unlawfully smuggled into the U.S.;
- The trafficking of controlled substances, including “tusi”; and
- Armed robberies.
- Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence.
- Promoting and enhancing Anti-Tren and the reputation and activities of its members and associates.
- Providing assistance to members and associates of Anti-Tren who committed crimes for and on behalf of Anti-Tren, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of Anti-Tren to flee prosecution, or bail money for members or associates of Anti-Tren who are detained.
- Protecting Anti-Tren and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of Anti-Tren.
Like TdA, Anti-Tren engaged in human smuggling and sex trafficking of “multadas,” into the U.S. in exchange for debts that the “multadas” would pay back by engaging in commercial sex work. And like TdA, members of Anti-Tren enforced compliance among “multadas” by, among other things:
- Threatening to kill “multadas” and their families,
- Assaulting “multadas,”
- Shooting or killing “multadas,” and
- Tracking down and kidnapping “multadas” who tried to flee.
Members of Anti-Tren also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and to expand Anti-Tren’s criminal operations, resolve disputes within Anti-Tren, to retaliate against rival organizations, including Tren de Aragua, and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims. Anti-Tren members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.
The Anti-Tren Indictment charges REINALDO RAFAEL GONZALES-VALDEZ, a/k/a “Mariguana,” a/k/a “Marijuana”; JOSE MANUEL GUERRERO-ZARATE, a/k/a “Mantequilla”; JOSE DAVID VALENCIA-DE LA ROSA; JOHAN CARLOS MUJICA-URPIN, a/k/a “Sobrino”; LUIS JOSE VELASQUEZ-HURTADO, a/k/a “Chito”; STEFANO SAID PACHON-ROMERO; GUILLERMO FREITES VELAZQUEZ; JESUS DAVID BARRIOS GARCIA, a/k/a “Morocho”; GIOVANNY VALENTIN BLANCO LUCIANO, a/k/a “Cachorrito”; ANDERSON JESUS DURAN BERROTERAN, a/k/a “Cachorro”; ROIMAN NOE BELLO FERRER; LUIS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ-TAPIA; MARIO ANDRES PEREDA, a/k/a “Cara de Hombre”; ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO; YEFERSON ALEJANDRO PRIETO GALVIZ, a/k/a “Flaco T,” a/k/a “Flacote”; JHONKENNEDY BRAVO-CASTRO, a/k/a “Negrito”; YENDER MAYKIER MATA; KELLEN ALEJANDRO JASPE BUSTAMANTE; and LUIS ANDRES BELLO-CHACON, a/k/a “Care de Peo” (the “Anti-Tren Defendants”) with conspiring to participate in an Anti-Tren racketeering enterprise. Various of the Anti-Tren Defendants, along with co-defendants WILFREDO JOSE AVENDAÑO CARRIZALEZ and CARLOS GABRIEL SANTOS MOGOLLON, are also charged with participating in offenses relating to sex trafficking, conspiracy to import and harbor aliens, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, and firearms offenses. This case is assigned U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil.
* * *
A chart containing the names, ages, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) and NYPD. He also thanked the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office in Colorado; the Aurora Police Department in Aurora, Colorado; the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service (“USMS”); the Homeland Security Investigations National Gang Unit and New York Human Intelligence Division; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s New York Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”); and the New York City Crime Analysis Center at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
This case received significant support from Joint Task Force Vulcan (“JTFV”), which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target Tren de Aragua, and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern District of New York; the Eastern District of New York; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; the Southern District of Texas; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; HSI; ATF; USMS; and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department 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). In February 2025, Tren de Aragua was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jun Xiang, Kathryn Wheelock, and Timothy Ly are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._valero-calderon_et_al._indictment.pdf u.s._v._gonzales-valdez_et_al._indictment.pdfThe Tren de Aragua Indictment
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTIES
1
Racketeering
conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,
a/k/a “La Fama,” 29;
SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,
a/k/a “Klei,”
a/k/a “Kley,” 28;
EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,
a/k/a “Jefferson,”
a/k/a “Efe Trebol,” 20;
BRAYAN OLIVEROS-CHERO, 28;
SANDRO OLIVEROS-CHERO, 25; and
ARMANDO JOSE PEREZ GONZALEZ,
a/k/a “Biblia,” 30
Life in prison2
Drug trafficking conspiracy
21 U.S.C. § 846
JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,
a/k/a “La Fama,”
BRAYAN OLIVEROS-CHERO,
SANDRO OLIVEROS-CHERO, and
ARMANDO JOSE PEREZ GONZALEZ,
a/k/a “Biblia”
20 years in prison3
Carjacking conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 371
JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,
a/k/a “La Fama,”
SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,
a/k/a “Klei,”
a/k/a “Kley,” and
EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,
a/k/a “Jefferson,”
a/k/a “Efe Trebol”
5 years in prison4
Carjacking
18 U.S.C. § 2119
JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,
a/k/a “La Fama,”
SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,
a/k/a “Klei,”
a/k/a “Kley,” and
EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,
a/k/a “Jefferson,”
a/k/a “Efe Trebol”
15 years in prison5
Hobbs Act robbery
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,
a/k/a “La Fama,”
SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,
a/k/a “Klei,”
a/k/a “Kley,” and
EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,
a/k/a “Jefferson,”
a/k/a “Efe Trebol”
20 years in prison6
Firearm use, carrying, and possession
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and (ii), and 2
JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,
a/k/a “La Fama,”
SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,
a/k/a “Klei,”
a/k/a “Kley,” and
EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,
a/k/a “Jefferson,”
a/k/a “Efe Trebol”
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years in prison
7
Attempted Hobbs Act extortion
18 U.S.C. §§ 1951 and 2
JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,
a/k/a “La Fama,”
SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,
a/k/a “Klei,”
a/k/a “Kley,” and
EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,
a/k/a “Jefferson,”
a/k/a “Efe Trebol”
20 years in prison8
Firearm use, carrying, and possession – conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 924(o)
JARWIN VALERO-CALDERON,
a/k/a “La Fama,”
SAMUEL GONZALEZ CASTRO,
a/k/a “Klei,”
a/k/a “Kley,” and
EFERSON MORILLO-GOMEZ,
a/k/a “Jefferson,”
a/k/a “Efe Trebol”
20 years in prison9
Firearm use, carrying, and possession – conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 924(o)
BRAYAN OLIVEROS-CHERO, and
SANDRO OLIVEROS-CHERO
20 years in prison10
Firearm use, carrying, and possession
18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2
BRAYAN OLIVEROS-CHERO, and
SANDRO OLIVEROS-CHERO
20 years in prison11
Possession of ammunition by an illegal alien
18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(5) and 2
BRAYAN OLIVEROS-CHERO15 years in prison12
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien
18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(5) and 2
SANDRO OLIVEROS-CHERO15 years in prison13
Firearm use, carrying, and possession
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2
ARMANDO JOSE PEREZ GONZALEZ,
a/k/a “Biblia,”
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison
14
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien
18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(5) and 2
ARMANDO JOSE PEREZ GONZALEZ,
a/k/a “Biblia,”
15 years in prisonThe Anti-Tren Indictment
COUNT
CHARGE
DEFENDANTS
MAX. PENALTIES
1
Racketeering
conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
REINALDO RAFAEL GONZALES-VALDEZ,
a/k/a “Mariguana,”
a/k/a “Marijuana,” 41;
JOSE MANUEL GUERRERO-ZARATE,
a/k/a “Mantequilla,” 29;
JOSE DAVID VALENCIA-DE LA ROSA, 27;
JOHAN CARLOS MUJICA-URPIN,
a/k/a “Sobrino,” 27;
LUIS JOSE VELASQUEZ-HURTADO,
a/k/a “Chito,” 30;
STEFANO SAID PACHON-ROMERO, 21;
GUILLERMO ENRIQUE FREITES-VELAZQUEZ, 26;
JESUS DAVID BARRIOS GARCIA,
a/k/a “Morocho,” 27;
GIOVANNY VALENTIN BLANCO LUCIANO,
a/k/a “Cachorrito,” 20;
ANDERSON JESUS DURAN BERROTERAN,
a/k/a “Cachorro,” 22;
ROIMAN NOE BELLO FERRER, 37;
LUIS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ-TAPIA, 25;
MARIO ANDRES PEREDA,
a/k/a “Cara de Hombre,” 44;
ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO, 26;
YEFERSON ALEJANDRO PRIETO GALVIZ,
a/k/a “Flaco T,”
a/k/a “Flacote,” 24;
JHONKENNEDY BRAVO-CASTRO,
a/k/a “Negrito,” 27;
YENDER MAYKIER MATA, 36;
KELLEN ALEJANDRO JASPE BUSTAMANTE, 20; and
LUIS ANDRES BELLO-CHACON,
a/k/a “Care de Peo,” 31
Life in prison2
Sex trafficking conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 1594(c)
REINALDO RAFAEL GONZALES-VALDEZ,
a/k/a “Mariguana,” a/k/a “Marijuana,”
JOSE MANUEL GUERRERO-ZARATE,
a/k/a “Mantequilla,”
JOSE DAVID VALENCIA-DE LA ROSA,
JOHAN CARLOS MUJICA-URPIN,
a/k/a “Sobrino,”
LUIS JOSE VELASQUEZ-HURTADO,
a/k/a “Chito,”
STEFANO SAID PACHON-ROMERO, GUILLERMO FREITES VELAZQUEZ,
JESUS DAVID BARRIOS GARCIA,
a/k/a “Morocho,”
ANDERSON JESUS DURAN BERROTERAN, a/k/a “Cachorro,”
LUIS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ-TAPIA,
MARIO ANDRES PEREDA,
a/k/a “Cara de Hombre,”
ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO, and
JHONKENNEDY BRAVO-CASTRO,
a/k/a “Negrito”
Life in prison3
Alien importation and harboring for immoral purpose – conspiracy
18 U.S.C. § 371
REINALDO RAFAEL GONZALES-VALDEZ,
a/k/a “Mariguana,” a/k/a “Marijuana,”
JOSE MANUEL GUERRERO-ZARATE,
a/k/a “Mantequilla,” JOSE DAVID VALENCIA-DE LA ROSA,
JOHAN CARLOS MUJICA-URPIN,
a/k/a “Sobrino,”
LUIS JOSE VELASQUEZ-HURTADO,
a/k/a “Chito,”
STEFANO SAID PACHON-ROMERO, GUILLERMO FREITES VELAZQUEZ,
JESUS DAVID BARRIOS GARCIA,
a/k/a “Morocho,”
ANDERSON JESUS DURAN BERROTERAN, a/k/a “Cachorro,”
LUIS MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ-TAPIA,
MARIO ANDRES PEREDA,
a/k/a “Cara de Hombre,”
ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO, and
JHONKENNEDY BRAVO-CASTRO,
a/k/a “Negrito”
5 years in prison4
Drug trafficking conspiracy
21 U.S.C. § 846
REINALDO RAFAEL GONZALES-VALDEZ,
a/k/a “Mariguana,” a/k/a “Marijuana,”
JOSE MANUEL GUERRERO-ZARATE,
a/k/a “Mantequilla,”
JOHAN CARLOS MUJICA-URPIN,
a/k/a “Sobrino,”
GUILLERMO FREITES VELAZQUEZ,
JESUS DAVID BARRIOS GARCIA,
a/k/a “Morocho,”
GIOVANNY VALENTIN BLANCO LUCIANO,
a/k/a “Cachorrito,”
ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO,
YEFERSON ALEJANDRO PRIETO GALVIZ, a/k/a “Flaco T,” a/k/a “Flacote,”
YENDER MAYKIER MATA,
KELLEN ALEJANDRO JASPE BUSTAMANTE, and
LUIS ANDRES BELLO-CHACON,
a/k/a “Care de Peo”
20 years in prison5
Firearm use, carrying, and possession
18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i) and 2
REINALDO RAFAEL GONZALES-VALDEZ,
a/k/a “Mariguana,” a/k/a “Marijuana,”
JOSE MANUEL GUERRERO-ZARATE,
a/k/a “Mantequilla,”
JOHAN CARLOS MUJICA-URPIN,
a/k/a “Sobrino,”
GUILLERMO FREITES VELAZQUEZ,
JESUS DAVID BARRIOS GARCIA,
a/k/a “Morocho,”
GIOVANNY VALENTIN BLANCO LUCIANO,
a/k/a “Cachorrito,”
ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO,
YEFERSON ALEJANDRO PRIETO GALVIZ, a/k/a “Flaco T,” a/k/a “Flacote,”
YENDER MAYKIER MATA,
KELLEN ALEJANDRO JASPE BUSTAMANTE, and
LUIS ANDRES BELLO-CHACON,
a/k/a “Care de Peo”
Life in prison
Mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison
6
Obstruction of justice
18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(c) and 2
LUIS JOSE VELASQUEZ-HURTADO,
a/k/a “Chito,”
20 years in prison7
Unlicensed dealing of firearms
18 U.S.C. §§ 922(a)(1)(A) and 2
STEFANO PACHON-ROMERO5 years in prison8
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a fugitive from justice and illegal alien
18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(2) and (5), and 2
ANDERSON SMITH ZAMBRANO-PACHECO15 years in prison9
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien
18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(5) and 2
JHONKENNEDY BRAVO-CASTRO,
a/k/a “Negrito,”
15 years in prison10
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien
18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(5) and 2
WILFREDO JOSE AVENDAÑO CARRIZALEZ, 26; and
CARLOS GABRIEL SANTOS MOGOLLON, 31
15 years in prison[1] The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
"Booker" for High-End Brothel Network Sentenced to One Year in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Korean national residing in Dedham, Mass., who served primarily as the “booker” for an interstate prostitution network that operated sophisticated high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia, was sentenced on April 18, 2025 in federal court in Boston.
Junmyung Lee, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to one year in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Junmyung Lee is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. The Court also ordered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $200,000, equal to the amount of proceeds earned by the defendant during the conspiracy. In October 2024, Junmyung Lee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; and one count of money laundering conspiracy.Junmyung Lee was arrested and charged in November 2023 with co-defendants Han Lee, 42, of Cambridge, Mass. and James Lee, 69, of Torrance, Calif. The defendants were subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. Han Lee pleaded guilty in September 2024 and, in March 2025, was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $5,418,572 and restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. James Lee pleaded guilty in February 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2025.
From at least January 2022 through November 2023, Junmyung Lee conspired with Han Lee and James Lee to operate an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels, in greater Boston and eastern Virginia, designed to entice women to travel interstate to engage in prostitution. Junmyung Lee and his co-conspirators also conspired to launder the proceeds from the prostitution network by concealing that the money was derived the prostitution conspiracy.
Junmyung Lee was recruited to work for the prostitution network in approximately late 2021 through early 2022, as the business expanded. His main role in the conspiracy was that of the appointment “booker” and assisted with various tasks to maintain the prostitution network. In exchange, Han Lee paid Junmyung Lee $6,000-$8,000 per month. During the entirety of the conspiracy, the brothel network generated over $5.6 million in revenue from approximately 9,450 scheduled commercial sex dates with sex buyers.
As “booker,” Junmyung Lee was responsible for vetting sex buyers, booking appointments and communicating directly with vetted customers via at least two cell phones – for Massachusetts and for Virginia, respectively. The brothel cell phones each contained over 2,800 verified customers of the prostitution business. An additional known cell phone containing additional contacts for the Virginia brothel was never recovered. Junmyung Lee also helped transport women to and from the airport, with some women working at the brothel locations on multiple occasions and in multiple states.
The defendants rented high-end apartments in Massachusetts and Virginia to serve as brothel locations, which they furnished and regularly maintained. In June 2022, Junmyung Lee leased one of the brothel locations in Cambridge, Mass. under his own name. In exchange for the lease, Junmyung Lee received a large cash payment of prostitution proceeds from Han Lee. Junmyung Lee used a portion of the cash payment towards the purchase of a Corvette.
Additionally, Junmyung Lee collected the cash proceeds from the various brothel locations at the direction of Han Lee and then conceal the proceeds via structured deposits into personal bank accounts and through peer-to-peer payments with other conspirators. The defendants also regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds. These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at the brothel locations.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should contact [email protected].
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central District of California and the Eastern District of Virginia; the U.S. Postal Service; and Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquelle Kaye, of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case.
18 April 2025
Wildlife Trafficker Sentenced for Smuggling Baby Spider MonkeysRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Sarmad Ghaled Dafar of Houston, Texas was sentenced in federal court today to four months in custody and 180 days home confinement for trafficking six protected baby Mexican Spider Monkeys. He was also ordered to pay $23,501.70 in restitution for the cost of quarantining three of the monkeys at the San Diego Zoo.
According to admissions in his plea agreement, Dafar coordinated the purchases and smuggling of the monkeys across the border; received them in the U.S.; and arranged for their sale on three occasions in June 2022 and August 2023.
The crime was discovered on August 14, 2023, when U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service interdicted three baby Mexican Spider monkeys being smuggled into the United States through the Calexico West Port of Entry by Dafar’s coconspirator. A search of the coconspirator’s phone led to evidence that the monkeys were being smuggled for Dafar. Additional evidence revealed that Dafar had previously arranged to have at least three other baby Mexican spider monkeys smuggled into the United States from Mexico in June 2022 and July 2023. The fate of those three monkeys remains unknown.
“This crime ripped weeks-old baby monkeys from their mothers, disrupted fragile ecosystems, endangered a vulnerable species, and posed significant public health risks,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This is not merely an economic crime; it is a severe and lasting injury to both wildlife and public safety. Border security is not just about interdicting drugs and preventing illegal entries . It also involves protecting the public from dangerous diseases. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contributes to securing our borders and keeping the public safe.”
The defendant was ordered to surrender on or before May 29, 2025.
Baby Mexican spider monkeys continue to nurse throughout their first year and ordinarily are not fully weaned and independent until they turn two. Most baby Mexican spider monkeys will continue to stay close to their mothers until they are approximately four years old.
Dafar’s Facebook messages show that he intentionally sought baby monkeys to make the smuggling process easier. According to the government’s sentencing papers, on August 6, 2023, a Facebook user sent Dafar a news article about U.S. Border Patrol agents who “found sever spider monkeys during a smuggling attempt in Brownsville[, Texas].” Dafar responded, “I see it. He stupid brin[g] to[o] many of[] them and all adults they make a lot noise and they active. Baby’s most be sleeping and small to hide.”
Photos that Dafar sent via Facebook show how young the baby monkeys were. In June 2022, Dafar sent a Facebook message to a potential customer, J.W.M., that said, “I have monkey coming in 2 week baby monkey…Is a spider monkey… [I’ll] let you know when it is here because they gonna send it to me from California.” In his message to J.W.M., Dafar referred to his below-market price, “Is a spider monkey thos[e] kind go[e]s for 15k and up but I ask 8k.” Along with the message, Dafar attached a photo of the baby monkey under a heat lamp in a cage. In August 2023, Dafar sent the same customer a photo of two baby Mexican spider monkeys in diapers.
According to the government’s sentencing memo, the June 2022 photo (right) of what appears to be a baby spider monkey under a heat lamp in a small cage suggests that Dafar understood or should have understood that the baby monkey he was selling had been prematurely separated from its mother.
According to testimony from U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents, Mexican spider monkey mothers will not voluntarily relinquish their babies and the entire troop of spider monkeys will try to defend the mother and baby from perceived threats. Consequently, to capture baby Mexican spider monkeys, poachers will typically have to kill or incapacitate the mother and troop to capture the baby. In the case of the three baby Mexican spider monkeys that were interdicted on August 13, 2023, the San Diego Zoo performed genetic tests and determined that the three babies each had different mothers.
The three monkeys that Dafar arranged to be smuggled into the United States in June 2022 and July 2023, were not subjected to quarantine, which is required by law to prevent the spread of disease. The regulations are designed to protect the public from zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that spread from animals to humans. Some of the most dangerous zoonotic diseases are those that transfer from primates to humans, such as Ebola, Marburg, monkeypox, and simian immunodeficiency virus
Ultimately, the three Mexican spider monkeys that were seized and quarantined by Fish and Wildlife Service in August 2023 found a home at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago as part of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Wildlife Confiscations Network.
In the case of the three monkeys who were interdicted on August 13, 2023, Fish and Wildlife Service was able to place and pay for the baby Mexican spider monkeys’ quarantine and care at the San Diego Zoo.
The Brookfield Zoo now houses a troop of Mexican spider monkeys that consists of the three Mexican spider monkeys (Chrissy, Jack, and Janet) seized in this case, along with two Mexican spider monkeys (Frankee and Bucees) seized in another Southwest Border smuggling case. Here is a photo of Chrissy and Jack, as well as a photo of Chrissy and Jack along with their troopmates Frankee and Bucees:
This case was prosecuted by Sabrina L. Fève and Robert J. Miller.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24CR0615
Sarmad Ghaled Dafar Age: 33 Houston, Texas
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Washington Jury Finds Mexican National with Ties to the Jalisco Cartel Guilty of Trafficking in Hundreds of Pounds of Fentanyl, Heroin, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine in Eastern Washington and MontanaRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict in the trial of Luis Esquivel-Bolanos (a/k/a “Colorado”), age 45, of Guerrero, Mexico. Esquivel-Bolanos was found guilty on multiple drug trafficking and firearms charges.
United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice presided over Esquivel-Bolanos’s trial, which began April 14, 2025. At sentencing, which is set for July 16, 2025, Esquivel-Bolanos faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life in prison. He may also face removal from the United States.
The evidence presented at trial established that in January 2023, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identified Esquivel-Bolanos as a member of a drug trafficking organization, which had flooded the Eastern District of Washington, including the Oroville area and the Colville Indian Reservation, with methamphetamine and fentanyl. The organization spread as far as central Montana, where many of the illegal drugs were being sold on Tribal land, including on the Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Rocky Boy’s, Fort Belknap, and Flathead Reservations. Within Eastern Washington, the organization was run by Esquivel-Bolanos and his co-defendant, Erubey Arciga Medrano. Esquivel-Bolanos was directly below Medrano, who previously pled guilty to his role in the drug trafficking conspiracy.
The evidence at trial further established that the organization used threatening tactics to maintain control over their drug-distribution activities. In one instance, the organization threatened that the Jalisco Cartel, who supplied drugs to Esquivel-Bolanos and his associates, would kill a confidential informant, who was strip searched when the informant was accused of being a “snitch.” On a separate occasion – not long before police were able to intervene and shut down the organization – Esquivel-Bolanos and others arranged for members of the organization to go to the home of a person suspected of stealing more than thirty pounds of methamphetamine from the organization and to threaten to kill that the suspected thief.
On April 19, 2023, BIA, DEA, the North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force, and other Federal, State, Local, and Tribal law enforcement, executed a series of federal search warrants at a number of homes in rural Okanogan County, near Oroville, Washington. In total, investigators seized approximately 161,000 fentanyl-laced pills (to include Mexi-blues and rainbow-colored pills), approximately 80 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 6 pounds of heroin, and more than 2 pounds of cocaine. The BIA, DEA, and their partners also seized approximately 12 firearms. Many of these drugs were obtained inside a trailer, where Esquivel-Bolanos was living at the time.
“I was able to work on this case and the investigation from the outset,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Barker, who tried the case along with his colleagues Nowles Heinrich and Echo Fatsis. Acting U.S. Attorney Barker continued, “The volume of drugs removed from Eastern Washington and Montana communities, including from Tribal land, is staggering. At the time of Mr. Esquivel-Bolanos’s arrest, and even now, the seizure from the Medrano-Bolanos drug trafficking organization was one of the largest ever in rural Washington. I am grateful for the tremendous law enforcement efforts by the BIA, DEA, and others, who put an end to the dangerous and threatening tactics used by Mr. Esquivel-Bolanos and his associates.”
“Those who traffic drugs into our tribal communities need to know that they will be caught and prosecuted to full extent of the law. I want to thank Acting U. S. Attorney Barker, the BIA Division of Drug Enforcement, the DEA, and all of the law enforcement agencies and AUSAs in Montana and Washington for their dedicated work on these cases,” said Kurt Alme, U. S. Attorney for Montana.
“The conviction of this drug trafficker, who was part of a Mexican Cartel, is the result of intense collaboration and coordination between many Tribal, Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies. These agencies came together to address the drug trafficking occurring across many communities in Eastern Washington and Montana, including seven different Indian Reservations,” said Deputy Associate Director Tom Atkinson of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Division of Drug Enforcement. “This investigation revealed the purposeful and specific exploitation of Indian Country by the members of this criminal network, illustrating the importance of continued vigilance and cooperation among law enforcement agencies. This conviction sends a strong message that drug trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable communities will not be tolerated. The Bureau of Indian Affairs remains committed to empowering tribal law enforcement and to working with its partners to ensure the safety and well-being of all communities affected by drug trafficking.”
“Mr. Esquivel- Bolanos was second in command of the drug trafficking ring responsible for flooding the Oroville area and Colville Indian Reservation with deadly fentanyl and meth,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Drug traffickers who purposely prey on our tribal communities are the worst offenders, and with the help of the jury this Mexican National will be held accountable.”
This case was prosecuted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The OCDETF program provides supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved in the investigation of transnational drug trafficking and related offenses. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement to specifically identify the criminals responsible for these drug related offenses in the Eastern District of Washington and pursue criminal prosecution.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force. The investigation team was assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Okanogan County Sheriff, Colville Tribal Police Department, and the Kalispel Tribal Police Department. The Eastern Washington cases are being prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker, Assistant United States Attorney Nowles H. Heinrich, and Contractor Echo D. Fatsis. Twenty-seven defendants were charged and convicted through a parallel prosecution handled by AUSAs and support staff in the District of Montana.
2:23-cr-00047-TOR
United States Files Complaint Against Barco Uniforms and Its Suppliers, Alleging False Claims Act Violations in Connection with Underpaid Customs DutiesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The United States has filed a complaint against Barco Uniforms Inc., Kenny Chan, David Chan, and companies operated and controlled by the Chans, alleging that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly and improperly underpaying customs duties owed on imported apparel.
Barco sells apparel, including uniforms, to restaurants and healthcare providers, among others. Kenny and David Chan operate various companies that supply Barco with apparel manufactured overseas, including in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
To import merchandise into the United States, the party making the entry must declare, among other things, the value of the goods, whether the goods are subject to duties, the applicable duty rate, and the amount of duties owed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) relies on these representations to levy and collect duties on imported merchandise. A commercial invoice reflecting the value of the goods is required to support the declarations submitted to CBP.
The United States’ complaint alleges that the defendants conspired to knowingly and improperly avoid or decrease the payment of customs duties by undervaluing imported garments Barco purchased from foreign suppliers. Among other things, the government’s complaint alleges that the defendants used a double-invoicing scheme featuring false entry summaries presented to CBP that undervalued imported goods purchased by Barco, thereby reducing the duties paid on the merchandise. The government further contends that the defendants continued to underpay customs duties even after a third-party auditor advised Barco of risks associated with the underpayment of duties and recommended that Barco “double-check” duty calculations underlying prices that Barco agreed to with its foreign suppliers. In addition to Barco, Kenny Chan, and David Chan, the government’s complaint asserts claims against the following entities operated and controlled by the Chans: Able Allied Limited, Nathan Global Direct Inc., J&K Garment Inc., Mega Goodwill Ltd., JS Garment Co., and Superway Import & Export Inc.
“Those who import and sell foreign-made goods in the United States must comply with all trade laws,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov M. Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will hold accountable parties who evade or underpay duties owed on imported merchandise.”
“We will not allow parties engaging in fraudulent schemes to underpay rightful customs duties to profit at the expense of the American public,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California.
“CBP is proud of the investigative work and analysis done on this case and will continue to work collaboratively with inter-agency stakeholders to safeguard our nation’s economic security,” said Director of Field Operations, David Salazar, of the CBP San Francisco Field Office.
The lawsuit was originally filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Toni Lee, the former Director of Product Commercialization at Barco Uniforms. The act permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in any recovery. The act also permits the United States to intervene in and take over responsibility for such an action, as it has done in this case.
Senior Trial Counsel Elspeth A. England of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant United States Attorney David E. Thiess of the Eastern District of California are handling the matter, with assistance provided by CBP and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Lee v. Barco Uniforms Inc., et al., No. 2:16-CV-1805 (E.D. Cal.).
The claims asserted by the United States are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
United States Files Complaint Against Barco Uniforms and Its Suppliers, Alleging False Claims Act Violations in Connection with Underpaid Customs DutiesRead the Press Release
The United States has filed a complaint against Barco Uniforms Inc. (Barco), Kenny Chan, David Chan, and companies operated and controlled by the Chans, alleging that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly and improperly underpaying customs duties owed on imported apparel. Barco sells apparel, including uniforms, to restaurants and health care providers, among others. Kenny and David Chan operate various companies that supply Barco with apparel manufactured overseas, including in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
“Those who import and sell foreign-made goods in the United States must comply with all trade laws,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov M. Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will hold accountable parties who evade or underpay duties owed on imported merchandise.”
“We will not allow parties engaging in fraudulent schemes to underpay rightful customs duties to profit at the expense of the American public,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California.
“CBP is proud of the investigative work and analysis done on this case and will continue to work collaboratively with interagency stakeholders to safeguard our nation’s economic security,” said Director of Field Operations David Salazar of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) San Francisco Field Office.
To import merchandise into the United States, the party making the entry must declare, among other things, the value of the goods, whether the goods are subject to duties, the applicable duty rate, and the amount of duties owed. CBP relies on these representations to levy and collect duties on imported merchandise. A commercial invoice reflecting the value of the goods is required to support the declarations submitted to CBP.
The United States’ complaint alleges that the defendants conspired to knowingly and improperly avoid or decrease the payment of customs duties by undervaluing imported garments Barco purchased from foreign suppliers. Among other things, the government’s complaint alleges that the defendants used a double-invoicing scheme featuring false entry summaries presented to CBP that undervalued imported goods purchased by Barco, thereby reducing the duties paid on the merchandise. The government further contends that the defendants continued to underpay customs duties even after a third-party auditor advised Barco of risks associated with the underpayment of duties and recommended that Barco “double-check” duty calculations underlying prices that Barco agreed to with its foreign suppliers. In addition to Barco, Kenny Chan, and David Chan, the government’s complaint asserts claims against the following entities operated and controlled by the Chans: Able Allied Limited, Nathan Global Direct Inc., J&K Garment Inc., Mega Goodwill Ltd., JS Garment Co., and Superway Import & Export Inc.
The lawsuit was originally filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Toni Lee, the former director of product commercialization at Barco Uniforms. The act permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in any recovery. The act also permits the United States to intervene in and take over responsibility for such an action, as it has done in this case.
Senior Trial Counsel Elspeth A. England of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Thiess for the Eastern District of California are handling the matter, with assistance provided by CBP and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is United States ex rel. Lee v. Barco Uniforms Inc., et al., No. 2:16-CV-1805 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
The claims asserted by the United States are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
USAO Charges Multiple Defendants with Immigration-related 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.
Ana Alvarez-Limonche, 20, a citizen of Venezuela, was indicted on two charges of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents for having fraudulent permanent resident and Social Security cards. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).
Gildardo Alvarez-Rodriguez, 59, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Sept. 24, 2020. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP.
Franklin Calix-Romero, 34, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person for possessing a Ruger 9mm semiautomatic pistol and 9mm ammunition. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by a joint FBI/State/Local Task Force.
Jose Cruz-Aguilar, 41, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Feb. 27, 2017. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by a joint FBI/State/Local Task Force.
Carlos Garcia-Garcia, 45, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being Feb. 19, 2005. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP.
Jhofran Andres Laya-Gutierrez, 28, a citizen of Venezuela, has been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer; destruction, alteration, or falsification or records; fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents; and misrepresentation of a Social Security number. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP and the FBI Toledo Field Office.
Jeyson Martinez, aka, Jayson Martinez-Juarez, 32, 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 Nov. 23, 2018. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by CBP.
Jose Maximiliano Zepeda-Gutierrez, 45, a citizen of Guatemala, has been charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the last being July 10, 2019. The defendant was previously convicted in 2018 for conspiracy to transport an undocumented alien. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Toledo Field Office.
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.
A team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the USAO’s criminal division are prosecuting these cases.
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.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 135 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 135 border-related cases this week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On April 15, Jesus Manuel Zuniga Huerta and Jose Alberto Flores Avalos of Mexico were arrested at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and charged with importing deadly fentanyl into the U.S. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 148 pounds of fentanyl in the rear frame well of a tractor-trailer driven by Zuniga Huerta.
- On April 15, Brian Jaime Sanchez, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found an undocumented immigrant concealed in the trunk of Sanchez’s car as he attempted to cross the border at the Tecate Port of Entry.
- On April 17, Sergio Villalba-Serrano, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Departed Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, Villalba-Serrano was taken into custody near the Tecate Port of Entry after his Cadillac was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Villalba-Serrano had previously been deported on October 26, 2019, from Laredo, Texas.
Also this week, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are a few of those cases:
- On April 10, 2025, following a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted seven-time felon Miguel Rolon of conspiring to bring in aliens and bringing in two aliens for financial gain. During trial, the evidence showed that Rolon picked up two Guatemalan nationals at a stash house in Tijuana, Mexico, coached the aliens to weave a fictious backstory to customs officers, and attempted to smuggle the same aliens into the United States using others’ U.S. passports at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Rolon is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2025.
- On April 18, 2024, Javier Gracia-Meza, a Mexican national, who was previously convicted of a felony illegal reentry offense, was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for again entering the United States illegally.
- On April 18, 2025, Cruz Torres-Gonzalez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of five felony immigration offenses, was sentenced in federal court to 54 months in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
- On April 18, 2025, Pablo Lazcano-Quinonez, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of felony conspiracy to distribute marijuana, felony possession/use of drug paraphernalia, and two illegal reentry offenses, was sentenced in federal court to 15 months in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
- On April 18, 2025, Jesus Eduardo Morga-Ceballos - a Mexican national who was previously convicted of a felony controlled substance offense in 2014, a misdemeanor criminal threat with intent to terrorize in 2014, and a felony illegal reentry in 2023 - was sentenced in federal court to 101 days in custody for again entering the U.S illegally.
Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending April 18, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: • 68 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
• 10 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
• 55 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, aggravated driving under the influence and possession of a forgery writing/device.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. [use if applicable] Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
U.S. Attorney's Office Charges 329 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct in Arizona this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During this week of enforcement operations from April 12, 2025, through April 18, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 329 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 130 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 179 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 16 cases against 18 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. The United States also charged one individual with failing to register, as required by law.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Manuel Ivan Rodriguez-Loya: On April 13, 2025, Manuel Ivan Rodriguez-Loya was arrested for Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. Border Patrol agents from the Lordsburg, New Mexico Station attempted to stop Rodriguez-Loya's vehicle, but he failed to yield, leading agents on a high-speed chase into Arizona. Agents from the Willcox, Arizona Station then positioned themselves to intercept the vehicle and eventually caught Rodriguez-Loya. He was found to be transporting eight illegal aliens at the time, including citizens of Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador. [Case Number: MJ-25-00365-TUC-BGM]
United States v. Emilio Escobar-Escalante: On April 15, 2025, Emilio Escobar-Escalante was sentenced to 37 months in prison for Reentry of Removed Alien. Border Patrol agents discovered Escobar-Escalante in the desert near Vamori, Arizona on January 10, 2024. He initially gave a false name but was ultimately identified as Escobar-Escalante. His identity revealed that he is a documented member of the Latin Kings and MS-13 criminal gangs. Immigration records showed that Escobar-Escalante has been removed from the United States seven times. Escobar-Escalante has previous convictions for illegal reentry, as well as racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. [Case Number: CR-24-00541-TUC-CKJ]
United States v. Antonio Terrell Gaither: On April 15, 2025, Antonio Terrell Gaither was indicted for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens and Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States for Profit. According to the criminal complaint, Gaither admitted to using Telegram and burner phones to recruit others to travel to the southern border to pick up illegal aliens before transporting them to Phoenix, Arizona. [Case Number: CR-25-00566-PHX-KLM]
United States v. Felipe Alonso-Cabada: On April 17, 2025, Felipe Alonso-Cabada, aka Oscar Sanchez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged for Reentry of Removed Alien. According to the criminal complaint, after being arrested on local charges in Phoenix, Arizona, it was determined that Alonso-Cabada had been previously deported after a conviction for trafficking heroin. [Case number: MJ-25-5220-PHX-DMF]
United States v. Eduardo Prado Flores: On April 17, 2025, Eduardo Prado Flores, an alien illegally present in the United States was charged with Failure to Register as an Alien under 8 U.S.C. § 1306(a). Flores, who was removed to Mexico on five occasions, has been living in the United States unlawfully since 2022. On April 16, 2025, Flores was turned over to the Department of Homeland Security after being arrested for Driving Under the Influence. While he was living in the United States from 2022 to 2025, Flores failed to file any immigration paperwork or register as required by law. [Case Number: MJ-25-5225-PHX]
A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-060_April 18 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Two Individuals Indicted for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Mountain Home, Ar., woman and a Bakersfield, Mo., man were arrested today following a nine-count indictment by a federal grand jury for trafficking methamphetamine in southwest Missouri.
Virginia Perreira, 36, and John Zastrow, 34, were charged in a nine-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on April 1, 2025. The indictment was unsealed and made public today following the arrests of Perreira and Zastrow.
The indictment alleges that Perreira and Zastrow participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from March 12, 2024, to Jan. 22, 2025. Perreira is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and four counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Zastrow is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Under federal statutes, if convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine a maximum prison sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000,000 is authorized. If convicted of distribution of methamphetamine, a prison sentence of up to 40 years and a fine of up to $5,000,000 is authorized under federal statutes. The charge of unlawful possession of a firearm has a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and a fine of up to $250,000 authorized under federal statutes. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine I. Schlegl. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the South Central Missouri Drug Task Force, and the Ozark County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office.
The Arthritis Knee Pain Centers and Dr. John Rush Face Federal Civil False Claims AllegationsRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY- The Arthritis Knee Pain Centers (AKPC) and Dr. John Rush, its owner and Chief Executive Officer, face False Claims Act allegations related to false claims for knee injection procedures, announced U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky.
In its complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, the United States alleges that between April 15, 2019, and the present, AKPC and Dr. Rush knowingly submitted or caused the submission of millions of dollars in false claims to Medicare for: 1) medically unreasonable and unnecessary knee injections; and 2) millions of milliliters (ml) of more contrast dye than they actually used during knee injection procedures.
The complaint alleges that AKPC and Dr. Rush falsely increased Medicare payments by unreasonably and unnecessarily doubling the number of knee injection visits for patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis. Instead of treating both knees on the same date of service, AKPC and Dr. Rush required patients to receive their treatment on separate dates. As alleged, attending twice as many visits not only inconvenienced thousands of Medicare patients, but also extended the length of their treatment, often by more than a month, delaying pain relief.
The complaint further alleges that the named defendants routinely submitted false claims for reimbursement from Medicare for single-use vials of contrast dye. This involved the named defendants claiming that they only used a portion of a single-use vial on a patient and then discarded the remainder of the contrast dye (Medicare will reimburse for discarded amounts). However, and as alleged, the reality was that the named defendants did not discard the contrast dye and, instead, used it on other patients.
“To increase Medicare reimbursements by millions of dollars, the defendants, as alleged, delayed pain relief to thousands of Medicare patients and risked infecting them with contaminated contrast dye,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. “This office has and will continue to vigorously prosecute those who prioritize profits over patients.”
This matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Weyand and Jessica R.C. Malloy with assistance from Auditor Phil Bezehertny and Investigator Cristal Fox.
The case is captioned United States v. John Rush, M.D., et al., No. 3:25-CV-200-CRS (W.D. Ky.) and is available here.
The claims alleged by the United States are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
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Texas Man Convicted for Unauthorized Identity Documents with Illegal IntentRead the Press Release
GULFPORT, MS – A Houston, Texas, man pleaded guilty on April 17, 2025, to Unauthorized Possession of Five or More Identity Documents or Authentication Features with Intent to Use Unlawfully. According to court documents, Kenny Hoang Nguyen, age 31, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty to this felony offense in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
Nguyen is scheduled to be sentenced on August 20, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Federal law also provides for Nguyen to be held responsible for restitution to victims. A federal judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
On May 7, 2024, an agent with the Jackson County, South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team (MET) observed a vehicle driving carelessly and initiated a traffic stop on Interstate 10 eastbound. The vehicle was being driven by Kenny Hoang Nguyen. The agent’s narcotics K9 alerted on the vehicle and a search revealed a small amount of suspected methamphetamine.
Additionally, agents found seven temporary Texas driver’s licenses bearing Nguyen’s face but with names and personal information of other people. Further, agents found various documents; debit cards, papers with other personal identity information, and U.S. Mail belonging to other persons. Some items were located in an object that appeared to be book entitled “Holy Bible” but actually was a container. Receipts and deposit slips also were found, with two deposit slips in the name of a victim whose identity was used to create a false ID with Nguyen’s photo. 27 victims were identified whose data (such as account numbers, driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, and social security numbers) was unlawfully possessed by Nguyen.
The case was referred to a U.S. Postal Inspector for further investigation. Multiple victims were interviewed whose identity had been unlawfully possessed by Nguyen in Jackson County. Victims described unlawful activity involving their mail and bank accounts that were directly consistent and matched documents such as bank records possessed by Nguyen when he was arrested in MS.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, Patrick A. Lemon, praised the work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Lemon joined Shameka Jackson, Acting Inspector-in-Charge of the Postal Inspection Service (Houston Division), and Adam M. Calderon, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, in making the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), 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).
Tampa Fugitive Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy Involving over 100 Kilograms of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Honeywell has sentenced Zecki Halum (41, Tampa) to three years and five months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana. Halum pleaded guilty on July 24, 2024.
According to court records, in August 2009, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information that a recreational vehicle (RV) would be used to transport a significant quantity of marijuana from Arizona to the Middle District of Florida. Agents surveilled and tracked the RV as Halum’s co-conspirator drove the RV to Florida. During the cross-country trip, the driver maintained daily phone contact with Halum. When the RV arrived in Tampa, Halum and another co-conspirator met the driver. They then traveled to a church parking lot in Crystal Springs, where they planned to unload the marijuana from the RV. At that time, agents arrested Halum and the co-conspirators. Agents searched the RV and recovered more than 100 kilograms of marijuana packaged in bales and wrapped in a manner consistent with drug trafficking.
In February 2010, Halum failed to appear for court while his case was pending trial. Halum fled the country and remained a fugitive for nearly 15 years before surrendering to authorities.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang and Kelley Howard-Allen.
Tahlequah Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nathan Quinn Harrington, a/k/a Blaze McClanahan, age 31, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 32 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On May 1, 2024, Harrington pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on January 23, 2024, law enforcement conducting a routine traffic stop discovered Harrington knowingly in possession of a .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol and five rounds of .22 caliber ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Harrington will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
South Bend Woman Ordered to Pay $37,023Read the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Jaterria M. Davis, 42 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon Leichty after pleading guilty to a federal felony for misappropriation of postal funds, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Davis was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay $37,023 in restitution to the United States Postal Service.
According to documents in the case, Davis was employed as the Lead Sales and Service Associate at the United States Post Office in Mishawaka, Indiana. Her duties included gathering the daily deposits of cash and checks paid to the post office for postal goods and services that were to be forwarded on to the post office for deposit. However, from on or about July 20, 2024, through August 14, 2024, Davis violated her position of trust by embezzling for her own use, $37,023 in cash deposits paid to the post office.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander.
Seven-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to 15 Years for Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Martez Manning (27, St. Petersburg) to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Manning was subject to an enhanced penalty based on his prior convictions. Manning pleaded guilty on December 20, 2024.
According to court documents, on January 2, 2023, Manning possessed a Beretta model 21A Bobcat semiautomatic pistol and two rounds of CCI 22 Long Rifle ammunition. At the time, Manning seven prior felony convictions, including possession of cocaine, tampering with physical evidence, and five convictions for either sale or delivery of cocaine. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
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.
Seven Members of Dunwoody-Based Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization SentencedRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Seven defendants have been sentenced for their roles in distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other deadly drugs within and outside the metro-Atlanta area. Karla Lopez-Delgado, the ringleader, was also convicted of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute on a premises where a minor resided.
“This case underscores our Office’s unwavering commitment to dismantle drug trafficking networks that threaten our communities with deadly substances,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “And the convictions that our Office and our federal and local partners achieved in this case further amplify our collective determination to relentlessly pursue and prosecute those who profit by distributing the drugs that harm our citizens. I commend the exceptional work of our law enforcement partners in bringing these defendants to justice.”
“Drug dealers who poison our communities will be held accountable. These sentences serve as a warning to anyone who thinks they can profit off addiction — we will find you, and you will be prosecuted,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and our partners remain relentless in our fight to shut down drug operations and protect the safety of our streets.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: Beginning in 2022, HSI investigated a drug trafficking operation led by Karla Lopez-Delgado. She ran the organization with the assistance of Jonathon Torres-Aguirre, who, at the time, was incarcerated at Washington State Prison in Davisboro, Georgia. During the investigation, HSI agents seized methamphetamine and fentanyl from Lopez-Delgado’s customers on seven occasions.
When agents executed a search warrant at Lopez-Delgado’s Dunwoody apartment—a two-bedroom apartment she shared with her four-year-old daughter—they found approximately 4.5 kilograms of fentanyl, over 80 kilograms of methamphetamine, almost 20 kilograms of cocaine, and a handgun. Agents also found several cell phones with hundreds of conversations with Torres-Aguirre about their drug trafficking activities across the state of Georgia and into Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
The following defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg:
- Karla Lopez-Delgado was sentenced to 19 years, eight months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after she pleaded guilty.
- Jonathon Torres-Aguirre was sentenced to 12 years, seven months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty.
- Marco Camacho-Escobar was sentenced to 10 years, one month in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty.
- Issac Duran-Gomez was sentenced to three years, seven months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty.
- Carlos Santiago was sentenced to five years, three months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty.
- Bennie Shelton was sentenced to three years, ten months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty.
- Kiara Jones was sentenced to one year of home detention, followed by three years of supervised release, after she pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with invaluable assistance provided by U.S. Secret Service, the United States Marshals Service, Brookhaven Police Department, Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, Cobb County Police Department, and Henry County Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Matthew R. LaGrone, and former Assistant United States Attorney Tyler Mann, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to eliminate the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Serial Dollar Store Robber SentencedRead the Press Release
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A Forsyth County, North Carolina, man was sentenced today in Greensboro to a total of 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to a string of armed robberies in Forsyth, Guilford, Alamance, and Rockingham Counties, announced Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
BYRON CLAY SCOTT, age 33, was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment for the robberies plus 3 years of post-release supervision by the Honorable Thomas D. Schroeder, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. SCOTT was also sentenced to 24 months to run consecutive to that sentence for committing the robberies while he was on post-release supervision for another armed robbery out of Forsyth County from 2013. In addition to prison and supervision, SCOTT was ordered to pay $21,005.38 in restitution and to forfeit a 9mm handgun.
According to court records, between November 2023 and January 2024, SCOTT and one or more unknown individuals committed at least 10 armed robberies of Dollar General and Family Dollar Stores in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Burlington, and Reidsville. Video surveillance obtained from each of the stores showed the robbers wearing Halloween style face masks, gloves, and dark clothing. All but one of the robberies occurred at night, near closing time. SCOTT was arrested on January 15, 2024, by the Winston-Salem Police Department after they responded to a call for a robbery in progress. When they searched the vehicle SCOTT was driving, they found copies of his birth certificate and Social Security card, along with gloves and masks in the back seat, which were consistent with the gloves and masks worn during each of the robberies. Data obtained from electronic tracking on the vehicle SCOTT was driving and review of SCOTT’s search history on his phone tied him to each of the robberies.
SCOTT pleaded guilty on January 6, 2025, to five counts of interference with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a).
The case was investigated by the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Greensboro Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Piedmont Safe Streets Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracy M. Williams-Durham.
Since 1992, the FBI's Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative has successfully aligned FBI Agents, state and local law enforcement investigators, and federal and state prosecutors onto SSTFs to reduce violent crime. This nationwide initiative brings resources together in a “force multiplier concept” and utilizes the expertise of each agency. SSTFs focus primarily upon street gang and drug-related violence through sustained, proactive, coordinated investigations to obtain prosecutions on violations such as racketeering, drug conspiracy, and firearms violations.
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Serhat Gumrukcu Convicted of Murder-for-HireRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that earlier today, after a five-week trial before Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss, a federal jury convicted Serhat Gumrukcu, 42, of Los Angeles, California, of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Gumrukcu remains in jail pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Gumrukcu has been held in custody since his arrest in May of 2022.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Gumrukcu solicited the murder of Gregory Davis due to Davis’s threats of legal action related to Gumrukcu’s role in a failed oil commodities transaction. Gumrukcu’s conviction for wire fraud stemmed from his fraudulent activities in relation to this failed oil deal. Gumrukcu was particularly motivated to silence Davis due to his negotiations of a multi-million-dollar biotech merger involving Gumrukcu’s alleged discovery of a cure for HIV. Gumrukcu relied on his close friend, Berk Eratay, to arrange through a second intermediary, Aaron Ethridge, the hiring of a hitman to kill Davis. Ethridge recruited Jerry Banks for the hitman role, who on January 6, 2018, posed as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, and abducted Davis from his Danville, Vermont home. On January 7, 2018, Davis’s deceased body was located in a snowbank a short distance from his home. Investigators quickly discovered emails and messaging indicating the tension between Gumrukcu and Davis over the failed oil deal, resulting in Gumrukcu being interviewed twice by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Gumrukcu made false statements during each interview. Cellphone location information, purchase records, banking documentation, emails, and messaging discovered during the investigation led to the identification of the four conspirators who caused the kidnapping and death of Davis.
Based on the jury’s verdict, Gumrukcu faces a statutorily mandated sentence of life imprisonment.
“Serhat Gumrukcu tried to hide his role in the murder of Greg Davis by paying one man to pay another man to pay the hitman, who shot and killed Greg Davis on a January night in Vermont. Uncovering Gumrukcu’s responsibility for this murder involved years of determined investigation by the men and women of Vermont’s United States Attorney’s Office, working closely with the FBI and the Vermont State Police,” stated Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher. “Holding Gumrukcu responsible for this murder also required the work of an extraordinarily talented trial team, consisting of Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Van de Graaf and Zachary Stendig, with tremendous courtroom support from Erin Thompson-Moran and Karen Arena-Leene.” Drescher also thanked the numerous law enforcement entities across the country who worked to identify Banks as the hired hitman, Ethridge and Eratay as middlemen, and Gumrukcu as the financier and benefactor of the murder scheme.
FBI Special Agent in Charge, Craig L. Tremaroli stated, “Serhat Gumrukcu is a ruthless criminal whose greed drove him to order the death of his own business partner. Today, our thoughts are with Gregory Davis’s family. We are proud to have brought them justice and are incredibly grateful to our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office, and all our law enforcement partners across the country who assisted with this complex investigation.”“We join our federal partners in thanking the members of the jury for their careful deliberations and verdict convicting Serhat Gumrukcu of all charges,” said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police. “The jury’s determination of guilt reflects the diligent police work and the copious evidence collected during what would become one of the most sweeping, comprehensive and complex investigations in Vermont State Police history. Starting on the day more than seven years ago that Gregory Davis’s body was discovered on a snowy, remote road in Barnet, the state police, along with our investigative partners including the FBI, focused on identifying those responsible for his senseless killing and bringing them to justice. We hope that with today’s verdict, Mr. Davis’s family may be able to find a small measure of comfort knowing the person who bore ultimate responsibility has been held accountable.”
At trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul J. Van de Graaf and Zachary Stendig represented the government, with supported from Karen Arena-Leene and Erin Thompson-Moran. Gumrukcu was represented by Susan K. Marcus, Esq., and Ethan A. Balogh, Esq.
Security Guard Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of an InmateRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Morris Gary Hibbitt, 51, of Avondale, was sentenced on April 14, 2025, by United States District Judge G. Murray Snow to 13 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release for sexual abuse of an inmate. Hibbitt is also required to register as a sex offender.
On May 21, 2023, while on duty as the Security Supervisor at Behavioral Systems Southwest (BSS) in Phoenix, Hibbitt sexually assaulted a female inmate under his supervision. BSS is a residential reentry center contracted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to aid inmates in their transition back into the community while completing their prison sentences. Inmates at BSS are in official detention and remain under the custodial authority of the BOP.
The Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Kristen Brook, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00992-PHX-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-059_Hibbitt# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Ryan Ellison Appointed as United States Attorney for the District of New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Ryan Ellison has been appointed as the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Mr. Ellison was sworn in by United States District Judge Margaret Strickland on April 18, 2025.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of New Mexico in this role,” said Mr. Ellison. “For however long I serve as United States Attorney, my primary objective will be to keep New Mexicans safe through the vigorous enforcement of Federal law. Under my leadership, the United States Attorney’s Office will do its part to stem the unlawful flow of people and drugs into our country. We will also not lose sight of our responsibility to combat violent crime, gang activity, child predators, and to zealously advocate on behalf of the United States’ civil interests. Together with our federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly to make New Mexico a safer place to live, work, raise a family, and run a business. And we will make New Mexico a far less attractive place to commit a crime.”
Mr. Ellison, born and raised in Alamogordo, New Mexico, graduated from the University of Arizona with a business degree in 2010. He earned his Juris Doctor and MBA from Texas Tech University in 2013. Since 2018, Mr. Ellison has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico in the Las Cruces Branch Office, most recently as Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney of the Violent and General Crimes Section.
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Ellison prosecuted members of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (“SNM”) prison gang. To date, more than 175 SNM gang members and associates have been charged with serious federal crimes, making the ongoing SNM prosecution the largest criminal case ever brought in the District of New Mexico. He has also investigated and prosecuted other violent crimes, including VICAR murder, RICO conspiracy, carjacking resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, murder-for-hire, and various firearms, immigration, and national security offenses.
Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Ellison worked as an Assistant District Attorney in the 47th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Texas and as an associate attorney in private practice.
As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Ellison will be responsible for overseeing federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States in the District of New Mexico. Ellison leads a dedicated team of over 150 prosecutors and support professionals with offices located in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. The District of New Mexico encompasses 33 counties and shares a 180-mile international border with Mexico. It is home to five National Forests, four major military installations, two National Laboratories, 19 pueblos, two Apache tribes, and one-third of the Navajo Nation.
Russell Laffitte Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Misapplying Bank FundsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Former banker Russell Lucius Laffitte, 54, of Estill, has pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; wire fraud; bank fraud; and three counts of misapplication of bank funds.
“Russell Laffitte and Alex Murdaugh abused their positions of power to victimize people who trusted them,” said Ben Garner, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division. “As of today, both have pleaded guilty and accepted responsibility for their crimes in federal court. We appreciate the exhaustive work of our partners at the FBI, SLED, and South Carolina Attorney General’s Office to ensure justice for Laffitte and Murdaugh’s victims.”
Laffitte was an officer and executive at Palmetto State Bank in Hampton, South Carolina. His co-conspirator, Alex Murdaugh, was a personal injury attorney at a law firm in Hampton.
As part of his guilty plea, Laffitte admitted that he agreed to serve as conservator and personal representative for several of Murdaugh’s clients, knowing that he would personally profit from doing so. Beginning in 2011, Laffitte began extending himself and Murdaugh loans from conservator accounts Laffitte was charged with managing. Laffitte did not disclose the loans to the conservatees, despite owing them a fiduciary duty.
Around that time, Murdaugh devised a scheme to obtain money belonging to his clients. In furtherance of the scheme, Murdaugh directed law firm employees to make clients’ checks payable to Palmetto State Bank. The checks were drawn on the law firm’s client trust account, identified the clients on the memo lines, and corresponded to amounts set forth in the clients’ disbursement sheets.
As to two of Murdaugh’s clients, Laffitte—their conservator—saw their disbursement sheets and knew that the bank was supposed to receive their settlement funds. Murdaugh presented the clients’ checks to Laffitte and directed that they be used for Murdaugh’s personal benefit, including to pay off loans Laffitte had extended from conservator accounts. Laffitte negotiated nine separate transactions for Murdaugh’s benefit, knowing that the funds belonged to the clients.
Laffitte also aided and abetted the structuring of transactions from a second check belonging to one of the clients, disbursing the funds at Murdaugh’s direction and for Murdaugh’s personal benefit.
As to a third client of Murdaugh’s, Laffitte negotiated 12 separate transactions, disbursing $1,325,000 in client settlement funds for Murdaugh’s benefit. Despite knowing they were client funds, Laffitte allowed Murdaugh to use the funds to repay Murdaugh’s personal loans, repay loans Laffitte extended from a conservator account, purchase vehicles and equipment, and receive cash back. Laffitte also deposited some of the funds into Murdaugh’s personal account.
Laffitte received $75,000 in conservator fees and $35,000 in personal representative fees from these three clients. He intentionally failed to report this income on his tax returns, knowing that he could hide the income because the fee checks were drafted to Palmetto State Bank rather than to him personally. Laffitte also structured transactions to avoid reporting requirements and intentionally failed to file suspicious activity reports.
In 2015, Laffitte misapplied bank funds by extending over $284,000 from a line of credit that was supposed to be for farming to repay Murdaugh’s remaining loans from the conservatorship.
Laffitte also misapplied bank funds on two other occasions. In July 2021, he extended Murdaugh a $750,000 loan for the stated purpose of beach house renovations. But Laffitte authorized a $350,000 wire transfer to an attorney and then transferred $400,000 of “loan proceeds” to Murdaugh’s account to cover over $367,000 in overdraft, knowing that these funds had nothing to do with beach house renovations.
In October 2021, the law firm uncovered that Murdaugh had stolen from clients. Laffitte knew he had negotiated stolen checks at Murdaugh’s direction despite knowing the funds did not belong to Murdaugh. Laffitte then paid the law firm $680,000 in bank funds without the knowledge or consent of the full bank Board of Directors or Executive Committee in an attempt to settle the matter with the law firm.
A federal jury previously convicted Laffitte of these same six charges in 2022. His conviction was overturned by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in late 2024.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Laffitte agrees to pay $3,555,884.80 in criminal restitution before sentencing. Laffitte also agrees that his guilty plea prohibits him from controlling or participating in the conduct of any federally insured bank or credit union, and he cannot serve as a director or officer of any such bank or credit union without permission.
If Laffitte complies with the plea agreement’s terms, the parties agree that the appropriate sentence is five years in prison, and the Government agrees not to file any additional related charges against Laffitte.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel accepted the guilty plea and will impose a sentence at a later date.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse, Kathleen Stoughton, and Winston Holliday are prosecuting this case.
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Repeat Sex Offender Gets Sentenced for an Attack on a Stranger in the Victim’s HomeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Niko Cherry, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court to 30 months in prison for the sexual assault of a stranger. This sentence will run consecutive to a 64-month sentence Cherry received on April 9th for an assault in August of 2024. The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On December 20, 2024, Cherry pleaded guilty to one count of attempted second-degree burglary and one count of fourth-degree sexual abuse for the August 3, 2024 assault. On April 9, 2025, he was sentenced for that assault and, today, he was sentenced for a probation violation in connection with a previous sexual assault for a total prison term of 94 months. Cherry must also serve five years of supervised release and register for life as a sex offender in the District of Columbia.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:00 a.m. on August 3, 2024, the victim was awakened by an unknown individual when she felt something against her left thigh, which she realized was his erect penis. She then felt the person’s body pressing against the back of her. She jumped out of bed and went into her bathroom. When she came out, the defendant was gone and the door was ajar. The following Sunday morning, the victim received flowers with a note that said, “cuddle buddy” and “text me!” with a particular number. She then reported what had occurred to the police on August 5, 2024. An undercover officer started communication in September with that number, Cherry replied around September 15, 2024, corroborating some details of the assault. The defendant agreed to meet up with the victim on October 10, 2024, and was arrested on probable cause. The defendant’s GPS monitor, which he was required to wear as a condition of his release related to his prior conviction, tracked him following the victim to her house, returning to his home, and then returning about a half hour later to her home and leaving her home about an hour and a half after that.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim Advocate Lezlie Richardson, Supervisory Information Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, who worked on various exhibits for the case, and Interns Youssef Wahba and Haniyyah Zia, of the Sexual Offense and Domestic Violence Unit.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kelley of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section, who prosecuted the case.
Rehoboth Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Falsify CDL Test Scores and PerjuryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rehoboth man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to his role in an alleged conspiracy to falsify records by giving passing scores to four Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants who did not take the CDL skills test as required by federal law. The defendant also pleaded guilty to perjury for lying to a federal grand jury.
Scott Camara, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to falsify records and one count of perjury. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for July 21, 2025. In January 2024, Camara was charged in a 74-count indictment along with five others in the alleged conspiracy and related schemes.
According to court documents, members of Massachusetts State Police (MSP) CDL Unit were responsible for administering CDL skills tests. Test requirements for CDLs are established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The CDL skills test is a demanding, in-person test that consists of three segments: Vehicle Inspection, in which an applicant is tested on their knowledge of the vehicle; Basic Control Skills, in which an applicant is tested on their ability to perform certain maneuvers; and the Road Test, in which an applicant is tested on their ability to drive a commercial vehicle on an open roadway.
According to the charging document, in October 2021, Camara allegedly conspired with then-MSP Sergeant Gary Cederquist to give passing scores to four MSP troopers who had applied for Class A CDLs, but who did not actually take the required CDL skills test.
It is alleged that the test takers were given preferential treatment by Cederquist, who falsely reported that each trooper took and passed a Class A skills test. It is alleged, however, that in reality Camara drove around the testing site with each of the four troopers in a truck cab which did not qualify as a Class A vehicle because it did not have an attached trailer, and neither Cederquist nor any other member of the CDL Unit administered a skills test to the troopers. Camara filled out portions of each trooper’s Road Test Application with false information, including the make, model and registration for an absent trailer, as well as the “Sponsor Information” section, in which Camara falsely claimed to be the sponsor for each of the troopers.
Camara also pleaded guilty to perjury for false statements made to a federal grand jury in May 2023. Testifying under oath before the grand jury, Camara falsely claimed that he had neither filled out the vehicle and sponsor information sections of three of the troopers’ CDL Road Test Applications, nor signed the forms.
All CDL recipients identified as not qualified during the course of this investigation have been reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
On April 7, 2025, former Trooper Calvin Butner, a co-defendant, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to falsify records, three counts of falsifying records and five counts of making false statements. Former Trooper Perry Mendes, also a co-defendant, pleaded guilty on April 14, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to falsify records, three counts of falsifying records and two counts of making false statements. On March 21, 2025, civilian co-defendant Eric Mathison pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion.
The charge of conspiracy to falsify records provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of perjury provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to 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; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Adam W. Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Queens, New York Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Firearm and Drug CaseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on April 14, 2025. Anthony Phelps, 34, of Queens, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to a term of 57 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Phelps previously pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, Phelps distributed cocaine base to a confidential informant on three separate occasions, in March and September 2024. On April 17, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence in Essex, Vermont where Phelps was staying. During the search, law enforcement recovered approximately 705.12 grams of cocaine, 90.82 grams of cocaine base, and a 9mm pistol from one room, as well as approximately 92.24 grams of suspected cocaine, 86.78 grams of sodium-bicarbonate, and a rifle from another room. Phelps stipulated that he intended to distribute the cocaine and cocaine base to others. As a prior felon, Phelps was prohibited from possessing the 9mm pistol.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Vermont State Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary B. Stendig. Phelps was represented by Kevin Henry, Esq.
Prosecutors File Federal Criminal Charges Against 34 Defendants Who Allegedly Re-entered the U.S. Following RemovalRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors this week filed criminal charges against 34 defendants who are alleged to have been found in the United States following removal, the Justice Department announced today.
Many of the defendants charged previously were convicted of felony offenses prior to their removal from the United States, including domestic violence, unlawful sex with a minor, and assault with a deadly weapon.
The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year prison sentence and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
Some of the recently filed cases are summarized below:
- Maximo Medrano, 59, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Medrano, who was removed from the U.S. in 1998 and 2023, has a criminal history that includes a felony conviction in 1997 in Monterey County Superior Court for transportation of a controlled substance, for which he was sentenced to two years in California state prison. Medrano also was convicted in Orange County Superior Court in 2023 of inflicting corporal injury upon a spouse/cohabitant and four counts of disorderly conduct, video/photo of bedroom/bathroom/etc., for which he was required to register as a sex offender. Medrano is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. The Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- Adrian Chopin-Sánchez, 32, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Chopin-Sánchez, who was removed from the U.S. in 2017, has a criminal history that includes a felony conviction in Orange County Superior Court in 2013 for unlawful sex with a minor, for which he was sentenced to one year in California state prison. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Scally of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
- Daniel Giovanni Rivera-Peralta, 32, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Rivera-Peralta, who was removed from the U.S. in 2021, has a felony conviction in Orange County Superior Court in 2020 for assault with a deadly weapon, for which he was sentenced to four years in California state prison. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Scally of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating these matters.
Federal prosecutors today also filed a criminal complaint against four illegal aliens who allegedly stole $10,000 in cash from a victim on Wednesday at a gasoline station in the East Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The defendants allegedly loitered outside bank branches in Los Angeles, including in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, before following a victim who appeared to leave with a large sum of money. After stealing the money, law enforcement who surveilled the defendants then pursued them at a high rate of speed. After law enforcement eventually pulled them over, two defendants fled on foot before being arrested. The $10,000 in cash was recovered inside one defendant’s underwear. While searching the defendants’ residence in the Mid-City neighborhood of Los Angeles, law enforcement found several fake passports.
The defendants in this matter are charged with conspiracy to transport, transmit or transfer at least $5,000 of stolen money in interstate or foreign commerce:
- Javier Jesús Cordoza Araújo, 41, of Venezuela;
- Ingrid Carolina Medina, 40, of Colombia;
- Gladys Gruz Navarro, 62, of Venezuela; and
- Guadalupe Delcristo Martínez, 46, of Mexico.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Orange County Violent Crimes Task Force is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jena A. MacCabe and Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Criminal complaints contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possession of GlockRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Damani Lamont Carmon, 31, of the District, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison for being in possession of a Glock firearm when he was pulled over by police during an April 2024 traffic stop.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Carmon pleaded guilty on Dec. 6, 2024, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Carmon to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court papers, on April 30, 2024, uniformed MPD officers were patrolling the 1800 block of Benning Road Northeast when they stopped Carmon’s vehicle for a traffic violation. After observing an open container of tequila in the vehicle, officers searched the car and recovered from its center console a Glock 23 .40 caliber firearm loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition. Subsequent DNA testing and analysis linked the firearm to Carmon.
Federal law prohibits Carmon from possessing a firearm because he is a previously convicted felon. Specifically, in 2021, Carmon was convicted in Superior Court of assault with intent to kill and carrying a pistol without a license, arising from a 2019 shooting at a gas station in Washington, D.C. Carmon was on supervised release for that offense at the time he possessed the firearm charged in this case.
Carmon has been held without bond since his Oct. 1, 2024, arrest.
The case was investigated by ATF and MPD as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Va.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Craft with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Kyle R. Mirabelli.
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Pensacola Man Charged in Federal Indictment for Attempted Murder of Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Austin James McCastler II, 35, was indicted by a federal grand jury this week charging him with two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, attempted prevention of the government’s authority to take property during an authorized search and seizure, attempted murder and assault of a Special Agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime. Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
McCastler is scheduled for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon on April 22, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in Pensacola, Florida. If convicted, McCastler faces up to life imprisonment.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Okemah Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Eric Jason Franklin, age 53, of Okemah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on July 15, 2024, Franklin knowingly possessed one .410-gauge pump-action shotgun and 15 rounds of .410-gauge ammunition, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Franklin will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Oakland Woman Who Managed On-Demand Drug Delivery Service That Catered to Students and Young Professionals Sentenced to over Four Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Natalie Marie Gonzalez, the leader of a drug trafficking service that supplied controlled substances throughout the Bay Area to students and young professionals, was sentenced today to 50 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson handed down the sentence.
Gonzalez, 31, of Oakland, was indicted along with three co-defendants in October 2023. On Sept. 13, 2024, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C).
According to the plea agreement, from April 2023 through September 2023, Gonzalez managed an on-demand drug trafficking delivery service known as “The Shop” that supplied a broad range of controlled substances to customers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. The Shop had a menu of drugs available for sale and required “a $300 minimum for postal shipments and Bay Area delivery.” Gonzalez paid delivery drivers, including her co-defendants, to deliver controlled substances to customers who placed orders through the encrypted messaging app Signal. During the investigation, Gonzalez messaged an undercover agent that her customer base was “a lot of students and young professionals.”
Gonzalez made multiple sales to the undercover agent of methamphetamine pills that were delivered by The Shop’s drivers. In connection with a sale in July 2023, Gonzalez messaged the undercover agent on where to meet the delivery driver, “Please meet him at the car (white Subaru Forester) with exact change and either: – Hop in for a short ‘Uber’ ride around the block – Get your order through the window like Door Dash – Or play with the pup outside the car to cover up a casual swap :).”
In addition to accepting cash payments for methamphetamine pills, Gonzalez also advertised that The Shop accepted cryptocurrency on the group’s drug menu. Gonzalez gave the undercover agent multiple Bitcoin addresses that the agent could use to pay for drugs.
On Sept. 13, 2023, while executing a search warrant at the group’s stash house in Menlo Park, agents seized, among other illegal drugs, almost a kilogram of fentanyl, roughly seven kilograms of cocaine, orange fake Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, and ketamine.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Thompson ordered Gonzalez to serve three years of supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris made the announcement.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Pastor is prosecuting the case with assistance from Andy Ding. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the DEA and IRS Criminal Investigation.
New York Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base and FentanylRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on April 17, 2025, Owin Thomas, of New York City, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 70 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Thomas previously pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine base and fentanyl with the intent to distribute those controlled substances.
According to court records, on August 28, 2022, Owin Thomas was arrested in a motel room in Bennington, Vermont. After his arrest his motel room was searched and during that search agents located and seized 27.74 grams of bulk packaged cocaine base, and 8.82 grams of bulk packaged fentanyl. Law enforcement also located a backpack attributable to Thomas, which contained empty wax paper envelopes of the type normally used to package fentanyl for sale, a digital scale, and a knife.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Bennington Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas J. Aliberti and Jason Turner. Thomas was represented by Steven Barth.
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).
Navy servicemember sentenced to 10 years in prison after attempting to meet a 14-year-old for sexRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, on April 28, 2024, Michael Andrew Cook, 42, using the Whisper social media app, contacted another user (UC1) who identified herself as a 14-year-old female in Virginia. Cook identified himself as Mike and acknowledged UC1’s age. In reality, UC1 was a special agent from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) working in an undercover capacity.
From April 28, 2024, to July 12, 2024, Cook engaged with UC1 by text messages, telephone conversations, and social media messaging. At the time, Cook was a U.S. Navy servicemember assigned to a Naval Command at Naval Station Norfolk.
UC1 stated that she was staying with her mother in Carrollton, but also stayed with her father in Hampton. Cook and UC1 discussed her father being a U.S. Navy servicemember who was currently deployed. Cook suggested he could be “a kind of father figure” to UC1.
From June 27, 2024, through July 12, 2024, Cook initiated sexually explicit conversations with UC1. Cook requested multiple pictures of UC1 and, on July 10, 2024, Cook asked UC1 when she would be in the Hampton area. Cook offered to pick up UC1 down the road from where she was staying and called her to discuss him travelling to meet her.
On July 12, 2024, Cook drove from Virginia Beach to Hampton to meet UC1. Cook was arrested upon arrival after he messaged UC1 that he was parked in the circle in front of the house.
At the time of the arrest, Cook had in his possession sexual toys, a pair of women’s underwear in a plastic bag, and human collars used in sexual fetishes.
In addition to contacting UC1, Cook contacted two other undercover agents posing as 14-year-old girls on July 9, 2024, and July 10, 2024.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Emily Schmid, Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-106.
Minnesota Man Faces Federal Charges for Threatening to Murder United States CongresspersonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Michael Lewis of Minneapolis has been indicted for threatening to murder a United States official, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on March 26, 2025, Michael Paul Lewis, 52, called the office of a United States Congressperson and left a voicemail in which he threatened to murder her.
“Federal law protects our elected officials from this sort of violent, unhinged, and murderous rhetoric,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick. “It is entirely unacceptable. Defendants who attempt to terrorize public officials in this way will face the full weight of federal justice. I am grateful for the diligent and swift work of the FBI to hold this defendant to account.”
“Threatening to kill a member of Congress is not protected speech. It is a federal crime that will be met with immediate and decisive action,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “No one should be subject to violence for fulfilling their elected duty to represent the American people. The FBI and our partners will investigate such threats thoroughly and hold accountable anyone who threatens the safety of our elected leaders.”
Lewis is charged with one count of threatening to murder a United States official and one count of interstate transmission of a threat to injure the other person. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today and will remain detained until his arraignment and detention hearing on April 23, 2025, before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys LeeAnn Bell and Andrew Winter are 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.
Mexican Man Charged with Bringing Aliens to the United StatesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on April 17, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Benjamin Gutierrez-Morales, 28, of Sonora, Mexico, with illegally bringing aliens to the United States.
Gutierrez-Morales’s arraignment will occur on April 21, 2025, at 1:00 PM in Burlington, Vermont.
According to court records, Gutierrez-Morales met two aliens north of the United States-Canada international border on April 5, 2025. He led those two aliens on foot south across the border. Law enforcement caught all three aliens near Lost Nation Road in Berkshire, Vermont. The two aliens who Gutierrez-Morales brought to the United States both pleaded guilty to illegally entering the United States on April 7, 2025.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Gutierrez-Morales is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Gutierrez-Morales faces up to 10 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 United States Border Patrol.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Gutierrez-Morales is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon.
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).
Man Sentenced to 135 Months for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine in Lee and Harnett CountiesRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – A Sanford, North Carolina man was sentenced yesterday in Winston-Salem to more than 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
ANTWAN LOPEZ CLEMONS, age 45, was sentenced to 135 months of imprisonment plus 5 years of supervised release by the Honorable Loretta C. Biggs, Senior United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison and supervision, CLEMONS was ordered to forfeit a Winchester Double Star 5.56 rifle and a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun.
According to court records, on seven occasions between February 16, 2024, and April 2, 2024, CLEMONS sold fentanyl to a confidential informant (CI) in Lee County, totaling 712.85 grams of fentanyl. On two occasions in March 2024, CLEMONS also sold a total of over 200 grams of methamphetamine to a CI in Harnett County. A search of the two properties associated with CLEMONS yielded another 1,638 grams of methamphetamine, 4 grams of fentanyl, 7 grams of cocaine, 73 dosage units of Suboxone, 125.7 grams of M522 pills, and 2,073 grams of marihuana, as well as a 5.56 rifle and a 9mm handgun.
CLEMONS pleaded guilty on October 9, 2024, to distribution of fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B), conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in violation of 21U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and 846, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A).
“We are committed to protecting communities in the Middle District of North Carolina from the devastating impacts of fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution,” said Acting United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon. “We will continue working closely with the dedicated law enforcement professionals in this district to hold those responsible for this scourge accountable before the law.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message: those who traffic fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our communities will be held accountable. HSI remains unwavering in our commitment to work alongside our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt the networks that drive this deadly trade,” said Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte, which oversees North and South Carolina. “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring justice to those who profit from addiction and endanger lives.”
The case was investigated by the Sanford Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by MDNC Assistant United States Attorney Laura Jeanne Dildine.
MS-13 Member Sentenced to over 12 Years for Kidnapping, Witness Retaliation, and a Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
An MS-13 member and Honduran national, illegally in the United States, was sentenced today to 147 months in prison for kidnapping, retaliating against a federal witness, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on Nov. 5, 2023, Bayron Wuifredo Santos-Recarte, 27, of Honduras, together with other associates of La Mara Salvatrucha 13, better known as MS-13, kidnapped a former federal witness at gunpoint in the parking lot of a laundromat in Nashville, Tennessee. The witness was kidnapped because, eight months prior, he had testified during a federal racketeering trial against MS-13 members. Specifically, the witness testified that MS-13 members tried to shoot and murder him on two occasions over a drug dispute.
During the kidnapping, the victim was held in a truck for hours while being assaulted with a firearm, hammer, and machete. While Santos-Recarte and others assaulted the witness, they also questioned him about why he testified against MS-13 and threatened him with death. After the victim was finally able to escape and call for help, he was treated at a local hospital for serious injuries, which included fractured bones, internal bleeding, and an injury to his kidney.
“The defendant, an MS-13 member, kidnapped a former federal witness and tortured him with a machete, hammer, and gun. This violence and obstruction of the American legal system is core MS-13 conduct and exemplifies why MS-13 has been designated a foreign terrorist organization,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department remains focused on eliminating this organization. There is more to come. Thank you to the prosecutors, ATF, and our local law enforcement partners for their relentless pursuit of justice.”
“We will do whatever it takes to protect witnesses from harm,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “If a witness is retaliated against, our office will bring the full might of federal law enforcement to bear on holding those responsible accountable for their crimes.”
“On numerous occasions, individuals are silenced from ‘speaking out’ due to threats, intimidation, or the risks of serious harm,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Nashville Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “In this case, the victim/witness was kidnapped, terrorized, and physically assaulted by relentless, gang-affiliated criminals. Witness intimidation is a serious federal offense and anyone who retaliates against a government witness will be held fully accountable under the law. ATF remains committed to working alongside our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime and diminish the presence and influence of these dangerous and deadly criminal organizations in the communities that we serve.”
When identified as one of the kidnappers and confronted by law enforcement, Santos-Recarte admitted driving the truck used in the kidnapping and knowing that the witness testified against MS-13 members during a trial. Santos-Recarte also admitted helping others force the witness into the truck at gunpoint and being present while others assaulted the victim. When federal agents arrested Santos-Recarte, he was in possession of an assault rifle.
In December 2024, Santos-Recarte pleaded guilty to kidnapping, retaliation against a federal witness, unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and conspiracy charges. After he serves his sentence, he will be deported from the United States.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Explosives, and Firearms investigated the case with assistance from the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoff and Christopher Matthews of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Safeeullah of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
Louisville Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY - This week the last of three defendants charged in a conspiracy involving federal methamphetamine trafficking offenses was sentenced.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Kelvin Watkins, 41, of Louisville, was sentenced on April 17, 2025, to 13 years and 4 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Additionally, Watkins was on federal supervised release at the time of the above offenses. His term of supervised release was revoked, and Watkins was ordered to serve an additional 2 years and 4 months in prison, for a total combined sentence of 15 years and 8 months.
Courtney Martin, 38, of Louisville, was sentenced on March 27, 2025, to 12 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and four counts of distribution of methamphetamine
Durelle Clayton, 35, of Louisville, was sentenced on August 1, 2024, to 10 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the ATF and LMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Dahl and Emily Lantz prosecuted the case.
This case was sentenced under 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).
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Los Angeles Man Sentenced for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Daniel Hooker, 36, of Los Angeles, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to 27 months in prison, for his role in a money laundering conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, from August 2023 through March 2024, Hooker and three co‑conspirators conducted multiple financial transactions involving funds they believed to be proceeds of cocaine trafficking. Their belief as to the nature of the funds was based on representations of an individual working at the direction of law enforcement. On two different occasions in 2023 and 2024, Hooker met the individual in a parking lot in Rancho Cordova and accepted a total of $100,000 in cash to be laundered. After those meetings in Rancho Cordova, Hooker wired funds from a bank account he controlled into a bank account designated by the individual in an effort to complete the laundering. In total, the conspirators received approximately $940,000 in purported drug trafficking proceeds. Of that amount, the conspirators laundered approximately $811,000.
This case was the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Thuesen and Whitnee Goins prosecuted the case.
Long Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Production and Distribution of Images of Minors Engaging in Sexually Explicit ConductRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Long Beach, Mississippi man pleaded guilty today to three counts of producing images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and one count of distributing images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
According to court documents, in February 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) in Gulfport learned that Jason Leonard Rhodes, a 47-year-old male, had sexual contact with three minor boys. With that information, the FBI and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Cybercrime Division, conducted a search warrant at the defendant’s residence on February 8, 2023.
During the search warrant, the FBI found various electronic devices belonging to Rhodes. A forensic examiner with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Cybercrime Division conducted a forensic analysis on those devices and found videos of Rhodes engaged in sexually explicit conduct with minors. The forensic examiner also found chats between Rhodes and others in which Rhodes sent some of those videos to other people as well as videos of other children being sexually abused.
During the search warrant, Rhodes gave a confession to law enforcement, admitting to videoing himself engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the minors and to sending out pictures and videos of children being sexually abused.
Rhodes is scheduled to be sentenced August 26, 2025, and faces up to thirty years in prison for each count of producing images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and up to twenty years on the count of distributing images and videos of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Cybercrime Division, and the Long Beach Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee Smith, Glenda Haynes, and Andrea Jones prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Lincoln County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Waynesburg, Ky., man, Steven Fellmy, 46, was sentenced on Thursday, to 300 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine.
According to the evidence at trial, on August 8, 2023, a Simpsonville Police Department Detective relayed an anonymous tip to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, which concerned the transport of a large quantity of methamphetamine from Anderson County into Mercer County. As a result, Fellmy was traffic stopped in Mercer County, by a Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputy. At the scene, a Harrodsburg Police Department K9 positively alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Law enforcement then searched the vehicle, which led to the recovery of 193.5 grams of 95% pure methamphetamine. On his person, Fellmy also had 9.439 grams of methamphetamine and 22.529 grams of heroin.
Under federal law, Fellmy must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Chief Scott Elder, Harrodsburg Police Department; Chief Thomas Brummer, Simpsonville Police Department; and Sheriff Ernie Kelty, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, Harrodsburg Police Department, Simpsonville Police Department, and Mercer County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Baker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Kansas City Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Tesla ArsonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A Kansas City resident, attending college in Boston, was arrested and made his initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla business in Kansas City, Missouri.
According to the criminal complaint, filed in the Western District of Missouri and unsealed today, Owen McIntire, 19, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of any property used in interstate commerce.
“Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”
“Crimes have consequences. The people behind these violent and dangerous attacks on private property will face decades in prison — we will not make deals and we will not negotiate,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“This is the second arrest this week of a suspect charged with targeting Tesla, more proof that the FBI will not stand for these destructive acts,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible. We will work with our partners at the Department of Justice to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes. I commend our FBI teams in Kansas City and Boston for their work.”
“ATF’s Special Agents and forensic experts recovered and analyzed key evidence—including Molotov cocktails—used in this deliberate and dangerous arson attack,” said Acting Director Dan Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “This wasn’t vandalism — it was a violent criminal act. Thanks to the relentless work of ATF special agents, and our close coordination with the FBI and local law enforcement, we now have a suspect in custody. I am committed to ensuring ATF continues to stand on the front lines of public safety. ATF will not tolerate those who incite political violence in our communities.”
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, on March 17, at approximately 11:16 p.m., an officer with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department (KCMOPD) in the vicinity of the Kansas City (KC) Tesla Center observed smoke coming from a grey Cybertruck parked in the KC Tesla Center parking lot. The officer also observed an unbroken suspected incendiary device near the burning Cybertruck. KCMOPD recovered the unbroken incendiary device, also known as a Molotov cocktail. The fire spread from the Cybertruck to a second Cybertruck in the lot. The Kansas City Fire Department responded to the scene to extinguish the fire.
The Cybertrucks had sale prices of $105,485 and $107,485. Additionally, two charging stations were damaged by the fire, each of which is valued at approximately $550.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Foley and Trey Alford for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
The FBI Kansas City and Boston Field Offices, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department are investigating the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
25-mj-00048-jamlmc_affidavit_redacted.pdfKansas City Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Tesla ArsonRead the Press Release
Note: View the affidavit here.
A Kansas City resident, attending college in Boston, was arrested and made his initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla business in Kansas City, Missouri.
According to the criminal complaint, filed in the Western District of Missouri and unsealed today, Owen McIntire, 19, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of malicious damage by fire of any property used in interstate commerce.
“Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: you will not evade us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”
“Crimes have consequences. The people behind these violent and dangerous attacks on private property will face decades in prison — we will not make deals and we will not negotiate,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“This is the second arrest this week of a suspect charged with targeting Tesla, more proof that the FBI will not stand for these destructive acts,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These actions are dangerous, they are illegal, and we are going to arrest those responsible. We will work with our partners at the Department of Justice to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes. I commend our FBI teams in Kansas City and Boston for their work.”
“ATF’s Special Agents and forensic experts recovered and analyzed key evidence—including Molotov cocktails—used in this deliberate and dangerous arson attack,” said Acting Director Dan Driscoll of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “This wasn’t vandalism — it was a violent criminal act. Thanks to the relentless work of ATF special agents, and our close coordination with the FBI and local law enforcement, we now have a suspect in custody. I am committed to ensuring ATF continues to stand on the front lines of public safety. ATF will not tolerate those who incite political violence in our communities.”
According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, on March 17, at approximately 11:16 p.m., an officer with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department (KCMOPD) in the vicinity of the Kansas City (KC) Tesla Center observed smoke coming from a grey Cybertruck parked in the KC Tesla Center parking lot. The officer also observed an unbroken suspected incendiary device near the burning Cybertruck. KCMOPD recovered the unbroken incendiary device, also known as a Molotov cocktail. The fire spread from the Cybertruck to a second Cybertruck in the lot. The Kansas City Fire Department responded to the scene to extinguish the fire.
The Cybertrucks had sale prices of $105,485 and $107,485. Additionally, two charging stations were damaged by the fire, each of which is valued at approximately $550.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Foley and Trey Alford for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
The FBI Kansas City and Boston Field Offices, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department are investigating the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
KDY Crew Member Sentenced to 180 Months for Armed Carjacking and Marijuana DistributionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jovan Terrell Williams, 20, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 180-months in federal prison in connection with the November 2023 armed carjacking of a Chevrolet Corvette and for his participation in the Kennedy Street Crew drug trafficking conspiracy.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – Washington Field Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Williams, aka “Chewy,” pleaded guilty on September 5, 2024, to carjacking while armed and conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilos of marijuana. In addition to the 180-month prison term, U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Williams to serve five years of supervised release.
Williams is the last of 17 KDY members to be sentenced in this case. Yesterday, on April 17, co-defendant and KDY leader Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga, 29, was sentenced to 160 months in prison.
According to court documents, Williams was a member of the Kennedy Street Crew, a violent drug trafficking organization which operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest, as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate the drug trade, defend its territory from rival crews, and commit other violent crimes. Following a takedown operation in June 2023, most defendants charged by indictment for their roles in the KDY DTO were apprehended. Williams, however, remained a fugitive for months.
On November 17, 2023, at approximately 7:40 p.m., Williams—while still a fugitive—carjacked an individual at gunpoint on the 1800 block of Half Street, SW, stealing the victim’s 2021 Chevrolet Corvette. Williams was armed and wearing a ski mask when he and two associates ran from stolen Audi and Lexus sedans and advanced towards the owner of the Corvette, who knelt in surrender.
While pointing a gun at the car owner, Williams took the keys to the Corvette, a Tesla key attached to an Apple Air Tag, and Apple Air Pods. Williams and his associates then drove away in the stolen cars. Approximately 40 minutes later, the stolen Audi and Lexus were used in an armed robbery of three individuals on 8th and P Streets NW.
Later that evening, at 9:53 p.m., law enforcement tracked the Apple Air Tag stolen from the carjacking victim to an apartment building on the 4700 block of Benning Road NE. Officers found and arrested Williams and two associates in the building’s laundry room. Following the arrests, officers recovered a “ghost gun” from inside a washing machine. In a hole in the laundry room’s ceiling, officers found three more concealed firearms: a black pistol, a black Glock 19 with an obliterated serial number, and another black pistol outfitted with a “switch” that would allow it to fire as a machine gun.
Earlier that year, on January 26, 2023, law enforcement executing a residential search warrant encountered Williams along with several other KDY crew members on the 1700 block of D Street, NE. Also in the residence, law enforcement recovered 10 firearms, assorted ammunition, 21 kilos of marijuana packed in suitcases, and 40 grams of fentanyl-laced pills. The firearms included a privately manufactured AR-style .223 caliber pistol (a ghost gun) modified to fire as a machine gun, and a Draco 7.62 x 39mm pistol. DNA profiles obtained from both firearms linked both weapons to Williams, who acknowledged that he possessed them in connection with the drug trafficking conspiracy.
This investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by ATF’s Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, and the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force, with assistance from the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
KDY DEFENDANTS
NAME
AGE
SENTENCES
Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga29Sentenced March 17, 2025, to 160 Months in Prison after Pleading Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee”24Sentenced January 16, 2025, to 168 Months after Pleading Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl and Oxycodone; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense; and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon.Keion Michael Brown21Sentenced January 16, 2025, to 147 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Oxycodone and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford”23Sentenced August 16, 2024, to Five Years for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy”24Sentenced December 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilos of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.Jovan Williams, aka “Chewy” and “Choo”20Sentenced April 18, 2025 to 180 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and Armed Carjacking.Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour”25Sentenced March 22, 2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of MarijuanaCameron Xavier Reid28Sentenced May 31, 2024, to 60 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana.Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub26Sentenced May 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Juwan Demetrius Clark, aka “Squirrel”28Sentenced January 10, 2025, to 37 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby,”34Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 120 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base.David Penn, aka “Turtle”32Sentenced November 15, 2024, to 220 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture of Cocaine Base; and Two Counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy”31Sentenced September 13, 2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King”24Sentenced February 8, 2024, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment.Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle”29Sentenced April 26, 2024, to 15 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana, 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, and a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Cocaine Base.Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui”31Sentenced December 12, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime.Adebayo Adediji Green31Sentenced August 16, 2024, to 60 Months for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.
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