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Friday 10 July 2026
Dunn Housing Authority Director Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Taxpayer FundsRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Debbie Norris Woodell, 64, to two years in Federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to commit federal program theft. Woodell was also ordered to repay $238,448 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
“In limited circumstances, HUD pays for citizen’s housing with taxpayers’ dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Woodell stole those dollars robbing both taxpayers and indigent recipients of America’s generosity. We will continue to hold greedy fraudsters accountable and ensure that criminals who exploit public programs face serious consequences. Cheaters. Never. Win.”
Woodell became the Executive Director of the Dunn Housing Authority (DHA) in 2014. DHA is a federally funded agency that provides affordable housing to qualifying low‑income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities in Dunn, North Carolina. Between 2016 and 2021, Woodell exploited her position, working with others to steal more than $200,000 from DHA. As part of the scheme, she issued checks from DHA accounts to co‑conspirators for unapproved landscaping and maintenance work that they never ever started. She funneled most of the money back to her personal use. To carry out the fraud, she fabricated bid documents, created fake invoices, forged signatures, and provided false information to DHA’s board of commissioners. Woodell also misused DHA credit cards to make thousands of dollars in unauthorized personal purchases, including ATV gear and home renovations for her house. She concealed the theft by creating false receipts and altering DHA’s accounting records.
“Debbie Woodell violated the trust placed in her, orchestrating multiple fraud schemes and compromising the federal procurement process by stealing more than $200,000 intended to support vulnerable members of the community,” said Special Agent in Charge Jerome Winkle of HUD’s Office of Inspector General. “Her actions were especially damaging given the limited resources available. HUD OIG will continue working with law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate and hold accountable those who misuse public funds for personal gain.”
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. HUD’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or PACER by searching case for Case No. 5:25-CR-103-FL-RN-1.
Drugs, Firearms Secure Lengthy Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Harrison County man was sentenced for selling fentanyl and methamphetamine while carrying firearms, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.
Matthew Ryan Lester, 34, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 180 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. Lester sold methamphetamine and fentanyl in Harrison County. Separate searches of his home and vehicle uncovered 900 grams of methamphetamine, 240 grams of fentanyl, multiple firearms, and more than $8,000.
“Drug dealers who bring fentanyl and methamphetamine into our communities will face serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “Our office will continue to aggressively target those pushing these deadly substances while illegally possessing firearms.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the Philippi Police Department investigated.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Dominican Republic National Pleads Guilty to Participating in $1 Million Unemployment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Karin L. Contreras, 45, a Dominican Republic citizen and U.S. lawful permanent resident, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with a scheme to defraud unemployment programs, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Contreras pleaded guilty before the Honorable Beryl A. Howell to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Following the plea hearing, Judge Howell scheduled sentencing for Nov. 6, 2026.
“Contreras came to our country, was given the privilege of permanent residency, and then turned around and defrauded the American people,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This behavior won’t be tolerated, and thieves will be held accountable. Contreras will suffer the consequence of her attempt to cheat the American taxpayers.”
According to court documents, from June 2020 through March 2021, Contreras conspired with others to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits using other people’s names and personal identity information. As a result of the fraudulent applications, conspirators received prepaid ATM cards loaded with benefits totaling more than $1 million. The overwhelming majority of the cards were mailed to a D.C. address immediately next to Contreras’ residence. Contreras and other conspirators then withdrew funds from the cards at ATMs, typically in increments of $1,000, the maximum daily withdrawal limit.
Between July 1, 2020, and July 14, 2020, Contreras personally used 12 different fraudulently obtained cards to withdraw $23,000 from ATMs in Washington, D.C. In total, conspirators were able to realize more than $550,000 from the scheme.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and John Kosmidis of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section.
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Department of Justice announces the results of Operation Spring CleaningRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Spring Cleaning, a nationwide initiative spearheaded by the FBI to combat gang-related threats and enhance public safety. The operation coordinated with federal, state, and local law enforcement and targeted the illegal flow of firearms and narcotics in our communities. The operation began on March 1 and ended May 31.
In total, Operation Spring Cleaning led to over 1100 arrests, over 600 charges filed, and almost 600 search warrants conducted. The operation also resulted in the seizure of:
- Almost 1000 illegal firearms, dozens of which were equipped with machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) as well as over 75 stand-alone MCDs
- Over 2,700 pounds of illegal narcotics including:
- Over 500 kilograms of cocaine or more than 1100 pounds
- Nearly 700 pounds of methamphetamine
- Over 550 pounds of marijuana
- Nearly 50 kilograms of fentanyl or more than 100 pounds
- Almost 40 kilograms of heroin or more than 85 pounds
- More than 7 kilograms of crack cocaine or more than 16 pounds
- More than 13,200 pills of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly
“When our neighborhoods are safe from the scourge of deadly drugs, individuals and families can prosper,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Trump Administration has made significant progress in removing this poison from our streets, a key step in our commitment to making America safe again.”
“This FBI understands that communities across our country have been ravaged by gangs and the firearms and narcotics they flood our streets with,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Spring Cleaning represents our total commitment to crushing this kind of violent crime and eliminating the criminal networks who facilitate them – with over 1,000 arrests, 1,000 firearms seized, and 3,000 pounds of narcotics removed from our neighborhoods. Righteous operations like this show this FBI is only getting started and will continue delivering the most prolific run of crime reduction in U.S. history.”
“These operations underscore our commitment to removing illegal guns and drugs from our streets so that we can all live in a safer community,” said United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. “We are proud to work alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as we continue to fight for and protect North Texans.”
“Operation Spring Cleaning is another example of how the FBI is working with our partners to combat illegal gang activity,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We will continue to work together to reduce violent crime and increase safety in our North Texas communities.”
In the Northern District of Texas, 27 individuals were arrested and charged as part of Operation Spring Cleaning, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould and said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
Guns and drugs seized by FBI Dallas Field Office during Operation Spring Cleaning Guns, drugs, money, and jewelry seized by FBI Dallas Field Office during Operation Spring Cleaning
Additionally, FBI Dallas conducted 44 operations during Operation Spring Cleaning. After executing 6 search warrants, investigators seized approximately 5.35 kilograms of cocaine, 27.3 pounds methamphetamine, 127.9 pounds marijuana, $273,000 of US Currency, $20,000 worth of jewelry, a Mercedes Benz, and 73 firearms and machine-gun conversion devices.###
Dallas Man Federally Indicted for His Role in an Alleged Precious Metals Scam Targeting Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
A Dallas man was federally indicted on May 20, 2026, for his role in an alleged precious metals scam targeting elderly victims, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Damien Moran, 36, was indicted with ten counts of wire fraud. On June 17, 2026, he made his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Brian McKay.
According to the indictment, Moran allegedly owned and operated several companies that targeted elderly individuals to use their retirement savings to purchase precious metals, such as gold and silver coins, from his companies. However, as alleged in the indictment, Moran fraudulently sold the precious metals at significantly inflated prices without disclosing the markups to his customers. Additionally, as alleged in the indictment, Moran, on several occasions, failed to deliver the precious metals his customers had purchased.
“This office is committed to standing up and protecting seniors and elderly folks from scams,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Those in North Texas should read this indictment as a sign of things to come. If you have or plan to target seniors and elderly folks, we will find you, charge you, and seek stiff prison sentences.”
“This indictment demonstrates the lengths to which some criminals will go to defraud vulnerable members of our communities,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI encourages the public to thoroughly research any investment opportunity and to contact us immediately if they suspect fraud."
If convicted, Moran faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count.
The FBI Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dallas County man has been extradited from Qatar to the United States to face charges in the Eastern District of Texas stemming from a Homeland Security Task Force investigationRead the Press Release
A Garland man has been extradited from Qatar to the United States to face charges related to a Homeland Security Task Force investigation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Chief Financial Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Launder $67 Million Dollars in Fraud ProceedsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that WEIDONG GUAN, a/k/a “Bill Guan,” the former Chief Financial Officer of The Epoch Times Association, Inc. (the “Epoch Times”), an international media company headquartered in New York, New York, pled guilty yesterday to participating in a conspiracy to engage in transactions involving criminal proceeds as part of a transnational scheme to launder at least approximately $67 million of illegally obtained funds to benefit, among others, the Epoch Times. GUAN pled guilty before District Judge Victor Marrero. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
“Weidong Guan orchestrated an elaborate multimillion-dollar money laundering scheme to increase revenues at the company where he served as Chief Financial Officer,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Corporate leaders like Guan should take notice: boosting revenues through crime will not pay. This Office is committed to holding perpetrators of financial crimes accountable and compensating victims.”
According to the charging documents and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
From at least in or about 2019, through in or about May 2024, GUAN, while serving as Chief Financial Officer of the Epoch Times, conspired with others to participate in a sprawling, international scheme to launder at least approximately $67 million of illegally obtained funds to bank accounts in the names of the Epoch Times and related entities. GUAN did so by using the Epoch Times’ funds to purchase crime proceeds loaded onto gift cards and prepaid debit cards at discounted rates of approximately 70 to 80 cents on the dollar, and then laundering those crime proceeds back to the Epoch Times under the guise of fake “donations” to the Epoch Times. When banks notified GUAN that the transactions at issue were suspicious and asked GUAN to explain their source, GUAN knowingly misled the banks to believe the transactions were legitimate rather than criminal.
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GUAN, 63, of Secaucus, New Jersey, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to engage in transactions involving criminal proceeds, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. GUAN also agreed to forfeit at least $67 million, representing property involved in the offense, and separately to pay restitution up to $67 million. The criminal conduct at issue does not relate to the Epoch Times’ newsgathering activities.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
One of GUAN’s co-conspirators, Le Van Hung, a/k/a “Hung Van Le,” a/k/a “Van Hung Le,” pled guilty on June 29, 2026, to participating in a conspiracy to commit identity theft based on his role in the money laundering scheme. HUNG is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2026.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin M. Burkett, Rebecca T. Dell, Paul M. Monteleoni, Daniel C. Richenthal, and Amanda C. Weingarten are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists William Spehr and Emma Vorchheimer.
Chicago Man Convicted of Plotting to Kill Two Witnesses in Cousin’s Murder TrialRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been convicted on federal murder-for-hire charges for plotting to kill two potential witnesses in his cousin’s murder trial.
In the summer of 2024, CHRISTOPHER YATES sought the killings of two individuals he believed would testify against his cousin, who was set to go to trial in Cook County for allegedly fatally shooting a woman in 2020. Yates recruited two individuals to carry out the killings of the witnesses and provided them with a handgun and ammunition. Yates told them, “I want them both off the board. Both of them got to [expletive] go.”
Yates provided them with $250 in cash and said he could offer more money later as payment for the killings. “Whatever you charge, I’m working on that,” Yates told them.
Yates, 41, was arrested on July 31, 2024, before the killings could be carried out. He has remained detained in federal custody since then.
After a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the jury convicted Yates on June 29, 2026, of two counts of murder-for-hire and one count of unlawful transfer of a firearm and ammunition. The unlawful transfer charge is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison, while each murder-for-hire count is punishable by up to ten years. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for Oct. 28, 2026.
The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations. Substantial assistance was provided by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirsten Moran and Megan Donohue.
Cheektowaga man going to prison for pointing a laser at an aircraftRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Joseph L. Crapsi, 31, of Cheektowaga, NY, who was convicted of pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
On March 2, 2024, a Delta Airlines flight was in flight and on approach to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Crapsi lives in the flight path of the airport and aimed the beam of a green laser pointer at the Delta Flight.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and Craig R. Gestring. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Patterson, the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen B. Davis, II.
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Carbondale store owner sentenced to 46-month imprisonment and ordered to pay over $560,000 in restitution for fraudulent SNAP benefits schemeRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A federal district judge sentenced a Carbondale store owner to 46 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to fraudulently acquiring Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (“SNAP”) benefits he and his store were not entitled to receive.
Dean A. Amley, 61, pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count for Conspiracy to Commit Food Stamp Fraud, one count of Unauthorized Acquisition of SNAP Benefits, and seven counts of Money Laundering. Following imprisonment, Amley will serve 3 years on supervised release. The judge also ordered Amley to pay $564,936.19 in restitution.
“Defendant’s fraudulent scheme not only stole taxpayer dollars, it violated the public’s trust in systems designed to support our most vulnerable, said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “This sentence reflects our office’s commitment to protecting essential public resources and ensuring that those who exploit programs meant to help families in need are held fully accountable.”
From March 1, 2014 to December 21, 2020, Amley along with his employees operated a business in Carbondale, Illinois known as East Main Shell, Inc. d/b/a Egyptian Corner. During this time, Amley and his employees conducted a fraudulent scheme whereby Amley would purchase SNAP benefits from their customers and then unlawfully use those SNAP benefits to purchase inventory for Egyptian Corner. Amley also permitted customers to unlawfully use SNAP benefits to purchase prohibited or ineligible items such as tobacco products and alcoholic beverages.
“Illinois SNAP recipients were for years ripped off by this criminal who used his store, Egyptian Corner, to steal from them,” said USDA Inspector General John Walk. “Instead of using his Food and Nutrition Administration SNAP retailer authorization to provide eligible food to needy Illinois residents, the convict took federal reimbursement for selling unlawful items and laundered SNAP benefits through other retail locations to enrich himself. USDA OIG special agents went to work with federal partners and now he’ll do the time – 46 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, $564,936.19 in restitution, and $489,936.18 forfeited. Working with VP Vance and WH Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, USDA OIG will do the work to send fraudsters in Illinois or anywhere else to prison.”
“Amley didn’t just break the law, he stole from a federal program funded by taxpayers who expect those dollars to be used for their intended purpose,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Ryan Presley. “He used his business to divert SNAP funds for himself, and that kind of abuse undermines trust in systems meant to help people who truly qualify for assistance. The FBI Springfield Field Office, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue those who think they can cheat federal benefit programs and walk away with a profit.”
USDA OIG and FBI led this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Canadian-owned companies agree to pay $223,618 to resolve fraud allegations related to receipt of a Small Business Innovation Research program awardRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Advanced Global Services, Ltd. (AGS), Paradigm Shift Technologies (PST), and Gennady Yumshtyk (collectively, the defendants) have agreed to pay $223,618 to resolve allegations, arising under the False Claims Act (FCA), that they submitted false claims in connection with a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program award funded by the United States Air Force and the United States Navy.
The government alleges that in 2019, AGS obtained an SBIR award to develop certain gun barrel coating technology through the Air Force. To obtain the SBIR award, AGS and its president, Yumshtyk, certified, among other things, that AGS would conduct all research and development in connection with the SBIR award and that it would do so in the United States. The government further alleges that AGS, which was located in Orchard Park, NY, did not, in fact, perform work under the SBIR award. Rather, PST, which is located in Toronto, Canada, performed the SBIR award work out of its Canadian facility. Accordingly, the United States contends that the defendants were not eligible to participate, and receive funding through, the SBIR program.
“This Office is committed to holding accountable companies and individuals that misrepresent themselves so that they can participate in important government programs, like SBIR,” said U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo.
“Protecting the integrity of the federal procurement process is a top priority for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Sandy Nezi, Air Force Office of Special Investigations. “When contractors misrepresent their eligibility and location of work to secure taxpayer funds, they undermine programs designed to support genuine American small businesses. We will continue to work with our partners to aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who attempt to defraud the Department of the Air Force.”
“Schemes that exploit taxpayer funds designated for domestic military innovation do more than violate public trust, they threaten the integrity of our procurement system and undermine our technological edge,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Greg Gross, Economic Crimes Field Office, Naval Criminal Investigative Service. “Alongside our federal partners and the Department of Justice, NCIS will relentlessly pursue those who misrepresent their eligibility to secure research funding meant to deliver advanced, secure capabilities to our warfighters.”
The civil settlement resolves allegations brought by the United States in a civil complaint filed on November 24, 2025 in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, captioned United States v. Advanced Global Systems, Ltd., Paradigm Shift Technologies, Inc., and Gennady Yumshtyk, No. 1:25-cv-01248.
The case was investigated at the direction of Special Agent Sandy Nezi, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Office of Procurement Fraud; Special Agent, Oran Cape, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Economic Crimes Field Office; and Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Coriell and Investigator Peggy McFarland of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination or admission of liability.
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Brazilian National Arrested for Armed Robbery of a Cash CourierRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national, unlawfully residing in the United States on an expired visa, has been arrested in Florida and charged in connection with the armed robbery of a cash courier in Framingham, Mass. last November, which resulted in the theft of approximately $200,000.
Helbert Oliveira, 47, has been charged with Hobbs Act armed robbery and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act armed robbery. Oliveira made his initial appearance in the Southern District of Florida today and will appear in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Oliveira is alleged to have conspired with another individual, Curt Porcher, to rob a cash courier delivering money to a Framingham business. Porcher allegedly served as the getaway driver in a rented vehicle, while Oliveira is accused of pointing a firearm at the victim and taking approximately $200,000. Surveillance footage from the robbery is included below:Prior to Oliveira’s arrest, his alleged co-conspirator, Porcher, was charged by criminal complaint in the District of Massachusetts with Hobbs Act armed robbery and conspiracy. He was subsequently indicted on April 22, 2026.
The charge of Hobbs Act armed robbery, or conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act armed robbery, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Division and the Marlborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting Oliveira. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Richardson, also of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting Oliveira’s alleged co-conspirator, Porcher.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 110 Months in Federal Prison for Major Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Alexander Brock, age 60, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles further sentenced Brock to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
After a three-day trial, the jury unanimously convicted Brock of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. As the evidence at trial demonstrated, Brock acted as a middleman by repeatedly brokering high-quantity deals to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine in East Baton Rouge and Iberville Parishes, while also converting cocaine into crack cocaine and distributing those substances to his own customers. The jury also determined that the conspiracy involved more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 28 grams of crack cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Jarreau, who also serves as Deputy Chief in the Criminal Division, and Benjamin Anderson led the prosecution. “The success of these operations is attributed to true teamwork. I am proud of our prosecutors and thankful for our local and federal partners. They are working every day to make our community safer,” U.S. Attorney Wall said.
This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the U.S. Coast Guard, Investigative Service (CGIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (CBP OFO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol (CBP BP) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for Middle District of Louisiana.
Amarillo Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A convicted sex offender residing in Amarillo was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for transporting child sexual abuse material, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
In January 2026, Matthew Albert Tate, 57, pled guilty to transportation of child pornography. He was sentenced on May 27, 2026, to 480 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk. The Court also ordered him to pay $96,500 in restitution.
“This defendant chose time and time again to abuse children and proliferate sexual abuse material online. He will, rightly so, spend the rest of his life behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The judge in this case also ordered that he pay restitution back to the victims for his heinous crimes. My office has and will continue to fight every day for victims of child abuse. I’m proud of the AUSA prosecuting this case – she is simply a warrior for some of the most vulnerable folks in our communities – and I thank the great agents who work tirelessly, often at a severe personal cost, to ensure that justice is done for the child victims. NDTX is lucky to have these public servants fighting on behalf of our communities.”
“There is no greater betrayal than the sexual exploitation of a child and further contributing to their continued victimization through the distribution of child sexual abuse material,” said Travis Pickard, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Dallas. “This sentence reflects the devastating harm these crimes inflict on children and sends a clear message to those who prey on our most vulnerable: HSI and its law enforcement partners will ensure you face the full force of the law for your horrific acts .”
According to court records, in April 2025, law enforcement initiated an investigation into child pornography trafficking from an IP address in the Amarillo area. The user of the IP address was identified as Matthew Albert Tate. Tate was a registered sex offender for prior criminal convictions involving the sexual abuse of a child and possession of child pornography. The investigation revealed that beginning around January of 2025, Tate used an online file sharing platform to allow other users to download child sexual abuse material, including of prepubescent minors. In May 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Tate’s Amarillo residence wherein they confiscated multiple electronic devices belonging to Tate. A forensic search revealed multiple videos and photographs of child sexual abuse material in violation of federal law. Agents were also able to determine that Tate likely transferred the files from his Dell laptop computer to another electronic storage device using Internet connections and various file-sharing platforms. Tate later admitted to law enforcement that he downloaded and saved child pornography and traded child pornography online. Tate further admitted that he knew what he did was criminal.
Additional details about Tate’s background and prior convictions were discussed at his sentencing hearing. In 1997, Tate was arrested for sexually abusing a child younger than 14 and creating child pornography of her. He also possessed child pornography of other victims. The defendant was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child, and possession of child pornography for that conduct. He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment and was paroled in 2021 after serving approximately 24 years. He was on parole and required to register as a sex offender at the time of his arrest in May 2025 for trading child pornography with other online users. Tate also possessed a total of 3,246 individual files of child sexual abuse material on his devices, including material that involved 16 different victims who have been identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Homeland Security Investigations, Dallas Field Office (Amarillo Resident Agency) and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Parole Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
Additional details about Tate’s background and prior convictions were discussed at his sentencing hearing. In 1997, Tate was arrested for sexually abusing a child younger than 14 and creating child pornography of her. He also possessed child pornography of other victims. The defendant was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child, and possession of child pornography for that conduct. He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment and was paroled in 2021 after serving approximately 24 years. He was on parole and required to register as a sex offender at the time of his arrest in May 2025 for trading child pornography with other online users. Tate also possessed a total of 3,246 individual files of child sexual abuse material on his devices, including material that involved 16 different victims who have been identified through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Homeland Security Investigations, Dallas Field Office (Amarillo Resident Agency) and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Parole Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
185 more charged in new cases related to continuing efforts to secure southern borderRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – In support of Operation Take Back America, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Southern District of Texas has filed another 181 cases in immigration and border security-related matters from July 3-9.
The cases include charges against 21 people allegedly involved in human smuggling. A total of 33 criminal complaints were filed for illegal entry, while another 129 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies related to narcotics, violent crime, immigration offenses, and more. The remaining cases charged this week involve other immigration crimes.
As part of these new matters, two illegal aliens from Mexico have been charged with unlawfully reentering the country. Authorities had just removed Gilberto Cuenca-Pedroza on May 6 but found him again in the United States near La Joya, Texas. Wilson Perez-Landeros had also been previously removed, but law enforcement discovered him near Rio Grande City, according to the criminal complaint. The charges further allege Cuenca-Pedroza and Perez-Landeros both have prior narcotics convictions, distribution of heroin and meth, respectively.
If convicted of illegally reentering the United States without authorization, both face up to 20 years in federal prison.
In addition to these new cases, a federal jury in Corpus Christi convicted a 46-year-old Honduran national of illegally reentering the United States after a one-day trial and 15 minutes of deliberation. Carlos Lopez-Mejia fled on foot following a traffic stop before authorities apprehended him. The jury heard evidence of his two prior removals in 2001 and 2019.
In Laredo, Guatemalan human smugglers Agapito Jorge Ventura and Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino pleaded guilty in a scheme tied to a tractor-trailer crash that killed more than 50 people and injured over 100 more. They conspired with others to transport illegal aliens, including unaccompanied minors, from Guatemala through Mexico to the United States. They recruited individuals, collected payment, and arranged travel via foot and various other forms of transportation. In some cases, they provided scripted language if authorities apprehended them. Both face up to life in prison at the time of their sentencing.
Also of note was the sentencing of Mexican national Ivan Garcia-Lopez in Houston. The court considered the dangerousness of his other crimes and lack of respect for the law before imposing the 60-month sentence. Garcia-Lopez has previous convictions for illegal reentry, engaging in organized crime, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault, and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state, and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Thursday 9 July 2026
Zuni Man Sentenced for Fatal ShootingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man was sentenced to 78 months in prison for the shooting death of an individual in the heat of passion.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents on December 1, 2024, Glendon Laate, 49, a member of the Zuni Pueblo, shot and killed John Doe with a homemade shotgun in the heat of passion.
Laate pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Upon his release from prison, Laate will be subject to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Burkhead is prosecuting the case.
Zuni Man Charged in Assault That Seriously Injured Two VictimsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man is facing federal charges for allegedly attacking two victims with a hammer, causing serious injuries that required hospitalization.
According to court documents, on July 5, 2026, Errick Waikaniwa, 39, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, allegedly assaulted two victims with a hammer at a residence in Zuni, New Mexico. The victims suffered severe injuries and were transported for medical treatment. One victim was later transferred to a regional hospital due to the extent of their injuries, which included significant facial trauma, while the second victim sustained head injuries, including a skull fracture.
The investigation determined that multiple people witnessed the assault and contacted law enforcement. Zuni Police Department officers responded to the scene, arrested Waikaniwa, and recovered a hammer believed to have been used in the attack. During a subsequent interview with FBI agents, Waikaniwa allegedly admitted to striking both victims with the hammer.
Waikaniwa is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing. If convicted of the current charge, Waikaniwa faces up to 10 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting 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.
Virginia Beach woman pleads guilty for making graphic threats of violence toward a federal elected officialRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach woman pled guilty today to threatening a federal official.
According to court documents, from May 21, 2025, to May 23, 2025, Jeannie Harris Blassingham, 69, in a series of voicemail messages made threats to an elected official and the official’s staff. In the profanity-laced statements, Blassingham threatened physical violence and stated that the official could “expect to be confronted by people who think” the official “needs to die right now.”
Blassingham is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 15 and faces up to six years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Capitol Police investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton D. LaForge is prosecuting the case.
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. 2:26-cr-60.
Virginia Beach fentanyl trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, from at least Oct. 28, 2022, to Jan. 27, 2023, Ryan Dale Anderson, 40, was part of a drug-trafficking conspiracy operating in Hampton Roads, Florida, and California.
On Oct. 28 and Nov. 2 of 2022, undercover law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of a total of 1,004 purported Percocet pills containing fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl that were supplied by Anderson.
During a third controlled transaction on Dec. 6, 2022, Anderson sold 101 fentanyl pills to an undercover detective in Virginia Beach. On Jan. 27, 2023, Anderson contacted the undercover detective and agreed to meet to sell 1,000 fentanyl pills. Anderson arrived at the meeting location and was subsequently taken into custody. Law enforcement seized 1,020 fentanyl pills from the vehicle in which Anderson arrived.
Investigators searched Anderson’s Virginia Beach residence and his storage unit in Chesapeake. They recovered, among other things, a total of 1,684 fentanyl pills, 12 LSD tabs, 10 Adderall pills, three Xanax pills, 10.8 pounds of marijuana, $12,992.50, digital scales, and packaging material.
Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., and the Virginia Beach Police Department investigated this case with assistance from, the Virginia State Police, Naval Criminal Investigative Services, and the McIntosh County Sheriff Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Cheney prosecuted the case.
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. 2:25-cr-61.
Two illegal aliens convicted of federal charges following multiple state arrests for assaultsRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two illegal aliens have been charged federally with returning to the U.S. after removal and both were arrested federally after being jailed for new crimes, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. The defendants have now been sentenced to prison terms.
“These cases represent the work we are doing to make our community safer, despite the efforts Washington State to frustrate immigration enforcement,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Both of these defendants were removed from the U.S. and returned illegally multiple times. They were encountered by local law enforcement multiple times and in each case, they were released back into the community to commit additional crimes including violent assaults. When ICE learns of a state arrest our attorneys work quickly to get judicial arrest warrants so that they will not be released to our streets yet again. All of this could be avoided if elected officials would allow for even a minimum amount of cooperation.”
Miguel Rangel Jimenez, aka Sergio Rangel Jimenez, 49, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced last week to a year in prison for illegal reentry of a removed alien. U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted that Rangel Jimenez has a history of violence. According to records filed in the case, since 2000, Rangel Jimenez has unlawfully entered the United States seven times after being removed. In 2001, he was removed from the country after receiving a 19-month sentence in Oregon for two counts of felony fourth degree assault and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. Rangel Jimenez has been removed from the country six times in total—2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2016, and 2021.
In January 2024, Homeland Security agents were alerted that Rangel Jimenez was arrested for criminal trespassing and possession of a controlled substance in Snohomish County. Rangel Jimenez was released from state custody on these charges. On December 13, 2025, Rangel Jimenez was arrested for (and later convicted of) domestic violence assault in the fourth degree. The victim reported that he had repeatedly hit her, pulled her hair, and put his hand over her mouth, resulting in visible marks on her body. Just four days after this arrest, he was arrested again for reportedly punching a victim five or six times in the face. The victim was working at the apartment complex where Rangel Jimenez had previously been evicted.
A federal criminal complaint was filed against Rangel Jimenez in January 2026, and he came into federal custody in March 2026.
David Ortiz Tino aka Edward Avalos, 31, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for illegally reentering the United States. In January 2020, Ortiz Tino was arrested in Nebraska for Assault in the First Degree (and later convicted of Disorderly Conduct). In 2021, he was sentenced to three years in prison for two additional convictions for child abuse and assaulting a pregnant woman, during which he caused the victim to lose consciousness. He was removed to Guatemala in January 2023. In March 2025, he was arrested in Snohomish County for domestic violence offenses.
A criminal complaint was filed against Ortiz Tino in January 2026, and he was arrested and brought into federal custody in February 2026.
These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The cases were prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Cáceres.
Two New Jersey Men Sentenced for Fentanyl Analogue Distribution in Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
Two New Jersey men were sentenced this week for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that imported fentanyl analogues from China and distributed them in pill form throughout Northern New Jersey.Nine individuals have been charged and convicted for their roles in this drug trafficking organization. In total, they imported over a metric ton of fentanyl-related substances and other drugs into the United States and sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to China using wire transfers and Bitcoin to pay for the drugs. Thus far, five individuals have been sentenced to a total of 685 months in prison.
On July 7, Sean Tighe, 50, of North Haledon, New Jersey, was sentenced to 151 months in prison. Tighe previously pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl analogue pills and participating in a money laundering conspiracy. Tighe admitted that from approximately March 2014 to September 2020, he conspired to distribute over nine kilograms of furanyl fentanyl and nine kilograms of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, synthetic cathinones (also known as bath salts), including ethylone; and ketamine. In addition, from March 2014 to May 2019, Tighe conspired to launder funds, including five wire payments from the United States to China to purchase controlled substances and/or controlled substance analogues.
On July 8, Juan Rodriguez, 51, of Irvington, New Jersey, was sentenced to 60 months in prison. Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl analogues. During the conspiracy, Rodriguez obtained opioid pills from Sean Tighe and distributed them in Northern New Jersey.
Other members of the drug trafficking organization placed orders with a source in China and imported kilogram quantities of various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues to the United States. The drugs arrived through commercial package delivery services and air freight from China and were transported to Newark, New Jersey, where co-conspirators pressed the fentanyl analogue powder into fake prescription pills. The drugs were sold in bulk and pill form directly to consumers and other downstream distributors.
Other members of the conspiracy included Thomas Padovano, 52, of Newark, New Jersey, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 234 months in prison; William Panzera, 53, of North Haledon, New Jersey, who was convicted by a jury and sentenced to 144 months in prison; and Michael Action, 51, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 96 months in prison.
Four other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty in the case and are awaiting sentencing.Bartholomew Padovano is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29. Sentencing dates for the other co-conspirators have not been yet been scheduled.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) made the announcement.
The HSI Newark Field Office the investigation, with assistance from HSI in Philadelphia, the FBI Newark Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Newark Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New Jersey, New York and Kentucky, the Newark Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Stephen Sola, Chief of the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra for the District of New Jersey. Financial Investigator Kathryn Montemorra of MNF supported the investigation.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section's (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Two More Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Analogue Distribution and Money Laundering ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two New Jersey men were sentenced this week for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that imported fentanyl analogues from China and distributed them in pill form throughout Northern New Jersey. Nine individuals have been charged and convicted for their roles in this drug trafficking organization. In total, they imported over a metric ton of fentanyl-related substances and other drugs into the United States and sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to China using wire transfers and Bitcoin to pay for the drugs. Thus far, five individuals have been sentenced to a total of 685 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer, Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) announced.
On July 7, Sean Tighe, 50, of North Haledon, New Jersey, was sentenced to 151 months in prison. Tighe previously pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl analogue pills and participating in a money laundering conspiracy, before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court. Tighe admitted that from approximately March 2014 to September 2020, he conspired to distribute over nine kilograms of furanyl fentanyl and nine kilograms of 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, synthetic cathinones (also known as bath salts), including ethylone; and ketamine. In addition, from March 2014 to May 2019, Tighe conspired to launder funds, including five wire payments from the United States to China to purchase controlled substances and/or controlled substance analogues.
On July 8, Juan Rodriguez, 51, of Irvington, New Jersey, was sentenced to 60 months in prison. Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl analogues.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced both defendants to 5 years of supervised release.
Other members of the drug trafficking organization placed orders with a source in China and imported kilogram quantities of various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues to the United States. The drugs arrived through commercial package delivery services and air freight from China and were transported to Newark, New Jersey, where co-conspirators pressed the fentanyl analogue powder into fake prescription pills. The drugs were sold in bulk and pill form directly to consumers and other downstream distributors.
Other members of the conspiracy included Thomas Padovano, 52, of Newark, New Jersey, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 234 months in prison; William Panzera, 53, of North Haledon, New Jersey, who was convicted by a jury and sentenced to 144 months in prison; and Michael Action, 51, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 96 months in prison.
Four other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty in the case and are awaiting sentencing. Bartholomew Padovano is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29. Sentencing dates for the other co-conspirators have not been yet been scheduled.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From approximately January 2014 through September 2020, members of the drug trafficking organization agreed to import and distribute various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, including fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, methylone, and ketamine. They received packages and shipping barrels laden with drugs, which arrived through commercial package delivery services and air freight from China. They distributed some of the drugs in bulk, and delivered some to a dilapidated trailer in Newark, where co-conspirators pressed the fentanyl analogues into counterfeit pharmaceutical pills and distributed them. Tighe was among the individuals who distributed the fake pills to customers and other downstream distributers, including Rodriguez.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited the special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) – Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation. He also thanked HSI in Philadelphia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Newark Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Newark Police Department, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.
The government is represented by Senior National Security Counsel Sammi Malek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Stephen Sola, Chief of the Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture (MNF) Section. Financial Investigator Kathryn Montemorra of MNF supported the investigation.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Newark comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS and local law enforcement officers with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
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Defense counsel: Paul Condon, Esq. for Sean Tighe; Anthony Pope for Juan Rodriguez.
Two Individuals Indicted and Arrested for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On July 1, 2026, a federal grand jury indicted Alejandro Morales-Varela and Gabriel Andrés Vélez-Ramírez on charges for production of child exploitation material, receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography.
Alejandro Morales-Varela, a 25-year-old man from Arecibo, was arrested via a criminal complaint on June 26, 2026. Gabriel Andrés Vélez-Ramírez, 28-year-old man from Lajas, was arrested on July 8, 2026. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agents arrested both defendants.
According to court documents, from May to June 2026, Morales-Varela and Vélez-Ramírez, aiding and abetting each other, knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a 5-year-old male minor, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct using a cellular phone. The defendants are further charged with receipt/distribution and possession of child exploitation material.
“There are no cases more important for the Department of Justice and the Puerto Rico U.S. Attorney’s Office than crimes against children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone who exploits minors for sexual purposes,” said Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “Those who engage in child exploitation and create child sexual abuse material will be tracked down and held accountable for their heinous conduct.”
Yariel Ramos, HSI San Juan’s Acting Special Agent in Charge said: “In the past two weeks, HSI San Juan has made six arrests for child exploitation offenses, with suspects ranging in age from 19 to 63 years old, across multiple communities in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These arrests underscore our unwavering commitment to protecting children and holding offenders accountable. With the support of U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force, our agents are able to leverage critical partnerships and resources. The Renewed Hope Act will further equip our agency with advanced tools and increased personnel to identify victims faster and bring perpetrators to justice. We will continue to pursue those who exploit children and ensure their crimes are met with the full force of the law.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI is in charge of the investigation.
If convicted for the charges, the defendants face the following penalties: production of child exploitation material - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years up to life; receipt and distribution of child pornography - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to 20 years; possession of child pornography - a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years, all charges of conviction to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969 or send an email to [email protected].
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Two Georgians Guilty in Athens Fentanyl, Meth Ring Linked to CartelRead the Press Release
ATHENS, Ga. – A federal jury convicted two Georgia residents for their roles in an armed drug trafficking network linked to a cartel that distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances throughout the Athens community, with the Homeland Security Task Force investigation led by FBI resulting in the seizure of more than two dozen firearms.
Firearms seized from Serda’s home and photographs of pounds of methamphetamine stored in Serda’s home in Case 3:25-CR-00010 in U.S. v. Serda.
“This verdict holds these defendants fully accountable for their roles in a cartel-linked criminal organization that distributed fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in Athens and amassed dozens of firearms. Both men now face life in prison for their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Through close coordination with a dozen law enforcement agencies, the FBI led an investigation that successfully removed the deadliest drugs and firearms from criminal possession, making our neighborhoods safer for everyone.”
“These defendants built a drug trafficking operation that flooded the Athens area with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other dangerous narcotics while stockpiling an alarming cache of firearms,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta's Athens office. "The FBI and our partners will continue pursuing the organizations that profit from addiction and violence, and we will use every available investigative tool to remove these threats from our communities.”
Josue Serda, 26, of Jefferson, Georgia, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, four counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of distribution of methamphetamine on premises where a person under 18 was present, and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance and faces a maximum of life in prison.
Gregory Robinson, 32, of Athens, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, one count of distribution of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone, and one count of maintaining drug involved premises and faces a maximum of life in prison.
A third defendant, Ariel Collins, 32, of Athens, was found not guilty of one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises.
The trial began on Monday, June 29, and concluded on Wednesday, July 8, before U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III in Athens. Sentencing dates will be determined by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to the filed indictment, court documents, and statements made in court, FBI led an investigation beginning in 2024 into Serda and Robinson’s criminal activities distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine from a Mexican cartel into the Athens community. For example, in September and October 2024, Serda was recorded distributing fentanyl at least four times.
Serda photographed holding a kilogram of fentanyl (left) and Robinson posing with drug proceeds in Case 3:25-CR-00010 in U.S. v. Serda.
Thirteen enforcement agencies executed search warrants in this case during the early morning hours of Aug. 26, 2025, including at Serda’s home in Jefferson, Georgia. Serda refused to exit the home. Serda is a convicted felon and has a history of threatening law enforcement officers. For instance, on Dec. 18, 2015, Serda was convicted in the Superior Court of Jackson County, Georgia, for terroristic threats. In that case, Serda threatened a police officer, stating he was going to contact “his cartel” to come to the officer’s house to “cut [his] family up.”
Serda with firearm over a sleeping infant in Case 3:25-CR-00010 in U.S. v Serda.
More recently, Serda was arrested on June 20, 2025, by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office after he and his girlfriend were found passed out in his vehicle with narcotics paraphernalia in plain view and a Glock 9mm pistol in the glovebox. Serda’s comments to the deputy during that incident were captured on video: “You better look up my record bro, I beat police up bro. I been in prison…I ain’t scared of no police bro.”
During the attempt to arrest Serda on Aug. 26, 2025, his girlfriend told FBI SWAT that Serda was informing the cartel in Mexico that the FBI was at his residence. Serda made an outgoing WhatsApp call to his co-defendant and drug supplier in Mexico, Alicio Yanez-Pineda aka “Cochito,” at 6:06 a.m. on the morning of his arrest. Serda informed Yanez-Pineda that the FBI was at his home and that the truck scheduled to deliver narcotics to Serda’s home later in the day should “turn around.”
Serda with a purported grenade launcher in a social media post expressing his loyalty to the cartel in Case 3:25-CR-00010 in U.S. v Serda.
When he was successfully taken into custody, his residence was searched, and he was found to be in possession of numerous weapons, including armor piercing ammunition.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized 26 firearms; 26 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of $780,000; 1.7 kilograms of fentanyl with an estimated street value of $60,000; approximately 500 grams of methamphetamine; 5.14 ounces of crack cocaine; 2.4 pounds of marijuana; 128 controlled pharmaceuticals; and $63,532 in cash.
An additional 14 defendants are federally charged in this case. For more information, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/seventeen-charged-alleged-fentanyl-cocaine-distribution-ring-athens. An indictment and criminal complaint are merely allegations of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation and prosecution are part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative. The HSTF is a United States government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, transnational gangs, and transnational criminal organizations worldwide. This initiative identifies TCOs engaged in a wide range of criminal schemes that violate federal law, while dismantling cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks that fuel violence and instability that threaten the safety and security of the United States and its global partners. It also places a particular emphasis on criminal offenses involving children and ensures the use of all available law enforcement tools to prosecute offenders and/or facilitate the removal of criminal aliens from the United States. Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF is comprised of agents and officers from the ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
The FBI-Athens Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigated this case in partnership with FBI-Atlanta, FBI-Birmingham, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Georgia Department of Corrections, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, the Gwinnett County Police Department, the Sandy Springs Police Department, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison is prosecuting the case for the Government.
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Twice Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Willie Davis, 37, of Syracuse, New York, pleaded guilty in federal court on June 24, 2026, to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and admitted to violating a condition of his supervised release related to his possession of an unmonitored cell phone.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Acting United States Marshal Christopher J. Amoia made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Davis admitted that in 2011, he was convicted in of Rape in the Second Degree and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment followed by 10 years’ probation. As a result of this conviction, Davis was also ordered to register as a sex offender in New York. In 2012, Davis was convicted of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York and sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment followed by 20 years of supervised release. He was also required to register as a Sex Offender based on this federal conviction.
“Operation Safe Childhood provides resources and connections to protect our nation’s children, I am thankful to the United States Marshals Service for their efforts in catching this repeat offender,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “Due to his continued pattern of disregarding the law and endangering the safety of others, Mr. Davis once again will spend time behind bars, where he cannot pose a threat to the community.”
“The sex offender registration system exists to protect our communities by ensuring accountability and enabling law enforcement to monitor convicted offenders,” said Christopher J. Amoia, Acting United States Marshal for the Northern District of New York. “Individuals who deliberately disregard these legal obligations or violate the conditions of their supervised release will be held accountable.” “The United States Marshals Service will continue working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue and apprehend offenders who disregard the law and threaten the safety of our communities.”
In September 2025, Davis was released from custody of the Bureau of Prisons and entered the Residential Reentry Center in Syracuse, New York, as part of his term of federal supervised release. In November 2025, staff at the Residential Reentry Center found an unregistered cell phone in Davis’s possession. Forensic examination of the phone by United States Probation Office revealed that three e-mail addresses were being utilized on the device that had not been registered by Davis as required by law.
At sentencing, currently scheduled for November 18, 2026, in Utica, New York, Davis faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, a fine up to $250,000, and term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life on his Failure to Register conviction. Davis also faces an additional term of imprisonment based on his admission to a violation of his supervised release term. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The United States Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Whalen is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Texas Man Sentenced to Prison for Attempting to Rob an ATM in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Jawuan Donte Thomas, 23, of Texas was sentenced today to 57 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $205,080.00 in restitution after attempting to rob an automated teller machine (ATM) in the District of Utah in 2024 and successfully robbing an ATM in the Cincinnati, Ohio area.
The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell comes after Thomas pleaded guilty to attempted bank robbery on June 26, 2025 and bank robbery on May 12, 2026.
According to court documents and statements made at Thomas’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on December 17, 2024, Thomas attempted to rob a bank ATM in Riverton, Utah. Thomas admitted that prior to the attempted robbery, he and two co-conspirators jammed the ATM, knowing it would cause the machine to malfunction and require the bank to call a technician to repair it. Thomas admitted to waiting in a car near the ATM and watching for the technician to arrive. Upon the technician’s arrival, Thomas and his co-conspirators drove up quickly to the ATM and Thomas jumped out of the vehicle and demanded the money. Because Thomas and his co-conspirators had jammed another ATM in Draper, Utah earlier in the day, FBI agents were staged near the Riverton location in anticipation of a potential robbery. As Thomas approached the ATM technician, FBI agents closed in to thwart the robbery. Thomas attempted to flee on foot but was captured immediately. His co-conspirators fled in the vehicle. Law enforcement seized a screwdriver from Thomas’s possession at the time of his arrest. See prior press release: Texas Man Accused of Attempting to Rob an ATM Technician is Facing Federal Charges in Utah.
While this case was pending, the District of Utah learned that Thomas and two others had been charged in the Southern District of Ohio with bank robbery. Thomas agreed that the Ohio case should be transferred to Utah for disposition. On May 12, 2026, Thomas entered a guilty plea to bank robbery, admitting that he and his co-conspirators successfully robbed an ATM in the Cincinnati, Ohio area utilizing the same strategy they had employed in Utah. Thomas and his co-conspirators stole over $205,000.00 in that robbery. The money has not been recovered.
“Thomas’s scheme to jam the ATM and confront the repairperson placed the ATM technician at great risk. I am grateful for the quick thinking, decisive actions, and strong coordination of our law enforcement partners, whose efforts prevented this robbery from escalating,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “My office remains committed to working alongside our local, state, federal, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to combat violent crime in Utah. Our office extends special thanks to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio for agreeing to transfer Thomas’ second bank robbery case to Utah for disposition.”
“This attempted ATM robbery put an innocent technician's life at risk, showing Mr. Thomas' total disregard for human safety,” said Salt Lake City FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls. “The FBI and our partners will pursue those who endanger public safety and seek to profit through violent crime.”
The case is being investigated by an FBI Task Force Officer from the South Jordan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Riverton City Police Department and the Springfield Township Police Department in Ohio.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Tallahassee Felon Federally Indicted for Child Exploitation & Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Amontea Allen John Mitchell, 28, of Tallahassee, Florida was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with attempted enticement of a minor, attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Mitchell appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for August 24, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.
If convicted, Mitchell faces a minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment with a maximum term of life imprisonment on the attempted enticement of a minor count, up to 10 years imprisonment on the attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor count, and up to 15 years imprisonment for the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count.
The case involved a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Tallahassee Police Department, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys Emma Schwan and Justin M. Keen 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 was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access 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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Sudbury CPA Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS and Pandemic Relief FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a Sudbury accounting firm and a real estate company was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for paying an executive more than $1.6 million in compensation and fringe benefits under the table, and to making a fraudulent application for more than $179,000 in pandemic relief through a multi-year scheme.
Charles D. Katz, 64, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to two months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. In November 2025, Katz was charged and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and two counts of loan fraud.
Katz and Stephen Hochberg, who served as the Director of Corporate Services at Katz’s accounting firm and as Chief Operating Officer at Katz’s real estate firm, agreed that Katz would pay Hochberg off the books so that Hochberg would have tax-free income and so that Katz’s firms, CD Katz LLC and Gebsco Realty Corporation, would have lower employment taxes. Over time, Katz paid Hochberg’s family, provided rent-free housing to Hochberg’s ex-wife, paid college tuition for Hochberg’s children, and paid personal expenses that Hochberg and his ex-wife charged on corporate credit cards. All told, Katz paid Hochberg at least $1,668,487 in unreported income and avoided taxes of at least $835,105. In 2020, Katz and Hochberg fraudulently applied for Paycheck Protection Program loans for both of Katz’s firms and obtained $179,900, which Katz used in part to fund the under-the-table compensation he paid Hochberg.
Katz and Hochberg’s tax scheme allowed Hochberg to avoid paying Court-ordered restitution to victims of his prior crimes in United States v. Stephen Hochberg, No. 08-cr-10126-NMG. As part of Katz’ sentence, he agreed to pay $333,697.40 in restitution to Hochberg’s prior victims, in addition to restitution of $751,683.62 to the IRS; $83,422 to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue; and $179,500 to the Small Business Administration.
In April 2026, Judge Sorokin sentenced Hochberg to 24 months in prison, to be followed by three years supervised release and $2,888,288 in restitution.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The Team is led by two senior federal prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, whose mission it is to aggressively investigate and prosecute misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts.
Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit prosecuted the case.
South Dayton man pleads guilty to enticement for having sex with a 14-year-old girlRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ronald A. Howard, 59, of South Dayton, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Between March 16 and April 10, 2024, Howard, then 57-years-old, communicated via text messaging and Snapchat with a 14-year-old female (Victim), during which the two engaged in sexual conversation and discussed meeting to engage in sexual activity. Howard knew that the Victim was 14 years old. During the conversation, Howard asked the Victim to send him a naked picture, which she did. Subsequently, Howard and the Victim met on two occasions and engaged in sexual activity.
On June 16, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Howard’s residence, during which he admitted to communicating with and having sex with the Victim. Howard also admits to having sexual communications with a 13-year-old female from Arkansas and receiving sexually explicit images from her. In addition, analysis of a cellular telephone seized from Howard revealed sexual communications with an 11-year-old female and her 14-year-old sister.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2026, before Judge Sinatra.
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South Carolina Woman Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Della Palestino, 60, of Lexington, South Carolina, pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between August 23, 2024, and September 26, 2024, Palestino visited four financial institutions in the Southern District of West Virginia and used a different individual’s personal identifying information, including a forged signature, to access that individual’s bank account without the individual’s authorization. Palestino withdrew $2,125 in Huntington on August 23, 2024, $21,920 in Spencer on September 19, 2024, $4,200 in Charleston on September 26, 2024, and $9,400 in Gilbert on September 26, 2024. As part of her guilty plea, Palestino admitted that she conducted all four fraudulent transactions and withdrew a total of $37,645 from the bank accounts of the four individuals. Palestina further admitted that she used a counterfeit passport card during one of the fraudulent withdrawals.
Palestino is scheduled to be sentenced on October 26, 2026, and faces a mandatory two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Palestino also owes $37,645 in restitution.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of State-Diplomatic Security Service, the West Virginia State Police, the Huntington Police Department, the Charleston Police Department, and the Gilbert Police Department and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Fusion Center.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer D. Gordon is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-118.
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South Carolina Man Sentenced for Setting Fire to Central Georgia ChurchRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A South Carolina Man who maliciously set fire to a church in Byron, Georgia, was sentenced to prison today.
Luke Andrew Westefeld, 35, of North Augusta, South Carolina, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on July 9 by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell after he pleaded guilty to one count of malicious use of fire on April 6. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Setting fire to a house of worship is a deeply destructive act in a community,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “By working together with local, state, and federal law enforcement, we will hold offenders accountable for these grievous crimes.”
“The act of setting fire to a place of worship is not just an attack on a building, it’s an assault on the community's spirit,” said ATF Atlanta’s Resident Agent in Charge Robert W. Davis. “We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure justice is served.”
“This case was solved thanks to the crucial assistance provided to us by our law enforcement partners at ATF, GBI, the State Fire Marshals, and the Centerville Police Department,” said Byron Police Chief Wesley Cannon. “We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia for their diligence in securing the guilty plea. This case is another great example of law enforcement working together for a successful outcome, and we know the citizens of Byron appreciate everyone's efforts.”
According to court documents and statements in court, Westefeld approached a few Byron United Methodist Church (now Byron Heritage Church) members who were standing in the church’s parking lot on West Heritage Boulevard in Byron after their choir practice on Aug. 20, 2024. Westefeld asked for water, which the women declined, telling officers they were concerned about their safety.
Later that night, Westefeld broke into the church and became upset when he saw unlit candlesticks on the altar. Westefeld believed the candlesticks should remain lit through the night. He said he noticed that the Bible on the pulpit was opened to Ezekiel 24:21, which spoke of the desecration of the sanctuary due to sin. Westefeld took it as a sign for him to burn the Church. Westefeld lit the candlesticks and burned the American and Methodist flags in the sanctuary.
Westefeld then went to the Church office next to the sanctuary and found cash and checks. Westefeld said his “anger level reached a 10” because he believed the money should be deposited in a bank. Westefeld took the cash for himself. He then saw food in the office pantry and became even more enraged, believing it should be given to the poor. For these reasons, Westefeld set the Church’s office on fire.
Westefeld then stole a plastic gas can from a nearby home, planning to siphon gasoline out of the Church’s van to use as an accelerant. The van was parked and locked behind the Church. Westefeld was unable to retrieve the gasoline, so he stuffed his white shirt in the gas cap of the van and set it on fire.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Georgia Fire Marshals, and the Byron Police Department investigated the case, along with assistance from the Centerville Police Department and the GBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Couch prosecuted the case for the Government.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Laquan Broussard, 37 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Broussard was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
“A convicted drug dealer was the passenger in a vehicle speeding down the road and was armed with a loaded handgun with 22 rounds of ammunition in its magazine. Officers determined that he had several felony convictions, including residential entry, dealing cocaine, and conspiring to deal controlled substances, and had no business possessing a gun. Due to the solid work by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the South Bend Police Department with a referral from our state partners in the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office led by Ken Cotter, Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander was able to prosecute the Defendant and will service 6 years in prison followed by a year of supervised release,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Six Individuals, Including a Pharmacist and Doctor, Charged in Connection with $20 Million Healthcare Fraud and Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – United States Attorney Robert Frazer announces criminal charges against 6 defendants in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid involving a doctor and other medical professionals issuing medically unnecessary prescriptions to a pharmacist in exchange for cash kickbacks.
“The District of New Jersey remains committed to aggressively rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse committed by doctors, pharmacists, and medical professionals who betray their patients in pursuit of greed. Our Office will continue to ensure that those individuals who bilk our insurance systems to line their pockets with taxpayer dollars face swift justice.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
"The defendants in this case allegedly orchestrated a sprawling kickback scheme involving fraudulent prescriptions to fuel their own greed,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi D. Gruchacz, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG wants to ensure the public that we are committed, alongside our law enforcement partners, to dismantling schemes that abuse federal health care programs and to bringing those who perpetrate such fraud to justice.”
“Each of the defendants had a unique role in this alleged scheme, but the common thread is a complete disrespect for the Medicare and Medicaid programs that so many Americans rely on,” said Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy. “The defendants defrauded these programs through kickbacks that lined their pockets, while over $20 million taxpayer dollars were quietly disappearing. The FBI will continue to root out conspiracies to commit health care fraud and restore balance to a system that will not be shaken by these disrupters.”
The following individuals were charged by Information in the District of New Jersey on July 7, 2026 and appeared before Judge Karen M. Williams in federal district court in Camden in connection with the scheme:
- Sherif Elmasri, 45, of Morganville, New Jersey, pled guilty to a two-count Information charging him with conspiring to commit health care fraud and to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute on June 16, 2025.
- Boris Veysman, 48, of Freehold, New Jersey, pled guilty to a two-count Information charging him with conspiring to commit health care fraud and unlawfully distribute controlled substances on June 17, 2025.
- Stephanie Cupo, 45, of South Plainfield, New Jersey, pled guilty to an Information charging her with conspiring to make false statements relating to health care matters and to use a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number issued to another person on January 7, 2026.
- Nikki Steidle, 53, of Toms River, New Jersey, pled guilty to an Information charging her with conspiring to defraud the United States, solicit and receive kickbacks, offer and pay kickbacks, and unlawfully distribute controlled substances on June 30, 2026.
- Janet Tadros, 59, of Union City, New Jersey, pled guilty to a two-count Information charging her with conspiring to commit health care fraud and to violate the Anti-Kickback statute on July 7, 2026.
Additionally, Ashlee Maixner, 39, of Lakehurst, New Jersey, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to defraud the United States, solicit and receive kickbacks, offer and pay kickbacks, unlawfully distribute controlled substances, and two counts of soliciting and receiving a kickback. Maixner was arraigned before Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark on June 25, 2026, and pled not guilty.
According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in court:
From October 2022 to November 2025, Elmasri, a pharmacy owner, paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to several health care providers in exchange for them issuing prescriptions for high-reimbursement medications, which Elmasri selected, to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Elmasri personally profited from these prescriptions and the insurance claims it generated for his pharmacies.
One of the providers involved in the scheme was Dr. Boris Veysman, an emergency medicine doctor with offices in New Jersey. Elmasri paid Veysman to issue prescriptions recommended by Elmasri to Medicare beneficiaries Elmasri referred to Veysman from from approximately May 2023 to December 2024. Veysman, at times, did not examine the patients prior to issuing the prescriptions. Maixner and Steidle were advanced practice nurses who worked for Veysman and are also alleged to have received illegal kickbacks from Elmasri for issuing prescriptions. Cupo also worked for Veysman and submitted prior authorizations with false information to increase the likelihood that the prior authorizations she prepared would be approved by Medicare and other health care benefit programs.
Separately, Janet Tadros was the office manager of a neurology practice in Jersey City, New Jersey, who, from between December 2023 and November 2025, solicited and received cash kickbacks of approximately $3,000 per week in exchange for sending Elmasri’s pharmacies medically unnecessary prescriptions for patients who were not evaluated nor prescribed the medications and that were sent without the provider’s knowledge or authorization.
In total, the defendants are alleged to have caused a loss of approximately $20,684,264 to Medicare and Medicaid.
Veysman, Steidle, and Maixner are separately charged with allegedly conspiring to unlawfully distribute controlled substances to patients without assessing them.
The charges of conspiracy carry a statutory maximum of five years imprisonment as well as a maximum fine equal to twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss caused by the offense. The charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and violations of the Anti-Kickback statute each carry a statutory maximum of ten years imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, and special agents, task force officers, and diversion investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Jersey Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James.
The Department of Justice has established the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Healthcare Fraud Unit in Newark and Trial Attorneys Nicholas Peone, Paul J. Koob, and Kraig Ahalt of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section. Valuable assistant in the investigation was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the Northern District of Illinois.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment against Maixner are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel:
Ryan M. Magee, Esq. for Sherif Elmasri.
Benjamin Brafman, Esq. for Boris Veysman.
James A. Abate, Esq. for Stephanie Cupo.
Julian Wilsey, Esq. for Nikki Steidle.
Timothy S. Farrow, Esq. for Ashlee Maixner.
Kathleen Theurer Platts, Esq. for Janet Tadros.
cupo.information.pdf elmasri.information.pdf maixner.indictment.pdf stiedle.information.pdf tadros.information.pdf veysman.information.pdfSin City Deciples Member Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Romairal Allen, age 52, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to racketeering conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Allen was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release.
“According to the Indictment, the Sin City Deciples, originally formed in 1967 in Gary, Indiana, is an outlaw motorcycle organization in which its members and associates engaged in acts of violence, extortion, and narcotics distribution in the Northern District of Indiana and elsewhere."
“The Defendant was a leader of an outlaw motorcycle organization called the Sin City Deciples and will serve six years in prison for the crime of Racketeering Conspiracy. The organization’s members and associates have engaged in acts of violence, extortion, and narcotics distribution in the Northern District of Indiana and elsewhere since being originally formed in 1967 in Gary, Indiana. The Defendant was the president of the Chicago Chapter in 2020 and later was promoted to a regional president overseeing all chapters in Illinois and Indiana. During his participation in the racketeering conspiracy, he participated in multiple predicate acts of racketeering, including possession with intent to distribute cocaine and other controlled substances and the extortion of another motorcycle club in Indiana. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and was brought by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Toth and David J. Nozick, with extensive cooperation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gary Police Department, the Griffith Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents, the Merrillville Police Department, the Munster Police Department, the Schererville Police Department, the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Kokomo Police Department,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
“The sentence in this case underscores ATF’s commitment to accountability for those who use violence and intimidation to further their crimes. The Sin City Deciples weren’t just a motorcycle club but a criminal gang that preyed on others for their own benefit. ATF and our law enforcement partners will not stop and we’ll continue to work together to dismantle criminal organizations that threaten the safety and welfare of our communities,” said ATF Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon.
"The defendant was instrumental in driving the Sin City Disciples' criminal enterprise, leading efforts that relied on violence, intimidation, drug trafficking, and extortion to enrich the organization and reinforce its criminal influence," said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O'Malley. "The FBI will continue working with our partners to identify, investigate, and dismantle violent criminal organizations and hold those who threaten our communities accountable."
The agencies involved in this prosecution were: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gary Police Department, the Griffith Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents, the Merrillville Police Department, the Munster Police Department, and the Schererville Police Department. Also providing assistance were the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Kokomo Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Toth and David J. Nozick.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Indianapolis comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, IRS, Indiana State Police, and other partners, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana.
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.
Seminole County Marijuana Farm Employees Indicted on Federal Charges Relating to Illegal Foreign PesticidesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced the unsealing of a federal indictment against two employees of a state-registered Seminole County marijuana farm on charges relating to illegal foreign pesticides.
The Indictment charges Jin Zhao Chi, a/k/a/ a Chi LU, a/k/a A Chi, age 44, with one count of Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods into the United States, one count of Smuggling Goods into the United States, and one count of Unlawful Distribution and Sale of Pesticides—Misdemeanor.
The Indictment also charges Dian Lin Jiang, a/k/a Dianlin Jiang, age 65, with one count of Unlawful Distribution and Sale of Pesticides—Misdemeanor.
The Indictment alleges that while employed at the marijuana growing operation:
- On February 25, 2025, and continuing to on or about March 19, 2025, Chi willfully and knowingly conspired to import unregistered and misbranded pesticides from Hong Kong into the United States, knowing that the importation was contrary to law;
- On February 25, 2025, and continuing to on or about March 19, 2025, Chi fraudulently and knowingly imported merchandise contrary to law, to wit, unregistered and misbranded pesticides, and did receive, conceal, buy, sell, and in any manner facilitate the transportation, concealment, and sale of such merchandise after importation, knowing it to have been brought into the United States contrary to law;
- Beginning in or about June 2022, and continuing to in or about February 2025, Chi knowingly distributed, sold, offered for sale, held for distribution, held for sale, held for shipment, shipped, delivered for shipment, released for shipment, and received, delivered, and offered to deliver an unregistered pesticide; and
- Beginning on or about April 27, 2022, and continuing to on or about May 8, 2023, Jiang distributed, sold, offered for sale, held for distribution, held for sale, held for shipment, shipped, delivered for shipment, released for shipment, and received, delivered, and offered to deliver an unregistered pesticide.
The charges arose from a joint investigation led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Homeland Security Investigations.
A grand jury Indictment does not constitute evidence of guilt. A grand jury Indictment is a method of bringing formal charges against the defendant. All defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and may not be found guilty unless evidence establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Cameron McEwen is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
- On February 25, 2025, and continuing to on or about March 19, 2025, Chi willfully and knowingly conspired to import unregistered and misbranded pesticides from Hong Kong into the United States, knowing that the importation was contrary to law;
Schenectady Man Sentenced to 38 Months for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Keith Edmonds, age 31, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced July 7th 2026, to 38 months in federal prison and 2 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, a fine of $1,500 and a money judgment for forfeiture of $9,730, for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam made the announcement.
As part of his previously-entered guilty plea, Edmonds admitted that on April 24, 2025, he possessed 425 pills containing methamphetamine that he intended to sell. Edmonds also admitted that between October 2024 and March 2025, he sold more than 1,300 pills containing either methamphetamine or benzodiazepine to buyers in the Capital Region.
“I applaud the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Schenectady and Albany County Sheriff’s Offices for bringing down yet another drug dealer,” said First Assistant United States Attorney John Sarcone. “Deadly narcotics are a plague on our communities, devastating families and undermining public safety. Thanks to the dedication and coordination of our partners in law enforcement, this defendant has been held accountable for his actions and will now be serving his sentence in federal prison. Their continued commitment to protecting our neighborhoods makes a meaningful difference every single day.”
“The sentencing of Keith Edmonds reflects the unwavering commitment of the DEA and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who distribute dangerous counterfeit pills,” stated DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. “Counterfeit pills, frequently laced with methamphetamine, fentanyl, or other illicit substances, place countless lives at risk through addiction and far too often, death. The DEA remains committed to identify and target those individuals who profit from poisoning our communities.”
DEA investigated the case with assistance from the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal prosecuted the case.
Schenectady Man Sentenced to 140 Months for Drug and Gun Crimes Committed While on Bail for State ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher Garrow, age 40, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced on June 24, 2026, to 140 months’ imprisonment following his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division Bryan DiGirolamo made the announcement.
The defendant’s conviction was based on his drug trafficking activities in Schenectady over several months in 2024, including while he was actively wanted on arrest warrants for unrelated state charges.
“Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the ATF, the Schenectady Police Department, and the Schenectady District Attorney’s Office, this dangerous offender has finally been brought to justice, and his supply of deadly narcotics has been removed from our streets, said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “Under New York State’s current bail laws, defendants like Mr. Garrow can repeatedly return to the community while awaiting trial, giving them the opportunity to reoffend again and again. That is why federal intervention is essential. Working with our local partners the ATF and U.S. Attorney’s Office were able to bring charges federally, where we can ensure that violent, repeat offenders are detained and unable to continue their illegal operations, protecting both public safety and our communities.”“This investigation demonstrates the persistence and coordination required to dismantle armed drug trafficking operations before more lives are put at risk,” said ATF New York Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo. “Armed drug traffickers fuel violence and endanger our communities by combining deadly narcotics with illegal firearms. ATF NY remains committed to working alongside our partners to identify, investigate, and disrupt those who threaten public safety. This sentence is the result of the outstanding collaboration between ATF NY Albany, Schenectady Police Department, the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Schenectady Police Chief Brian Whipple stated: "Our officers are doing outstanding work every day alongside our federal partners to make Schenectady safer. The combination of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and an illegal firearm is incredibly dangerous, and this sentence ensures one more violent offender has been removed from our community. Our officers will continue to proactively target those responsible for bringing guns and deadly drugs into our neighborhoods.”As part of his sentence, the defendant will also be required to serve a term of supervised release of 4 years, which will follow his term of imprisonment.
ATF investigated this case with the assistance of the Schenectady Police Department and the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Salem Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Possession of Unregistered Firearms and Possession of Firearms by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
Salem Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Possession of Unregistered Firearms and Possession of Firearms by a Prohibited Person
CONCORD – A Salem man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing unregistered firearms in violation of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Act and for possession of firearms and ammunition as a felon, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Daniel Fratus, age 39, who previously pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord before U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty, was sentenced to 72-months of incarceration along with 3 years of supervised release.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, Daniel Fratus was indicted after an investigation that began on January 23, 2024. During that investigation Salem Police Department received a call from a concerned neighbor for shots fired coming from Fratus’ residence. Salem Police Department and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) law enforcement members later executed a search warrant and entered the residence where they observed several firearms along with approximately 12,870 rounds of ammunition. Fratus had previously been convicted of a felony for Sale of a Controlled Drug and, as such, was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
ATF led the investigation. Salem Police Department provided valuable assistance. Special Assistant U.S Attorney Christopher Marin and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherniske prosecuted the case.
Richland Man Who Used Online Platforms to Solicit Minor Girls Indicted by Eastern Washington Grand Jury on 15 Counts of Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on July 8, 2026, Otoniel Parraga, a 22-year-old Richland man, was indicted by a federal grand jury with 15 separate criminal offenses surrounding his use of online platforms to solicit multiple minor victims.
Parraga was initially charged on April 27, 2026, in Benton County Superior Court Case Number 26-1-00358-03, with one count of Commercial Sexual Abuse of a Minor, one count of Rape of Child in the Third Degree and one count of Communication with a Minor for Immoral Purposes.
The federal indictment now charges Parraga with seven counts of Sex Trafficking of Children, seven counts of Online Enticement and Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor, and one count of Production of Child Pornography. This case continues to be investigated by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations and the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Should a member of the public have information to provide to law enforcement regarding this case, such information should be directed to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office at 509-727-8788.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
4:26-CR-6029-MKD
Ponchatoula Woman Charged with Theft from an Organization Receiving Federal FundsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced today a bill of information charging RACHEL CRAWFORD, a/k/a “Rachel Davenport,” a/k/a “Rachel Monjure,” a/k/a “Rachel Haygood,” age 47, of Ponchatoula, with Theft from an Organization Receiving Federal Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(A). CRAWFORD was charged on July 8, 2026.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
According to the bill of information, CRAWFORD was the Chief Financial Officer of an organization that received federal funds. Beginning on or about May 14, 2021, and continuing until on or about May 8, 2025, CRAWFORD withdrew cash from the organization’s checking account for personal use and made unauthorized purchases using the organization’s credit card. In each of the one-year periods beginning May 14, 2021, May 14, 2022, May 14, 2023, May 14, 2024, and May 14, 2025, CRAWFORD embezzled at least $5,000.
If convicted, CRAWFORD faces up to ten (10) years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release for up to three (3) years, and a fine of up to $250,000. A mandatory $100 special assessment fee is also applicable.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on this investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Pompey Man Sentenced for Possessing over 400 Grams of Pure MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
UTICA, NEW YORK – Jon Radway, age 47, of Pompey, New York, was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Radway admitted that on October 9, 2025, he knowingly possessed with intent to distribute approximately 466 grams of pure methamphetamine at his home. He further admitted that he intended to sell that methamphetamine to numerous customers located in Onondaga County and elsewhere.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Dangerous narcotics place a tremendous burden on our communities and public health systems. Individuals like this defendant choose to profit at the expense of the very people they harm. I appreciate the diligent investigative work of our partners at the ATF, whose efforts were critical in bringing Mr. Radway to justice.”
Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo stated: “This guilty plea is the result of strong collaboration among ATF’s Syracuse Field Office, the New York State Police Community Stabilization Unit and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. Together, we remain committed to disrupting criminal activity that fuels the illegal distribution of dangerous drugs and threatens the safety of our communities.”
United States District Judge Anthony J. Brindisi also imposed a 4-year term of supervised release to begin after Radway is released from prison and ordered $3,135.00, seized from Radway’s home, to be forfeited as drug proceeds.
ATF investigated the case with assistance from the New York State Police Community Stabilization Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Brown prosecuted the case.
Pittsburg County Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Russell Jeremy Doctor, age 37, of Longtown, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 13 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On October 15, 2025, Doctor pleaded guilty to the charge in federal district court. According to investigators, on May 4, 2025, Doctor knowingly possessed a semi-automatic rifle and eight rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. On August 10, 2026, Doctor will self-report to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Pittsburg County Resident Sentenced for Failing to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sammy Monroe Ebarb, Jr., age 41, of Longtown, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force and the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office.
On October 8, 2025, Ebarb pleaded guilty to the charge in federal district court. According to investigators, Ebarb was convicted of First Degree Rape in the District Court of Latimer County, Oklahoma, on May 20, 2003, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from November 2024 to February 2025, Ebarb failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Ebarb 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 Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Pike County Woman Sentenced to 45 Years for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material of Toddler VictimsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Kimper, Ky., woman, Pamela Denise Sargent, 45, was sentenced on Thursday to 45 years by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell for two counts of production of child pornography.
According to Sargent’s plea agreement, on or before December 30, 2023, through June 4, 2024, Sargent produced child pornography with two toddler victims. Specifically, Sargent filmed herself engaging in sexual activity with the minor victims and filmed child sexual abuse material with each other. Sargent then uploaded the videos and used the internet to distribute them to an individual in Missouri.
“The conduct in this case represents a profound betrayal of one of society’s most basic duties — to protect its children,” said Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our office will zealously pursue anyone who exploits or endangers children, and we will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to bring offenders to justice. This prosecution underscores our unwavering resolve to safeguard the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Dennis M. Fetting, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.The investigation was conducted by HSI, KSP, and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
– END –Panama City Felon Indicted for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida –Brian Earl Glass, 36, of Panama City, Florida, has been indicted in federal court with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Glass appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for August 24, 2026, at 8:30 am, before District Judge Mark Walker in Tallahassee, Florida.
The defendant faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
The case was jointly investigated by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Owasso Man Charged with Killing One Man and Injuring Three Others in Fatal Car WreckRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – An indictment was unsealed today charging an Owasso man with killing Brian Bizzell and injuring three others in a fatal car wreck.
Christopher Robert Chaney, 52, of Owasso, is charged with Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country; two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country; and Assault by Striking, Beating, and Wounding in Indian Country.
According to court documents, on September 30, 2025, Chaney was allegedly driving a motor vehicle on a public road while speeding, failed to obey traffic lights, and was driving after consuming hydrocodone and cannabis. Court documents show that Brian Bizzell was killed, two others were seriously injured, and one victim was wounded in the fatal accident.
Chaney is a member of the Cherokee Nation
The FBI and the Owasso Police Department are investigating the case with the assistance of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Orlando Pharmacy and Pharmacist Agree to Pay $50,000 to Settle Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – Plaza Pharmacy, LLC and Paul Ezeobinwa have agreed to pay the United States $50,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the Controlled Substances Act by improperly distributing schedule V drugs and committing multiple recordkeeping violations. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
The settlement relates to a DEA investigation of Plaza Pharmacy. According to the settlement agreement, between December 22, 2021, and March 21, 2024, Plaza Pharmacy and Mr. Ezeobinwa failed to properly identify a total of 104 fraudulent prescriptions with 193 refills, resulting in the dispensing a controlled substance without a valid prescription. As explained in the settlement agreement, on March 21, 2024, the DEA conducted an on-site investigation of Plaza Pharmacy and discovered dozens of record-keeping violations of the Controlled Substances Act. Plaza Pharmacy surrendered its DEA license for cause on May 2, 2024, and ceased operating in September 2025.
“Pharmacies and pharmacists serve everyone in our communities and carry an obligation to track and properly report the dispensing of controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “This settlement highlights our commitment to enforcing the Controlled Substances Act to protect our citizens.”
“Our Diversion investigators will continue to pursue and investigate those who abuse the system and poison our communities,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar, Tampa Field Division. “DEA will not stop until anyone who violates the CSA has been brought to justice.”
This settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Bloor.
The settlement resolves the United States’ claims. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Sex Offender Registration Rules and Failing to Present at Designated Border CrossingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Ohio man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to failing to comply with sex offender reporting requirements, failing to present at a designated border crossing, and violating federal supervised release.
According to court records, in 2021, Darrell Murphy, 42, was convicted in federal court in the Western District of North Carolina of two counts of interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. He was sentenced to 52 months in prison and 25 years of supervised release. Among his conditions of supervised release was the requirement that he comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Under SORNA, a registered sex offender must provide his local registration authority with advance notice of his intent to travel internationally. Murphy was registered with the Carroll County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Department.
On December 31, 2025, Canadian authorities advised U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) that a man (subsequently identified as Murphy) had illegally entered Canada by walking across a train trestle in Vanceboro. Canadian law enforcement officers responded to the area but did not apprehend the man. USBP agents immediately responded to the U.S. side of the bridge and found a set of tracks in the snow leading to the parking lot of the Vanceboro post office and a vehicle bearing Ohio plates.
Shortly before 5:00 a.m. on January 5, 2026, USBP was alerted that the same man had returned to the U.S. from Canada by walking back across the bridge. A USBP agent responded to the parking lot and observed Murphy walking towards the Ohio-plated vehicle. When encountered by the agent, Murphy admitted to crossing into Canada days earlier and then returning in the same manner.
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) confirmed that Murphy had not notified the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department of his intention to travel to Canada.
For the SORNA violation, Murphy faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. For the failure to present violation, he faces up to one year in prison and a $5,000 fine. For the supervised release violation, he faces a consecutive prison term of up to three years.
USBP and USMS investigated the case, with assistance provided by Homeland Security Investigations and the Carroll County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Department.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Robbery of a Postal Letter CarrierRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida– Tajmir Wyles (32, New Jersey) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber to three years in federal prison for robbery of a postal mail carrier and receipt, possession or concealment of stolen property of the United States. This sentence was ordered to run consecutively with a Dallas, Texas state sentence of eight years prison for obstruction, possession of a controlled substance, and fraudulent possession of identification information of 50 or more individuals. Wyles pleaded guilty in the federal case on December 4, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on May 15, 2023, Wyles robbed a postal letter carrier of his master keys while he was delivering mail at a community mailbox inside the Whittier Center shopping center on E. Busch Boulevard, in Tampa, Florida. Following a physical altercation over the keys, Wyles successfully fled the scene with the keys.
In July 2023, Wyles was arrested in Dallas, Texas, where he was found with a binder of approximately 120 checks, with multiple different check owners. Many of the checks were reported stolen from the Tampa Bay area, where the postal keys worked, after the robbery. In addition, Wyles was in possession of the postal master keys that had been taken during the robbery on May 15, 2023.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Tampa, Florida, and Fort Worth, Texas, the Tampa Police Department, and the Dallas Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
Muskogee Resident Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Steven Ray Quigley, a/k/a Steven Woods, age 38, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The Indictment alleged that Quigley was convicted by the State of Oklahoma of Lewd or Indecent Acts to Child Under 16 in Mayes County on October 11, 2012, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from May 2022 until May 22, 2026, Quigley failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.
Quigley will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Sarah McAmis represented the United States.