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16 April 2025
Tampa Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery of A U.S. Postal Service Mail CarrierRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Senior U.S. District Judge Charlene Honeywell has sentenced Darine Underwood (20, Tampa), a/k/a “Droc,” to 10 years and 5 months in federal prison for armed robbery of a postal mail carrier and brandishing a firearm in relation to that crime. The court also ordered Underwood to pay $1,531.99 in restitution to the mail carrier.
According to court documents, on September 5, 2023, a United States Postal Service mail carrier was delivering mail at an apartment complex in the Tampa area when he was approached by Underwood and Jordan Murray who were wearing masks and gloves. Murray and Underwood forcefully took the mail carrier’s postal keys while brandishing a firearm. Murray and Underwood then fled to a vehicle, driven by Jordan Brown, to leave the crime scene. The investigation revealed that Brown was going to be paid to drive Murray and Underwood to and from the robbery and Murray and Underwood were planning to sell the postal keys.
Jordan Murray (20, Tampa) and Jordan Brown (21, Tampa) previously pleaded guilty to their roles in this case. Murray was sentenced to nine years and six months in federal prison for armed robbery of a postal mail carrier and brandishing a firearm in relation to that crime. Brown was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the theft of a postal key and that a firearm was used during that crime.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Hillsborough County Sheriff Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
St. Paul Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Paying and Directing a Woman in the Philippines to Produce Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Jason Speed of St. Paul, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 292 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for solicitation and production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, between January 2020 through February 2024, Jason Miller Speed, 42, solicited the production of child pornography over the internet. During that time, Speed conducted an online relationship with an adult woman located in the Philippines. In exchange for money from Speed, and under his direction, the woman produced CSAM content featuring minor victims under the age of 12. Speed was aware the victims were minors. Through cooperation with the FBI’s International Operations division, local authorities were able to rescue the minor victims.
“Child predators are conniving, creative, and profoundly dangerous. Speed lived in our community and lurked in the dark corners of the internet. From his perch in St. Paul, Speed victimized little children halfway around the world,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “While I am appalled at Speed’s predation, I am extraordinarily proud of the above-and-beyond efforts of law enforcement in this case. Because of the heroic efforts of the FBI and AUSA Will Mattessich, the young victims in the Philippines were rescued from a life of sexual torture.”
“Speed's actions were calculated, exploitative, and deeply disturbing,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “He knowingly financed and directed the creation of content that victimized innocent children. The FBI, in close coordination with the U.S. Attorney's Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who exploit minors. We remain unyielding in our commitment to identifying offenders, dismantling these networks of abuse, and ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice.”
Speed pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the production of child pornography. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan. In handing down the sentence Judge Bryan noted, “What happened to the two minor children is appalling and it is horrific.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Maplewood Police Department, St. Paul Police Department, and the Carver County Sheriff’s Office. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Man Who Assaulted Woman Pleads Guilty to Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A felon caught in the act of assaulting a woman by St. Louis police pleaded guilty to a gun charge Wednesday.
Lee M. Shields, 46, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on Sept. 17, 2023, Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officers were on patrol when they saw him striking a woman over the head. She fell to the ground and was bleeding heavily from her mouth and nose. Shields got into a Jeep before being approached by officers, who found the magazine for a pistol in his pocket and a Glock 23 handgun in the Jeep. The victim told police that she didn’t know if Shields hit her with his fist or an object. One of the officers saw Shields holding an object in the hand he used to strike the victim. The 6-year-old son of Shields and the victim said Shields hit his mother with the gun.
Shields is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 9. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Shields’ lawyer have agreed to recommend 50 months in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Hoag is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Second Member of San Antonio Gun Theft Ring Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for his role in a gun theft and trafficking conspiracy.
According to court documents, between January and October 2023, Alcapone Maximus Pena, 23, was involved in the theft of firearms and vehicles in and around the San Antonio area as well as the sale of those stolen firearms. Pena, codefendant Nathan Tyler Padilla, 27, and others repeatedly broke into vehicles which they identified as likely to have firearms and that they believed they would be able to illegally sell.
A search of Pena’s home on Oct. 25, 2023 resulted in the seizure of 14 firearms. An additional 17 firearms were located in a separate search warrant and determined to be trafficked by Pena. During the course of the conspiracy, Pena was responsible for the knowing and illegal trafficking of 25-99 firearms. The investigation also revealed information that showed Padilla’s cell phone had been present during the theft of several seized firearms. For his work in the firearm thefts, Padilla would receive a share of the proceeds that came from the firearms’ eventual sale to third parties.
Both Pena and Padilla were named in a seven-count indictment filed Nov. 15, 2023. Pena was charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms, one count of possession of a machine gun, and one count of possession of stolen firearms. Padilla, who had been previously convicted on Aug. 16, 2023 for the offense of evading arrest/detention with a vehicle, was charged in the indictment with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon.
The two codefendants pleaded guilty Jan. 7, 2025. Padilla was sentenced on April 1 to 90 months in federal prison.
“This case highlights the importance of holding individuals trafficking in firearms accountable for their actions. Each year, thousands of guns are stolen from vehicles in the San Antonio area, and then many of these are used to commit crimes, including violent crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “We, along with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, remain fully committed to investigating and prosecuting these firearm thefts as part of our commitment to public safety.”
“This case is a great example of our unwavering commitment to protecting our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Houston Division. “By bringing individuals involved in gun theft and trafficking to justice, we are not only holding criminals accountable but also taking meaningful steps to reduce the kind of violent crime that threatens our neighborhoods. Our community is safer today because of the tireless efforts of our agency and our law enforcement partners.”
The ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zack Parsons prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Private Investigator Sentenced to Prison for Interstate Stalking and Harassment of Chinese Nationals on Behalf of the People’s Republic of ChinaRead the Press Release
Today, in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, Michael McMahon, 57, of Mahwah, New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay an $11,000 fine for acting as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit the same, for his participation in a scheme to coerce repatriation of a U.S. resident to the PRC as part of its international repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” McMahon and co-defendants Zhu Yong, 68, of East Elmhurst, New York, and Congying Zheng, 29, of Brooklyn, were convicted by a federal jury in June 2023 following a three-week trial. In January 2025, Zhu and Zheng were sentenced respectively to 24 months and 16 months in prison.
As proven at trial, between approximately 2016 and 2019, the defendants and their co-conspirators participated in an international campaign to threaten, harass, surveil, and intimidate John Doe #1 and his family in order to force him and his wife, Jane Doe #1, to return to the PRC to face purported corruption charges. Beginning in 2012, John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 had been targeted for repatriation as part of the PRC’s transnational repression programs known as “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Sky Net.” John Doe #1 and his family had accordingly sought to keep their address out of public records.
Zhu hired McMahon, a retired NYPD sergeant working as a private investigator, to locate John Doe #1. McMahon obtained sensitive information about John Doe #1, which he then reported back to Zhu and others, including a PRC police officer. McMahon also conducted surveillance outside the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s relative and provided Zhu and PRC officials with detailed reports of what he observed. The operation was supervised and directed by several PRC officials, including a PRC police officer and a PRC prosecutor.
As McMahon knew, the operation was intended not only to locate John Doe #1, but to coerce him to return to the PRC by exerting pressure on his family members. In April 2017, PRC officials threatened to jail John Doe #1’s sister, who lived in the PRC, in order to coerce John Doe #1’s then-82-year-old father to travel from the PRC to their relative’s home in New Jersey. John Doe #1’s father, who had recently suffered a brain hemorrhage, was so frail that a doctor accompanied him for the trip. McMahon followed John Doe #1’s father from the relative’s New Jersey home, and, by doing so, was able to learn John Doe #1’s address. McMahon immediately provided this information to a PRC operative.
On Sept. 4, 2018, Zheng and another co-conspirator drove to the New Jersey residence of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 – at the address that McMahon had provided – where they pounded on the front door, attempted to enter the house, and then peered through the windows in the back of the home. They left a note on the front door informing John Doe #1 that his “wife and children will be okay” if John Doe #1 surrendered himself to face a ten-year prison term in the PRC.
McMahon knew that the subjects of his investigation were wanted by the PRC government, a fact that he texted about with another investigator he contracted to help him. Following his arrest, McMahon acknowledged knowing that his employers wanted to get the victim back to China “so they could prosecute him.” After providing the victims’ address, McMahon told his surveillance partner that he was “waiting for a call” to find out what to do next. McMahon’s partner responded, “Yeah. From NJ State Police about an abduction,” to which McMahon responded “Lol.” McMahon later suggested to a PRC co-conspirator that they “harass” John Doe #1 by “[p]ark[ing] outside his home and let[ting] him know we are there.” McMahon took other investigative steps designed to harass the victims, such as researching their daughter’s university residence and college major. McMahon was paid more than $19,000 in total for his role in the illegal repatriation scheme. In an apparent attempt to conceal the source, McMahon deposited payments from his PRC clients into his son’s bank account, the only time he had done so with client payments.
Previously, three co-defendants pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the PRC-directed harassment and intimidation campaign. They are awaiting sentencing.
Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.
The FBI New York Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith A. Arfa and Irisa Chen for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Christine A. Bonomo of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth for the Eastern District of New York provided valuable assistance.
The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit the FBI’s website.
Private Investigator Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Acting as an Illegal Agent of the People’s Republic of ChinaRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Michael McMahon was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 18 months in prison for acting as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as well as for interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit such acts in connection with his participation in a scheme to coerce a U.S. resident to return to the PRC as part of its international repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” McMahon and co-defendants Zhu Yong and Congying Zheng were convicted by a federal jury in June 2023 following a three-week trial. As part of his sentence, McMahon was also ordered to pay a fine of $11,000.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Terence G. Reilly, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office (FBI); and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) announced the sentences.
“McMahon, a former law enforcement officer who swore an oath to protect the public, went rogue and dishonorably engaged in a scheme at the direction of the People’s Republic of China, terrorized victims living in the New York metropolitan area, and shattered their sense of safety and security,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Thanks to the efforts of law enforcement, the defendants’ plan to coerce the victims to return to China failed, and the defendants have instead been brought to justice for their role in China’s insidious Operation Fox Hunt. My Office remains unwavering in its commitment to exposing and undermining efforts by foreign governments to perpetrate transnational repression schemes that threaten our national security interests and harm individuals living in the United States.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the FBI’s New York Field Office for their work on the case.
“Most private investigators operate within the bounds of the law and ethical conduct. McMahon knew exactly what he was doing—and at trial, we proved his knowing and willing participation in this scheme,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Reilly. “His client, the People's Republic of China, has invested years and millions of dollars trying to silence dissent beyond its borders. When those efforts cross into our country, they threaten our national security. The PRC needs to understand: we will not tolerate it.”
“This defendant allowed himself to become a partner in the PRC’s cruel harassment and intimidation campaign,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. “HSI, together with our federal counterparts, will continue to outfox our adversaries’ attempts to circumvent U.S. regulations, undermine national security, and target the American public.”
As proven at trial, between approximately 2016 and 2019, McMahon and his co-conspirators participated in an international campaign to threaten, harass, surveil, and intimidate John Doe #1 and his family in order to force him and his wife, Jane Doe #1, to return to the PRC to face purported corruption charges. Beginning in 2012, John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 had been targeted for repatriation as part of the PRC’s transnational repression programs known as “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Sky Net.” John Doe #1 and his family had accordingly sought to keep their address out of public records.
Yong hired McMahon, a retired NYPD sergeant working as a private investigator, to locate John Doe #1. McMahon obtained sensitive information about John Doe #1, which he then reported back to Zhu and others, including a PRC police officer. McMahon also conducted surveillance outside the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s relative and provided Zhu and PRC officials with detailed reports of what he observed. The operation was supervised and directed by several PRC officials, including a PRC police officer and a PRC prosecutor.
As proven at trial, McMahon knew the operation was intended not only to locate John Doe #1, but to coerce him to return to the PRC by exerting pressure on his family members. In April 2017, PRC officials threatened to jail John Doe #1’s sister, who lived in the PRC, in order to coerce John Doe #1’s then-82-year-old father to travel from the PRC to their relative’s home in New Jersey. John Doe #1’s father, who had recently suffered a brain hemorrhage, was so frail that a doctor accompanied him for the trip. McMahon followed John Doe #1’s father from the relative’s New Jersey home, and, by doing so, was able to learn John Doe #1’s address. McMahon immediately provided this information to a PRC operative.
On September 4, 2018, Zheng and another co-conspirator drove to the New Jersey residence of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 – at the address that McMahon had provided – where they pounded on the front door, attempted to enter the house, and then peered through the windows in the back of the home. They left a note on the front door informing John Doe #1 that his “wife and children will be okay” if John Doe #1 surrendered himself to face a ten-year prison term in the PRC.
McMahon knew that the subjects of his investigation were wanted by the PRC government, a fact that he texted about with another investigator he hired to help him. Following his arrest, McMahon acknowledged knowing that his employers wanted to get the victim back to China “so they could prosecute him.” After providing the victims’ address, McMahon told his surveillance partner that he was “waiting for a call” to find out what to do next. McMahon’s partner responded, “Yeah. From NJ State Police about an abduction,” to which McMahon responded “Lol.” McMahon later suggested to a PRC co-conspirator that they “harass” John Doe #1 by “[p]ark[ing] outside his home and let[ting] him know we are there.” McMahon took other investigative steps designed to harass the victims, such as researching their daughter’s university residence and college major.
McMahon was paid more than $19,000 in total for his role in the illegal repatriation scheme. In an apparent attempt to conceal the source of payments from his PRC clients, McMahon deposited those payments into his son’s bank account, the only time he had done so with client payments.
Previously, in January 2025, Zhu and Zheng were sentenced respectively to 24 months’ and 16 months’ imprisonment. Three additional co-defendants pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the PRC-directed harassment and intimidation campaign. They are awaiting sentencing. Five co-defendants in the indictment, Hu Ji, Li Minjun, Tu Lan, Zhu Feng, and Zhai Yongqiang are fugitives.
The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith A. Arfa and Irisa Chen are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christine A. Bonomo and Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth also has provided valuable assistance.
The Defendants:
MICHAEL MCMAHON
Age: 57
Mahwah, New JerseyZHU YONG
Age: 68
East Elmhurst, New YorkCONGYING ZHENG
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-265 (S-1) (PKC)
Previously Convicted Armed Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Alexander Arellano has been sentenced to federal prison for distributing large amounts of fentanyl in the Atlanta area while possessing firearms.
“Fentanyl traffickers pose a tremendous threat to public safety especially when they illegally possess firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Defendants like Arellano who peddle this poison in our communities are being held accountable, including through lengthy prison sentences, thanks to the collaborative work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.”
“Arellano endangered countless lives by trafficking large quantities of deadly fentanyl,” Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division commented on the case. “The success of this investigation is proof that those destroying our communities with fentanyl will be held accountable.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges and other information presented in court: On May 3, 2024, special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration saw Arellano sell a half kilogram of fentanyl to another individual in a Marietta gas station parking lot. Agents followed Arellano back to an apartment on Windy Hill Road in Marietta. A short time later, Arellano was arrested at the apartment complex and agents obtained a federal search warrant for his apartment.
During the search, agents found 10 kilograms of fentanyl, two loaded firearms, including an AK-47 pistol, and $120,000 in cash inside a bedroom belonging to Arellano. Arellano had been previously convicted for trafficking methamphetamine and was on probation at the time of his arrest.
Alexander Arellano, 25, of Atlanta, Ga., was sentenced on April 14, 2025, by United States District Judge William M. Ray II to 13 years, three months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. He was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, after he pleaded guilty to the charges on August 29, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Cobb County Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Bethany L. Rupert prosecuted the case
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Poplar man sentenced to seven years in prison on assault and gun chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Poplar man who broke into a house on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and assaulted a resident was sentenced today to 85 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Marion Wallace Runs Through, Jr., 33, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to assault with a dangerous weapon and use (by brandishing) of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on the evening of November 21, 2023, Runs Through and a co-defendant went to a remote residence on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Runs Through carried with him an AR-15 style rifle. He met with two other co-defendants outside the home. While still outside the residence Runs Through fired one round into the ground and six into the air. He and a co-defendant then broke into the residence. The defendant assaulted the two occupants of the home, striking them with the rifle while demanding access to a safe. The victims identified the assailant as the man with face tattoos. Runs Through has noticeable face tattoos. While Runs Through was the only assailant armed during the home invasion, one witness heard a co-defendant tell Runs Through to “Kill the white guy! Shoot him! Shoot him!” Runs Through then pointed the rifle at the witness, but did not pull the trigger.
Runs Through was arrested the next day at his parents’ house and law enforcement found an assault rifle. The weapon was purchased in North Dakota by a cousin of one of the co-defendants.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the FBI, BIA, ATF and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law & Justice.
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Polk County Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Randall Alderman (61, Lakeland) to 18 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production and receipt of child sexual abuse material. Alderman pled guilty on September 16, 2024.
According to court documents, beginning in 2021, Alderman engaged in sexually explicit communications with a 13-year-old victim through a social media application. Alderman requested and received child sexual abuse material from the victim. During an interview with the FBI, Alderman admitted to communicating with and receiving sexual abuse material from the victim. The FBI located 10 videos and 7 images of child sexual abuse involving the victim on Alderman’s phone.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pocatello Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Geoffrey W. Ancheta, 40, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.
According to court records, members of the BADGES Task Force stopped Ancheta and his co-defendant, Alme Otto, as they returned from a trip to Arizona on April 13, 2024. Task Force officers searched the car and found over 500 grams of blue fentanyl pills and a firearm. Ancheta later admitted trafficking fentanyl to Idaho.
A federal grand jury indicted Ancheta and Otto in July 2024. Ancheta pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute on October 23, 2024. On April 14, 2025, the Honorable Chief District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Ancheta to 9 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Otto has entered a guilty plea and is awaiting sentencing set on June 30, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the BADGES Task Force, which is a HIDTA-funded task force that includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bannock County Sheriff's Office, the Idaho State Police, the Pocatello Police Department, and the Chubbuck Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe H. McLane prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated though the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives, including the BADGES Task Force.
The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking crimes in Bannock County and throughout the region.
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Physician Convicted at Trial for Illegal Distribution of Opioids and Healthcare Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a medical doctor yesterday for his participation in conspiracies to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and to unlawfully distribute controlled substances.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Neil K. Anand M.D., 48, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, conspired to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, health plans provided by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Independence Blue Cross (IBC), and Anthem, for “Goody Bags” of medically unnecessary prescription medications, which were dispensed to patients by in-house pharmacies owned by Anand. As the evidence at trial showed, the conspirators required patients to take the Goody Bags, which they did not need or want, to receive prescriptions for controlled substances. In total, Medicare, OPM, IBC, and Anthem paid over $2.3 million for the Goody Bags. Anand also conspired to distribute oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. In furtherance of the conspiracy, unlicensed medical interns wrote prescriptions for controlled substances using blank prescriptions that were pre-signed by Anand. Anand prescribed 20,850 oxycodone tablets for nine different patients, as part of the scheme. After learning that he was under investigation, Anand concealed the proceeds of the fraud by transferring approximately $1.2 million into an account in the name of his father and for the benefit of his minor daughter.
Anand was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud; three counts of health care fraud; one count of money laundering; four counts of unlawful monetary transactions; and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 19 and faces a statutory maximum penalty of 130 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Kathleen Woodson of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (U.S. Postal Service OIG); and Special Agent in Charge of Investigative Operations Derek Holt of the OPM-Office of the Inspector General (OPM-OIG) made the announcement.
The HHS-OIG, U.S. Postal Service OIG, and OPM OIG investigated the case. FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office provided valuable assistance.
Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob, Patrick J. Campbell, and Arun Bodapati of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Owasso Man Sentenced for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Kyle Jackson Fugate, 28, for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Judge Frizzell sentenced Fugate to 121 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon release, Fugate will be required to register as a sex offender.
In March 2024, an undercover deputy with the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office was posing as a 15-year-old online. Fugate told the undercover deputy that he smoked methamphetamine and sent sexually explicit photos of himself. Fugate then requested sexually explicit images in return. Fugate made plans to meet the undercover deputy, believing he was going to meet with a 15-year-old and engage in sexual acts. When Fugate arrived at the meeting place, he was taken into custody.
During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Fugate had been messaging a minor victim through social media a month earlier. Fugate convinced the minor victim to send sexually explicit photos, and the minor victim complied.
Previously released on bond, Fugate was taken into custody following his guilty plea in June 2024. He will remain in custody, pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office investigated it as part of Operation Clean Sweep II. This operation partnered with the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force, which aims to hold child predators accountable throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma.
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.
Omaha Woman Sentenced for Purchasing Firearms for Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Stephanie Kessel, 41, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 16, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Kessel to three years of probation
On July 28, 2023, Kessel met with an individual cooperating with law enforcement in the parking lot of Cabela’s in La Vista, Nebraska. The cooperator told Kessel that the cooperator was a convicted felon and the cooperator could not buy firearms legally. After hearing about the cooperator’s criminal history, Kessel walked into Cabela’s and purchased two Taurus 9mm handguns. After the sale, she walked back out to the parking lot and sold the guns to the cooperator for $1,000. To purchase the handguns, Kessel filled out a mandatory ATF firearms purchase form indicating that she was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms even though the firearms were actually purchased by the cooperator.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Escaping Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Troy D. Murphy, 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 16, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for escaping from federal custody. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Murphy to 15 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Murphy’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On October 12, 2021, Troy Murphy was sentenced to 77 months’ incarceration resulting from his convictions for transferring a firearm to a prohibited person and for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. As part of his term of incarceration, he was placed at Dismas Charities in Omaha. Although it is a non-secure facility, he still needed authorization to leave.
On October 11, 2024, Dismas employees discovered that Murphy escaped by leaving the facility without authorization. Security camera footage showed him leaving at 10:02 p.m. Murphy’s whereabouts remained unknown until October 30, 2024. The United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force arrested Murphy at his mother’s residence in Omaha. He surrendered without incident.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Escaping Federal CustodyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Troy D. Murphy, 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 16, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for escaping from federal custody. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Murphy to 15 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Murphy’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On October 12, 2021, Troy Murphy was sentenced to 77 months’ incarceration resulting from his convictions for transferring a firearm to a prohibited person and for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. As part of his term of incarceration, he was placed at Dismas Charities in Omaha. Although it is a non-secure facility, he still needed authorization to leave.
On October 11, 2024, Dismas employees discovered that Murphy escaped by leaving the facility without authorization. Security camera footage showed him leaving at 10:02 p.m. Murphy’s whereabouts remained unknown until October 30, 2024. The United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force arrested Murphy at his mother’s residence in Omaha. He surrendered without incident.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Oilfield Company, Its Executive, and a Support Services Company Plead Guilty and Are Sentenced for Worker Safety, Clean Air Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act Violations Resulting in the Death of an Employee and His SpouseRead the Press Release
Aghorn Operating Inc., an oilfield company, Trent Day, an executive of Aghorn, and Kodiak Roustabout Inc., entered guilty pleas and were sentenced yesterday in relation to criminal worker safety and federal clean air and safe drinking water violations. According to court documents, Aghorn owns and operates oil wells in and near Odessa, Texas. Odessa is in the Permian basin where oil reserves are “sour,” meaning they have high hydrogen sulfide content. Hydrogen sulfide gas can be deadly at high concentrations.
The case leading to these pleas is the result of an investigation of the Oct. 26, 2019, death of Aghorn employee Jacob Dean and his wife Natalee Dean. Both were overcome by hydrogen sulfide at an Aghorn facility in Odessa.
Day agreed to plead guilty to a Clean Air Act (CAA) negligent endangerment charge and serve five months in prison. Aghorn pleaded guilty to CAA negligent endangerment and an Occupational Safety and Health Act willful violation count for the death of Jacob Dean. Kodiak pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act for falsifying oil well integrity tests. Aghorn will pay a $1 million criminal fine and Kodiak will pay a $400,000 criminal fine. These pleas were made under agreements the defendants entered into with the United States. Under the agreements, other pending charges will be dismissed. Yesterday, the court accepted the defendants’ guilty pleas and sentenced them in accordance with their plea agreements.
“Through these guilty pleas, the defendants accept responsibility for allowing hazards that should have been prevented,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “If they had done what the law requires, Jacob and Natalee might still be with us today. The Justice Department can’t stand by when employers put workers at such risk.”
“Energy production is vital, but it must be done competently and lawfully,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Operators who gravely endanger and kill others and those who lie to the government will be held accountable for their criminal conduct. EPA’s criminal investigation of these tragic deaths led to today’s plea deal.”
According to a factual statement accepted by Day and Aghorn, Jacob Dean responded to a call to check a pump at an Aghorn facility. There, he encountered deadly hydrogen sulfide gas, was overcome, and died. His wife, Natalee Dean, knew where Jacob had gone and started calling him when he did not return in a timely manner. When those calls went unanswered, Natalee drove to the facility. When Natalee arrived at the facility, she was also overcome while looking for Jacob and died.
Trent Day admitted that he should have controlled hydrogen sulfide emissions as part of his duties and that because he did not, he placed others in imminent danger of death. Aghorn admitted the same criminal negligence and to a separate charge that it willfully violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act regulations requiring companies to implement respiratory protection programs to address hazards like those at the facility. In addition to paying a $1 million fine, the company will maintain a set of improvements it made after the tragedy during its period of probation.
The investigation also uncovered false statements by Kodiak about injection well testing related to Aghorn’s oil operations. The mechanical integrity of an injection well must be evaluated by conducting pressure tests. These tests are part of programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act to prevent leaks from those wells. Such leaks could, under some circumstances, contaminate groundwater. In its plea agreement, Kodiak admitted that it sent forms and charts to the Texas Railroad Commission, claiming they were tests for specific wells when Kodiak knew they were not actual records of tests of those wells. Kodiak, in addition to its $400,000 fine, will guarantee that at least 33 tests conducted for Aghorn wells during its year of probation are witnessed or conducted by a third party.
The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. The Justice Department and EPA would like to thank the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas Railroad Commission, Ector County Environmental, and the Odessa Fire Department for their support of the investigation.
Senior Trial Attorney Christopher Costantini, Trial Attorney Mark Romley, and Assistant Section Chief Thomas T. Ballantine of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
Ocean County Man Charged with Traveling to a Foreign Place to Engage in Sexual Conduct with a MinorRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was arrested and charged with traveling to a foreign place to engage in sexual conduct with a minor, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jacob Bauer, 28, of Toms River, is charged by complaint with one count of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. He made his initial appearance on April 2, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rukhsanah L. Singh in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From December 1, 2023 through December 10, 2023, Bauer, then 27 years old, traveled from the United States to Norway to engage in sexual activity with a 14-year-old female. Once in Norway, Bauer, staying at a hotel, engaged in sexual activity with the victim on at least one occasion. After returning to the United States, Bauer communicated over social media platforms with the victim and others about his sexual activities with the victim. During those conversations, Bauer acknowledged the victim’s age and status as a minor. After members of an online community that Bauer was active in learned of his sexual activities with a minor, Bauer was “doxxed” (his public information published online) by members of that community.
“Public safety is my number one priority for New Jersey’s residents, and my office is laser focused on protecting children and ending their exploitation at the hands of abusers. The conduct here is as reprehensible as it is egregious: a then-27-year-old male took pains to plan international travel from New Jersey to Norway for the purpose of having sex with a 14-year-old girl. These charges underscore how we are standing up for the most vulnerable and will not tolerate the sexual abuse of children. I commend our partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, law enforcement members at the state and local levels, and our international partners who assisted with this investigation.”
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
"We have federal laws protecting children because they cannot defend themselves,” said Newark FBI Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly. Most of these investigations go unnoticed because we do all we can to protect the innocent victims. However, the work FBI Newark agents and task force officers are doing should be heralded by all of us. Day in and day out - they are saving children who shouldn't have to experience unspeakable horrors and abuse perpetrated by child sexual predators."
Each of the charges, traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, carries a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited the special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the New Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Vincent Sabo, the Manchester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Antonio Ellis, the FBI Legal Attaché Office, U.S. Embassy, Copenhagen, Denmark, the FBI Legal Attaché Office, U.S. Embassy, Warsaw, Poland, the Jackson County, Georgia Sheriff's Office, INTERPOL, the Norwegian Politiet, Troms District, the Norwegian Politiet, NC3 KRIPOS, and the Poland Policja CBZC, Central Cybercrime Bureau for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender
bauer.complaint.pdfNew Mexico Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Firearms Without A Federal Firearms LicenseRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Santa Fe, New Mexico, resident pleaded guilty today to repeatedly purchasing a large quantity of firearms, then reselling those firearms to buyers in the United States and Mexico for profit.
According to court documents and admissions made in court, from December 2020 through January 17, 2023, Celso Daniel Ruiz purchased at least 145 of the same or similar-type firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada. Shortly after purchasing many of the firearms, he crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Eighteen firearms purchased by Ruiz were subsequently registered by individuals through various parts of Mexico. Furthermore, Ruiz knew that many of the firearms he purchased would be transferred outside of the United States. He did not have a license as a firearms dealer to sell or export firearms.
Ruiz pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.
United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware II scheduled sentencing for August 20, 2025. At sentencing, Ruiz faces the maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and three years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about the unlawful purchase of firearms can call ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email [email protected] or submit information anonymously at www.reportit.com/.
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New Haven Man Admits Distributing Methamphetamine Pills and Crack While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DONALD OGMAN, also known as “Mainey-O” and ”Manny O,” 43, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to methamphetamine and cocaine distribution offenses. A trial in this matter was scheduled to begin this morning.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ogman has been a leader of the Grape Street Crips (GSC), a violent New Haven gang. In 2012, the FBI arrested Ogman for offenses related to his role in GSC, including drug trafficking. He pleaded guilty to narcotics offenses and, on March 10, 2015, was sentenced to 188 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release. In August 2022, a federal judge granted Ogman’s motion for compassionate release, reduced Ogman’s sentence to time served, and he was released from prison.
Ogman resumed his drug trafficking activity while on federal supervised release, distributing multi-colored pills containing methamphetamine in and around New Haven. The investigation included surveillance, trash pulls, and controlled purchases of methamphetamine pills from Ogman in March and April 2024.
Ogman was arrested on May 9, 2024. On that date, searches of his person and residence revealed additional quantities of methamphetamine, as well as crack cocaine.
Ogman pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine; three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine.
Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for July 9. Due to Ogman’s prior conviction for a serious drug felony, he faces a prison term of at least 10 years. He also faces additional penalties for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
Ogman has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department and the Hamden Police Department. The NHDO Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Nathan J. Guevremont through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
New Haven Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DONELL ALLICK, JR., also known as “D-Nice,” 26, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 240 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his participation in a violent New Haven street gang and a murder in September 2022.
Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, investigated a gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city. The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.
The investigation revealed that Allick and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders. Exit 8 members and associates also stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence. Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
On August 1, 2024, Allick pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including acts of violence, narcotics trafficking, and gun sales, and specifically admitted that, on September 16, 2022, he and others shot Kenneth Cloud, 46, who was sitting on the porch of an Atwater Street residence in New Haven. The victim was paralyzed as a result of the shooting and died approximately three months later. Forty-three shell casings were found at the scene of the shooting. Ballistics analysis revealed that 19 had been fired from a handgun later found in Allick’s vehicle, and 24 had been fired from a handgun later found inside Allick’s residence.
Allick has been detained since his arrest on November 10, 2022. On July 15, 2024, Judge Bolden sentenced him to 115 months of imprisonment in a separate federal case. Allick’s 240-month sentence will run concurrently with his 115-month sentence.
This investigation was conducted by the ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis and Rahul Kale.
This prosecution was part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Neenah Man Sentenced to Five Years’ Imprisonment for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on Monday, April 14, 2025, Roberto De La Rosa (age: 45) of Neenah, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by Senior District Judge William C. Griesbach.
According to court records, in October 2024, law enforcement received a cybertip that De La Rosa possessed and distributed numerous digital images and videos of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”). Further investigation revealed that De La Rosa repeatedly accessed, viewed, collected, and distributed CSAM on numerous occasions.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the charge, the need to protect the public, and a strong need for just punishment. Following his release from prison, De La Rosa will spend 7 years on supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sexual offender.
This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriffs’ Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Mississippi Firm to Pay $1,207,600 to Resolve Disaster Recovery ClaimsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced today that Horne LLP, of Ridgeland, Mississippi, has agreed to pay the United States $1,207,600 to resolve civil allegations that it received improper payments from federal disaster recovery grant funds in connection with disaster recovery services it provided in 2017 and 2018 in West Virginia.
On June 23, 2016, portions of the Southern District of West Virginia experienced extreme levels of rainfall, resulting in historic flooding over a vast swath of the region. Flood waters rushing across West Virginia’s mountainous landscape damaged or swept away thousands of homes, businesses, bridges and other infrastructure, leaving thousands of West Virginia residents homeless and at least 23 dead. Following a presidential disaster declaration issued in response to the flooding, Congress appropriated funds for disaster recovery in West Virginia to be administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the form of Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds. These funds were made available to fund an array of recovery needs in West Virginia including housing rehabilitation and replacement for low income homeowners.
Soon after CDBG-DR funds were appropriated, Horne was selected by the West Virginia Development Office (WVDO) to develop the state’s Action Plan for use of the disaster recovery grant funds. Horne is an accounting and professional services firm specializing in administering state and federal disaster recovery programs across the United States. Horne’s contract with the State of West Virginia included task orders requiring Horne to assist the WVDO in developing a CDBG-DR Action Plan which were to be used to secure additional project funding and to provide program guidance, design and development services. The contract which provided for total compensation of $900,000 was approved by the West Virginia Department of Administration Purchasing Division (WVDAPD).
Although the contract provided for total compensation of $900,000, additional “task orders” were added to the contract that inflated the cost of the contract to more than $18,000,000. As a result of these additions, Horne was awarded responsibility for the housing rehabilitation program, which was later re-branded as “Rise West Virginia Housing Restoration Program” (WV-HRP or “RISE”).
The RISE program came under scrutiny in late 2017 when Horne’s contract was reviewed by the West Virginia Department of Administration Purchasing Division. During the review, it was discovered that Horne’s original contract price had ballooned from $900,000 to more than $18,000,000 without competitive bidding, review, or approval by the WVDAPD or the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office.
The administration of then-Gov. Jim Justice declared the additional work orders to be illegal, and that Horne could not be paid for any services completed under them. This prompted Horne to seek to sell the data it had generated through its operations in West Virginia to the government at a price intended to reflect the value of its prior services. Horne submitted an invoice totaling $6,739,575, and the invoice was paid on November 6, 2018, from the federal CDBG-DR funds.
After Horne transmitted its project data to state officials, investigators discovered that many of the services sold to the state were problematic. In particular, investigators discovered that many of the “personal consultations,” included on Horne’s invoice at $950 each, were for cold calls that resulted in a finding of “no unmet need.” Despite a quick call confirming the homeowner had no need of Horne’s services, Horne created an applicant file for each person, complete with fictitious birthdates, social security numbers, and fake signatures on legal documents. Investigators also found that in some cases these personal consultations were actually performed by staff for Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), not Horne. Investigators found that approximately 48 of the physical property inspections, costing the government $1,850 each, were for vacant lots where an inspection was not required. Similarly, Horne billed $1,650 for each of 72 repair estimates where there was nothing to repair.
The Settlement Agreement announced today requires Horne to pay $1,207,600 to resolve the government’s claims.
“Thousands of West Virginians remained in need after historic flooding damaged or destroyed their homes, and the Horne firm took advantage of the situation,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “This settlement agreement is a result of the excellent work by HUD-OIG and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations, our office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement and Health Care Fraud Investigative Specialist Tyler E. Japhet, and Assistant United States Attorney Gregory P. Neil.”
“The alleged actions of Horne, LLP undermine the mission of HUD’s disaster recovery efforts and takes critical resources away from those who need them the most,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG is committed to partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue accountability for those who seek to exploit federal programs.”
“The Commission on Special Investigations began investigating the handling of flood related disaster assistance in December of 2018,” said West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations Director Rick Eplin. “Investigators conducted interviews and documented conditions throughout 12 counties in West Virginia touched by the flooding. Investigators documented tragic stories from the families whose homes were destroyed by flood waters. They were struck by the resiliency of the citizens and their commitment to their communities. In the course of the investigation, it was determined that data collected by Horne did not accurately reflect the conditions and circumstances observed by CSI investigators. In partnership with the HUD Office of Inspector General and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia a positive resolution was achieved.”
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Mexican citizen arrested, charged with production of child pornography and enticement of a minorRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Victor Francisco Lucas, 31, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with production of child pornography and enticement of a minor, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in January 2025, the mother of 12-year-old minor victim called the National Threat Operations Center to report online grooming of the victim, after looking through her daughter’s cellular phone and finding a number for an unknown individual, who had been communicating with the victim via social media and text message. The individual was later identified as Lucas, who worked on a dairy farm in Western New York. Lucas told the victim he was 12 or 13 years old and requested and induced the victim to send nude photos of herself to him. The victim could not send explicit photos to Lucas because parental controls installed on her device blocked the transmission. According to the complaint, Lucas then coerced the victim to participate in nude and sexually explicit Facetime video calls.
Lucas is a citizen of Mexico. He does not have legal status to be in the United States.
Lucas made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Mexican Nationals Charged with Unlawful Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that defendants Caesar Ramon Martinez Solis, 41, and Humberto Ivan Amador Gavira, 24, both of Mexico, were charged with Unlawful Possession of Ammunition by Alien Admitted Under a Nonimmigrant Visa.
According to the criminal complaint, on March 26, 2025, Detectives with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office (FSCO) conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by defendants in Canon City. Defendant Martinez Solis consented to a search of the vehicle. During the search, the Detectives found what they estimated to be approximately 150 boxes of .308 ammunition, and approximately 30 boxes of 7.62 ammunition. Each box was labeled as containing 1,000 rounds.
The investigation is being handled by the Denver Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Denver Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The charges in the complaint are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case Number: 25-mj-00074-CYC
McAlester Resident Sentenced for Felony AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nathaniel Dewayne Meashintubby, age 42, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 77 months in prison for one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, and Dating Partner by Strangling, Suffocating, or Attempting to Strangle or Suffocate.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On November 18, 2024, Meashintubby pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 10, 2024, Meashintubby assaulted the victim by suffocation, resulting in serious bodily injury. The crime occurred in LeFlore County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Meashintubby 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 Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Maryland Man Charged with Coercing and Enticing 18-Year-Old to Travel from Massachusetts to Maryland for Commercial SexRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A 44-year-old Maryland man has been charged with allegedly coercing and enticing an 18-year-old to travel from Massachusetts to Maryland to engage in commercial sex. According to the detention brief filed today, the government allegedly also found evidence that the defendant has been victimizing minor males and young adults ranging in ages from 14–20 by paying the minors for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and coercing and enticing some of them to travel to his penthouse condominium at the Four Seasons in Baltimore, and elsewhere, to engage in sex acts with him, which he videorecorded.
David Kaufman, 44, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing and coercing an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution, and aiding and abetting. Kaufman appeared in federal court in the District of Maryland today and was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for 3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. He will appear in the District of Massachusetts at a later date.
According to public filings, Kaufman coerced a victim to travel from Massachusetts on two occasions to visit his penthouse condominium at the Four Seasons in Baltimore, paying for the plane tickets. While there, Kaufman allegedly provided the victim with alcohol and drugs, including cocaine, until the victim was intoxicated. It is alleged that Kaufman would then persuade the victim to engage in sex acts, which Kaufman videotaped so that he could watch them later in order to get pleasure for himself. In exchange for the sex acts, it is alleged that Kaufman paid the victim with cash, electronic money transfers and gifts. For example, after he engaged in sex acts in February 2024, Kaufman bought the victim a Louis Vuitton bag.
Government filings contain evidence that Kaufman has also been victimizing minors ranging in age from 14–17 by paying them for CSAM and enticing them to travel to Baltimore and elsewhere to engage in sex acts with him, which Kaufman videorecords. Kaufman typically provides his victims with gifts and money in exchange for CSAM and sex acts.
If you have information or questions about this investigation, or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact [email protected].
The charges of coercing a person to travel for purposes of prostitution provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Maryland; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and the Baltimore Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings and Craig E. Estes of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison on Methamphetamine Distribution ChargeRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. on Wednesday sentenced a man who was caught in a stolen car with methamphetamine and marijuana to 87 months in prison.
On August 17, 2024, Darryl Duane Jackson, now 23, of Cairo, Illinois, was stopped by a Charleston Police Department officer on Interstate 57 in Mississippi County, Missouri. The vehicle’s license plate matched that of a stolen vehicle. Jackson, the driver and sole occupant, had $1,670 in cash. He also had 78 grams of marijuana and 752 grams of meth, or more than 1.6 pounds, in a backpack.
Jackson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in January to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. This is his third felony conviction involving drug sale offenses.
The Charleston Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the U.S.Read the Press Release
A man who entered the United States illegally from Mexico was sentenced on April 16, 2025, to 20 months in prison.
Rafael Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez, age 39, from Mexico, received the sentence after a December 9, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal re-entry.
At the guilty plea hearing, Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez admitted he had illegally entered the United States from Guatemala after being deported in 2019 from the United States District Court from the Western District of Texas.
On February 2, 2024, Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez was arrested in Buena Vista County for a controlled substance violation and failure to affix drug stamp for being in possession of distribution quantities of cocaine. On September 30, 2024, Iowa Probation contacted Sioux City, Iowa, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requesting information about Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez, who was recently placed on probation after being convicted of possession with intent to deliver cocaine. The investigation conducted by ICE revealed defendant is a citizen of Mexico and had previously been removed from the United States on three previous occasions.
Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Martinez De Escobar-Hernandez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and investigated by Enforcement and Removal Office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 24-CR-04073. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man Indicted for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender in New HampshireRead the Press Release
CONCORD – An indictment has been unsealed charging a former Vermont man for failing to register as a sex offender in New Hampshire, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
David J. Courtemarche, 44, was indicted on two counts of failing to register as a sex offender in New Hampshire. Courtemarche will appear in federal court on a later date.
The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”) requires individuals convicted of certain sex offenses to register as a sex offender in the state in which they reside or work. According to the charging documents, Courtemarche is required to register as a sex offender under SORNA. Despite knowing this requirement, between at least August 2022 through January 2025, Courtemarche traveled from Vermont to New Hampshire and did not register as required.
The charge of failure to register carries a sentence of up to 10 years incarceration, up to 3 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.
The United States Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter is prosecuting the case.
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.
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Madison Man Sentenced to over 5 Years for Heroin Trafficking and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Patrick Bishop, 30, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 63 months in federal prison for possessing 100 grams or more of heroin intended for distribution and possessing a firearm as a felon. Bishop pleaded guilty to these charges on February 10, 2025.
On July 31, 2024, while fleeing from police, Bishop broke into an occupied apartment and climbed onto the roof of the apartment complex. He remained on that roof for over an hour in a standoff with law enforcement until he ultimately agreed to come down.
Bishop was observed carrying and rummaging through a bag. Law enforcement searched the bag and found two large baggies with approximately 169.4 grams of heroin, $28,000 in currency, a baggie with 18 bindles of heroin, and 5 bindles of cocaine. The bag also contained a loaded Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun with a 22-round extended magazine and a machinegun conversion device.
About an inch-long, a machine gun conversion device is an illegal after-market device that converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully functioning machinegun. A firearm equipped with a machinegun conversion device is extremely dangerous, even for experienced firearms users, because it is difficult to control and is capable of firing 50 rounds in four seconds with a single pull of the trigger.
Bishop is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition due a prior felony conviction.
At sentencing, Judge Conley remarked on the seriousness of the offense and on the dangerousness of selling drugs with an automatic weapon.
The charges against Bishop were the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Machining Supplier Settles PPP Lawsuit for $1.5 MillionRead the Press Release
SW North America, Inc., a machining and automation supplier, agreed to pay $1,520,958.14 to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by applying for and receiving a loan it was not eligible for in the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide emergency loans to small businesses suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether an applicant qualified for a PPP loan depended on various factors, including employee-count size standards for applicants.
SW North America applied for and received a PPP loan in the principal amount of $1,204,400 in 2021, which was later forgiven in full. It was alleged in the lawsuit, however, that SW North America with its affiliates exceeded the applicable size standards for the loan, and was ineligible for that reason.
“PPP loans were intended, first and foremost, to help eligible small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting United States Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “This office will continue to aggressively pursue loan recipients who were not eligible to obtain taxpayer funds, whether due to their size or for any other reason.”
The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is case number 3:24-CV-1123-N in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and the qui tam relator, GNGH2 Inc., will receive $187,003.05 in connection with the settlement.
The government was represented in the lawsuit by Assistant United States Attorney Andrea Hyatt, with assistance from Amber Perez of the SBA. The civil claims settled by the agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Littleton Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Cocaine and Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Littleton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his involvement with a conspiracy to traffic cocaine and illegal firearms in and around the Boston area.
Alan Robinson, 26, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In January 2025, Robinson pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, firearms trafficking, and knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Robinson engaged in a controlled purchase with a cooperating witness to sell four firearms – which included two ghost guns, one of which was an assault rifle, knowing that the cooperating witness was a prohibited individual. Subsequently, a search warrant was executed at Robinson’s residence, where approximately 3.3 kilograms of powdered cocaine was recovered, as well as several firearms and accessories including a ghost gun assault rifle.United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Lexington Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Roberto Ceja, Jr., 33, of Lexington, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 16, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Ceja to 66 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ceja is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
This case involved a Title III wiretap investigation that involved three of Ceja’s cell phones. Co-conspirators were also intercepted involving discussions about narcotics and meeting under surveillance. As part of the investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted three undercover buys from Liban Mohamud Adan who investigators learned was being supplied by Ceja. Ceja was responsible for distributing 88 grams of actual methamphetamine in the Lexington area.
Liban Mohamud Adan pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment followed by a 5-year term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nebraska State Patrol, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Last of Four Defendants Sentenced in Federal Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY - This week the last of four defendants who were part of a conspiracy involving federal drug and firearms offenses that spanned over a year was sentenced.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Quincy R. Barnett of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Irlan Salazar, 41, of Cuba, was sentenced on April 15, 2025, to 3 years and 1 month in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for misprision of a felony and obstructing justice by retaliating against a witness, victim, or an informant.
Cesar Valdes, 33, of Cuba, was sentenced on March 26, 2025, to 15 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, four counts of distribution of fentanyl, four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Valdes was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On January 24, 2014, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Valdes was convicted of attempted robbery 1st degree, enhanced trafficking in a controlled substance within 1000 yards of a school, and enhanced trafficking in marijuana less than 8 ounces, first offense.
On June 17, 2021, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Valdes was convicted of leaving the scene of an accident or failure to render aid with death or serious physical injury.
Jorge Morales Martinez, 45, of Mexico, was sentenced on February 4, 2025, to 2 years and 6 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and two counts of distribution of fentanyl.
Victor Hernandez, 37, of Louisville, was sentenced on September 13, 2024, to 4 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, and distribution of fentanyl.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI and LMPD, with assistance from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl prosecuted the case with assistance from paralegal Carissa Moss.
This case was sentenced under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced Tuesday by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to nine years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Las Vegas.
According to court documents, from about November 8, 2022, to about January 5, 2023, Treshon Edwards conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. On November 8, 2022, Edwards distributed two pounds of methamphetamine. On December 12, 2022, he distributed three pounds of methamphetamine. On January 5, 2023, Edwards agreed to sell six pounds of methamphetamine and hundreds of pills containing fentanyl. He was arrested that day with the methamphetamine and pills in his car.
Photo of three pounds of methamphetamine sold by Edwards in U.S. v. Treshon Edwards.
Photo of methamphetamine and pills on car seat Edwards intended to sell in U.S. v. Treshon Edwards.
Edwards pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Anthony Chrysanthis, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for the DEA Los Angeles Field Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the DEA. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Brister prosecuted the case.
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Knox County Man Sentenced to 60 Years Imprisonment for Two Counts of Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE Tenn. – On April 15, 2025, Matthew Estes, 26, currently of Knox County, Tennessee, was sentenced to 720 months by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his release, Estes will be on lifetime supervision and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Estes agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with two counts of production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a).
According to the filed court documents, on October 13, 2017, the Knoxville Police Department -Internet Crimes against Children (KPD-ICAC) was contacted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police about a video of Estes raping a 16-month-old victim. The video was posted on the dark web on a Tor website, known as “HurtMeh.” The video was located on the discussion board titled, “Toddler being pummeled without any regard to his well-being.”
On May 15, 2017, KPD-ICAC, received a video from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office of Estes again raping the 16-month-old. The video had been located during a forensic examination of a device belonging to a suspect charged with possessing child pornography
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Knoxville Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children and HSI. The investigation was headed by Detective John Williams, HSI-ICAC task force officer.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Kansas woman indicted for unemployment fraud using stolen identitiesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas woman with illegally collecting more than $100,000 by defrauding a federal program aimed at helping people who lost their livelihoods during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to court documents, Kylie Charles, 35, of Wichita is charged with 17 counts of wire fraud and 17 counts of aggravated identity theft.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) provided financial relief to Americans dealing with the economic impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. The program expanded unemployment benefits to some people who would not typically qualify such as business owners, self-employed workers, independent contractors, those with a limited work history, and people who lost their business as a result of the pandemic.
Between May 2020 and August 2021, Charles is accused of stealing the identities of people she knew and using their information without their knowledge or consent to file false claims in multiple states for unemployment benefits under the CARES Act program.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Chad M. Abildgaard, 33, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigation the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting the case.
Nelson Agustin Gonzalez-Diaz, 74, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
Manuel Jacquez Ibarra, 45, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
David Yitzhak Espinoza, 31, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Kansas City Man Sentenced for Scheme to Defraud Local Financial InstitutionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who defrauded a local financial institution of $652,784.34 in funds was sentenced in federal court today for bank fraud and money laundering.
Maximillian D. Howell, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to a total of 21 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Howell to pay restitution of $231,841.84 to the financial institution. In addition, the court entered a final order of money judgment forfeiture of $88,123.08.
Beginning in 2015, Howell, through several of his companies, worked on numerous development projects within the City of Kansas City, Missouri. These projects were often funded through the HOME grant and CDBG. These grants were awarded to the City of Kansas City, Missouri by HUD. Other projects were funded from reimbursement-based lines of credit established at the financial institution and the General Fund of the City of Kansas City, Missouri.
To facilitate his acquisition of land to develop residential properties for sale, Howell obtained lines of credit with the financial institution, a Missouri state-chartered banking association, having an office in Kansas City, Missouri.
As the projects were under construction, the financial institution, which had promised Howell construction loans, would periodically lend Howell money based on his line of credit or the overall amount of his construction loans. These periodic loans are typically referred to as construction draws.
Howell was to draw construction loan proceeds by submitting certified draw requests, signed by him, which contained statements describing the work completed and the amount owed for that work. Howell submitted or caused to be submitted numerous such draw requests to the financial institution.
It was a part of the scheme and artifice to defraud that Howell would enter into and maintain loan agreements with the financial institution for funding five real estate development projects, to wit: Second and Delaware, 1220 Beacon Hill Lane, 2101 Garfield Avenue, 2645 Madison Avenue, and 2709 Holmes Street (collectively referred to as the “Development Projects”).
Howell, doing business through his companies, executed and presented false and fraudulent draw requests to the financial institution, predicated in whole or in part upon false claims of incurred costs, for disbursement of funds in support of the Development Projects.
Howell caused to be created false and fraudulent documentation of expenses supposedly incurred upon the Development Projects, totaling $652,784.34, paid by the financial institution to Howell.
The court ordered Howell to self-surrender on May 27, 2025.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General.
Kalispell man sentenced to over 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute drugs on the Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Kalispell man who conspired to distribute drugs on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 128 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Cameron Lee Richard Carr, 34, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in early November 2023, law enforcement received information Carr was trafficking illegal drugs from Kalispell, Montana to Browning, Montana. On November 28, 2023, Carr was observed leaving the Going to the Sun Inn in Browning. A Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services officer saw Carr run a stop sign and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Carr fled before eventually stopping his vehicle and attempting to run away on foot. He was apprehended by the officer and arrested. The officer saw Carr reach for his waistband when he was arrested, so the officer searched him for weapons before placing him in a patrol vehicle. The officer recovered suspected meth and fentanyl from and noticed a 9 mm Ruger handgun on the ground near the area where Carr was apprehended.
Law enforcement searched Carr’s vehicle and seized 11 additional firearms, 500 grams of methamphetamine, 168 grams of fentanyl in pill and powder form, and small amounts of heroin, oxycodone, morphine, and cocaine. On December 1, 2023, during an interview with law enforcement, Carr admitted distributing drugs in Browning.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the FBI, DEA, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, and the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
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KC Area Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Machine GunsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for possessing and transferring four machine gun conversion devices.
Marquelle D. Love, also known as “Q,” 22, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, to one count of illegally possessing machine guns – three Glock-type machine gun conversion devices, and an AR-type machine gun conversion device.
On Jan. 17, 2024, Love sold an AR-drop-in auto sear and three metal Glock-type switches to an undercover agent for $780.
Machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches” or “auto sears,” are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. Whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law. It is therefore illegal to possess, sell, or use machine gun conversion devices.
Under federal statutes, Love is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Justice Department and City of Albuquerque Seek Fourth Partial Termination of Consent Decree Covering Albuquerque Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – The Justice Department and City of Albuquerque (City) filed a joint motion this week seeking court approval to terminate certain portions of the consent decree covering the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). The joint motion follows the independent monitor’s 21st report, also filed today, which concluded that the City and APD have maintained compliance with 99% of the consent decree’s terms since the independent monitor’s 20th report which was filed in October 2024.
The joint motion seeks court approval to terminate 22 specific consent decree provisions related to use-of-force investigations, supervisor reviews of such investigations, and early intervention systems – all areas where APD has maintained full compliance for at least two years. This marks the fourth joint motion filed by the parties which, if granted will result in the termination of 205 paragraphs of the consent decree, or 75% of the enforceable provisions of the agreement.
This progress underscores years of dedicated reform – including critical upgrades to de-escalation training, crisis intervention protocols, and accountability frameworks – empowering the City and APD to demonstrate to Albuquerque’s citizens their transformative strides in constitutional policing. With 75% of enforceable provisions now slated for removal, this foundational work enables APD to focus its efforts on sustaining compliance and to refine remaining components, ensuring lasting excellence in public safety through independent oversight and community-aligned accountability measures.
“Where the consent decree once served as a blueprint for change, each provision we now move to terminate stands as a testament to APD’s operational adherence to constitutional policing,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin. “Effective policy, sustained compliance, and a dedication to continuous improvement have positioned APD to meet the highest standards of public service.”
The District Court for the District of New Mexico entered the consent decree in June 2015. The decree, as well as information about the Civil Rights Division, are available on the Special Litigation Section Cases and Matters website. Additional information about implementation of the consent decree is also available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website. If you believe your civil rights have been violated, please submit a complaint through our online portal.
Jury Convicts Fitchburg Man of Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – After a two-day jury trial, Malcolm Whiteside, 30, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, was found guilty yesterday of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. The jury reached a verdict after just over 30 minutes of deliberation. The guilty verdict is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
On August 12, 2024, Whiteside led police on a dangerous high-speed chase on a Madison highway and ultimately crashed the car he was driving into a semi-truck. From there, Whiteside fled on foot to the parking lot of a home improvement store, where a police officer found him hiding in a garden shed. Officers at the crash scene searched the vehicle Whiteside was driving and found a loaded firearm underneath the driver’s floormat. Later, an analyst from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab found Whiteside’s DNA on multiple locations on the firearm. Whiteside was previously convicted of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon in 2019.
Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson scheduled sentencing for June 25. Whiteside faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
The case was investigated by the City of Monona Police Department, Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chadwick M. Elgersma and Collen Lennon.
Honduran National Sentenced for Failure to Depart the United States and Hindering Removal from the United StatesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Noel Chinchilla-Avilez, age 26, was sentenced to 54 days in prison by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for failure to depart the United States after an order of removal and hindering removal from the United States.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Chinchilla-Avilez was ordered removed from the United States in 2023, but he did not depart within the required 90 days. When Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Chinchilla-Avilez for removal in February 2025, he slipped out of his handcuffs and attempted to escape.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Great Falls woman sentenced to 20 years in prison on meth chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls woman who conspired to distribute significant amounts of methamphetamine was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The government also forfeited nearly $75,000 in cash, a gun, a BMW, and a motorhome.
Melissa Ann Barone, 55, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in 2020, law enforcement discovered Melissa Barone and her co-defendant were involved in distributing pounds of methamphetamine in and around Great Falls. Between 2020 and 2024, numerous drug associates advised law enforcement
of the pair’s drug distribution activities and travels to Colorado, Washington and Arizona to obtain methamphetamine to redistribute in Montana. Sources identified purchasing one-pound quantities of methamphetamine totaling over six to eight pounds within a 10-month period from 2020 to 2021.
In 2022 and 2023, sources reported Barone was trafficking half or full eightballs of methamphetamine for her co-defendant. It was discovered her codefendant was purchasing 50 to 100 pounds of methamphetamine at a time and spending over $100,000 delivered in bulk amounts. Barone and her co-defendant were purchasing vehicles and RVs at auto auctions for cash.
In February 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by the defendants as they were traveling back to Montana from Texas. A K-9 detection dog alerted on the vehicle, and $17,000 in United States currency was found rubber banded to a seatbelt inside the vehicle.
On May 5, 2024, law enforcement executed a warrant and arrested Barone in Great Falls. A search of her purse revealed approximately 444.4 grams of methamphetamine, a scale, and paraphernalia. Her vehicle contained $7,911 in United States currency, 46.3 grams of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. During the seizure of a BMW owned by her co-defendant, law enforcement located $5,000 in United States currency in a vacuum-sealed bag concealed under the back seat.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the Russell Country Drug Task Force.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Four St. Louis Area Residents Admit Committing Bank Fraud with Checks Stolen from the MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Four people, including a former U.S. Postal Service employee, have pleaded guilty to federal charges and admitted to involvement in a conspiracy that stole checks from the mail to commit bank fraud.
Johnathan Barnett, 29, of University City, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to 80 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp, who also ordered him to pay restitution of $44,135.
Barnett pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of possession of stolen mail and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted participating in a conspiracy from January of 2022 to September of 2023 to steal checks from the mail and alter the checks to defraud banks.
Barnett bought a key to U.S. Postal Service collection boxes from a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, Wynter Hinton, and then he and others, including Ryan McKinney and Jayden Burklow, used that key to open collections boxes in St. Louis County and steal mail. Hinton also stole checks from the mail while on her postal route.
Barnett, Burklow and McKinney altered personal and business checks they found in the mail to create counterfeit checks. They recruited others to allow their bank accounts to be used to deposit the fraudulent checks. The conspirators then withdrew the money before the banks realized the checks were fraudulent. Barnett, Burklow and McKinney admitted trying to commit at least $800,000 worth of fraud this way.
On Sept. 15, 2023, when investigators were conducting a court-approved search of Barnett’s home, he tried to flee through a window with an AR-15-style rifle with a high-capacity drum magazine loaded with 76 rounds. Four other firearms were found in his home, as well as check-making equipment. Barnett was convicted of a 2014 drug charge and charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in 2020.
Hinton, 29, of St. Ann, and McKinney, 24, of St. Louis, both pleaded guilty Wednesday. Hinton pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a mail key and McKinney pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of possession of stolen mail. They are scheduled to be sentenced in July.
Burklow, 21, of O’Fallon, Illinois, pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of possession of stolen mail. He is scheduled to be sentenced in June.
“The sentencing in this case illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions,” stated Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. “The Inspection Service is proud to work with our local, state and federal partners to bring Mail Theft perpetrators to justice and prevent financial crimes targeting local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions.”
"This sentencing and guilty pleas represent the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The USPS OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Creve Coeur Police Department and the University City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Four Sentenced for Roles in Morgantown-Area Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Four people were sentenced for their involvement in a drug trafficking organization that stretched from Philadelphia to Detroit to Morgantown, West Virginia.
Those sentenced today were:
- Charles Johnson, 33, of Detroit, Michigan, sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison;
- Sandra Tennant, 55, of Morgantown, West Virginia, sentenced to 51 months;
- Stephanie Miller, 48, of Charleston, West Virginia, sentenced to 84 months in federal prison; and
- Jordan Spadafore, 34, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced to five years of probation.
According to court documents, Johnson, Tennant, Miller, and Spadafore were distributors for the operation that was selling methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; the WVU Police Department; the Granville Police Department; and the Star City Police Department.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Four Mexican Nationals Charged After Immigration Enforcement Investigation in Southern District of West VirginiaRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston today announced the detention of four Mexican nationals following their arrest in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Maximino Montalvo Salas, 20, Federico Montalvo Salas, 22, and Bernabe Montalvo Salas, 24, are each charged with illegally reentering the United States. Julio Cesar Ruiz-Perez, 21, is charged with deceptive use of a Social Security account number.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn ordered the detention of each today following separate initial appearance, preliminary and detention hearings.
On March 28, 2025, law enforcement officers interviewed each Salas defendant at the South Charleston restaurant where they worked. Officers determined that all three were in the United States illegally. Further investigation determined that each Salas defendant had previously been deported from the United States, had no identification documents permitting their legal status in the United States, never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States, and did not reenter the United States through legal means.
On April 11, 2025, officers executed a search warrant at the South Charleston residence where the Salas defendants were living and encountered Ruiz-Perez. Officers determined Ruiz-Perez was in the United States illegally and possessed a Social Security account number not assigned to him by the Commissioner of Social Security that he used to obtain employment in the Southern District of West Virginia.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
“Operation Take Back America and its core enforcement objectives is a top priority of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia,” Johnston said. “I commend U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) for their investigative work in these cases.”
Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the cases, as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America.
Criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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 Nos. 2:25-mj-82, 2:25-mj-83, 2:25-mj-84, and 2:25-mj-91.
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Former Town of Southold Employee and Boy Scout Troop Leader Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Damon Rallis was sentenced today in federal court in Central Islip by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 84 months in prison for distribution of child pornography. As part of his sentence, Rallis, a former Town of Southold employee and scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts, will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“The defendant possessed and distributed horrific images of child sex abuse, including the brutal rape of young children, and the years he will serve in prison will both protect our communities and help to bring justice to victims who were sexually exploited as children,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to prosecute and seek significant prison sentences for individuals like Rallis who contribute to a depraved marketplace that causes the abuse of children to satiate the perverse demand for these disturbing images.”
“Damon Rallis violated his scoutmaster duty to serve as an ethical and moral leader by supplying obscene pornographic material to a twisted platform,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “His actions perpetuated the sexual abuse of young children without remorse. The FBI remains dedicated to holding accountable those who use the sexual exploitation of minors for personal gratification.”
As set forth in court filings and during the sentencing hearing, the FBI began investigating Rallis after his participation in a chat group on the Kik messaging app of users who shared child pornography. An undercover agent who had joined the chat group received numerous images and videos of child pornography from the defendant, whose screenname was “dirtydaddy431.” The images shared by Rallis included the rape of children as young as approximately five years old. On February 23, 2021, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Southold and seized several electronic devices, including his cell phone, which contained numerous images and videos of child pornography. In an unrelated investigation into sexual exploitation of children, law enforcement recovered a series of chats with Rallis from the cell phone of another individual (the Iowa defendant). In one of these chats, after the Iowa defendant described how he sexually abused his stepdaughter from age 4 to 7, Rallis stated: “She doesn’t remember bro. You’re good. The memories don’t really develop until nine or ten. I would love that opportunity.”
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Paul G. Scotti is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
DAMON RALLIS
Age: 50
Southold, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-150 (JMA)
Former President of Asphalt Paving Company Receives Prison Sentence for Bid RiggingRead the Press Release
A former senior executive of a Michigan asphalt paving company was sentenced today to six months in prison and a $20,000 fine for his role in a conspiracy to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan.
Timothy Baugher, former president of Pontiac-based Asphalt Specialists LLC (ASI), pleaded guilty to conspiring with F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied), and employees from those companies to rig bids in each other’s favor on Jan. 8. According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company would submit intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators already had decided among themselves who would win the contracts. Baugher participated in the conspiracy from July 2017 through May 2021.
Baugher’s former employer, ASI, and another former ASI executive also pleaded guilty for their participation in the conspiracy with Allied in January 2024. Allied and two of its executives previously pleaded guilty in August 2023 for their participation in the conspiracy. On Aug. 15, 2024, ASI was sentenced to pay a fine of $6,500,000.
“There is nothing impressive, just, or indeed lawful about rigging bids with your competitors to ‘win’ a contract,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. “As the court itself noted, white-collar criminals mistakenly expect better treatment than blue-collar criminals. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will enforce the law against all individuals who seek to cheat and deprive the public of the benefits of competition.”
“Violating the nation’s antitrust laws is a serious matter, and those who try to get around federal bidding and contract rules will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Licari of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Midwestern Region. “The message is clear: we will continue working collaboratively with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to uncover and dismantle brazen fraud schemes driven by personal gain.”
Baugher is one of seven individuals that have been charged as part of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry. Three companies also have been charged as part of the investigation, which, to date, has resulted in over $8.1 million in criminal fines.
The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the Offices of Inspectors General for the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Postal Service.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Former Nurse Practitioner Agrees to $50,000 Settlement in Alleged False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – Acting U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Hanson announced today that Jordona Ndon, a former Delaware nurse practitioner who now resides in Virginia, has agreed to pay $50,000 to resolve allegations that she violated the False Claims Act by ordering medically unnecessary orthotic braces for Medicare beneficiaries residing in Delaware. The civil settlement amount was based on Ndon’s ability to pay.
Between November 2017 and June 2018, Ndon digitally signed hundreds of orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces for Delaware residents who she never physically examined and who often did not want or need the orthotic braces. In many cases, the orders Ndon signed contained information that was pre-populated by telemarketers with no medical qualifications. Ndon signed the orders after brief telemedicine consultations – often two minutes or less in duration – during which she failed to establish any legitimate medical justification for the orthotic braces.
“Providers who authorize medically unnecessary equipment undermine our health care system and waste valuable taxpayer dollars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Hanson. “This office will continue to aggressively pursue providers who seek to profit by outsourcing their medical decision-making and hold them accountable to the public.”
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. LaRosa and Affirmative Civil Enforcement Auditor David Cheung.
The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800 HHS TIPS (800-447-8477).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. A copy of the settlement agreement and agreed-upon statement of facts are attached to this press release.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.