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Tuesday 4 March 2025
Venezuelan National Charged with Assaulting Federal Officers During Execution of Immigration Arrest WarrantRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Venezuelan national illegally present in the United States has been charged in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island with assaulting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deportation Officers during his arrest on an immigration warrant, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
It is alleged that Edward Antonio Reyes Calderon, 22, resisted arrest and assault three uniformed Deportation Officers, injuring two of them, as they took him into custody outside of the Rhode Island District Court in Providence on February 13, 2025. He had just completed an appearance in state court on a Domestic Violence charge and was being released from state custody on bail.
Charging documents allege that the Deportation Officers, in clearly marked ICE/Police body armor, while in front of a law enforcement vehicle with emergency lights flashing, attempted to take Reyes Calderon into custody at the sally port of the courthouse. The Deportation Officers clearly announced that they were “police,” and instructed Reyes Calderon to turn around. As they grabbed his arms, he began to flex and pull away, not complying with orders. The officers gave several verbal commands including: “stop resisting,” and “you are under arrest.”
It is further alleged that Reyes Calderon became very aggressive, resisting violently, as the three officers struggled to apply hand cuffs. He continued to push and pull the Deportation Officers, at one point tightly grabbing one of the officer’s utility belt – his hands inches from the officer’s firearm. As the struggle continued for several minutes, an officer deployed pepper spray in order to gain control of the defendant.
Two Deportation Officers suffered minor injuries and had to be evaluated medically.
At present, Reyes Calderon remains in ICE custody. He will make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court on a date yet to be determined on a criminal complaint charging him with forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing and impeding a law enforcement officer in the performance of official duties. A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
In addition to the pending charge for Domestic Violence in Rhode Island, Reyes Calderon is facing a charge in the State of New York for Grand Larceny.
The case in U.S. District Court in Providence is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter I. Roklan and Taylor A. Dean.
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Two Venezuelan gang members arrested, charged with bank theft and conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that David Jose Gomez Cegarra, 24, and Jesus Segundo Hernandez-Gil, 19, both of Venezuela, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with bank theft and conspiracy to commit bank theft. The charges carry a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey E. Intravatola and Douglas A.C. Penrose, who are handling the case, stated that the defendants are members of the Tren de Aragua Gang, which has been designated by the White House as a Global Terrorist Organization. They are accused of participating in an ATM Jackpotting scheme. ATM Jackpotting involves removing an ATM’s cover and infecting the ATMs hard drive with malware or removing the hard drive and replacing it with an infected hard drive, which allows the operator to assume control of the ATM and cause it to dispense currency.
According to the complaint, Gomez-Cegarra, Hernandez-Gil, and other co-conspirators successfully completed an ATM Jackpotting scheme at a Radius Federal Credit Union in Kenmore, NY, on October 5, 2024. Video surveillance shows that at approximately 4:05 p.m., a vehicle, driven by Gomez-Cegarra, approached the drive-up ATM, a co-conspirator exited the vehicle and opened the ATM utilizing a key, appeared to install something in the ATM, pressed buttons, and closed the ATM. The vehicle then left the area. Over the next several hours, the vehicle re-appeared multiple times at the ATM and conducted illegal withdrawals. Radius Federal Credit Union reported that $110,440.00 was stolen from the ATM during this ATM Jackpotting event.
Gomez-Cegarra, Hernandez-Gil, and other co-conspirators are also believed to be responsible for ATM Jackpotting events St. Maly’s Federal Credit Union in Framingham, Massachusetts, on October 6, 2024, at First National Bank of Dryden in Dryden, NY, on October 17, 2024, and at two Community First Bank locations in Mount Vernon, Illinois, on November 11, 2024. During these events, approximately $187,000 was reported stolen.
On November 11, 2024, the Mahomet, Illinois Police Department stopped Gomez-Cegarra and Hernandez-Gil in a vehicle together for suspicious activity. Both men presented Venezuelan identifications. They were arrested by the Mahomet Police Department, and ultimately charged by the Mount Vernon Police Department in relation to the incidents that occurred at the Community First Bank locations in Mount Vernon, IL.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Kenmore Police Department, under the direction of Chief Thomas Phillips, the Homer, NY, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Pitman, the Framingham, MA, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Lester Baker, and the Mahomet, Illinois, Police Department.
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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Two Men Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine into WaterburyRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging TERRANCE JOHNSON, also known as “TJ, “Mike,” “James,” and “T,” 39, of Hackensack, New Jersey and JORDAN JAMISON, also known as “J” and “JO,” 29, of Waterbury, Connecticut, and Paramus, New Jersey, with a fentanyl and cocaine trafficking offense.
As alleged in court documents, a DEA New Haven District Office Task Force investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics, physical and electronic surveillance, and other investigative techniques, determined that Johnson and Jamison were trafficking fentanyl and cocaine into the Waterbury area, utilizing an apartment on High Street in Naugatuck and a house on Hunthill Road in Waterbury to store and package narcotics, and distributing the drugs to a network of street-level sellers.
It is further alleged that on February 5, 2025, Johnson and Jamison travelled together on a flight to California and, later that day, attempted to mail a package from Monterey Park to Connecticut. Investigators seized the package, which contained approximately one kilogram of fentanyl and three kilograms of cocaine.
On February 11, 2025, a court-authorized search of Johnson and Jamison’s alleged stash location in Naugatuck revealed approximately 5.4 kilograms of fentanyl and 1.4 kilograms of cocaine packaged for street distribution, and more than 300 grams of xylazine, an animal tranquilizer used by narcotics traffickers as a fentanyl additive.
Johnson was arrested in California on February 12 and Jamison was arrested in New Jersey on February 13, and have been detained since their arrests.
The indictment, which was returned on February 25, 2025, charges Johnson and Jamison with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Jamison appeared yesterday in New Haven federal court and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. Johnson’s arraignment has not been scheduled.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation has been conducted by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, DEA Los Angeles Airport Group, DEA New Jersey Division Office, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Paramus Police Department, and Hackensack 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.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Natasha M. Freismuth 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.
Three Alleged Gang Members Indicted for ExtortionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal indictment was unsealed yesterday charging three alleged Gangster Disciple gang members with making threats of physical violence to extort money from two victims.
Damien Willette, 30, of Peabody; William Walley, 30, of Worcester; and Michael O’Shea, 36, of Fall River were indicted with conspiracy to make interstate communications with the intent to extort. Willette and Walley were also charged with making interstate communications with intent to extort. Willette was arrested yesterday and detained pending a hearing on March 10, 2025. O’Shea and Walley, who are serving state prison sentences, will appear in federal court in Boston tomorrow.
According to court documents, Willette was the cellmate of Walley in March 2023 and, later, the cellmate of O’Shea from May 2023 through June 2023. The defendants allegedly threatened two individuals – a former Gangster Disciple who was recruited into the gang by Willette (Victim 2) and their romantic partner (Victim 1) – while serving state prison sentences. Specifically, the defendants allegedly conspired to make threatening communications, including threats of physical violence and to extort money from the victims.
According to the charging documents, Willette expected Victim 2 to provide him with financial assistance during his incarceration from November 2020 to May 2024, as well as to his fellow incarcerated gang members. Gangster Disciple gang members refer to this practice as “aid and assistance.” Willette allegedly told Victim 2 that he would be “blessed out” of the gang if he continued to provide “aid and assistance.” However, Victim 2 attempted to disassociate from the Gangster Disciples gang soon after his recruitment. When Victim 2 stopped providing assistance, Victim 1 continued on his behalf.
It is alleged that, on or about March 2023, the defendants started threatening the victims with physical violence if they stopped providing money to them while they were incarcerated. For example, Willette allegedly warned the victims that if they failed to provide “aid and assistance,” Victim 2 would not be “blessed out” when Willette was released from state prison. Willette allegedly specified that he would have gang members pistol whip the victims that “it’s going to be bad for you and everyone you know” if they failed to provide “aid and assistance.” It is further alleged that O’Shea instructed a non-incarcerated co-conspirator to tell Victim 1 that a Gangster Disciple will “come find you and your family for thinking it’s a game.”
The charge of conspiracy to make interstate communications with the intent to extort provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making interstate communications with intent to extort provides for a sentence up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction and the Lawrence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.
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.
Teton County Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Jesus M. Beltran-Zazusta, a/k/a Jesus Zazueta-Beltran, 26, a Mexican national unlawfully in the United States and living in Victor, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.
According to court records, law enforcement officers identified Beltran-Zazusta as the source of supply of methamphetamine for multiple local distributors in Teton and Bonneville Counties. In November 2023, law enforcement tracked Beltran-Zazusta as he returned to Idaho from a short trip to California. They followed him to an Idaho Falls residence that belonged to co-defendant Ana Costilla-Delgado. Officers seized a pound of methamphetamine from co-defendant Jorge Hernandez Venegas as he left the house. The Idaho Falls Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence where they located nine pounds of methamphetamine in Costilla-Delgado’s bedroom. Officers had previously identified Beltran-Zazusta as the source of methamphetamine for Fredy Munoz-Morales, of Victor, in a related investigation that occurred in April 2023.
In January 2024, a federal grand jury in Pocatello indicted Beltran-Zazusta. The Honorable Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced him to nine years in federal prison on March 3, 2025. He also ordered Beltran-Zazusta to complete four years of supervised release after he serves his prison sentence. However, Beltran-Zazusta will likely be deported to Mexico after serving his prison sentence.
Chief Judge Nye also sentenced Costilla-Delgado to twelve and a half years in federal prison on January 6, 2025, Venegas to nine years in federal prison on December 2, 2024, and Munoz-Morales to twelve and a half years in federal prison on June 28, 2024.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Idaho Falls Police Department, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe H. McLane prosecuted the case.
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Tampa Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Recruiting Individuals to Pass Counterfeit Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Trentavius Quntez Scott (37, Tampa) to two years and six months in federal prison for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and ordered him to pay restitution to the victims he defrauded. Scott entered a guilty plea on November 20, 2024.
According to court documents and public records, Scott appeared in federal court on September 26, 2024, pursuant to a writ bringing him to Jacksonville from the Hillsborough County jail, where he was serving a sentence for a counterfeit-related crime. The court ordered Scott detained. Scott is also wanted on a felony arrest warrant out of Hernando County in an unrelated financial crime case.
According to court documents, in July 2023, Scott, a 10-time convicted felon, recruited an individual to assist him in passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Scott provided the individual with counterfeit currency, then the two traveled to Ocala. In Ocala, Scott and the individual went to a retail store and passed multiple counterfeit bills. In March 2024, Scott recruited two more individuals and provided them with counterfeit cash. Scott and the two individuals traveled to St. Johns County where they passed more counterfeit Federal Reserve notes at a retail store.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
St. Louis Area Non-Profit Leaders Accused of $7 Million School Meal Fraud and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A couple who ran a local non-profit were arrested Tuesday after having been accused in an indictment of stealing more than $7 million that was supposed to feed low-income Missouri children.
FBI special agents also seized a pickup truck, two vans and a minivan that were purchased with what the indictment calls fraudulently-obtained funds.
Diarra Williams, 30, and Nicholas Warford, 31, both of Edwardsville, Illinois, were indicted on Feb. 26 with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of obstruction of an official proceeding. They are scheduled to enter a not guilty plea Tuesday afternoon.
The indictment says the couple defrauded Missouri’s At-Risk Afterschool Program and Summer Food Service Program, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meals are served by schools and non-profit organizations. Williams ran a non-profit called The Bailey Foundation, which fraudulently claimed it served more than 2.2 million meals, the indictment says. Williams and Warford then laundered the meal money through a company owned by Warford, Warford’s Classic Catering LLC, by creating fake invoices that showed meal purchases that were never made, the indictment says.
The indictment says the scheme lasted from March 2020 through July 2022. An April 2021 invoice falsely claimed that 208,456 meals were served, each of which included an eight-ounce serving of milk, the indictment says. Warford’s company bought no milk and paid less than $5,000 for food, it says.
The indictment says Williams and Warford used the money to buy a $1.4 million home in Edwardsville, a 2018 Lincoln Navigator, a 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel pickup, a 2011 Mercedes Benz Sprinter, a 2017 Chrysler Pacifica and two 2021 Ram Promaster vans. They also spent $140,000 on extravagant vacations, $100,000 on furniture, home electronics and landscaping for their new home, more than $50,000 in school tuition payments and $460,000 on Warford's mother, the indictment says.
The couple falsely claimed in reports to the state that they’d spent the money on feeding children and told the IRS that their lavish spending represented legitimate business expenses of Warford’s company, the indictment says. They also tried to impede the investigation by producing phony invoices in response to a federal grand jury subpoena, the indictment says.
The indictment seeks the forfeiture of vehicles and the couple’s home.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“The alleged fraud is beyond despicable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “The defendants allegedly stole millions in taxpayer dollars meant to feed low-income children in Missouri for their own use.”
“The defendants are accused of stealing money meant to feed low-income school-aged children and using the funds to live a lavish lifestyle. It’s hard to put into words how egregious these accusations are,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation St. Louis Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “But this arrest means their actions have been disrupted and they can now be held accountable.”
The FBI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and IRS – CI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
South Texas drug dealer sent to federal prison for firearm violationRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 19-year-old Alamo resident has been sentenced for utilizing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activity, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Emiliano Cabriales pleaded guilty Dec. 5, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now handed Cabriales a 60-month term of imprisonment immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
On May 29, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Cabriales was a passenger. During a routine search, they discovered a firearm concealed beneath the seat where Cabriales had been sitting.
Further investigation revealed 14 grams of cocaine, packaged in individual baggies, hidden inside his pants. Cabriales admitted to possessing the cocaine and that he had the firearm in case he had to protect himself and the drugs.
Cabriales has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Alamo Police Department conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Six Defendants Sentenced in Multi-State Gun Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN, MS – The final defendant was sentenced today in a case targeting the trafficking of firearms from Mississippi to Chicago, Illinois. Ronnell Pratt, 30, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 151 months in prison for firearms trafficking, conspiracy to traffic firearms, and retaliating against a witness.
The investigation began after agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives noticed a high volume of firearms recovered in crimes in the City of Chicago, Illinois had been purchased in the Northern District of Mississippi. Some of the firearms involved in new crimes had been purchased as recent as one day prior to use in a new offense.
Several of the firearms were recovered in violent crimes and had machinegun devices attached that converted the firearms to be able to fire automatically. In total, investigators identified over 60 firearms that were purchased illegally and transported to Chicago for resale by Pratt and others. While the case was pending, Pratt took harmful action against a witness for providing information to federal officers related to the offense.
On March 4, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Pratt to 151 months in federal prison for the offenses to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Aycock imposed the 60-month sentence for the conspiracy violation to run consecutively to the 91-month sentence for firearms trafficking. Pratt was also sentenced to 120 months for retaliating against a witness to run concurrent to the 151-month sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ultimately, six defendants were prosecuted for their roles in the trafficking conspiracy, with a federal jury convicting one defendant last fall. The other members of the enterprise received the following sentences for their roles:
- Derrick Stewart, Jr., of Chicago, Illinois, 120 months imprisonment for firearms trafficking and conspiracy;
- Jarvis Hood, of Belzoni, Mississippi, statutory maximum of 60 months imprisonment for the offense of conspiracy;
- Jalene Young, of Inverness, Mississippi, 31 months imprisonment for making false statements during firearms purchases;
- Herbert Scott, Jr., of Belzoni, Mississippi, 14 months imprisonment for making false statements to federal agents; and
- Markeveon Brown, of Isola, Mississippi, 36 months of supervision for making false statements during firearms purchases.
“The straw purchasing and trafficking of firearms in this case contributed directly to the gun violence that plagues Chicago, and I hope that the message is clear that people who illegally purchase firearms for felons become convicted felons themselves when they face the inevitable consequences for their actions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “I am extremely proud of AUSA Julie Howell Addison for leading this effort with our partners at ATF in Mississippi and Chicago to shut down this ring of people who were more than willing to take money to provide the means for violent criminals to terrorize a community.”
“The severity of this sentence holds this defendant accountable for the illegal trafficking of firearms between Mississippi and Chicago,” remarked ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon of the Chicago Field Division. “I commend the ATF Oxford Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi for their diligence in investigating and prosecuting this important case in cooperation with our ATF Chicago Field Division.”
The case was investigated by the Chicago Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the ATF Oxford, Mississippi Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Howell Addison and Samuel Stringfellow prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Schuylkill County Man Sentenced to 60 Months’ Imprisonment for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Cornelius Green, age 37, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 27, 2025, to 60 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Green previously pleaded guilty to possessing a Kel-Tec, Model RFB 18, caliber .308 semi-automatic rifle, which had been shipped or transported in interstate commerce, knowing that he had previously been convicted by a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Judge Mariani ordered the five-year sentence to run consecutive to an early seven-year sentence of imprisonment previously imposed for Green’s brandishing of a firearm in relation to a robbery.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Schuylkill Haven Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.
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Schenectady Man Sentenced for Assaulting Trial Witness’s SonRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Patrick Civitello, age 19, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for assaulting a 15-year-old boy in retaliation for the boy’s mother testifying in a federal criminal trial.
Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Patrick Civitello is the son of Jeffrey Civitello Sr. and the younger brother of Jeffrey Civitello Jr., both of whom were convicted of federal drug trafficking charges following a jury trial in Albany in April 2023. A witness, identified in the indictment as V-1, testified at that trial.
In pleading guilty, Patrick Civitello admitted that on the evening of May 19, 2024, while at a restaurant in Glenville, New York, he observed V-1, who was with her 15-year-old son (“V-2”). At the time he observed V-1, Patrick Civitello was speaking on the phone with Jeffrey Civitello Jr. (who was incarcerated), and Patrick Civitello told his brother that he had just seen V-1 walk into the restaurant. Patrick Civitello then said “I gotta rag this bitch, I gotta call you back,” meaning that he intended to retaliate against V-1 for her trial testimony. Jeffrey Civitello Jr. responded, “Ok run down, but do it away from everyone if you could.”
V-1 and V-2 then exited the restaurant and headed to their vehicle in the parking lot. Patrick Civitello, who was following V-1 and V-2 out of the restaurant, briefly stopped in the parking lot to remove his watch and a cross-body bag. Having placed those items on the ground of the parking lot, Patrick Civitello charged in the direction of V-1 and V-2. He punched V-2 in the head, and continued to punch and kick V-2 after V-2 fell to the ground. V-2 suffered minor abrasions and bruises, including to his head, neck, and hand.
FBI agents arrested Patrick Civitello on June 13, 2024, on a criminal complaint. As he was being transported to the FBI Albany Field Office, he asked agents, “Don’t you think the witness deserved it?” and “What do you expect when you betray family and people you trust?”
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino called the assault an “attack on the justice system” that sends “a chilling message to anyone who might be subpoenaed to trial” to testify. She ordered Patrick Civitello to pay a $5,000 fine and to serve a 3-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release.
The FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigated this case, with assistance from the Glenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Dustin Segovia prosecuted this case.
Santa Maria Investment Advisor Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Elderly Clients Out of More Than $2 MillionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Santa Barbara County investment advisor pleaded guilty today to stealing approximately $2.25 million from elderly clients of her investment advisory business – some of whom were receiving end-of-life care.
Julie Anne Darrah, 52, of Santa Maria, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. She remains free on $50,000 bond.
Darrah ran a Santa Maria-based investment advisory business called Vivid Financial Management Inc. (VFM). At all relevant times, she was an investment advisor registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and, from 2015 to 2021, she was the president, chief compliance officer, and a one-third shareholder of VFM.
During the scheme, Darrah stole approximately $2.25 million from her firm’s clients. She did so by obtaining control of her victims’ assets, and then – without the victims’ knowledge or consent – she liquidated their security holdings and transferred the proceeds to accounts she controlled. As part of this, she convinced victims to sign documents making her the trustee of their trusts or a signatory on their bank accounts or giving her power of attorney over their brokerage accounts and allowing her – as their investment advisor – to transfer funds from their accounts to other bank accounts, including to her own accounts.
Darrah took advantage of trust victims placed in her -- often convincing them she would take care of them in their older years like a daughter, and she used this trust to convince them to sign the documents that she then used to steal money from them. In this way, Darrah stole money from victims from approximately November 2016 to July 2023. She used stolen funds to buy properties for herself, pay other personal expenses, buy luxury vehicles, and operate other business ventures. Some victims were left in desperate circumstances, without the money to pay for end-of-life care, when the fraud was discovered.
Darrah also convinced a company identified in the plea agreement as “Business Victim 1,” a Minnesota-based investment advisor firm, to acquire VFM based on false and misleading statements and the concealment of material facts, including not telling that firm about her theft of individual client funds. After the fraud was discovered, Business Victim 1 incurred approximately $5.4 million in losses.
“The defendant took advantage of her clients’ trust,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Many of them were elderly and she stole from them using their funds as her own. Our seniors should never have to question whether their money is safe. She will now be held accountable for her actions.”
United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II scheduled a May 19 sentencing hearing, at which time Darrah will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
In October 2023, the SEC filed a civil complaint against Darrah in connection with this scheme. In December 2024, United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer found Darrah liable to pay $2,416,511, including interest.
The FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
Salem Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Mexican national residing in Salem, Oregon, was sentenced to federal prison Monday for his role in trafficking fentanyl and other narcotics in Oregon.
Leonel Covarrubias Hernandez, 48, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, as part of a drug trafficking investigation, investigators identified Covarrubias as a narcotics distributer operating in Oregon. Between August and December 2022, investigators conducted several controlled buys in which Covarrubias sold counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl.
On December 27, 2022, investigators conducted a traffic stop on Covarrubias and his co-conspirator near their residence. Investigators searched the vehicle and seized counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, more than $11,000 in cash, and a firearm. On the same day, investigators located and seized more than 29 pounds of methamphetamine, 11 pounds of fentanyl, 12 pounds of cocaine and two pounds of heroin, 24 firearms, a 3D printer, and more than $43,000 in cash from the residence.
On November 18, 2024, Covarrubias pleaded guilty to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Salem Police Department. It was prosecuted by Bryan Chinwuba, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Richmond felon sentenced to over four years in prison for illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to four years and two months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on April 25, 2024, officers from the Richmond Police Department engaged in conversation with a group of individuals standing and sitting together outside a row of apartment homes in the Creighton Court neighborhood. One of the officers observed a clear plastic baggie containing a white powdery substance drop to the ground from the jacket pocket of Marcellus Cheatham, 26. The officer retrieved the baggie and, while attempting to detain Cheatham, discovered a loaded firearm in Cheatham's waistband. Cheatham also possessed a razor, 21.77 grams of cocaine hydrochloride, and 5.73 grams of crystalline material containing cocaine.
Cheatham was convicted previously of robbery, attempted robbery, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. As a previously convicted felon, Cheatham cannot possess firearms or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Joseph McGorman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-128.
Reeds Woman Sentenced to 12 Years for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Reeds, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for her role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri.
Kimberly C. Elliott, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 12 years in federal prison without parole.
On June 8, 2023, Elliott pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of money laundering.
Elliott admitted that she participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Barry, Stone, Polk, Lawrence, Greene, Jasper, and Newton Counties from Nov. 1, 2020, to April 28, 2022. According to court documents, Elliott personally distributed more than 16 pounds of methamphetamine, an extremely conservative estimate for her involvement. During this conspiracy, law enforcement seized more than 30 pounds of methamphetamine from various co-conspirators.
Elliott sold 62 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer on May 3, 2021. At the time of that transaction, Elliott was in possession of at least an additional pound of methamphetamine.
On May 12, 2021, Elliott traded her red Chevrolet Colorado for a black 2017 Ford Explorer. Elliott purchased this vehicle with approximately $15,000 from the proceeds of unlawful methamphetamine distribution. Elliott was arrested while driving the Explorer without a driver’s license on June 16, 2021. Elliott had approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine, approximately nine grams of marijuana, and six hydrocodone tablets in her purse. A user quantity of suspected heroin and methamphetamine was located in the driver’s side door pocket of the vehicle, and approximately $7,165 in cash was found in a zipper bag between the driver’s seat and center console.
Elliott told investigators she had obtained one pound of methamphetamine approximately two days prior to the traffic stop from a co-conspirator, and what was located in her vehicle was what was left from that transaction. Elliott stated she had been purchasing methamphetamine for the past two months and estimated she had purchased between five and 10 pounds of methamphetamine. She also investigators that conspirators were receiving shipments of 250 pounds of methamphetamine every two weeks from California.
Elliott is among 20 defendants who have been convicted in this case, and the fourth defendant to be sentenced.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, the Barry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Stone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, COMET (the Combined Ozark Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement Team), the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Ottawa County, Ok., Sheriff’s Department, the Bolivar, Mo., Police Department, the Cassville, Mo., Police Department, the Kimberling City, Mo., Police Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case 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.
Recidivist felon sentenced to over nine years in prison after being arrested in possession of four firearmsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to nine years and two months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on April 19, 2024, agents with the FBI Capital Area Human Trafficking Task Force arrested Herman Leroy Mallory Jr., 40, on outstanding warrants from Louisa County. When agents removed Mallory from the vehicle, they observed in plain view a handgun on top of the speaker deck and another handgun partially covered with a t-shirt on the floorboard.
During a search of the vehicle, investigators recovered two rifles, a 50-round drum magazine, and additional ammunition and firearm magazines. They also discovered a pack containing baggies of narcotics, including 27.51 grams of cocaine, 9.46 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, 0.62 grams of fentanyl, and 6.27 grams of a mixture containing heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.
Mallory previously was convicted of felony larceny, grand larceny, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base, and conspiracy to commit breaking and entering. As a previously convicted felon, he cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
On April 30, 2024, a victim reported to police that a rifle had been stolen from his home approximately three weeks earlier when Mallory had been a guest in his home. On June 9, 2024, the victim contacted police again to report that three other firearms had been stolen. Mallory admitted to law enforcement that the handgun observed on top of the speaker deck in his vehicle and one of the recovered rifles had come from the victim.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gilliland, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-149.
Prominent Los Angeles Tattoo Artist Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax ChargeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A prominent tattoo artist, once identified in the press as “Hollywood’s Go-To Tattoo Artist,” pleaded guilty today to filing false tax returns through which he evaded the payment of more than $641,000 in federal income tax.
Daniel Joseph Winter, 43, who uses the moniker “winterstone,” pleaded guilty to one count of subscription to a false tax return.
Winter operated his tattoo business in the Los Angeles area, New York and Vancouver, Canada, specializing in single-needle fine-line tattoos and catering to high-end clients. His tattoos were expensive, and he earned substantial income from his work as a tattoo artist and related endeavors.
According to his plea agreement, Winter earned at least $1.7 million from his tattoo business from 2021 to 2023. But he declared no wages, salaries or tip income on the tax returns he signed and filed with the IRS. For 2021, he reported taxable income of negative $3,442 instead of his actual taxable income of $501,710; for 2022, he reported taxable income of $1,105 instead of his actual taxable income of $347,159; and for 2023, he reported income of $14,852, instead of his actual taxable income of $850,447.
By underreporting his actual income in this way, Winter reduced the taxes he appeared to owe by more than $641,000. At today’s hearing, Winter presented a cashier’s check in the amount of $641,959 to the court to pay the taxes he owed due to the underreporting of his income for 2021 through 2023.
Winter also admitted in court today that he knew he was required to report all his income but willfully lied about it on his tax returns. He accepted payment for his tattoo services almost exclusively in cash, making it harder for the IRS to determine his true income.
United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II scheduled an August 11 sentencing hearing, at which time Winter will face a statutory maximum sentence of three years in federal prison.
Assistant United States Attorney Ranee Katzenstein of the Criminal Appeals Section is prosecuting this case.
Prior felon pleads guilty to gun chargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced that Taraja Green, 28, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000 or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who is handling the case, stated that on March 17, 2024, Rochester Police officers found Green asleep in the driver seat of a running vehicle in the roadway on Seward Street. When the officers approached the vehicle, they could see a 9mm pistol on Green’s lap. Officers later discovered that the firearm was loaded. Green was previously convicted of a felony in August 2019, in Monroe County Court, and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The matter was brought by the United States Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 8, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Vacca.
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Prior Felon Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison After Stealing Car and Fleeing PoliceRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— Brandon Lee, 35, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In July of 2024, a federal jury found Lee guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a two-day trial.
According to court documents, on April 26, 2023, at approximately 10:00 pm, Lee stole a 2014 gray Honda Accord that was parked near a food truck, when the car’s owner was busy ordering food. Lee fled 45 minutes to Cumberland, Indiana.
At approximately 10:55 pm, officers with the Cumberland Police Department located the stolen Honda in an apartment complex parking lot with Lee standing next to it. When Lee saw the officers approaching him, he fired a shot from a semiautomatic pistol into the air and then fled on foot.
Following a brief chase through a nearby neighborhood, Lee attempted to jump a wooden privacy fence and was then taken into custody. During a search of his person incident to arrest, officers located the keys to the stolen Honda Accord in his front pants pocket.
Officers found Lee’s gun the next day in the bed of a pickup truck that had been parked in the apartment complex parking lot the night before. DNA analysis linked Lee to that firearm.
Lee has been a convicted felon since 2010, amassing convictions for illegally possessing a firearm, theft and battery, and resisting law enforcement. These previous felony convictions prohibit Lee from ever legally possessing a firearm again.
“This defendant’s reckless use of a firearm endangered officers and innocent bystanders in their own backyards. I hope this sentence will bring comfort to our citizens and those impacted knowing that Mr. Lee is behind bars and not free to terrorize others,” said John E. Childress, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that there is no place in society for these violent crimes and that we are deeply committed to working closely with our federal, state and local partners to reduce gun violence in Indianapolis.”
“This sentence underscores the serious consequences for those who engage in violent and dangerous behavior that puts the community at risk,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, is committed to ensuring those who jeopardize public safety will be held accountable.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigations, IMPD, and Cumberland Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey L. Massa and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Previously convicted sex offender pleads guilty to federal exploitation & sex trafficking crimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A previously convicted sex offender who sexually exploited two minor females and forced one of the girls to engage in commercial sex acts with men at hotels pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today.
Anthony Sims, 56, of Columbus, was scheduled to begin trial on March 17. He pleaded guilty today to two counts of sexually exploiting a minor and one count of sex trafficking a minor.
The guilty plea includes a sentencing recommendation of 25 to 50 years in prison.
Sims admitted that he raped a 12-year-old girl 40 to 50 times over the span of six months in 2020. Sims provided the girl marijuana and alcohol and talked her into getting high and drinking. At times, during the sexual assaults, Sims would hold down the victim’s arms or hold her in place. He also forced the girl to pose for photos in sexual positions either while nude or while wearing lingerie.
Likewise, Sims convinced another, a 13-year-old girl, to smoke marijuana with him, and once she was high, Sims raped her. He also held down this victim. Sims would take nude photos of her and made her pose with stuffed animals or pillows.
Sims also took the 13-year-old to various hotels to force her to have sex with men who paid Sims. The victim was forced to have sex with approximately 50 different men. Sims sold pornographic photos of the victim and coordinated the dates at the hotels.
At the time of his most recent crimes, Sims was a registered sex offender with two convictions out of Michigan.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission’s Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Tyler J. Aagard are representing the United States in this case.
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Previously Convicted Peruvian National Arrested After 2 Prior DeportationsRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A Peruvian national with multiple prior violent crime convictions was arrested near El Paso on criminal charges related to his alleged illegal re-entry.
According to court documents, Joel Edgardo Flores-Reyes was allegedly found just over one mile west of the Paso Del Norte port of entry without immigration documents allowing him to legally be or remain in the U.S. He has been previously removed from the U.S. twice, the most recent occasion being on June 13, 2024. Flores-Reyes was convicted on four counts in three separate misdemeanor cases in Arizona between 2006 and 2010.
Flores-Reyes is charged with one count of illegal re-entry. If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The U.S. Border Patrol is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Aguayo is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Previously Convicted Murderer Found Guilty for an April 2021 HomicideRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Darrell Moore, 47, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today, by a Superior Court jury, of first-degree murder while armed and other related firearm charges, in connection with the April 2021 murder of Julius Hayes, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Moore faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 3:50 p.m. on April 3, 2021, Moore drove to the 300 block of 18th Street, NE, in a black sedan. There, Moore approached Mr. Hayes. The two began to argue, but Mr. Hayes walked away from the confrontation. Moore, however, ran at Mr. Hayes, pulled out a handgun and shot Mr. Hayes multiple times in the middle of the street. Moore then went back to the sedan where he paused for a bit, but decided to return to Mr. Hayes to continue the attack. Moore left the area driving south on 18th Street. Officers and medics responded to the scene and discovered Mr. Hayes lying between two parked cars. Mr. Hayes was pronounced dead after he was rushed to the hospital. Moore was arrested on May 11, 2021 and has been in custody since.
In 1995, at the age of 16, Moore was tried as an adult and convicted of first-degree murder while armed, felony murder, and other charges for the brutal home invasion-killing of a child and the attempted murders of the child’s mother and aunt. Moore committed this crime with his twin brother, who was also convicted and remains incarcerated. On August 7, 2020, Moore was released, over the government’s objection, after receiving a sentence reduction under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA). Nine months after his release, Moore executed Mr. Hayes in broad daylight in the middle of the street.
Moore was arrested on May 11, 2021 and has been in custody since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Martin commended the work of those investigating the case from the MPD, United States Attorney’s Office, ATF Washington Field Division, FBI Washington Field Office, U.S. Secret Service, D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences, DC Department of Corrections, and the United States Marshals Service. Finally, the U.S. Attorney commended Assistant United States Attorneys Nebiyu Feleke and Michael C. Lee for their work in prosecuting this case.
Poplar Bluff Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Attempting to Sell MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man from Poplar Bluff, Missouri who tried to sell methamphetamine shortly after his release from prison to 12 more years in prison.
Lonnie C. Hamilton, 40, pleaded guilty in December to one felony count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His plea says that on May 16, 2023, a Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force officer was approached by someone who said Hamilton tried to sell him an ounce of meth on the street. The officer found Hamilton, who removed a baggie containing meth from his pocket, admitted that the substance was methamphetamine and further admitted that he had recently been released from prison. Hamilton said an acquaintance gave him two ounces of methamphetamine to sell so that he could make some money, adding that he’d used some and intended to sell some. Hamilton was caught with about 48 grams, or roughly 1.7 ounces, of meth.
Because he has at least two prior felony convictions of either a crime of violence or a drug offense, Hamilton qualified as a “career offender.”
The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to committing firearm and drug trafficking crimes, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Marvin Tymous, 25, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine between September 2023 and December 2023 and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on December 15, 2023.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2025. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Tymous.
Pittsburgh Man Serving Life Sentence for Drug and Firearms Crimes Sentenced to More Than Nine Additional Years in Prison for Assault of His Attorney and Contempt of CourtRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to an additional 110 months in prison on his convictions of contempt and assault, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on James Taric Byrd, 46, and ordered that Byrd’s sentence be served consecutive to sentences Byrd is currently serving from other cases.
According to information presented to the Court, on July 18, 2022, Byrd struck his attorney in a courtroom during federal criminal trial proceedings in a separate prosecution. Byrd was ultimately sentenced to a term of life imprisonment in 2023 after a jury found him guilty of firearms and narcotics crimes (read the Sentencing news release here). Byrd was also convicted and sentenced for rape and other offenses in 2024 in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County.
“This defendant’s vicious attack upon his court-appointed defense attorney within the walls of the Joseph F. Weis Jr. U.S. Courthouse was an assault upon the rule of law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti. “The substantial, consecutive sentence here mirrors the severity of his conduct. We commend the United States Marshals for their quick response and professionalism throughout the prosecution of this defendant.”
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Colville considered victim impact and the defendant’s lengthy criminal history. Noting the very serious nature of the offenses, Judge Colville stated that the sentence was appropriate to help ensure that Byrd and other defendants do not engage in such actions in the future.
Assistant United States Attorneys DeMarr Moulton and Soo C. Song prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Marshals Service and Allegheny County Police conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Byrd.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced to over 21 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Sexual Abuse. The sentencing took place on February 10, 2025.
Kaleb Mills, a/k/a Kayleb Mills, age 31, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
A federal grand jury indicted Mills in March 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 2, 2024.
The conviction stems from Mills sending a Facebook message to a 17-year-old female asking her if she wanted to hang out. She agreed and Mills found her a ride from her house to his house at Pine Ridge. That evening, he injected the female with methamphetamine. While she was under the influence of the methamphetamine and unable to consent to sexual activity, Mills engaged in sexual activity with her. Mills was previously convicted of a similar charge in 2013.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Mills was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Pair Sentenced to More Than 27 Years Combined in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FORT SMITH – A Van Buren, Arkansas woman and a Los Angeles, California man have been sentenced to more than 324 months, combined, in prison for crimes related to drug trafficking. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearings for the United States District Court in Fort Smith.
According to court documents, in July of 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), along with investigators with the Fort Smith Police Department, initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in the Fort Smith division responsible for distributing methamphetamine. During their investigations, investigators identified Whitney Laxton-Claybaugh, age 34, as a member of this local group. She was subsequently charged with various drug and money laundering offenses connected to drug trafficking.
Laxton-Claybaughwas sentenced to 214 months in prison for Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments after she wired thousands of dollars in methamphetamine trafficking proceeds in an attempt to conceal the location, the source, the ownership, or the control of the funds derived from methamphetamine trafficking.
Laxton-Claybaugh’s co-defendant, Alciviades Alvarado-Juarez, age 21, was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison for Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Alvardo-Juarez was indicted by a Grand Jury after a search warrant by the Federal Bureau of Investigations of a Fort Smith hotel showed Alvardo-Juarez to be in possession of over five hundred grams of methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations, Fort Smith Resident Office, and the Fort Smith Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Allison prosecuted the case.
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.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Orlando Man Indicted for Child Sextortion SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Montrey Roseberry (19, Orlando) with three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, three counts of production of child sexual abuse material, and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. If convicted on all counts, Roseberry faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Roseberry has been ordered detained pending the resolution of the case.
According to court documents, from at least July 14, 2023, through at least April 2024, Roseberry operated a scheme to extort, intimidate, and threaten children into producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Roseberry, while impersonating a woman, coerced young victims he identified on social media into producing images and videos of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
After obtaining the CSAM, Roseberry used the images and videos to extort the victims into producing increasingly perverse content involving, sadomasochism, coprophilia, bestiality, and the sexual abuse of other children. If the victims did not comply, Roseberry threatened to disseminate the victims’ images and videos to their family members, friends, and classmates. In some cases, Roseberry threatened the child victims with death. As part of the scheme, Roseberry sent the child victims photographs of their homes and names of their schools, friends, and family members.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.
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 Attorney’s 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.
Orange County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Luis Ernesto Sanchez (20, Apopka) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Sanchez faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, Sanchez was previously convicted of three state felony offenses—principal to burglary of a conveyance while armed, principal to grand theft of a firearm, and grand theft of a motor vehicle. He was released from state prison on August 12, 2023. On December 27, 2023, a deputy from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office observed Sanchez driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen. When the deputy conducted a traffic stop, Sanchez exited the vehicle with his hands up. Sanchez told the deputy that he had a firearm in his waistband. A subsequent search revealed a fully loaded pistol on Sanchez’s person, along with a ski mask and burglary tools inside the vehicle. As a convicted felon, Sanchez is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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.
Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to Role in $8 Million Federal Emergency Benefits Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – On Friday, February 28, Newton Ofioritse Jemide, 47, a Nigerian national, pled guilty to a federal charge for wire fraud conspiracy. Jemide, who was recently extradited from France, was involved in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal benefits.
Kelly O. Hayes, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Acting Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division; and Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool, U.S. Secret Service – Washington Field Office.
“Mr. Jemide and his co-conspirators’ greed and utter disregard for the suffering of those who need national emergency assistance, by stealing from the government, will not be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Hayes. “The District of Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners will continue to hold those accountable who try to defraud our government through fraud, waste, and abuse during times of crisis.”
“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that individuals who defraud the federal government for their own personal gain will be identified and held accountable,” said U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, PhD. “DHS-OIG is grateful for our continued partnership with our law enforcement partners as we continue fighting waste, fraud, and abuse.”
During the timeframe covered by the indictment, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided emergency benefits and compensation for damages to victims affected by declared national emergency disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires. Among other benefits, an individual in an area affected was immediately eligible for Critical Needs Assistance (CNA) to purchase life-saving or life-sustaining materials. Victims could decide how to receive assistance payments, which included deposits on prepaid debit cards.
According to the guilty plea, in 2016 and 2017, Jemide and others from Nigeria directed co-conspirators living in the United States to purchase hundreds of Green Dot Debit Cards. Co-conspirators living in Nigeria then registered the cards with Green Dot using stolen personal information from identity theft victims around the United States. Jemide and his co-conspirators used an encrypted messaging application and other means to communicate.
In 2017, following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and the California wildfires, Jemide, and other co-conspirators from Nigeria, used stolen personal information to apply online for FEMA and CNA benefits. FEMA dispersed $500 per claim on the Green Dot Debit Cards that co-conspirators purchased for a total of at least $8 million.
“Bringing these criminals to justice prevents further victimization of American taxpayers and abuse of the programs put in place as safety nets for the most vulnerable in our country,” said SAC McCool. “This investigation underscores the Secret Service’s global reach and steadfast commitment, in collaboration with our partner agencies, to combat cyber-enabled financial crimes and relentlessly pursue those committing them.”
In addition to filing false disaster-assistance claims with FEMA, Jemide and co-conspirators also submitted false online claims for Social Security benefits, IRS tax refunds, and other government benefits using stolen identities of multiple individuals, including names, addresses, social security numbers, and other personal identifiers.
“Newton Ofioritse Jemide and his co-conspirators misused Social Security numbers to steal government funds via SSA’s online services. The misuse of SSA’s e-Services to defraud SSA and rightful beneficiaries and recipients will not be tolerated at any level,” said Acting SAC Lawlor. “Our office will continue to investigate those who abuse SSA programs and operations, including its e-Services, for their own selfish gain. I thank our law enforcement partners for their assistance and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this complex case.”
As a result of fraudulent submissions, FEMA and the other federal agencies deposited benefits onto the Green Dot Debit Cards. The funds were deposited on the debit cards using multiple stolen identities, including identities different from the identities used to register the cards. Jemide and select co-conspirators informed other co-conspirators when the fraudulent funds became available on the debit cards and gave them information to cash out the funds from the cards in exchange for a commission. Additionally, the co-conspirators took steps to conceal their identities by enlisting others to make purchases and withdrawals; utilizing multiple store and bank locations and methods of withdrawal; and making money orders payable to other individuals and/or corporate entities.
Jemide faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is currently scheduled for July 1, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., before U.S. District Court Judge Deborah K. Chasanow.
United States Attorney Hayes commended DHS-OIG, SSA-OIG, and USSS for their work in the investigation and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the United States Marshals Service for their valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Jemide to the United States. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Darren Gardner who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Niagara Falls man pleads guilty to drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Edward Rollie, 49, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that on August 28, 2024, investigators executed search warrants associated with Rollie at a Spruce Avenue residence in Niagara Falls, where Rollie’s son resides. They recovered approximately 594 grams of fentanyl, approximately 683 grams of cocaine, and a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. In July 2002, Rollie was convicted of a federal felony drug charge in the Western District of Pennsylvania, and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. The investigation also included controlled purchases of fentanyl from Rollie.
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.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Nick Ligammari, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, the North Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Keith Glass, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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New Kensington Resident Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa - A resident of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Barbara Miller, 33, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that on or about January 15, July 6, and July 24, 2020, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Miller acted as a straw purchaser when purchasing firearms from several federally licensed firearms dealers by stating that the firearms were being purchased for herself, when she was actually purchasing the firearms on behalf of another person.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for July 17, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Miller.
New Jersey Company Sentenced for Clean Water Act Violations that Caused Fish Kill in Cheshire, Will Pay $1 MillionRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kathryn Rivera, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division for New England, announced that NATIONAL WATER MAIN CLEANING COMPANY (“NWMCC”) was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport for a felony violation of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) for knowingly discharging a pollutant into Cuff Brook while refurbishing a large culvert pipe in Cheshire, Connecticut, in July 2019. The company’s unauthorized discharge of uncured geopolymer mortar killed more than 150 fish and contaminated Cuff Brook.
Judge Dooley sentenced NWMCC to a term of federal probation with environmental conditions for three years, a $500,000 federal penalty, and a payment of $500,000 to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“CT DEEP”) to fund aquatic ecosystem enhancement projects in the South Central Coastal Watershed, where both Cheshire and Cuff Brook are located.
NWMCC is based in New Jersey and owned by Carylon Corporation based in Chicago, Illinois.
According to court documents and statements made in court, NWMCC had submitted the lowest bid and entered into a contract with the Town of Cheshire (“Cheshire”) to repair a decaying 11-foot culvert pipe underneath Marion Road. Cheshire’s project specifications required that the work be done under dry conditions along with environmental controls to prevent uncured geopolymer mortar from leaking into Cuff Brook.
With a Cheshire Department of Public Works (“DPW”) representative present each day, NWMCC began work on July 15, 2019. However, from July 16 to July 18, 2019, NWMCC sprayed geopolymer mortar onto the culvert pipe without the mandated environmental controls. On July 17, 2019, NWMCC crews continued to work despite heavy rain, which led to uncured geopolymer mortar seeping into Cuff Brook. On July 18, 2019, a Cheshire resident with property abutting Cuff Brook observed dead fish and discolored water with an oily sheen in the brook, and smelled a chemical odor similar to lighter fluid. CT DEEP responded and determined that NWMCC was responsible for the pollutant release, thereby killing more than 150 fish and contaminating the waterway. CT DEEP estimated that Cuff Brook would not return to its prior state for three to five years.
The government’s investigation revealed that NWMCC was aware that its environmental controls were deficient, but did not remediate these deficiencies during the project. Although the company attempted to blame the pollutant release and fish kill on a single employee, the investigation showed that he had been inadequately trained, directed to complete the job in an unrealistic timeframe, and was never informed that the uncured geopolymer mortar was hazardous to the environment.
The investigation also revealed that NWMCC lacked a meaningful and comprehensive environmental training program for its employees, particularly with respect to the CWA, even though NWMCC’s core business is repairing and rehabilitating infrastructure that interfaces with public waterways. In addition, NWMCC’s bonus policy incentivized site supervisors and executives to push their work crews to perform projects quickly and maximize the number of jobs completed. At the time of Cheshire project, NWMCC was operating under a Code of Conduct as part of a 2014 settlement with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office to resolve civil allegations involving environmental pollution.
NWMCC pleaded guilty to the offense on January 17, 2025.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen with the assistance of EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Man Chak Ng.
Multiple Defendants Charged with Federal Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Alabama has indicted a dozen people for illegal reentry after deportation and three individuals for being an alien in possession of a firearm.
“Ensuring the safety of our communities is our highest priority,” said U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona. “These charges represent the combined efforts of my office and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting illegal aliens who engage in criminal activity.”
“The enforcement of our immigration laws is essential to maintaining national security, public safety, and the integrity of our legal system,” said Steven N. Schrank, special agent in charge of HSI Atlanta, which covers Georgia and Alabama. “We will continue to use all the available resources to ensure that those who break our laws are held accountable.”
Among the people indicted for illegally reentering the United States after having been deported are:
- Glendi Martinez-Lopez, 30, of Honduras;
- Anabel Cebreros, 36, of Mexico;
- Javier Francisco Ricalde-Santos, 31, of Mexico;
- Gustavo Neri-Soto, 32, of Mexico;
- Gerardo Rivera-Rodriguez, 36, of Mexico;
- Jose Arevalo-Carballo, 38, of El Salvador;
- Leonardo Ayala-Mejia, 33, of Mexico;
- Francisco Bernabe-Vera, 43, of Mexico;
- Carlos Crisostomo-Garcia, 47, of Mexico; and
- Jesus Alberto Ortega-Suarez, 28, of Mexico.
In addition, Jose Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez, 22, of Mexico, and Isaias Ramirez-Oliva, 19, of Honduras, have been charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm.
In addition to prosecuting these cases, Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Northern District of Alabama continue to provide regular training to attorneys, federal agents, and state and local law enforcement partners to assist them in investigating and prosecuting immigration offenses in federal court.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Missouri Man Admits Child Pornography Charge, Sexual Contact with TeenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Overland, Missouri on Tuesday admitted possessing child sexual abuse material and engaging in sexual contact with a teen he’d met online.
James Donald Goings, 36, pleaded guilty to one felony count of receipt of child pornography. He admitted that investigators were alerted by CyberTipline Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after Goings uploaded child sexual abuse material to a Google account. On July 21, 2022, St. Louis County Police Department officers conducted a court-approved search of Goings' house and recovered computer equipment. Investigators then learned that Goings traveled to Illinois and engaged in sexual contact with a 15-year-old that he met via Grindr and was in contact with another teen that he’d also met on Grindr, Goings’ plea says. The second victim told investigators that on multiple occasions he had video calls with Goings during which Goings directed him to perform specific sexual acts, the plea says.
Goings also possessed 2,500 images containing child sexual abuse material on a computer and 190 images in his Google account.
Going is scheduled to be sentenced in June. The charge is punishable by five to 20 years in prison. He has also agreed to forfeit cell phones, computer equipment and storage devices.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the Edwardsville (Illinois) Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Middle District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects More Than $47 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2024Read the Press Release
Tampa, FL ― Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announced today that the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) collected $47,486,214 related to local criminal and civil matters in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024 (FY 2024). Of this amount, $16,429,786 was collected in criminal cases and $31,056,428was collected in civil actions.
The MDFL’s Civil Division, led by Civil Chief Randy Harwell, recovered a total of $104,533,923 on behalf of federal agencies and programs in affirmative civil enforcement cases during the last fiscal year. This amount has two components. In addition to its recoveries in local civil cases noted above, the District’s Civil Division also joins forces with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and with the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section to address fraud schemes and illegal practices extending beyond district boundaries. The MDFL’s Civil Division recovered an additional $73,477,495 in FY24 in these jointly handled cases.
“These strong recovery figures show a continued commitment by our office in the critical areas of criminal and civil enforcement,” said Acting United States Attorney Sara Sweeney. “Safeguarding the interests of crime victims, the American taxpayers, and vital public programs will always be a part of our district’s core mission.”
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department’s litigation divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The MDFL’s Asset Recovery Division, led by Chief Laura Taylor, recovered a total of $16,456,189. This amount has two components―criminal monetary penalties and forfeiture. First, in addition to the $16,429,786 in criminal monetary penalties collected in cases prosecuted by the District, the Asset Recovery Division worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $26,403 in criminal monetary penalties pursued jointly by these offices.
Additionally, the District’s Asset Recovery Division, working with partner agencies, forfeited $35,981,653 from criminal and civil asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. For instance, in FY 2024, $10,604,039 million forfeited in the MDFL was returned to victims of the criminal offenses, and more than $4 million was shared with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Significant Affirmative Civil Enforcement Cases
United States ex rel. Jacob v. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Case no. 8:20-cv-858 (M.D. Fla.). This qui tam case alleged that between 2009 and 2020, Walgreens submitted false claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs for prescriptions that it processed but that were never picked up by beneficiaries. Through this practice, Walgreens received tens of millions of dollars for prescriptions that it never actually provided to health care beneficiaries. Collaborating with the Dept. of Justice Civil Frauds Section and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Mexico and Eastern District of Texas, we resolved all of the allegations in the qui tam case for $106.8 million.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/walgreens-agrees-pay-1068m-resolve-allegations-it-billed-government-prescriptions-never
United States v. Lubin, Case no. 8:21-cv-2231 (M.D. Fla.). This False Claims Act complaint was filed against Dr. Edward Lubin, who was an outlier prescriber of a powerful opioid medication called Subsys which is prescribed primarily for treatment of various oncology conditions. We alleged that Dr. Edward Lubin received kickbacks from the manufacturer of Subsys, Insys, Inc., through a bogus speaker program sponsored by Insys that paid Lubin hundreds of thousands of dollars to incentivize him to prescribe the potent medication. In October 2023, we settled with Dr. Lubin for $1.5 million.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/tampa-pain-management-physician-edward-lubin-agrees-pay-15-million-settle-false-claims
U.S. ex rel. Loscalzo v. Bluestone Physician Services, et al., Case No. 2:20-cv-295 (M.D. Fla.). This qui tam case alleged that Bluestone, a geriatric health care provider for residents of assisted living facilities in Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin, submitted false claims to the government by billing monthly medical visits that are either unnecessary or upcoded. In collaboration with the Department of Justice Civil Frauds section and the United States Attorney’s Office in Minneapolis, Minnesota, we corroborated the allegations and on June 5, 2024, resolved the claims in the qui tam complaint for $14.9 million, on an ability to pay basis.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/chronic-disease-management-provider-pay-149m-resolve-alleged-false-claims
Dan Hurt. Daniel Hurt owned and operated Fountain Health Services LLC, Verify Health, Landmark Diagnostics LLC, First Choice Laboratory LLC and Sonoran Desert Pathology Associates LLC, that we alleged submitted false claims to Medicare for cancer genomic (CGx) tests that were not medically necessary and that were procured through illegal kickbacks. From January 2019 to November 2021, Hurt allegedly conspired with telemarketing agents to solicit Medicare beneficiaries for “free” CGx tests; with telemedicine providers to “prescribe” CGx tests that were not medically necessary; with reference laboratories to conduct the CGx tests, and with billing laboratories and a hospital to submit claims for payment to Medicare. Mr. Hurt pled guilty to criminal healthcare fraud offenses and agreed on an ability to pay basis to settle the civil fraud claims for approximately $27 million.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/florida-businessman-daniel-hurt-pay-over-27-million-medicare-fraud-connection-cancer?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
United States v. Robert J. Remington, et al., Case no. 8:24-cv-511 (M.D. Fla.). This False Claims Act case was initiated by a referral from the Veterans Administration Inspector General concerning Jacksonville and Orlando franchises of New Horizons Computer Learning Center. These schools provide federally subsidized educational programs for veterans. The complaint alleged that both franchises violated subsidy program requirements concerning the percentage of student population that were entitled to receive the subsidies. We filed a complaint against the two schools in February 2024, and on July 10, 2024 reached an agreement that resolved all claims in return for $1,350,000.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/new-horizons-computer-learning-centers-tampa-and-orlando-resolve-post-911-gi-bill
United States ex rel. GNGH2, Inc. v. Miles Partnership, LLC, Case No. 8:23-cv-649 (M.D. Fla.). In this qui tam, the relator alleged that Miles Partnership, LLC (“Miles Partnership”) obtained a $2 million second draw Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan by failing to disclose that it was required to register under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (“FARA”), 22 U.S.C. § 611 et seq . Any entity required to register under FARA was ineligible for a second draw PPP loan. Based on various contracts it had with foreign tourism boards, including the Bermuda Tourism Authority, the relator alleged that Miles Partnership was required to register under FARA. On Sept. 17, 2024, we settled these claims for $2,281,950.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/travel-tourism-company-pays-2-2-million-resolve-civil-claims-regarding-funds-obtained
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Center. A leading Tampa, Florida cancer research center disclosed issues to the Health and Human Services Inspector General concerning its bills to Medicare associated with clinical oncology trials. Specifically, Moffitt disclosed that it had billed federal healthcare programs for items and services provided as part of clinical trial research that should have been billed to non-government trial sponsors. The research center cooperated extensively with the United States Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice Civil Frauds section, and HHS OIG, ultimately agreeing in January 2024, to pay $19,564,743 to resolve all of the billing issues that it had disclosed.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/florida-research-hospital-agrees-pay-more-195-million-resolve-liability-relating-self
Baptist Health System A Jacksonville, Florida area hospital network voluntarily disclosed conduct to the Health and Human Services Inspector General that may have violated the federal Anti-Kickback statute. Specifically, Baptist Health disclosed that it had offered discounts to patients as an inducement to purchase or refer Baptist Health services that are reimbursed by federal health programs. Baptist Health cooperated with the government’s investigation into these issues and agreed to resolve them in exchange for $1.5 million.
Press release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/florida-hospital-system-agrees-pay-15-million-resolve-liability-relating-self
Michigan Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Cedrick Dion Tyron Griffin, age 26, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the Fairmont Police Department was investigating a shooting that led them to Griffin. A search of his Morgantown apartment, his vehicle, and a hotel room in his name resulted in the seizure of $28,000, 144 grams of fentanyl, more than 1,100 grams of methamphetamine, and a firearm. Griffin has a criminal history that includes obstructing/assault on a police officer, attempted murder, wanton endangerment, malicious wounding, drug trafficking and witness intimidation.
Griffin will also serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Three Rivers Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Miami U.S. Attorney Charges Suspected Tren de Aragua Gang Member with Illegal Possession of Loaded 9 Millimeter HandgunRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Venezuelan national and suspected member of the violent transnational Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang who used the now-disabled Customs and Border Protection (CBP) One Application to enter the United States in 2023, has been charged with possessing a firearm as an illegal alien – a federal crime.
Luis Ernesto Veliz Riera, 23, made his initial appearance yesterday before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Florida. According to the unsealed criminal complaint affidavit, Veliz Riera was allowed to enter the United States at the Mexico-El Paso, Texas border in February 2023, after appearing for an appointment he booked online through the (now inactive) CBP One Application system. Prior to being shut down on January 20, 2025, the online system allowed undocumented aliens to submit information and schedule appointments at eight southwest United States border ports of entry.
On the day he entered, CBP presented Veliz Riera with a Notice to Appear for a hearing before an immigration judge in Las Vegas, Nevada – where he told officials he was headed. According to the affidavit, Veliz-Ruiz skipped his immigration hearing and stayed in El Paso, waiting for his girlfriend (also a Venezuelan national) to illegally cross from Mexico into the United States in April-May 2023. The couple traveled together from El Paso to Chicago – to New York City – and finally to Homestead, Florida. On April 30, 2024, an immigration judge entered an order to remove Veliz Riera from the United States after he failed to appear in immigration court or otherwise report to immigration authorities.
On October 17, 2024, in connection with an investigation into potential TdA illegal activity, local law enforcement stopped a car that Veliz Riera was driving. Records and other checks showed that Veliz Riera was wanted on an open state crime warrant and that he was in the country illegally. Further investigation showed that, despite his illegal status, Veliz Ruiz kept a Taurus, PT609 Pro 9mm, semi-automatic handgun with a 30-round magazine inside the Homestead hotel room he shared with his girlfriend and that he had loaded the gun earlier that day, says the affidavit.
On October, 17, 2024, Veliz Ruiz was arrested on state charges.
On November 16, 2024, based on his illegal status, Veliz Riera went into immigration detention where he was released into the community on electronic monitoring.
On February 3, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) administratively arrested Veliz Riera to reexamine the decision to release him from immigration detention.
On February 14, 2025, Miami federal prosecutors charged Veliz Riera with one count of possessing a firearm as an illegal alien, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A). During his initial appearance in federal court today, Veliz Riera agreed to remain in Bureau of Prisons custody pending trial.
United States Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI-Miami’s Fort Lauderdale office is investigating the case. HSI federal task force officers from Homestead Police Department, City of Miami Police Department, Sweetwater Police Department, and Broward Sheriff’s Office assisted, as did United States Border Patrol-Dania Beach Station, ATF Miami, ICE-ERO Miami, and FBI Miami.
Assistant United States Attorney Kseniya Smychkouskaya is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-mj-02303.
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Mexican national sentenced to five years in prison for drug trafficking and illegally possessing firearmRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 30-year-old citizen of Mexico was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, announced Acting United States Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jose Gerardo Rodriguez-Montoya was encountered twice by law enforcement – the first time while they were investigating a drug distribution ring bringing narcotics to the area from Arizona. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said, “These offenses are serious. You had large quantities of fentanyl and other drugs… Dealing in fentanyl is dealing in death.”
According to records in the case, in March and April 2023, Rodriguez-Montoya was identified as a drug supplier by someone working as a confidential informant. Law enforcement learned that the trafficking organization was expecting a new shipment of narcotics from Arizona, and they saw Rodriguez-Montoya unload a large duffel-bag from a car with Arizona plates and take it into his Federal Way apartment. When law enforcement moved in, they recovered three kilograms of fentanyl powder as well as three kilograms of heroin and various smaller amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills. They also found a .45 caliber pistol in the apartment.
Seven months later he was arrested coming out of Snoqualmie Casino after being linked to a burglary and car theft. At the arrest Rodriguez-Montoya was found to have a handgun in his right front pocket.
Rodriguez-Montoya pleaded guilty to the two federal felonies in November 2024.
In asking for the five-year sentence prosecutors noted for the court the latest statistics on fentanyl overdose deaths in our community. “In 2023, the King County Medical Examiner’s office reported 1,085 confirmed overdose deaths related to fentanyl, 778 deaths in 2024, and 99 fentanyl-related deaths in King County so far this year. Fentanyl is estimated to be fifty times stronger than heroin. Even a tiny amount of fentanyl can kill. And Rodriguez-Montoya knows personally the devastating impact of fentanyl. In 2021, his father passed away from an accidental fentanyl overdose while living here in Seattle.”
Rodriguez-Montoya has been in federal custody since his arrest in February 2024.
Judge Whitehead imposed 4 years of supervised release to follow prison should Rodriguez-Montoya return to the U.S.
The case was investigated by Seattle Police department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erika Evans.
Mexican national indicted for smuggling $10,000 of cocaine behind trap doorRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A driver has been charged with conspiracy and importation of controlled substances, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Mauricio Sebastian Valdez Rivas, 67, is in custody and expected to make his initial appearances before a U.S. magistrate judge in Laredo in the near future.
A federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment related to an alleged failed smuggling attempt of 16.95 kilograms of cocaine from Mexico into the United States.
On Feb. 7, Rivas allegedly drove into the port of entry at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge seeking entry into the United States. At that time. authorities performed an x-ray scan of the vehicle and noticed an anomaly near the front of the vehicle, according to the charges.
At secondary inspection, law enforcement allegedly found a trap door behind the front license plate which had a hidden compartment containing 15 bundles of cocaine.
The drugs have an estimated street value of $10,000.
If convicted, Rivas faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison as well as up to $10 million in fines.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch prosecuted the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Mexican National Sentenced for Selling Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 18 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release for his role in a drug trafficking organization to sell fentanyl pills from Mexico in Las Vegas.
According to court documents and admissions made in court, Jorge Olivarria-Gomez (22) came to the United States illegally to work on behalf of a drug trafficking organization to sell fentanyl in the United States. He admitted that on or about April 26, 2023, a co-defendant directed him to deliver 500 fentanyl pills. When he arrived at the parking lot, he sold the pills for $750.
In 2023, the DEA Clark County Gang Task Force began investigating co-defendant Esteban Quezada, also known as “Pelon,” who was running a drug trafficking organization from Mexico. Quezada coordinated the delivery of drugs from Mexico to associates in the United States, including in Las Vegas, Nevada. Quezada would send couriers from Nayrit, Mexico to the United States to distribute the narcotics to customers. Initially, Olivarria-Gomez was working as a courier in Las Vegas and then eventually moved to Colorado where he continued to distribute narcotics.
In December 2024, Olivarria-Gomez pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance.
Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Adams for the DEA Las Vegas District Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the DEA. Assistant United States Attorney Melanee Smith prosecuted the case.
If you are aware of controlled substance violations in your community — which may include the growing, manufacture, distribution or trafficking of controlled substances — please submit your anonymous tip through the DEA Tip Line at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Silvester Barcenas, 23, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 12, 2024, Barcenas arrived in Charleston, West Virginia, with approximately 3.9 kilograms of methamphetamine in a vehicle he had driven from South Carolina, where he was living at the time. Barcenas admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine, that a co-conspirator directed him to deliver the methamphetamine to another individual in Charleston, and that he delivered the methamphetamine to the individual as instructed.
Barcenas is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Barcenas and two other Mexican nationals were indicted by a federal grand jury as the result of a joint investigation by federal and local law enforcement into a conspiracy that was responsible for delivering large quantities of methamphetamine to West Virginia and elsewhere from Houston. The indictment against co-defendants German Francisco Diaz, also known as “Trulio,” 40, Braulio Villa-Chairez, also known as “Raul,” 31, remains pending. The indictment alleges the three Mexican nationals conspired to distribute quantities of methamphetamine in the Charleston area from in or about March 2024 to in or about October 2024. Trial is scheduled for April 15, 2025. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Israel Chaires-Villa, 22, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty on February 13, 2025, to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine as a result of the joint investigation and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 2, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-176.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Jose Luis Carrasco-Aldape (37, Mexico) has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien. Carrasco-Aldape faces up to two years in federal prison. No sentencing date has been set. Carrasco-Aldape was arrested on a criminal complaint on February 13, 2025, and ordered detained.
According to court documents, Carrasco-Aldape is a citizen and national of Mexico. He was previously removed from the United States on March 22, 2004, and October 12, 2017. Afterward, Carrasco-Aldape was found voluntarily back in the United States on February 13, 2025, when he was encountered by law enforcement in Clay County. Carrasco-Aldape had not received the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to apply for readmission to the United States.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Mexican National Arrested in San Antonio for Illegal Alien in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Mexican national was arrested in San Antonio on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of a firearm as an illegal alien.
According to court documents, during a Feb. 25 traffic stop, Rene Garibay-Robledo presented FBI agents and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers a Mexico ID and allegedly stated he lacked legal status to be in the United States. Additionally, the criminal complaint alleges Garibay-Robledo stated that he had one firearm—a pistol—at his house. During the execution of a federal search warrant at Garibay-Robledo’s home, three handguns, a semi-automatic CZ Scorpion EVO 3, approximately 450 rounds of mixed caliber ammunition, and 6.8 grams of a substance that tested positive for cocaine were seized.
A review of Department of Homeland Security records revealed Garibay-Robledo entered the U.S. illegally on or about Jan. 1, 1994 near Laredo. Law enforcement databases also confirm a prior theft conviction from December 2000 in California.
Garibay-Robledo is charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Parsons is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican Man Charged with Assaulting Border Patrol AgentRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Gerardo Tejada-Calleja, 22, of Mexico, was arrested by the United States Border Patrol on March 2, 2025, and charged with Assault on a Federal Officer and Illegal Entry Into the United States.
The government’s complaint alleges that, on March 2, 2025, a United States Border Patrol agent responded to a report of suspected illegal aliens in the area of Vamori, Arizona. When an agent approached the area, Tejada-Calleja was found hiding under a tree, attempting to evade apprehension. Tejada-Calleja ran down a wash upon seeing the agent. After a brief pursuit, Tejada-Calleja and another individual were found hiding under a tree and some brush. During attempts to apprehend the two individuals, the agent reached for his radio to let other agents know he needed assistance. Tejada-Calleja grabbed the agent’s gun belt area and his radio in an attempt to rip it out of the agent’s hands. During the assault, Tejada-Calleja wrapped his arms around the agent, taking him down to the ground backwards and onto his back. Tejada-Calleja and the other individual were able to evade apprehension again until they were subsequently captured and taken into custody.
United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Precup, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-04720MJ-1
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-029_Tejada-Calleja# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Mexican Citizen Sentenced in Alien Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Francisco Montalvo-Grenada, age 26, and a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for his role in an alien smuggling conspiracy.
Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Montalvo-Grenada admitted that on May 15, 2023, he traveled from North Carolina to Northern New York, along with four co-conspirators, and smuggled 16 citizens of Mexico who had illegally entered the United States from Canada. Following Montalvo-Grenada’s sentence, he faces deportation to Mexico by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers.
The United States Border Patrol investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt prosecuted this case.
Memphis Woman Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Identity Theft and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Patricia Johnson, 47, has been sentenced to a total of 120 months in federal prison for committing identity theft and bank fraud, as well as violating the terms of her supervised release. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to evidence presented in court, on numerous occasions between May and June 2022 and in multiple locations in West Tennessee, Johnson impersonated other persons named “Patricia Johnson” who had existing bank accounts or who were authorized signees of accounts. Johnson obtained the victims’ bank account numbers and other personal information and then went to branches of the victims’ banking institutions, presented their personal identifying information, and made cash withdrawals from the victims’ bank accounts. Johnson fraudulently obtained over $50,000.00 through this scheme.
Prior to her participation in this identity theft scheme, Johnson had an extensive criminal history spanning thirty years. This history included numerous felony convictions for theft and fraud and several prior federal identity theft convictions.
On May 16, 2024, Johnson pled guilty to a three-count information in the Western District of Tennessee. The information included one count of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. On February 25, 2025, Senior United States District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. sentenced Johnson to 106 months in federal prison on the bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges and 14 months’ imprisonment on her violation of supervised release from a previous case. She was sentenced to five years of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hall who prosecuted this case on behalf of the government and the law enforcement partners who investigated this case.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Massachusetts Man Indicted for Abusive Sexual Contact of Minor Aboard Flight to BostonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Newton, Mass. man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly making repeated sexual contact with a 17-year-old female passenger (minor victim) seated directly in front of him onboard a flight from Puerto Rico to Boston in August 2024.
Jonathan Alan Lefman, 46, was indicted on one count of abusive sexual contact while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. Lefman was previously arrested on Feb. 7, 2025 on a criminal complaint and released on conditions.
According to the charging documents, on Aug. 30, 2024, Lefman was a passenger onboard a JetBlue flight flying from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Boston with his wife and four children. On multiple occasions during the flight and while on the ground waiting to deplane in Boston, Lefman allegedly engaged in abusive sexual contact with the minor victim. Specifically, it is alleged that Lefman intentionally worked his hand in between and through the area between the back and bottom of the seat directly in front of him, where the minor victim was seated, and touched the minor victim’s buttocks without her permission. On at least one occasion when he did so, the minor victim saw his reflection leaning between the seats in the seatback monitor in front of her. On the last occasion when he allegedly touched or attempted to touch her buttocks, the minor victim was able to use her cell phone camera to take a video of Lefman’s fingers protruding between the back and bottom of the minor victim’s seat. According to court documents, after she exited the aircraft, while still on the jet bridge, the minor victim took a video of Lefman as he got off the aircraft.
It is alleged that, after deplaning, the minor victim’s adult female family member who had been traveling in a different row reported Lefman’s alleged conduct to a JetBlue supervisor and confronted Lefman, showing the video of his fingers to support her statement.
The charge of abusive sexual contact while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, five years to a lifetime 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; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Marshall County Residents Arrested for Payroll Protection FraudRead the Press Release
Oxford, Mississippi – Two Marshall County residents were arrested yesterday on criminal charges related to their involvement in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain government funds intended to protect employees of endangered businesses during the COVID pandemic through the Payroll Protection Program (“PPP”) of the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”).
According to court documents, Bridget Davis and Joey Davis, residents of Marshall County, are charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their involvement in the fraudulently application of PPP loans. The defendants are also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering by participating in wire transfers involving proceeds of the fraud scheme.
If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 30 years for the conspiracy and wire fraud violations and 20 years for the money laundering charges. A federal district court judge would determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The alleged scheme in the instant case was initially uncovered during the course of a civil investigation. The federal investigative agencies that assisted with this investigation emphasized their ongoing commitment to hold accountable those citizens who seek to fraudulently and unfairly profit from federal pandemic relief programs.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi is prosecuting the case. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man from Dominican Republic pleads guilty to illegal reentryRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Rolando Antonio Rosado, 59, of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to illegal re-entry after deportation. Rosado was then sentenced to time served and transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who handled the case, stated that in June 2000, an immigration judge ordered Rosado removed in absentia. However, Rosado did not surrender himself for removal. On October 22, 2003, Rosado was arrested by the Rochester Police Department and charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon. As a result, in April 2004, Rosado was physically removed from the United States. In 2014, he illegally re-entered the United States near Laredo, Texas. On September 26, 2024, Rosado was found in the Western District of New York.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
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