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11 April 2025
Judge Hands Down 18 Year Sentence for the 2021 Fatal Shooting of a Man in Southeast, Washington, DCRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kirk Spencer, 30, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on April 9, 2025, to 18 years in prison for the February 2021 shooting death of Marcus Covington, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein sentenced Spencer to the upper middle of the guideline period of incarceration, 18 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Spencer pleaded guilty on October 11, 2024, to one count of second-degree murder while armed with a firearm.
At approximately 1:35 p.m., on February 23, 2021, Spencer and the decedent, Mr. Marcus Covington, were on the Anacostia Metro platform, located in the 1100 block of Howard Road in Southeast, Washington, DC. Video surveillance footage captured Spencer descend the escalator to the platform where he approached the victim, Marcus Covington. He greeted the victim with a half-hug and the two engaged in a brief conversation. At the end of the conversation, the defendant half-hugged Mr. Covington and as Mr. Covington was turning to head back to the bench area on the platform, Spencer pulled a handgun from his pocket, held it to the side of Mr. Covington’s head and shot him twice. Mr. Covington fell to the ground and as he laid there, Spencer fired again and fled the station. Mr. Covington was transported to Medstar Washington Hospital Center where he was pronounced dead early the next morning.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marybeth Manfreda and Ryan Sellinger of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Individuals arraigned on immigration chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Two individuals accused of harboring and re-entry appeared this week for arraignment, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
- Kristin Louise Mitchell, aka Kristin Louise Short, 41, of Shelby pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging her with attempted harboring of illegal aliens. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, Mitchell faces five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
- Carlos Alexis Ponce-Lopez, 33, of Honduras, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with re-entry of removed alien. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, Ponce-Lopez faces two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John Johnston presided. Mitchell was released on conditions, and Ponce-Lopez was detained pending further proceedings.
Count 1 of the indictment alleges that on March 4, 2025, near Shelby, Mitchell attempted to conceal, harbor and shield from detection three illegal aliens and took a substantial step toward the commission of that offense. Ponce-Lopez is charged in count 2 of the indictment with illegal reentry of a removed alien near Billings on February 21, 2025. The indictment alleges Ponce-Lopez is a citizen of Honduras, was removed from the United States in August 2014, and reentered the country without the permission of the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Border Patrol, Montana Highway Patrol, and Toole County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PACER case reference. 25-34.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Honduran Man Extradited for Role in International Drug Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Honduran law enforcement authorities resulted in the extradition of a Honduran national for his alleged role in a conspiracy to smuggle drugs from Honduras to the United States.
According to court documents, Olvin Javier Velasquez Maldonado, 39, conspired with others to bring approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine from Honduras to the United States aboard a vessel attempting to bring 23 Honduran aliens illegally into the United States. In February 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the M/V Pop, a 65’ sportfishing vessel, approximately 75 miles off the coast of Louisiana after it developed engine trouble and lost power. The U.S. Coast Guard responded, found the aliens and cocaine, and towed the vessel to shore. The M/V Pop departed from Utila, Honduras, and was destined for Cocodrie, Louisiana. Velasquez Maldonado was allegedly responsible for bringing the cocaine on board the M/V Pop and ensuring its safe delivery. When he was apprehended, according to court documents, Velasquez Maldonado posed as an alien intending to remain in the United States so he could avoid prosecution.
Velasquez Maldonado is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Velasquez Maldonado made his initial court appearance today in the Eastern District of Louisiana. He was detained and will have his detention hearing on Monday. If convicted, Velasquez Maldonado faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-defendants Carl Allison, 47, Darrel Martinez, 41, and Josue Flores-Villeda, 37, previously pleaded guilty in 2023 to conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for financial gain and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride. Lenord Cooper, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and assist aliens to enter the United States unlawfully and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. Two co-defendants, Hennessy Devon Cooper Zelaya, 29, and Rudy Jackson Hernandez, 38, were convicted after trial of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain and two counts of attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
The investigation and extradition of Velasquez Maldonado was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) Program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders.
JTFA is currently comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 325 U.S. convictions; more than 270 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The HSI Houma, Louisiana Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the HSI Pittsburgh Field Office, HSI Atlanta Field Office, and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training in Honduras also provided assistance.
Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice of the General Crimes Unit for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Honduran Man Extradited for Role in International Drug Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Extensive coordination and cooperation between U.S. and Honduran law enforcement authorities resulted in the extradition of a Honduran national for his alleged role in a conspiracy to smuggle drugs from Honduras to the United States.
According to court documents, Olvin Javier Velasquez Maldonado, 39, conspired with others to bring approximately 24 kilograms of cocaine from Honduras to the United States aboard a vessel attempting to bring 23 Honduran aliens illegally into the United States. In February 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted the M/V Pop, a 65’ sportfishing vessel, approximately 75 miles off the coast of Louisiana after it developed engine trouble and lost power. The U.S. Coast Guard responded, found the aliens and cocaine, and towed the vessel to shore. The M/V Pop departed from Utila, Honduras, and was destined for Cocodrie, Louisiana. Velasquez Maldonado was allegedly responsible for bringing the cocaine on board the M/V Pop and ensuring its safe delivery. When he was apprehended, according to court documents, Velasquez Maldonado posed as an alien intending to remain in the United States so he could avoid prosecution.
Velasquez Maldonado is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Velasquez Maldonado made his initial court appearance today in the Eastern District of Louisiana. He was detained and will have his detention hearing on Monday. If convicted, Velasquez Maldonado faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-defendants Carl Allison, 47, Darrel Martinez, 41, and Josue Flores-Villeda, 37, previously pleaded guilty in 2023 to conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for financial gain and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride. Lenord Cooper, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid and assist aliens to enter the United States unlawfully and attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. Two co-defendants, Hennessy Devon Cooper Zelaya, 29, and Rudy Jackson Hernandez, 38, were convicted after trial of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain and two counts of attempting to bring aliens to the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
The investigation and extradition of Velasquez Maldonado was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) Program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA is currently comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 325 U.S. convictions; more than 270 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The HSI Houma, Louisiana Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the HSI Pittsburgh Field Office, HSI Atlanta Field Office, and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training in Honduras also provided assistance.
Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice of the General Crimes Unit for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hartford, Vermont Man Charged with Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Matthew Isaacs, 33, of Hartford, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint with producing child sexual abuse materials (previously referred to as child pornography).
Isaacs’ initial appearance in court is scheduled for today at 2pm before United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford in Burlington.
According to court records, Isaacs repeatedly sexually assaulted a five-year-old girl who lived on the same floor of his apartment building in Hartford. During the sexual abuse, Isaacs took photographs of the child’s genitalia. Isaacs thereafter modified the images of the child’s genitalia by adding words (including the first name of the child victim and a slang word for vagina), and images (including an erect penis pointed at the child’s vaginal area). Some of the images depict Isaacs actively abusing the child, with his hand down her pants. Isaacs is identifiable by a distinctive tattoo on his arm. Isaacs had been previously charged in Vermont Superior Court with Lewd and Lascivious Conduct with a Child, and was on conditions of release at the time of his federal arrest.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Isaacs is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Isaacs faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years of imprisonment, and up to thirty years of imprisonment, if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Hartford, Vermont Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Isaacs is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to Eight Years for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Guatemalan national with a history of serious crimes and multiple deportations, has been sentenced to 100 months in prison following his latest encounter with U.S. authorities.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, Darwin Yuvini Escobar-Lopez a.k.a Carlos Antonio Aguilar-Garcia, a 40-year-old Guatemalan national, was encountered in New Mexico by U.S. Border Patrol agents on July 23, 2024. Escobar-Lopez criminal history includes a conviction in California in 2005 for "Lewd or Lascivious Acts with a Child Under 14," classified as an aggravated felony, for which he served a three-year prison sentence. Following his conviction, Escobar-Lopez had been deported from the United States four times, with the most recent removal occurring in April 2024.
On December 9, 2024, Escobar-Lopez pleaded guilty to reentry of a removed alien. Upon his release from prison, Escobar-Lopez will be subject to deportation proceedings.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, made the announcement today.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson Hehr prosecuted this case as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. [use if applicable] Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to the Unlawful Transportation of Aliens and Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Timoteo Son-Gonzalez (40), a Guatemalan national, has pleaded guilty to unlawful transportation of an illegal alien for the purpose of financial gain and illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Son-Gonzalez faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, in February 2025, agents from the U.S. Border Patrol stopped a car driven by Son-Gonzalez. The car contained six passengers, all of whom were illegal aliens. After interviewing the passengers, agents determined that Son-Gonzalez was transporting illegal aliens for financial gain. Son-Gonzalez was also found to be unlawfully present in the United States, after having been removed in June 2024.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Fort Myers Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for $3.4 Million COVID Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Barber has sentenced Timothy Craig Jolloff (48, Fort Myers) and Lisa Ann Jolloff (58, Fort Myers) to eight years and one month, and three years, respectively, in federal prison for wire fraud, bank fraud and illegal monetary transactions. The Court also ordered the Jolloffs to pay $3.4 million in restitution to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and to forfeit $3.4 million which was the proceeds of the offense. The Jolloffs entered guilty pleas on April 24, 2024.
According to the indictment and other court documents, between April and March 2021, Timothy Jolloff and his wife, Lisa Jolloff, submitted false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications to the SBA, as well as PPP approved lenders. In PPP loan applications, the Jolloffs falsely represented the number of employees and average monthly payroll for the applicant businesses. The Jolloffs also falsely represented and certified that PPP funds would be used to retain workers and maintain payroll or make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.
In EIDL applications, Timothy Jolloff misrepresented the gross revenue and cost of goods sold for the applicant businesses for which he sought EIDL funds. Timothy Jolloff also misrepresented the number of employees the EIDL applicant businesses had. Moreover, in loan documents signed and submitted by Timothy Jolloff for EIDL loans, he mispresented that EIDL proceeds would be used solely for working capital and to alleviate economic injury.
The Jolloffs’ false and fraudulent representations caused the SBA and PPP lenders to approve and fund eleven EIDLs and eight PPP loans, as well as EIDL Advances, totaling approximately $3,403,265. The Jolloffs then used the funds to purchase three pontoon boats totaling more than $300,000, real estate in Fort Myers, Florida and Angola, Indiana, home furnishings, outdoor kitchens for their homes, a 2019 GMC truck, a 2020 Polaris UTV, as well as jewelry, and two dogs. The Jolloffs also fraudulently used more than $600,000 in EIDL funds to purchase a furniture business in Indiana and a landscaping business in Sarasota, Florida, which had no connection to the businesses for which the Jolloffs obtained COVID relief money.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted March 2020. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if the business spends the proceeds on these expenses within a set time-period and uses at least a certain percentage of the loan toward payroll expenses.
The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. EIDL proceeds can be used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation of health care benefits, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments. If an applicant also obtains a loan under the PPP, the EIDL funds cannot be used for the same purpose as the PPP funds.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. The case was prosecuted by Chief Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas.
Former Bureau of Prisons Officer Sentenced for Violating Inmate’s Civil RightsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A former lieutenant at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) was sentenced today to two years of probation for conspiring to violate the civil rights of inmates at Butner Correctional Institute. On December 23, 2024, Daniel Mitchell, 42, pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Mitchell was a lieutenant supervising the special housing unit (SHU) at the Federal Correctional Institute Butner Medium II. Victim K.G. was an inmate housed in the SHU under Mitchell’s supervision. On the morning of December 8, 2021, a female officer reported to Mitchell that inmate K.G. exposed himself to her and engaged in a sexual act within her view. The BOP disciplinary policy for such behavior is a formal write-up of the misconduct. Instead, Mitchell directed another officer to take inmate K.G. to a holding cell and teach him a lesson by “tuning him up.” There, the inmate was physically assaulted by the officer. In later interviews, Mitchell and the officer both admitted to meeting in Mitchell’s office where they agreed that the officer would assault K.G. as punishment.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The DOJ Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Eric Peffley prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-0332-BO.
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Former Accounting Chief at Now-Defunct Girardi Keese Law Firm Sentenced to over 10 Years in Prison for Defrauding Firm and ClientsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The former longtime head of the accounting department at the now-shuttered downtown Los Angeles plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm Girardi Keese was sentenced today to 121 months in federal prison for enabling the embezzlement of millions of dollars from the firm’s injured clients and for embezzling money from the law firm itself.
Christopher Kazuo Kamon, 51, formerly of Encino and Palos Verdes and who was residing in The Bahamas at the time of his November 2022 arrest, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton. Judge Staton also ordered Kamon to pay $8,903,324 in restitution.
At today’s hearing, Judge Staton remarked on Kamon’s assistance with the ongoing fraud against Girardi Keese clients, noting he helped build a “web of deceit and manipulation.”
Kamon pleaded guilty in October 2024 to two counts of wire fraud.
“This defendant played a key role in a long-running scheme led by Tom Girardi,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “For nearly 20 years, Kamon enabled Girardi’s scheme to defraud vulnerable clients of the law firm. Ironically, it was Kamon’s own lies that accelerated the law firm’s demise. We hope the sentence imposed today brings a measure of justice to his victims.”
“Mr. Kamon was a willful participant in defrauding Girardi Keese clients out of their rightful lawsuit awards,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Not only did he participate in a scheme to embezzle from clients, but Mr. Kamon also embezzled from the firm itself for his own personal use, including to purchase a multimillion-dollar home in the Bahamas. Unfortunately for Mr. Kamon, money leaves a trail, and IRS Criminal Investigation is the best in the world at finding and following those trails, and now Mr. Kamon will feel the consequences of his actions.”
“Mr. Kamon ran the law firm’s bank account like a Ponzi scheme and profited handsomely for many years,” said Amir Ehsaei, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will continue to investigate corruption in the legal profession and will seek to make victims whole.”
From 2004 until December 2020, Kamon was the head of the accounting department at Girardi Keese, a plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm based in downtown Los Angeles. In this position, Kamon worked closely with co-defendant Thomas Vincent Girardi, 85, formerly a resident of Pasadena but who now resides in Seal Beach, as well as other senior lawyers at the law firm.
In December 2020, Girardi Keese’s creditors forced the once-prominent law firm into bankruptcy proceedings. The law firm dissolved in January 2021 and the State Bar of California disbarred Girardi in July 2022. On August 27, a federal jury in Los Angeles found Girardi guilty of four counts of wire fraud. Girardi’s sentencing hearing is expected to occur in the coming months.
In addition to supervising the law firm’s accounting department, Kamon oversaw facilitating payment of the law firm’s expenses. Kamon had a duty to keep accurate books and records of Girardi Keese, including accounting of money held in its attorney-client trust accounts. Typically, Girardi determined and directed which clients would be paid, how much they would be paid, when they would be paid, and signed all outgoing checks to clients. Kamon had signatory authority on additional Girardi Keese operating accounts.
From at least 2010 until December 2020, Girardi and Kamon schemed to defraud Girardi Keese clients out of their settlement money, using the misappropriated funds to pay the law firm’s payroll, the law firm’s credit card bills, and to pay Girardi and Kamon’s personal expenses.
Specifically, one Girardi Keese victim-client suffered severe burns all over his body when a natural gas pipeline exploded in San Bruno, California in September 2010. Girardi negotiated a $53 million settlement of the case without the client’s prior approval and told the client the case settled for just over $7 million. Per the terms of the settlement, $25 million was invested into an annuity. The remaining $28 million was wired into a Girardi Keese client trust account in January 2013. Girardi, aided and abetted by Kamon, misappropriated, and embezzled that client’s settlement money and used the funds to pay other Girardi Keese expenses and liabilities unrelated to this client, including payments to other law firm clients whose own settlement funds previously had been misappropriated by Girardi and others.
To prevent the victim from discovering Girardi’s embezzlement, Girardi lied to the client by saying the funds had been transferred into a separate interest-bearing account. In fact, no such transfers had been made and no such interest-bearing account containing these funds existed.
Girardi and Kamon sent lulling payments to the victim as “interest payments” deriving from the purported interest-bearing account. In July 2019, they sent the victim a $2.5 million check, purportedly as disbursement of the victim’s settlement funds. In fact, Girardi and Kamon knew these settlement proceeds belonged to other Girardi Keese clients. Girardi already had spent the victim’s settlement funds through disbursements unrelated to the victim’s case.
In a separate criminal case, Kamon admitted to running a years-long scheme in which he embezzled Girardi Keese funds for his personal enrichment. From at least 2013 to December 2020, Kamon utilized co-schemers to pose as “vendors” who were providing goods and services to the law firm. Kamon caused the supposed vendors to issue fraudulent invoices to Girardi Keese for goods and services that they purportedly provided to the law firm.
Kamon caused Girardi Keese to pay the amounts due on the fraudulent invoices. In fact, the law firm was paying the “vendors” for Kamon’s personal benefit, including for construction projects at his homes in Palos Verdes and Encino.
According to evidence presented at the recent trial of Tom Girardi, part of Kamon’s scheme involved payments to a female companion amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars, including a monthly stipend of $20,000, out of the Girardi Keese operating accounts despite the woman having no employment relationship with Girardi Keese.
Kamon – along with Girardi and David R. Lira, Girardi’s son-in-law and a former Girardi Keese lawyer – also faces federal fraud charges in Chicago. Trial in that case is scheduled for July 14.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Scott Paetty of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney Tara Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling asset forfeiture matters in this effort.
Federal Prosecutors Charge This Week 21 Defendants with Being Illegal Aliens Found in the United States Following RemovalRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Federal prosecutors working alongside with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement partners have filed charges against 21 defendants in the last week who allegedly were found in the U.S. following removal, the Justice Department announced today.
Many of the defendants charged were previously convicted of felony offenses prior to their removal from the United States, including alien smuggling, burglary, grand theft, and assault with a deadly weapon.
The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year sentence and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
Some of the recently filed cases are summarized below:
- David Casas-Herrera, 45, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Casas-Herrera was removed from the U.S. in 1997, 2001, twice in 2003, twice in 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2022. His criminal history includes convictions in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of California in 2006 and 2022 of alien smuggling, for which he was sentenced to 15 months and 21 months in federal prison, respectively. He also has two prior convictions for being an illegal alien found in the U.S. following removal: in Arizona federal court in 2003 and in San Diego federal court 2010 for which he was sentenced to terms of 60 days in prison each time. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Scally of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
- Marta Stoican, 40, of Romania, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Stoican, who was removed from the U.S. in 2022, was charged after being arrested by the Baldwin Park Police Department on suspicion of burglary on April 5. Stoican has a criminal history that includes convictions in 2017 for grand theft, possession of shoplifting gear, and theft. Special Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Bisland of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- Juan Solorzano Reyes, 40, of Mexico, who was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Reyes, who was removed from the U.S. in 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, and 2020, was charged after being convicted in Orange County Superior Court in 2011 of possession for sale of methamphetamine, for which he was sentenced to four years in California state prison, and in 2022 of assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, and vandalism, for which he was sentenced to 180 days in California state prison. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Staples of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
Criminal complaints contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating these matters.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Fairfax PCP trafficker sentenced to a decade in prison after fleeing justiceRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute Phencyclidine (PCP) and distribution of PCP after fleeing arrest and living under a fake name as a fugitive for nearly eight years.
According to court documents, Otis Chevalier, 46, was a kilogram-level dealer who shipped PCP through the mail from California to Virginia and elsewhere. To avoid detection, Chevalier sent PCP-laden packages to the residences of the mothers of his children, rather than his own residence. After retrieving the packages of PCP, he redistributed it. Chevalier utilized a storage unit in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, to store, prepare, and repackage PCP for redistribution. Chevalier used solvents, including starter fluid, to prepare the PCP for distribution, and used various paraphernalia, including liquid droppers and Mason-style glass jars, in the repackaging of PCP.
On June 6, 2015, U.S. Postal Inspectors responded to a report of a leaking parcel shipped from California to an apartment in Alexandria. The parcel contained multiple Mason-style jars containing approximately two gallons of PCP. On Dec. 11, 2015, Chevalier shipped three packages from California to Virginia and Maryland. On Dec. 18, 2015, U.S. Postal Inspectors seized one of the packages, which had been mailed to an address in Chantilly. The parcel contained approximately 6.5 kilograms of a mixture containing PCP.
On Feb. 18, 2016, law enforcement searched Chevalier's residence in Fairfax and located marijuana, syringe-style droppers with PCP residue, three starter fluid cans, multiple cellphones, and $27,704. On Jan. 4, 2017, law enforcement searched Chevalier's storage unit and seized multiple containers holding two to three gallons of PCP. Agents also seized material used to prepare and process PCP, including masks, pumps, and droppers.
On Jan. 5, 2017, a federal magistrate judge issued a warrant for Chevalier’s arrest. After Chevalier’s attorney notified him of the pending arrest warrant on federal charges, Chevalier fled to avoid prosecution, using the alias Delone Jones, and remained a fugitive until his arrest on Aug. 29, 2024.
Chevalier was previously convicted of a felony drug charge involving PCP. In that case, Chevalier was found to have caused a residential explosion in Bowie, Maryland.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and Fairfax County Police Department, Reston District, assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather D. Call 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. 1:24-cr-228.
Executive Director of In-Home Care Business Found Guilty of Failing to Pay Quarterly Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio - A federal jury has convicted Michael Roberts, 38, of Mentor, Ohio, of not paying required employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). After a two-day trial, Roberts was found guilty on two counts of failure to account for and pay over taxes.
According to court documents, Roberts was the executive director and co-owner of Progressive Alternatives, an in-home care business that served individuals with developmental disabilities throughout Lake and Ashtabula Counties. The business was initially purchased by Roberts’s spouse, Larry Keith Gildersleeve III, 43, also of Mentor, in February 2011. Within several years Roberts assumed responsibility for the business’s payroll and day-to-day financial operations, and he assumed the title of co-owner of the business beginning in 2014.
Businesses are required to comply with IRS statutes and regulations such as withholding amounts for Social Security, Medicare taxes, and federal income taxes from employees’ gross pay. Employers typically hold these amounts in trust until they submit payments each quarter as required by federal law by using Form 941, “Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return.”
Investigators found that Progressive Alternatives’ records showed that payroll checks issued by Roberts did reflect appropriate withholdings from employees’ wages. The withholdings were also reflected on W-2 forms that the employees received. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Progressive Alternatives never filed W-2 forms for employees, nor did they submit any Form 941 with quarterly payments.
In late 2017, an employee who was preparing to retire was informed by the Social Security Administration that Progressive Alternatives had not paid required payroll taxes over to the IRS. Although Roberts was made aware of this and taxes were withheld from employee paychecks, he did not submit payments to the IRS. At trial, the defendant was determined to be guilty of not paying taxes for quarters ending Dec. 31, 2017, in the amount of $112,616.50, and March 31, 2018, in the amount of $114,070.75.
Gildersleeve pleaded guilty Oct. 17, 2024, to eight counts of failure to account for and pay over taxes, including the two quarters for which Roberts was also found guilty of failing to pay. The remaining counts included the quarters ending June 30, 2018, in the amount of $114,070.75; Sept. 30, 2018, in the amount of $114,070.75; Dec. 31, 2018, in the amount of $114,070.75; March 31 2019, in the amount of $41,356.00; June 30, 2019, in the amount of $41,356.00; and Sept. 30, 2019, in the amount of $41,356.00.
Roberts’ sentencing is scheduled for July 17, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Gildersleeve’s sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2025, and he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine each defendant’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The IRS-Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica D. Barnhill and Brett S. Hammond prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
About the Northern District of Ohio
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio covers the 40 northern-most counties in the state of Ohio, which is home to nearly six million people. The office operates from its main headquarters in Cleveland, with additional branches in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown. The U.S. Attorney serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the District and oversees the prosecution of federal crimes and protect victims’ rights.
Dunn County Man Sentenced to More than 12 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl and Crystal MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Dunn County man was sentenced Wednesday to more than 12 years (151 months) in prison for possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Zachary Antoine Williams aka “Fendi”, age 23, pled guilty to the offense on December 13, 2024.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Williams was stopped by law enforcement in Four Oaks, North Carolina on September 18, 2023. Law enforcement searched Williams’ car and found digital scales, fentanyl powder, and drug paraphernalia. In addition, between September 2023 and January 2024, law enforcement conducted five undercover purchases of crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl from Williams. The evidence also showed Williams sold $1,500 of heroin per week since at least January 2022. In January 2024, law enforcement searched William’s house and found two loaded pistols, $3,445 in U.S. currency, and digital scales.
Williams has a prior felony conviction for conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Dunn Police Department investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aria Q. Merle prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-00164.
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Drug User who Bought Firearms for His Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who bought seven firearms for his drug dealer was sentenced on April 10, 2025, to more than one year in federal prison.
Desmond Staggers, age 26, from Iowa City, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 10, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession of firearms by an unlawful user of controlled substance.
Information from Staggers’s plea and sentencing hearings showed that over a period of months in 2023 and 2024, Staggers purchased seven firearms. At the time he bought the firearms, Staggers was a user of and addicted to heroin and fentanyl. Staggers bought the firearms at the direction of his drug dealer, and after buying them, gave them directly to the dealer.
Staggers was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Staggers was sentenced to 23 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Staggers was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-0084.
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Department of Justice Terminates Environmental Justice Settlement Agreement, Advancing President Trump’s Mandate to End Illegal DEI and Environmental Justice PoliciesRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced that that its Civil Rights Division will immediately close an “environmental justice” matter. Effective immediately, the division will terminate the environmental justice settlement agreement that stemmed from the investigation launched by the previous administration targeting Lowndes County, Alabama.
This directive follows President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14151, “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing,” which forbids federal agencies from pursuing programs or initiatives related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, including those related to “environmental justice.”
“The DOJ will no longer push ‘environmental justice’ as viewed through a distorting, DEI lens,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “President Trump made it clear: Americans deserve a government committed to serving every individual with dignity and respect, and to expending taxpayer resources in accordance with the national interest, not arbitrary criteria.”
Today’s closure is another step this Administration has taken to eradicate illegal DEI preferences and environmental justice across the government and in the private sector. The Department is working quickly to close such cases in compliance with the Attorney General’s directive.
Del Rio Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Del Rio man was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison for production of child pornography.
According to court documents, Hector Sanchez, 33, used his Facebook account to contact a 13-year-old female in October 2020. Sanchez demanded that the child send him explicitly nude photos, which she eventually did, and told her he was going to purchase condoms. On Oct. 6, 2020, he met the child victim outside her house and later messaged that he wished she wasn’t so young so that they wouldn’t “have to hide.” He also told her to ensure she deleted their conversations. On Oct. 26, Sanchez sent the child nude photos and a sexually explicit video of himself.
On Nov. 23, 2020, Homeland Security Investigations received information originating from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding suspected child exploitation in violation of federal law. The following day, agents were able to conduct a forensic interview with the child victim. Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography on July 21, 2023.
“Sanchez knowingly and deliberately befriended a minor over social media with full intent to develop a discreet sexual relationship with her,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “I am very grateful for the involvement of NCMEC and our law enforcement partners in this case. Because of the systems and processes available to us and our capabilities to investigate and prosecute crimes against children, Sanchez will spend the next three decades paying for his actions in federal prison.”
“This lengthy sentence is a testament to the disgusting nature of child exploitation crimes, particularly the production of child pornography,” said ICE HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig S. Larrabee. “HSI agents make it a priority to protect vulnerable children from victimization by working with their law enforcement partners to investigate predators involved with the possession and distribution of child pornography and ensure they are held accountable for their actions.”
HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nallely Duarte and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rex Beasley prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Deadly Illegal Alien Smuggling Venture Leads to Federal Prison Sentence for Cuban NationalRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, a federal district judge in Miami sentenced a 25-year-old woman who was in the country unlawfully to seven-and-a-half years in prison for her role in a for-profit scheme to illegally smuggle 18 Cubans by boat from the island, across the Florida straits, and into the United States. Sixteen people died during the trip.
Yaquelin Dominguez-Nieves pleaded guilty to alien smuggling conspiracy and related charges on January 21, 2025.
The Facts: Dominguez-Nieves is a Cuban national who entered the United States illegally in October 2022. A month later, she and a boyfriend arranged to illegally smuggle 18 Cubans by boat from the island, through the Florida straits, and into the United States at Florida’s coast. They would charge admission for the trip. In the weeks leading up to it, for example, Dominguez-Nieves collected over $11,500 from South Florida family members of the to-be-smuggled Cuban aliens.
On November 16, 2024, the smugglers’ fishing boat left Playa Jaimanitas, Cuba toward South Florida with about 18 aliens onboard. It sank approximately 30 miles into the trip, killing 16 identified people, many of whom were children. Three of their bodies washed up in Monroe County, Florida. Cause of death: drowning. According to two survivors, the boat was too small for 18 people, did not carry lifejackets, and its captain did not seem to know what he was doing.
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom imposed a sentence higher than that recommended by the advisory federal sentencing guidelines due to the severity of the offense.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Margelot of the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Field Office announced the sentence.
CGIS Southeast Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
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 on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-CR-20223.
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Darknet Vendor Sentenced for Conspiracy to Sell Counterfeit DrugsRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Lebanese and Italian national, Alessandro Sabbagh, 27, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier to 78 months in prison, for conspiracy to sell counterfeit drugs and knowingly causing the sale of a counterfeit drug.
According to his plea agreement, between January 2017 and October 2021, Sabbagh conspired with others to manufacture and sell counterfeit generic alprazolam pills. Sabbagh and his co-conspirators, without authorization, created pills stamped with manufacturer imprints designed to replicate the appearance of actual alprazolam pills. The benzodiazepine-class drugs used by the co-conspirators in the counterfeit pills have no accepted medical use in the United States. Sabbagh and his co-conspirators then sold these counterfeit pills in the Eastern District of Kentucky and throughout the United States via darknet marketplaces, receiving payment for the sales in cryptocurrencies. Sabbagh managed multiple vendor accounts across several darknet marketplaces and was responsible for sales to customers and providing lists of customer orders to co-conspirators who manufactured and shipped the counterfeit alprazolam pills. Over the course of the conspiracy, Sabbagh and his co-conspirators trafficked counterfeit alprazolam valued at more than $25 million.
Under federal law, Sabbagh must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Sabbagh must also forfeit cryptocurrency seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and agreed to the imposition of a $5,055,377 forfeiture money judgment, representing the amount of proceeds he received from the scheme.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Division, Quincy Barnett, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Jeff Couch, Manchester Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, IRS, FBI, and Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosenberg is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Cuban National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal district judge in Miami sentenced a Cuban national to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after he previously pleaded guilty to alien smuggling in January.
On Sept. 29, 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers on a CBP air and maritime operations vessel, intercepted Rafael Rodriguez Hernandez, 35, while he was transporting 27 people on his boat from the Bahamas to the United States. The CBP officers brought the individuals from Hernandez’s boat onboard the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Richard Etheridge where USCG Officers confirmed that all the individuals, except Hernandez, were aliens who did not have authorization to enter the United States. The CBP officers also determined that five of the aliens were Ecuadorian nationals who had been previously removed from the United States.
USCG officers brought Hernandez and the five Ecuadorians to shore to face charges. The rest of the aliens were returned to the Bahamas.
U.S. Attorney Hayden 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, announced Hernandez’s sentence.
HSI Miami investigated the case with assistance from CBP and USCG, 7th Coast Guard District. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl is prosecuting the case.
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 24-cr-20458.
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Colombian National Sentenced to 178 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Transport Hundreds of Kilograms of Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Colombian citizen was sentenced to 178 months in prison for conspiring to import hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the United States from other countries including Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Raul Orlando Torres Cubides, aka “Jose Jota,” 57, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to Count One of an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2016 through January 2020, Cubides and others conspired to import hundreds of kilograms of cocaine. Cubides admitted playing a managerial role in this conspiracy, which involved more than five individuals.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Cubides to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, New Jersey, as well as special agents and task force officers with the DEA operating in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. She also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section Judicial Attachés in Bogotá, Colombia; Colombian law enforcement authorities; and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance.
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.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: James Plaisted, Esq., Hackensack, New Jersey
Chinese National Charged with Escaping from FCI DanburyRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on April 9, 2025, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging XIAOQIN YAN, 31, a citizen of China, with escape from the custody of the Attorney General.
The indictment alleges that, on December 10, 2024, Yan escaped from the Federal Satellite Low facility at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury (FCI Danbury) where she was serving a federal prison sentence imposed in the Middle District of Alabama for arson and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Yan was apprehended on December 10, 2024.
If convicted of the charge, Yan faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Danbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.
Canadian man sentenced for being a money mule in a scam targeting the elderlyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Mohamed Khaled Sakr, 31, of Montreal, Quebec, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Sakr was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $262,500 to 18 elderly victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that between May 8 and May 13, 2023, Sakr conspired with others to defraud elderly victims out of money and property. Unknown members of the conspiracy contacted elderly victims by telephone, posing as a relative or loved one, and falsely advised them that they had been arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) following a purported motor vehicle accident. The elderly victims were told that the loved one could only be released from custody if the elderly victim posted cash bail on their behalf. Members of the conspiracy utilized “money mules” or “bail bondsmen” to retrieve money from the elderly victims. Once cash was obtained, it was transported to other unknown conspirators in the New York City area. Mohamed Khaled Sakr was one of the money mules involved in the conspiracy Sakr and others in the Western District of New York and elsewhere collected approximately $262,500 from elderly victims and attempted to collect an additional $9,500 in furtherance of the conspiracy.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff David Linder, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, and the Monroe Crime Analysis Center.
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California resident indicted for wire fraud for scheme to steal nearly $1 million from Seattle area employerRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Seattle grand jury this week indicted a 43-year-old Laguna Niguel, California man on six counts of wire fraud for his scheme to steal nearly $1 million from his employer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Paul Joseph Welch was the IT manager of Kent, Washington energy manufacturing company Algas-SDI when he allegedly used various schemes to steal more than $950,000 from the company. Welch will be arraigned on the indictment on April 17, 2025.
According to the indictment, Welch worked for the company from 2011 to 2024. He was promoted to Information Technology Manager in 2018. The indictment alleges that as early as 2017, Welch used the company’s Amazon business account to make unauthorized personal purchases from Amazon.com. Between 2017 and 2023, those purchases totaled at least $43,000. Welch primarily purchased electronics such at televisions, laptops and more—all for personal use. In 2019, Welch began using his company credit card for personal purchases through other online retailers such as Apple, Alaska Airlines, Instacart and BestBuy. Between 2019 and 2024, those unauthorized personal purchases totaled at least an additional $60,000.
The scheme really accelerated in January 2021 when Welch began making payments to himself disguised as payments to a computer services company. Welch allegedly created a series of email addresses and payment processor accounts using a business name that was very similar to a legitimate computer services company based in Washington State. Welch then used Algas-SDI company credit cards to pay the computer services company under the guise that the company was providing IT equipment and services to Algas-SDI. However, the legitimate computer services company had no relationship with Welch and never provided any services or equipment to Algas-SDI. The credit card payments Welch made from Algas-SDI’s credit cards went directly to the payment processor accounts that Welch controlled. Between 2021 and 2024 Welch allegedly used this scheme to transfer approximately $879,175 from company accounts to his own accounts.
Algas-SDI tried to verify the legitimacy of Welch’s activity on multiple occasions, but each time, Welch allegedly provided false or misleading information to cover up his scheme. Algas-SDI employees asked Welch to submit invoices to substantiate his charges, but Welch allegedly emailed phony documents designed to look like invoices from the legitimate computer services company. At one point in 2023, an Algas-SDI accounting employee identified personal purchases on Welch’s company credit card. Welch claimed the charges were inadvertent and said he would repay the company. Welch never repaid the charges and continued to defraud the company through unauthorized personal purchases and more fake vendor charges. In January 2024, alone, Welch allegedly submitted phony invoices to Algas-SDI showing that the computer services company had purportedly invoiced Algas-SDI more than $55,000 for equipment and services in that timeframe.
On January 19, 2024, Algas-SDI employees confronted Welch about the charges from the computer services company accounts that Welch controlled. After Welch again told Algas-SDI that the vendor was a real vendor for the company, the company fired him.
The wire fraud charges represent six of the times Welch emailed the company false statements or invoices purported to be from a legitimate computer services company.
In all, between 2017 and January 2024 Walch secretly made at least 250 fraudulent charges for the third party vendor he controlled. He made at least 140 unauthorized purchases with retailers using the company credit card and at least 100 fraudulent purchases on the company’s Amazon account. While Welch profited some $950,000 from his theft, the loss to ALGAS-SDI was approximately $982,520 due to various fees on the transactions.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer.
welch_indictment.pdfCalifornia Restaurant Owner Sentenced for COVID-19 and Tax Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
A San Diego restaurant owner was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for schemes to defraud COVID-19 relief programs and filing false tax returns.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Leronce Suel was the majority owner of Rockstar Dough LLC and Chicken Feed LLC, both of which operated restaurants in the San Diego area, including Streetcar Merchants in the North Park neighborhood. He conspired with others to underreport over $1.7 million in gross receipts on Rockstar Dough’s 2020 corporate tax return and COVID-19 relief applications. Suel’s businesses fraudulently received $1,773,245 in COVID-related Paycheck Protection Program loans and Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants, two programs created to provide financial assistance to American suffering economic harm as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Suel and his co-conspirator misappropriated COVID-19 relief program funds by making substantial cash withdrawals from their business bank accounts, purchasing a home in Arkansas, and keeping more than $2.4 million in cash in Suel’s bedroom.
IRS-CI Photo of approximately $2.4 million of cash seized by law enforcement, exhibit in United States v. Suel et al., number 23-CR-00965 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Credit IRS Criminal Investigation.Suel did not file timely tax returns for 2018 and 2019, despite being legally required to do so. On his 2020 through 2023 tax returns, Suel also did not report the income from his businesses including millions of dollars in cash he withdrew. Finally, in 2023, Suel filed false original and amended tax returns for multiple years, including personal tax returns for 2016 and 2017 that included false depreciable assets and business losses.
In September 2024, Suel was convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, tax evasion, conspiracy to defraud the United States, filing false tax returns, and failing to file tax returns. Following the convictions, Suel agreed to forfeit $1,466,918 in U.S. currency.
In addition to this prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro for the Southern District of California ordered Suel to pay approximately $1,773,245 in restitution to the Small Business Administration and forfeit $1,466,918. Restitution to IRS will be heard on June 6.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Julia Rugg of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Beeler for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.
Butler County Resident Charged with Making Threats to Assault and Murder President Donald J. Trump, Other United States Officials, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement AgentsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Shawn Monper, 32, a resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with making threats to assault and murder President Donald J. Trump, other United States officials, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
“I want to applaud the outstanding and courageous investigative work of the FBI and the Butler Township Police Department, who thankfully identified and apprehended this individual before he could carry out his threats against President Trump’s life and the lives of other innocent Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Rest assured that whenever and wherever threats of assassination or mass violence occur, this Department of Justice will find, arrest, and prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law and seek the maximum appropriate punishment.”
According to the federal criminal complaint, on April 8, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Threat Operations Section (NTOS) received an emergency disclosure regarding threats posted to YouTube by user “Mr Satan.” Federal agents determined that the threatening statements occurred between January 15, 2025, and April 5, 2025. The subsequent federal investigation affirmed that the internet activity associated with “Mr Satan” corresponded with Shawn Monper’s residence in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The investigation further established that Monper sought and obtained a firearms permit shortly following President Trump’s inauguration. In February 2025, Monper commented using his “Mr Satan” account: “I have bought several guns and been stocking up on ammo since Trump got in office.” Further, in March 2025, Monper commented using his account: “Eventually im going to do a mass shooting.” One week later, Monper commented: “I have been buying 1 gun a month since the election, body armor, and ammo.”
The criminal complaint identified the following threatening statements regarding President Trump, other United States officials, and ICE agents:
February 17, 2025: “Nah, we just need to start killing people, Trump, Elon, all the heads of agencies Trump appointed, and anyone who stands in the way. Remember, we are the majority, MAGA is a minority of the country, and by the time its time to make the move, they will be weakened, many will be crushed by these policies, and they will want revenge too. American Revolution 2.0”
March 4, 2025: “im going to assassinate him myself.” This threat was made in a YouTube video titled “Live: Trump’s address to Congress.”
March 18, 2025: “ICE are terrorist people, we need to start killing them.”
April 1, 2025: “If I see an armed ice agent, I will consider it a domestic terrorist, and an active shooter and open fire on them.”
On April 9, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Butler Township Police Department, arrested Monper on the federal criminal complaint. On April 10, 2025, Monper was ordered detained pending preliminary and detention hearings scheduled for April 14, 2025, at 1:00 pm.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Butler Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the criminal complaint against Monper.
A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Broken Bow Resident Sentenced to 29 Years for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dylan Thomas Walker, age 29, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 235 months in prison for one count of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country, and to 120 months in prison for one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively for a total of 355 months in prison.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
On October 31, 2023, Walker pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on the evening of December 3, 2022, Walker drove to a Broken Bow residence armed with a gun and attempted to gain entry. Walker then fired upon an occupant of the residence who answered the front door. The victim, who sustained gunshot wounds to the chest and arm, was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.
The crimes occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Walker will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Geizura and Edith Singer represented the United States.
Brockton Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A self-admitted gang member from Brockton, who was previously convicted of killing a 17-year-old outside a Roxbury high school, pleaded guilty today to drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Andre McNeil, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for July 30, 2025. McNeil was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024.
On Feb. 2, 2024, a series of searches were executed on McNeil’ vehicle and several associated residences. As a result, approximately 31 grams of cocaine, three handguns, two high-capacity magazines, five other magazines, approximately 101 rounds of 9mm ammunition and approximately $17,406 dollars, along with numerous cellular devices were seized. Numerous items used in drug trafficking, including scales, a money counter, baggies and a drug ledger were also observed at the search locations.
McNeil is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2014 manslaughter conviction in Suffolk Superior Court for shooting and killing a 17-year-old boy outside a Roxbury high school, for which he was sentenced to more than 12 years in state prison.
The charge of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute provides for sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
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 State Police and the Brockton, Foxboro and Taunton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of the Organized Crime and 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 Justice.gov/PSN.
Bergen County Man Sentenced to 86 Months in Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 86 months in prison for distributing and possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Michael Kimmerle, 35, of New Milford, New Jersey previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 24, 2021, through August 7, 2022, Kimmerle distributed material containing video files of child sexual abuse, via a publicly available online peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing program. Law enforcement used undercover online sessions to access the P2P program. During these sessions a user shared multiple video files of child sexual abuse from an Internet Protocol address traced to Kimmerle’s residence. During a September 14, 2022 search of Kimmerle’s residence, law enforcement found over 600 thumbnail images containing child pornography on Kimmerle’s laptop, including images derived from video files Kimmerle previously distributed through the P2P file-sharing program.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Kimmerle to 5 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $59,500 in restitution to the victims.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea D. Coleman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
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 Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Defense counsel: John J. Bruno, Jr., Esq., Rutherford, New Jersey
Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Machine Gun Possession in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Garrick Powell, 32, of Baltimore, has pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a machine gun in federal court.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms (ATF) – Baltimore Field Division, and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to the guilty plea, on April 19, 2023, law enforcement found Powell in possession of a machine gun. BPD officers from the Eastern District Baltimore Community Intelligence Center — who were surveilling the 500 block of North Patterson Park Avenue — spotted Powell displaying the characteristics of an armed person.
An officer observed Powell enter a vehicle and drive away from the block. Officers then conducted a traffic stop, searched Powell’s vehicle, and recovered a loaded Poly80 9mm handgun with an extended magazine. The Poly80 firearm is frequently referred to as a “ghost gun” because there is no serial number on the firearm. Additionally, the Poly80 had a conversion device attached to the weapon which converted the semi-automatic weapon into an automatic Poly80, making it a machine gun. Officers also recovered a second extended magazine and 63 rounds of 9mm ammunition from Powell’s vehicle.
Sentencing is set for July 16, at 10 a.m. 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.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia McLane and Stanton Lawyer who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn.
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Armed Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile woman was sentenced to 180 months in prison for a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
According to court documents, Desiree Rose Carlock, 33, was surveilled by narcotics agents in January 2024 traveling from Mobile to Pensacola, Florida, where she would purchase pounds of methamphetamine to bring back to Mobile and sell. On February 21, 2024, agents seized nearly a pound of methamphetamine and a loaded .380 caliber pistol from Carlock during a traffic stop. Carlock admitted to agents that she had just obtained the methamphetamine from a supplier in Pensacola. She confessed that she typically picked up methamphetamine in Pensacola twice a week and distributed the drugs to individuals in Mobile. Agents searched Carlock’s cell phone, which contained text messages, photos, videos, and other data regarding her drug-trafficking activities.
In April 2024, agents arrested Carlock in possession of methamphetamine on two occasions. First, during a traffic stop on April 2, 2024, agents seized 21 grams of methamphetamine from Carlock. Second, during a traffic stop on April 22, 2024, agents seized 349 grams of methamphetamine from Carlock.
In addition to the 180-month prison sentence, United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Carlock to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon her release from prison, during which time she will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Carlock to pay $200 in special assessments and forfeited her firearm, ammunition, and cell phone to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The Escambia County, Florida Sheriff’s Office substantially assisted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offenses in Connection with Catfishing Scheme That Targeted Young BoysRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Donald Michael, aka “Baseball Fun,” 47, of Queen Creek, Arizona, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney yesterday to multiple child pornography offenses.
Michael was charged by indictment in July of last year with one count of conspiracy to manufacture child pornography, one count of conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography, one count of distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography, and two counts of receipt of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all the charges against him.
The defendant, who served as a baseball coach of minor boys for more than 20 years, engaged in an online child exploitation catfishing scheme for more than 18 months with co-conspirators Andrew Wolf, a former teacher at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCH), and Kray Strange, of Carthage, New York, both of whom were previously convicted and sentenced.
Michael conspired with Wolf and Strange to target minor boys who were Wolf’s current and former students at SCH and to coerce and induce them to produce sexually explicit images and send them to the defendant and his co-conspirators over the internet. They did so by creating multiple fake online profiles where they pretended to be teenaged girls, engaging each of their victims in sexually explicit and graphic chats, and distributing child pornography to the minor boys, in an effort to get them to reciprocate with their own images.
When the boys refused to continue to engage, Michael and his co-conspirators used blackmail and extortion to manipulate them into continuing to produce images. After Wolf and Strange were arrested and incarcerated, this defendant continued his catfishing scheme by targeting and victimizing minor boys who were Little League World Series players.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on August 14 and faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release, and a maximum possible term of 110 years’ imprisonment and lifetime supervised release. He will also be required to register as a child sex offender under both state and federal law.
“Donald Michael and his co-conspirators strategized at length about how to ‘bait’ young boys into taking and sending explicit images of themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “They reveled in the anonymity that the internet provided them to target and catfish their young victims. Unmasking these predators is a priority for my office and the FBI, as we work to protect children everywhere from sexual exploitation.”
“The sexual exploitation of children remains one of the most devious crimes the men and women of the FBI investigate,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This serves as a reminder how seriously the FBI and our partners take the online victimization of minors. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect children from abuse and exploitation, and that ensure that those who harm them will be held accountable.”
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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 projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly Harrell and Michelle Rotella.
Alpine Man Sentenced to Six Years for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Erik David Morgan of Alpine was sentenced in federal court today to 72 months in prison for possessing a significant amount of fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
According to plea documents, Morgan used social media messaging applications to arrange to sell 3.5 grams of fentanyl for $150 to an individual who was, in fact, an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
On March 14, 2024, when Morgan arrived at the meeting location in El Cajon, he was encountered by uniformed El Cajon police officers, who discovered Morgan in possession of 10.05 grams of fentanyl.
Federal agents and task force officers with Homeland Security Investigations’ Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) led this investigation.
HSI San Diego FAST is a multiagency task force comprising state, local and federal partners and was first established in August 2022 focusing on the disruption and dismantlement of criminal organizations that smuggle and distribute fentanyl with San Diego County. HSI’s FAST targets fentanyl smuggling and distribution networks to counter the rising overdose rate and decrease the availability and accessibility of fentanyl.
Fentanyl remains a serious threat. The latest DEA laboratory testing announced last fall indicated that five out of 10 pills tested contained a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a lethal dose. For perspective, one gram of fentanyl, equivalent in size to a sugar packet, has the potential to kill up to 500 people.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron McElhose.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr787-BAS
Erik David Morgan Age: 44 Alpine, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $1,000,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
El Cajon Police Department
- Albuquerque Man Sentenced for Threatening and Stalking a Raleigh Woman He Met Online
Ahoskie Gang Member Sentenced to 71 Months in Prison for Firearm and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – An Ahoskie man was sentenced today to 71 months in prison for gun and drug crimes. Nyjawaun Ezell, a.k.a. “Nike,” age 28, pleaded guilty to the charges on November 13, 2024.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Ezell, a high-ranking member of the G-Shine set of the Bloods gang, unlawfully obtained multiple firearms over a 10-month period while under indictment for allegedly murdering a rival gang member in Hertford County. In one instance, Ezell tried to purchase an AR-style rifle at a local gun store and made a false statement on the ATF gun-purchase form about being under the felony indictment, which disqualified him from being able to purchase a firearm. The evidence also showed that Ezell was engaged in dealing narcotics and other controlled substances in Hertford County during this time period.
Ezell pleaded guilty to three counts of receipt of a firearm while under felony indictment; one count of knowingly making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer; and one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of oxycodone.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF); the Down East Drug and Violent Crime Task Force; and the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-CR-22-FL-RJ.
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Adam Gordon Sworn in as U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Adam Gordon, a career prosecutor who became a nationally-recognized expert on prosecutorial strategies to combat the fentanyl epidemic, was sworn in today as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, one of the busiest federal districts in the nation. Mr. Gordon, 43, was appointed by Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Cynthia A. Bashant administered the oath of office to Gordon in the presence of his senior leadership team, office colleagues, friends and family.
“Thank you to President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for the opportunity to serve as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California,” Mr. Gordon said. “I am deeply honored to lead this office and protect the people of this district. For too long, criminal organizations have exploited the chaos at our border. That chaos of criminality and lack of consequences cannot prevail. Together with our dedicated law enforcement partners, we will focus our resources on the Operation Take Back America priorities including securing the border, prosecuting cartel leaders, and removing dangerous offenders from our communities.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office enforces federal criminal laws in the Southern District of California, which includes San Diego and Imperial counties, and represents the federal government in civil litigation. The office is one of the nation’s largest, comprised of approximately 300 attorneys and staff members. As the U.S. Attorney, Gordon is the chief federal law enforcement official for the district.
Mr. Gordon is a veteran prosecutor who has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California since 2019. He most recently worked in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Unit. Prior to that assignment, he was the office’s Criminal Division Opioid Coordinator for approximately three years.
Gordon was instrumental in creating the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (“FAST”) in San Diego County which is now a national model. Formed in September 2022, FAST is a multi-agency task force led by Homeland Security Investigations working in conjunction with federal partners, along with state and local agencies to target significant fentanyl distributors in San Diego County to reduce the overdose death rate. He also has personally prosecuted many of resulting in death cases, achieving justice for the families of victims of fentanyl poisonings, including the drug dealer responsible for the death of a 13-year-old in Coronado.
Prior to serving as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Gordon was a Deputy District Attorney in San Diego County where he prosecuted a variety of criminal matters but focused on violent crimes. From 2014 to 2018, Adam was in private practice in San Diego. Gordon received his bachelor’s degree in economics in 2004 from Harvard University, and his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2008.
10 April 2025
USAO Recognizes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 6-12, 2025Read the Press Release
CLEVELAND – National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is April 6-12, 2025. The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) is commemorating this important awareness week by highlighting those who have been impacted by crime.
In a September 2024 report, the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs released data from their National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), that indicated that in 2023, the rate of nonfatal violent victimization in the United States was 22.5 victimizations per 1,000 persons ages 12 or older, which was similar to the 2022 rate of 23.5 violent victimizations per 1,000 persons ages 12 or older. Violent victimization includes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault.
The USAO has a special unit dedicated to ensuring that the victims of federal crimes are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect throughout their involvement with the federal criminal justice system. A team of dedicated Victim Assistance Specialists work with those who are recognized as crime victims and make sure that they are notified about case-related matters. Victims are provided with an opportunity to be heard and receive the services and protections provided by federal law. In particular, Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Victim Specialists in the Northern District of Ohio take special care to protect the most vulnerable among us, our senior citizens and our children..
“Our district has a deep commitment to victims from all populations, including our seniors and children. Criminals prey on these populations because they are, or appear to be the most vulnerable among us,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “Our office’s dedicated team of prosecutors serves to bring justice to victims of all federal crimes. We realize that the work we do to hold criminals accountable is of vital importance to those that have suffered at their hands. Whether it’s achieving a sense of safety in their home, their community, or on the internet, our work is an important first step to their healing. That’s why most of us signed up for this job.”
The DOJ’s Elder Justice Initiative combats elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and other scams that target our nation’s senior citizens. Elder fraud schemes take a variety of forms that range from small-scale identity thefts to mass mail fraud schemes that steal money and other assets from thousands of elderly victims. Annually, these fraud schemes bilk seniors out of billions of dollars throughout the country. In recent years, USAO cases related to elder fraud involved more than 360 victims from across the country including seven in the Northern District of Ohio.
Project Safe Childhood is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. The danger of perpetrators who produce, distribute and possess child sexual abuse material (CSAM), also known as child pornography, is equally dramatic and disturbing as it creates a permanent record of the child’s victimization. In 2024, District cases included nearly 30 identified victims under the age of 18 that were discovered during federal investigations. However, because perpetrators share files digitally across the country, the number of CSAM victims can number into the hundreds in some cases.”
To learn more about how to support all victims of crime, visit the Office for Victims of Crime’s website at ovc.ojp.gov.
About the Northern District of Ohio
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio covers the 40 northern-most counties in the state of Ohio, which is home to nearly six million people. The office operates from its main headquarters in Cleveland, with additional branches in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown. The U.S. Attorney serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the District and oversees the prosecution of federal crimes and protect victims’ rights.
U.S. Extradites Alleged Co-Conspirator of 2008 Mumbai Terrorist Attacks to Face Charges in IndiaRead the Press Release
The United States on Wednesday extradited convicted terrorist Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, to stand trial in India on 10 criminal charges stemming from his alleged role in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Rana’s extradition is a critical step toward seeking justice for the six Americans and scores of other victims who were killed in the heinous attacks.
Rana, 64, is charged in India with numerous offenses, including conspiracy, murder, commission of a terrorist act, and forgery, related to his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks committed by Laskhar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Between November 26 and 29, 2008, ten LeT terrorists carried out a series of 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks in Mumbai. They infiltrated the city by sea and then broke into teams, dispersing to multiple locations. Attackers at a train station fired guns and threw grenades into crowds. Attackers at two restaurants shot indiscriminately at patrons. Attackers at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel gunned people down and detonated explosives. Attackers also shot and killed people at a Jewish community center. When the terror finally subsided, 166 victims, including six Americans, were dead, along with all but one of the LeT terrorists. Hundreds more were injured, and Mumbai sustained more than $1.5 billion in property damage. The attacks were among the most horrific and catastrophic in India’s history.
India alleges that Rana facilitated a fraudulent cover so that his childhood friend David Coleman Headley (Headley), a U.S. citizen born Daood Gilani, could freely travel to Mumbai for the purpose of conducting surveillance of potential attack sites for LeT. As India alleges, Headley had received training from LeT members in Pakistan and was in direct communication with LeT about plans to attack Mumbai. Among other things, Rana allegedly agreed to open a Mumbai branch of his immigration business and appoint Headley as the manager of the office, despite Headley’s having no immigration experience. On two separate occasions, Rana allegedly helped Headley prepare and submit visa applications to Indian authorities that contained information Rana knew to be false. Rana also allegedly supplied, through his unsuspecting business partner, documentation in support of Headley’s attempt to secure formal approval from Indian authorities to open a branch office of Rana’s business. Over the course of more than two years, Headley allegedly repeatedly met with Rana in Chicago and described his surveillance activities on behalf of LeT, LeT’s responses to Headley’s activities, and LeT’s potential plans for attacking Mumbai.
After the attacks were complete, Rana allegedly told Headley that the Indians “deserved it.” In an intercepted conversation with Headley, Rana allegedly commended the nine LeT terrorists who had been killed committing the attacks, saying that “[t]hey should be given Nishan-e-Haider”—Pakistan’s “highest award for gallantry in battle,” which is reserved for fallen soldiers.
India’s pending proceedings against Rana are not the first proceedings in which Rana has been accused of conspiring to commit violent acts of terrorism. In 2013, Rana was sentenced to 14 years in prison following his trial conviction in the Northern District of Illinois for conspiring to provide material support to LeT and to a foiled LeT-sponsored terrorist plot in Copenhagen, Denmark. As part of those same criminal proceedings, Headley pleaded guilty to 12 federal terrorism charges, including aiding and abetting the murders of the six Americans in Mumbai and later planning to attack a Danish newspaper, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
In June 2020, the United States acted on a request for Rana’s extradition submitted by the Republic of India, which Rana contested for almost five years. On May 16, 2023, a U.S. magistrate judge in the Central District of California certified Rana’s extradition to India. Rana then filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, which the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California denied on August 10, 2023. On August 15, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed that decision. The Supreme Court likewise denied Rana’s petition for certiorari on January 21, 2025. The Secretary of State issued a warrant ordering Rana’s surrender to Indian authorities. Both the district court and the Ninth Circuit denied Rana’s application for a stay of extradition, and on April 7, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Rana’s application for a stay of extradition.
On April 9, the U.S. Marshals Service executed the Secretary’s surrender warrant by surrendering Rana to Indian authorities for transportation to India. Rana’s extradition is now complete.
The extradition litigation was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Lulejian and David R. Friedman and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Bram M. Alden of the Central District of California and Deputy Director Christopher J. Smith, Associate Director Kerry A. Monaco, and former Associate Director Rebecca A. Haciski of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs. The U.S. Marshals Service and attorneys and international affairs specialists in the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided support to this extradition. The FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in New Delhi also provided assistance.
U.S. Marshals Service photo by Shane T. McCoy U.S. Marshals in the Central District of California on April 9 transferred custody of Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani national and Canadian citizen, to representatives from India’s National Investigation Agency. U.S. Marshals Service photo by Shane T. McCoy U.S. Marshals in the Central District of California on April 9 transferred custody of Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani national and Canadian citizen, to representatives from India’s National Investigation Agency.Two New Orleans Men Indicted for Bank Robbery and Possession of Stolen VehicleRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KAILUS JAMES (“JAMES”), age29, and CEDRIC MAY (“MAY”), age 31, were charged on April 4, 2025, in a three-count indictment, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. Count 1 charged them with conspiracy to commit bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Count 2 charged them with bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2113(a) and (d), and 2. Count 3 charged them with possession of a stolen vehicle, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2313 and 2.
According to the indictment, on or about March 15, 2025, JAMES and MAY stole approximately $98,320.00 of United States currency, belonging to and in the care, custody, control, management, and possession of a JP Morgan Chase Bank, in New Orleans.
If convicted, JAMES and MAY face a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release, for Count 1; up to 25 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release for Count 2; and up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count 3. JAMES and MAY also face a payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to all three counts.
Acting United States Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crime Task Force, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Two Foreign Nationals Arrested for Possessing Firearm in Mayfield, KentuckyRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant was issued this week charging two illegal aliens with possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, and Chief Nathan Kent of the Mayfield Police Department made the announcement.
According to the complaint, Rodrigo Waldemar Caal-Caal, age 22, a citizen of Guatemala, and Rodolfo Ruiz-Hernandez, age 26, a citizen of Mexico, were charged with possessing a firearm on April 6, 2025, in Mayfield, Kentucky knowing they were aliens illegally and unlawfully in the United States. Caal-Caal and Ruiz-Hernandez admitted to possessing a firearm by removing it from the scene of a death investigation in Mayfield on April 6, 2025. The Mayfield Police Department continues to investigate the death. Both defendants are separately charged in state court with additional offenses.
This case is being investigated by the ATF Paducah Satellite Office, HSI Paducah Office, and the Mayfield Police Department.
Both defendants remain state custody and will make initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky at a later date. If convicted on the charges in the complaint, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Hancock, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the cases.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Tucson Woman Indicted for Attempting to Smuggle Rifle Ammunition from the United States into MexicoRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned a one-count indictment against Andrea Villalva, 32, of Tucson, Arizona, for Smuggling Goods from the United States.
The complaint filed in this case alleges that, on March 7, 2024, Villalva attempted to exit the United States through the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. During a physical inspection of Villalva’s vehicle, Customs and Border Protection Officers discovered 8 sealed cases of 5.56 XP193 rifle ammunition hidden behind the rear wall of the trunk. In total, 8,000 rounds of ammunition were recovered. Villalva admitted being paid $150 per box of ammunition that she successfully smuggled into Mexico. She also admitted to having smuggled ammunition into Mexico on three previous occasions.
A conviction for Smuggling Goods from the United States carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie A. Sottosanti, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-CR-01724-TUC-AMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-053_Villalva# # #
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.
Tobyhanna Man Charged with Wire Fraud for His Misappropriation of Covid Relief Funds and with Making A False Tax Return in Support of Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that William Freeman, IV, age 45, of Tobyhanna, PA, was charged by criminal information with one count of wire fraud and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, over a multi-year period between 2020 and 2021, Freeman submitted at least 10 applications seeking pandemic stimulus funds through both the Economic Injury and Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, as well as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) on behalf of several entities under his control, including, Second Haven Services for Youth, Inc., Phoenix Behavioral Health Network, LLC, Pocono Wing Hut, LLC, and Legacy Group Real Estate Company. The applications submitted by Freeman were filed on behalf of corporate entities that did not, in fact, have actual business operations, and that bore false employee headcount information, fabricated gross revenues, and costs of goods sold. Freeman additionally made material misrepresentations on these applications about his criminal history, representing that he had none when, in fact, he did. Freeman obtained over $300,000 dollars in stimulus funds through filing the fraudulent applications, which he spent on unapproved personal expenses and which was never repaid.
Additionally, and in support of that fraud, Freeman filed a falsified Form 1040 and a falsified W-3 in 2020 for the 2019 tax year claiming thousands of dollars in taxes that were withheld and paid over to the IRS which never happened. In addition to his failure to pay over those taxes, he also attempted to obtain thousands of dollars of tax refund money. Mr. Freeman did this for the purpose of creating a filed tax return in an attempt to obtain additional stimulus funds.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Honora Berti.
“IRS Criminal Investigation agents will continue to be on the front lines to fight fraud.” Stated Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is up to 23 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Spending More Than $300,000 in COVID Relief FundsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Denys Perez (31, Tampa) has pleaded guilting to wire fraud related to COVID relief funds. Perez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. In addition, he faces a forfeiture order of $502,900, as well as a forfeiture order for the property he purchased with proceeds of his offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, between September 2021 and January 2022, Perez applied for COVID relief funds through the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Based on the information submitted by Perez, he was awarded $502,900 in EIDL funds. As part of the application process, Perez certified he would use all the EIDL proceeds solely as working capital to alleviate the economic injury caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Contrary to this certification, Perez fraudulently spent more than $300,000 of his EIDL on personal expenses, including the purchase of a house.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.
This case was investigated by the Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn E. Hoenemeyer.
To report a COVID-related fraud scheme or suspicious activity, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling the NCDF Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Tampa Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking Three VictimsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Demontrae Clarence Fagan (34, Tampa) with three counts of sex trafficking. If convicted on all counts, Fagan faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between January and November 2022, Fagan knowingly trafficked three victims to engage in commercial sex acts.
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 and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms and Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jobie Patterson, age 53, of Syracuse, pled guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to traffic firearms and possession of child pornography. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Patterson admitted that between approximately December 2022 and January 2023, he conspired with others to unlawfully transfer firearms. Patterson admitted that a coconspirator acquired firearms using a straw purchaser in Georgia, then sent photographs and videos of those firearms to Patterson in Syracuse. Patterson then sold those firearms to a customer in Syracuse. Patterson further admitted that he knew that the customer had previously been convicted of a felony, and that the use, carrying, or possession of the firearms by the customer would constitute a felony. Patterson acknowledged that at a meeting in Syracuse, he sold the customer 4 handguns.
Patterson further admitted, as part of his guilty plea, that he committed the separate offense of possession of child pornography. Patterson admitted that in May 2023, the defendant knowingly possessed sexually explicit images and videos of a 16-year-old female child. Patterson admitted that in a series of messages he exchanged with the child, the defendant directed the child to produce and transmit specific sexually explicit images to him, which she did. Patterson acknowledged that he then knowingly possessed those images in his personal cloud storage account.
At sentencing, currently set for August 13, 2025, on the firearms-trafficking conspiracy, Patterson faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Patterson may be required to forfeit the firearms involved in the crime. On the child pornography offense, Patterson faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. Patterson also faces a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life, to follow any term of imprisonment. Patterson may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victim of his offense and must register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the New York State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
State Senate Campaign Treasurer Admits Lying to Federal Grand JuryRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JESSICA MARTINEZ, 43, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to making a false declaration before a federal grand jury.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Martinez was the Treasurer for the campaign of Dennis A. Bradley, who was running for a Connecticut State Senate seat in 2018. The Citizens’ Election Program (“CEP”) is a voluntary public election-financing program under which candidates for Connecticut state offices can apply to the State Elections Enforcement Commission (“SEEC”) for grants to fund their primary and general election campaigns. On March 15, 2018, the Bradley campaign held an event at Dolphin’s Cove restaurant in Bridgeport. Although CEP rules imposed a $2,000 limit on a State Senate candidate’s expenditure of personal funds, Bradley used personal funds to pay Dolphin’s Cove $5,597.31 for the campaign event, used personal funds for additional campaign expenditures related to the event, and received campaign contributions from several contributors at the event. In subsequent filings with SEEC, the campaign omitted the Dolphin’s Cove event and that Bradley had incurred more than $6,000 in expenses related to it, and misrepresented the dates of contributions the campaign had received on March 15, 2018. In July 2018, SEEC issued the campaign $84,140 in public funds.
On September 23, 2020, Martinez appeared as a witness under oath before a federal grand jury in New Haven. When asked about the Dolphin’s Cove event, Martinez falsely stated, “Dolphin's Cove had zero to do with me and the campaign. Dolphin’s Cove was a BDK event, (Bradley’s) law firm’s event, thanking the community, in which I knew State Senator Bradley was going to announce his run for state senate.” Martinez further stated, “There was no fundraising there. There was no fundraising there. But at any rate, I was not the treasurer yet. The campaign did not begin. That was a BDK event.”
The charge of making a false statement before the grand jury carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Martinez was arrested on May 25, 2021. She is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
Bradley is awaiting trial in this matter. Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan N. Francis and David E. Novick.
South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty for Illegally Importing and Selling Sperm Whale Teeth and BonesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. —Lauren H. DeLoach, 69, of Saint Helena Island, has pleaded guilty to Lacey Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) charges for importing and selling sperm whale teeth and bones.
According to court documents and statements made in court, DeLoach admitted to, from September 2021 through September 2024, importing sperm whale parts to South Carolina, including at least 30 shipments from Australia, Latvia, Norway, and Ukraine. Records showed that DeLoach instructed suppliers to label the items as “plastic” so they would not be seized by U.S. customs authorities. From July 2022 through September 2024, DeLoach acknowledged selling the teeth and bones in violation of the Lacey Act. He sold at least 85 items on eBay worth over $18,000, and agents seized approximately $20,000 worth of sperm whale parts from DeLoach’s residence during a search warrant.
The MMPA prohibits importing any marine mammal, which includes whales, except for limited public display, scientific research, or enhancement of a species survival. The Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife protection law and makes it unlawful to sell any wildlife that was illegally imported.
The sperm whale is the largest species of toothed whale, reaching up to 78 feet and 45 tons. Individuals prize their teeth and bones as decorations or as a scrimshaw or painting medium. Sperm whale have been listed under the Endangered Species Act as endangered since 1970 and are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The United States and the countries from which imported DeLoach are signatories to CITES, an international agreement to protect fish, wildlife, and plants that are or may become threatened with extinction.
“Illegal wildlife trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar global business that endangers protected animals and fuels organized crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “We will continue to enforce the Lacey Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act so vulnerable species like the sperm whale are not killed and sold for parts.”
“Whales are among the world's most iconic species, and they're also among the most vulnerable to illegal harvest driven by commercialization. The illicit trade in sperm whale teeth and ear bones contributes to the monetization of at-risk marine mammal populations that America protects through federal laws and international treaties," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement Assistant Director Doug Ault. "As part of 'Operation Raw Deal' — a nationwide crackdown on the illegal trade in whale parts — this investigation demonstrates our commitment to bringing justice to those who exploit protected wildlife for profit."
DeLoach faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the felony Lacey Act charge and a maximum sentence of one year in prison for the misdemeanor MMPA violation. United States District Judge David C. Norton accepted the guilty plea and will sentence DeLoach after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina, and Assistant Director Douglas Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle Klein and Winston Holliday are prosecuting the case with Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section.
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Shiprock Man Guilty of Assault in Stabbing CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty as charged in his federal indictment for assault with a dangerous weapon because he intentionally stabbed his ex-girlfriend and struck her with his vehicle during a violent altercation.
According to court records, on November 2, 2024, Jane Doe, and her sister were stopped at a road construction zone when her ex-boyfriend, Tyrell Lee Johnson, 29, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, approached their vehicle. Johnson physically attacked Jane Doe, striking her head, stabbing her abdomen with a knife, and striking her with his vehicle as he fled the scene. Jane Doe sustained injuries, including an abdominal wound, bruises, abrasions, and a concussion.
Navajo Police located Johnson’s vehicle in Cudei, New Mexico, identified by its damaged front bumper, and apprehended him after a brief pursuit. Officers recovered a black folding knife from Johnson’s possession and confirmed he had no alcohol in his system during processing.
At sentencing, Johnson faces up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.
San Francisco Resident Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Dale Jetton was sentenced today to serve 180 months (15 years) in federal prison for distribution of child pornography announced Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen handed down the sentence.
Jetton pleaded guilty on August 22, 2024, to one count of distribution of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2). Jetton was originally indicted by a federal grand jury on August 29, 2023. According to the plea agreement, beginning in March 2023, Jetton began exchanging email messages with an individual who, unbeknownst to him, was an undercover law enforcement officer. Jetton sent the undercover officer an invitation and link to a cloud service that Jetton boasted contained over 700+ megabytes of child exploitation materials. The link included thirty-eight videos containing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Jetton, a registered sex offender, admitted he knew the visual depictions in these videos included prepubescent minors or minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including at least one video that depicted a minor being subjected to sexual bondage.
Jetton has been in custody since his arrest in 2023. He will begin serving his prison term immediately. In addition to the prison term, Judge Chen also ordered Jetton to serve 15 years of supervised release which will begin after his term of imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roland Chang and Sophia Cooper. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the San Francisco Police Department.
San Angelo man posing as 11-year-old in child pornography production case sentenced to 50 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
A San Angelo man who impersonated an 11-year-old child and persuaded a 9-year-old female child to produce child sexual abuse material was sentenced Tuesday to 50 years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
James Wilson, 57, was indicted in September and pleaded guilty in December 2024 to Production of Child Pornography and Transportation of Child Pornography. He was sentenced Tuesday to 600 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who also ordered Wilson to pay $106,500 in restitution.
According to court documents, Wilson employed a 9-year-old victim to produce at least two videos of her engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Wilson admitted to using a social media application to transport multiple videos of child pornography over the Internet. He also admitted to possessing and transporting a video that depicted a 10-year-old female child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Wilson admitted to law enforcement that he had viewed and downloaded child pornography for several years.
The vast collection of child pornography possessed by Wilson included videos from multiple identified child pornography series. Minor victims from 13 of the series requested restitution due to trauma from their sexual abuse. The Court awarded $106,500 in restitution to those victims.
FBI’s Dallas Field Division – San Angelo Resident Agency and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Ohlhausen prosecuted the case.