Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
9 April 2025
Florida Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - A Florida man was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison for evading more than $5.5 million in taxes, interest, and penalties that he owed the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, David Albert Fletcher, of Deltona, owned and operated furniture liquidations businesses, including Century Liquidators. For tax years 2004 through 2013, Fletcher did not timely file his federal income tax returns or pay the taxes he owed. After an audit, the IRS assessed a total of $1.7 million in taxes, interest, and penalties against him.
To evade collection of these taxes, Fletcher concealed his income and assets from the IRS. For example, Fletcher used nominees to hide his purchases of luxury vehicles, including Rolls Royces. Fletcher also filed false income tax returns that understated his income by several million dollars, and when an IRS special agent interviewed him, Fletcher falsely represented the amount of income he earned.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger for the Middle District of Florida ordered Fletcher to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $7,112,689 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Zachary A. Cobb and Charles A. O’Reilly of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Testerman for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Florida Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison for evading more than $5.5 million in taxes, interest, and penalties that he owed the IRS.
According to court documents and statements made in court, David Albert Fletcher, of Deltona, owned and operated furniture liquidations businesses, including Century Liquidators. For tax years 2004 through 2013, Fletcher did not timely file his federal income tax returns or pay the taxes he owed. After an audit, the IRS assessed a total of $1.7 million in taxes, interest, and penalties against him.
To evade collection of these taxes, Fletcher concealed his income and assets from the IRS. For example, Fletcher used nominees to hide his purchases of luxury vehicles, including Rolls Royces. Fletcher also filed false income tax returns that understated his income by several million dollars, and when an IRS special agent interviewed him, Fletcher falsely represented the amount of income he earned.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger for the Middle District of Florida ordered Fletcher to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $7,112,689 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Zachary A. Cobb and Charles A. O’Reilly of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Testerman for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Five sentenced for smuggling cocaine into the countryRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Four more individuals from Mexico have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy involving over 100 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Bolivar Ramos-Barragan, 45, Angel Ramirez-Serna, 28, and Claudia Contreras-Viveros, 41, all of Mexico, had all previously pleaded guilty.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now imposed a 70-month-term of imprisonment for Ramos-Barragan, while Ramirez-Serna and Contreras-Viveros received respective terms of 36 and 50 months. Not U.S. citizens, all are expected to face removal proceedings following their sentences.
Victor Aguilar, also of Mexico, was previously sentenced to 127 months.
The investigation revealed that in 2022 and 2023, all had smuggled multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from Mexico into the United States. The co-conspirators would utilize vehicles to smuggle the drugs which would then be stored in local stash houses before being distributed to others for further distribution.
In December 2022, authorities arrested Ramirez-Serna while in possession of eight kilograms of cocaine. The following month, Filiberto Elizalde-Hernandez had delivered eight kilograms of cocaine to Contreras-Viveros and her husband - Aguilar. During each of the events, Ramos-Barragan oversaw the transfer and distribution of the narcotics.
The investigation revealed the conspirators had possessed and distributed over 100 kilograms of cocaine over several months.
Elizalde-Hernandez is set for sentencing April 28.
Ramos-Barragan, Ramirez-Serna and Contreras-Viveros will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the Edinburg Police Department and the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James Sturgis prosecuted the case.
Fifth Defendant Pleads Guilty in Car Dealership Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Mississippi – A Louisiana woman pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to use the stolen identities of others to purchase expensive vehicles in the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2023, Joshanique Elouise Bailey, 29, of New Orleans, Louisiana, and her coconspirators obtained the identity information of credit-worthy individuals, created false identity documents in the names of those individuals, and then posed as those individuals at automotive dealerships in order to apply for vehicle financing. Bailey and her coconspirators submitted credit applications and purchased or attempted to purchase vehicles from dealerships in the Jackson metro area. The defendants traveled from Louisiana to Mississippi in a vehicle rented by one of the coconspirators.
Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Bailey is the fifth and final coconspirator to plead guilty as part of this scheme. All five of the defendants are awaiting sentencing. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office are investigating the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Honduran National for Illegally Possessing Firearm and Illegal Re-Entry After Having Been Removed from the U.S. on 2 Prior OccasionsRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment today charging a Honduran national with illegally re-entering the United States and possessing a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement, and Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Alexis Pinto-Mejia, age 38, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with possessing a firearm on February 25, 2024, in Warren County, Kentucky, knowing he was illegally and unlawfully in the United States. Pinto-Mejia was also charged with illegally re-entering the United States after having previously been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about April 4, 2006, and July 6, 2016.
The defendant previously made an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on a federal complaint and arrest warrant. The Court ordered the defendant detained pending trial. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. The Court ordered the defendant detained pending trial.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by HSI Bowling Green, ATF Bowling Green, and ICE ERO.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Fayetteville Man Sentenced for Selling Fentanyl and Cocaine in Cumberland CountyRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Fayetteville man was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and distributing a quantity of cocaine. Charles Bernard Veal, age 50, pled guilty to three counts of drug trafficking on January 15, 2025.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Veal supplemented his income as a screen-printer by selling dangerous narcotics. Known as “T-Shirt Man,” law enforcement identified him as a source of both cocaine and fentanyl in the Fayetteville area. As part of the investigation, law enforcement purchased cocaine from Veal in October 2021. Veal provided law enforcement with approximately 56 grams of cocaine for $2,600 in the parking lot of a local restaurant.
In February 2022, law enforcement made two undercover purchases of fentanyl from Veal. On the first occasion, Veal sold approximately 57 grams of fentanyl for $3,600 in the parking lot of a Lowe’s Home Improvement. On the second occasion, Veal sold law enforcement approximately 54 grams of fentanyl for $3,600 at a location near Cross Creek Mall.
In March 2022, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office arrested Veal after a traffic stop on Interstate 95. During that traffic stop, law enforcement found 57 grams of cocaine, a 9mm magazine, and a BB gun in Veal’s car.
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, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Fayetteville Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan W. Liles 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. 5:23-CR-00277-FL.
###
Ecuadorian National Illegally Present in the Country Charged with Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Jorge Cazhco-Inamagua, an Ecuadorian man residing in Bloomington, Minnesota, has been charged with attempted enticement of a minor, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on March 12, 2025, Jorge Mauricio Cazhco-Inamagua, 32, attempted to entice a minor under the age of 18 years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Cazhco-Inamagua was illegally present in the United States at the time of his crime, despite a previous removal order.
The indictment charges Cazhco-Inamagua with one count of enticement of a minor. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty and will remain in custody pending further court proceedings.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of sexual predators—particularly those who would prey on minors,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “I am grateful to the Bloomington Police Department, to Homeland Security Investigations, and to all law enforcement officers who use undercover operations to identify and arrest child sex predators to prevent them from abusing real children.”
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bloomington Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Evans is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
DynCorp Agrees to Pay $21 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Lawsuit Alleging Inflated Costs on State Department Contract to Train Civilian Police Forces in IraqRead the Press Release
DynCorp International LLC (DynCorp) has agreed to pay $21 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it knowingly submitted inflated subcontractor charges under a State Department contract to train Iraqi police forces, known as the “CIVPOL” contract. DynCorp was a government contractor headquartered in Irving, Texas, and Falls Church, Virginia. Amentum, another government contractor with headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia, purchased DynCorp in November 2020.
The State Department awarded the CIVPOL contract to DynCorp in April 2004 to provide training for civilian police forces in Iraq. DynCorp was also tasked with supplying support for this effort, such as lodging for contractor personnel and various labor services. In a lawsuit filed in July 2016, the United States alleged that one of DynCorp’s main CIVPOL subcontractors charged excessive, uncompetitive, and unsubstantiated rates for hotel lodging and guard, translator, driver, and supervisor services, and that DynCorp, contrary to its obligations as a government prime contractor, knowingly passed on those charges to the State Department for reimbursement.
“Federal contractors have a duty be fair and honest when doing business with the government,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department will not tolerate those who use times of conflict and strife to enrich themselves at the expense of the American people.”
“As the Trump Administration zeroes in on fraud, waste, and abuse, this office will continue to seek settlements with outside entities that are taking advantage of their U.S. government contract by either not providing what they promised or misusing the funds in other ways,” said Interim U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “This contractor was supposed to train civilian police forces to help the State Department provide some stability for a strategic partner. When you are given a government contract, you are taking money from the American people and this office will make certain you deliver on your promises.”
“State Department contractors and subcontractors have a unique opportunity to serve their country and contribute to the safety and security of Americans across the globe,” said Assistant Inspector General Robert J. Smolich for Investigations at the Department of State Office of Inspector General. “Today's settlement sends a clear message that those who seek to exploit State Department contracts in order to defraud American taxpayers will be held accountable for their actions.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of an effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Inspector General.
Trial Attorneys Ben Young and Jeff McSorley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez for the District of Columbia represented the United States in this matter.
The case is captioned United States v. DynCorp International LLC, Case No. 1:16-cv-01473 (D.D.C.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
DynCorp Agrees to Pay $21 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Lawsuit Alleging Inflated Costs on State DepartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - DynCorp International, LLC (DynCorp) has agreed to pay $21 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it knowingly submitted inflated subcontractor charges under a State Department contract to train Iraqi police forces, known as the “CIVPOL” contract. DynCorp was a government contractor headquartered in Irving, Texas and Falls Church, Virginia. Amentum, another government contractor with headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia, purchased DynCorp in November 2020.
The settlement was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, and Assistant Inspector General Robert J. Smolich for Investigations at the Department of State Office of Inspector General.
The State Department awarded the CIVPOL contract to DynCorp in April 2004 to provide training for civilian police forces in Iraq. DynCorp was also tasked with supplying support for this effort, such as lodging for contractor personnel and various labor services. In a lawsuit filed in July 2016, the United States alleged that one of DynCorp’s main CIVPOL subcontractors charged excessive, uncompetitive, and unsubstantiated rates for hotel lodging and guard, translator, driver, and supervisor services, and that DynCorp, contrary to its obligations as a government prime contractor, knowingly passed on those charges to the State Department for reimbursement.
“As the Trump Administration zeroes in on fraud, waste, and abuse, this Office will continue to seek settlements with outside entities that are taking advantage of their U.S. government contract by either not providing what they promised or misusing the funds in other ways,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “This contractor was supposed to train civilian police forces to help the State Department provide some stability for a strategic partner. When you are given a government contract, you are taking money from the American people and this office will make certain you deliver on your promises.”
“Federal contractors have a duty be fair and honest when doing business with the government,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department will not tolerate those who use times of conflict and strife to enrich themselves at the expense of the American people.”
The case is captioned United States v. DynCorp International, LLC, Case No. 1:16-cv-01473 (D.D.C.).
"State Department contractors and subcontractors have a unique opportunity to serve their country and contribute to the safety and security of Americans across the globe," said Assistant Inspector General Robert J. Smolich for Investigations at the Department of State Office of Inspector General. "Today's settlement sends a clear message that those who seek to exploit State Department contracts in order to defraud American taxpayers will be held accountable for their actions."
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of an effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Inspector General.
Trial Attorneys Ben Young and Jeff McSorley and Assistant United States Attorney Darrell Valdez represented the United States in this matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Signed Agreement found here:
us_v._dyncorp_final_settlement_agreement_signed.pdfDrug Dealer Receives 108 Months After Picking up Package with 4 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Stephanie Cummings, 39, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 9, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Cummings to 108 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Cummings’ release from prison, she will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
On December 5, 2023, law enforcement intercepted a package that contained nearly 4 pounds of methamphetamine in Nebraska. On December 6, 2023, law enforcement, in an undercover capacity, delivered the package to a residence in Omaha. Cummings and Mitchell Bostic picked up the package. Officers watched Cummings and Bostic as they drove away in Bostic’s vehicle. Believing law enforcement was following them, Bostic instructed Cummings to throw the package containing methamphetamine out of the car window. The officers located the package and subsequently conducted a traffic stop of Bostic’s vehicle. Bostic and Cummings were both arrested. Bostic was previously sentenced in federal court to 235 months’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
District Man Indicted on Federal Firearm Charge Under 'Make D.C. Safe Again' InitiativeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nelson Bryant, 31, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on a federal firearm charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Bryant was indicted on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents, on June 9, 2024, MPD officers were conducting routine foot patrol in the 1900 block of 9th Street NW, Washington D.C. when an unidentified citizen alerted an MPD officer to a man with a firearm. Shortly thereafter, officers observed an individual, later identified as defendant Nelson Bryant, matching the citizen's description in the 1900 block of 9th Street NW. Officers initiated a stop of Bryant, at which point they allegedly witnessed him remove a handgun from his waistband and hand it to an unknown individual within a nearby crowd.
It is alleged that this unknown male dropped the handgun and fled on foot eastbound on U Street. Bryant was subsequently apprehended by MPD Officers. The firearm, which Bryant allegedly removed from his waistband, was recovered at the location where the unknown subject dropped it.
Bryant is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the ATF and MPD Officers and Detectives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Galloway and Emory V. Cole.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendants Charged Following Armed Coup Attack in the Democratic Republic of the CongoRead the Press Release
Note: View the criminal complaint.
A criminal complaint was unsealed today in the District of Utah charging Marcel Malanga, 22, Tyler Thompson, 22, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, and Joseph Peter Moesser, 67, all U.S. citizens, with conspiring to provide material support and resources, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb places of government facilities, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country, among other offenses.
Malanga, Thompson, and Polun are expected to make their initial appearances at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York. Moesser is expected to make his initial appearance on April 10 at the federal courthouse in Salt Lake City. After their initial appearances in New York, it is expected that Malanga, Thompson, and Polun will appear in Salt Lake City, Utah, for further legal proceedings.
As alleged in the complaint, the defendants conspired to unlawfully carry out a coup d’état in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The coconspirators conducted an armed military operation (Armed Coup Attack) specifically targeting DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Vital Kamerhe (Kamerhe), attacking both the Palais de la Nation (the official residence and principal workplace of the president) and Kamerhe’s private residence in Kinshasa, DRC. Men wearing camouflage fatigues and armed with weapons attacked and entered the Palais de la Nation. Armed men also attacked Kamerhe’s residence, which was riddled with bullet holes after the attack. At least six people died during the attack, including two police officers protecting Kamerhe’s residence, and at least one innocent civilian. The goal of these rebel forces was to overthrow the DRC government, establish a new government known as the New Zaire, and install Christian Malanga, now deceased, as the president of the New Zaire.
Christian Malanga acted as a leader and organizer of these rebel forces. It was the goal of these rebel forces to topple the DRC government and to murder President Félix Tshisekedi, Kamerhe, and others, with the goal of installing Christian as the new president of the DRC. Marcel Malanga also held himself out as a leader of the rebel forces and identified himself as the “Chief of Staff of the Zaire army.” Polun was Christian Malanga’s chief of staff. Moesser was the explosives maker, explosives technician, and explosives supplier. Thompson was a soldier and drone specialist/operator.
Also as alleged in the complaint, Christian Malanga, Marcel Malanga, Thompson, Polun, and Moesser conspired to provide material support and resources including services, training, expert advice or assistance, communication equipment, weapons, explosives, and personnel to the rebel army which was formed to overthrow the DRC government. Further, the defendants conspired to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction during the Armed Coup Attack. The coconspirators planned to use bombs that could be deployed to their targets by drone(s). Targets included people, private residences, and public buildings. They also intended to attach a flamethrower device to a drone and use it as an incendiary device to light people on fire.
The defendants planned, scouted out targets, and identified victims for the Armed Coup Attack, with the purpose and intent to murder other persons, including high-level DRC government officials. They recruited others to join in the Armed Coup Attack as personnel for the rebel army and, in some cases, recruited personnel in exchange for money. The defendants also acquired and attempted to acquire explosive and incendiary devices with the purpose and intent to use such devices to target individuals, private property, and DRC government buildings. Coconspirators communicated with and procured destructive devices, to include carrier devices such as drones, explosives, incendiary devices, and delivery mechanisms, from businesses, private parties, and at least one individual associated with a foreign military to effectuate the Armed Coup Attack.
Additionally, they procured from businesses and private parties, military equipment to include firearms, ammunition, uniforms, communication equipment, and communication jamming equipment. The coconspirators planned to transport weapons, explosives, and resources from the United States to the DRC to effectuate the Armed Coup Attack, and they then transported weapons and resources to the DRC. Further, the defendants engaged in firearms and weapons training in the United States and in Africa to provide services and support during the conspiracy and Armed Coup Attack.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison for each count of conspiring to provide material support and resources; and up to life in prison for each count of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb places of government facilities, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country. Additionally, if convicted, Malanga and Thompson each face a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison for each count of taking a firearm out of the United States to engage in a felony. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Sue J. Bai, head of the U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah, and Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, with assistance by the FBI New York Field Office and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Nairobi, Kenya, which oversees the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan R. Whittaker, Chief, National Security and Cybercrimes Section, and Jonathan Stowers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, and Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs has also provided substantial assistance to the prosecution team.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendants Charged Following Armed Coup Attack in the Democratic Republic of the CongoRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A criminal complaint was unsealed today in the District of Utah charging Marcel Malanga, 22, Tyler Thompson, 22, Benjamin Zalman-Polun, 37, and Joseph Peter Moesser, 67, all U.S. citizens, with conspiring to provide material support and resources, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb places of government facilities, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country, among other offenses.
Malanga, Thompson, and Polun are expected to make their initial appearances at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York. Moesser is expected to make his initial appearance on April 10 at the federal courthouse in Salt Lake City. After their initial appearances in New York, it is expected that Malanga, Thompson, and Polun will appear in Salt Lake City, Utah for further legal proceedings.
As alleged in the complaint, the defendants conspired to unlawfully carry out a coup d’état in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”). The coconspirators conducted an armed military operation (“Armed Coup Attack”) specifically targeting DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Vital Kamerhe (“Kamerhe”), attacking both the Palais de la Nation (the official residence and principal workplace of the president) and Kamerhe’s private residence in Kinshasa, DRC. Men wearing camouflage fatigues and armed with weapons attacked and entered the Palais de la Nation. Armed men also attacked Kamerhe’s residence, which was riddled with bullet holes after the attack. At least six people died during the attack, including two police officers protecting Kamerhe’s residence, and at least one innocent civilian. The goal of these rebel forces was to overthrow the DRC government, establish a new government known as the New Zaire, and install Christian Malanga, now deceased, as the president of the New Zaire.
Christian Malanga acted as a leader and organizer of these rebel forces. It was the goal of these rebel forces to topple the DRC government and to murder President Félix Tshisekedi, Kamerhe, and others, with the goal of installing Christian Malanga as the new president of the DRC. Marcel Malanga also held himself out as a leader of the rebel forces and identified himself as the “Chief of Staff of the Zaire army.” Polun was Christian Malanga’s chief of staff. Moesser was the explosives maker, explosives technician, and explosives supplier. Thompson was a soldier and drone specialist/operator.
Also as alleged in the complaint, Christian Malanga, Marcel Malanga, Thompson, Polun, and Moesser conspired to provide material support and resources including services, training, expert advice or assistance, communication equipment, weapons, explosives, and personnel to the rebel army which was formed to overthrow the DRC government. Further, the defendants conspired to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction during the Armed Coup Attack. The coconspirators planned to use bombs that could be deployed to their targets by drone(s). Targets included people, private residences, and public buildings. They also intended to attach a flamethrower device to a drone and use it as an incendiary device to light people on fire.
The defendants planned, scouted out targets, and identified victims for the Armed Coup Attack, with the purpose and intent to murder other persons, including high-level DRC government officials. They recruited others to join in the Armed Coup Attack as personnel for the rebel army and, in some cases, recruited personnel in exchange for money. The defendants also acquired and attempted to acquire explosive and incendiary devices with the purpose and intent to use such devices to target individuals, private property, and DRC government buildings. Coconspirators communicated with and procured destructive devices, to include carrier devices such as drones, explosives, incendiary devices, and delivery mechanisms, from businesses, private parties, and at least one individual associated with a foreign military to effectuate the Armed Coup Attack.
Additionally, they procured from businesses and private parties, military equipment to include firearms, ammunition, uniforms, communication equipment, and communication jamming equipment. The coconspirators planned to transport weapons, explosives, and resources from the United States to the DRC to effectuate the Armed Coup Attack, and they then transported weapons and resources to the DRC. Further, the defendants engaged in firearms and weapons training in the United States and in Africa to provide services and support during the conspiracy and Armed Coup Attack.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of up to 15 years for each count of conspiring to provide material support and resources; and up to life imprisonment for each count of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb places of government facilities, and conspiracy to kill or kidnap persons in a foreign country. Additionally, if convicted, Malanga and Thompson each face a maximum penalty of up to 15 years for each count of taking a firearm out of the United States to engage in a felony. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah, Sue J. Bai, head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and Mehtab Syed, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, with assistance by the FBI New York Field Office, and the FBI's Legal Attaché Office in Nairobi, Kenya, which oversees the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan R. Whittaker, Chief of the National Security and Cybercrimes Section, and Jonathan Stowers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, and Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs has also provided substantial assistance to the prosecution team.
A complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
motion_for_detention.pdf marcel_m_malanga_et_al_complaint.pdfCoon Rapids Felon Indicted on Drug Trafficking, Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Otis Burks of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, has been indicted for multiple drug trafficking and firearms offenses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on March 12, 2025, Otis Dair Burks, 43, was found in possession of fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base, and a Smith & Wesson 9mm semiautomatic pistol. Because Burks has prior felony convictions, including for aggravated robbery and kidnapping, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
“Narcotics poison our communities and firearms continue to plague our streets with unfortunate—often deadly—consequences for all involved,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Burks has a history of violent crime, and we are thankful for our law enforcement partners for bringing him to justice. Minnesota is safer with Burks off the streets.”
“Today’s indictment is the first step toward removing a violent, drug trafficking criminal from our community,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei said. “No good can come from a combination of fentanyl, cocaine and firearms. Too often, weapons are used to further drug trafficking which in turn, robs people of their money, and also potentially, their lives. We’re grateful to our law enforcement partners for their assistance in removing this threat from our Minnesota streets.”
The indictment charges Burks with one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and fentanyl, one count of illegal possession of a firearm as a felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty on April 10, 2025.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Convicted Felon Guilty at Trial of Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Baldwin County man with a prior aggravated assault conviction, who had a pistol with an extended magazine during a tense standoff with deputies, was found guilty by a federal jury of illegally possessing a firearm this week.
Dormaine Mitchell, 39, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was found guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on April 8, following a two-day trial that began on April 7. Mitchell faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal is presiding over the case. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court.
“We are relieved that no one was injured in this incident and thankful to the officers who effectively managed a tense and dangerous situation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Alongside our law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will vigorously pursue justice against repeat offenders who disregard federal law and illegally possess firearms.”
“A prohibited person in possession of stolen firearms is a clear and present danger to our communities,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka of the Atlanta Field Division. “We are incredibly grateful for the courage and quick action of our law enforcement partners who responded to this high-risk situation. Their dedication ensured a safe outcome for everyone involved. ATF is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners as we work together to protect the public and pursue justice.”
“Law enforcement has a strong footprint in Baldwin County, and this case demonstrates the positive outcomes resulting from the collaboration between the Sheriff’s Department and our federal partners,” said Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, a Baldwin County Sheriff’s deputy observed the defendant driving erratically by running off the side of the road and into oncoming traffic on Vinson Highway near Laboratory Road on Oct. 13, 2022. The officer stopped the vehicle and noticed the driver, Mitchell, had a strong smell of alcohol and slurred speech. Mitchell told the officer he did not have weapons in the car. However, when Mitchell reached for his wallet, the officer saw the extended magazine of a Glock 22 pistol sticking out from between the driver’s seat and the center console. The officer pulled her weapon and commanded Mitchell to put his hands on the steering wheel. The officer then saw Mitchell lower his right hand. The officer called for backup, took cover and gave verbal commands. At some point during their encounter, Mitchell moved the firearm and placed it on the passenger seat of the vehicle. More officers arrived, and Mitchell was taken into custody. While Mitchell was escorted to the police car, he told the officer, “You better be glad it didn’t go bad.” Mitchell has a lengthy criminal history, including a prior aggravated assault conviction in Baldwin County, Georgia, Superior Court. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, along with assistance from the Milledgeville Police Department and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, are investigating the case.
Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julius Jefferson are prosecuting the case for the Government.
Chicago Real Estate Broker Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Prison for Bilking Investors out of More Than $3 MillionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago real estate broker has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for orchestrating a fraud scheme that bilked at least four investors out of more than $3 million.
STANISLAV SANNIKOV, also known as “Steve Sannikov,” owned and operated Chestnut Realty Group, a real estate company in Chicago. From 2016 to 2020, Sannikov fraudulently claimed to investors that certain properties were for sale and that he could negotiate the purchase on their behalf. Sannikov further claimed that the properties could be re-sold or leased for a substantial profit. In reality, Sannikov knew that the properties were not available for sale or lease. Sannikov induced the victim investors to deposit earnest money into what he told them was an escrow account maintained by Chestnut Realty. In fact, Sannikov knew that Chestnut Realty was not licensed to act as an escrow agent and that the account was actually a checking account controlled by Sannikov.
Sannikov withdrew the investor funds and spent the money on his own lavish lifestyle. One victim, who is now in his 70s, had to put off retirement so that he could pay off his losses.
Sannikov, 42, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge. On Friday, U.S. District Joan Humphrey Lefkow ordered Sannikov to pay $2.19 million in remaining restitution to four victims. Judge Lefkow in February sentenced Sannikov to four years and two months in prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office.
“This was not a one-time lapse in judgment,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri H. Mecklenburg argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant, over the course of at least four years, designed and engaged in a calculated, sustained, multi-faceted scheme to defraud multiple individuals.”
Cheswick Resident Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Cheswick, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 240 months of incarceration, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, on his conviction of receiving material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Cam John Zmenkowski, 28.
According to information presented to the Court, from August 2022 through September 2022, during online chats, Zmenkowski induced a minor to send to him nude and sexually explicit images and videos that law enforcement recovered from Zmenkowski’s personal cell phone.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Pittsburgh and FBI Pittsburgh Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, including the Allegheny County Police Department and Sharpsburg Police Department, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Zmenkowski.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Campbell Sales Group Agrees to Pay Nearly $1.5 Million in Restitution and Penalties for COVID-19 Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – Campbell Sales Group, Inc., d/b/a LeatherItaliaUSA (CSG) has agreed to pay $1,499,164 in restitution and penalties and to undertake additional responsibilities to resolve its criminal liabilities in connection with a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan scheme.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in order to mitigate the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for small businesses. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the United States and forgivable so long as the proceeds were used for payroll and other authorized expenses. In order to obtain forgiveness of the full PPP loan balance, the borrower was required to spend, and attest to spending, at least 60 percent of the loan proceeds on eligible payroll costs during the covered period.
CSG is a leather furniture supplier headquartered in Leland, North Carolina. In April 2020, CSG applied for and received a $257,700 PPP loan. As part of the criminal settlement, CSG admitted that after receiving the loan proceeds, it fraudulently increased its payroll in order to meet eligibility requirements for PPP loan forgiveness. Specifically, CSG admitted that it added multiple individuals to the payroll and claimed to have paid them wages, when in fact none of the individuals worked for CSG nor did they receive any wages. CSG further admitted that in addition to the payment of the “ghost wages,” it artificially inflated its payroll by increasing the wages of multiple CSG employees, but the wage payments were not retained by the employees.
CSG also admitted that in October 2020, it submitted a PPP loan forgiveness application, in which it provided a payroll cost figure that included the “ghost wages” and the fraudulently inflated wages. During the application review process, CSG provided false supporting documentation to the lender and made additional false representations. The full balance of the $257,700 PPP loan was subsequently forgiven in May 2021.
In March 2021, CSG applied for an additional PPP loan totaling $213,006. CSG admitted that it incorporated the same false wage information that it used to obtain forgiveness of its first PPP loan in the second PPP loan request.
As part of the criminal settlement, CSG has agreed to pay $1,499,164 in restitution and penalties and be subject to a three-year prosecution deferral period in which it may not commit any further offenses, among other terms.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the settlement was accepted by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The United States Secret Service investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam F. Hulbig 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. 7:25-CR-14-FL.
###
Buffalo man pleads guilty to conspiracy to steal mailRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Eric Michael Robinson, 33, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to commit mail theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that in October 2024, Robinson conspired with co-defendants Lamor Runell Bolden and Antonio Jones, Jr. to steal mail from mail receptacles in Cheektowaga, NY. In addition, the defendants also possessed a key used to open authorized mail receptacles. Robinson drove Bolden and Jones to a mail facility in Cheektowaga at approximately 1:00 a.m. on the morning of October 2, 2024. Robinson parked behind a row of blue collection mailboxes outside the postal facility. Bolden and Jones got out of the car, while Robinson remained in the driver’s seat and kept watch. Jones opened the mailboxes with the stolen key and stole mail from the mailboxes. Bolden and Jones got back into the car and Robinson drove away from the mail facility. A short time later, their car was stopped by law enforcement. At the time the car was stopped, various opened and unopened pieces of mail were found inside. Robinson admits that he and his co-conspirators used the stolen key to open mailboxes at other locations around the Western District of New York.
Charges remain pending against Lamor Runell Bolden and Antonio Jones, Jr.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 7, 2025, before Judge Sinatra.
# # # #
Brooklyn-Based Ninedee Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Covid-19 Unemployment Benefits Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Darnell Jones, also known as “EJ,” pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud and committing aggravated identity theft. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 through August 2021, Jones engaged in a fraud scheme using stolen personal identifying information to fraudulently obtain more than $800,000 from federally funded unemployment insurance programs established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In addition, as part of his guilty plea, Jones admitted to fraudulently obtaining personal identifying information, including bank account information, between May 2021 and October 2024, to commit wire fraud with an intended victim loss of more than $3.5 million. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry. When sentenced, Jones faces up to 32 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of two years’ imprisonment.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty plea.
“Today, Jones admitted to his extensive fraud scheme to swindle millions of dollars of unemployment benefits by using the stolen identities of innocent victims,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Even worse, the federal funds were intended to provide relief to those most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic and instead were diverted by the defendant to finance violent crimes of the Ninedee gang in Brooklyn. My Office and our law enforcement partners recognize that a key means of dismantling violent gangs is, as here, to cut off their sources of income.”
Mr. Durham also thanked the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General and the New York State Department of Labor, Office of Special Investigations for their assistance on the case.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia stated: “Darnell Jones, a Ninedee gang member, financed illicit gang operations with millions of dollars in fraudulent unemployment benefits obtained with numerous stolen identities. For three years, the defendant jeopardized the city’s wellbeing and economic security in a global pandemic through this selfish diversion of critical funding. The FBI remains determined to curtail any mechanism fueling criminal gang activity, especially schemes targeting vulnerable citizens.”
“At the height of a global crisis, Darnell Jones exploited the identities of vulnerable New Yorkers to bankroll a violent gang’s criminal enterprise,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “His guilty plea today is a powerful reminder that no scam is too sophisticated, no network too hidden – we will find you, and we will bring you to justice. I commend our investigators, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their relentless pursuit of justice.”
According to court filings, witness testimony, and the record from the defendant’s detention hearing, Jones is a member of the Ninedee Gang, a violent criminal enterprise operating out of the Louis H. Pink Houses in East New York, Brooklyn, who led the gang’s fraud schemes. Ninedee Gang members were affiliated with the “5” and “6” Pink Houses apartment buildings and engaged in gang-related violence within and outside of the New York City Housing Authority complex. The Ninedee Gang protected its turf through violence, made money by selling drugs and committing fraud, and sought to silence those they perceived to be working with law enforcement. Ninedee Gang members were responsible for the July 2020 murder of Shatavia Walls, a former federal witness who testified against a Ninedee Gang member in Brooklyn federal court in 2019. Seven Ninedee Gang members have been prosecuted for their gang-affiliated crimes, including the murder in-aid-of-racketeering of Shatavia Walls. Five Ninedee defendants have pled guilty and a sixth, Maliek Miller, was convicted at trial in June 2024. The remaining defendant, high-ranking Ninedee leader Raquel Dunton, is charged with drug trafficking and acting as an accessory after-the-fact to Walls’ murder, among other crimes, and is awaiting trial.
Jones and other Ninedee Gang members engaged in “scamming,” or various financial fraud schemes, including check fraud, postal money order fraud, and unemployment benefits fraud. For example, beginning in approximately November 2020, Jones sent a co-conspirator text messages containing the names of 10 New York residents, the purpose of which was to obtain personally identifiable information (PII) for those individuals without their consent. The co-conspirator sent Jones the requested individuals’ dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers. In exchange, Jones paid the co-conspirator with cryptocurrency. Subsequently, Jones submitted fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits to the New York State Department of Labor using the stolen PII. As introduced at the trial of Ninedee Gang leader Maliek Miller, text messages in 2020 showed that Jones coordinated with fellow Ninedee Gang member Kevin Wint about pooling their money to purchase “glicks” or “plates,” which are references to firearms. Notably, in August 2021, law enforcement agents recovered two firearms, which were outfitted with laser sights, in a residence shared by Jones and Wint.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily J. Dean and Irisa Chen are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Theodore Rader.
The Defendant:
DARNELL JONES (also known as “EJ”)
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-369 (DLI)
Bozeman man sentenced to ten years in prison on drug chargesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Bozeman man who possessed methamphetamine and fentanyl was sentenced today to 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Rene Montenegro-Virrey, 51, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in August 2022, drug investigators learned that Rene Montenegro-Virrey was planning a trip to Bozeman to deliver 7,000 fentanyl pills and five pounds of methamphetamine. Over the next several months, drugs were purchased from the defendant through undercover purchases and controlled buys. In August 2024, Montenegro-Virrey met with undercover officers for another transaction. Four pounds of methamphetamine was seized from his vehicle.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the Missouri River Drug Task Force.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
XXX
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Kyvon Ross, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition before U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris who scheduled sentencing for July 16, 2025.
According to the charging documents, on Oct. 3, 2024, Ross was approached by law enforcement after driving a moped at a high speed and without a rear license plate. Ross accelerated directly at one of the officers before losing control of the moped and falling to the ground. Ross violently resisted arrest and was found in possession of a loaded Glock handgun with an obliterated serial number.
Ross is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions, including a 2021 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The charge of possessing ammunition after being convicted of a felony provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of a $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The Boston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely, Chief of the Criminal Division, is prosecuting the case.
Boscobel Man Sentenced to More than Ten years in Federal Prison for Meth ConvictionRead the Press Release
A man who possessed ice methamphetamine with the intent to distribute was sentenced on April 8, 2025, in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Hunter Newberry, age 23, from Boscobel, Wisconsin, pled guilty on October 31, 2024, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on January 27, 2024, law enforcement officers stopped the car Newberry was driving. During the traffic stop, officers searched Newberry’s car and located a bag containing nearly two pounds of methamphetamine. Subsequently, Newberry admitted to officers that he had acquired the methamphetamine in Madison, Wisconsin, and brought it to the Dubuque area to distribute. Newberry admitted that between December 2023 and January 2024, he acquired at least ten pounds of methamphetamine and distributed it in the Dubuque area.
Newberry was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Newberry was sentenced to 140 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Newberry remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of the Dubuque Police Department and the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-1026.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi Statement Regarding Creation of a 2nd Amendment Task ForceRead the Press Release
Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement regarding her creation of a 2nd Amendment Task Force at the Department of Justice:
“The prior administration placed an undue burden on gun owners and vendors by targeting law-abiding citizens exercising their 2nd Amendment rights. The Department of Justice’s new 2nd Amendment Task Force will combine department-wide policy and litigation resources to advance President Trump’s pro-gun agenda and protect gun owners from overreach.”
Background:
- This follows the DOJ and ATF’s Monday repeal of the Enhanced Regulatory Enforcement Policy and the review of Final Rule 2021R-08F, related to stabilizing braces, and Final Rule 2022R-17F, related to the definition of “engaging in the business” of firearms dealing. Read more here.
- Read the full memo establishing the 2nd Amendment Task Force here.
Armed Felon Indicted After Discharging Firearm in Air Near Southeast D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dewayne Keith Miles, 29, of Washington, D.C., has been indicted on a federal firearm charge as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Miles was charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon.
According to court documents, On March 15, 2025, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers were investigating a robbery in Southeast Washington, D.C., when they heard gunfire nearby. Officers observed defendant Dewayne Keith Miles allegedly discharging a firearm into the air in front of a residence on Benning Road, SE.
It is alleged that as officers approached, Miles fled into the residence. At the scene, police recovered thirteen 9mm cartridge casings and a Smith & Wesson SD9 handgun, which was located near the casings. The firearm matched the type used and was later confirmed to be reported stolen from the Richmond City Police Department.
Court documents say that officers then secured the residence, detained its occupants, and ultimately took Miles into custody after he exited the building. A search revealed a live 9mm round in his possession, consistent with the ammunition found on the street. The firearm was determined to be functional, unregistered, and transported through interstate commerce, as there are no firearms or ammunition distributors in the District.
A criminal records check confirmed Miles had a prior felony conviction, making him legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was transported to the Sixth District for processing.
The ATF and MPD are investigating this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.
miles_indictment_0.pdf View Miles Indictment
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Arlington Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A man identified as a member/associate of the Heath Street Gang was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Cerone Davis, 31, of Arlington, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2025, Davis pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On or about June 8, 2023, Davis was arrested on the grounds of the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, a public housing complex in Jamaica Plain, in possession of numerous individually packaged bags of fentanyl. At the time of his arrest, Davis was on supervised release in connection with a prior federal conviction for distributing cocaine in the very same housing complex, and was specifically prohibited from being in that area.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Boston Housing Authority Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hoefle of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. 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.
Allston Man Charged with Allegedly Trafficking "Date Rape" Drug and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Allston man has been indicted for trafficking methamphetamine and 1,4-Butanediol (BDO), an analogue of Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) – more commonly known as the “date rape drug” – out of his Allston home.
Peter Schiepers, 32, is charged with one count of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine; two counts of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute Butanediol (an analogue of GHB); and two counts of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Schiepers was arraigned yesterday.
According to the charging documents, in November 2024, law enforcement received information that Schiepers was supplying methamphetamine in and around the Boston area. Between November 2024 and February 2025, a cooperating source conducted multiple controlled purchases allegedly from Schiepers.
Specifically, in January 2025, it is alleged that Schiepers conducted a transaction for one ounce of methamphetamine. In February 2025 he allegedly sold four ounces of methamphetamine and a liter of BDO. Schiepers allegedly told an undercover officer that he received the BDO in Chinese shampoo bottles and that he also used an application that allowed him to anonymously send some shipments to hotels and convenience stores nearby.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Stephen D. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney John O. Wray of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Aguadilla Man Indicted and Arrested for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Leonardo Román Domenech, 39, of Aguadilla, PR, for child exploitation. Today, FBI special agents arrested Román Domenech.
According to court documents, from July 2021, through on or about October 2021, Leonardo Román Domenech, using a cellular phone, produced images of a 15-year-old female minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. From July 2021 through August 2024, the defendant possessed images of child pornography.
Leonardo Román Domenech is facing one count of sexual exploitation of children; one count for transportation of child exploitation material; and one count of possession of child exploitation material.
The defendant had his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Héctor Ramos Vega of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. The detention/bail hearing is scheduled for Friday, April 11, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. If convicted for the charges of sexual exploitation of children the defendant faces no less than 15 years up to 30 years in prison; for transportation of child exploitation material, he faces no less than 5 years up to 20 years in prison; and for possession of child exploitation material, he faces up to 10 years in prison; all counts followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case and Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Emelina Agrait Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.
Tips and information assist the FBI and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. Citizens with information about this or any other federal crime are asked to contact the FBI San Juan Field Office at 787-987-6500, or to submit tips through the FBI’s internet complaint portal at Tips.FBI.gov.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
A Jefferson City Man Charged with Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Robert Michael Matthews, 42, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo.
The indictment charges Matthews with possessing a Ruger model American, 9-millimeter pistol on March 13, 2025. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. According to the indictment, Matthews has prior violent felony convictions to include a 2000 conviction for robbery in the second degree, a 2015 conviction for unlawful use of a weapon, and a 2024 conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Maness It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Jefferson City Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
8 April 2025
Washington Man Indicted on 11 Counts of Sex Trafficking Children, Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material, and Forced LaborRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington - Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that on April 2, 2025, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Washington returned an indictment charging Jonathan Michael Atkinson, age 34, with 11 criminal counts including Sex Trafficking Children, Production and Attempted Production of Child Pornography, Online Enticement of a Minor, and Forced Labor. The criminal charges against Atkinson carry a maximum sentence of up to a lifetime in prison.
Atkinson was arrested on April 8, 2025, by the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, consisting of Homeland Security Investigations, Richland Police Department, Kennewick Police Department, and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. Additional assistance was provided by Pasco Police Department, ATF and DEA. Atkinson will be arraigned in federal court on April 10, 2025.
“The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Washington will continue to aggressively prosecute all versions of human trafficking,” stated Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker. “We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement partners to seek justice for the most vulnerable among us.”
“Human trafficking is a heinous crime that preys on the most vulnerable members of our communities and the most effective way we can dismantle these criminal networks is through strong partnerships,” said Matthew Murphy, acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Seattle. “HSI is proud to work alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to protect victims, bring traffickers to justice, and put an end to this exploitation.”
If members of the public have any information regarding this case, please contact the Pasco Police Department.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laurel J. Holland and Stephanie A. Van Marter.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Visalia Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Machine Guns to Undercover AgentsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Shawn Saesee, 20, of Visalia, pleaded guilty Monday to selling machine guns in violation of the National Firearms Act and dealing and manufacturing firearms without a license, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Saesee sold an undercover agent eight firearms, including five machine guns on four separate occasions. Saesee sold the undercover agent the firearms despite being told that the buyer could not legally possess firearms.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case.
Saesee is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Aug. 4, 2025. Saesee faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Visa holder arrested for facilitating prostitution across international borderRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 33-year-old Mexican woman has been charged for facilitating the transportation of two females from Mexico into the United States for the purpose of engaging in prostitution, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jaqueline Rios Garcia De La Cadena is set for a detention hearing at 1 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Hacker.
The charges allege that on April 2, Garcia De La Cadena and two females presented themselves individually for admission into the United States at the Hidalgo International port of entry. All three are allegedly citizens and nationals of Mexico who possessed B1/B2 visitor visas and were referred for secondary inspections.
The charges allege Garcia De La Cadena organized a trip for the women to travel to Houston to engage in prostitution. She allegedly paid for transportation from Mexico and made further travel arrangements from McAllen to Houston for the women to meet unknown persons and engage in sexual activity for which they would be paid.
According to the complaint, Garcia De La Cadena instructed them to enter the United States through different pedestrian lanes at the port of entry to avoid suspicion.
Garcia De La Cadena had allegedly facilitated a similar trip to Houston for one of the women on a previous occasion.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Vernon Man Admits Receiving Sexually Explicit Images from Minors on SnapchatRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DARYL TODD, 44, of Vernon, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to a child exploitation offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force revealed that Todd used Snapchat to communicate with minor girls and entice them to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves, sometimes in return for money that Todd sent the victims using the mobile payment service Cash App. Todd also sent sexually explicit images of himself to the minor victims.
After Todd was arrested on March 7, 2024, analysis of his cellphone revealed sexually explicit images of minor females.
Todd pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1.
Todd is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee Observes National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and the Department of Justice’s Office of Victims of Crime (“OVC”) joins communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 6-12, 2025, and in celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s theme, “Kinship - Connecting & Healing,” is a call to action to recognize that shared humanity should be at the center of supporting all survivors and victims of crime. KINSHIP is a state of being with survivors that drives vital connections to services, rights, and healing. KINSHIP is where victim advocacy begins.
Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2023, there were approximately 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6.4 million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Of that 6.4 million, only about 45% were reported to police.
The United States Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and right of victims of crime.
Here, in the Western District of Tennessee, we have a dedicated Victim Witness Coordinator who supports federal crime victims by providing victims with essential services, including referrals to counseling, securing temporary housing, assisting with access to victim’s compensation funds, and accompanying victims to court proceedings to provide support and guidance. These services provide victims with tools to reshape their futures.
The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems by disseminating state-of-the-art knowledge and practices across the United States and by providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter partnerships with these officers.
Further National Crime Victims’ Rights Week resources can be found at https://ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2025/overview.
###
For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
United States Attorney Bill Essayli Announces Criminal Task Force to Investigate Fraud and Corruption Involving Homelessness FundsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – United States Attorney Bill Essayli today announced the formation of the Homelessness Fraud and Corruption Task Force, which will investigate fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption involving funds allocated toward the eradication of homelessness within the seven-county jurisdiction of the Central District of California.
This task force will be comprised of federal prosecutors from the Major Frauds Section, the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and the Civil Division’s Civil Fraud Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Assisting the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be the FBI, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), and IRS Criminal Investigation.
The Central District of California is comprised of approximately 20 million residents within the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
Los Angeles County alone contains a homeless population of more than 75,000, of which more than 45,000 are within the city limits of Los Angeles. The total homeless population of the remaining six counties of the district exceeds 20,000.
Despite voter-approved initiatives and billions of dollars spent on tackling this issue, homelessness remains a crisis, especially in Los Angeles County. Last month, a court-ordered audit found that homelessness services provided by the city and county of Los Angeles were “disjointed” and contained “poor data quality and integration” and lacked financial controls to monitor contracts for compliance and performance.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government sent $100 million in emergency aid to Los Angeles County to address homelessness. Last month, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded more than $200 million to address homelessness in Los Angeles.
“California has spent more than $24 billion over the past five years to address homelessness,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “But officials have been unable to account for all the expenditures and outcomes, and the homeless crisis has only gotten worse. Taxpayers deserve answers for where and how their hard-earned money has been spent. If state and local officials cannot provide proper oversight and accountability, we will do it for them. If we discover any federal laws were violated, we will make arrests.”
Partnering with federal law enforcement agencies, the Homelessness Fraud and Corruption Task Force will investigate crimes related to the misappropriation of federal tax dollars intended to alleviate homelessness in the Central District of California. The task force will prioritize a review of federal, state, and local programs receiving federal grants and funding. The task force will also investigate fraud schemes involving the theft of private donations intended to provide support and services for the homeless population.
“Any exploitation of the homelessness crisis via the theft of funds intended to improve conditions cannot and will not be tolerated,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI is proud to join the newly formed task force and will continue to investigate fraudulent schemes and corrupt officials who misappropriate government funding or private donations intended to aid those in need.”
“The U.S. Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General is proud to join the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners as part of the Homeless Fraud and Corruption Task Force,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Lawler with HUD-OIG. “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to protecting vulnerable communities, ensuring accountability, and promoting integrity in programs intended to serve those most in need.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation is uniquely poised to track any funds granted through various federal programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of IRS Criminal Investigation in Los Angeles. “We look forward to working with our federal partners to ensure taxpayer and donor funds are spent in accordance with their original intended purposes.”
Two Individuals Charged with Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Two individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in separate cases this week for illegally re-entering the United States after they were previously deported.
Mexican National Indicted for Illegal Reentry
According to an indictment returned this week, Fernando Herrera-Cruz, who was previously removed from the United States on March 30, 2022, was charged with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. He has never applied to the Attorney General of the United States and/or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for permission to reenter the United States. On March 18, 2025, he was found voluntarily back in the United States in Camden County, Missouri, when he was arrest for driving without a valid driver’s license following a single vehicle accident.
El Salvadoran National Charged in Indictment
In addition, Guadalupe De Jesus Aldana Sandoval a/k/a “Edgar Navarro Melendez”, who was previously removed from the United States on November 13. 2009, was charged with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. He has never applied to the Attorney General of the United States and/or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for permission to reenter the United States. On March 25, 2025, he was found voluntarily back in the United States when he was located in Pettis County, Missouri.
The charges contained in these indictments are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
These cases were investigated by ICE Homeland Security Investigations.
Operation Take Back America
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.
Two Cuban Nationals Plead Guilty to Alien Smuggling ChargesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Two Cuban nationals have been adjudicated guilty on alien smuggling charges by a federal district judge in Miami.
According to court documents and statements made in court hearings, on Oct. 24, 2024, Yordany Capote-Leon, 31 and Yuniel Cabrera Piloto 44, departed from the United States to Bahamian waters on a cuddy cabin style boat. While in Bahamian waters, Capote-Leon and Piloto loaded 18 individuals onto the boat and proceeded back toward the United States. The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Manowar observed the suspicious activity and followed the boat back to the United States.
Once the boat crossed back into United States waters, off the coast of Key Largo, Florida, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers onboard a CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO) vessel approached the go-fast boat and ordered the drivers to stop. Capote-Leon and Piloto ignored the orders and kept going. The boat finally stopped after warning shots were deployed. All the individuals encountered aboard the boat were transferred to the USCG Cutter Manowar. Once aboard the cutter, law enforcement determined that the 18 individuals onboard, besides Capote-Leon and Piloto, were Ecuadorian nationals who did not have authorization to enter the United States. Law enforcement also determined that three of the illegal aliens encountered, Jorge Fabian Albarrasin Cabrera, Marcelo Patricio Pesantez-Merchan and Juan Carlos Villa Arpi, had been previously removed from the United States.
Capote-Leon, Piloto, Cabrera, Merchan and Arpi were transferred ashore to face charges. All defendants have pleaded guilty. The rest of the aliens were repatriated to the Bahamas.
On March 4, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore sentenced Capote-Leon to 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
On March 6, Piloto entered a guilty plea before magistrate judge Ellen F. D’Angelo, who issued a report recommending that the plea be accepted. On April 4, U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore adopted the report and recommendations and adjudicated defendant guilty.
Piloto is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8 at 2:00 p.m. in Miami. He faces up to 10 years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
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.
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 at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-10027.
###
Tina Sutter Honored for a Legacy of Providing Services to Victims of CrimeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Jeffrey Ray, Acting United State Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, presented the annual Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award today to Tina Sutter.
The award, presented annually during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in April, honors the memory of Ali Kemp and Crystal Kipper, both of whom were fatal victims of tragic crimes.
Ray presented the award to Tina Sutter, retired Victim/Witness Specialist, during a ceremony today. Tina Sutter provided support to victims of crime at the U.S Attorney’s Office for the past 21 years. Tina worked tirelessly to ensure that victims and witnesses of federal crimes were treated fairly, that their privacy was respected, and that they were treated with dignity and respect. Tina was committed to helping victims and witnesses of crime while they were involved with the federal criminal justice system, and providing support after their case was completed.
In presenting the award, Ray noted the theme for the 2025 Crime Victims’ Rights week is “KINSHIP, Connecting and Healing.” This year’s theme is a call-to-action to recognize that shared humanity should be at the center of supporting all survivors and victims of crime. KINSHIP is a state of being with survivors that drives vital connections and increases access to services, rights, and healing. KINSHIP is where victim advocacy begins “With her compassionate and caring approach, Tina connected with countless victims of crime as they navigated the criminal justice system, accessed services, and sought healing,” said Ray.
Ray presented the Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Award alongside Anna Kipper Rea, the mother of Crystal Kipper, and Jill and Bob Leiker of the Ali Kemp Educational Foundation, an organization founded by the late Roger Kemp, the father of Ali Kemp.
The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award
This is the 21st year for the award to be presented in memory of Crystal Kipper and Ali Kemp, two young women who were both fatal victims of tragic crimes. Crystal Kipper was an 18-year-old Gladstone, Mo., resident who was murdered after she ran out of gas on Interstate 29, just north of Platte City, on Feb. 24, 1997. Ali Kemp was a 19-year-old Blue Valley North High School graduate who was murdered on June 18, 2002, while she worked at the Foxborough neighborhood swimming pool in Leawood, Kan.
The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award is presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office each year to recognize the outstanding work of an individual or organization in recognition of a valued contribution to preventing and responding to the exploitation of children.
Three Snohomish County men indicted for drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine, fentanyl, and firearmsRead the Press Release
Seattle – Three Snohomish County men remain in federal detention tonight following their indictment last week for conspiracy, drug trafficking, and gun crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Percy Levy, 54, Eugene Smith, 69, and Robert O. Baggett, 60, remain at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac. At a hearing today Magistrate Judge Michelle Peterson ordered Baggett held pending trial. The other two defendants have detention hearings later this week and next week. Jury trial is scheduled in front of Judge John H. Chun on June 9, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, as early as 2023, Levy and Baggett were on the radar of the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force for dealing cocaine. Baggett repeatedly sold cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine to an undercover officer and identified his boss as Percy Levy. Later, surveillance by law enforcement identified Smith as another conspirator. On March 13, 2025, Smith was arrested after he delivered cocaine and fentanyl powder to an undercover officer at a drug deal at a local casino.
Shortly after Smith’s arrest, officers served a search warrant on Levy’s residence where they found bricks of cocaine,
fentanyl powder, digital scales, and packaging materials. They also seized a loaded firearm from under the pillow on the bed in the room where they discovered the drugs.
Baggett allegedly repeatedly sold not only drugs but firearms in his dealing with undercover officers.
All three defendants have significant criminal history and are prohibited from possessing firearms. Levy has a criminal history dating back to 1988 with convictions for burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, and robbery. Levy was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison in 2003 but was granted conditional clemency in 2019.
Baggett’s criminal history dates to 1983 and includes 14 felonies including theft and assault.
Smith has criminal history dating back to 1976. He has convictions for robbery, drug trafficking and assault. In 1996 he was sentenced to life in prison under the state’s Third Strike law. His sentence was conditionally commuted in 2020.
All three men are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Levy is also charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute for the cocaine and fentanyl found in his home and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Both Levy and Baggett are charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.
The charges against Levy are punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years to life in prison. The charges against Baggett and Smith are punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years in prison to life in prison.
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 Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force (SRDTF) and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Wynne and Cindy Chang.
Three Plead Guilty to Drug and Money Laundering Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three men pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston in connection with their participation in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine and laundered the proceeds.
Lawrence Michael Nagle, Jr., 34, of Saugus, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams of more of methamphetamine; five counts of possession with intent to distribute various weights of fentanyl, methamphetamine and oxycodone; one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition; and one count of money laundering conspiracy U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Aug. 5, 2025.
Gino Castillo, 34, of Salem, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 8, 2025.
Samuel Saillant, 38, of Lynn, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit money laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, 2025.
Nagle, Jr., Castillo and Saillant were among 27 individuals charged, beginning in October 2022, in connection with a wide-ranging conspiracy to traffic counterfeit prescription pills. Nagle, Jr. was charged by complaint in October 2022 and later indicted. Castillo and Saillant were charged by indictment on April 24, 2024. All 27 individuals have pleaded guilty.
The DTO, led by Nagle, Jr. and his brother, Christopher Nagle, distributed counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, among other drugs, to individuals in the Lynn area. In January 2022, a search of Christopher Nagle’s apartment recovered more than 74,000 counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, weighing more than 24 kilograms. On Oct. 25, 2022, a search of Nagle, Jr.’s home in Saugus and two homes he used to store narcotics—one of which was inhabited by Castillo—resulted in the seizure of more than 7.8 kilograms of fentanyl and more than 650 grams of methamphetamine. In addition, two Glock firearms and ammunition were recovered from Nagle, Jr.’s house in close proximity to oxycodone pills. At the time, Nagle, Jr. was a felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Nagle, Jr. purchased the home in Saugus in August 2020 with the cash proceeds of his drug trafficking activities. Saillant was Nagle’s real estate agent in connection with the purchase. On the morning of Aug. 21, 2020, Nagle, Jr., Saillant and a coconspirator traveled to banks and money-transmitting services in the Lynn area to exchange Nagle’s drug money for money orders and cashier’s checks. Saillant attended a property closing later that day at which the money orders and cashier’s checks were used to fund the downpayment on the house.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys K. Nathaniel Yeager, Samuel R. Feldman and John O. Wray of the Criminal Division and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit prosecuted the case.
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.Three Indicted for $1 Million Bank Fraud Scheme Involving Stolen Treasury CheckRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, a federal grand jury indicted three members of a bank fraud conspiracy.
Orelien Martial Nguepi-Tankoua, Jean Paul Bayoi, and Tamblyn Milton Frasier were implicated in a bank fraud conspiracy involving a stolen United States Treasury check, the use of fraudulent identities to establish illegitimate bank accounts, and subsequent money laundering activities.
In September 2021, Frasier opened a bank account in the Northern District of Georgia using a falsified driver’s license and a fabricated identity, both of which were obtained with the assistance of Bayoi. The account details were based on the payee information listed on a stolen United States Treasury check valued at over $1 million. After the account was established, Nguepi-Tankoua deposited the stolen Treasury check via an Automated Teller Machine (ATM).
Attempts were made to withdraw the funds from the fraudulent account; however, the U.S. Department of the Treasury – Office of Inspector General and the United States Secret Service intervened. They successfully seized the remaining funds available in the account.
On the dates of March 13, 14, and 19, Frasier, Nguepi-Tankoua, and Bayoi made their respective initial appearances before a United States Magistrate Judge.
On April 8, Nguepi-Tankoua, Bayoi, and Frasier were formally indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. The individuals have previously appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judges in both Florida and Georgia. Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Javan Wilson of the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Inspector General, Acting Inspector in Charge Steven L. Hodges, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Miami Division, Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the United States Secret Service Miami Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office announced the indictments.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Treasury – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rinku Tribuiani is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-mj-8126.
###
Tax preparer indicted for filing false tax returns resulting in tens of thousands in fraudulent claimsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Needville tax preparer has been taken into custody on charges that she willfully helped clients file false tax returns with the IRS, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Monica Green is set to make her initial appearance in Houston federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan at 2 p.m.
A federal grand jury returned the six-count indictment April 2, which was unsealed upon her arrest.
Green ran a tax preparation business in Needville from at least 2017 to 2021, according to the charges. At times during those years, she allegedly added false credits or deductions on tax returns to fraudulently lower her clients’ overall tax liability.
The indictment alleges Green utilized false Schedule A deductions, false Schedule C losses for businesses that did not even exist and false education credits showing expenses for colleges her clients did not attend. The fraudulent amounts claimed on these returns would, at times, exceed tens of thousands of dollars, according to the charges.
Green allegedly earned money from the scheme by charging her clients preparation fees of hundreds of dollars per return.
If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison for each count of aiding in the preparation and filing of false tax returns as well as potential fines of up to $250,000.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Tahlequah Resident Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Timothy Allen Truelove, age 50, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.00.
The Information alleged that on January 24, 2024, Truelove knowingly possessed over 100 rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Superseding Indictment Charges Massachusetts Man with Attempted Enticement, Interstate Travel, Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Massachusetts man is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Rhode Island on Wednesday on attempted enticement, interstate travel, and child pornography charges contained in a superseding indictment, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
The superseding indictment, returned by a grand jury on April 2, 2025, charges Robert Consorti, 63, of Wilmington, MA, with two counts of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity, interstate travel for the purpose of illicit sexual activity, transportation of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
The government sought a superseding indictment following an extended investigation into Consorti’s alleged criminal conduct after his arrest in October 2024. Consorti was arrested in October 2024 when he arrived at a Warwick hotel allegedly expecting to meet with and engage in illicit sexual contact with a fourteen-year-old girl. Unbeknownst to him at the time, Consorti was communicating with a law enforcement officer posing as the girl with whom he allegedly made the arrangements. A grand jury returned an indictment on November 13, 2024, charging him with one count each of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity and interstate travel for the purpose of illicit sexual activity.
According to recently filed court documents, it is alleged that a subsequent investigation, including a review of Consorti’s electronic devices, revealed that he was in communication with dozens of minors and allegedly grooming them for sexual activity. It is alleged that in many instances, Consorti transmitted child sexual abuse material (CSAM), requested minors send him CSAM, and/or sent the minors sexually explicit images of himself.
It is further alleged that Consorti began communicating with a victim who was 12 years old at the time the communications began. Over a six-month period, Consorti allegedly traveled out of state on multiple occasions to meet with the victim and provided the victim with vapes and edible marijuana. It is alleged that Consorti repeatedly attempted to get the victim to engage in sexual activity in return for the items Consorti was providing, rather than pay in cash. Consorti allegedly persuaded the then 13-year-old to meet Consorti and to go to a local hotel to engage in sexual contact, but the defendant’s arrest prevented the meeting from occurring.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police ICAC Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.
The ICAC Task Force is comprised of members of the Rhode Island State Police Computer Crimes Unit along with detectives from the Warwick Police Department, Cranston Police Department, East Providence Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, Bristol Police Department, Middletown Police Department, and Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations.
###
St. Louis Man Admits Fraudulently Obtaining Mortgages Worth More Than $1.2 MillionRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday admitted fraudulently obtaining home mortgages totaling more than $1.2 million.
Edward James Mitchell Jr., also known as Musa Muhammad, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of bank fraud. He admitted participating in four fraudulent home mortgages from October 2021 through November 2023 totaling $1,225,550. Three of the homes are in St. Louis and one is in Florissant. Mitchell’s company, Home Team Solutions LLC, originally purchased the homes. Mitchell pretended to be one of his relatives to purchase two of the homes from his own company, submitting fraudulent mortgage loan applications and false employment and financial information and using his relative’s Social Security number and birthdate, Mitchell’s plea agreement says. He bought another home himself and sold another to his paramour, again submitting false or fraudulent documentation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office believes lending institutions lost $490,946 when Fannie Mae purchased the four home loans. Mitchell’s position is that only two of the loans incurred losses, with a loss amount of $226,950.
Mitchell, 37, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8. Each bank fraud charge carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine.
In October 2023, Mitchell legally changed his name to Musa Muhammad.
The FBI and the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
Southern Nevada Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Coercion and Enticement of A Child and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Henderson, Nev., resident was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for engaging in a sexually explicit conversation with who he believed to be a child and possessing child sexual abuse material on his phone.
According to court documents, on April 5, 2023, Nathan Thomas Foreman (43) engaged in a sexually explicit conversation via text messaging with someone who he believed to be an 11-year-old girl in an attempt to meet her and engage in sexual intercourse. Throughout the course of the conversation, he inquired about her sexual preferences, requested photos, described what he wanted to do with her, and sent pornography depicting the sexual conduct he described in words. The conversation concluded with Foreman coordinating a time for the two to meet in person to engage in sexual intercourse. On April 6, 2023, Foreman was arrested at the predetermined meet up location. A forensic analysis of his cellphone revealed approximately 10 images and 12 videos of child sexual abuse material.
“The defendant not only attempted to coerce and entice who he believed to be an 11-year-old girl to engage in sexual intercourse with him, but he also possessed child sexual abuse material of infants and toddlers,” said United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Through the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and our law enforcement partners are continuously working to combat child sexual exploitation in Nevada.”
“When children are victimized, the FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will exert every effort to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “Today's sentencing reflects our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for our most vulnerable victims.”
On October 1, 2024, Foreman pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement and one count of possession of child pornography.
In addition to imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Foreman must register as a sex offender and keep the registration current.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or online at https://report.cybertip.org.
###
Silicon Valley Start-Up Founder Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison for Securities FraudRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Shaukat Shamim was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison in connection with his scheme to defraud investors into investing in the technology start-up he founded and led, announced Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani. The sentence was handed down April 7 by the Hon. James Donato, U.S. District Judge.
Shamim, 53, of Santa Clara, Calif., pleaded guilty to the charges on September 16, 2024. According to agreed facts in the plea agreement, Shamim founded Silicon Valley-based YouPlus in 2013. By 2015, the focus of YouPlus was to develop artificial intelligence software tools to analyze online video content. From its inception until Shamim resigned from the company in November 2019, YouPlus raised approximately $17 million from investors, including angel investors and venture capital firms.
Shamim admitted that he made false representations to investors and potential investors about YouPlus’s product, sales, and customer adoption. For example, Shamim told investors that YouPlus had developed a search engine that used neural networks to analyze videos and predict marketing outcomes despite knowing that YouPlus had not, in fact, developed software with fully operational artificial intelligence functionalities. Instead, to perform pilot projects or marketing studies, YouPlus had employees in India manually review videos and then create PowerPoint presentations with marketing insights. Shamim also admitted to investors and prospective investors about YouPlus’s revenue and customers. Shamim admitted that, in August and September 2018 he prepared and provided to prospective investors documents that claimed that YouPlus had customers who had signed up for continuing services and paid recurring subscription fees. In fact, no customers had signed on to pay monthly fees for the service. Shamim provided some victims a spreadsheet that showed 90 customers were paying a total of $600,000 per month. Nevertheless, in reality, every one of the purported customers were paying for YouPlus subscriptions and YouPlus had only ever earned minimal revenue—less than $200,000 total—working on small and non-recurring projects.
In February 2019, Shamim told investors that Youplus had earned $4.6 million in revenue in the year 2018, when in fact its revenue was less than $100,000 that year. In May 2019, Shamim falsely claimed that YouPlus had earned $3.5 million in revenue in only the first four months of 2019 when, in reality, YouPlus ultimately earned less than $280,000 in revenue for all of 2019.
By September 2019, YouPlus was running short on cash and Shamim was seeking to raise money for YouPlus in a Series A financing from venture capital investors. During the same time period, Shamin, also sought bridge loans from existing investors to cover YouPlus’s costs. In connection with these efforts to raise funds, investors and potential investors requested that Shamim provide more detailed financial information about YouPlus and populate a data room with bank statements, customer contracts, and other materials that would back up the revenue Shamim claimed YouPlus was earning. Shamim admitted that, in response to these requests and to conceal the fact that he had previously provided false information about YouPlus revenue, Shamim altered bank statements for YouPlus’s bank accounts in India and the United States. The false documents reflected revenue Shamim knew did not exist. For example, Shamim altered a statement for an account YouPlus held at a U.S. bank so that it showed totaling over $600,000 from 35 different companies, including Coca-Cola, Kraft, and Netflix. The deposits did not actually exist. The true bank statement for that month reflected only one $65,000 customer deposit. Shamim also admitted to forging or altering contracts purporting to show subscription agreements between YouPlus and purported customers.
Shamim admitted that, from August 2018 through October 2019, he used these false statements about revenue and customers to obtain about $6.4 million from investors.
On June 14, 2022, a federal grand jury handed down an indictment that charged Shamim with three counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and one count of securities fraud, in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 78j(b) and 78ff and 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Shamim pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud and the court dismissed the remaining counts during the sentencing hearing.
In addition to the 30-month prison term, Judge Donato ordered Shamim to pay a $50,000 fine and to serve three years of supervised release, which will begin after he leaves prison. Shamim is currently released on bond, and Judge Donato ordered that Shamim report to begin serving his sentence on April 28, 2025. In addition, Judge Donato scheduled a hearing for June 23, 2025, to determine issues regarding restitution.
The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lloyd Farnham and Noah Stern are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Madeline Wachs, Sara Slatterly, and Claudia Hyslop. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI thank the San Francisco Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). An SEC civil enforcement action is currently pending against Shamim in the Northern District of California.
Senior Member of Violent D.C. Drug Crew Is Sentenced to 420 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Broadus Jamal Daniels, 30, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 420 months (35 years) in prison in connection with drug and gun charges related to a drug-trafficking conspiracy.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Daniels, aka “Wardy,” was found guilty by a federal jury on September 16, 2024, of possessing machine guns in furtherance of drug trafficking, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, unlawful possession of machine guns, and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
In addition to the 35-year prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Daniels to serve four years of supervised release.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Daniels, was a “big homie” or senior member in a street gang known as Jugg Gang, or “JG.” In approximately August 2018, the Jugg Gang became allied with a neighboring D.C. street crew known as “Push Dat Shit” or “PDS.” PDS maintained gang territory in the 3300 – 3500 blocks of Wheeler Road, Southeast, and adjacent areas, and operated an open-air drug market outside a grocery located on the 3500 block of Wheeler Road, Southeast.
Between August 2018 and April 2023, members of the allied PDS/JG street crew sold drugs from Holiday Market and from “trap houses” that they maintained in apartment buildings surrounding that location. As their drug business grew, PDS/JG became the target of drive-by shootings conducted by rival gangs – shootings they referred to as “spinning the block.” Beginning in August 2019, a PDS/JG member began assembling AR-pistol assault rifles from kits purchased from online retailers and modified them to be capable of fully automatic fire. Such firearms are defined as “privately made firearms” by the ATF but are frequently referred to as “ghost guns” on the street.
As proved at trial, PDS/JG members used, carried, and possessed these “ghost gun” AR-pistol machine guns to defend their territory from rival gangs, and also to “spin the block” on rival gangs to deter their rivals from entering PDS/JG territory.
This sentencing is part of an ongoing joint investigation which has resulted in 26 convictions, and the seizure of two vehicles, 35 firearms, four machine guns, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, approximately 60 pounds of marijuana, 41 grams of cocaine base, dozens of oxycodone pills, and approximately $500,000 in cash.
Daniels’ co-defendant, Andre Alonte Willis, who was a leader of PDS, was sentenced February 20, 2025, to 20 years in prison on five felony convictions related to drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the ATF’s Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson and Justin F. Song and Paralegal Specialist Melissa Macechko.
22cr303
##
Secret Service Seizes Another Web Domain Used in Furtherance of a Cryptocurrency “Pig Butchering” SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – The U.S. Secret Service in the Northern District of New York has seized a second web domain used in a recent cryptocurrency confidence crime known as “pig butchering.” United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, and Jeffrey Burr, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of the United States Secret Service (USSS), made the announcement.
In pig butchering schemes, scammers encounter victims, often but not always elderly victims, through a variety of ways, including on dating applications and social media websites, and even random text messages masquerading as a wrong number. Scammers initiate relationships with victims and slowly gain their trust, eventually introducing the idea of making a business investment using cryptocurrency. Victims are then directed to other members of the scheme running fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platforms, where victims are persuaded to invest money. Once the money is sent to the fake investment application, the scammer vanishes, taking all the money with them, often resulting in significant losses for the victim.
According to court records, between November 2023 and March 2024, scammers induced a Warren County victim to wire monies to the now-seized domain NFT-UNI.com. The scammers — using the confidence-building techniques described above — convinced the victim that he/she was investing in a legitimate cryptocurrency opportunity. After the victim transferred investments into the deposit addresses that the scammers provided in connection with the seized domain name, the victim’s funds were immediately transferred through numerous bank accounts in an effort to conceal the source of the funds. In total, the victim lost approximately $172,405.61. Other victims of the NFT-UNI.com fraud reported approximately $4,564,936.47 in losses.
Previously, in May 2024, the U.S. Secret Service seized the web domain OKEX-NFT.net, which was also used in a pig butchering scheme in Warren County.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “by seizing this website, we are able to strike a blow to a criminal organization that financially victimized numerous individuals, including a member of our community and senior citizens around the country.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Conger and Alexander Wentworth-Ping represented the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this matter.
Related court documents and information are located on the online docket for the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York (available via www.pacer.gov), by searching for Case No. 1:25-SW-78 (PJE).
If you believe you are a victim of this type of scheme, please contact [email protected] or IC3.gov to file a report. Please provide detailed information in your report, including any purported investment websites visited, telephone numbers, email accounts, and social media profiles used by scammers, and any cryptocurrency addresses, transaction hashes, and dates of transactions. Your responses are voluntary. Based on the information provided, you may be contacted by the Secret Service or another law enforcement agency and asked to provide additional information.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative. The mission of the Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving elders can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.
San Antonio Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Federal Prison for Drug SmugglingRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 260 months in prison for conspiracy to import methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Juan Antonio Lucha, 27, was part of a drug smuggling organization and was responsible for trafficking five kilograms of methamphetamine and 1,627 grams of fentanyl from Mexico into the United States. Lucha was arrested June 27, 2020 at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry.
Lucha was charged in a four-count indictment in July 2020 with co-defendants Juan Sustaita Rodriguez and Natalie Andrea Vasquez. Lucha pleaded guilty on Oct. 25, 2021 to one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine.
Vasquez was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison on Feb. 12, 2024 for one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Rodriguez pleaded guilty Jan. 28, 2021 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 24, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Garland is prosecuting the case.
###