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Thursday 27 February 2025
Three Louisiana Men Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Armed Robbery of Undercover Federal AgentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MICHAEL LOTT (“LOTT”), age 51, DIANTA TROPEZ (“TROPEZ”), age 30, and VERNELL WOODARD (“WOODARD”), age 23, all residents of New Orleans, were sentenced on February 18 and 19, 2025, by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle for the armed robbery of an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) special agent that resulted in the agent’s paralysis from the shoulders down, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
According to court records, VERNELL WOODARD and three other co-defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine to an undercover ATF agent and another individual on August 29, 2023 at a Westbank, New Orleans apartment. The plan came to fruition when the conspirators sold the undercover ATF agent approximately seven grams of pure methamphetamine.
After this August 29 methamphetamine distribution deal was completed, VERNELL WOODARD arranged for the undercover ATF agent and the other individual to return to the apartment the following day to purchase more drugs. When the undercover ATF agent and the other individual arrived at the apartment complex the next day, WOODARD told them to return to the same apartment. As they were coming upstairs, MICHAEL LOTT, armed with an AR-15 style weapon,hid in a closet inside the apartment. Once the undercover ATF agent and the other individual were inside the apartment, DIANTA TROPEZ entered, pointed a Glock pistol at the undercover ATF agent and the other individual, and demanded they get down and hand over their possessions. Simultaneously, MICHAEL LOTT emerged from the closet, pointed the AR-15 style weapon at them, and demanded they turn over their possessions.
Other agents monitoring the deal, realized something was wrong and responded. Once LOTT and TROPEZ heard the law enforcement response, they stopped the robbery, and everyone in the apartment tried to flee. The undercover ATF agent and the other individual went onto the third-floor apartment balcony and began climbing down to escape. During their climb, the agent fell and sustained severe injuries, resulting in his paralysis.
As a result of this criminal conduct, MICHAEL LOTT, DIANTA TROPEZ, VERNELL WOODARD, and three others were charged in an eleven-count superseding indictment with various offense related to the drug trafficking and the armed robbery.
On September 13, 2024, DIANTA TROPEZ pleaded guilty to several crimes including, conspiring to rob a person of money belonging to the United States, armed robbery of a person of money belonging to the United States, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, assaulting an officer of the United States with a deadly weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. On October 2, 2024, MICHAEL LOTT pleaded guilty to the same charges as TROPEZ. On November 22, 2024, VERNELL WOODARD pleaded guilty to the methamphetamine conspiracy and distribution charges, as well as all the charges related to his participation in the armed robbery and to maintaining a drug involved premises.
During three lengthy sentencing hearings, the Court heard from the injured special agent, as well as members of his family and other special agents who had worked with the injured agent. Judge Lemelle imposed sentences on all three defendants convicted of participating in the robbery that were well above the recommended guidelines ranges. Judge Lemelle sentenced LOTT to 300 months of imprisonment. He also sentenced TROPEZ to 284 months of imprisonment, and WOODARD to 209 months of imprisonment. Each defendant was also placed on a five-year term of supervised release following release from imprisonment and payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 per count.
"Following the lengthy sentences imposed on Michael Lott, Dianta Tropez, and Vernell Woodard, our community is a bit safer,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson. “We take any violence against law enforcement very seriously. Although we cannot undo the tragic events in this case ultimately, justice was achieved, not only for the ATF special agent so grievously injured by this crime, but also for, law enforcement professionals and the community at large. Violent criminals, bent on preying upon our citizens, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The substantial sentencings of Michael Lott, Dianta Tropez, and Vernell Woodard signifies that each defendant will be held accountable for engaging in violent crime in the community,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “Holding accountable offenders who commit violent crimes against law enforcement, like our Special Agent in this case, and protecting the public are cornerstones of what our agency seeks to accomplish. No matter how long it takes, we will investigate, arrest, prosecute and ensure accountability for those violent criminals and to remove them from the community as we are working to keep our neighborhoods safe.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The investigation giving rise to the superseding indictment was conducted primarily by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department and Crimestoppers GNO. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator, and Nolan Paige, Chief of the Narcotics Unit.
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Three Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RENO – Three individuals were sentenced Tuesday for their involvement in a drug trafficking organization to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in Reno. They all participated in multiple drug buys involving pounds of methamphetamine for thousands of dollars, totaling over 33 kilograms of methamphetamine distributed into Reno.
Saul Nolasco (25), of Lodi, California, and Maria Valenzuela (64) and Xochitl Sanchez-Pacheco (38), both of Sinaloa, Mexico, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. United States District Judge Miranda M. Du sentenced Nolasco to 41 months in prison, Valenzuela to 33 months in prison, and Sanchez-Pacheco to 30 months in prison.
According to court documents and admissions made in court, from January 20, 2023 to October 8, 2023, Nolasco, Valenzuela, and Sanchez-Pacheco conspired together to distribute 33 kilograms of methamphetamine into the Reno community. Methamphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance.
Nolasco worked with his brother who was located in Mexico. Nolasco acted as the drug trafficking organization’s boots on the ground in Nevada and California. He collected and handled cash payments; obtained and stored large quantities of methamphetamine at his house; and distributed large quantities of methamphetamine to various buyers in Reno and elsewhere.
Valenzuela conducted multiple drug transactions involving pounds of methamphetamine, where she was responsible for the delivery of methamphetamine as well as the collection of cash payments of thousands of dollars behalf of the drug trafficking organization. In November 2023, Valenzuela was caught at the border with her daughter moving 97 pounds of methamphetamine across the U.S.-Mexico border. The van was outfitted with trap compartments used to conceal the drugs.
Sanchez-Pacheco delivered large quantities of methamphetamine in both Reno and Modesto, California. She collected the money associated with those deliveries, one of which involved $5,500.
The fourth co-defendant, Bobby Jo Kissel (54), pleaded guilty in October 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Adams for the DEA Las Vegas District Office made the announcement.
The DEA investigated the case, along with the Regional Narcotics Unit, Washoe County Sherriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Modesto Police Department, HSI, USMS, Nevada Department of Investigation and Nevada Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Andolyn Johnson 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Temple Terrace Man Indicted for Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Charles Zumbahlen (31, Temple Terrace) with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. If convicted, Zumbahlen faces a minimum penalty of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Zumbahlen that the United States intends to forfeit all assets which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, on November 24, 2024, Zumbahlen distributed a lethal amount of fentanyl that resulted in the death of Victim-1.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.
Tallahassee Realtor Sentenced to Prison for Willfully Failing to File Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Sedita Charles Cayson, 59, of Panacea, Florida, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison after being found guilty of five counts of willfully failing to file his income tax returns for tax years 2017-2021, at the conclusion of a prior day-and-a-half bench trial. The sentence imposed was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“The United States relies on the honest payment of taxes to defend our country and maintain its operations,” stated Acting United States Attorney Spaven. “We will investigate and prosecute those who falsely misrepresent their income. On behalf of the hard-working American taxpayers, we will continue to partner with the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation to ensure those who steal are held accountable.”
Trial testimony and evidence demonstrated that Cayson—a Florida real estate agent known as the “Land Man”— had been a serial non-filer of his personal income taxes for multiple years. Evidence showed that Cayson had a history of tax delinquencies with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and that he was assessed liens for his federal income tax delinquencies for years 2004-2007 and 2011-2013. Despite earning real estate sales commissions averaging over $150,000 per year, Cayson willfully failed to file his income tax returns for tax years 2017-2021. Further evidence indicated that beginning in 2017, Cayson instructed his real estate broker to split his commission checks into amounts that were less than $10,000, the majority of which Cayson cashed at the bank immediately upon receiving them. Between 2017-2021, Cayson accrued $158,840 in income taxes due and owing to the United States.
“This sentencing sends a clear message that evading your tax obligations will not be tolerated, particularly by individuals who repeatedly and willfully game the system. The “Land Man” case demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that all citizens are held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker, of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Tampa Field Office. “We will continue to work diligently to enforce the law and pursue justice for American taxpayers."
In addition to a 14-month prison sentence, Cayson was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $158,840 to the IRS and cost of prosecution in the amount of $34,755. Cayson’s prison sentence will be followed by one year of supervised release.
This conviction was the result of an investigation by the United States Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Harley Ferguson and Justin M. Keen prosecuted the case.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Subcontractor Pleads Guilty to Bribing General Services Administration OfficialRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, a Washington, D.C., man pleaded guilty to bribing a United States General Services Administration (GSA) official.
According to court documents, James Tillman, 57, bribed a public official (Public Official A), a former GSA contracting officer representative. GSA is a federal agency that manages federal property. Tillman was the sole owner of a general construction company that performed subcontracting work on GSA projects.
Phil Selden, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon, Justice Department Criminal Division; GSA Deputy Inspector General Robert C. Erickson, GSA Office of Inspector General (GSA-OIG); Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office; Deputy Inspector General Kelly P. Mayo, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DOD-OIG), Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari Ph.D., U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) made the announcement.
As outlined in court documents, in 2020 and 2021, Tillman provided approximately $59,800 worth of money and items of value to Public Official A in exchange for Public Official A’s role in directing GSA federal-project work to Tillman’s company. In 2020, Tillman paid Public Official A approximately $8,000 cash in a parking lot in Clinton, Maryland and in 2021, at Public Official A’s direction, Tillman purchased a sports car for Public Official A. Tillman and his company grossed more than $100,000 in profits from this scheme.
Tillman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal public official and bribery of a federal public official. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison followed by up to three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman has scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2025 at 2 p.m. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Phil Selden commended GSA-OIG, FBI Baltimore Field Office, DOD-OIG, and DHS-OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Selden also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Crespo, and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Spencerport man going to prison for role in fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-Acting U.S. Attorney Joel Louis Violanti announced today that Michael Grimm 45, of Spencerport, NY, who was convicted of wire fraud, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Charles J. Siragusa. Grimm was also ordered to pay approximately $16,000 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that Grimm, and co-defendant Nickola Marie Ferra, engaged in an extensive pattern of conduct involving document fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, retail theft, and identity theft. Part of the scheme involved Grimm and others obtaining merchandise by theft or fraud from local retailers, which was then returned in exchange for gift cards and store credit or sold to third parties. In furtherance of the scheme, Grimm presented forged and/or stolen passports and other stolen identification information to merchants. Grimm also admitted his role in the theft of personal identifying information and credit information belonging to multiple individuals, which he and others used to make fraudulent purchases, including car and hotel rentals. The stolen identity information was also used in attempts to open credit cards and obtain loans. To date, at least 10 identity theft victims have been identified resulting in thousands of dollars in losses.
Nickola Marie Ferra was previously convicted and sentenced to serve 27 months in prison.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Brian Wood, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
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Sex Offender Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Victor Eugene Howard (50, Oldsmar) to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material. Howard pleaded guilty on January 29, 2024.
According to court documents, an FBI agent downloaded child sexual abuse material distributed by Howard via a file sharing network. Howard, a registered sexual offender, used file sharing networks to download and view the material. The FBI executed a search warrant at Howard’s home and located numerous images of child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Largo Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney Derry and Abigail King.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Seasonal Postal Employee Sentenced for Stealing MailRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A U.S Postal Service seasonal employee on the job for one month during the 2023 holiday season has been sentenced to federal probation for his role in a scheme to steal the contents of U.S. mail, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Willie Estrella, 32, of Providence, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to three years of federal probation. Estrella pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiracy to steal mail and theft of mail by a postal employee.
According to court documents and information presented to the court, Estrella and others sorted through the mail at the Providence distribution facility and placed aside brightly colored envelopes of interest. They concealed the stolen mail in their backpacks that they carried from the postal facility. Estrella and co-conspirators met at a pre-determined location after work to open the stolen mail and remove cash, gift cards, and checks. They divided the proceeds among themselves.
This conduct occurred multiple times per week. During December 2023, when Estrella participated in the conspiracy, $95,000 in cash, gift cards, and checks were illegally removed from the U.S. mail stream and stolen by Estrella and others.
Charges are pending in U.S. District court against five other former postal employees.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie M. White.
The matter was investigated by the U.S Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Providence Police Department, and Smithfield Police Department.
The public can report mail theft by contacting the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-888-USPS-OIG (1-888-877-7644; online at www.uspsoig.gov/hotline; via email at [email protected]; or by mail at USPS OIG, Attn: OIG Hotline, 1735 North Lynn Street, Arlington, VA 22209-2020.
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willie_estrella_sentencing_memo.pdfSacramento Man Sentenced to over 24 Years in Prison for Running Multiple Dark Web Child Sexual Abuse WebsitesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Louis Donald Mendonsa, 62, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 24 years and four months in prison for his role in operating four websites dedicated to sharing images of child sexual abuse.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California, Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Tatum King made the announcement.
According to court documents, Mendonsa assisted with managing and maintaining four different websites that operated on the dark web from at least December 2021 until his arrest November 2022. Each of these websites were dedicated to advertising, distributing, and exchanging images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. One of the websites allowed members to post images and videos of children as young as infants and toddlers. While using the internet at a local coffee shop, Mendonsa advertised and distributed child sexual abuse images over these websites and assisted others with running the websites. His electronic devices were found to contain images of child sexual abuse images, approximately 6,500 of which depicted identified victims of his conduct.
Mendonsa pleaded guilty in April 2024 to seven counts of distribution and one count of possession of child pornography.
This case was the product of an investigation by HSI with assistance by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Sauvageau and Christina McCall for the Eastern District of California and CEOS Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Roanoke Man to Serve 108 Months for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke, Virginia man, who used a firearm he was illegally in possession of to shoot another man in the back, was sentenced this week to 108 months in federal prison.
James Aaron Haburn, 32, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a bench trial in October 2024.
According to court documents and evidence presented at Haburn’s trial, in November 2022 police encountered Haburn during a traffic stop and found him with a stolen Smith & Wesson pistol tucked into his waistband. Additional investigation revealed that Haburn has used the same pistol 34 hours earlier to shoot a man in the back following a confrontation outside of a Roanoke business.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Roanoke City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly McGann prosecuted the case.
Roanoke Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery Conspiracy Connected to Murder of Drug SupplierRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man involved in distributing large quantities of marijuana, has admitted to helping plan a robbery that ultimately led to the murder of his drug supplier
Garrett Isaac Williams, 22, pled guilty yesterday in federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery. Last month, Williams’ co-defendant, Joseph Walker, pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, beginning no later than January 2023, Walker and Williams conspired to distribute marijuana and marijuana wax they sourced from E.B., who periodically traveled from Pennsylvania to supply the pair at Mr. Walker’s residence in Roanoke, Virginia.
Eventually, the men fell into debt to E.B. Then, in an effort to collect money he was owed, E.B. attempted to phone Walker but instead inadvertently called Walker’s mother. This phone call caused Walker and Williams to set in motion a plan to end their relationship with E.B. However, instead of paying down their debt, they conspired to order more marijuana from E.B., rob E.B. of that marijuana upon delivery and, in so doing, scare him from returning to Virginia.
On April 17, 2023, E.B. traveled from Pennsylvania to Walker’s residence, bringing with him approximately 10 pounds of marijuana and two pounds of marijuana wax in a deal facilitated by Williams. During E.B.’s trip, Williams maintained communication with him and provided updates to Walker so that he was prepared for E.B.’s arrival. For his part, Walker concealed a Sig Sauer, .45 caliber pistol on his person, intending to use it as part of the robbery. Upon E.B.’s arrival, Walker invited him into his home where he confronted E.B. about the phone call E.B. made to his mother, before immediately shooting him twice, killing him. Walker then took the marijuana that E.B. had brought with him and, to conceal his crime, dragged E.B.’s body out of his residence, placed it in the trunk of E.B.’s car and drove to Bedford County, Virginia where he set the car on fire.
While not physically present at the time of the robbery, Williams admitted to planning to rob E.B by force.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division and Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Virginia State Police, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Roanoke City Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Roanoke City Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, the City of Lynchburg Police Department, and the Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office are investigating the case.
The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force also aided in the investigation and is comprised of officers from the Roanoke City Police Department, Roanoke County Police Department, City of Salem Virginia Police Department, the Vinton Police Department, and Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Salem Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Coleman Adams and Kelly McGann are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman.
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.
Riverton man sentenced to two life sentences plus an additional 10 years in prison for first-degree murder and related charges on the Wind River Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Burdick Nelson Seminole Sr., 59, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and causing death with a firearm during a crime of violence, each count to run concurrently; plus, an additional 10 years imprisonment for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 27 in Casper. The court also ordered Seminole to pay $4,521.09 in restitution and a $300 special assessment.
Seminole was convicted of first-degree murder after a four-day trial on Nov. 15, 2024. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in the early morning of Aug. 8, 2023, Seminole drove to the victim’s residence, entered the residence without permission, and confronted the victim. An argument ensued and Seminole left the residence to retrieve a pistol and reentered the residence, where he continued to argue with the victim, who was sitting in his wheelchair. Seminole pistol-whipped the victim and shot him three times. In response, another resident shot at Seminole, hitting him in the back of the neck, causing him to flee. Seminole drove himself to the hospital and was diagnosed with a minor flesh wound. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy, strengthening PSN on the basis of these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Case No. 24-CR-00017
Richlands Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Richlands man was sentenced today to 360 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for production of child pornography. Additionally, $74,000 in restitution was ordered to nine victims and he was fined $5000. On September 17, 2024, Albert Suniga, age 37, pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Suniga was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) after receiving two cybertips related in which Google reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children one of its users had uploaded nine images and videos of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse material (CSAM), to their Google Drive account. Agents with HSI obtained the internet protocol (IP) address associated with the Google Drive account and then obtained search warrants for the email accounts associated with the IP address and determined they belonged to Suniga.
The search of Suniga’s email resulted in the discovery of several images and videos of a minor victim that appeared to have been produced by Suniga. Believing a child to be in imminent danger, agents executed a search warrant at the residence associated with the IP address, which was also Suniga’s residence. When questioned by agents, Suniga admitted to taking images constituting child sexual abuse images of a child in his residence, as well as possessing images of child sexual abuse unrelated to that child. A digital forensic examination of his email account and his digital devices revealed numerous images and videos.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Bureau of Investigation and Onslow County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson 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. 7:24-CR-00008-M.
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Rhode Island Man Admits to Setting Multiple Fires Around the Exterior of a Church; Assaulting Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Rhode Island man admitted to a federal judge today that he intentionally set multiple fires around the exterior of a predominantly black church in North Providence, RI, and that, while detained at a federal detention center following his arrest in this matter, he assaulted two federal correctional officers by dousing them with human waste.
Kevin Colantonio, 36, pleaded guilty to one count each of malicious damage by means of fire and obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs and two counts of assault on a federal officer.
Colantonio admitted that on February 11, 2024, he used gasoline and a lighter he purchased minutes earlier at a gas station within walking distance of Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries, a predominantly black church with both an in-person and online following, to ignite several fires around the exterior of the church. The fires were quickly extinguished by North Providence officers who arrived at the church moments after the fires were lit, but not before the church sustained damage. Due to the damage, church congregants were prevented from enjoying their free exercise of religious beliefs as church services were cancelled until the church could be reopened.
Several hours prior to the fires being discovered, the pastor of Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries reported to police that he witnessed an individual on the church’s Ring camera doorbell attempting to break into the church. The pastor reported that he spoke to the male subject through the Ring camera, telling him, among other things, that the building was a church. The man continued trying to break in the door, and then broke the Ring camera off the side of the building. The pastor later identified Colantonio as the person he saw on the Ring camera.
During a February 15, 2024 court-authorized search of Colantonio’s residence, an accelerant detection canine indicated a positive reaction on several items of seized clothing. These items matched the clothing Colantonio was wearing on the night of the arson, based upon surveillance footage.
During the search of Colantonio’s residence, authorities also seized notebooks with writings, including one entry in which Colantonio wrote, “The age of false churches target side operation. Eliminate Rich Snob global Elite Pastors, burn churches down to ground, when congregants move to next church, do the same… .” In a separate entry, Colantonio wrote, “hunt them down gun everyone down that isn’t white, if one is white spread the gospel. Always give our bloodline a chance.” On February 12, 2024, Colantonio privately messaged a family member that no one in the community cared about the arson; Colantonio called the church “Athiest God mockers,” adding that, “They’re busy dancing around collecting money.”
In addition to admitting to setting fires around the exterior of the church, Colantonio admitted to assaulting two federal correctional officers while he was detained at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in this matter. Colantonio admitted that he struck two federal officers with human bodily waste and fluid that were contained inside a mug he tossed at the officers.
Colantonio is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division made today’s announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter I. Roklan for the District of Rhode Island and Taylor Payne of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
The fires set at the Shiloh Gospel Temple Ministries were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with members of the North Providence, RI, Police Department and the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal’s Office. The assault of the federal officers was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
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Reston predator sentenced to 19 years in prison for sexually exploiting minorsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Reston man was sentenced today to 19 years in prison for sexually exploiting minor victims he met online.
According to court documents, on July 1, 2024, Xavier Dejuan Jackson, 28, arrived on a flight into Dulles International Airport. Customs and Border Protection Officers initiated a secondary inspection of Jackson’s devices, resulting in the discovery of several videos and images that appeared to depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Jackson met Minor Victim 1 on a social media application in January 2024. Minor Victim 1 revealed to Jackson she lived with her parents, attended high school, and was 17 years old. On various occasions, Jackson transported Minor Victim 1 across state lines to engage in sexual activity with him. Beginning on Jan. 16, 2024, Jackson repeatedly traveled to Maryland to pick up Minor Victim 1 and transported her 40 minutes to his apartment in Reston to engage in sexual activity with him. Each time Jackson engaged in sexual activity with Minor Victim 1, he recorded his exploitation of her on his cellphone. Jackson then distributed the videos to Minor Victim 1 via Snapchat.
In February 2024, Jackson began communicating with Minor Victim 2 on Instagram. On March 1, 2024, Minor Victim 2 informed Jackson she was 14 years old. When Minor Victim 2 asked how old he suspected she was, Jackson replied, "Like 17 maybe 16 but that was a stretch and ya it's not too hard when you know what to look for."
After Minor Victim 2 revealed her age, Jackson resumed sexually explicit conversations with her. Jackson requested that Minor Victim 2 produce for and send to him explicit videos and directed her in what he wanted her to say and how he wanted her to expose herself. Jackson received these videos via Snapchat and stored them in a folder under the victim’s name. Also stored within that folder were three videos depicting Minor Victim 2 engaged in sexual activity.
On March 2, 2024, Jackson asked Minor Victim 2 to meet in person for sexual activity. Over the next several days, the two discussed potential opportunities. Minor Victim 2 expressed fear of embarrassing herself, but Jackson persisted. Jackson pressed Minor Victim 2 for her address. Jackson continued to engage in sexually explicit messages and exchange sexually explicit photos with Minor Victim 2. They discussed locations Jackson could pick up Minor Victim 2, including her specific high school or a mall near her parent's house.
On June 23, 2024, Minor Victim 2 asked Jackson when he would next be available to meet up for sexual activity. He responded that it would be over a week because he would be out of the country. He was arrested on July 1, 2024, after his return flight to Dulles.
On Feb. 4, 2024, Jackson initiated contact on Snapchat with a person he believed was 15 years old. Though he was then 27 years old, Jackson told the person he was 19. On March 25, 2024, Jackson inquired how much the person would charge for nude depictions of herself and sent a detailed request describing what type of sexually explicit videos he wanted. The person said that sort of video would cost $45, which Jackson sent her via PayPal. Jackson received and saved on his cellphone videos responsive to his request approximately two hours after Jackson sent the money to the person’s PayPal account. Further investigation revealed that the person Jackson believed was 15 years old was actually 19 years old.
On Nov. 21, 2024, Jackson pled guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, transportation of minors, and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Jackson will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa K. Strobbe prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-212.
Queens Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding TJX Stores in 30 States of More Than $400KRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHESTER CULLER, 48, of Queens, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to nine months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding TJX stores across the country of more than $400,000. Judge Shea ordered Culler to serve the first 18 months of his supervised release in home incarceration.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between July 2020 and February 2024, Culler engaged in more than 800 acts of theft and fraudulent transactions at TJX Companies, Inc. (TJX) stores, including T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, and others, in 30 states. Culler typically stole merchandise from a TJX store, fraudulently returned the stolen merchandise to TJX to receive a TJX gift card, made a purchase with the gift card and a small amount of cash and received a receipt, altered the receipt to imitate an all-cash purchase, and returned the purchased merchandise with the altered receipt to receive a cash refund. Through this scheme, Culler defrauded TJX of approximately $416,417.88.
On February 7, 2024, Wethersfield Police responded to a complaint call from a TJX Loss Prevention investigator at a Marshalls in Wethersfield and arrested Culler. At the time of his arrest Culler possessed three identifications in the names Chester Culler, “David Peace,” and “Chester Tyler.” Culler was initially charged with Connecticut state offenses, and subsequently by a federal criminal complaint issued in the Western District of New York. The federal case was transferred to the District of Connecticut for further prosecution.
On April 30, 2024, Culler pleaded guilty in New Haven federal court to one count of wire fraud.
Judge Shea ordered Culler to pay full restitution and prohibited him from entering any TJX stores.
Culler, who had been detained from the time of his arrest to the date of his guilty plea when he was released on bond, is required to report to prison on March 27. He is currently in home incarceration living with a third-party custodian, on electronic monitoring, and is permitted to attend medical appointments, including dialysis multiple times a week.
Culler’s criminal history includes more than 20 convictions for fraud and other offenses. In 2016, Culler received a four-year jail sentence in Stuart, Florida, for possession of a fictitious driver’s license, which stemmed from an investigation of a group of individuals who defrauded chain retail stores across several states through the use of altered receipts and returns.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of several local police departments and TJX Loss Prevention investigators. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anastasia E. King and Nancy V. Gifford in the District of Connecticut, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango in the Western District of New York.
Portsmouth felon sentenced to four years in prison after trying to bring a loaded handgun onto a flightRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to four years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on May 2, 2024, at Norfolk International Airport, a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) observed a suspicious object consistent with the shape of a handgun in the backpack of Wayman Tisdale Randall, 28. The TSO alerted the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) supervisor who then notified Norfolk International Airport Police Department (NIAPD).
NIAPD took possession of the bin containing Randall’s backpack and escorted Randall to a private screening room. Randall initially presented a Virginia identification card, bearing Randall’s picture but with the name “Ethan Walker.” Randall also possessed an American Airlines boarding pass in the name of Ethan Walker. Randall admitted there was a firearm in his bag and provided his real name, date of birth, and social security number.
During a search of Randall’s belongings, investigators found a loaded, stolen handgun. Randall had been convicted previously of receiving stolen goods, use or display of a firearm in commission of a felony, robbery, and prohibited criminal street gang participation. As a convicted felon, Randall cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Michael Feinberg, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Heck, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-93.
Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.--A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison today for using a stolen identity and financial information to steal more than $426,000 from a victim with an intellectual disability.
Clinton Wells, 36, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and three years' supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $426,481.14 in restitution to his victim.
According to court documents, between March 2019 and April 2022, Wells knowingly and intentionally used personal identification and bank account information to steal the victim's life savings. On March 13, 2019, while working for a national tax preparation company, Wells met the victim and gained access to their personal and financial information. The following day, Wells began transferring money from the victim's bank account into his own.
In April 2019, Wells created a user profile through the victim's online banking system. With this access, Wells completed more than 1,100 transactions including electronic money transfers and online purchases. Wells used the money to fund extravagant trips, personal expenses and online purchases. Wells' theft went undetected until the victim passed away and family found unopened bank statements showing the unauthorized transactions.
On February 13, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Wells with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
On October 30, 2024, Wells pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Meredith D.M. Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Pineville Man Sentenced to More than 27 Years in Prison for His Role in the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Daniel Perryman Collins, 34, of Pineville, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 325 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on child pornography charges.
This case is the result of an investigation into individuals using the dark web to communicate with others regarding exploiting children on the internet and causing them to produce child pornography. From January to November 2023, Collins and his co-defendant, Michael Bo Peacock, both together and individually, for their sexual gratification, caused minor children to produce child pornographic and sexually explicit images and videos of themselves by the use of threats and blackmail. Collins conducted all of this illegal activity in Pineville, Louisiana, while Peacock was located in the Dallas, Texas area.
According to information introduced in court, Collins and Peacock both participated in meeting children and coercing/blackmailing the children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and to produce videos of that conduct. Peacock would often contact a minor victim online and through various social media platforms, including SnapChat, and he and Collins would convince the minor victim to engage in sexually explicit activity and provide a video of that conduct. Collins and Peacock would then blackmail and threaten the victims to provide additional sexually explicit material. As part of the conspiracy, Collins utilized advanced security measures so that those images and materials could not be traced back to himself or Peacock.
Collins and Peacock gave each other access to all of the child pornography they had caused minor victims to produce by obtaining an account with an overseas cloud-based file hosting service, so they could post and share the child pornography images and videos that they had produced or obtained. Both defendants had an encryption key to use to access the material they had posted to the site. Through their investigation, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Child Exploitation Operational Unit determined that Collins and Peacock exploited over 100 child victims and caused them to create child pornography. These images and videos were posted to their shared file hosting account.
On November 16, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Collins’ residence in Pineville. During the search, law enforcement agents obtained access to the cloud-based file hosting account of Collins and Peacock and were able to download all of the child pornography images and videos which they had created and posted to the account.
Collins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity on November 21, 2024. Peacock pleaded guilty to the same charges on December 23, 2024, and will be sentenced at a later date.
“The sexual exploitation of minor children and the activities that these men participated in is horrendous and sickening,” said Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “These types of cases are becoming more prevalent in the United States and internationally and can happen in your own neighborhood. We encourage parents to be vigilant in keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity that your children could potentially be exposed to. We will continue to work to uncover this type of illegal activity and protect our minor children from offenders like this.”
“Through relentless investigations and cutting-edge technology, the FBI works every day to uncover hidden networks, identify victims and bring perpetrators to justice,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough. “Today’s sentencing sends the message that the FBI is committed to protecting vulnerable lives and ensuring no predator can thrive at the expense of our children.”
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Headquarter-based Child Exploitation Operation Unit, with assistance from the FBI’s New Orleans and Dallas Field Offices, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danny Siefker.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678.
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Pikeville Man Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky. – A Pikeville, Ky. man, Christopher Springfield, 43, was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves to 172 months, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 28 grams of cocaine.
According to his plea agreement, in April and May of 2024, law enforcement used a confidential informant to make two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Springfield. On May 24, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence Springfield occupied, and located over 400 grams of methamphetamine, over 200 grams of fentanyl, over 100 grams of cocaine, a firearm, and $18,537 in cash. Springfield admitted to possessing these substances and intended to distribute them.
In 2011, Springfield had previously been sentenced to 92 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Under federal law, Springfield must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Trimble prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Philadelphia Resident Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Role in Operating Fentanyl Drug MillRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Philadelphia resident was sentenced to 60 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and transport bulk quantities of fentanyl into northern New Jersey communities from a drug mill located in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Emmanuel F. Almonte Mejia, 40, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In February 2022, Mejia and his co-conspirators operated a private residence, commonly referred to as a drug mill, in which he and his co-conspirators produced large quantities of bulk fentanyl for redistribution. In total, law enforcement recovered nearly six kilograms of fentanyl which was produced in the mill.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Mejia to three years of supervised release.
Mejia’s co-conspirators, Hector Luiz De La Cruz Nunez, 32, and Loanny F. Duran Hiciano, 37, have both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Nunez was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and Hiciano awaits sentencing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel, HSI Philadelphia, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Edward Owens, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation that led to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano of the Criminal Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Robert M. Gamburg
Orlando Middle School Employee Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Mitchell Regan (36, Leesburg) has pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of child sex abuse material (CSAM) and one count of possession of CSAM. Regan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count, including a 5-year minimum sentence on each of the distribution offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Regan is being detained pending the resolution of this case.
According to court documents, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Regan’s home on October 17, 2024. During a search of Regan’s cellphone, an HSI computer forensic agent located an image of CSAM in his photo gallery. Regan advised law enforcement that he was employed at a middle school and the Boys and Girls Club and that that he teaches chess club and music lessons. A subsequent review of Regan’s social media applications by law enforcement revealed Regan had distributed two videos of CSAM on June 24, 2024.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Orlando Man Sentenced to 26 Years for Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza has sentenced Theron Charles Lord (37, Orlando) to 26 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and production of child sexual abuse materials. Lord pleaded guilty on September 19, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, Lord and a 15-year-old child victim (CV) met online and began messaging on social media platforms. The messages quickly became sexual in nature and spanned from March until August 2022. In April 2022, Lord drove to meet the CV for the first time and engaged in sexual abuse of the CV. Between April and November 2022, Lord and the CV met in person at least six times. Lord sexually abused the CV at each meeting and recorded videos of the sexual abuse. Additionally, Lord caused the CV to record and send him specific videos of child sexual abuse material.
“This predator repeatedly exploited the innocence of a child and demonstrated a complete disregard for the well-being of others,” said Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI investigators, alongside our partners at the Rockledge Police Department, are combating the exploitation of minors every day and have successfully removed another predator from the streets.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Rockledge Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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.
Orlando Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of MachinegunRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Timothy Aden-Alan Calhoun (27, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons, specifically, a machinegun. Calhoun faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 12, 2025. Calhoun has also agreed to forfeit the firearm containing the machinegun conversion device.
According to the plea agreement, officers from the Maitland Police Department pulled over Calhoun for a traffic violation. During a search incident to his arrest, the officer located a Glock 19 with a machinegun conversion device installed. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was contacted and confirmed that the firearm had a machinegun conversion device installed, converting the semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon. Under the NFA, a machinegun conversion device is classified as a machinegun. The machinegun was not registered to Calhoun in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Maitland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
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.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terric Zaire Williams, 25, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 29, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Charleston apartment where Williams was staying. Officers seized three-quarters of a pound of methamphetamine from a dining room trash can and a living room closet during the search. Williams admitted to possessing the seized methamphetamine and intending to distribute it.
While executing the search warrant, officers encountered and arrested Williams’ girlfriend, Emariel Kanay Tyler, after they saw the outline of a firearm in her pants and a large amount of cash and a baggie of suspected drugs hanging out of the pockets of her jacket. Tyler, 20, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty on November 18, 2024, to use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-67.
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Ohio Man Sentenced for Coercing a Minor Child to Send Him Sexually Explicit MaterialRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – In November 2024, a jury found Thomas Edward Petro, 32, of Ashtabula, Ohio, guilty of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor.
Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell, sentenced Petro to 140 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon release, Petro will be required to register as a sex offender.
“Petro enticed this child using social media,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I encourage parents and guardians to talk with your children. Know who they spend time with and what they do on their cell phones. Sexual predators like Petro are skilled in befriending children and taking advantage of them.”
The evidence presented at trial showed that Petro lived in Ohio and met the minor child through an app. Petro shared hundreds of sexually explicit messages, voice recordings, pictures, and videos of himself with a 13-year-old minor child. Petro requested the minor to take sexually explicit images and send them to him. Knowing the victim was 13, Petro asked the victim to keep their relationship a secret.
The inappropriate relationship was discovered when the minor child told a friend. That friend told the school resource officer, who immediately contacted the principal and reported the incident to the FBI.
When the lead FBI agent testified, he confirmed that the minor child did disclose that they were only 13 years old. After going over all of the sexually explicit evidence in front of the jury, the agent also confirmed that Petro never asked the minor child to stop engaging in sexual activity.
Petro was taken into custody following the guilty verdict. He will remain in custody, pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI and Adair Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Brandon and Scott Dunn prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Operation Enforce and RemoveRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—The largest collaborative police effort to enforce federal immigration laws in Arkansas’s history resulted in the arrest of 219 illegal immigrants over the past three weeks. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Clay Fowlkes, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced the culmination of “Operation Enforce and Remove,” an arrest operation across the state that involved all federal law enforcement agencies operating in Arkansas, as well the Arkansas State Police and all 19 Arkansas Judicial Drug Task Forces, who coordinated and organized the overall operation. In addition to assisting with immigration enforcement, these task forces also arrested 253 individuals suspected of committing drug crimes and seized nearly 15,000 pounds of illegal drugs worth millions of dollars and 43 guns.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents collaborated with the Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as the Drug Task Forces and Arkansas State Police, to arrest 219 illegal immigrants during the three weeks of this enforcement operation, which began February 5. In total, since January 21, when President Donald Trump issued executive orders designed to prioritize the enforcement of immigration laws, 375 illegal immigrants have been arrested in Arkansas.
“On January 21, the Department of Justice issued a memo to all Department components, to include all U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the DEA, FBI, ATF, and U.S. Marshals, instructing each agency to partner with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to focus our resources and attention to immigration-related investigations and prosecutions at the federal, state, and local level,” U.S. Attorney Ross said.
“The memo outlined policy changes in response to the President’s day one Executive Orders and provided guidance critical to the Department’s mission to combat three of the most serious threats facing the American people: First, cartels and other transnational criminal organizations which have created unsafe borders and huge flows of illegal immigration in violation of U.S. law. Second, brutal and intolerable violent crime by members of these organizations and illegal aliens. Third, the fentanyl crisis and opioid epidemic that are poisoning our communities and have inflicted an unprecedented toll of addiction, suffering, and death.
“Because the Justice Department must and will work to eradicate these threats, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Arkansas along with each of our federal law enforcement partners will continue to prioritize working with ICE to aggressively enforce the immigration and drug-and-violent crime laws enacted by Congress. When these efforts are combined with our partnerships with our outstanding state and local law enforcement officials, we are confident that this first operation will lead to additional successful operations in the days ahead.”
“Our commitment to safeguarding communities in western Arkansas remains steadfast as we implement increased immigration enforcement efforts,” U.S. Attorney Fowlkes said. “We are dedicated to upholding the law and ensuring public safety while maintaining the highest standards of law enforcement and prosecution. Through collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners, we will address the challenges of illegal immigration and protect our communities from criminals who seek to illegally enter the United States and subject our communities to their criminal activities and associated violence.”
In preparation for “Operation Enforce and Remove,” ICE, working with other federal and local partners, developed intelligence related to the locations of known illegal immigrants. The individuals these agents sought to arrest and remove had previous encounters with law enforcement, and therefore had known addresses in various databases. Some offenders were previously convicted of crimes, while others had some type of prior contact with law enforcement. All were in the country illegally and will be deported. Of the 219 arrests of illegal immigrants during the enforcement operation, 127 individuals were processed through the ICE Enforcement and Removal office in Little Rock, 57 were processed through the Fayetteville office, 23 through the Fort Smith office, and 17 individuals through the Texarkana office.
The illegal immigrants located in Arkansas came from 23 different countries. The crimes some of these individuals were previously convicted of include: battery, aggravated assault, robbery, drug possession and distribution, domestic violence, sexual assault, illegal firearm possession, running an illegal casino, forgery, hit-and-run, indecent exposure, and sexual assault against a minor.
“We will continue to use every tool and resource available to identify, locate and apprehend those criminal aliens that threaten public safety,” said Larry Adams, ICE Assistant Field Office Director. “Our enforcement efforts are unwavering and our dedication to protecting our communities remains stronger than ever.”
At the same time that ICE was engaged in immigration operations, Drug Task Force officers were conducting numerous drug investigations that involved highway interdiction, controlled purchases of narcotics, the execution of search warrants, and other methods aimed at arresting individuals known to be involved in drug trafficking. In addition to the 253 drug-related arrests and 43 guns seized, officers across the state seized the following drugs: 225 pounds of methamphetamine, 65 pounds of cocaine, 14,542 pounds of marijuana, and 2,681 fentanyl pills and 90 grams of fentanyl powder. The street value of these drugs, broken down to a user level, is potentially hundreds of millions of dollars. These individuals will be prosecuted at either the state or federal level, depending on the particular case.
The 472 arrests announced today are the culmination of the first, but not last, collaborative federal and state law enforcement effort designed to carry out the Department of Justice’s mission, and help keep all Arkansans safe.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
New York Man Who Ran Multi-Million-Dollar Cryptocurrency Investment Scheme Found Guilty of Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury convicted Douglas Jae Woo Kim, 32, of New York, New York, on 14 counts of wire fraud, international money laundering, and money laundering. The jury reached its verdict yesterday afternoon, following a three-week trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between October 2017 and June 2020, after moving to San Francisco, Kim engaged in a scheme to defraud investors, many of whom were friends and acquaintances, of over $7 million in money and cryptocurrency by holding himself out as a legitimate trader of cryptocurrency, a form of virtual currency. Kim falsely represented that he was seeking short-term liquidity in the form of loans or investments for cryptocurrency trading or other legitimate business purposes and promised to trade or invest the cryptocurrency provided by investors and lenders to make a profit. He also told victims that the loans carried no or very low risk, promised high rates of return on their loans, and claimed that he had sufficient funds to personally guarantee the loans.
“This case may involve the new world of virtual currency, but there’s nothing new about the defendant’s scheme to defraud,” said Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins. “Douglas Kim made bogus promise after promise to investors and lenders, only to cheat them and send their money to offshore gambling sites. Today’s verdict sends a clear message to anyone who engages in fraud in the Northern District of California: you will be prosecuted, and you will face serious consequences.”
“Mr. Kim deceived those who trusted him, exploiting their confidence to fund his personal gambling activities rather than the legitimate investments he offered his victims. The FBI remains committed to identifying and bringing to justice individuals who manipulate and defraud others for financial gain,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Dan Costin.
In October 2017, Kim contacted a victim by text message and said he was looking for investors interested in making what he called a short-term loan for a “fairly modest operation.” Kim represented that he was investing in a cryptocurrency operation in which he would make a profit from fees charged to a peer-to-peer network and from exchange transactions, and informed the victim that the operation “isn’t very risky to me.” Within days of receiving cryptocurrency from the victim to finance the investment, Kim transferred almost all of it to bitcoin sports betting sites located outside the United States. Kim went on to obtain over a million dollars’ worth of funds from this victim over the course of the scheme, the majority of which went to offshore sports betting sites.
In November 2017, Kim contacted another victim by email and said he was looking for cryptocurrency for a trading strategy. Kim assured that the victim that “my activities are fairly low risk.” On Dec. 1, 2017, Kim obtained a cryptocurrency loan from this victim worth approximately $186,000 at the time. Once the cryptocurrency was obtained, Kim immediately sent all of it to offshore sports betting sites. In total, Kim obtained over $500,000 in funds from this victim.
In an agreement dated Jan. 1, 2018, Kim set out the terms of a similar investment with a third victim. The agreement called for the victim to provide cryptocurrency valued at approximately $200,000 at the time. The same day, Kim converted more than half of the funds to bitcoin and, in the following days, transferred substantially all the converted cryptocurrency to his account with an offshore casino. Kim went on to obtain over $4 million in funds from this victim.
Kim defrauded numerous other victims, including nine who testified at trial, until at least July 2020, when he was charged by federal complaint. In 2023, while he was out on pretrial release, Kim allegedly renewed his scheme to defraud. One count related to this renewed period of fraud remains pending.
The jury acquitted Kim of one count of international money laundering.
Kim is scheduled to appear on June 25, 2025, to set a date for sentencing. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and international money laundering, and 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering. Any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah Stern and Maya Karwande are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez, Maryam Beros, Andy Ding, Lynette Dixon, and Christine Tian. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation.
New York Man Admits Role in Bank Fraud Conspiracy Targeting Banks in Ten StatesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Bronx, NY, man admitted to a federal judge in Rhode Island today that he participated in a conspiracy that intended to defraud banks in at least ten states of approximately $143,000, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Paul Keenan, 54, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He will be sentenced on May 27, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, Keenan, working alongside other members of a conspiracy, to facilitate their scheme, recruited and organized individuals and obtained their photographs and personal identifying information (PII). Keenan and his co-conspirators used the information to create fraudulent IDs that contained their own photographs and the PII of some of the recruits.
Keenan and others then obtained the PII of at least 28 victim individuals, including their names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, and bank account information. They also obtained information of at least 20 business entities, including business names and banking information.
Keenan and others used the collected information to create fraudulent IDs and checks. They then traveled with recruits to banks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and at least eight other states to cash the checks.
Through the scheme, Keenan and others attempted to defraud banks of a total of approximately $143,000, successfully defrauding twenty-two banks of a total of approximately $93,200.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christine Lowell with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Hebert.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the East Providence Police Department, with the assistance of the Portsmouth Police Department.
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New Jersey Woman Pleads Guilty to Producing, Distributing, and Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Alexandria Stevens (20, New Jersey) has pleaded guilty to producing, distributing, and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Stevens faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the production offense, and a minimum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment, up to 20 years, for each of the distribution and receipt offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Stevens remains detained in federal custody pending the resolution of this case.
According to the plea agreement, while visiting Florida in November 2023, Stevens and co-defendant Michael Taylor, Jr. produced CSAM with an 8-year-old child. They also received and distributed images of CSAM over the internet.
Taylor was also charged for his alleged role in this case. His case is pending.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Nevada Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking a MinorRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Tyree Eugene Rideaux, 31, of Henderson, Nevada, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 132 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Rideaux pleaded guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor on September 16, 2024.
Rideaux met the 16-year-old minor, Jane Doe, at a party in Phoenix a short time before August 15, 2021. Jane Doe traveled with Rideaux and two other females to Inglewood, California. Rideaux told Jane Doe to pretend that she was 18 years old. Once in California, Rideaux placed Jane Doe on the “blade,” an area in a city known for high rates of prostitution. Rideaux assigned a fictitious name to Jane Doe and posted commercial sex advertisements of her online for sex buyers. Jane Doe gave the money she earned to Rideaux, as he directed her to do. On August 15, 2021, Jane Doe convinced a sex buyer to take her to a hospital where she could notify police and family, who returned her home.
“Predators who traffic in teenagers and force them into prostitution to support the trafficker’s own lifestyle are deserving of the harshest sentences,” stated Rachel C. Hernandez, Acting United States Attorney. “I’m pleased with the excellent results in this case that came about through the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners and our prosecutors.”
“As law enforcement officers, we are used to handling difficult encounters, but few can prepare us for working on human trafficking investigations involving vulnerable children,” said ICE HSI Arizona Special Agent in Charge, Francisco B. Burrola. “HSI is committed to ensuring sex traffickers face the fullest extent of the law by putting them behind bars for years – significant prison time rightly awaits this trafficker.”
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecutions.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01291-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-024_Rideaux# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Mount Vernon Native Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Orchestrating $7.6 Million COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JACOB CARTER, who led a scheme to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) of more than $7.6 million, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román to 11 years in prison. CARTER and co-defendants Quadri Salahuddin and Anwar Salahuddin were convicted at trial on February 9, 2024, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Jacob Carter took advantage of a taxpayer-funded program intended to help small businesses in desperate need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some small businesses that were eligible for and deserving of this money did not get it because funds ran out. Carter used his ill-gotten gains for far more selfish pursuits, including expensive jewelry and a Lamborghini. Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners at the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office, Carter has now received just punishment.”
According to the Indictment, publics filings, public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence presented at trial and in connection with sentencing:
The SBA is a federal agency of the Executive Branch that administers assistance to American small businesses. This assistance includes making direct loans to applicants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Program. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress expanded SBA’s EIDL Program to provide small businesses with low-interest loans of up to $2 million prior to in or about May 2020 and up to $150,000 beginning in or about May 2020, in order to provide vital economic support to help overcome the loss of revenue small businesses are experiencing due to COVID-19. Applicants seeking a loan under the EIDL program were also now permitted to request and receive an advance of approximately $1,000 per employee, for an amount up to $10,000, which the SBA has generally provided while the loan application was pending.
From March through July 2020, CARTER and co-defendants Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Crystal Ransom, used the identities of more than 1,000 other individuals (the “Applicants”) to submit more than 1,000 online applications to the SBA, seeking over $10 million of funds through the SBA’s EIDL Program (the “EIDL Applications”). In connection with the EIDL Applications, CARTER, Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Ransom falsely represented to the SBA that the Applicants were the owners of businesses with 10 or more employees. However, that was a lie – the individuals did not own businesses or employ people. Based on the fraudulent EIDL Applications, the SBA made advance payments of more than $7.6 million to the Applicants, who then kicked back a portion of the advance payments to CARTER, Quadri Salahuddin, Anwar Salahuddin, and Ransom. After the defendants collected millions of dollars in kickback payments, CARTER took photographs of his stacks of cash, purchased expensive jewelry, and leased a Lamborghini.
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In addition to the prison term, CARTER, 39, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. CARTER was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $7,737,000 to the SBA and forfeiture in the amount of $1,720,950.
Ransom pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced on April 24, 2024, to two years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release with the first six months under home confinement. The Court also ordered that Ransom pay restitution in the amount of $7,577,000 to the SBA and forfeiture in the amount of $99,000. Quadri Salahuddin and Anwar Salahuddin are scheduled to be sentenced on March 26, 2025.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey C. Coffman, Courtney L. Heavey, and Jared D. Hoffman are in charge of the prosecution.
Montana man convicted in cryptocurrency money laundering conspiracyRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Montana man was found guilty of a cryptocurrency money laundering conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Randall V. Rule, 73, formerly of Kalispell, Montana, was found guilty by a jury on all counts following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on February 26, 2025.
“We will not stand by as our citizens are victimized by financial crimes and their life savings are stolen,” said Acting U.S. Attorney McGlothin. “We will aggressively pursue cases against scammers and against those who facilitate their crimes by laundering the criminal proceeds.”
“The U.S. Secret Service extends our appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Texas, for their efforts and partnership in this case,” said Resident Agent in Charge Brad Schley. “This case culminates the work of a great team of investigators and prosecutors that works tirelessly to protect the financial infrastructure of the United States.”
On November 16, 2022, Rule and Gregory C. Nysewander, formerly of Irmo, South Carolina, were named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury, charging them with money laundering conspiracy, money laundering, and a conspiracy to violate the Bank Secrecy Act.
According to the indictment, Rule and Nysewander were alleged to have conspired with others to launder the proceeds of wire fraud and mail fraud schemes through cryptocurrency. The defendants converted funds from romance scams, business email compromises, real estate scams, and other fraudulent schemes into cryptocurrency and sent the cryptocurrency to accounts controlled by foreign and domestic co-conspirators. The defendants and their co-conspirators made false representations and concealed material facts, in order to avoid discovery of the fraudulent nature of deposits, wires, and transfers, such as providing instructions to co-conspirators and victims to label wire transfers as “loan repayments” and “advertising.” The defendants also made false representations and concealed material facts when completing account opening documents and when communicating with financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges. During the course of the conspiracy, Rule, Nysewander, and their co-conspirators laundered more than $2.4 million. Rule and Nysewander were also charged with willfully violating the money services business requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act.
At sentencing, Rule faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each money laundering charge and up to 5 years in federal prison on the conspiracy to violate the Bank Secrecy Act charge. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This effort is part of Operation Crypto Runner, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys D. Ryan Locker, Dustin Farahnak, and Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld.
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Monongalia County Man Admits to Failing to Report to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – James Mansfield Davis, 68, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to failing to surrender for a federal sentence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Davis failed to report to federal prison for an 82-month sentence for a child pornography charge in the Northern District of West Virginia. Davis didn’t report to prison and was ultimately arrested on October 15, 2024 in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Davis faces up to an additional 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christie Utt is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Minneapolis Non-Profit Executive and Business Consultant Pleads Guilty in $6 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis non-profit executive and business consultant pleaded guilty to leading a scheme to defraud a number of federal, state, local, private programs and other sources of funding, resulting in a loss of over $6 million, and also to illegally possessing a firearm after a felony, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, from 2020 until 2024, Tezzaree El-Amin Champion, 28, engaged in a fraud scheme through two Minneapolis-based entities he founded and controlled: a marketing company he owned, Futuristic Management LLC, and a non-profit organization he led, Encouraging Leaders.
Encouraging Leaders, under Champion’s direction, submitted at least 42 grant and public-contract applications with related follow-up correspondence containing material false misrepresentations, in order to obtain funding. Fraudulent applications were submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice, Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, the Center for Disease Control Foundation, the Minnesota Department of Education, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the Minnesota State Arts Board, the Otto Bremer Trust, the Greater Twin Cities United Way, and others. False statements included false rosters of Encouraging Leaders’ board of directions; false assertions that Encouraging Leaders had been independently audited; false claims that certain local governments, companies, and community organizations had agreed to partner with Encouraging Leaders; requests for payment based on overstated hours of work; and false claims that Encouraging Leaders administered events that either never occurred or were organized by others. Champion misused significant portions of the funds that Encouraging Leaders received in response to the applications, for example by transferring funds to himself and using organizational funds for personal matters. Based on the fraudulent applications, Encouraging Leaders sought more than $3.8 million in funding through 42 grants and was awarded 27 grants for more than $2.7 million in funding. Encouraging Leaders actually received approximately $1.5 million in funding as part of the scheme.
Through Futuristic Management, Champion recruited and assisted clients in submitting fraudulent applications to Hennepin County’s Small Business Relief grant program as well as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection and Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs. The applications dramatically overstated applicant incomes and expenses, and were supported by fake tax records and fake lease documents that Champion obtained. Champion also submitted nine fraudulent applications on his own behalf. Simultaneously, Champion defrauded Hennepin County, for whom his company was serving as a business advisor under the County’s Elevate Business program. As part of the program, Champion agreed to provide free marketing services to local small businesses. But rather than provide free services, Champion billed and received payments from the County for services for which he had already been paid by his clients. Many of these clients were the same businesses and individuals Champion had assisted with false PPP, EIDL, and SBR applications. Champion also used his company to fraudulently obtain loans marketed by PayPal Business Loan and issued by WebBank. In the PayPal applications, Champion overstated his company’s gross sales and attached fake Wells Fargo bank statements inflating his bank balances and deposits. In total, the part of the scheme relating to Futuristic Management resulted in a loss of more than $2.1 million.
During the investigation of Champion’s offenses, law enforcement searched Champion’s home. Officers found Futuristic Management financial records, a safe containing $127,000 in U.S. currency, and a Ruger LCR .357 revolver with Champion’s DNA on it. Due to a 2018 conviction in Hennepin County for second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, Champion is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Champion pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court yesterday before Judge Katherine M. Menendez to one count of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, and one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. Champion agreed to pay restitution of at least $3,479,575 to the victims of his offenses. Earlier this month, Champion’s co-defendant Marcus A. Hamilton pleaded guilty to participating in the Futuristic Management part of the scheme. Sentencing hearings for both defendants will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minneapolis Police Department’s Special Crimes Investigations Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Forbes and Joseph H. Thompson are prosecuting the case.
plea_agreement_24-cr-112.pdf indictment_24-cr-112.pdf search_warrant_application_23-mj-358.pdfMinneapolis Man Pleads Guilty in $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, from April 2020 through January 2022, Abdikadir Ainashe Mohamud, a.k.a. “AK,” 33, claimed to be operating a child nutrition site in Willmar, Minnesota, a small town with a total population of approximately 21,000. Mohamud ran his food site, Stigma-Free Willmar, under the sponsorship of Feeding our Future. In October 2020, Mohamud approached the owner of FaaFan restaurant and offered to pay him monthly so that he could claim the small storefront restaurant as a Stigma-Free Willmar food site. By October 20, 2020, less than a month after registering the Stigma-Free Willmar site, Mohamud claimed to be serving meals to 3,000 children per day, seven days a week from FaaFan. Mohamud created a shell company, Tunyar Trading, and claimed it was a meal vendor for the Stigma-Free Willmar food site. Between November 2020 and December 2021, Mohamud and his co-conspirators claimed to have served approximately 1.6 million meals to children through Stigma-Free Willmar.
To accomplish their scheme, Mohamud and his co-conspirators prepared and submitted fake meal counts, invoices, and attendance rosters. Mohamud ultimately transferred more than $2.5 million from Tunyar Trading to himself and other co-conspirators. He also created another shell company called Five A’s Projects LLC, where he transferred more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. These proceeds were used to purchase the former location of Kelly’s 19th Hole, a bar and restaurant in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
According to court documents, Mohamud paid more than $225,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Tunyar Trading LLC to Abdikerm Eidleh, a Feeding Our Future employee who served as the site support manager for the Stigma-Free Willmar site, in exchange for sponsoring and facilitating Stigma-Free Willmar’s fraudulent participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. In exchange, Feeding Our Future received nearly $500,000 in administrative fees for sponsoring the Stigma-Free Willmar site’s participation in the program. In December 2021, the defendant paid $5,750 to a GoFundMe account for Feeding Our Future created by Aimee Bock.
In total, Stigma-Free Willmar received over $5.3 million in payments from Feeding Our Future based on fraudulent claims. As part of his sentence, Mohamud was ordered to forfeit the Kelly’s 19th Hole property, and $378,207.20 in fraudulent funds seized from his Tunyar Trading LLC bank account.
Mohamud pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Mexican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Isodoro Morales-Pajarito (36, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a deported alien. If convicted, Morales-Pajarito faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison.
According to the complaint, Morales-Pajarito was previously deported from the United States on April 11, 2010, and May 27, 2016. Following his previous removals, he did not receive the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. On February 22, 2025, Morales-Pajarito was found to be voluntarily in the United States.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam W. McCall.
Meriden Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MIGUEL ACEVEDO, 42, of Meriden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for cocaine trafficking offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 7, 2021, Meriden Police arrested Acevedo on state crack cocaine distribution and firearm possession charges. On that date investigators seized from Acevedo approximately 390 grams of cocaine and $281,000 in cash.
In December 2022, while he was released on bond in his state case, investigators made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Acevedo.
Acevedo was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on February 14, 2023. On that date, a search of his residence on South Avenue in Meriden and his business on West Main Street in Meriden revealed approximately 40 grams of cocaine and more than $3,000 in cash. At the time of his arrest, investigators also seized two vehicles owned by Acevedo, an SUV and a minivan. A search of the minivan revealed a hidden trap that contained six kilograms of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded firearm.
After his arrest, Acevedo was released on a $60,000 appearance bond, cosigned by three sureties. Within 24 hours of his release, Acevedo was observed meeting with several visitors at his home and receiving a paper bag from one visitor who was a known drug associate. Acevedo has been detained since March 1, 2023, when his bond was revoked. On July 25, 2023, Judge Dooley granted the government’s motion to forfeit Acevedo’s appearance bond.
On September 13, 2024, Acevedo pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
The state charges against Acevedo stemming from his June 2021 arrest are pending. The cash that was seized in June 2021 was previously forfeited.
Acevedo’s criminal history includes a 2008 federal narcotics trafficking conviction for which he was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Meriden Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark and David C. Nelson through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Members of Newport News mail theft and bank fraud ring sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Four people have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a conspiracy in the Newport News area to steal mail and deposit counterfeit checks.
According to court documents, on July 6, 2023, Andre Ephraim Billups Jr., 22, of Gloucester, and Johnny Ray Riddick, aka Glo, 24, of Newport News, robbed a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier in the area of Jefferson Point in Newport News. Arrow keys are used by letter carriers to access various types of mailboxes in a specific area, including blue collection boxes and apartment panel mailboxes. Riddick served as the getaway driver while Billups served as the gunman.
Billups approached the letter carrier and first attempted to grab the key from her, but she resisted. Billups indicated to the carrier that he was armed to coerce her into producing and turning over her arrow key. After Billups obtained the arrow key from the carrier, he fled on foot towards the location where Riddick was waiting for him.
Because a maintenance worker was chasing him, Billups diverted into the apartment of his friend and Riddick’s girlfriend, Alexis Sierra West, 24, of Newport News. Billups entered the apartment and left the key and his backpack with West, who contacted Riddick and asked him what to do with the key. Riddick directed her to hide it, which she did within her bedroom closet. West later lied to law enforcement about her knowledge of the robber and robbery. After Billups fled the apartment, he ran to where Riddick was waiting in his car.
When West met Billups later to turnover the backpack and key, Riddick wiped her cellphone because he was worried about a potential law enforcement investigation. Billups separately wiped his own cellphone.
Riddick and Billups repeatedly used the arrow key to illegally access USPS collection boxes in the area and steal mail. Due to numerous customer complaints of mail theft, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) began surveilling blue collection boxes in the area.
On Dec. 3, 2023, law enforcement officers with USPIS, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Newport News Police Department (NNPD) conducted surveillance of the Hidenwood Post Office in Newport News. Karon-Omar Gary, 21, of Gloucester, whom Billups had recruited to serve as getaway driver in connection with the collection box break-ins, drove Billups to the collection box outside the Post Office. Billups was armed with a handgun and a rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition.
Billups got out of the vehicle and used the arrow key to open a collection box and access the mail but was interrupted by a Postal Inspector and an NNPD officer. Billups quickly retreated to the vehicle, but when the Inspector approached and gave verbal commands to stop, Gary drove in the direction of the Inspector. The Inspector discharged her service weapon, striking Billups in the shoulder.
Officers pursued the vehicle, which fled through Newport News into York County and then Gloucester County, at almost 100 miles per hour. Gloucester County law enforcement deployed “stop sticks” to disable the vehicle. Gary was taken into custody immediately. Billups fled on foot but eventually surrendered after disposing of his handgun.
Investigators searched the vehicle and recovered the stolen arrow key, Billups’ rifle, ammunition, two magazines, and Gary’s and Billups’ cellphones. They also recovered a driver’s license, debit cards, and checks in the names of several different individuals.
Riddick, Billups, and West engaged in a bank fraud scheme that involved “card cracking,” “check washing,” or “smacking the account.” They would deposit a counterfeit check that had been altered or fabricated into a third-party account, then withdraw or spend as much of that money as possible before the fraud was detected. Billups and Riddick would steal mail, then Riddick would send West pictures of checks from the mail, which she digitally “washed” and sent back to Riddick, who used them to produce counterfeit checks. Billups and Riddick maintained supplies, including stacks of blank checks and a printer, which they operated in West’s apartment.
On Feb. 29, 2024, Gary pled guilty to attempted theft of U.S. Mail. On Nov. 12, 2024, he was sentenced to time served.
On Sept. 25, 2024, Billups pled guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and using a firearm in a crime of violence. He was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison.
On Sept. 26, 2024, West pled guilty to unlawful possession of postal keys and accessory after the fact. On Feb. 6, she was sentenced to six months in prison.
On Sept. 30, 2024, Riddick pled guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. On Feb. 14, he was sentenced to six years and six months in prison.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police; Ronald Montgomery, York County Sheriff; and Darrell W. Warren, Jr., Gloucester County Sheriff, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Podlesni prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-94.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Dealing, Possession of a Machinegun and Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Worcester resident pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to firearms offenses and distributing cocaine.
Juan Otero, 23, of Franklin, Mass. pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license; one count of receiving a firearm while under indictment; one count of possession of a machinegun; and one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2025. In March 2024, Otero Was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Between Nov. 27, 2023 and Jan. 23, 2024, Otero sold five firearms on four different occasions. One of the firearms was a Glock pistol with a machinegun conversion device, also known as a “Glock switch,” attached. Otero also sold large capacity magazines and multiple rounds of ammunition. In addition, Otero distributed or possessed with intent to distribute cocaine on or about Dec. 6, 2023.
In 2022, Otero was indicted in Worcester Superior Court for multiple state crimes, including the unlawful possession of a large capacity weapon, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, unlawful possession of a large capacity firearm and ammunition and attempted assault and battery. Otero was on release pending trial on the state court charges at the time of his firearm sales in this matter.
The charges of dealing in firearms without a license and receipt of a firearm while under indictment both provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of unlawful possession of a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of cocaine carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $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; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Paul Saucier, Interim Police Chief of the Worcester Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Franklin, Mansfield and Auburn Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.
Maryland Man Indicted for Armed Rape Committed in January 2012 in NE Washington D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cristian Josue Arteaga, 35, formerly of Hyattsville, Maryland, was indicted yesterday by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on multiple counts of first-degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances, stemming from a January 22, 2012 armed rape of a victim in Northeast Washington D.C., U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced.
Arteaga will be arraigned before the Honorable Jason Park. If convicted of the charges, Arteaga faces a maximum of life in prison without possibility of release and lifetime sex offender registration.
According to the government’s evidence as summarized in the arrest warrant, on January 22, 2012, at approximately 2:30 a.m., the victim was walking home from the Ft. Totten Metro station after finishing her shift at work. As the victim approached her home, Arteaga—a stranger—approached her and asked what time it was. The victim responded by pulling out her phone and relaying the time. Arteaga then brandished a small black handgun, demanded money and made a crude sexual demand while pointing the gun in her face. Arteaga shoved the victim into her neighbor’s carport, pushed her down, and raped her multiple times at gunpoint. Following the assault, Arteaga threatened the victim not to report the assault to police, saying he would kill her if she reported, and then fled the scene.
Due to the threats, the victim was afraid to call police to her home and waited until the following morning to report the rape to police. The victim subsequently obtained a rape kit and crime scene technicians processed the crime scene for evidence. Evidence collected in connection with the offense was tested for DNA promptly in 2012. The DNA profile of an unknown male was obtained from the testing and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a DNA database maintained by the FBI. There were no hits in the database and the case went cold.
On December 19, 2023, the Texas Department of Public Safety issued an NDIS CODIS offender letter, reflecting a match between the unknown male DNA profile that had been entered in CODIS from the 2012 armed rape and Texas offender Cristian Josue Arteaga. Detectives traveled to Texas and lawfully collected a known DNA sample from Arteaga and submitted it for testing and comparison to the evidence from the armed rape that was previously tested in 2012. The DNA testing provided very strong support for inclusion of Arteaga’s and the victim’s DNA profiles being present in the evidence.
Arteaga has been in custody since his arrest and was brought to the District of Columbia in January 2025 to face these charges.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man sentenced to 20 years for armed robbery of an East St. Louis convenience storeRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a man to 20 years’ imprisonment for an armed robbery of a convenience store in East St. Louis.
Vernelle E. Hines, 31, arrested in Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of carry and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to court documents, Hines brandished a firearm to the store clerk and demanded two bottles of tequila from the Mega Supermarket in East St. Louis on Oct. 31, 2023.
When the clerk refused, Hines assaulted the clerk, discharged his firearm into the ceiling and took two bottles of tequila and a couple hundred dollars by force. Hines wore a mask to conceal his face.
The store clerk sustained serious and permanent injuries.
“This 20-year sentence of a convicted felon who committed a brutal robbery is evidence of the Illinois State Police’s commitment to making communities safer,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP special agents will follow leads and track down those who commit evil until justice is served.”
At the time of the robbery, Hines was on federal supervised release for felon in possession of a firearm for charges in the Eastern District of Missouri.
The Illinois State Police’s Public Safety Enforcement Group led the investigation with assistance in apprehending Hines from the U.S. Marshals Service in the Southern District of Illinois and Homeland Security Investigations in the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to over 24 Years in Prison for Running Multiple Dark Web Child Sexual Abuse WebsitesRead the Press Release
A California man was sentenced today to 24 years and four months in prison for his role in operating four websites dedicated to sharing images of child sexual abuse.
According to court documents, Louis Donald Mendonsa, 62, of Sacramento, assisted with managing and maintaining four different websites that operated on the dark web from at least December 2021 until his arrest November 2022. Each of these websites were dedicated to advertising, distributing, and exchanging images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. One of the websites allowed members to post images and videos of children as young as infants and toddlers. While using the internet at a local coffee shop, Mendonsa advertised and distributed child sexual abuse images over these websites and assisted others with running the websites. When searched by law enforcement, his electronic devices were found to contain images of child sexual abuse, approximately 6,500 of which depicted identified victims of his conduct.
Mendonsa pleaded guilty in April 2024 to seven counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California, and Special Agent in Charge Tatum King of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco made the announcement.
HSI San Francisco investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
CEOS Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Sauvageau and Christina McCall for the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Sentenced to 12 Months for Indecent ExposureRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Anthony Leroy Haygood, 36, of Sarasota, Florida, was sentenced last week by United States Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Rateau to two consecutive six-month sentences. The sentences will be served consecutive to Haygood’s prior federal sentences. Haygood pleaded guilty to two counts of Indecent Exposure on November 20, 2024.
Between November 2, 2023, and January 7, 2024, Haygood was an inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex, Tucson, in the District of Arizona. On November 2, 2023, Haygood exposed himself to a correctional officer. When directed to stop, Haygood told her, “I don’t care. I will do it again.” On January 7, 2024, Haygood called a different correctional officer to his cell and exposed himself to her.
The Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Houston, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 24-04388-TUC-JR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-025_Haygood# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest newsMan Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl that Caused Two Fatal OverdosesRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Jonathan Tyler Gauthier pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he supplied the fentanyl that caused the deaths of S.M.G. on September 7, 2022, and J.A.W. on December 24, 2022.
According to the plea agreement, on September 7, 2022, at approximately 5:50 a.m., San Diego Police officers responded to a residence in Hillcrest. When officers arrived, they found 24-year-old S.M.G. deceased in his upstairs bedroom. A review of S.M.G.’s phone revealed a lengthy history of drug purchases from Gauthier, starting in at least 2019.
According to evidence collected from cell phones and witness interviews, S.M.G. traveled from his home in Hillcrest to the defendant’s location in La Jolla in the late afternoon on Sept. 6, 2022. Gauthier warned S.M.G. that he was selling a potent batch of fentanyl. At 8:49 p.m., Gauthier texted S.M.G.: “Ur being careful.” At 9:12 p.m., S.M.G. responded “Yes.” S.M.G. was not seen alive after he went to his bedroom at 9:30 p.m.
On December 24, 2022, at approximately 4:29 a.m., San Diego Police officers responded to a residence in the North Clairemont area of the City of San Diego. When officers arrived, firefighters were attempting to revive J.A.W., a 27-year-old male. J.A.W. was pronounced dead at 5:02 a.m.
A family member had last seen J.A.W. alive on December 23, 2022, at 9:30 p.m., and she had checked on him at 4 a.m. when she noticed the light on his bedroom. Next to his body were a piece of foil with burnt residue on it and a white pipe with a charred blue pill on its tip. On the floor next to J.A.W.’s bed was a small, clear bag that contained eight blue pills, each marked with “M30.” Subsequent testing determined that the pills contained fentanyl.
According to evidence, including information from cell phones, social media and witness interviews, J.A.W. began to message the defendant on December 18, 2022, seeking to purchase “blues,” which are counterfeit pills often containing fentanyl. Over the course of the next four days, J.A.W. and Gauthier messaged about the purchase until settling on a price of $80 for 10 blues. On December 23, 2022, J.A.W. arranged to meet at Gauthier’s storage unit to complete the purchase. J.A.W. left his family’s holiday party at 2 p.m., picked up the drugs at the storage unit and returned home at 4 p.m.
Gauthier’s sentencing is scheduled for May 30, 2025, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Gordon and David Fawcett.
Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team and the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) jointly led this investigation.
The Overdose Response Team is an ongoing effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the San Diego Police Department, the La Mesa Police Department, National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County.
HSI San Diego FAST is a multiagency task force comprising state, local, and federal partners and was first established in August 2022 focusing on the disruption and dismantlement of criminal organizations that smuggle and distribute fentanyl within San Diego County. HSI’s FAST targets fentanyl smuggling and distribution networks to counter the rising overdose rate and decrease the availability and accessibility of fentanyl.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 24-CR-1383-JLS
Jonathan Tyler Gauthier Age: 26 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Fentanyl
21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison (per count)
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego Police Department
California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force
California Department of Health Care Services
La Mesa Police Department
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Man Involved in Shooting at Fayetteville Hookah Lounge Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, N.C. –A Robeson County man was sentenced today to the statutory maximum of 120 months in prison for possession of a machine gun, after he fired a string of shots from a .40 caliber firearm that was equipped with a switch that converts a pistol to a machine gun. On October 9, 2024, Michai Jamill Caldwell, age 24, pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Caldwell was involved in a disagreement at the Anubis Hookah Lounge in Fayetteville on June 6, 2024. The disagreement ultimately led to an altercation between several patrons, including Caldwell, and the bouncer. After the altercation was diffused, all patrons were escorted out of the building and the lounge was closed. A short time later, Caldwell returned with another individual and was confronted by security as they reentered the establishment. During the confrontation, Caldwell fired a series of shots which struck multiple victims, including one victim who lost her right eye. Two other victims were seriously injured.
After the shooting, Caldwell fled the scene and led officers from the Fayetteville Police Department on a high-speed chase, reaching speeds in excess of 120 mph swerving through traffic and disregarding traffic lights. He initially evaded law enforcement but was arrested on June 21, 2024.
The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is a collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Fayetteville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Foxx 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. 7:24-cr-66-BO-BM.
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Lyons Resident Charged in Connection with Series of Incidents at Loveland Tesla DealershipRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Lucy Grace Nelson, also known as Justin Thomas Nelson, 42, of Lyons, Colorado, was charged by complaint with one count of malicious destruction of property for a series of incidents at the Tesla dealership in Loveland, Colorado.
According to the complaint, on January 29, Loveland Police received a call reporting a fire near a Cyber Truck located at the Tesla dealership. Investigators discovered an incendiary device, commonly referred to as a “Molotov cocktail” next to the vehicle. Additionally, on February 2, Loveland Police received a report of graffiti on the Tesla dealership sign where black spray paint was used to write the word “NAZI.” On February 7, police received a call for graffiti and possible arson at Tesla. During that investigation police found multiple broken bottles consistent with incendiary devices. On February 11, a security guard at the dealership came into contact with a person painting graffiti, which used an expletive, on the front windows of the building. On February 24, police confronted Nelson at the dealership. Inside Nelson’s car, police found a container of gasoline plus a box of bottles and wick material which were similar to the items police recovered after the prior incidents.
The defendant made an initial appearance in front of Magistrate Judge N. Reid Neureiter.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Denver Field Office, and the Loveland Police Department are handling the investigation. The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:25-mj-00043-NRN
Lehigh Acres Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempting to Engage in Sexual Activity with A MinorRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Cosme Bejaran (34, Lehigh Acres) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor. The court also ordered Bejaran to forfeit a cellphone used to facilitate the offense. Bejaran pleaded guilty in November 2024.
According to court documents, beginning on May 17 and continuing through May 18, 2024, Bejaran communicated online with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. After learning of the girl’s age, Bejaran engaged in a sexually explicit conversation, asked the girl for explicit photographs, and sent an explicit photo of himself. Bejaran was apprehended by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office when he arrived at a residence with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with the girl. Bejaran later admitted to deputies and the FBI that his intentions with the girl were sexual.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Lackawanna County Man Charged with Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Reinaldo Gonzalez, Jr., age 31, of Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 25, 2025, by a federal grand jury on child pornography charges.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Gonzalez received numerous images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in 2022 and 2023, in Wayne County, Pennsylvania.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case.
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.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 120 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme to Defraud Boone County Schools Out of $3.4 MillionRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jesse Marks, 65, of Rush, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Marks admitted to conspiring with Michael David Barker to overbill the Boone County Schools system while Barker was its maintenance director.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Marks was the sole owner and operator of Rush Enterprises when Barker contacted him in November 2019 about Rush Enterprises selling custodial and janitorial supplies to Boone County Schools. Marks agreed and began supplying Boone County Schools with supplies including hand soap, trash can liners, facemasks, face shields, and hand sanitizer.
Marks admitted that he and Barker entered into the overbilling scheme in November 2019. Barker submitted invoices to Boone County Schools on behalf of Rush Enterprises that significantly inflated the number of products that it was delivering. Boone County Schools relied on the fraudulent invoices and mailed checks to Rush Enterprises using the United States Postal Service.
As part of the agreement with Barker, Marks deposited the checks from Boone County Schools into the business bank account for Rush Enterprises, wrote himself checks on that account that he cashed at various banks, and personally delivered some of that cash to Barker in manila envelopes. Marks admitted that he and Barker initially agreed to evenly split the proceeds of the overbilling scheme after deducting the cost of the products actually delivered to Boone County Schools. Marks further admitted that their agreement changed in October 2020, when Barker began receiving 55 percent of the fraudulent profits.
Marks estimated that approximately 80 percent of the total payments received by Rush enterprises from Boone County Schools, or $3,448,571.85 out of $4,310,714.82, was for products never delivered.
Marks is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Marks also owes restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court.
A federal grand jury returned an 18-count indictment on December 11, 2024, charging Barker, 47, of Foster, with mail fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and money laundering. Barker’s trial is scheduled for April 15, 2025. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the West Virginia State Police, and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Department of Education.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-6.
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