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4 April 2025
New Orleans Men Guilty of Multiple Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that HENRY MITCHELL (“MITCHELL”), age 25, and JAYLAN WASHINGTON (“WASHINGTON”), age 29, former residents of New Orleans, pled guilty on April 1, 2025, before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to drug and gun charges contained in an indictment previously returned against them. Listed below are the charges to which MITCHELL and WASHINGTON pled guilty and the possible sentence that can be imposed:
CHARGEDEFENDANTPENALTYConspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute marihuana, Fentanyl, tapentadol and tramadol, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846MITCHELL
WASHINGTON
Up to 20 Years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least 3 years of supervised releasePossession With Intent to Distribute marihuana, Fentanyl, tapentadol and tramadol, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C)MITCHELLUp to 20 Years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least 3 years of supervised releaseFelon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1)MITCHELLUp to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised releasePossession of a Machine Gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o)MITCHELLUp to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, not more than and up to 3 years of supervised releasePossession of a Machine Gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o)MITCHELLUp to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised releasePossession with Intent to Distribute marihuana, and tapentadol, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C)WASHINGTONUp to 20 Years imprisonment , a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least 3 years of supervised releaseFelon in Possession of a Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1)WASHINGTONNot more than up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised releasePossession of a Machine Gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o)WASHINGTONNot more than up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised releaseEach offense also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
Sentencing will occur on July 8, 2025, at 10:00 am. Both will remain detained without bond.
Documents filed in court reflect that MITCHELL and WASHINGTON were openly selling various controlled substances in the Seventh Police District of New Orleans. FBI Violent Task Officers observed this activity after receiving multiple citizen complaints and summoned New Orleans Police Department officers who surrounded the area and arrested MITCHELL and WASHINGTON. A search of their vehicles revealed both controlled substances and firearms. Officers also recovered “Glock switches”, devices that make semiautomatic weapons fully automatic. These devices are considered machineguns under federal law. Additionally, documents reveal that both MITCHELL and WASHINGTON have several prior felony convictions.
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 case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crime Task Force, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit is assigned the prosecution.
New Jersey Men Charged with Posing as Government Officials to Swindle Victims in 5 StatesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: Two New Jersey men have been indicted for conspiring to commit wire fraud for their roles in an alleged multistate scheme to defraud and obtain money and other property from victims by posing as government officials.
As alleged in a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on April 3, beginning in March 2023, Bharat Awasarmol and Prakashkumar Prajapati were involved in a conspiracy and scheme to defraud seven victims in five states, including Maine. As part of the scheme, victims received telephone calls from individuals posing as government officials. These imposters fraudulently instructed victims to withdraw cash and purchase gold to turn over to the government for safekeeping. The callers then arranged for victims to meet fake government agents to hand over the cash and gold. Awasarmol was intercepted when he was caught accepting a package from a victim in Maine. The Maine victim had been instructed to meet Awasarmol and turn over gold by an individual posing as an employee of the Federal Trade Commission. Awasarmol allegedly accepted cash and gold from six additional victims in New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. In furtherance of the conspiracy and scheme to defraud, Prajapati directed Awasarmol to meet the victims, and provided him with instructions and locations to meet victims.
The superseding indictment also alleges that Awasarmol made false statements to an FBI agent regarding his role in the scheme.
If convicted, Prajapati and Awasarmol face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the wire fraud conspiracy charge. Awasarmol also faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the false statement charge.
The FBI is investigating the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Missouri Man Admits Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from O’Fallon, Missouri, on Friday admitted possessing child sexual abuse material on multiple electronic devices and in a cloud account.
Davie John Metzger, 55, of O’Fallon, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of receipt of child pornography. He admitted possessing 369 images of child sexual abuse material on a flash drive, 24 images on a hard drive, 211 in an online cloud storage account and 343 on a cell phone. Metzger’s conduct had triggered three CyberTipline reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The June 30, 2023, tip was triggered when he uploaded an image depicting a girl between the ages of 3 and 7. A subsequent court-approved search of his online account revealed photos that he’d surreptitiously taken of women and girls in public places.
Metzger is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8. The crime carries a mandatory minimum prison term of five years and a maximum of 20 years.
The FBI and the St. Charles County Cybercrime Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Miller County Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS – A Doddridge, Arkansas man was sentenced yesterday to 198 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Texarkana.
According to court documents, Nathaniel Gareth Doggett, age 22, used an online social media platform to distribute child pornography to a minor. Doggett’s crime came to light after a CyberTip was submitted to the FBI by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. When interviewed by FBI agents, Doggett admitted to downloading and distributing child pornography, including files of pre-pubescent children, through the social media application.
Doggett was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in June of 2023 and entered a plea of guilty in August of 2025. His conviction requires him to register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Miller County Sheriff’s Office, the El Dorado Police Department, and the Arkansas State Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devon Still and Graham Jones prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice A Child into Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that William Isaak Sparks (24, Kalamazoo, Michigan) has pleaded guilty to attempted online enticement of an 11-year-old child to engage in sex acts. Sparks faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Following any imposed prison sentence, he will be required to serve at least 5 years’ supervised release and register as a sex offender. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Sparks has also agreed to forfeit a cellphone that was used to facilitate the offense.
According to court documents, an FBI special agent was conducting an online undercover investigation designed to identify and target adults who were seeking sexual activity with children. The undercover agent, posing as the parent of an 11-year-old girl, made contact with Sparks in a chat group on a social media app. Sparks offered to travel from Michigan to Florida for the purpose of sexually exploiting the “child.” Sparks provided his cellphone number to the undercover agent, distributed to the undercover agent two videos of children being sexually abused, and offered to send an explicit video of himself. Via text message, Sparks continued to make arrangements to travel to Florida.
The undercover agent again encountered Sparks in a chat room on May 21, 2024. During that conversation, Sparks again offered to travel to Florida to sexually abuse the 11-year-old “child.” Sparks provided his true name to the undercover agent so that the agent could book a bus ticket from Michigan to Florida for Sparks. The agent later learned that on May 24, 2024, Sparks had been arrested by the Michigan State Police after information was provided by a private citizen that Sparks was attempting to engage in sex acts with a purported 11-year-old child in Michigan. Sparks was arrested after he showed up with a condom and $45 in cash expecting to sexually abuse the purported 11-year-old child in Michigan.
While he was detained pending trial in this case, Sparks was found to be possessing in his jail cell drawings depicting children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Michigan State Police, and the Township of Kalamazoo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
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.
Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Three Prior RemovalsRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – An illegal alien man was sentenced yesterday to 2 years and 6 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported or removed.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Sam Olson, Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made the announcement.
According to court documents, David Lopez-Guillen, 48, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison, followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported or removed. On April 14, 2022, in Russell County, Kentucky, Lopez-Guillen was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States three previous times, on or about January 19, 2001, April 25, 2005, and August 31, 2020. This is Lopez-Guillen’s second conviction in the Western District of Kentucky for illegal reentry.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by HSI Bowling Green and ICE ERO.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case was sentenced under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Mexican National Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Herman Vazquez-Padilla to 15 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after committing an aggravated felony. Vazquez-Padilla was found guilty on December 23, 2024.
According to court documents, Vazquez-Padilla, an alien and citizen of Mexico, reentered the United States without obtaining permission, after removal, following a conviction of an aggravated felony. Vazquez-Padilla was convicted of conspiracy to transport one hundred or more illegal aliens on September 19, 2012. He was ordered removed on June 7, 2021, and was removed on November 10, 2021. Sometime after November 10, 2021, Vazquez-Padilla voluntarily and illegally reentered the United States. Vazquez-Padilla did not receive the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. On August 28, 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers found Vazquez-Padilla in Hillsborough County, Florida.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Richard A. Lazarra has sentenced Julio Cesar Paniagua (55), a Mexican national, to 37 months in prison for illegal reentry into the United States by a Removed Alien. Paniagua pled guilty on January 13, 2025.
According to court documents, in 2011, Paniagua was convicted of a narcotics distribution conspiracy, and following a sentence of incarceration, was removed from the United States on December 3, 2015. Later in 2018, Paniagua attempted to illegally reenter the United States and was charged, convicted, and incarcerated. Later that year, he was once again removed from the United States. At some point thereafter, he illegally reentered the United States and was found to be living in Dade City, Florida on November 18, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III.
Members of methamphetamine drug ring in Casper are sentencedRead the Press Release
A drug trafficking case involving three people from Casper and their source of supply from Thornton, Colorado, was recently closed after all the parties involved were sentenced.
William J. Varney, 57 of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 235 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Varney pleaded guilty on Dec. 23, 2024. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on March 14 in Cheyenne.
Jolyn K. Furley, 50, of Thornton, Colorado, was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Furley pleaded guilty on Dec. 23, 2024. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on March 28 in Cheyenne.
Julia Carlene Deshaw, 56, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, aiding and abetting. Deshaw pleaded guilty on Dec. 23, 2024. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on March 14 in Cheyenne.
Gerald Dehnert, 65, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, aiding and abetting. Dehnert pleaded guilty on Jan. 8, and U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on April 1 in Cheyenne.
According to court documents, in August and September of 2023, Special Agents of the Central Enforcement Team of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation received information that Julia Deshaw and William Varney were suspected of distributing large amounts of methamphetamine within the Natrona County area. Through the investigation, they learned that Deshaw, Varney, and Dehnert took turns driving to Colorado up to two times a week, bringing back approximately one to five pounds of methamphetamine each time for redistribution. Through surveillance and other investigative tactics, agents determined their supplier was Jolyn Furley.
The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, and the Mills Police Department investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case.
Case No. 24-CR-00064
Maryland Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison for Unemployment Insurance Benefits Scheme During COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Michael Cooley, Jr., aka “Micheal Cooley Jr.,” “5Micmusik,” and “Michael White,” 26, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, to 87 months in federal prison. In January 2025, Cooley pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a conspiracy and scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor and California Employment Development Department.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentencing with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office.
According to the guilty plea, from at least June 2020 through March 2021, Cooley conspired with Isiah Lewis, 35, of Prince George’s County, and Alonzo Brown, 27, of Virginia, to devise and execute a scheme to defraud individuals and multiple state workforce agencies, including in Maryland and California, of more than $800,000 in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, successfully obtaining more than $300,000. The scheme was sophisticated and used personal identifiable information — such as name, date of birth, and social security number — from more than 60 individuals to file online UI applications in Maryland and California, using anonymous email addresses to obscure their identities and avoid detection.
At sentencing, Judge Griggsby found that Cooley held a managerial role in the conspiracy. Additionally, Judge Griggsby ordered Cooley to pay restitution of $310,428.08 to the victims and to forfeit all money, property, and/or assets derived from the scheme, including a money judgment of $310,428.08.
This case is part of the District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force, a Strike Force that is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bijon A. Mostoufi, who prosecuted the federal case, and Joanna B.N. Huber, who supported the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Man Under Indictment in Heroin OD Case Sentenced to 51 Months for Illegal Machinegun PossessionRead the Press Release
A Fort Worth man who was on deferred adjudication for dealing the heroin that killed a 21-year-old in 2013 was sentenced today to 51 months in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Brennan Trainor Rodriguez, 33, was indicted in October 2024 and pled guilty in December 2024 to illegal possession of a machinegun. He was sentenced on April 4, 2025, to 51 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor.
According to court records, Mr. Rodriguez was charged on June 7, 2013, with injecting heroin into a 21-year-old man who suffered a fatal overdose. He admitted to causing the man’s death and was placed on 10 years of deferred adjudication beginning on Nov. 26, 2014. Conditions of his community supervision prohibited him from possessing firearms.
On Aug. 6. 2024, law enforcement responded to a domestic disturbance call from Mr. Rodriguez’s former girlfriend, who told police that the defendant had been stalking and harassing her since their breakup. She also reported that Mr. Rodriguez frequently shot guns, including one that fired fully automatic.
The following week, Mr. Rodriguez was arrested for stalking. In searching his home, law enforcement found nine firearms, including a Smith & Wesson rifle equipped with a machinegun conversion device, commonly known as a “switch” or “auto sear.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division – Fort Worth Resident Agency and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric B. Chen prosecuted the case.
Man Pleads Guilty to November 2024 Armed Carjacking and August 2022 Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Demonta King, 18, of Chevy Chase, MD, pleaded guilty today for carjacking a taxicab driver at knifepoint in November 2024 and robbing another victim at gunpoint in August 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
King pleaded guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of armed carjacking and one count of armed robbery. The Honorable Jennifer Di Toro scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 1:50 a.m., on November 18, 2024, in the 5000 block of Fort Totten Drive, NE, King, while armed with a knife, approached the victim, a taxicab driver, who was standing approximately five feet from his taxicab. King announced a robbery and said, “Give me everything,” and ordered the victim to hand over his keys. King then stabbed the victim in the hand causing him to drop the keys. The defendant picked up the keys and took the victim’s taxicab, along with his phone, driver’s license, bank cards and other personal items. Officers later spotted the victim’s vehicle, traveling at a high rate of speed, in the 500 block of Chillum Road in Hyattsville, MD, when the defendant crashed and exited on foot. Police gave chase and stopped the defendant.
In a separate incident, according to the government’s evidence, at approximately 5:45 a.m., on August 26, 2022, in the 100 Block of Gallatin Street and 1st Place NE, King approached a different victim, brandished a firearm, took the victim’s backpack and cell phone, and then struck the victim in the face with the firearm and fled. King was 16-years-old when he committed this offense and was prosecuted as an adult under Title 16.
King was placed under arrest at the scene of the armed carjacking and has been in custody since his arrest.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Green.
Malibu Man Found Guilty of Defrauding Investors Out of over $20 Million via False Claims about Celebrity App’s Business PerformanceRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Malibu man has been found guilty by a jury of defrauding investors out of more than $20 million by lying to them about his technology company’s financial performance related to a software application designed to help celebrities and social media influencers monetize their brand endorsements, the Justice Department announced today.
Bernhard Eugen Fritsch, 63, was found guilty late Thursday of one count of wire fraud.
According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, Fritsch was the founder and CEO of StarClub Inc., a Santa Monica-based tech company. From 2014 to 2017, Fritsch raised more than $20 million from investors to build out the company’s app, also known as StarSite, claiming celebrities and influencers would use the technology to post content on social media sites such as Facebook. At the same time, the app would deliver advertising content and share ad revenue with the celebrity poster.
While pitching the StarClub offering to investors, Fritsch made several false and fraudulent claims, including that StarClub was on the verge of entering commercial deals with, or obtaining investments and buyout offers from major media companies such as Disney; that StarClub had earned $15 million in revenue in 2015; and that StarClub’s current investors included major media companies and a global investment banking firm.
Fritsch also claimed he would use the investors’ money to build out StarClub’s channels and technology and for general corporate purposes. Instead, Fritsch used much of the investor money to enrich himself and support his luxurious lifestyle, including by purchasing luxury cars such as a McLaren and a Rolls-Royce, fixing up his yacht, and renovating his Malibu mansion, located near Carbon Beach.
Law enforcement seized the yacht, McLaren, and the Rolls-Royce and they are subject to forfeiture proceedings.
One victim invested more than $20 million in StarClub over the course of two years, based on Fritsch’s false statements. This victim also introduced Fritsch to other victims who invested millions of additional funds in the company. Prosecutors estimate that Fritsch caused at least approximately $25 million in victim losses because of his scheme.
The jury found Fritsch not guilty of a second wire fraud count. He remains free on bond.
United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer is expected to schedule a sentencing hearing to occur in the coming months. Fritsch faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Monica E. Tait, Sarah S. Lee, and Joseph L. De Leon of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.
Lubbock Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a 10-year-old ChildRead the Press Release
A man who sexually abused a child for over two years was sentenced to life in federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.Alec Mendoza, 26, of Lubbock, Texas, was indicted in May 2024. He pleaded guilty in August 2024 to enticement of a minor and was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to court documents, Mendoza first met the victim, “Jane Doe” and Doe’s mother at a party in 2020 when Doe was 10 years old, and Mendoza was 22 years old. Mendoza began messaging Doe online and on Valentine’s Day 2021, Mendoza began sexually abusing Doe. At the time, Doe was 11 years old, and Mendoza was 23 years old.
Soon after Mendoza began abusing Doe, Mendoza moved into Doe’s family home. For the next two and a half years, Mendoza had sexual intercourse with Doe approximately 30-50 times. Mendoza would also send messages to Doe discussing sex and would remind Doe to delete her messages.
In December 2023, Mendoza was caught sending text messages to Doe in the middle of the night from his bedroom down the hall. Doe’s mother confronted Mendoza about the messages and Mendoza admitted to having an ongoing sexual relationship with Doe.
At sentencing, the government noted that following his conviction, Mendoza agreed to take a polygraph examination. Mendoza failed the polygraph. In his post-polygraph interview, Mendoza confessed to also sexually abusing a second child. A search warrant of Mendoza’s phone also revealed Mendoza to be in possession of 20 videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Mendoza admitted to law enforcement to receiving and distributing CSAM over the Internet.
At sentencing, Judge Hendrix told Mendoza that he could not “capture with words the trauma you caused that will last for lifetimes.” In imposing a life sentence, Judge Hendrix said: “I have to make a lot of difficult decisions. This is not one of them.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the Lubbock Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.
Laredo man convicted after purchasing firearms with stolen bank heist fundsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A federal judge has found a 42-year-old resident of Laredo guilty of bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana determined Arturo Limon II was guilty on all four counts as charged following a one-day bench trial. She convicted him of two counts of bank robbery, one count of bank theft and one count of false statements during purchase of a firearm.
On April 27, 2024, Limon entered Falcon International Bank located at 10511 McPherson Road. He approached the bank tellers, handed them an empty camouflage backpack and demanded they put money in it. During the robbery he said, “yes this is happening.”
Limon stole a large amount of cash from the teller’s drawer, exited through the main lobby entrance and drove away in blue Ford Mustang.
Authorities responded, reviewed bank surveillance footage and issued a “be on the lookout” for an individual matching Limon’s description.
Later that day, he entered Arena Gun Club shortly after the robbery with the same green camouflage backpack and attempted to purchase a firearm with a large amount of cash. He left the club while employees conducted the mandatory background checks. They alerted law enforcement due to his suspicious behavior.
The court heard that he had lied about his residential address on the required form when he attempted to purchase five pistols and one rifle from the Arena Gun Club.
Authorities arrested Limon at his residence as he arrived driving a blue Mustang. At that time, they found marked currency in his vehicle and a green camouflage backpack.
Judge Saldana will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Limon faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie Cortez and Mike Makens are prosecuting the case.
Lake Charles Man Sentenced to over 16 Years in Federal Prison on Distribution of Fentanyl CaseRead the Press Release
Lake Charles, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that Kendall Hicks, 35, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr., to 175 months on distribution of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl followed by five years of supervised release. He was also sentenced to 24 months on a supervised release violation to run consecutively for a total of 199 months or approximately 16 years in prison.
On May 30, 2023, members of the Calcasieu Combined Anti-Drug Task Force (C.A.T. Team) executed a search warrant for Hicks' residence. During the search, officers located over $10,000 in U.S. currency, approximately 495.71 grams of fentanyl, marijuana, and digital scales. Hicks pled guilty on January 7, 2025.
“The United States Attorney’s Office salutes the hard work and dedication of our law enforcement partners in Calcasieu Parish and their commitment to make our communities safe. Simply put, fentanyl kills and its illegal distribution must come to an end.” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “This is a significant sentence and it sends a clear message that that this conduct will not be tolerated.”
This case was investigated by United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Combined Anti-Drug Task Force (C.A.T. Team) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog.
The Combined Anti-Drug Team (C.A.T.) Narcotics Task Force is a joint effort between the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lake Charles Police Department, Westlake Police Department, DeQuincy Police Department, Vinton Police Department, Iowa Police Department, the United States Marshal’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Kansas Doctor Admits Accepting Kickbacks to Commit Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A medical doctor from the Kansas City, Kansas area on Friday admitted accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks to order medically unnecessary health care for thousands of patients.
Dr. Scott Taggart Roethle, 47, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of health care fraud. He admitted that from 2017 until 2020, he conspired with health care companies and others to order medically unnecessary durable medical equipment, pain creams and genetic tests for thousands of patients in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks.
Dr. Roethle contracted with multiple health care companies as a telemedicine doctor. Using electronic portals to review patient information and documents, Dr. Roethle ordered health care services for patients without evaluating them or their actual medical needs. He did not have a prior doctor-patient relationship with the telemedicine patients and admitted providing no follow-up care after ordering the health care services.
Dr. Roethle was typically paid about $30 for each of his fraudulent orders. He admitted receiving payments of $674,000 from five companies. He also admitted that Medicare paid out at least $1.5 million while relying on his fraudulent orders. At the time of Dr. Roethle’s sentencing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will argue that the total loss due to the health care fraud is between $7 million and $9.5 million.
Dr. Roethle was licensed to practice in 22 states during the time of his crime and worked primarily as an anesthesiologist.
The trial of Dr. Roethle, of Leawood, was scheduled to begin Monday. His sentencing is set for July 17.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman and Justin Ladendorf are prosecuting the case.
Judge Sentences Maryland Man to Prison Term for Killing Woman Retrieving Personal Items from His Girlfriend’s ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Amard Jefferson, 26, of Ft. Washington, MD, was sentenced today, to 27 years in prison, for the August 2021 murder of 20-year-old Kendall Brown and obstruction of justice for trying to convince his girlfriend to tell authorities that she killed Kendall Brown – not him, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On December 20, 2024, a jury found Jefferson guilty of second-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license and obstructing justice. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered Jefferson to serve three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 4:28 p.m., on August 7, 2021, in the 3000 block of Nelson Place, Southeast, Ms. Brown and two others went to the apartment of Jefferson’s girlfriend to retrieve personal items that one of them left behind after moving out of the apartment. While there, a verbal argument occurred. Jefferson, who was not initially involved in the verbal argument, escalated the argument by introducing and reaching for his firearm and threatening the women that he was going to “call his men.” Shortly thereafter, and without cause or justification, the defendant shot Ms. Brown. After locking the victim into the apartment, the defendant fled with his girlfriend. As he fled the crime scene, he stashed the murder weapon -- a black 9mm ghost gun – in a drainpipe a few blocks away. Jefferson continued his efforts to prevent legal accountability a few days after his arrest when he attempted, through text messages and phone calls from the D.C. Department of Corrections, to convince his girlfriend to affirmatively and falsely take blame for the murder.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Han, Paralegal Specialists Sharon Newman, Meredith McGarrity, Lashone Samuels, and Lisa Minott, Victim/Witness Advocate Christie Bloodworth, Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin, Security Specialist Robert Cephas, Supervisory Victim/Witness Services Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Shanika McCullough, and Maenylie Watson, Special Agents Matthew Fox-Moles, Eric Pauta, and Sean Ricardi.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Kukowski, who investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Clark and Stephanie Dinan, who prosecuted the case.
Judge Sentences Maryland Man Who Stabbed Romantic Partner Ten TimesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Aron Williams, 33, of District Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today, for stabbing his romantic partner, on February 23, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Williams pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill on January 27, 2025, before the Honorable Jason Park in D.C. Superior Court.
Today, Judge Park sentenced Williams to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 23, 2024, an argument ensued between Williams and the victim, his romantic partner. During that argument, Williams became enraged and began strangling the victim with both hands around her neck before grabbing a large hunting knife from a chair. He then took the knife and stabbed the victim approximately ten times on both arms, both legs, her mouth, and her wrist. She started bleeding heavily, as the gash to her wrist was to the bone and the gash to her mouth nearly severed her lip from her face. He eventually fled, forcing his romantic partner and her son to call 911. She required emergency surgery to repair the cut to her wrist and stitches to close the wounds on her mouth, arms, and legs.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
They also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Hyde from the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section, who prosecuted the case.
Indictment Returned for February 2024 Shooting of Metropolitan Police Department OfficersRead the Press Release
UPDATE: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been notified to investigate Rattigan.
WASHINGTON – Stephen Rattigan, also known as Julius James, 49, of Washington, D.C., was indicted April 2, 2025, on assault with intent to kill while armed and other charges stemming from the February 14, 2024, shooting of Metropolitan Police Department Officers, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”).
Rattigan was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of six counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, six counts of assault on a police officer while armed, three counts of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, fifteen counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of endangerment with a firearm, five counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, four counts of possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device, and one count of cruelty to animals.
Rattigan is scheduled to be arraigned on April 4, 2025, at a hearing before the Honorable Michael Ryan. Rattigan faces a mandatory minimum of five years of incarceration for each count of assault with intent to kill while armed, each count of assault on a police officer while armed, and each count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed. Rattigan faces a mandatory minimum of one year for each firearm in his possession.
According to the government’s evidence, at about 7:30 a.m., on February 14, 2024, members of MPD went to 5032 Hanna Place SE in Washington, D.C. to arrest Rattigan, then known as Julius James. MPD officers, in full uniform, repeatedly announced that they were with MPD and that they were at the residence to arrest Rattigan. After several minutes of no response, MPD officers observed Rattigan inside the house, and he began speaking to the officers. Despite attempting to have Rattigan open the door, MPD officers were forced to use tools to force open the front door. While six members of MPD were outside the front door, Rattigan fired several shots through the front door, striking three of the officers. An hours-long standoff then ensued, with Rattigan communicating with MPD negotiators for several hours. At one point during the standoff, Rattigan, upset that he wasn’t getting cigarettes quickly enough, fired three additional rounds through the front door.
After several hours, Rattigan surrendered to MPD officers, and he was arrested. After Rattigan was arrested, MPD executed a court-authorized search warrant inside the home. Inside, Rattigan had thirty-one dogs, three handguns, two AR-style rifles, two full drum magazines, and additional large-capacity magazines.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Goldstein of 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.
Illegal Firearm Possession Lands Oklahoma City Man in Federal Prison for Seven YearsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – DANGELO MAURICE WINDHAM, 26, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of trafficking cocaine base and, separately, illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On May 21, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a four-count Indictment against Windham, charging him with possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, all stemming from two separate contacts with law enforcement in 2023. According to public record, on March 8, 2023, an Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) officer attempted to perform a traffic stop on a vehicle after he observed the driver – later identified as Windham – commit a traffic violation. When the officer attempted to stop Windham, he failed to comply, continuing to drive before jumping out and running away. Windham was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit and found to have been transporting a distribution amount of crack cocaine in his vehicle and a firearm in a backpack that he threw as he fled from officers. Later that year, on December 23, 2023, OCPD officers recovered another firearm from Windham during a subsequent traffic stop.
On October 7, 2024, Windham pleaded guilty, and admitted he possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense and that on another occasion he possessed a firearm despite his status as a convicted felon.
At the sentencing hearing on March 25, 2025, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Windham to serve 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the need to deter further criminal conduct, promote respect for the law, and Windham’s history and characteristics, including his repeated acquisition of firearms despite his felony conviction and prior prosecutions. Public record reflects that Windham was previously convicted in Oklahoma County District Court of attempted third-degree burglary in case number CF-2019-1635.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and OCPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Honduran man arrested on immigration chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Wilmer Orlando Canelas-Najera, 44, a citizen of Honduras, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegal reentry and taking action to prevent his departure from the United States, which carry a maximum penalty of four years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on April 1, 2025, the U.S. Border Patrol Anti-Smuggling Unit was conducting surveillance near the Marriott Hotel in Amherst, NY. Agents conducted a record checks on a pickup truck in the parking lot with Maryland license plates, which came back registered to “Canelas, Wilmer,” an illegal alien previously removed from the Unites States. Subsequently, two individuals, one matching the description of Canelas, were located in the parking lot. Agents approached and asked if one of them was named “Wilmer.” Canelas responded “Yes,” but after the agents identified themselves, Canelas shouted “Run!” Both individuals ran in opposite directions, attempting to flee the agents. The second individual was apprehended but Canelas was not at that time. In the early morning hours of the following day, Canelas was spotted on a floor of the hotel. When Canelas saw handcuffs in the hands of an agent, he approached the agent and pushed his hands before maneuvering around the agent and running into a hotel room and locking the door. Agents returned later that afternoon and took Canelas into custody. Canelas was ordered removed from the United States in 1997 but failed to appear at his immigration hearing. He was apprehended in March 2017, and removed from the country. Canelas was apprehended once again in September 2017 and ordered removed.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Canelas made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was ordered detained.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Martin B. Coombs.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Hamden Man Admits Trafficking Narcotics in Southwestern ConnecticutRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CHRISTIAN PICHARDO, also known as “Swerve,” “Craig,” and “Bobby Shmurda,” 30, of Hamden, pleaded guilty yesterday in Bridgeport federal court to a narcotics trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department identified Pichardo as a significant distributor of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack, and narcotic pills in southwestern Connecticut. During the investigation, investigators intercepted calls and text messages between Pichardo, his associates, and their drug customers over court-authorized wiretaps, and made controlled purchases of narcotics from Pichardo and his associates.
On July 17, 2024, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned a superseding indictment charging Pichardo and seven alleged co-conspirators with controlled substances offenses.
Pichardo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and quantities of cocaine, heroin, and other opioids, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26.
Pichardo has been detained since his arrest on August 5, 2024.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Kenneth L. Gresham 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.
Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal Reentry into the United States After Being Previously DeportedRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Samuel Ortiz-Ordonez (24, Guatemala) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Ortiz-Ordonez faces up to two years in federal prison and subsequent deportation and removal from the United States.
According to court documents, Ortiz-Ordonez was previously removed from the United States on June 15, 2023. Ortiz-Ordonez has never applied to the Attorney General of the United States and/or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for permission to lawfully reenter the United States. On March 13, 2025, Ortiz-Ordonez was found voluntarily back in the United States in Jacksonville, where he was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. After being approached by ICE officers, Ortiz-Ordonez abandoned the vehicle that he was driving and fled on foot through a local residential neighborhood. After a brief chase, he was apprehended by ICE officers.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
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 is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Guatemalan Citizen Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Oseas Froilan Gomez-Tebalan, age 30, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for illegally reentering the United States.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Gomez-Tebalan was previously removed from the United States on March 18, 2017, through Phoenix, Arizona, having been convicted in California of assault with a deadly weapon. Gomez-Tebalan was subsequently found in the United States again, for a third time, without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe prosecuted the case.
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Glenn Allen man sentenced to over 12 years in prison for federal drug-trafficking and firearms crimesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Glen Allen man was sentenced yesterday to 12 years and seven months in prison for trafficking cocaine and illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.
According to court documents, from at least the summer of 2023 through September 2024, Gregg Louis Gamble, 55, purchased kilogram quantities of cocaine from a source of supply in North Carolina and distributed it to other individuals in Virginia.
On Sept. 13, 2024, law enforcement conducted a search of Gamble's residence and vehicle. During the search, investigators recovered three one-kilogram bricks of cocaine, two Ziploc bags of cocaine weighing a total of approximately 500 grams, $161,020, two firearms, and a total of 547 rounds of ammunition.
Gamble was previously convicted of, among other crimes, possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances, driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine, and possession of a concealed weapon. As a previously convicted felon, Gable cannot possess firearms or ammunition.
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 Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Wright and Ellen H. Theisen prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-166.
Four Sentenced for Roles in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Four people have been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in Berkeley, Morgan, and Hampshire Counties.
According to court documents and statements made in court, 26 people were charged in 2023 in connection with the drug trafficking organization, led by Dorian Scott Burks and Andrew Ross Hose. The conspirators worked together to sell large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. The investigation recovered drugs, firearms, and thousands of dollars.
Those sentenced this week are:
- Alexis Walsh, 30, of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, sentenced to 123 months in prison for the distribution of cocaine hydrochloride;
- Michael Ramsbottom, age 68, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, sentenced to 84 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine hydrochloride, fentanyl, cocaine hydrochloride, and cocaine base;
- Sathira Lynn Ewers, age 42, of Romney, West Virginia, sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine hydrochloride, fentanyl, cocaine hydrochloride, and cocaine base;
- Eric Turner, age 38, of Winchester, Virginia, sentenced to three years of probation for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine hydrochloride, fentanyl, cocaine hydrochloride, and cocaine base.
All defendants in the case have been convicted. Burks, age 29, of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 262 months in prison in January 2025. Hose, age 40, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, will be sentenced on May 5, 2025.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Four Oklahoma City Men Plead Guilty to Maiming in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – ADAM ROUSE, 32, BRENDAN SHANE HOLDER, 32, DAMION BLAIR BRADLEY GEORGE, 30, and KRISTOPHER HAUSER, 32, all of Oklahoma City, have pleaded guilty to maiming in aid of racketeering, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On November 19, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Indictment against the defendants, charging them with maiming in aid of the racketeering activities of the Irish Mob Gang. According to the Indictment, the Irish Mob Gang is an enterprise engaged in, among other things, the distribution of controlled substances, firearms trafficking, and acts of violence. To further these day-to-day operations, the Irish Mob Gang depended on a robust enforcement group to ensure compliance with the organization’s orders, which included directing and permitting other members and associates to carry out acts in furtherance of the enterprise.
Specially, the Indictment alleges that, for purposes of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing their position within the Irish Mob Gang, Rouse and Holder severed a victim’s right pinkie finger with a hatchet, while Holder, George, and Hauser all participated in the burning of a gang tattoo off the back of a victim’s head with a heated machete.
As of April 1, 2025, each defendant has pleaded guilty to maiming in aid of racketeering. At sentencing, the defendants each face up to 30 years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Norman Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Hoch and David McCrary are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Former Traveling Nurse Sentenced to Prison for Tampering with MorphineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former traveling nurse was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for tampering with morphine at a local rehabilitation facility.
Loralie LaBroad, 55, of Hampton, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Julia E. Kobick to three months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release during which she is prohibited from practicing as a registered nurse or any other work with access to prescription medication or other controlled substances. In November 2024, LaBroad pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product. LaBroad was charged by an Information in September 2024.
LaBroad worked as a registered nurse for over 30 years, licensed in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts. In 2021, LaBroad voluntarily surrendered her New Hampshire nursing license following an investigation by the New Hampshire Board of Nursing after being fired from a rehabilitation center in Derry, N.H. as a result of allegations that she had tampered with morphine bottles.
After surrendering her New Hampshire license, LaBroad continued to practice under her Massachusetts license. From December 2021 through at least May 12, 2022, LaBroad was employed as a traveling nurse through a healthcare staffing company and was assigned to various nursing and rehabilitation facilities throughout Massachusetts. Several of these Massachusetts facilities also began to suspect that LaBroad was diverting morphine from patients because of her consistent access to the bottles of morphine and evidence of tampering (i.e. bottles that were leaking or appearing to be the wrong color). Several of these bottles were tested and came back at significantly diluted concentrations.
In the spring of 2022, LaBroad was assigned to work at a nursing and rehabilitation center in Danvers. LaBroad had access to morphine because she was charged with treating multiple patients who had been prescribed morphine for relief of their pain. In April 2022, the rehabilitation center contacted law enforcement after a nurse noticed a bottle of morphine was wet and leaking. Administrators at the facility reviewed other bottles of morphine on other medicine carts and identified three additional bottles that appeared to have been tampered with because the color of the bottle was lighter than expected or the bottle had puncture holes in the seal. Laboratory tests confirmed all bottles were diluted to varying degrees. LaBroad had been assigned to the medicine carts containing these bottles of morphine approximately two days before they were discovered.
Following these suspected incidents of tampering, law enforcement undertook a “controlled operation” to determine whether LaBroad was tampering with the bottles of morphine. On May 12, 2022, prior to LaBroad’s next shift, law enforcement worked with the Danvers rehabilitation center administrators to review and photograph the bottles of morphine on the cart to be assigned to LaBroad. The cart included two bottles of morphine assigned to the same patient – one of which was fully sealed before LaBroad’s shift and the other was opened, from which investigators took a control sample. LaBroad was the only individual with access to the medicine cart for the duration of her shift.
At the end of LaBroad’s shift, law enforcement seized the two bottles of morphine before they could be dispensed to the assigned patient. It was discovered that the previously sealed bottle was a different color, leaking and showed evidence of multiple puncture holes. Laboratory testing results confirmed that both bottles of morphine had been tampered with and diluted.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; and Robert H. Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren A. Graber of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.Former Sun Prairie Teacher Sentenced to 14 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Matthew Quaglieri, 37, formerly of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 14 years in prison for possessing child pornography. This term of imprisonment will be followed by 25 years of supervised release. Quaglieri pleaded guilty to this charge on January 13, 2025.
In October 2022, law enforcement responded to a middle school in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, regarding a complaint that Quaglieri was recording students as they were using the urinals in the school bathrooms. Agents searched Quaglieri’s iPad and found videos of at least 39 minors using the urinals. Quaglieri admitted that he had been recording boys in the school bathrooms at the middle school for four to five years.
At sentencing, Judge Conley characterized Quaglieri’s conduct as predatory and abhorrent and further found it was a profound violation of Quaglieri’s position of trust at the school. Judge Conley also found that nothing Quaglieri said at sentencing showed that Quaglieri had an understanding about his conduct.
The charge against Quaglieri was the result of an investigation conducted by the Sun Prairie Police Department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis Glinzak and Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.
Former Nanny Charged with Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Today, a former Northeast Ohio nanny was charged by criminal complaint with sexual exploitation of children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2251(a), and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2252(a)(2).
According to the criminal complaint and underlying affidavit, Molly Duncan, 25, of Beachwood, Ohio, was employed as a nanny and is alleged to have created sexual abuse materials of toddler-aged victims in their Northeast Ohio homes in 2024, and distributed the materials to others in 2024 and 2025. During a search of the defendant’s residence, authorities seized several electronic devices that were found to contain child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography.
If convicted of sexual exploitation of children, Duncan faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to 30 years. If convicted of distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, she faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years, up to 20 years.
This case is being investigated by the Cleveland Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Kane and Michelle M. Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.
Anyone with knowledge and information about this matter, please call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 216-698-3151.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Five Individuals Face Federal Charges Following Multi-Agency Immigration Enforcement OperationsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Five individuals have been charged in the Northern District of Georgia with firearms-related offenses during a multi-agency immigration enforcement operation in metro-Atlanta during the past week. The operations involved coordinated investigations led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable support from several local law enforcement partners. In addition to the individuals charged federally, law enforcement seized more than a dozen firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in connection with the operations.
“Our office is proud to support our law enforcement partners in this effort and other enforcement initiatives to protect our communities and safeguard our national security,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “This initiative sends a strong message to those engaged in criminal activity, whether regarding immigration-related or firearms offenses, that the ongoing and determined coordinated efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners will achieve measurable results in making our communities safer.”
“The successful enforcement actions taken during this multi-agency operation underscore HSI’s unwavering commitment to upholding immigration laws and targeting illegal aliens allegedly possessing and trafficking in firearms,” said Steven N. Schrank, special agent in charge of HSI Atlanta, which covers Georgia and Alabama. “By leveraging our partnerships and resources, we are identifying and apprehending those who exploit our immigration system to engage in criminal activities that threaten public safety and national security.”
“ATF along with our federal law enforcement partners will utilize all resources to investigate firearms trafficking by transnational criminal organizations and cartels,” said Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Gibbons. “The success of these investigative efforts could not be accomplished without cohesive partnerships, which keep our communities safe.”
“The DEA, along with our law enforcement partners, are sending a clear message to the Mexican drug cartels and their criminal associates, that keeping our communities safe is our highest priority,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division.
“FBI Atlanta is dedicated to supporting our federal partners in achieving our mutual objective of ensuring the safety of our communities,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case clearly illustrates the success that can be achieved when federal agencies unite their resources and expertise to combat violent criminals."
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: From March 24 to April 2, 2025, federal law enforcement agencies conducted a series of enforcement operations targeting individuals allegedly committing firearms and other violations, including those illegally present in the United States. During the operation, law enforcement seized 13 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Significantly, resulting investigations revealed that many of the firearms were bound for Mexico.
The following defendants have been charged in connection with the operations:
- Lucio Hernandez Mora, 45, of Riverdale, GA, was charged in a Criminal Complaint with possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully present in the United States. On April 1, 2025, special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Department of Homeland Security, Enforcement and Removal Operations, executed a search warrant on a residence in Riverdale, Georgia and encountered Hernandez Mora, an illegal alien. During a search of the residence, agents located two firearms, allegedly belonging to Hernandez Mora.
- Cameron Vick, 22, of Atlanta, GA was indicted by a federal grand jury on nine counts of making a false statement to a firearms dealer in connection with the acquisition of firearms. Vick’s purchases included two belt-fed M249S rifles, believed to be destined for Mexico. He was arrested on March 27, 2025.
- Bernice Macias Montes, 31, of Atlanta, GA, was charged in a Criminal Complaint with making a false statement to a firearms dealer in connection with the acquisition of firearms. ATF agents seized five firearms during a search of her residence on March 27, 2025.
- Teresa Gonzales-Hoppo, 56, of Lithia Springs, GA, was charged in a Criminal Complaint with possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully present in the United States. On March 27, 2025, ATF agents executed a search warrant on Gonzales-Hoppo’s residence and located a firearm, allegedly belonging to Gonzales-Hoppo.
- Carlos Sambrano, 28, of Rex, GA, was charged in a Criminal Complaint with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. ATF agents located seven firearms in his residence during the execution of a March 27, 2025, search warrant.
Hernandez Mora made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker on April 1, 2025. Gonzales-Hoppo made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge John K. Larkins, III on March 28, 2025. Vick, Macias Montes and Sambrano also made their initial appearances before Judge Larkins on March 27, 2025.
Members of the public are reminded that the Criminal Complaints and Indictment only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
These cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, Georgia State Patrol, Sandy Springs Police Department, Doraville Police Department, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Clayton County Police Department, South Fulton Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Gwinnett County Police Department, Clarkston Police Department and East Point Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys with the Northern District of Georgia, including those assigned to the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), provided valuable support for these operations.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies; and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Fifteen Defendants Charged with Federal Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Alabama has charged 15 individuals with immigration crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona.
The following defendants were indicted for illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported:
- Salvador Rodriguez-Villa, of Mexico;
- Noel Paz-Diaz, 34, of Guatemala;
- Christian Mendoza-Salas, 29, of Mexico;
- Isidro Gutierrez Gabriel, 35, of Guatemala;
- Mateo Pascual-Francisco, 40, of Guatemala;
- Tomas Naz-Gonzalez, 27, of Guatemala;
- Marco Julio Agustin-Miranda, 27, of Guatemala;
- Rafael Juan-Francisco, 35, of Guatemala;
- Jose Rigoberto Acosta-Calles, 36, of El Salvador;
- Elmer Geovany Sarmiento-Sifrian, 32, of Honduras;
The following defendants were charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm:
- Elmer David Hernandez-Garcia, 39, of Honduras;
- Christian Ivan Sanchez, 36, of Mexico;
- Jhoan Jesus Rodriguez-Perez, 21, of Mexico;
- Orli Umberto Marquez-Cordon, 24, of Mexico;
Maria Monserrat de Jesus Bautista-Hernandez, 41, of Mexico, has been charged with illegal re-entry after a prior removal and for being an alien in possession of a firearm.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Operation Take Back America partners, Homeland Security Investigations – Atlanta, U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Houston Division, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Nashville Field Division, investigated these cases.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal action filed against aircraft operator for sham dry lease schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A civil penalty action has been filed against Walter Benjamin Bius and his solely owned company, Prairie Flower Air Asset Company LLC, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The complaint alleges Bius knowingly operated Prairie Flower, based in Huntsville, as a direct air carrier without the required Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification. A direct air carrier is one who provides, or offers to provide, air transportation and who maintains control over the operational aspects of those flights. To operate as a direct air carrier, one must hold an FAA-issued certificate after demonstrating they meet the requisite requirements.
The complaint alleges Bius uses what is known in the industry as a “dry lease” to circumvent the FAA requirements for direct air carriers, which purportedly creates an illegal charter service.
Between 2019 and 2023, Bius and Prairie Flower allegedly chartered at least 237 flights for various clients under dry leases. The civil complaint alleges each flight violated at least 16 FFA regulations.
Of the alleged regulation violations, the most serious include pilots operating the aircraft without passing competency checks or instrument proficiency checks required under FAA regulations. The complaint also alleges there were instances in which Bius illegally flew the plane himself.
“When people choose to book private charter travel, they need to feel confident that the company transporting them meets all applicable safety and regulatory standards,” said Ganjei. “This action will help ensure the safety of air transportation and safeguard the public from carriers that might endanger passengers by cutting corners.”
“Today’s announcement should cause people to think twice before choosing to intentionally ignore federal aviation regulations and requirements,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Harris, Department of Transportation - Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Southern Region. “We will continue to partner with law enforcement and prosecutors to pursue those whose actions jeopardize the safety and integrity of the nation’s airspace.”
DOT-OIG conducted the investigation with the FAA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Wiley is handling the matter.
Federal Prosecutors This Week File Criminal Charges Against 24 Illegal Aliens Found in the United States Following RemovalRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Working alongside law enforcement partners at United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal prosecutors this week filed criminal charges against 24 defendants who allegedly were found in the U.S. following removal, the Justice Department announced today.
Among these defendants included criminals who previously were convicted of felonies prior to their removal from the United States, including one previously convicted of narcotics crimes involving methamphetamine and cocaine.
The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year sentence and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
Some of the recently filed cases are summarized below:
- Andrés Palacios Duque, 51, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Duque was removed from the U.S. in 2009 and 2015. His criminal history includes a 2014 conviction in Orange County Superior Court for transporting and possessing for sale methamphetamine, cocaine, and cocaine base, for which he was sentenced to five years in California state prison. Assistant United States Attorney Rosalind Wang of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
- Tereso Guadalupe Martínez Reyes, 23, of Mexico, was arraigned this week on a two-count federal grand jury indictment charging him with possession of goods stolen from interstate shipment and being an alien found in the United States following removal. According to a criminal complaint previously filed in this case, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Martínez on March 13 on Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County. He had been erratically driving a black 2001 Chevrolet Suburban which contained 478 black Nike Jordan 6 Rings shoe boxes packed from floor to the roof of the vehicle. The shoes were valued at approximately $64,530 and had been stolen from a freight train. Martínez previously was removed from the United States to Mexico in February 2025. On March 18, a federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond. Martínez pleaded not guilty to the charges against him at his April 1 arraignment. He is scheduled to go on trial on May 20 in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander H. Tran of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting this case.
Criminal complaints and indictments contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating these matters.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Federal Jury Finds Lower Brule Man Guilty of Assaulting Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Eddie Bromwich, age 45, of Lower Brule, South Dakota, was found guilty of two counts of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer following a three-day federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on April 3, 2025.
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Bromwich was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2024.
On February 6, 2024, Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of Bromwich for speeding within the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation. Bromwich argued with and resisted instructions from the officers and ultimately engaged in a physical struggle with them. One of the officers suffered a broken finger as a result of the incident.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services, Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Murphy and Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted and tried the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set. Bromwich was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Federal Indictment Charges Two Men with Assaulting and Robbing U.S. Postal Service Mail Carrier in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted two men for allegedly assaulting and robbing a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Chicago.
KYLER REESE and CHAUN ALLEN robbed the mail carrier on Nov. 16, 2022, according to an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The pair arrived at the robbery scene in a stolen vehicle they had obtained the day before, the indictment states. Reese got out of the vehicle, pointed a gun at the mail carrier, and demanded the carrier’s USPS keys and mail bag, the indictment states. The firearm was equipped with a “switch” device, making it capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger. Reese and Allen then fled in the stolen vehicle.
The indictment charges Reese, 21, and Allen, 22, both of Chicago, with conspiracy, robbery of a mail carrier, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges are punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a maximum of life.
Reese was arrested this week in Arizona. A detention hearing for Reese is set for April 7, 2025, in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. Allen was arrested last month in Chicago and has been ordered to remain detained in federal custody pending trial.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sushma Raju.
“U.S. Postal Service employees delivering mail to the American people must be allowed to do so safely and securely,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “Individuals who use violence against postal carriers to gain access to the public's mail must be held accountable.”
“This indictment is another example of the roles Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners play in protecting Postal Service employees and customers,” said Inspector-in-Charge Mendonça. “As Postal Service employees continue to play an integral role in our communities, we are clear in our resolve to aggressively investigate anyone who brings harm to these invaluable public servants.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
reese_et_al_indictment.pdfFatal human smuggling case and two alleged MS-13 members among those charged in relation to immigration and border securityRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 225 cases have been filed in border security-related matters from March 28-April 3, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
As part of those cases, 70 face allegations of illegally reentering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses, among others. A total of 144 people face charges of illegally entering the country, nine cases involve various instances of human smuggling with others relating to firearms and assault of a federal officer.
Among those charged as part of these cases include an illegal alien and a McAllen resident who are now in custody for alien smuggling resulting in two deaths. Vicente Garcia Jr. was allegedly transporting one illegal alien whom he was to transfer to Jose Alexis Baeza-Combaluzier. Baeza-Combaluzier had four other illegal aliens in his vehicle and departed the area with the passengers but eventually came to a stop due to a flooded road, according to the charges. When authorities attempted to make an approach, he allegedly accelerated and drove through a flooded area and eventually drove into a canal. Law enforcement immediately began rescue operations, but two drowned, including a 14-year-old child, according to the charges. If convicted they face up the life in prison or the possibility of a death sentence.
Four of those charged in illegal reentry cases include two El Salvadoran males who are identified as potential MS-13 gang members. Authorities found Edwin Geovanny Parada-Granados near Hidalgo less than a year after he was previously removed, according to the charges. Misael Antonio Mendez-Mendez was allegedly found near Mission having previously been removed less than six weeks ago. The charges allege he is also a convicted felon.
Another El Salvadorian male is alleged to be a convicted sex offender. Nicolas Alberto Hernandez-Lopez was previously sentenced to 60 months for second degree sexual assault, according to the charges and had been removed in 2023. However, he was found again in the United States near Escobares.
Law enforcement also encountered Cesar Humberto Leal-Garcia unlawfully in the country and attempted to place him into custody, according to a criminal complaint. At that time, he allegedly assaulted two Border Patrol agents. Leal-Garcia is now charged with illegal reentry and assault on a federal officer. He has four prior convictions for illegal reentry after removal, according to the allegations.
Also charged this week is a Mexican national facing charges of trafficking firearms and smuggling goods from the United States. Pedro Cardiel Rodriguez allegedly attempted to transport a 9 mm pistol and 1,852 rounds of ammunition to Mexico through the Brownsville Gateway International Bridge. He purchased the pistol on behalf of an individual in Mexico, according to the allegations.
Other relevant matters announced this week include the sentencing of a repeat illegal alien offender sent to prison for 33 months in a case out of the Brownsville Division. Fidel Jose-Ramirez has other criminal convictions including driving while intoxicated, assault family violence, criminal mischief and possession of a controlled substance. He was first ordered removed from the United States in 2019 and was previously convicted of being an alien unlawfully found in the United States after removal in 2023. After his conviction and subsequent removal, he had illegally reentered the country Jan. 3, 2024, after crossing the Rio Grande River.
In Corpus Christi, an illegal alien with seven DWIs was also ordered to prison. In handing down the 24-month sentence, the court noted Arturo Cruz-Badillo’s previous driving while intoxicated convictions (DWI) and how they are very dangerous for communities and its citizens. He has seven prior DWI convictions in addition to a conviction for battery and was removed from the country three times between 2012 and 2023. However, on Aug. 22, 2024, law enforcement discovered Cruz-Badillo again in the country along with 10 other illegal aliens being smuggled in a commercial cargo trailer.
Also announced this week was the conviction of another human smuggler in an event that resulted in death. Jose Guadalupe Antonio-Arredondo admitted to assisting in the smuggling of an illegal alien July 12, 2024. He guided the illegal alien and a brush guide to the border wall before he returned to Mexico. However, after they crossed the wall, the alien had trouble breathing and ultimately collapsed. The alien was pronounced deceased July 17, 2024.
Also in McAllen, a Mexican citizen illegally residing in San Benito was indicted for using someone else’s identity to pose as an American citizen. Cristina Amezcua Valencia allegedly applied for a U.S. passport, claiming the identity of another individual. She later utilized the passport containing the individual’s name and date and place of birth so she could enter the U.S. from Mexico, according to the charges. If convicted, Amezcua faces up to 10 years for the false statement in application of a U.S. passport and up to three years for false claim to U.S. citizenship. She will also be ordered to serve a mandatory two years for identity theft, upon conviction, which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Fashion and beauty companies agree to pay $6.7M to settle False Claims Act allegations involving Paycheck Protection Program loansRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Puig USA, Inc. and Carolina Herrera, Ltd., both located in New York, have agreed to jointly pay $6.7 million to settle civil fraud allegations involving second-draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. PPP loans were made possible by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Puig USA, Inc. received a second-draw PPP loan of $1,689,007 and Carolina Herrera received a second-draw PPP loan of $2,000,000. An entity could be eligible for a second-draw PPP loan if, among other requirements, the entity, including its international affiliates, employed fewer than 300 people at the time of application. Carolina Herrera, Ltd. and Puig USA, Inc., both owned by Puig Brands, S.A., had 5,213 employees at the end of 2019 and 4,785 employees at the end of 2020.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Small Business Administration.
The matter was investigated by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina H. Kim.
The settlement began with a lawsuit, United States ex rel. GNGH2 Inc. v. Carolina Herrera, Ltd. et al., that was filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The whistleblower will receive a 10-percent share of the settlement.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Case records may be found on PACER under case number 1:24-cv-1856.
The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Fairbanks man guilty of firearms crimesRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal jury in Alaska convicted a Fairbanks man Wednesday of being a felon in possession of a firearm and violent felon in possession of body armor after a three-day trial.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in October 2006, George Moises Romero Jr, 37, was convicted of Murder in the Second Degree, Robbery in the Second Degree and Assault in the Third Degree in the Anchorage Superior Court. The Court sentenced Romero to 24 years imprisonment but he received discretionary parole and was released in 2019.
On June 4, 2024, a parole violation warrant was issued for Romero’s arrest. The Fairbanks Area Criminal Suppression Unit was tasked with apprehending Mr. Romero. To find him, law enforcement obtained a warrant to obtain real-time location data for Romero’s phone. As the SWAT team got ready to execute a search warrant for the Romero’s location, Romero evaded surveillance and moved to a new location in the Goldstream Valley.
On June 6, 2024, Alaska State Troopers launched a helicopter equipped with high powered cameras and located the vehicle Romero used to flee the original location. The helicopter monitored the vehicle and occupants while the SWAT team moved into their new position. The helicopter observed Romero getting dropped off at a wooded location with what appeared to be camping equipment.
As Romero began to walk into the woods, Troopers contacted him and arrested him. The Troopers discovered Romero was wearing body armor and had two loaded firearms on his person, as well as loaded magazines and ammunition. Romero had a third firearm and additional ammunition in a duffle bag he was carrying.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska, Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes, Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division made the announcement.
The Alaska State Troopers, Fairbanks Area Narcotics Team (FANT), FBI Anchorage Field Office, Fairbanks Resident Agency and ATF Anchorage Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek and Trial Attorneys from the Antitrust Division, David Bernhardt and Lauren Weed are prosecuting the case.
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Dothan Man Sentenced to Five Years for $750,000 Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Dothan man was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for six counts of wire fraud and two counts of interstate transportation of stolen goods.
According to court documents, Randy Pressley, 45, used the stolen means of identification of several individuals to open customer accounts with food distribution companies. He would then order food, have it delivered, and resell it after transporting it to Mississippi. When the invoices were due, victims who had their identities used disputed the transactions, leaving the food distribution companies with a loss. The total amount lost from Pressley’s scheme is over $750,000. After 60 months in prison, Pressley will be on supervised release for 3 years. He was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeit the proceeds of his criminal activity.
U.S. Attorney Sean Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hattiesburg Police Department, Chatom Police Department and Jackson Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tandice Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Detroit Man Sentenced to 40 months in Prison for Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A 52-year-old Detroit man, Israel Crumpton, was sentenced to 40 months in prison yesterday for trafficking heroin laced with fentanyl and cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.
Beck was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
For over a six-month period in 2018 and 2019, Crumpton and several lesser co-conspirators distributed substantial quantities of heroin laced with fentanyl and crack cocaine in the 7700 block of East Palmer Street in Detroit. Crumpton led and organized the drug distribution business. As the leader, he secured bulk narcotics from his suppliers and sold or directed others to sell those drugs to resellers or users, generating significant cash proceeds.
In November 2018, the County of Macomb Enforcement Team (COMET) became aware of Crumpton’s drug distribution business. COMET members subsequently surveilled Crumpton’s “trap house” and “stash house” in the 7700 block of East Palmer Street, observing numerous apparent illicit drug transactions occurring there. Based on its surveillance and other investigative activities, COMET secured search warrants for the two E. Palmer Street locations and another location on the westside of Detroit. Upon executing the search warrants, COMET members found and seized large quantities of distributable narcotics, drug paraphernalia, numerous firearms and ammunition, and over $40,000 in cash proceeds. Crumpton and a co-conspirator were charged with multiple counts of drug trafficking and one count of firearm possession. The co-conspirator pled guilty to drug trafficking. And, in May 2024, a jury convicted Crumpton of the drug trafficking charges.
Yesterday, the Honorable Denise Page Hood sentenced Crumpton to 40 months in prison.
“Our office aggressively pursues drug traffickers who push substantial quantities of dangerous drugs like heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine into our neighborhoods for personal gain and with indifference to the tragedy they inflict. Thanks to the outstanding teamwork among the Michigan State Police’s County of Macomb Enforcement Team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Attorney’s Office, a dangerous drug trafficker has been removed from our streets,” stated Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck.
“Isreal Crumpton sold a poison in our community out of pure greed, all while armed with illegal firearms. ATF and the Michigan State Police are united in their partnership to identify and target for federal prosecution armed drug traffickers of fentanyl in our community. Mr. Crumpton’s plight should serve as a reminder that accountability is inevitable across Michigan for people who illegally possess firearms in furtherance of peddling poison in our community. The message should be very clear: If you deal deadly drugs while armed with an illegal firearm, you’re not just on our radar – you’re on the fast track to prison; so, pack a bag, we’re coming for you,” said James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Detroit Division.
This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police’s County of Macomb Enforcement Team, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by AUSAs Pat Martin and Sarah Alsaden and investigated by AUSA Paul Kuebler.
Department of Justice Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- The United States Attorney’s Office in Northern Indiana will commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) from April 6–12, 2025, in part, by participating in the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week online Candlelight Vigil to honor crime victims.
This year’s NCVRW theme—Connecting Healing—recognizes that shared humanity drives vital connections to services, rights, and healing. KINSHIP is where victim advocacy begins.
This annual observance challenges us to build a world where every connection built through KINSHIP — between survivors, advocates, and communities — holds the potential to heal. It asks us to ensure that resources are available to all survivors and that we show up for one another with empathy and intention.
Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay said, “Ensuring victims’ connection to services and awareness of their rights is paramount in the healing process. Last year, our victim advocates made over 2,400 victim contacts by several methods, including in person, email, text, and phone calls. In addition, they issued over 50,000 victim notifications in federal cases, diligently keeping the victims’ informed of their rights throughout the Court process.”
The United States Attorney’s Office in Northern Indiana will commemorate NCVRW 2025 with the following events:
On April 9, 2025, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) will host the 2025 NCVRW Candlelight Vigil to pay tribute to victims of crime and the many dedicated professionals and volunteers who advocate on their behalf.
- Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Time: 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. eastern time
Location: ovc.ojp.gov/live or justice.gov/live
NCVRW began in 1981 to honor victims and survivors of crime, raise awareness of victims’ rights and services and recognize the dedication of those who work with crime victims.
For more ideas on supporting crime victims, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov.
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- Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Department of Justice Commemorates 2025 National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa join federal, state, and local communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s observance takes place April 6 to 12, 2025, and features the theme, “KINSHIP,” which encourages people to recognize the shared humanity of crime survivors and victims. The 2025 theme is a call to action for all of us—friends, family members, neighbors, colleagues, community leaders, victim service providers, criminal justice practitioners, and health professionals— to pursue these KINSHIP connections that foster the increased access to vital services, rights and healing.
As part of this observance, the Southern District of Iowa recognizes the courage and bravery of victims, and the outstanding work of law enforcement, victim advocates, and community service partners throughout Iowa. Eleven individuals are recognized for outstanding service to victims:
Awards for Excellence in Victim Services
- Scott Crouch, Polk County Sheriff’s Office
- Roberta Cruz, Victim/Witness Liaison at the Polk County Attorney’s Office
- Molly Jansen, Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Law Enforcement Victim Service Awards
- Michael Banfield, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Luke Eblen, Des Moines Police Department
- Kira Lazenby, Jasper County Sheriff’s Office
- Blake Marshall, Ames Police Department
- Aaron McConnell, Wapello County Sheriff’s Office
- Brook McPherson, Ames Police Department
- Caleb Mitchell, Ottumwa Police Department
- Jeremy Tosh, Ottumwa Police Department
“Everyday across Iowa law enforcement officers, agents and victim service providers offer a bridge between the criminal justice system and the shared humanity of victims and survivors. This KINSHIP is critical not only to the justice system, but more importantly to healing and hope for victims. During this week we are proud to honor all officers and service providers who, often 24 hours a day, are available as a resource and counsel to victims and survivors who bravely participate in the investigation and prosecution of violent offenders. These awards proudly recognize the exceptional efforts of a number of these individuals who provided assistance to federal and state victims in the Southern District of Iowa,” said United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal for the Southern District of Iowa.
The 2025 Award for Excellence in Victim Services recognizes the performance of Investigators Scott Crouch and Molly Jansen. As members of the Polk County Attorney’s Office, both Crouch and Jansen are assigned to the Drug Endangered Children (DEC) program. They aid children involved in criminal investigations and diligently act as a liaison with the children and Health and Human Services (HHS) to assure placements in a safe environment.
The 2025 Award for Excellence in Victim Services recognizes the performance of Roberta Cruz. Cruz is a Victim/Witness liaison with the Polk County Attorney’s Office. Cruz has exhibited supreme dedication in providing a communication bridge between English and Spanish speaking individuals. Her helpful nature and humanity facilitate a valuable connection between victims, witnesses and the criminal justice system.
The 2025 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent Michael Banfield, Ames Police Department Sergeant Blake Marshall, and Ames Police Department Detective (former) Brook McPherson for their extraordinary investigation and prosecution of a serial sexual abuser. They showed tremendous compassion, support, and flexibility for the numerous victims and an unrivaled empathy for the shame and trauma the victims continue to endure. The dozens of victims that courageously participated in this investigation were a testament to the tireless effort and established relational kinship that is at the heart of this years’ National Crime Victims’ Rights awards.
The 2025 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Wapello County Sheriff’s Office Detective Aaron McConnell, and Ottumwa Police Department Investigators Caleb Mitchell and Jeremy Tosh in the investigation and prosecution of a violent sexual trafficker. Through caring, listening, and showing empathy, they were able to develop relationships of trust with each of the victims. Their work on this investigation demonstrated their tremendous capacity to nurture relationships with victims in the pursuit of justice and in hopes of leaving the victims better having gone through the criminal-justice system.
The 2025 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance Des Moines Police Department Investigator Luke Eblen in the investigation and prosecution of a dangerous sex trafficker. Investigator Eblen exemplified fortitude, determination, and a commitment to obtaining justice for victims by overcoming the challenges that arose. His abilities to interact with traumatized victims with respect, honesty and sincere compassion were critical to obtaining a conviction in this case.
The 2025 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Jasper County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Kira Lazenby and her unwavering commitment to ensuring victims receive immediate and comprehensive support. Sergeant Lazenby has investigated a wide range of victim-related cases, including domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and other violent crimes. She has displayed compassion, diligence, and professionalism in her work, ensuring that victims are heard, supported, and protected throughout the investigative and judicial process. In 2024, without direction, Sergeant Lazenby independently developed and implemented a county-wide victim information system to ensure that every law enforcement officer in Jasper County—across five separate agencies—had a standardized and easily accessible process for providing resources to victims.
President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, putting crime victims’ rights, needs, and concerns in a prominent spot on the American agenda. He also established the President’s Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the groundwork for a national network of services and legal safeguards for crime victims.
For more information on how to create your own public campaigns to raise awareness about crime victims’ rights online and at events throughout the year, please visit: NCVRW 2025.
Defendant Previously Convicted of Manslaughter Indicted for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Monte Tyree Johnson, 29, of the District of Columbia, has been indicted on a federal gun charge as part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again” public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., that is surging resources and charging more gun crimes in District Court to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia.
Johnson was indicted on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg detained Johnson on charges articulated in a criminal complaint filed on March 20, 2025, charging unlawful possession of a firearm. As outlined in the criminal complaint, Johnson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than one year. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Johnson pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on December 10, 2021, and was sentenced to 96 months in prison.
According to court documents, on March 19, 2025, United States Marshals arrested Johnson for allegedly violating the terms of his supervised release. Johnson was taken into custody without incident at a residence in Northeast Washington, D.C., where authorities also allegedly recovered a firearm, high-capacity magazine, ammunition, and suspected narcotics.
On March 18, 2025, it is alleged that U.S. Marshals observed Johnson leaving a residence on Cassell Place NE carrying a black crossbody bag. The next day, investigators returned to the residence with knowledge of the active warrant and arrested Johnson in a third-floor bedroom.
Upon arrest, it is alleged that investigators observed the same black crossbody bag next to the bed Johnson had been occupying. In plain view, a high-capacity ammunition feeding device was protruding from the bag. A subsequent court-authorized search warrant led to the recovery of a loaded handgun, extended magazine, and controlled substances.
This case is part of Make DC Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators who are a danger to the community.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
johnson_indictment_0.pdf
Court Sentences Man to 15 Year Prison Term for Killing Man in NortheastRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Shannon Updike, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today, to 15 years in prison for shooting Chidzie Njoku, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Updike pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed on December 19, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In sentencing Updike, the court accepted the 15-year sentence that was part of the plea agreement.
According to the government’s evidence, Updike used a homemade purple assault rifle to shoot Chidzie Njoku twice at close range. Updike fled on foot but was stopped by MPD patrol officers after a foot chase.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case form the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Grazy Rivera, and Victim/Witness Advocate Christina Bloodworth.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ganjei, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to over Four Years in Prison for Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A previously convicted felon was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Tarik Muhammad, 30, of Boston, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 51 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In October 2024, Muhammad pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On the evening of Feb. 4, 2023, Muhammad was denied entry to the Encore Casino in Everett when security detected that he was carrying a firearm. Casino security alerted law enforcement, but Muhammad left before they arrived. Security cameras at the casino show Muhammad leaving in a blue Toyota Rav 4. The following day, a notice was dispatched to law enforcement about the incident and with photos of Muhammad, the vehicle and license plate.
On Feb. 6, 2023, Muhammad was spotted driving the Rav 4 in Roxbury. When law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Muhammad fled, leading to a high-speed chase that ended when Muhammad crashed into a parked vehicle. Muhammad tried to flee on foot but was apprehended. A loaded semi-automatic pistol was found in Muhammad’s waistband.
Muhammad is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to several felony convictions including a June 2022 conviction in U.S. District Court in Boston of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. Muhammad was on federal supervised release at the time of the offenses.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit 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 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.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Dealing Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Other DrugsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew B. Birge today announced that Willie David Lark, 53, of Benton Harbor, Michigan, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and quantities of cocaine and cocaine base. During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker observed that Lark had been engaged in “crimes of escalating seriousness” ever since his first drug-related conviction in the 1990s.
Lark was previously convicted of drug trafficking and served more than twenty years in state prison for assault with intent to murder. Following a release from custody, Lark returned to drug dealing. An investigative task force executed a search warrant on Lark’s home and found a safe containing over 188 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” over 100 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and xylazine, over 70 grams of cocaine, and over 31 grams of cocaine base. Investigators found additional evidence inside the house that proved Lark intended to sell these drugs. Weeks later, when police approached Lark to arrest him, they found him in possession of more fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine.
A federal grand jury charged Lark with two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Following a trial in December of 2024, a separate jury convicted Lark of both offenses.
“Multiple offenders, such as Willie Lark, willingly put lives at risk throughout Michigan and, more specifically, Berrien County,” remarked Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton of the Drug Enforcement Administration. He added, “The men and women of the DEA will continue to bring drug traffickers like him to justice to keep our communities safe.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control (see here), in 2023 at least 107,543 people died from drug poisoning across the United States, which is near the all-time high of 111,029 deaths in 2022. In Michigan, at least 2,931 people died from drug poisoning in 2023. Approximately 75% of the 2023 drug poisoning deaths across the United States were due to fentanyl. While 2024 data shows the number of deaths has started to decline, the number remains high. Learn more about the dangers of xylazine, a non-opioid sedative or tranquilizer, here.
The following services are available for people experiencing addiction, or their friends and loved ones:
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, www.samhsa.gov/find-support/in-crisis.
- Cope Network (providing free Naloxone and other harm reduction services in Barry, Berrien, Branch, Cass, Calhoun, St. Joseph, and Van Buren Counties), 269-580-8290, www.copenetwork.org.
- The Grand Rapids Red Project (providing free Naloxone and other harm reduction services in Kent and Muskegon Counties), 616-456-9063 (Kent County), 231-563-6865 (Muskegon County), www.redproject.org.
- The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has a webpage that identifies county-by-county services.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Michigan State Police, and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Austin J. Hakes prosecuted it.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
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Contractor settles allegations of labor overcharging on government contractRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. (BAH), located in McLean, agreed to pay $422,557 to settle allegations that a BAH employee assigned to work on a General Services Administration (GSA) contract overreported his time resulting in BAH issuing invoices for services under the contract that were not performed.
Between 2018 and 2022, GSA paid invoices submitted by BAH that included services for a BAH employee under a GSA contract. Investigators from GSA and the Defense Intelligence Agency compared invoices and timesheets for the employee with the employee’s badge swipe data for entering and exiting the secure facility where the contract was performed to determine the number of overcharged hours attributable to the employee. As a result, the government alleged that BAH billed for services that the employee did not provide. BAH agreed to settle allegations for common law claims of payment by mistake and unjust enrichment.
This investigation was initiated when BAH made a contractor disclosure. BAH received credit under the Department of Justice’s guidelines for taking disclosure, cooperation, and remediation into account.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and The Offices of the Inspector General for both General Services Administration and the Defense Intelligence Agency. The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Troy.
The civil claims settled by this agreement are allegations only; there has been no admission of civil liability.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Clearwater Man Indicted for Transportation of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Brian Francis McArdle (34, Clearwater) with transportation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and possession of CSAM. If convicted on all counts, McArdle faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, from January 1, 2023, through April 2, 2024, McArdle transported and shipped a visual depiction, the production of which involved the sexual abuse of a minor. McArdle also knowingly possessed a visual depiction of the sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.