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Tuesday 25 February 2025
Lab Operator Convicted of $4M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Detroit convicted a California man today for his role in defrauding Medicare of over $4 million in fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary urine drug testing for patients receiving pain management treatment.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sherif Khalil, 50, of Redondo Beach, conspired with others to submit claims to Medicare for the highest-reimbursing urine drug testing panels, which doctors did not want or order.
Sherif Khalil operated Spectra Clinical Labs, a toxicology lab located in Gardena, California. As the owner of Spectra, Khalil implemented a scheme to pay marketers a percentage of Medicare reimbursements and incentivize them to obtain doctors’ orders for expensive drug testing panels. Khalil concealed Spectra’s payments to marketers by routing the payments through nominally independent marketing companies that Khalil secretly controlled. To maximize Spectra’s profits and their own commission payments, Spectra’s marketers then trained staff members at doctors’ offices to send Spectra orders for medically unnecessary urine drug tests that doctors did not actually want or authorize. Khalil also knew that orders Spectra received from physician practices were not supported by documentation of medical necessity.
The medically unnecessary laboratory tests ordered in exchange for illegal kickbacks to marketers caused Medicare to pay more than $4 million to the Spectra Clinical Labs.
Khalil was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks. Khalil is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud count and five years in prison on the count for conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys S. Babu Kaza, Jeffrey A. Crapko, and Kelly Warner and Assistant Chief Shankar Ramamurthy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
King County man who dealt narcotics on the dark web and kept a cache of weapons at his RV sentenced to 8 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A King County man, arrested after law enforcement discovered a drug lab and cache of firearms and explosives inside an RV near a state park, was sentenced today to eight years in prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a machinegun, and unlawful possession of destructive devices, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Braiden F. Wilson, 29, and his partner, 30- year-old Chandler B. Bennett were arrested following a May 12, 2024, shooting in rural King County. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, the crimes “were egregious… You distributed a large amount of drugs that cause a danger to our community.”
“Mr. Wilson used the dark web to advertise his potentially deadly wares, shipping fentanyl pills across the country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “He further placed the lives of the community in danger by stockpiling a cache of weapons and explosives, which he stored adjacent to a state park frequented by the public.”
According to records filed in the case, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) was investigating Wilson for dealing drugs on the dark web, when King County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the RV near Olallie State Park when Wilson was shot. The deputies noticed that the RV had surveillance cameras and asked to get access to the recorded video to identify the assailant. Bennett refused to allow law enforcement to enter the RV, so they sought a warrant from a King County Judge.
When law enforcement entered the RV, they found a large cache of weapons as well as fentanyl powder, tablets containing fentanyl, and sundry items associated with the manufacture of tablets, including a manual pill press. Law enforcement located more than two and a half kilograms of fentanyl-laced pills. Law enforcement seized 16 firearms, body armor, silencers, and ballistic shields. They also found gun parts made from 3D printers – making them untraceable. There were multiple destructive devices and literature on the chemistry and manufacturing of explosives, as well as literature on how to convert firearms to fully automatic capability.
Agents and officers also searched two storage units associated with Wilson and found two additional pill presses, more controlled substances, and mailing supplies. In all law enforcement seized more than two kilos of fentanyl-laced pills, nearly a kilo of fentanyl powder, and more than three kilos of methamphetamine. Computer and bank records reveal that Wilson distributed controlled substances via his dark web identity more than 2,000 times and he took in more than $287,000 in crypto currency.
Wilson pleaded guilty in October 2024.
Asking for an eight-year prison sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Wilson engaged in a comprehensive enterprise to distribute fentanyl-laced pills throughout the country by offering his products for sale on dark web
marketplaces… He maintained a veritable armory while engaged in his drug distribution business. Inside the motorhomes Wilson shared with his co-defendant, investigators found an operable machinegun; silencers designed to muffle the report of a discharged firearm; a shotgun stored in a case designed to look like it carried a musical instrument; destructive devices commonly called pipe bombs; and materials to make more destructive devices.”
“This is another example of great work by our patrol deputies, as they went above and beyond on a call that resulted in taking two dangerous criminals off the street,” said King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall. “Additionally, I am so proud of the work done by our Gun Violence Reduction Unit. That team was able to ensure the proper steps were taken in this investigation, and in partnership with several federal agencies, were able to hold these people accountable and ensure justice was served.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with assistance from the Washington State Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.
Johnston County Resident Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lance Alden Whelchel, age 30, of Wapanucka, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
The Indictment alleged that Whelchel was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country in the Eastern District of Oklahoma on May 24, 2023, and was required to register as a sex offender. From July 5, 2024, until September 12, 2024, Whelchel failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Harris County Texas Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Whelchel will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.
Houston resident heads to prison for trafficking fentanyl in hidden compartmentRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 40-year-old female residing in the Houston area has been sentenced following her conviction for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Alyssa Marie Maldonado pleaded guilty Oct. 16, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez has now ordered her to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony that detailed Maldonado’s culpability in the crime. In handing down the sentence, the court noted her connection to the smuggling through her actions to conceal the drugs within the vehicle.
On March 24, 2024, Maldonado applied for entry into the United States at the Brownsville and Matamoros International Port of Entry. At initial inspection, she made a negative declaration to any contraband within the vehicle and provided false statements concerning her reasons for visiting Mexico.
Authorities referred her to secondary inspection where a K-9 soon alerted to the rear back seat area.
They then discovered anomalies in the fuel tank and found 22 packages which field tested positive for fentanyl.
The combined weight was 8.70 kilograms.
Previously released on bond, Maldonado was taken into custody following the sentencing where she will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Blackmon prosecuted the case.
Honduran National Sentenced for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JOAN E. ESCOBAR-REYES (“ESCOBAR-REYES”), age 26, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on February 20, 2025 by United States District Judge Susie Morgan. Judge Morgan sentenced ESCOBAR-REYES to thirty months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and the payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A).
According to court documents, on or about June 30, 2024, ESCOBAR-REYES, an alien illegally present in the United States, was found in possession of a Glock Model 32, .357 SIG caliber, semi-automatic pistol and a H&R Model 92, .22 LR caliber revolver.
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.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations-New Orleans, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations and the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
High-level drug trafficker tied to Mexico sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Francisco Villegas-Garcia, 37, a Mexican national who is here illegally, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Columbus today to 120 months in prison for his role in a fentanyl conspiracy. Villegas-Garcia was a high-level drug trafficker in a large-scale drug trafficking organization tied to Mexico that transported and distributed multi-kilogram quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Villegas-Garcia often traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Columbus as part of his drug trafficking. During one traffic stop in Charlotte, agents seized $100,000 in cash from Villegas-Garcia.
DEA field offices in Charlotte and Columbus coordinated additional investigation, which revealed that Villegas-Garcia often spoke to other members of the drug trafficking organization about their supply of drugs, drug sales, wiring money to Mexico, and securing couriers to transfer money to Mexico. He was often in communication with the source of drug supply in Mexico.
When agents executed a search warrant at the defendant’s Columbus home on Willowswitch Lane in January 2023, they discovered eight kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue and $120,000 in cash. These items were hidden inside the wall.
Agents detained and then arrested Villegas-Garcia in January 2023, at the Los Gauchos Taqueria on South Hamilton Road in Columbus. At the time, he had 28 grams of cocaine and more than $10,000 in cash on his person.
He pleaded guilty in March 2024 to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit Field Division, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Damoun Delaviz is representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Grand jury indicts El Salvadoran national with illegally reentering United States after sex offense convictions, Honduran national with illegally possessing firearmsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury indicted two separate immigration cases here today involving a previously convicted felon and a repeat immigration crimes offender.
Carlos Gonzales-Hernandez, 55, is charged with illegally reentering the United States after a conviction for an aggravated felony. Gonzales-Hernandez is a citizen of El Salvador.
According to his court documents, Gonzales-Hernandez was detained in January 2025 following a traffic stop in Madison County. He was then transferred into ICE custody. The defendant had been removed from the United States following a local prison sentence for sex offenses. Gonzales-Hernandez was previously convicted in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas of three counts of gross sexual imposition and received a prison sentence of six years.
Elmer Edison Rodriguez-Guzman, 46, is charged with possession of a firearm or ammunition of an illegal alien and with illegally reentering the United States.
Rodriguez-Guzman is a citizen of Honduras and has no legal status in the United States. He has been removed from the United States on numerous prior occasions and either deported to Honduras or allowed to voluntarily return to Mexico.
According to his court documents, Rodriguez-Guzman was in a vehicle that was stopped in Cambridge, Ohio, in July 2024 due to no taillights. Law enforcement officials discovered items including a handgun, a double-barrel shotgun and ammunition. Rodriguez-Guzman was arrested in Guernsey County and then transferred into federal custody.
Illegally reentering the United States is a federal crime punishable by up to two years in prison. If the offender has multiple prior misdemeanor charges, the penalty is increased to 10 years in prison, and if the offender has been previously convicted of an aggravated felony, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, and Robert Lynch, Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; announced the cases. Assistant United States Attorney Sheila G. Lafferty is representing the United States in these cases.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
These cases are being prosecuted as part of the Southern District of Ohio Immigration Enforcement Task Force, which dedicates agents, attorneys and other staff to investigating and prosecuting immigration violations.
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Fort Duchesne Man Sentenced to Prison Following Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Kasey Todd Reed, 32, of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Utah, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment, and ordered by the court to three years’ supervised release after he committed a violent crime that involved shooting a firearm at his domestic partner’s home.
The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Sam comes after Reed pleaded guilty on December 6, 2024, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while within Indian Country.
According to court documents, and statements made at Reed’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on May 30, 2022, Reed was involved in a domestic dispute with his partner, and after being pepper sprayed, Reed threatened to return to the victim’s home to harm her. Upon his return, Reed pointed a loaded .38 five-shot revolver at the victim’s residence and fired five rounds towards the home that housed multiple occupants as he drove past in his vehicle.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Vernal Resident Agency.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Pead of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 Justice.gov/PSN.
Former Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Grain Valley, Mo., police officer pleaded guilty in federal court today to charges related to the sexual exploitation of a child.
August Price Gildehaus, 28, of Blue Springs, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and one count of producing child pornography.
Gildehaus, a Grain Valley police officer at the time of the offenses, was originally charged by the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
By pleading guilty today, Gildehaus admitted that he engaged in illegal sexual activity with a 15-year-old female victim. Gildehaus and the victim met on an online social media platform. Gildehaus met with the victim on five separate occasions between Aug. 5, 2022, and Jan. 5, 2023, to engage in illicit sexual activity at different locations, including a middle school parking lot.
Gildehaus admitted that the child victim took photographs of herself when she was home, and he took photographs of himself that he sent to her. Gildehaus also admitted that he recorded videos of their sexual encounters.
Under federal statutes, Gildehaus is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Brackett. It was investigated by the Grain Valley, Mo., Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former NOPD Sergeant Sentenced to 5 Years Probation After Pleading Guilty to Six Counts of Wire Fraud tor Double Billing and Billing for Time Not WorkedRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced former New Orleans Police Department Sergeant TODD F. MORRELL, age 57, a resident of New Orleans, to 5 years of probation, 8 months of home confinement, 150 hours of community service, a $5,000 fine, and payment of a mandatory $600 special assessment fee after he previously pleaded guilty to six (6) counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, for perpetrating a multi-year scheme to defraud NOPD and the New Orleans Fair Grounds, an entity that paid him to provide off-duty police details. A restitution hearing is set for April 29, 2025.
According to court documents, MORRELLwas a NOPD Sergeant with NOPD’s Special Operations Division, serving both on a Tactical Platoon and the Bomb Disposal Unit. He supplemented his NOPD income with security-oriented secondary employment (i.e., “police details”) while off-duty, including a detail with the New Orleans Fair Grounds Neighborhood Patrol (“Fair Grounds Patrol”). The Fair Grounds Patrol was created by city ordinance to enhance police service around the New Orleans Fair Grounds Racecourse. The Fair Grounds Patrol consisted of two patrol cars operating 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, with one off-duty NOPD officer per car. MORRELL signed annual certifications attesting to his understanding of NOPD policies, including the secondary employment policy, and acknowledging that he would “actively monitor my hours” and would “not engage in activities or personal business which would cause them to neglect or be inattentive to duty.”
Notwithstanding these annual certifications, on numerous occasions between early 2017 and November 30, 2021, MORRELL submitted and certified timecards to NOPD and time sheets to the Fair Grounds Patrol,falsely claiming to have been on duty (for NOPD) and on detail (for the Fair Grounds Patrol) when, in actuality, MORRELL was not present for duty. Instead, MORRELL engaged in personal, recreational activities unrelated to his work duties. Often, MORRELL was engaged in recreational race car driving in Avondale, Louisiana, and Austin, Texas, while claiming to be on duty and on detail. Additionally, MORRELL “double billed” NOPD and the Fair Grounds Patrol by submitting time sheets to both entities reflecting that he was working for both entities simultaneously. The six counts to which MORRELL pled guilty, are representative examples of his scheme. These counts related to individual payments MORRELL received for submitting false and fraudulent time sheets for on duty and secondary employment shifts while a part of the Fair Grounds Patrol. The various dates he falsely claimed to work that constituted the six counts were: July 1, 2019, December 21, 2020, January 23, 2021, March 13, 2021, March 14, 2021, April 25, 2021, April 30, 2021, and October 23, 2021.
“When anyone willfully commits fraud, our office will investigate, and if warranted, prosecute,” stated Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson. “Mr. Morrell’s sentencing is an acknowledgment of the betrayal, and breach of public trust, as well as the resultant harm stemming therefrom, that his serial fraudulent acts have caused the New Orleans Police Department, and the citizens of New Orleans. This successful investigation and prosecution, exemplify the strong partnership between our office, the FBI, the New Orleans Office of Inspector General and the New Orleans Public Integrity Bureau.”
“The FBI will continue to investigate fraud and corruption at all levels of government and individuals like Mr. Morrell who exploit the public's trust for personal gain,” said FBI New Orleans Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus. “We thank the New Orleans Inspector General's Office and the New Orleans Public Integrity Bureau for their assistance in bringing this misconduct to light.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the support provided by the City of New Orleans Office of Inspector General and the New Orleans Public Integrity Bureau. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, and Brittany L. Reed also of the Public Integrity Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Maryland State Trooper Pleads Guilty to Drug and Bribery ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Justin Riggs, 35, of Smithsburg, Maryland, pleaded guilty, yesterday, to federal charges of Conspiracy to Distribute and Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Controlled Dangerous Substances, Use of a Communication Facility in Causing or Facilitating the Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Dangerous Substances, and Travel Act-State of Maryland Bribery.
Phil Selden, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Field Division.
“As a law enforcement officer, Justin Riggs violated his sworn duty to uphold the public trust and put a life in harm’s way,” stated Acting United States Attorney Selden. “The District of Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue corrupt law-enforcement officers who try to dishonor their badge as we also work to support the many honorable officers whose reputations they unfairly tarnish.”
“Not only did Riggs deliberately and willingly violate the oath he took as a sworn law enforcement officer, but he also put other lives at risk with his greed and deceit,” said SAC DelBagno. “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to thoroughly investigate such cases to protect the American people and preserve public trust in law enforcement.”
According to his guilty plea, in December 2022, Riggs — who was serving as a Maryland State Trooper — was part of a Maryland State Police team investigating drug-and-gun trafficking in Western Maryland. The team used at least one confidential human source during the investigation. Riggs created a fictitious Facebook account to contact a drug-distributor target. While corresponding with the drug distributor, Riggs informed the drug distributor that he worked “for a fed agency.” Riggs also told the drug distributor that he had “tons more info pertaining to your biggest informant.” The former Maryland state trooper initiated several electronic conversations with the drug distributor between 2022 and 2023, attempting to sell the informant’s identity.
The parties have agreed that if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Riggs will receive a sentence between 48 and 108 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher will schedule sentencing for a later date.
Acting United States Attorney Selden commended the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Maryland State Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their work in the investigation. Mr. Selden also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Goo and Sean Delaney who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Federal Inmate Sentenced to Additional Nine Years in Prison for Assaulting Another InmateRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A federal inmate has been sentenced to an additional nine years in prison for assaulting another inmate.
While incarcerated in 2022 at the Federal Correctional Institution in Thomson, Ill., JULIAN BREAL repeatedly kicked and punched the other inmate for several minutes, causing serious injuries. The victim was transported to an outside hospital for treatment, which included surgery.
A jury last year convicted Breal, 47, of assault causing serious bodily injury. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Breal to nine years in prison, to be served consecutively to the sentence he is currently serving in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Maveus and Vincenza L. Tomlinson.
Federal Jury Convicts Walker Man of Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced the conviction of Richard Lance Cline Jr., age 34, of Walker, Louisiana. After a two-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles, the jury unanimously convicted Cline of distribution of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
As the evidence at trial demonstrated, on February 25, 2021 and March 3, 2021, Cline sold 50 grams or more of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer. On March 9, 2021, he was arrested in possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine while attempting a third sale to an undercover law enforcement.
As a result of his conviction, Cline now faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, as well as significant fines, restitution, and supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert W. Piedrahita and Ellison C. Travis.
Eighteen Members of Poinsett County Drug-Trafficking Organization in Custody Following Arrest OperationRead the Press Release
MARKED TREE—Eighteen defendants accused of distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in northeast Arkansas are in custody after federal and state authorities made several arrests in Poinsett County this morning as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation. Jonathan Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Alicia D. Corder, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Little Rock Field Office, announced today’s arrests.
The large-scale drug operation in northeast Arkansas is, according to a federal indictment, headed by Jack Brown, 58, of Marked Tree, Reginald Hendrix, 53, of Trumann, and Dewayne Morris, 36, Trumann. A team of law enforcement agencies in the area coordinated to arrest 17 individuals this morning. Another defendant was already in state custody. Today’s arrests are in conjunction with the unsealing of the indictment of 21 individuals who were charged by a federal grand jury on February 6, 2025. Twenty of the 21 defendants are charged together in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Three additional coconspirators who live outside the area have been indicted but have not yet been arrested.
The arrests stem from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, or OCDETF, investigation that began in July 2023. Most the defendants listed in the indictment are from the small Arkansas towns of Trumann and Marked Tree. The indictment marks the first large-scale federal investigation into that section of the state. The investigation, which was headed by the FBI, involved numerous controlled purchases of methamphetamine from members of the conspiracy. Additionally, throughout the investigation law enforcement agents intercepted numerous phone calls in which the conspiracy members discussed trafficking what was in total multiple pounds of methamphetamine.
“The arrests of these defendants continue to show the commitment of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office to focus on making our communities better,” stated United States Attorney Ross. “Through the collaborative efforts of these law enforcement agencies, we were able to make a significant impact in getting these violent drug traffickers out of the community.”
“Ridding Arkansas communities of dangerous narcotics and violent criminals is a top priority for law enforcement across the state,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Corder. “Today’s arrests demonstrate the FBI’s commitment to fostering safer communities for the citizens of Arkansas, and we will continue to collaborate with our federal, state, and local partners on this shared goal.”
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.
Those arrested today will be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Jerome T. Kearney on Thursday, February 27. Today’s arrests are the result of a joint investigation between the FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Marshals Service; ICE; Arkansas State Police; the Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office; Trumann Police Department; Jonesboro Police Department; Craighead County Sheriff’s Office; Marion Police Department; West Memphis Police Department; Blytheville Police Department; the Arkansas Second Judicial Drug Task Force; and the Arkansas National Guard Counter Drug Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Eldridge.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Dive Boat Owner/Operator Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Clean Water ActRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, a Florida woman pled guilty in federal district court to violating the Clean Water Act by knowingly discharging a harmful quantity of oil into United States and contiguous zone waters.
According to court documents and statements made at today’s hearing, Liza R. Hash, 48, of Inglis, Fla. owned and operated the S/V JULIET, an 88-foot, 118 gross ton, steel-hulled sailing vessel built in 1974. For approximately six years, Hash operated the vessel between Miami and the Bahamas, on multi-day scuba diving excursions. She carried as many as 12 passengers per trip plus crew.
On June 16, 2023, Investigating Officers (CGIOs) from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami boarded the S/V JULIET upon its return from a trip to the Bahamas. After noticing an active oil sheen originating from the vessel, they conducted a safety examination.
During the examination, the CGIOs noted oily water in the vessel’s bilge and an electric submersible pump in the space beneath the main diesel engine. The pump was connected to the vessel's grey water tank, which was arranged to be discharged overboard without treatment. The Defendant admitted that she would use the bilge pump to transfer oil-contaminated bilge waste first into the grey water tank. Then, she would use the grey water tank’s separate discharge pump to empty the untreated contents into U.S. waters. The grey water tank was neither designed nor intended to handle oily bilge wastes, but rather to hold liquids from the vessel's washer, dryer, sinks, showers, and air conditioning unit.
Calculations performed by the CGIOs revealed that over the preceding five years of operation, approximately 26,000 gallons of oily water would have been illegally discharged from the S/V JULIET. Such wastes should have been held on board for proper pump-out and disposal at a shore-side facility.
United States District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz, II, set sentencing in the case for May 21, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. The defendant faces up to three years’ imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release. In addition, the court may impose a fine of up to $250,000.
Hayden P. O’Byrne, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Kristopher Martel, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s criminal enforcement program in Florida, announced the guilty plea.
United States Attorney O’Byrne commended the efforts of the United States Coast Guard Sector Miami Investigating Officers, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald is prosecuting the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-20007.
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Danville Woman Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
DANVILLE, Va. – A Danville, Virginia woman, who claimed to receive almost 10,000 hours of personal care services from her estranged husband, but never actually received those services, resulting in a loss to Medicaid of over $116,000, pled guilty today in Federal Court.
Jacquelyn Farrish, 61, waived her right to be indicted and pled guilty today to a one-count Information charging her with health care fraud.
According to court documents, Farrish was married to A.L., a Medicaid recipient who was receiving Agency Directed Care Services. Until approximately 2017, Farrish and A.L. resided in Northern Virginia, at which time Farrish moved to Danville, Virginia, while A.L. continued living in Northern Virginia. A.L. later moved to Richmond, Virginia.
In October 2018, Farrish applied to receive services from the Consumer Directed Care Program. She listed A.L. as the paid personal card attendant who would be providing her with home health care and respite care services, even though A.L. did not live in Danville.
From October 2018 through February 2023, Farrish submitted and approved fraudulent timesheets, used A.L.’s personal information, and claimed A.L. provided services that were not rendered.
In total, Farrish claimed 9,819 hours of personal care attendant services that were not performed. As a result, the total loss to Medicaid was $116,536.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares made the announcement.
The Department of Health and Human Services- Office of the Inspector General and the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene Day and Special Assistant United States Attorney and Assistant Attorney General Nicole Terry are prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years in Prison for Gun Crime Related to Road Rage IncidentRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon has been sentenced for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie Axon sentenced David Lee Hooker, 53, to 30 months in prison. In November 2024, Hooker pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm stemming from a road rage incident in Jefferson County.
This sentence sends a clear message that violent and reckless behavior on our roads will not be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who threaten the safety of our communities and endanger innocent lives.”
“The safety of our communities is a priority,” said Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples, Birmingham Division. “The strong collaboration between FBI Birmingham and our state and local law enforcement partners works as a force multiplier to remove violent offenders from the communities we protect and serve.”
According to the plea agreement, on April 4, 2023, Hooker was involved in a road rage incident at the intersection of Bessemer Road and BY Williams Sr. Drive. Hooker’s vehicle remained stationary during two cycles of the traffic light, and the individual in the vehicle behind Hooker continued to blow their horn. When Hooker made a left turn, he pulled to the right side of the roadway. As the driver of the second vehicle drove by, Hooker drove up beside the vehicle and pointed a firearm at the driver. The driver of the second vehicle then pulled into a nearby parking lot. Hooker followed the driver into the parking lot where he got out of his vehicle and proceeded to walk toward the second vehicle. A Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office Task Force Officer witnessed this and activated his emergency lights to intervene. Hooker placed the firearm into his front pocket and raised his hands above his head. The officer recovered a Smith &Wesson 9mm pistol from Hooker.
The FBI investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Keown, Sr., prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon in Possession of Multiple Illegal Firearms Including A Machinegun Is Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – David Christopher Ballard, 45, of Catawba, N.C., was sentenced today to 87 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for possession of multiple illegal firearms including a machinegun, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, andSheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, join Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on December 27, 2022, deputies with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office were attempting to serve Ballard with outstanding arrest warrants for domestic assault and communicating threats. Law enforcement located Ballard traveling in a vehicle on I-40, and Ballard was arrested without incident. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that when Ballard realized the vehicle was being pulled over by the police and he would be arrested, he contacted another individual with instructions to get rid of his machinegun.
Upon learning this information, deputies were dispatched to Ballard’s residence. When they arrived at the residence, deputies conducted a search and found numerous loaded firearms and ammunition including a machinegun, that being a Spikes Tactical ST-15 rifle, modified to shoot automatically more than one shot without manual reloading and loaded with 25 rounds of ammunition; a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver loaded with five rounds; a Glock 22 .45 caliber pistol loaded with a 15-round magazine; a Bushmaster XM-15 riffle loaded with a 30-round magazine; a Mossberg 12 Gauge 500 shotgun loaded with an additional ammunition drum; a Surefire Suppressor; a Rugged Suppressor; a satchel with seven loaded magazines; .40 caliber and .45 caliber barrels; and additional loaded magazines. The investigation revealed that Ballard had threatened to shoot his ex-wife on multiple occasions and had held the Spikes Tactical rifle to her head.
During an interview with law enforcement, Ballard admitted that he possessed all the seized firearms and ammunition, and that he had converted the rifle into a fully automatic weapon. Court records show that Ballard has prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Ballard remains in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron thanked the ATF and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Boykin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
The 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. For more information about PSN in the Western District, please visit our website.
Convicted Felon Caught with Firearm During Traffic Stop Sentenced to 30 MonthsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Keon Shine (aka Keylin Hall), 35, to 30 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Shine pleaded guilty on July 29, 2024.
According to court records, in June 2023, the Lewiston Police Department stopped a vehicle in which Shine was a passenger. A check of the vehicle’s occupants revealed that Shine had previously served six and a half years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm and was on federal probation. When questioned by law enforcement, the vehicle’s driver said there was a firearm in the vehicle’s center console. Shine later admitted when questioned by investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that the Glock firearm recovered belonged to him. Shine’s 2017 conviction in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine precluded him from possessing a firearm.
The Lewiston Police Department and ATF investigated the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
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Citizen from the People’s Republic of China Sentenced for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Saipan – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Kangle Jiang, age 22, citizen of the People’s Republic of China, was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment by the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii) and (v)(I) and Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, in violation of 18 § U.S.C. 37. The court also ordered one year of supervised release, 50 hours of community service, and a $100 special assessment fee.
On December 9, 2024, Kangle Jiang conspired with a man in Saipan to transport himself and seven other Chinese nationals to the Territory of Guam by boat. They intended to avoid detection by law enforcement to further their unlawful presence in the United States. Jiang, who had only been in the CNMI since October 31, 2024, paid $6,000 for the illegal trip to Guam. As the boat approached the shore, the boat’s operators pushed and threatened the passengers to jump into the water, even though some of them could not swim. Most of the passengers were later encountered in or near sensitive military installations.
“Combatting unlawful immigration is the top priority of the Department of Justice,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “The defendant took advantage of unique federal immigration regulations that permit certain foreign nationals to visit the CNMI as tourists. Any local economic benefits from these provisions are lost when those persons later attempt to unlawfully enter another part of the United States. The defendant and his co-conspirators also placed themselves and others at great risk of personal harm due to the nature of their travel at sea. Our enforcement efforts will continue to focus on safety, deterrence, and maintaining the integrity of our immigration system in the Western Pacific.”
“The arrest of Mr. Jiang exemplifies HSI’s commitment to enforcing federal immigration laws in an effort to prevent human smuggling,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “By going after violators like Mr. Jiang, we protect our communities by trying to prevent the inherent dangers posed by smuggling.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Eric S. O’Malley, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Chester business owner sentenced to two years in prison for failing to pay taxes withheld from employees’ wagesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chester man was sentenced today to two years in prison for willful failure to account for or pay over employment taxes.
According to court documents, David Neel, 63, was the sole owner and operator of several sleep disorder centers in central Virginia including Siesta Health LLC, Healthy Sleep LLC, and Healthy Sleep Partners, LLC. Neel withheld federal trust fund taxes from his employees' wages, but failed to report those withholdings or pay them over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and instead kept the withheld funds for his own personal use. Trust fund taxes consist of withholdings for federal income taxes, and employee contributions to Medicare and Social Security.
Neel did not file an IRS Form 941 (Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return) in the name of any of his sleep disorder companies from at least the first quarter of 2015 through the last quarter of 2020 and did not make any trust fund tax payments to the IRS. Nonetheless, Neel issued W-2s to his employees indicating that he had withheld a total of at least $311,985 in trust fund taxes for this period. Neel also failed to pay over the employer’s share of Medicare and Social Security contributions for those and other quarters, totaling at least $148,558.
The total amount Neel failed to pay to the IRS was at least $460,543.
During the periods Neel failed to pay the required employee withholdings and matching amounts, he had access to significant company funds, which he used to bankroll his lavish personal expenses, including:
Monthly rent of $5,000 for a 215-acre horse farm and residence (as well as a prior residence), totaling over $220,000;
$500 to $1,000 per month for work on his personal residence, totaling approximately $30,000;
Almost $40,000 paid for life insurance;
Tuition and related educational expenses for the daughter of Neel’s significant other;
Purchase of a Ford F600 truck.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla Jordan-Detamore prosecuted the case.
If you suspect a business is not in compliance with taxes owed, you can report online or by mail with IRS Form 3949-A, Information Referral. For more information about how to report tax fraud, please see the IRS’s website here.
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-107.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man involved with the distribution of methamphetamine was sentenced on February 24, 2025, to ten years in federal prison.
James Vincent Thornton, age 53, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 11, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Thornton was involved with the distribution of methamphetamine. In November of 2021, law enforcement officers searched a residence where Thornton had been staying. Thornton had been living in the basement of the residence, and officers located approximately 224.17 grams of ice methamphetamine in his room. In March and April 2022, law enforcement officers utilized a confidential informant to buy methamphetamine from Thornton twice. In May 2022, law enforcement officers searched another residence associated with Thornton and located approximately 71.31 grams of ice methamphetamine.
Thornton was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Thornton was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Thornton is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force. The DEA Task Force consists of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. This effort was 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-72.
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Cartel Cocaine Quality Tester Extradited from MexicoRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Irma Elvira Cruz, also known as “Huzipol” and “Madre,” 60, of Mexico, has been arraigned before Russell G. Vineyard, Chief United States Magistrate Judge, on federal charges of Conspiracy to Unlawfully Import Cocaine into the United States and Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Cruz was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 14, 2017.
“Cruz allegedly played a critical role in the trafficking of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Cruz’s extradition from Mexico is an important step in holding her accountable for her alleged role in bringing dangerous drugs into the United States and into our local communities. We thank our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for their work in this investigation and our international partners for their cooperation in helping us bring Cruz to justice.”
“Drug traffickers exploit vulnerable members of our community to generate profits,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “Cases like this clearly demonstrate the resolve of the DEA to hold drug traffickers accountable.”
“The extradition and arraignment of Irma Elvira Cruz, an alleged key figure in an international cocaine trafficking organization, demonstrates the unwavering commitment of HSI and our partners to dismantling transnational criminal networks,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta, which covers Georgia and Alabama. “By targeting those who facilitate the flow of dangerous narcotics into our communities, we are sending a strong message that we will pursue justice across borders and hold traffickers accountable.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, Jr., the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2013, United States law enforcement identified a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization that, between approximately 2013 and 2016, imported large quantities of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and into the United States for distribution, and transported drug proceeds from the United States to Mexico. The investigation identified Irma Elvira Cruz as an associate of the drug trafficking organization, allegedly responsible for the quality control testing of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, sent from Colombia to Costa Rica and Mexico, and intended to be delivered into the United States.
Cruz allegedly conspired with others in Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, and elsewhere to coordinate the transportation of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from Colombia through the coast of Central America for distribution in Mexico and the United States, including Atlanta, Georgia. Specifically, Cruz was allegedly responsible for testing the quality of a large shipment of cocaine ultimately destined for Atlanta.
The investigation revealed that on or about September 3, 2015, Cruz traveled to the organization’s stash house in Heredia, Belen, Asuncion, Costa Rica, to test the purity of the cocaine to be delivered into the United States. The following day, law enforcement authorities stopped vehicles driven by Cruz’s associates leaving the stash house and seized approximately 100 kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement authorities then searched the stash house and seized approximately 221 kilograms of cocaine.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. Cruz is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Coast Guard, United States Navy, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, United States Border Patrol, DeKalb County Police Department, and Georgia State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Forsyth, III and Elizabeth M. Hathaway are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Tarvin contributed to the prosecution as well. Also, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs coordinated with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Cruz.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies and eliminates 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.
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.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi Urges States to Comply with Federal Law by Keeping Men Out of Women’s SportsRead the Press Release
Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi issued letters to officials in California, Maine, and Minnesota warning them to comply with federal antidiscrimination laws that require them to keep men out of women’s sports.
“This Department of Justice will defend women and does not tolerate state officials who ignore federal law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will leverage every legal option necessary to ensure state compliance with federal law and President Trump’s executive order protecting women’s sports.”
As President Trump’s recent executive order on this subject explains, allowing men and boys to compete in women’s and girls’ sports “is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls.” The practice is also illegal under federal law: it denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports, in violation of Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972.
Arizona woman pleads guilty to transporting 50 kilograms of cocaineRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Arizona woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to a narcotics crime related to driving a moving truck filled with 50 kilogram-bricks of cocaine from Arizona to Ohio.
Andrea Celaya-Rodriguez, 28, of Tucson, pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, Celaya-Rodriguez was stopped by Ohio State Highway Patrol on 1-70 in Madison County on March 22, 2024. She was driving a Penske box truck that she rented a few days prior in Tucson and, according to her rental agreement, was set to return the vehicle to Arizona within the next four days.
A drug canine positively alerted to the presence of cocaine and troopers subsequently searched the moving truck. The cargo space of the truck had in it a sectional couch, a suitcase and a produce bin with a blanket over it. Within the produce bin there were three duffel bags, which contained 50 individually wrapped kilogram-packages of cocaine.
After being arrested, Celaya-Rodriguez told DEA agents she was driving the drugs from Arizona to New York in exchange for $50,000 from a man she had met in Mexico two weeks prior. The defendant met the man on a rural road in Arizona, where she was given the cocaine in shoe boxes to be re-packaged for transportation.
The plea agreement includes a sentencing recommendation of 33 to 41 months in prison. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit Field Division; and Col. Charles A Jones, Superintendent, Ohio State Highway Patrol, announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and Nicole Pakiz are representing the United States in this case.
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Alabama Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Violating U.S. Sanctions on IranRead the Press Release
Ray Hunt, also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh, and Rahman Natooshas, 71, of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, has been sentenced to five years in prison for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In July 2024, Hunt pleaded guilty to conspiring to export U.S.-origin goods to the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of the U.S. trade sanctions.
According to court documents, in May 2014, Hunt registered Vega Tools LLC with the Alabama Secretary of State, listing the nature of the business as “the purchase/resale of equipment for the energy sector.” He operated Vega Tools, including purchasing, receiving, and shipping U.S.-origin goods, from locations in Madison County, Alabama. Beginning at least as early as 2015 and continuing to the time of his arrest in November 2022, Hunt conspired with two Iranian companies located in Tehran, Iran, to illegally export U.S.-manufactured industrial equipment for use in Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical industries.
Hunt engaged in a series of deceptive practices to avoid detection by U.S. authorities, including using third-party transshipment companies in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and routing payments through UAE banks, as well as lying to shipping companies about the value of his exports to prevent the filing of Electronic Export Information to U.S. authorities. Hunt lied to suppliers and shippers by claiming the items he purchased on behalf of the Iranian co-conspirators were destined for end-users in Turkey and UAE, while knowing the exports were ultimately destined for Iran. Hunt also lied to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers regarding the nature and existence of his business when questioned upon his return from a March 2020 trip to Iran.
Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama; Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement John Sonderman of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS); and Assistant Director Kevin Vorndran of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division announced the sentence.
BIS investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Cross and Henry Cornelius for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Emma Ellenrieder and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Alabama Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Violating Iran SanctionsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ray Hunt, also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh, and Rahman Natooshas, 71, of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, has been sentenced for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In July 2024, Hunt pleaded guilty to conspiring to export U.S.-origin goods to the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of the U.S. trade sanctions.
According to court documents, in May 2014, Hunt registered Vega Tools, LLC with the Alabama Secretary of State, listing the nature of the business as “the purchase/resale of equipment for the energy sector.” He operated Vega Tools, including purchasing, receiving, and shipping U.S.-origin goods, from locations in Madison County, Alabama. Beginning at least as early as 2015 and continuing to the time of his arrest in November 2022, Hunt conspired with two Iranian companies located in Tehran, Iran, to illegally export U.S.-manufactured industrial equipment for use in Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical industries.
Hunt engaged in a series of deceptive practices to avoid detection by U.S. authorities, including using third-party transshipment companies in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), routing payments through UAE banks, and lying to shipping companies about the value of his exports to prevent the filing of Electronic Export Information to U.S. authorities. Hunt lied to suppliers and shippers by claiming the items he purchased on behalf of the Iranian co-conspirators were destined for end-users in Turkey and UAE, while knowing the exports were ultimately destined for Iran. Hunt lied also to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers regarding the nature and existence of his business when questioned upon his return from a March 2020 trip to Iran.
Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department's National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama, Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement John Sonderman of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security, and Assistant Director Kevin Vorndran of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division announced the sentence.
BIS investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Cross and Henry Cornelius for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Emma Ellenrieder and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Monday 24 February 2025
Webster woman charged with defrauding MedicaidRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. –Acting U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti announced today that Ashley Jackson, 36, of Webster, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with health care fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Jackson was the sole owner of Roc City Transport in Webster. Between February 2018, and November 2022, Jackson and others submitted fraudulent claims for payment to Medicaid, seeking reimbursement for non-emergency transportation they allegedly provided in connection with their transportation services. Jackson submitted reimbursement claims for Medicaid transportation trips that were not actually performed, individual rides were billed as group rides, and kickbacks were paid to recipients to drive themselves to an appointment rather than Roc City. Most of the Medicaid beneficiaries using Roc City were being transported to methadone clinics in Rochester, NY, up to six days a week. Roc City is accused of fraudulently billing Medicaid for approximately $40,123.29.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The 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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U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Indictments of Three Felons on Illegal Reentry ChargesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick announced several indictments bringing illegal reentry charges against defendants who were previously convicted of serious and dangerous felonies, including convictions for child molestation and criminal sexual conduct.
A federal grand jury returned indictments on the following individuals:
- Luis Gerardo Gomez-Esteban a.k.a. Luis Gerardo Gomez-Esteban, 35, for being in the United States after removal from the country on May 8, 2019, following his conviction for several child molestation charges in Thurston County, Washington. Gomez-Esteban also failed to register as a sex offender upon his return to the U.S.
- Jose Alfredo Ojeda-Garcia, 33, for being in the United States after his conviction on criminal sexual conduct in Faribault County, Minnesota. Ojeda-Garcia was removed three times on April 23, 2012, May 26, 2021, and January 29, 2022.
- Sotero Ortiz-Sanchez, 37, was found in the United States after his conviction for attempted burglary in Lancaster County, Nebraska, and had been initially removed on January 28, 2009.
All of these cases are the result of investigations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI Charge Pojoaque Man with Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Pojoaque man has been charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a minor.
According to the indictment, between December 21, 2021, and February 23, 2022, Alexander John Duran, 30, an enrolled member of Pojoaque Pueblo, allegedly engaged in and attempted to engage in sexual acts with a child under the age of 12.
Duran will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Duran faces no less than 30 years and up to life imprisonment.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Albuquerque-Santa Fe Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Plea in Child Exploitation CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pled guilty to federal charges of using social media and text messages to entice a minor into illegal sexual activity.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between February 1, 2021, and April 1, 2021, Kenzie Roy Rockmen, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, used text messages and Facebook communications to coerce a minor to engage in illegal sexual acts.
Rockmen was charged along with his brother, Dustin Roy Rockmen. On October 15, 2024, Dustin pled guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
At sentencing, Rockmen faces not less than 120 months and up to 135 months in prison, followed by not less than five years and up to life of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II and Mark A. Probasco are prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
U.s. Attorney’s Office Collects $10,739,347.57 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2024Read the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced today that the Northern District of Florida collected $10,739,347.57 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $6,129,268.26 was collected in criminal actions and $4,610,079.31 was collected in civil actions.
“Our office’s civil and criminal divisions, in coordination with our federal, state, and local law partners, have continued to work tirelessly to collect funds owed the America people in both criminal and civil matters,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Spaven. “These efforts recover funds owed in civil and criminal debts and are used to punish criminals, make victims whole, and return funds to the federal treasury.”
For example, in November, 2023, Chad Wade pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, and bankruptcy fraud, for acts of COVID-related fraud. He was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment, ordered to pay restitution to the United States Small Business Administration in the amount of about $1.58 million, and ordered to pay a fine of $100,000.00. In FY 2024, the Northern District of Florida collected the full amount of the restitution. In addition to the criminal judgment, the Northern District of Florida obtained a civil judgment under the False Claims Act for over $4 million, of which over $2.2 million has been collected. The total amount collected from Wade is over $3.8 million.
In November, 2022, Kathleen Jasper pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets. She was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution to the Florida Department of Education in the amount of $135,026.00. In FY 2024, the Northern District of Florida recovered the full amount of the restitution, including over $20,000 through the Treasury Offset Program.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Northern District of Florida, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $10,417,393 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Two Men Sentenced to 26 and 20 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Armed Business RobberiesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Two men were sentenced last week after previously pleading guilty to multiple counts of armed robberies that occurred at Louisville and Bullitt County, Kentucky businesses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Demarcus Page, 31, of Bullitt County was sentenced to 26 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Page was convicted of eight counts of interference with commerce by robbery and three counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Joseph Campbell, 29, of Louisville was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Campbell was convicted of five counts of interference with commerce by robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. All the robberies occurred between June 12, 2023, and September 12, 2023.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Lantz prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Twelve Men Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Marijuana in Tennessee and Other StatesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Twelve members of a drug trafficking conspiracy were sentenced last week for their roles in conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances in middle Tennessee and elsewhere, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to court documents, around 2022, agents with Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating large shipments of counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills that were inscribed “M30,” methamphetamine, and marijuana that someone was shipping to Tennessee and approximately 16 other states from California. Agents reviewed shipping materials, monitored social media accounts, and conducted surveillance before identifying Matthew Cox as the individual who was shipping these packages to members of the drug trafficking conspiracy. In their messages on social media applications and phones, the defendants discussed drug prices, drug shipments, and quality of the drugs. One defendant, Quortez Duncan, told Cox that he wanted stronger pills to get customers hooked on the pills to increase profits. Cox complied and attempted to send Duncan these pills, but Agents seized them. Agents also learned that another defendant, Khyre McClain, attempted to establish and launder money through a limited liability corporation.
In addition to this evidence of shipments to other states, agents seized packages of drugs that were being shipped to Tennessee. Specifically, on July 25, 2022, HSI agents seized a package from a UPS Store in Sebastopol, California, which was destined for Nashville, Tennessee. This package contained thousands of counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills weighing over two kilograms. The package also contained more than eight pounds of methamphetamine. On August 9, 2022, HSI agents intercepted two additional packages from the Santa Rosa, California, area which were destined for residences in Nashville. One package contained 472 grams of counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills, and the other package contained approximately four pounds of methamphetamine.
After collecting an overwhelming amount of evidence, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at multiple residences in California and Tennessee. They recovered handguns, assault rifles, bulk cash, expensive cars, marijuana, and large amounts of counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills.
“Stopping the trafficking of deadly fentanyl is a major priority of the Department of Justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire, “these successful prosecutions demonstrate our continued commitment to hit fentanyl traffickers with the full force of the law.”
“These defendants took part in a cross-country conspiracy that brought significant amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana to Tennessee,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to holding those accountable who attempt to poison our communities.”
Each defendant was convicted of conspiring to distribute controlled substances. Three defendants were also convicted of unlawfully possessing firearms after previously being convicted of felony offenses. The defendants were sentenced as follows:
Quortez Duncan, age 37, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison
Mathew Cox, age 28, was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison
Jonny Rodriguez-Gonzalez, age 26, was sentenced to 11 years and 2 months in federal prison
Ricardo Molinero-Alcarez, age 29, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison
Khyre McClain, age 23, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison
Davontay Holt, age 30, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison
Marcus Johnson, age 27, was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison
Tristain Orr, age 25, was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison
Ethan Kimes, age 22, was sentenced to 2 years in federal prison
Marquitues Sawyers, age 24, was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in federal prison
Jahari Armstrong, age 22, was sentenced to 3 years of probation
Jaydan Armstrong, age 22, was sentenced to 3 years of probation
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ahmed Safeeullah and Rachel Stephens prosecuted this case.
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Tower Woman Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling over $300K from ClientsRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Tower woman has been sentenced to 28 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay nearly $430,000 in restitution to more than two dozen former payroll clients and the IRS, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, Jeana Lautigar, a.k.a. Jeana Lautigar-McGowan, 58, owned and operated an accounting and payroll service headquartered in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, where she managed payroll for various small businesses. To facilitate the payroll service, Lautigar-McGowan was granted access to client bank accounts. On multiple occasions between 2016 and 2020, Lautigar-McGowan embezzled funds from her clients’ bank accounts and used the money to cover personal expenses, or to pay back money she had previously embezzled from other clients. To accomplish her scheme, Lautigar-McGowan would electronically transfer funds from a client account into an account she controlled – in an amount appearing to be consistent with clients’ payroll – and spend the money for unapproved purposes. In total, she embezzled $344,813 from her clients over a period of five years.
According to court documents and her guilty plea, on February 6, 2020, Lautigar-McGowan tried to cover her scheme by transferring money from an account she controlled and that had been funded with embezzled money into the account of another payroll client. Lautigar-McGowan also filed false income tax returns in which she failed to report the embezzled income, resulting in a $84,746 tax loss to the United States.
On September 27, 2024, Lautigar-McGowan pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property and one count of filing a false income tax return. She was sentenced last week by Judge Donovan W. Frank.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Lewis and Esther Soria prosecuted the case.
Three-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Devin Devaun, 26, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a revolver and ammunition in December 2023 while he was on supervised release for two prior unlawful firearm possession convictions.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On November 15, 2024, during a stipulated facts bench trial, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan found Devaun guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. In addition to imposing the 30-month prison sentence, Judge Chutkan ordered Devaun to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on December 17, 2023, members of the MPD’s Violent Crimes Suppression Division’s Robbery Suppression Unit were patrolling along the Georgia Avenue corridor in the 4th District based on a spree of robberies that had occurred there. The MPD issued a BOLO or a “be on the lookout for” with regard to one of these particular robberies.
Around 12:10 a.m., the officers observed a group of at least four individuals jaywalking across Georgia Avenue NW at the intersection of Longfellow Street NW, whom the officers believed matched the description of the suspects in the BOLO. One of the officers observed that one of the individuals had a rectangular-shaped object protruding downward in his front groin area, inconsistent with human anatomy and not in a spot where people typically keep cell phones or other objects.
As one of the officers approached that individual, the individual began looking from side to side as if he were attempting to look for an avenue of escape. That individual then took off running southbound on Georgia Avenue NW, tripping as he ran down the sidewalk. Two of the officers quickly caught up with him. The officers handcuffed the defendant, and as an officer patted the defendant down, the officer felt a hard object that he recognized as a firearm. At this point, the firearm had slid down the defendant’s right pants leg. A few minutes later, another officer cut a hole in the defendant’s right pants leg, removing a holstered .357 caliber revolver loaded with six rounds.
The defendant was prohibited from possessing a firearm based on three previous felony convictions: a 2016 robbery conviction, a 2017 conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm, and a 2021 felon conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm.
This case was investigated by the MPD’s Violent Crimes Suppression Division’s Robbery Suppression Unit. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Svetoslavov. Valuable assistance was provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Mirabelli.
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Three men indicted for distribution of methamphetamineRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned indictments charging three defendants in two separate cases of distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Yonivert Martinez-Montano, 36, of Wichita is charged with five counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of use a telephone to facilitate drug trafficking. Rocio Basurto Ayala, 35, of Wichita was indicted on one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
In a separate, unrelated indictment, Shannon Church, 55, of Wichita, was indicted on three counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are investigating the cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting the cases.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Wilson Dubon-Melgar, 32, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting the case.
Raul Ayon Lizarraga, 24, was indicted on one count of alien in possession of a firearm. U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka is prosecuting the case.
Miguel Lozoya-Serrano, 50, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.
Anthony Suazo-Brown, 20, was indicted on one count of reentry of removed alien. U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra is prosecuting the case.
Dalton Wayne Woods, 32, was indicted on two counts of distribution of child pornography. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Three Men Sentenced to Prison for Carjackings and Armed Robberies in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Three men who committed multiple carjackings and robberies in Chicago, including carjacking a vehicle with an infant in the back seat and pistol-whipping a convenience store clerk, have been sentenced to federal prison terms ranging from 15 to 22 years.
DAMANDRE HENLEY, DWIGHT HASBERRY, TYLER OATES-NELSON, and DAVARIO MCDOWELL engaged in a series of carjackings and robberies in Chicago in the overnight hours of Sept. 28 and 29, 2022. The four defendants pleaded guilty last year to federal carjacking, armed robbery, and firearm charges.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Manish Shah sentenced Oates-Nelson, 29, of Chicago, to 15 years in federal prison. On Wednesday, Judge Shah sentenced McDowell, 25, of Chicago, to 18 years. On Feb. 11, 2025, Judge Shah sentenced Henley, 28, of Chicago, to 22 years. Hasberry, 31, of Chicago, is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Shah on March 20, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
Four of the carjackings occurred in the early morning hours of Sept. 28, 2022. The carjacking involving the infant occurred late that evening, when the four men carjacked a Volkswagen Tiguan in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood. After the men drove to the neighborhood in Oates-Nelson’s vehicle, Henley, Hansberry, and McDowell pointed guns at the driver and the infant in a rear car seat and ordered them out of the vehicle. One of the carjackers patted down the driver and removed a registered handgun from his pocket. The driver removed the infant from the car before Henley, Hansberry, and McDowell got into the Tiguan and drove away.
A short time later, the four men, now all traveling in the stolen Tiguan, drove to Chicago’s Ravenswood Manor neighborhood, where Henley, McDowell, and Hansberry robbed one victim at gunpoint of their cell phone, wallet, and keys, and another victim of their backpack.
The four men then robbed a nearby 7-Eleven convenience store. With Oates-Nelson waiting in the stolen Tiguan, Henley, McDowell, and Hansberry entered the store carrying guns. Henley used his gun to strike a store clerk in the head while forcing him to open the cash register. The defendants fled the store with cash, cigarettes, and liquor bottles.
The sentences were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Mail from Albany Postal FacilityRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Sean A. Walter, age 30, of Humble, Texas, pled guilty today to stealing business checks out of the U.S. Mail by repeatedly and unlawfully entering a mail sorting facility in Albany.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon; Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Northeast Region; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
Walter admitted that on six occasions in 2023 and 2024, he unlawfully entered the USPS Albany Processing and Distribution Center (PDC) on Karner Road, in order to steal mail that he believed contained business checks. For instance, at approximately 12:56 a.m. on January 23, 2024, Walter entered the Albany PDC by forcefully pulling up a retractable overhead door to the facility. Once inside, he went to a large room where USPS employees were sorting mail and then stole a variety of mail. Walter placed the stolen mail in his backpack and exited the Albany PDC at around 2:31 a.m. He then re-entered the Albany PDC two more times that night and stole more mail on each occasion.
According to the criminal complaint in this case, Walter was arrested on May 14, 2024, after being confronted by security guards inside of the Albany PDC and fleeing to a nearby motel.
The mail that Walter stole included checks drawn on bank accounts belonging to entities in Upstate New York, including a town government, a bank, a volunteer fire department, and several small businesses. Walter sold these stolen checks to others and understood that these checks would then be altered and forged in ways that allowed them to be successfully negotiated by people other than the checks’ intended payees. In pleading guilty, Walter admitted to causing losses totaling at least $242,159.76.
Walter also admitted that on two occasions in 2022, he unlawfully entered the USPS North Houston PDC (in Texas) and stole business checks.
Walter faces up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, when United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentences him on June 30, 2025. Walter may also be ordered to pay restitution to his victims. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
USPS-OIG and USPIS investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting the case.
Sumter Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for $2.8M Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Daniel Criswell Lee, 55, of Sumter, has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for wire fraud. He was also ordered to pay $2.8 million in restitution.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Lee worked as project manager for Agile Infrastructure Service, LLC. As project manager, Lee represented Agile in the bidding process to obtain government contracts. Once Agile was awarded a project, Lee diverted money paid by the government for work on the project to corporations under his control. Lee was then used the funds for his own benefit. The illegally obtained funds totaled at least $2.8 million.
United States District Court Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Lee to 33 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. He was also ordered to pay $2.8 million in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (DACID) and Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Charleston Resident Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Potterfield is prosecuting the case.
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Stolen Debit Card Numbers, Illicit Purchases Lead to Guilty Plea from Massachusetts ManRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland today to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court records, from January to February 2023, Andre Hill, 25, obtained and used multiple debit card numbers without the knowledge of the account holders. Hill loaded the stolen numbers into a digital wallet application on his phone and then traveled to Maine and other locations to make purchases, request cash back, and purchase money orders payable to himself. The purchases made in Maine took place at multiple retail locations and post offices in the greater Portland area.
Hill faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $1 million on the bank fraud charge. He faces a mandatory prison term of two years and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the aggravated identity charge. Any sentence imposed on the aggravated identity theft charge will run consecutively to any other sentence imposed. Following a term of incarceration, Hill faces up to five years of supervised release. He will also be required to pay restitution to the victims. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
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Silver Spring Man Indicted for Producing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted David Alain Schmidt, 43, of Silver Spring, Maryland, charging him with producing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Phil Selden, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore, and Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department.
According to the indictment, in October 2024, Schmidt enticed a minor to produce child sexual abuse material and he also possessed sexually explicit images of a minor victim.
If convicted, Schmidt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material and a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
Acting U.S. Attorney Selden commended HSI and the Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Selden also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy who is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. Learn about Internet safety education by clicking on the “Resources” tab on the left side of the page.
Know2Protect is a Department of Homeland Security national public awareness campaign to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse; explain how to report online enticement and victimization; and offer resources for victims and survivors and their supporters. Learn more about Know2Protect at www.dhs.gov/know2protect.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Seven Charged in Central Florida Gun Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging six individuals involved in an alleged gun trafficking operation. An additional individual was separately charged by complaint in the same conspiracy. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit specific firearms recovered in the operation.
Name
(Age, City of Residence)
ChargeMaximum PenaltiesVictor Manuel LaFontaine Ruiz
(31, Poinciana)
Gun trafficking conspiracy
Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting
Possession of machinegun
15 years
5 years
10 years
Jose Emanuel Maldonado Rodriguez
(32, Kissimmee)
Gun trafficking conspiracy
Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting
Possession of machinegun
15 years
5 years
10 years
Freddie Geovani Cruz Batiz
(36, Kissimmee)
Gun trafficking conspiracy
Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting
15 years
5 years
Jomar Manuel Lopez Montanez
(30, Kissimmee)
Gun trafficking conspiracy
Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting
Felon in possession
15 years
5 years
15 years
Derrick Yamil Rivera Robles
(29, Kissimmee)
Gun trafficking conspiracy
Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting
Possession of machinegun
15 years
5 years
10 years
Leonardo David Joseph Guerra
(23, Orlando)
Gun trafficking conspiracy
Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting
Alien in possession
15 years
5 years
15 years
Jincheng Shi
(27, St. Cloud)
Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting
Alien in possession
5 years
15 years
According to court documents, from at least as early as September 2023 onward, Lafontaine and Maldonado operated a gun trafficking ring involving hundreds of firearms, machineguns, machinegun conversion devices, and high-capacity magazines needed for fully automatic weapons. This operation did not involve any federally licensed firearms dealers. Instead, Lafontaine and Maldonado obtained firearms parts, including from Jincheng Shi, a Chinese national. Lafontaine and Maldonado allegedly assembled, manufactured, and modified semi-automatic and automatic firearms using a “ghost gunner” machine and specialized “endmill” drilling devices at a workspace on Maldonado’s property in Kissimmee:
From there, Lafontaine and Maldonado, along with assistance from Batiz, sold firearms, including fully automatic weapons and machine gun conversion devices (“chips” or “buttons”) that are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machineguns. They sold those items to illegal aliens and convicted felons such as Lopez Montanez, Rivera Robles, and Joseph Guerra, who were often brokering such transactions on behalf of other unknown customers.
On September 17, 2023, for example, Lafontaine showed a fully automatic firearm to a customer that was later sold during this operation and, on October 9, 2023, Lafontaine quoted Rivera Robles (a convicted felon) a price of $150 for a machinegun conversion device known as a “chip,” that Rivera Robles purchased in March 2024.
On February 7, 2025, Lafontaine sold Lopez Montanez (a convicted felon) two firearms falsely branded to appear as though they were legitimate firearms manufactured with engraved fake sequential serial numbers. When Lopez Montanez was stopped, he fled from law enforcement and attempted to hide the weapons that were eventually recovered.
The next day, Lafontaine delivered five similar firearms to Maldonado.
On February 20, 2025, law enforcement executed five search warrants at various locations associated with this conspiracy. The items are still be inventoried. Preliminarily, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have recovered at least five AR-style pistols with sequential and identical serial numbers at Maldonado’s residence (depicted below), along with at least three machinegun conversion devices, machinery used to assemble, modify, and manufacture the firearms and machine guns sold through this operation.
At Lafontaine’s residence, agents recovered a completed rifle, gun parts, gun manufacturing and modification equipment, and drug distribution paraphernalia with a blender and a powder that field-tested positive for fentanyl, packaged for sale. At Batiz’s residence, agents recovered a handgun and an AR pistol, four machinegun conversion devices, along with drug paraphernalia and powders packaged for distribution that are still being tested. Eight handguns, three rifles, and eight AR-style receivers were recovered from Shi’s residence and storage lockers.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Orlando Police Department, Winter Garden Police Department, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Apopka Police Department, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Highway Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
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.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Sean Williams Sentenced to 95 Years for Production of Child Pornography and Escape from CustodyRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On February 24, 2025, Sean Christopher Williams, 53, of Johnson City, Tennessee, was sentenced to 95 years imprisonment by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.
In July of 2024, Williams was convicted at trial of escape in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 751(a) and in November of 2024, Williams was convicted at trial of three counts of production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e).
The evidence presented at the escape trial showed that Williams escaped from a transport van enroute to the Greeneville Federal Courthouse on October 18, 2023. His escape resulted in a multistate manhunt that led to the capture of Williams in Pinellas County, Florida, on November 21, 2023.
The evidence presented at the child pornography trial showed that Williams used three minor children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and took photos of the sexually explicit conduct. The conduct occurred at Williams’s apartment in Johnson City. The evidence showed that Williams sexually assaulted each of the victims’ mothers while they were unconscious, around the same time that he took pornographic photos of their children. The criminal conduct extended over a 12-year period. Williams took photos of the first victim in 2008 and the two other victims on separate occasions in 2020. Williams was arrested in 2023 near the campus of Western Carolina University and campus police officers seized flash drives from his car that were later found to contain the photos.
“Sean Williams is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on our community’s most vulnerable victims,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Today’s sentence reflects the severity of the crimes committed and not only ensures that this dangerous individual has been held accountable for the harm he caused, but also prevents him from hurting others again. We thank the dedicated law enforcement officers whose efforts made the convictions and sentence possible.”
“Our children are among the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Nashville Field Office. “The FBI will continue to do everything in its power to stop sexual exploitation of children that causes irreparable harm and trauma to the victims and bring to justice those responsible.”“This case shows the impact of collaboration and determination by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and our local, state, and federal partners to hold accountable an individual who preyed upon innocent children,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “We hope the outcome of this investigation sends a clear message that we will continue to commit all the necessary resources to find and apprehend those who victimize our most vulnerable residents.”
Law enforcement agencies either participating in a joint investigation, or cooperating in a parallel investigation, which led to the apprehension, indictment and subsequent conviction of Williams included the FBI, the United States Marshal Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Western North Carolina Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan L. Gomez, Emily M. Swecker, and J. Gregory Bowman represented the United States at the trials.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Richmond felon pleads guilty to illegal firearm possessionRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Aug. 12, 2023, Richmond Police officers responded to a 911 call reporting that Trevon Barfield, 28, had a firearm and was pointing it at his former girlfriend at an apartment complex. Barfield had an outstanding arrest warrant at the time.
When officers found Barfield sitting at the top of a stairwell and informed him of the warrant, Barfield reached for an object in his pocket. After a brief struggle, the officers detained Barfield and recovered a loaded handgun from Barfield’s pocket, as well as a small amount of cocaine.
Barfield is a previously convicted felon, with two prior convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Barfield is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28 and faces up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police; and Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, is prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Wright assisted in the prosecution of this 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. 3:23-cr-160.
Prolific Alien Smuggler Extradited from Mexico to the United States in Joint Task Force Alpha InvestigationRead the Press Release
Extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities culminated in the extradition of an alleged alien smuggler who operated in Mexicali on the U.S.-Mexico border for several years as part of an international alien smuggling conspiracy.
Raul Saucedo-Huipio, 49, was arrested in Mexico on March 2, 2023, pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition, and was surrendered by Mexico to U.S. authorities on Feb. 21 to face charges previously filed in the District of Arizona. Saucedo-Huipio made his initial appearance on Feb. 21 in the Southern District of California. His co-conspirator, Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, 62, was extradited to the United States from Mexico in 2023 and pleaded guilty on Dec. 18, 2024, to conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States and substantive counts of bringing an alien to the United States.
According to court documents, Saucedo-Huipio conspired with other smugglers, including Hernandez-Salas, to facilitate the travel of large numbers of migrants into the United States from and through Bangladesh, Yemen, Pakistan, Eritrea, India, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. Saucedo-Huipio and Hernandez-Salas allegedly charged the migrants as much as tens of thousands of dollars to make the journey and directed the migrants where to unlawfully cross the border into the United States, including by providing them with a ladder to climb over the border fence. Saucedo-Huipio and co-conspirators also allegedly robbed the migrants of money and personal belongings while armed with guns and knives.
In June 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed corresponding sanctions on this transnational criminal organization.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachel C. Hernandez for the District of Arizona, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola, made the announcement.
ICE HSI Yuma is investigating the case with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection (CBP); U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; FBI; and the U.S. Marshals Service, working in concert with ICE HSI Tijuana, INTERPOL, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI also received substantial assistance from CBP’s National Targeting Center/Counter Network Division and OFAC.
Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart J. Zander for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting Saucedo-Huipio, and the Mexican Attorney General’s Office and the Mexican Foreign Ministry for making the extradition possible.
The indictments against Raul Saucedo-Huipio and Hernandez-Salas, and their subsequent arrests and extraditions, were coordinated through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was created in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse, or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime. The initiative was expanded to Colombia and Panama to combat human smuggling in the Darién in June 2024. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, the District of Arizona, the District of New Mexico, and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; OIA; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; more than 300 U.S. convictions; more than 245 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This investigation is also supported by the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks or raise grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Princeton, Kentucky Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Princeton, Kentucky, man was sentenced last week to 24 years in federal prison for numerous felony offenses, including three counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Chief Chris King of the Princeton Police Department, and Director David Thompson of the Pennyrile Narcotics Task Force made the announcement.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial in October of 2024, Micah Gray, 44, of Princeton, Kentucky, sold quantities of methamphetamine on three occasions during a two-day period from August 26th to 27th, 2021. Additionally, on August 27, 2021, investigators searched Gray’s apartment and located approximately one and one-half pounds of methamphetamine and items related to methamphetamine distribution.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The DEA Paducah Post of Duty Office, the Pennyrile Narcotics Task Force, and the Princeton Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the Kentucky State Police and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for the 56th Judicial Circuit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth A. Hancock, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case with assistance from paralegal Cristy Crockett.
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Previously Deported Mexican National with Prior Convictions Arrested for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Mexican national was arrested in San Antonio on criminal charges related to his alleged illegal possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Sergio Lopez Rodriguez, 48, was arrested during a surveillance operation conducted by the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force (LSFTF) on Feb. 20. Federal law enforcement agencies had learned that Rodriguez was in the United States illegally and had previously been removed from the country in 2015. In addition to the deportation, Rodriguez was convicted of theft in 2009, of forgery in 2013, and also had been arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. A state arrest warrant was issued for Rodriguez on Jan. 28.
A filed criminal complaint alleges that, on Feb. 20, LSFTF members surrounded Rodriguez’s vehicle while he was parked a gas station pump. During the arrest, officers allegedly located a handgun, a magazine and .40 caliber ammunition, along with a glass pipe, torch lighter and .9 grams of a crystal-like substance. The complaint also alleges that Rodriguez informed officers that he possessed an AK-47 magazine inside a bag located in the vehicle.
Rodriguez was booked into the Bexar County Jail for his outstanding warrant and, due to his immigration status, Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer. He is federally charged with one count of illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The U.S. Marshals Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case, along with the Office of the Texas Attorney General, Bexar County District Attorney’s Criminal Investigation Division and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Fidel Esparza III is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Government A handgun, magazine, and .40 caliber ammunition allegedly seized during the arrest in San Antonio, Feb. 20, 2025.###
Owner of Old Dutch Mustard Co. Pleads Guilty to Violating the Clean Water Act by Polluting the Souhegan RiverRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A New York man and Old Dutch Mustard Co., a mustard and vinegar manufacturing company, pleaded guilty in federal court to knowingly discharging acidic water into the Souhegan River, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division announce.
Charles Santich, 59, of New York, and Old Dutch Mustard Co., Inc., d/b/a Pilgrim Foods, Inc. (“Old Dutch Mustard”) pleaded guilty to knowing discharging a pollutant without a permit. U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2025.
The Clean Water Act “CWA” prohibits the discharge of any pollutant into navigable waters of the United States without a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. Due to a long history of CWA non-compliance dating back to the 1980s, Old Dutch Mustard has been subject to several enforcement actions by the EPA, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (“NH DES”), and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. As a result of these actions, EPA and NH DES have required continuous monitoring of an Unnamed Brook that flows underneath and in front of the facility, eventually flowing into the Souhegan River. The Souhegan River is one of nineteen New Hampshire rivers that the State of New Hampshire has designated as an important natural resource.
Charles Santich is the president and owner of Old Dutch Mustard, a New York corporation with a manufacturing facility in Greenville, New Hampshire. Old Dutch Mustard manufactures vinegar and mustard products, which generates acidic wastewater. In addition, stormwater flows through the property, including an outdoor area where the company stores their product in large tanks. Both the wastewater and stormwater at Old Dutch Mustard becomes acidic and is categorized as a pollutant under the CWA, and Old Dutch Mustard did not have the necessary permit to discharge the acidic wastewater or stormwater into the environment. Instead, Old Dutch was required to store the polluted water in tanks and pay a trucking company to haul all the wastewater off-site to a publicly owned treatment plant.
Beginning in the spring of 2015, Santich hired an excavation company to bury a pipe from the Old Dutch Mustard facility to discharge the acidic wastewater and stormwater in the general direction of the Souhegan River along an abandoned railroad bed. This discharge point was downstream of, and not detectible by, the continuous environmental monitoring required by the EPA and State of New Hampshire.
Santich directed Old Dutch Mustard employees to repeatedly pump acidic wastewater and stormwater through the underground pipe to the abandoned railroad bed. Santich also directed employees not to tell anyone about the pipe.
In May of 2023, state inspectors from NH DES discovered wastewater from the facility, with low pH and smelling of vinegar, flowing from a manmade ditch at the top of the hill on the Old Dutch Mustard property into the Souhegan River. In August 2023, EPA agents executed a search warrant at the Old Dutch Mustard facility and observed liquid that smelled like vinegar discharging from the end of the underground pipe into the ditch. The wastewater discharge had a low pH of 3.6. The agents then conducted a dye test. The dye discharged from the underground pipe at the top of the hill and flowed along the drainage ditch and down to the river.
EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter and Trial Attorney Ronald A. Sarachan of the Environment and Natural Resources Division are prosecuting the case with the assistance of EPA Senior Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Dianne G. Chabot.
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Owner of Charleroi Staffing Agency Pleads Guilty to Harboring Illegal Aliens for Financial Gain and Failing to Pay More Than $3 Million in Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of harboring illegal aliens for financial gain and failing to pay employment taxes, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Andy Ha, 28, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Ha was charged by a two-count Information filed with the Court on January 28, 2025.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from September 2022 to April 2024, Ha owned a temporary staffing agency called Prosperity Services, Inc., that provided workers to companies in the Charleroi, Pennsylvania, area. As part of his business, Ha paid for more than 25 workers who were not legally authorized to be in the United States to stay in a former hotel, and his business paid for vans to transport those workers to and from their work. In addition, Ha provided Prosperity’s tax return preparer with spreadsheets listing only workers who were legally authorized to be and work in the United States. That information, in turn, was reflected on the company’s quarterly employment tax returns, representing less than 10% of the actual total number of workers employed by Prosperity. Ha then also signed those returns, knowing them to be false and causing a tax loss of at least $3.1 million.
“The defendant broke the law by harboring and employing individuals not authorized to be in the United States,” said Acting United States Attorney Rivetti. “In addition, defendant Ha cost the U.S. government millions of dollars through his failure to pay taxes related to his business. Our office and our law enforcement partners at all levels will continue to ensure that those who seek to profit from the employment of such workers, and who fail to pay taxes, face appropriate consequences under the law.”
“Business owners have a responsibility to file accurate quarterly employment tax returns and to timely remit withholding taxes for their employees to the Internal Revenue Service,” said Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office. “The failure to do so is a serious offense.”
“This investigation highlights the commitment of HSI Pittsburgh to protecting our communities from those who seek to exploit undocumented workers for their personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens. “Andy Ha and his business sought to profit off of the immigrant community. I commend the dedicated prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and our partners at the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation division and Pennsylvania State Police. Together, we will continue to work to ensure that such illegal activities are met with the full force of the law.”
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for July 22, 2025. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain from the offense, or both on the tax charge and up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain from the offense, or both on the harboring charge. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney William B. Guappone is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Ha.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.