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Wednesday 19 February 2025
Ohio Woman Sentenced to Prison for Insurance Claim FraudRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Angela Frase, 60, of Sterling, Ohio, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty to four counts of mail fraud for accepting insurance checks after she knowingly submitted false claims. Frase was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $327,072.
Frase pleaded guilty to devising a scheme that took place from July 2 to Aug. 23, 2019, to defraud a homeowner’s insurance company. According to court documents, the scheme began when Frase called fire emergency services on July 2, 2019, and again on July 3, 2019, to report a fire in her home. Fire marshals were unable to determine the cause of the fire at the time. The insurance company then housed Frase and her husband at an extended stay hotel. An investigation later conducted by insurance company experts determined no evidence of electrical failure as the cause of the fire.
On the morning of Aug. 6, 2019, the fire department responded to a natural gas leak at the Frase residence. Home remodeling employees entered the home to work on the damage caused by the fire but were forced to evacuate due to the strong smell of natural gas. The fire marshal later determined that the stove was turned on, filling the residence with explosive-causing levels of natural gas. Frase and her husband were the last people in the home prior to the discovery of gas and claimed to have locked the doors. There was no sign of forced entry.
On Aug. 6, 2019, at approximately 10:43 p.m., Frase left her extended stay hotel room, drove to her home on Spruce Street in Seville, Ohio, and started a fire. Investigators later learned through her cellphone location data that she remained in the area of her home from 10:54 p.m. until 11:39 p.m. and then returned to her hotel room. On Aug. 7, 2019, at approximately 12:36 a.m., the Sterling Fire Department and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office responded to the home in reference to a fire and explosion. The Ohio State Fire Marshal later determined the cause of the fire was incendiary in nature. In addition to starting the fire, Frase spray-painted what appeared to be racial disparities on her own garage and vandalized her neighbor’s vehicle.
On Aug. 11, 2019, between 9:30 and 10 p.m., Frase returned to her home and again spray-painted hate speech on her own garage. When a sheriff’s deputy responded and discovered the words, Frase told the deputy that she saw two suspicious individuals running through the field behind her property. Three days later, on Aug. 14, Frase called authorities again after she placed a stuffed doll painted black with a noose tied around its neck in her own mailbox. On Aug. 23, she once again contacted law enforcement to report that she found an envelope at her residence while walking around the property that had a racial slur written on it and inside was a plastic bag filled with an unknown white substance and the word “die.”
From Nov. 1, 2019 to June 17, 2020, the insurance company mailed four checks to Frase for property losses and damages which she accepted. She was later charged with four counts of mail fraud for attempting to swindle money from the homeowner’s insurance company through intentionally deceptive actions.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and Ohio’s Division of State Fire Marshal. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Zarzycki for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Woman Guilty of Violating Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Today, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that KIANNA SCOTT (“SCOTT”), age 24, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on February 18, 2025, before United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion to use of a communication facility in causing and facilitating the commission of the distribution, and possession with intent to distribute, of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine , in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 843(b).
According to court documents, SCOTT used a telephone to assist another known individual in the distribution, and possession with intent to distribute, narcotics within the Eastern District of Louisiana.
SCOTT faces a maximum term of imprisonment of (4) four years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office, and assisted by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Saint Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Saint John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Harahan Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Making False Statements to United States Small Business AdministrationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RENIC PALMER, JR. (“PALMER”), age 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on February 13, 2025, before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier. PALMER previously pled guilty to making or using false writings or documents to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(3), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
According to court documents, PALMER submitted false writings and documents to the SBA, to obtain a Payroll Protection Program (“PPP”) Loan. In his application, among other things, PALMER falsely represented that he was the owner of a merchant wholesale hair supply company formed in 2017, and that he was eligible for PPP funds. As a result of these false representations, PALMER obtained $20,832.00 from the SBA.
Judge Barbier sentenced PALMER to three years of probation, restitution of $20,832 to the SBA, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the Special Agents of the Coast Guard Investigative Service for their work on this case. Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Commodity Exchange Act ViolationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that MICHAEL BRIAN DEPETRILLO, (“DEPETRILLO”), age 43, from New Orleans, pled guilty on February 18, 2025 to violating the Commodity Exchange Act, in violation of Title 7, United States Code, Section 13(a). DEPETRILLO faces up to ten (10) years imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, up to a $1,000,000.00 fine, plus the amount of any proceeds, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, DEPETRILLO was not properly registered as a Commodity Pool Operator (“CPO”) or an Associated Person (“AP”) of a CPO with the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”). DEPETRILLO, through various companies including, Meteor, LLC; NOLA FX Capital Management, LLC; ELC Enterprise Solutions, LLC; and Argosapolis, LLC, acted as a CPO and AP of a CPO and embezzled client funds in violation of federal law. DEPETRILLO, while acting as an AP of unregistered CPOs, represented to victim investors that their funds would be pooled and invested in the NOLA FX FUND, that, in turn, would be used to trade foreign currency pairs on a leveraged, margined, or financed basis (“retail forex”).
DEPETRILLO told investors that pooling their funds would be beneficial to them. DEPETRILLO further represented, to certain investors, that either METEOR or NOLA FX CAPITAL managed the NOLA FX FUND. In at least one representation, however, DEPETRILLO identified “NOLA FX Capital,” not the NOLA FX FUND, as the pooled investment vehicle. DEPETRILLO lured investors by claiming he was investing their funds by trading in the foreign currency exchange, gold futures options, stocks, and cryptocurrency. Instead of trading as promised, DEPETRILLO misappropriated pool funds. DEPETRILLO then used these misappropriated pool funds to pay approximately $3,700,000 in “returns” to prior investors; approximately $575,000 on his own personal investments; approximately $425,000 on rent; approximately $200,000 on private air travel; and approximately $300,000 on online gambling, among other personal expenses. To conceal DEPETRILLO’s misappropriation, he created and issued fictitious account statements in the names NOLA FX FUND and NOLA FX CAPITAL. The fictitious account statements purported to show that: (1) DEPETRILLO had traded forex using pool participant funds, and (2) the NOLA FX FUND and NOLA FX CAPITAL had achieved significant trading returns for pool participants because of his profitable forex trading. In fact, DEPETRILLO never deposited pool participant funds into trading accounts belonging to NOLA FX FUND or NOLA FX CAPITAL, and he never achieved the trading returns represented on the false account statements. DEPETRILLO also did not set up the forex pool in the manner required by the regulations, did not receive pool participant funds in the name of the forex pool, and commingled pool participant funds with his own funds. DEPETRILLO took in approximately $9.2 million in investor funds from approximately 55 victim investors during a seven-year period.
Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for May 25, 2025, before United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”). The FBI is seeking information that may help identify potential victims of DEPETRILLO’s fraudulent scheme. FBI encourages the public to report any information to http://fbi.gov/depetrillovictims.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Kathryn McHugh of the Financial Crimes Unit and Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Nearly Two Dozen Trinitarios Gang Members Charged with RICO Conspiracy; State Leader Charged with Four MurdersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Federal charges were unsealed today against two dozen leaders, members and associates of the Trinitarios gang – a violent transnational criminal organization. Twenty-two individuals have been charged with federal offenses, including racketeering conspiracy in connection with six murders and 11 attempted murders. Two individuals, who were juveniles at the time of the alleged criminal offenses, have been charged by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office with murder.
The charges unsealed today are the result of a multijurisdictional investigation that began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn, Mass. in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise.
According to court documents, Chapters of the Trinitarios were identified in in Lawrence, Lynn, Boston and Haverhill, Mass. Trinitarios members in these cities allegedly undertake efforts to dominate their communities by intimidating rival gangs and establishing control over certain neighborhoods. It is further alleged that the Trinitarios do not hesitate to utilize violence, including murder, in furtherance of the organization’s goals and purposes. According to the charging document, these gang rivalries develop through personal enmity and disrespect between members of the rival gangs, competition over drug territory and customers as well as violent acts (such as robberies, shootings and murders) that have been committed by the gangs against each other in the past. It is alleged that these rivalries have become deadly and multiple murders have been committed by Trinitarios gang members.
Specifically, the investigation allegedly identified that the Massachusetts Trinitarios have committed at least 10 homicides in Essex County over the past decade and are believed to be responsible for numerous attempted murders, shootings, kidnappings and robberies. Sixteen members of the Trinitarios criminal enterprise in Massachusetts have been charged with six of these murders – two of which took place in Lawrence in 2017 and two double murders in Lynn in 2023. The remaining four homicides are being prosecuted by the Essex District Attorney’s Office.
According to the charging documents, the Trinitarios are a hierarchical criminal organization, with positions that are known to exist at the state and local chapter level, whose members adhere to a code of conduct. Enmanuel Paula-Cabral, a/k/a, “Nelfew,” a/k/a “Gordo,” “Manny,” allegedly serves as the State Supreme of the Trinitarios for Massachusetts, responsible for the entirety of the gang’s criminal activities, coordination with other state leaders and communication with leadership of the Trinitarios in the Dominican Republic.
Paula-Cabral is also allegedly responsible for the Trinitarios Chapter operating in Manchester, N.H. as well the Trinitarios located in Maine, where the gang operates a lucrative drug-trade. Below the Supreme is a position referred to as the “Flag” or “Segundo,” which in Massachusetts is allegedly held by Ery Jordani Rosario, a/k/a “Racacha.”
Additionally, each individual Chapter allegedly has a “Cabinet” of leaders who are responsible for recruiting new members, providing discipline to members in violation of Trinitarios directives and collecting money into a communal account used to support illegal operations as well as incarcerated Trinitarios members and their families.
It is alleged that the Trinitarios employ a written “Magna Carta” that defines the structure and rules of the organization, as well as slogans, symbols, colors and practices. This includes a green logo that consists of two crossed machetes and embellishments of “The Green Nation” and “Trinitarios Hasta La Muerte,” which translated from Spanish means, “Trinitarios Until Death.” It is alleged that the Massachusetts Trinitarios have particularly embraced this logo and have created custom t-shirts bearing this logo and each member’s gang name printed in green.
The Massachusetts Trinitarios allegedly recruit new members among communities of legal immigrants and illegal aliens from the Dominican Republic – specifically juveniles in local high schools in Lawrence and Lynn. To curry favor with these new recruits, the Trinitarios allegedly appeal to their shared Spanish language and culture, Dominican patriotism and use the appearance of prosperity and brotherhood.
It is further alleged that members are generally initiated into the gang after a period of observation or probation and are often inducted following the completion of a “mission” – which is generally a substantial act of violence such as shootings, beatings, or fist fights with rival gang
members that were the same age or stature. According to the court documents, upon induction, new members are formally “blessed” into the organization during a formal ceremony, are administered oaths by the State Supreme and are awarded with ceremonial beaded necklaces. Younger members are allegedly tasked with lesser roles during many violent “missions,” including standing lookout during a shooting, holding or concealing weapons on behalf of full members and transporting weapons after their use in shootings.
According to the charging documents, the Trinitarios endeavor to project power over the internet and social media through. Specifically, the Trinitarios allegedly produce music and music videos featuring members in Trinitarios colors and clothing holding weapons, cash and other items, as well as lyrics that boast about violence, drugs and other criminal endeavors as warnings and threats to other rival gangs.
“As the court papers make clear, for well over a decade, Trinitarios gang members have engaged in brazen acts of murder, assault, and drug distribution — instilling fear in the communities of Lynn and Lawrence in particular. Today’s law enforcement operation has struck a significant blow against the leadership of the Trinitarios operating in Massachusetts — virtually dismantling an organization responsible for years of bloodshed, drug trafficking, and lawlessness,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This enforcement action ends the Trinitarios reign of terror in Massachusetts. Today, our communities are safer with the removal of these alleged violent offenders from our streets, and where appropriate, from our country. This operation is a testament to the tireless collaboration among the dedicated members of our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Such shameless and senseless acts of violence have no place anywhere; especially not in any city in Massachusetts. If you threaten the safety of our residents, we will find you, we will hold you accountable, and we will ensure that justice is served.”
“Today the message should be loud and clear: transnational criminal organizations and foreign-born malign actors committing violent acts in our communities will never have refuge in the United States. We are working every day with our state, local, and federal partners to tackle transnational crime from all angles with all of the resources available to us to make our streets safer,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
“This operation is another example of how the FBI and our law enforcement partners work together to dismantle large-scale, violent transnational criminal organizations that cause chaos and death in our communities. We believe those arrested today – leaders, members, and close associates of the Trinitarios - have allegedly shown a reckless indifference to human life in order to control their turf, push their poison, and make money. There is no question our streets are safer because of this takedown,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force will continue to work on the public’s behalf to lock up these dangerous offenders who shatter folks’ sense of security and quality of life.”
“Gang violence, as well as illegal gun and drug trafficking, have no place in the Commonwealth,” said Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoff Noble. “Operations like this show the Massachusetts State Police is committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to find those responsible for these crimes, arrest them, and pursue justice. Getting these criminals off the street makes Massachusetts a safer place to live.”
“This investigation and the results represent the best of law enforcement partnerships. The residents of Essex County are safer today with the dismantling of this violent criminal enterprise,” said Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker.
“Today's operation marks the culmination of an extensive investigation, demonstrating the strength of our collaborative efforts to combat gangs and violent criminal activity. These significant arrests will undoubtedly prevent further harm to our community. I want to express my deepest gratitude to our officers and our State and Federal law enforcement partners, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the United States Attorney for Massachusetts for their relentless pursuit of justice and for their commitment to making our city safer,” said Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy.
“I commend the successful collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations,” says Manchester (N.H.) Police Chief Peter Marr. “By arresting multiple gang members involved in violent criminal activities throughout the region, we are reinforcing the commitment to making our community safer.”
The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act conspiracy) provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Foley, HSI SAC Krol, FBI SAC Cohen, MSP Colonel Noble, Essex DA Tucker, Chief Reddy and Chief Marr made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and the Andover, Boston, Lawrence, Peabody and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
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APPENDIX
DEFENDANTS – U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
First NameLast NameStreet Name(s)AgeRoleChargeJustinAlbaTuto; Mimi25Discipline (“Disciplina”) - Lynn ChapterRICO Conspiracy with MurderDarwinBatistaEl Py21Member - Lynn ChapterRICO Conspiracy with MurderJanoyBatistaEl Viejo34Member - Lynn ChapterRICO ConspiracyAaronDiaz LiranzoSosa26Leader #1 - Lynn ChapterRICO ConspiracyLuisEnrique SantanaChiquito; Young LS30Member - Lynn ChapterRICO ConspiracyDavidGarciaBambino23Member - Lynn ChapterRICO Conspiracy with MurderIsraelGarcia VasquezMenol; Menor23Member - Lynn ChapterRICO ConspiracyLuisJeffrey SantanaSopita27Primera Number One - Manchester ChapterRICO ConspiracyJamesJimenez 25Member - Lynn ChapterRICO Conspiracy with MurderEryJordani RosarioJordani; Racacha32Second-in-Command (“Flag;” “Seundo”)RICO ConspiracyWestynLantiguaWes; Muddy; Wes Trippy24Member - Lynn ChapterRICO ConspiracyMichaelMilianoTrucho22Member - Lynn ChapterRICO Conspiracy with MurderEnmanuelPaula-CabralNelfew; Gordo; Manny; Few33State Supreme LeaderRICO Conspiracy with MurderCarlos JavierRamirez CornielleKreepy16Menore (juvenile)RICO with MurderKelvin LiranzoRomanWoopty25Member - Lynn ChapterRICO Conspiracy with MurderWarlyRuiz 30Member - Lynn ChapterRICO Conspiracy with MurderTomySanchez TejedaManito Bello35Leader #3 - Lynn ChapterRICO Conspiracy with MurderAngelSantosBiggie; Big Boy25Security Officer (“Securidad”)RICO Conspiracy with MurderAbelSeverino ReyesRiko; Indio21Member - Lynn ChapterRICO Conspiracy with MurderElvisTrujilloHonduras27Member - Lawrence ChapterRICO Conspiracy with MurderYefersonVallecillo CambarIlluminati23Member - Lynn ChapterRICO Conspiracy with MurderWilvingLopezBolu24Member - Lynn ChapterRICO ConspiracyDEFENDANTS – ESSEX COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
First NameLast NameStreet Name(s)AgeRoleChargeLeonardoEspinozaPinina15Menore (juvenile)MurderRobertSeverinoPetete25Member - Lawrence ChapterMurderDEFENDANTS – U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE (PREVIOUSLY UNSEALED CHARGES)
First NameLast NameStreet Name(s)AgeRoleChargeEricRosarioManiactico; MT26Member - Lawrence ChapterHobbs Act RobberyRobertSantanaPiccarine29Member - Lawrence ChapterHobbs Act RobberyRosnelPolancoJai26Member - Lawrence ChapterHobbs Act RobberyRicardoBratini-PerezRico from the Sin26Member - Lynn ChapterDrug OffensesMissouri Couple Arrested for Abducting and Sexually Abusing a 13-Year-Old that They Groomed OnlineRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A married couple from Springfield, Missouri, was arrested recently and charged with transporting a minor in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Justin Johiah Curtright, 40, and Christin Marie Curtright, 32, groomed the 13-year-old victim over the internet, traveled from Missouri to pick her up from her home in Virginia, then repeatedly sexually assaulted her in their van and at their Springfield, Missouri apartment until she was rescued by police.
According to the federal criminal complaint filed last week, in May 2024 the victim met Justin Curtright on Discord, an online group chat platform, where the two talked for hours. The victim initially used an alias and claimed she was 18 years old. Justin Curtright soon began talking in sexual overtones and eventually sent the victim a sexually explicit video of himself.
The next morning, Justin added the victim to a private Discord channel that included him and his wife, Christin Curtright. From that point, the three talked extensively, both online and by phone. The victim eventually admitted she was only 13 years old.
The Curtrights also engaged in sexually explicit acts on-camera while video chatting with the victim. Justin would frequently pretend to be the victim’s father.
At some point near the end of June, the Curtrights devised a plan to drive to southern Virginia to abduct the victim and take her to their Springfield apartment. On the morning of July 24, 2024, as planned, the Curtrights met the victim near her home in Virginia. The victim got in the Curtrights’ vehicle, and they transported her back to Missouri.
During the trip back to Missouri, the Curtrights each took turns sexually assaulting the victim while the other drove. Once they reached their apartment, they continued their sexual abuse and exploitation of the victim for several more days.
On July 27, 2024, officers with the Springfield Police Department went to the Curtrights’ apartment, where they found the victim hiding in the back of a closet in the Curtrights’ bedroom. The victim had a debit card and false ID that Justin Curtright gave her, which represented her as Justin’s 15-year-old daughter.
Springfield officers seized the Curtrights’ phones, which held recordings of the Curtrights’ video chats grooming and sexually exploiting the victim, as well as images of the victim being abused during the drive to Missouri.
If convicted, the Curtrights face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum punishment of life in prison.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, made the announcement today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Springfield Police Department, and various local law enforcement agencies investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman is prosecuting the case for 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.
Mexican National Who Supervised a Drug Trafficking Organization Operating in Oroville, Washington, Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that on February 19, 2025, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Erubey Arciga Medrano, age 35, of Michoacan, Mexico, to 180 months in federal prison on drug trafficking charges. Judge Rice also imposed 5 years of supervised release. When he imposed the sentence, Judge Rice noted the large amount of drugs and firearms involved in this case.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, in January 2023, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) identified Medrano as the leader of a drug trafficking organization flooding portions of the Eastern District of Washington, including the Oroville area and the Colville Indian Reservation, with methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Between January 2023 and March 2023, BIA, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Washington State law enforcement and Colville Tribal law enforcement conducted a series of controlled drug buys from Medrano and others selling drugs on his behalf.
On April 19, 2023, BIA, DEA, the North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force, and other Federal, State, Local, and Tribal law enforcement, executed a series of federal search warrants at a number of homes in rural Okanogan County, near Oroville, Washington. In total, investigators seized approximately 161,000 fentanyl-laced pills (to include Mexi-blues and rainbow-colored pills), approximately 80 pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 6 pounds of heroin, and more than 2 pounds of cocaine. The BIA, DEA, and their partners also seized approximately 12 firearms.
“The volume of drugs and firearms seized during this operation is staggering. I am so grateful for the incredible law enforcement team, which came together to conduct this operation and remove these drugs from Eastern Washington communities,” stated Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker. “Because of the joint efforts of federal state, local, and Tribal law enforcement – which were led in this case by the BIA’s Division of Drug Enforcement – Eastern Washington is safer today. Many of these drugs were destined for Native American communities, including in Eastern Washington and Montana. I am confident that lives were saved as a result of the incredible work that was done in this case.”
“The impact of this individual and his drug trafficking organization on numerous tribal members, their communities, and surrounding areas - between the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington to the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana - cannot be quantified. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) expresses its gratitude for the robust partnerships with various law enforcement agencies that contributed to the successful conclusion of this investigation,” Deputy Associate Director of the BIA Division of Drug Enforcement, Tom Atkinson, stated. “This achievement exemplifies the BIA's unwavering commitment to dismantling organizations that exploit Indian Country and to safeguarding all residents of our native lands.”
“Drug traffickers like Mr. Medrano profit from the pain they cause selling poison to our neighbors,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Division. “We at the Drug Enforcement Administration, and our partners, work tirelessly to protect our community and this case highlights the lengths we will go to ensure people trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine are held accountable for the suffering they cause.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force. The investigation team was assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Okanogan County Sheriff, Colville Tribal Police Department, and the Kalispel Tribal Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker and Assistant United States Attorney Nowles H. Heinrich.
2:23-cr-00047-TOR
Mexican Man Charged with Illegal Re-Entry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that CESAR RUIZ-AGUILAR (“RUIZ-AGUILAR”), age 38, was charged on February 13, 2025 with illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the charging document, RUIZ-AGUILAR was found in the United States on February 1, 2024, having reentered the United States without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States, after being previously deported on March 13, 2010 and May 17, 2017.
He faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two (2) years, followed by up to one (1) year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Memphis Man Sentenced to 270 Months for Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that MACEO ROBERTS (“ROBERTS”), age 25, from Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced on February 12, 2025 before United States District Judge Susie Morgan for conspiring to commit sex trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1594(c).
According to court documents, in about Summer 2020, ROBERTS told his co-conspirators, Dominique Peeples and Jeremy Talbert, that he was making a lot of money acting as a pimp, and offered to teach them how to be pimps, as well. After Peeples and Talbert agreed, ROBERTS “gave” Minor Victim 2, a minor female born in 2003 who had previously performed commercial sex acts under ROBERTS’s direction, to Peeples. Thereafter, Minor Victim 2 introduced Talbert to Minor Victim 3, a minor female born in 2003, who began performing commercial sex acts under Talbert’s direction.
During Summer 2020, ROBERTS, Peeples, and Talbert travelled throughout the southern United States, including the New Orleans area, with multiple females, including Minor Victim 2, Minor Victim 3, and Adult Victim 1, for the purpose of having the females engage in commercial sex acts. ROBERTS taught Peeples and Talbert techniques to oversee and advertise a prostitution operation, including the amount to charge. ROBERTS also reminded them to keep all of the proceeds. During this time period, including while in New Orleans, Adult Victim 1 engaged in commercial sex acts at the direction and supervision of ROBERTS, while Minor Victim 2 worked for Peeples and Minor Victim 3 worked for Talbert.
In about October 2020, ROBERTS assumed control over Minor Victim 3, and required her, not only, to work approximately fifteen hours per day performing commercial sex acts, but also to give him all the money she earned. ROBERTS beat Adult Victim 1 in front of Minor Victim 3 to show Minor Victim 3 the consequences for not following his instructions. ROBERTS also provided drugs and alcohol to the victims to control their behavior.
In about October 2020, Talbert recruited Minor Victim 1, a fourteen-year-old female, to engage in commercial sex acts under his direction. In about late October 2020, ROBERTS, Peeples, Talbert, Adult Victim 1, Minor Victim 1, and Minor Victim 2 travelled to New Orleans, where they stayed for several months. During this time, ROBERTS, Peeples, and Talbert supervised the commercial sex work of Adult Victim 1, Minor Victim 2, and Minor Victim 1, respectively. ROBERTS imposed rules and quotas that Adult Victim 1 had to follow and, when she did not meet those quotas or expressed reluctance, ROBERTS threatened to beat and shoot her.
In January 2021, ROBERTS beat Adult Victim 1 so badly that she required hospitalization in a New Orleans area facility. After Adult Victim 1’s hospital discharge, ROBERTS and Peeples told Adult Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 that they would bring them home to Memphis. Instead, ROBERTS and Peeples drove them to Houston and forced them to engage in commercial sex acts until they finally escaped. ROBERTS and Peeples then returned to Memphis to look for Adult Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 to punish them for escaping. ROBERTS located Adult Victim 1, hiding in a hotel bathtub, and choked her. He also threatened Minor Victim 2.
Additionally, in about late January 2021, ROBERTS met and began recruiting Adult Victim 2 to perform commercial sex acts under his direction. Adult Victim 2 did so until about April 2022. During that time, ROBERTS repeatedly beat, threatened, and victimized Adult Victim 2, including in November 2021 at a New Orleans area hotel. In about April 2022, shortly before his arrest, ROBERTS punched Adult Victim 2 so hard that he shattered her front teeth.
U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced ROBERTS to 270 months’ imprisonment. Judge Morgan ordered that this sentence be run consecutively to any sentence imposed on a pending case for attempted murder and robbery in Marion County Superior Court in Indianapolis, Indiana. Judge Morgan imposed a fifteen year term of supervised release following imprisonment. ROBERTS was ordered to pay $666,000 in restitution to the victims. ROBERTS must also participate in the sex offender registration and notification program. In addition, Judge Morgan imposed a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Peeples and Talbert previously pleaded guilty to sex trafficking offenses. Peeples’s sentencing is set for April 9, 2025, before Judge Sarah S. Vance, and Talbert’s sentencing is set for March 12, 2025, before Judge Lance M. Africk.
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.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit and Jordan Ginsberg, Supervisor of the Public Integrity Unit.
McKees Rocks Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on February 18, 2025, to a charge of child exploitation, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Brandon Jennings, 38, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti to one count of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, in and around March 2021 and July 2021, Jennings possessed 926 images and 803 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, some of whom were prepubescent.
Judge Flowers Conti scheduled sentencing for June 25, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Jennings.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
McAllen man sentenced to over 33 years for sexually abusing minorsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 29-year-old local resident has been sentenced for enticement of a minor and production of child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Christian Hanks pleaded guilty Oct. 15, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now sentenced Hanks to 400 and 360 months for enticement and production of child pornography convictions, respectively. The court ordered the sentences will run concurrently. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the repeat nature of the offenses and the degree of manipulation involved in them. Judge Alvarez also indicated Hanks’ behavior was consistent with that of a sexual predator. He was further ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison terms. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Hanks will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“As the court found, the defendant’s behavior in this case was particularly abhorrent, and deserving of a significant sentence” said Ganjei. “Children deserve to grow up in a safe community, free from the predations of individuals like Hanks. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that similar predators are uncovered and prosecuted.”
“The conviction and sentencing of this individual today highlights our steadfast dedication to safeguarding our children,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mark Lippa. “With the sentence of production of child pornography, ICE-HSI sends a strong message that such reprehensible behavior will not be tolerated. We must remain united in our efforts to protect the safety and well-being of every child.”
Hanks recorded himself sexually abusing a minor victim in December 2023. The investigation revealed years of communication between himself and the minor regarding further sexual abuse, and requests to abuse the minor and other minor children.
The investigation also revealed Hanks had engaged in grooming behavior with another minor victim in the Western District of Louisiana to entice her to engage in sexual conduct with him. The investigation revealed he also engaged in sexual intercourse with the second minor victim.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations in Texas and Louisiana conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cahal P. McColgan and Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Lowell Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine PillsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty on Feb. 14, 2025 to trafficking methamphetamine pills supplied by three fellow Asian Boyz gang associates.
Bill Phim, a/k/a “Bonez,” 36, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine, and two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for May 14, 2025.
A long-term investigation proved that Asian Boyz gang members and associates had access to a plentiful supply of homemade methamphetamine pills marketed as the pharmaceutical product, Adderall. These pills were similar in shape, size, and appearance to genuine Adderall. On 12 different dates in 2022, Phim sold these counterfeit “Adderall” pills to an undercover agent. In total, Phim sold the undercover agent over 10,000 pills for more than $36,000.
Phim’s supplier for the first five pill deals with the undercover agent was Asian Boyz gang member, Erickson Dao. Between February and May 2022, Dao gave Phim the pills from his home in Lowell shortly before Phim was planning to meet the undercover agent for the sales. After the deals, Phim either returned to Dao’s house to split the cash paid by the undercover agent, or he used an electronic payments service to send Dao his share of the drug proceeds.
For the next five deals, Phim conspired with Asian Boyz gang associate, Brian Gingras, to source the pills. Between May 2022 and September 2022, Gingras met Phim prior to the planned deals with the undercover agent to deliver the pills personally. The investigation revealed that Gingras was stashing the pills in a nearby storage unit.
For the final two pill sales with the undercover agent, alleged Asian Boyz gang member Marcus Holder allegedly delivered pills to Phim in Lowell immediately before Phim met the undercover agent, on Sept. 30, 2022, and again on Oct. 18, 2022.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine. The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million.
In January 2025, both Gingras and Dao pleaded guilty. Gingras is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2025. Dao is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2025. Holder has pleaded not guilty and his case is pending trial.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division and Superintendent Gregory C. Hudon of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce 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 is also 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.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant in the case is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Leader of Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Concord to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine in New Hampshire, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Juan Ramon Soto Baez, 55, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely, cocaine and fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2025. On April 26, 2023, the defendant was charged along with 20 other defendants. To date, 10 defendants involved in the conspiracy have been convicted.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant was the leader of a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in New Hampshire, particularly Manchester, between September of 2019 and April of 2023. The organization was run like a business, operating “dispatch” telephone lines where customers could call in to order narcotics. The defendant or a trusted member of the conspiracy working for him would take customer orders on the phone, and then he would either deliver the order himself or send a runner to conduct the drug sale at an arranged meeting location.
During the timeframe of the conspiracy, law enforcement agents observed and recorded the defendant and his co-conspirators selling fentanyl and cocaine on nineteen occasions. On the day of the defendant’s arrest, a search of a residence associated with the conspiracy yielded $15,000 and drug ledgers. A search of a vehicle used by the drug trafficking organization yielded roughly 94 grams of fentanyl and 196 grams of cocaine packaged in small baggies for distribution.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Lake Station Man Sentenced to 360 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Matthew A. Bugielski, 26 years old, of Lake Station, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Children, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Bugielski was sentenced to 360 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to the victim of the offense.
According to documents in the case, on or about June 19, 2023, Bugielski produced a sexually explicit image of a minor by employing, using, and inducing the minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. Further, Bugielski distributed that sexually explicit image to others over the internet. On occasions separate from June 19, 2023, Bugielski distributed other images and videos of child sexual abuse materials over the internet to others.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Indiana State Police, the Indiana State Police Digital Forensics Unit, the Roanoke Police Department, the Huntington County Sheriff’s Office, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Lake Station Police Department, and the New Chicago Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Jury Convicts Winnebago Woman for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that on February 7, 2025, a jury found Michelle Lee Marr, 49, of Winnebago, Nebraska, guilty of second-degree murder and tampering with documents or evidence after an almost five-day federal trial in Omaha, Nebraska. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher presided over the trial. Marr faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the second-degree murder charge and a maximum 20 years in prison for the tampering with documents or evidence charge.
On March 12, 2022, Marr contacted Winnebago EMS to report the victim was not waking up and requested an ambulance respond to her residence. EMS transported the victim to Twelve Clans Unity hospital. Due to the severity of his injuries, the victim was taken by helicopter to Mercy One Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The medical treatment team at Mercy determined the victim had brain trauma and swelling. Nurses also noted significant amounts of makeup applied to the victim’s face, which revealed bruising when removed, as well as numerous bruises on the victim’s body. On March 13, 2022, the victim succumbed to his injuries. A subsequent autopsy determined the victim’s cause of death to be blunt force trauma and the manner of death to be homicide. The pathologist testified the victim’s injuries were consistent with inflicted trauma as opposed to trauma which might result from some type of fall.
Marr claimed to have been passed out from approximately 5:00 PM on March 11, 2022, until finding the victim on March 12, 2022. Social media evidence and evidence from Marr’s phone, found during the investigation, contradicted Marr’s claims. During the trial, witnesses testified to observing previous incidents of Marr physically assaulting the victim.
Marr will be sentenced on June 5, 2025, at 10:00 AM, before Judge Buescher in Omaha.
This case was prosecuted in federal court because the offense was a felony and occurred on the Winnebago Indian Reservation in Nebraska.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Jury Convicts Valrico Man of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that a federal jury has found Tryon Metteria Byrd IV (45, Valrico) guilty of conspiring to distribute, and distributing, methamphetamine and cocaine. Byrd faces a minimum penalty 5 five years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 14, 2025.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Byrd and his co-conspirators distributed methamphetamine and cocaine out of three residences in St. Petersburg. Byrd sold directly to undercover detectives from the St. Petersburg Police Department from a residence owned by his family.
Byrd’s co-conspirators, Eric L. Lemon, Eric Lekent Lemon Jr., and Dominic Giannantonio pleaded guilty and have been sentenced for their roles in the drug conspiracy. Lemon was sentenced to 21 years and 6 months in federal prison, Lemon Jr. was sentenced to 4 years and 3 months’ imprisonment, and Giannantonio was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in prison.
This case was investigated by the St. Petersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.
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.
Jamaican Citizen Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the United States After His 2016 DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., announced that Marlon Hodges, aka “Michael Stewart,” 50, a citizen of Jamaica, entered a plea of guilty yesterday before United States District Court Judge Anita B. Brody to one count of illegal reentry after deportation.
In February of last year, federal authorities became aware that Hodges was present in the United States after having been deported in 2016.
On March 6, 2024, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Border Enforcement Security Task Force conducted an enforcement operation to locate the defendant. At approximately 10:30 a.m., Hodges was seen leaving a residence on the 5500 block of Walton Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and walking to a corner store on South 56th Street.
When investigators entered the store and approached the defendant, he stated that his name was Marlon Hodges and that he did not have identification. Hodges was immediately arrested and searched, and found in possession of a fraudulent Pennsylvania driver’s license bearing his photograph and the name Michael Stewart. A fingerprint check subsequently confirmed Hodges’ identity.
Investigators checked the defendant’s criminal and immigration histories and determined that, in February 2005, Hodges was convicted of first-degree assault in Orange County, New York, and sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment. That March, U.S. immigration officers issued Hodges a Notice to Appear in Immigration Court for being an alien convicted of an aggravated felony, that is, a conviction for a crime of violence for which the sentence imposed was one year or longer.
In January 2006, an immigration judge in Fishkill, New York, ordered Hodges removed from the United States to Jamaica. Upon his release from prison, Hodges was removed from the United States to Jamaica via ICE Air Operations on April 28, 2016. He illegally reentered the United States at an unknown place on an unknown date.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27.
The case was investigated by the HSI Border Enforcement Security Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney S. Chandler Harris.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An illegal alien has been sentenced for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Joel Armando Martin-Martin, 24, of Guatemala, to 24 months in prison. In November 2024, Martin-Martin pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on August 5, 2024, a Homewood Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on Martin-Martin. The officer smelled marijuana and asked Martin-Martin to exit the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded DTI AR-style rifle, 11 magazines fitted for the rifle, ammunition, a loaded Springfield 9mm magazine, and 3 spent shell casings.
HSI investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Camp prosecuted the case.
Houma, La Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that CURTIS WILLIAMSON JR. (“WILLIAMSON JR.”), age 41, of Houma, LA, pled guilty on February 13, 2025 before Chief U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A). Judge Brown scheduled sentencing for May 22, 2025.
According to the indictment, after receiving a complaint of WILLIAMSON JR. trafficking narcotics, a search warrant was executed on his residence where multiple kilograms of methamphetamine were discovered in large bags in his bedroom closet.
Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Honolulu Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Child Exploitation of Multiple MinorsRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that Jonathan Farr, 31, of Honolulu, was sentenced today in federal court by U.S. District Judge Shanlyn A.S. Park to 151 months of imprisonment followed by 30 years of supervised release for receipt of child pornography. Farr will also be required to pay $3,000 in restitution to two minor victims and register as a sex offender when he is released. Farr previously pled guilty on February 14, 2024.
In his plea agreement, Farr admitted that from approximately June 2019 through May 2020, he used the internet to contact two minor females and engaged in sexually explicit conversations with them. Farr also solicited and received images and videos of the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including masturbation videos.
In Court at sentencing, the government explained that Farr not only groomed the minors over time and solicited sexually explicit images and videos, `but also distributed those videos to others, including to other minors. Farr also discussed purchasing flights for the minors to travel to Hawaii or for him travel to the mainland where they were located. According to information provided to the Court, Farr’s predatory conduct included additional victims beyond the two minors who were victimized as part of the federal charges. Farr admitted to law enforcement and told other minor victims that he had hands-on sexual contact with at least three minor females and another minor, all located in Hawaii.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca A. Perlmutter prosecuted the case.
Honduran National with Sex Assault Conviction Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE PAVON-FERMIN, 40, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 20 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, Pavon-Fermin was convicted in state court of sexual assault in the third degree and unlawful restraint in the first degree. For these offenses, he was sentenced to 10 years in jail, suspended after serving four and one-half years, and 10 years of probation. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life. In June 2021, after serving his state sentence, Pavon-Fermin was deported and removed from the U.S.
Pavon-Fermin reentered the U.S. and, on January 31, 2023, was arrested in Norwalk and charged with breach of peace, criminal trespass, and interfering with an officer. He was released on bond, but his rearrest was ordered in April 2023 when he failed to appear in state court. He never registered as a sex offender.
On October 4, 2023, Pavon-Fermin was charged by indictment with illegal reentry and failure to register as a sex offender. He was arrested on March 7, 2024, in Rustburg, Virginia, and has been detained since his arrest. On November 14, 2024, he pleaded guilty to illegal reentry.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj N. Patel and Alexis L. Beyerlein.
High Ranking Raleigh Crip Gang Member Sentenced to over Five YearsRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 71 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after trafficking firearms. On November 3, 2023, Dwight Daniel Hinton, age 34, pled guilty to the offense.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Hinton was trafficking firearms in New York through another Crip gang member. Hinton would use a straw purchaser to purchase firearms from local licensed dealers and then sell them illegally. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives utilized a confidential informant to purchase three firearms from Hinton. One of those firearms was an AR-15 rifle, with a high-capacity magazine, a brass catcher, and could be converted into a machinegun.
While in custody, Hinton was recorded discussing a $20,000 murder for hire scheme he was offered by another gang member. After Hinton pled guilty, and while awaiting sentencing, Hinton assaulted an inmate in the Pamlico Correctional Institute and then assaulted another inmate in the Pitt County Detention Center. Hinton was found to be in possession of a homemade “shank” weapon while in custody, awaiting sentencing.
Hinton has eight prior felony convictions including multiple counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, breaking and/or entering, robbery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and common law robbery.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Sandling and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aria Q. Merle prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00202-FL.
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Hartford Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking, Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS DeJESUS, 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, DeJesus’s criminal history includes felony convictions in state court for criminal possession of a firearm and burglary in the third degree.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, members of the Connecticut State Police’s Statewide Narcotics Task Force – North Central Office conducted a series of controlled purchases of narcotics from DeJesus. DeJesus was arrested on state charges on December 16, 2022, and, on that date, a court-authorized search of his Hartford residence revealed approximately 460 grams of fentanyl, approximately 90 grams of crack cocaine, nearly a kilogram of marijuana, drug processing and packaging materials, a loaded Glock 45 9mm handgun, a loaded 9mm magazine, and $52,579 in cash.
The case was adopted for federal prosecution and, on March 7, 2023, a grand jury returned an indictment charging DeJesus with one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
After his federal arrest, DeJesus was released on a $100,000 bond and into home confinement at residence of a family member on Warren Street in Hartford. On November 20, 2023, DeJesus was again arrested after law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence. As investigators entered the residence, DeJesus threw fentanyl out of a window. A search of the residence revealed an additional quantity of fentanyl, a small quantity of cocaine, and drug processing and packaging materials. In total, DeJesus possessed more than 490 grams of fentanyl on that date.
On February 20, 2024, the grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging DeJesus with an additional count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
DeJesus has been detained since November 20, 2023. On October 17, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Resident Office and the Connecticut State Police’s Statewide Narcotics Task Force – North Central Office, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham.
Guatemalan National and Malden Man Arrested for Distributing CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two men have been arrested for allegedly conspiring to distribute cocaine.
Erick Sandoval-Perez, 43, a Guatemalan national living in Malden, was charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Christhian Castillo, 32, also of Malden, was charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine and conspiracy to commit that offense. Sandoval-Perez and Castillo had initial appearances and a detention hearing in federal court in Worcester, and were ordered held pending further proceedings.Sandoval-Perez and Castillo allegedly worked together to sell cocaine on several occasions to an undercover law enforcement officer. On Feb. 12, 2025, Sandoval-Perez allegedly arranged to sell a kilogram of cocaine to an undercover. Castillo was arrested when he allegedly handed the kilogram of cocaine to the undercover, and Sandoval-Perez was arrested nearby.
According to court records, Sandoval-Perez, is a Guatemalan national who was previously deported from the United States and allegedly re-entered illegally.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The charges of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine, and conspiracy to commit that offense, carry a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, supervised release of at least four years and a fine of up to $5,000,000. Sandoval-Perez is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of an imposed sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Chief Ryan Malatos of the Leominster Police Department; and Chief Brian W. Coyne of the Clinton Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Malden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to 14 Months Imprisonment for Illegally Reentering the United States a Year After DeportationRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Enrique Diaz-Perez, age 38, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced to serve 14 months federal prison yesterday for illegally reentering the United States after previously being convicted of illegal reentry in 2024. Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Thomas P. Brophy, Field Office Director, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, (ICE-ERO) Buffalo, NY made the announcement.
As a part of his earlier plea, Diaz-Perez admitted that he was removed from the United States in 2009 following his conviction in Massachusetts for assault with a dangerous weapon. Diaz-Perez was again removed from the United States in February 2024, following his conviction in federal court in Syracuse for illegal reentry. On August 27, 2024, Diaz-Perez was located in Syracuse and arrested. At the time, Diaz-Perez was working in Little Falls, New York. Diaz-Perez will be subject to deportation again at the conclusion of his prison sentence.
In addition to the 14-month federal prison sentence, Diaz-Perez was also sentenced to a consecutive 4-month term of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release from his prior illegal reentry offense.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security-ICE-ERO investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck prosecuted the case.
Fredericksburg drug trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prison for distribution of fake oxycodone pills containing fentanylRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fredericksburg man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to receive and distribute thousands of fentanyl pills.
According to court documents, Khalil Elijah Williams, 25, obtained counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl from out-of-state suppliers and redistributed them in Virginia. The pills were imprinted “M30” to appear as legitimate oxycodone, but instead contained fentanyl. Williams then distributed those pills to his co-conspirators, including Alhagi Gassim Conteh, 30, of Alexandria, and others.
Williams obtained the fentanyl from co-conspirators who shipped packages containing thousands of counterfeit pills from Arizona and other states. For example, in August 2024, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) in Phoenix seized a parcel destined to Williams at an apartment in Woodbridge. USPIS inspectors in Arizona obtained and executed a search warrant and seized approximately a kilogram of counterfeit pills from the parcel. USPIS seized another shipment of counterfeit pills shipped from Phoenix that month that contained approximately 1,077.28 grams (gross weight) of fentanyl, or approximately 10,000 counterfeit pills. This shipment was also destined for Williams.
Between March and August 2024, Williams sold counterfeit pills totaling approximately 910.51 net grams to Conteh and others in transactions arranged by law enforcement. For example, on July 1, 2024, Williams sold 2,500 fentanyl pills at a location in Fredericksburg.
Conteh was arrested On April 12, 2024, and pled guilty on July 16, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. On Oct. 22, 2024, Conteh was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
On Aug. 14, 2024, law enforcement conducted enforcement operations that resulted in the arrest of Williams and the recovery of two handguns and miscellaneous ammunition from his residence.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin S. Starr and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher M. Carter prosecuted the case.
Assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-236.
Fourteen Members and Associates of Violent Transnational Motorcycle Gang Indicted on RICO and Murder ChargesRead the Press Release
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An indictment was unsealed today in the Southern District of Texas charging 14 members and associates of the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang for their alleged roles in a criminal enterprise engaged in murder, robbery, arson, narcotics distribution, and witness intimidation in and around Houston.The indictment accuses the defendants of various crimes, including engaging in a conspiracy to commit racketeering (RICO) activity and committing violent crimes in furtherance of the gang such as murder, attempted murder, and assault. The indictment alleges that the Bandidos are a self-identified “outlaw” motorcycle organization with a membership of approximately 1,500 to 2,000 in the United States and an additional 1,000 to 1,500 members internationally, including in Mexico.
“Today’s indictment is an important step in eliminating the Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Bandidos declare war on rivals — and they wage that war on our streets. Criminal behavior like this has no place in America, and the Department of Justice is fully committed to bringing peace back to our communities.”
“Ensuring the safety of the public is Southern District of Texas’ paramount concern,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “The indictment here not only alleges shocking crimes of violence, but also alleges that these offenses were committed openly and wantonly, where any innocent member of the public could have been hurt or killed.”
According to court documents and statements in court, beginning in 2019, a violent turf war erupted between the Bandidos and B*EAST, a rival outlaw motorcycle gang in the Houston area. As part of this turf war, Bandidos national leadership allegedly put out a “smash on site” order to commit physical assaults, including murder, against B*EAST members. The turf war has resulted in gunfire exchanged on public roadways and in public establishments with innocent civilians present, according to the charges.
John M. Pfeffer, also known as Big John, 32, Darvi Hinojosa, also known as 10 Round, 35, and Bradley Rickenbacker, also known as Dolla Bill, 37, all of Katy, Texas; Michael H. Dunphy, also known as Money Mike, 57, of Cleveland, Texas; Christopher Sanchez, also known as Monster, 40, of Tomball, Texas; and Brandon K. Hantz, also known as Loco and Gun Drop, 33, of Crosby, Texas, are charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering activity. Pfeffer, Dunphy, Hinojosa, Rickenbacker, and Sanchez are further charged with multiple counts of assault in aid of racketeering. Pfeffer, Hinojosa, Rickenbacker, and Sanchez are also charged with using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, while Sanchez faces charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hantz is also charged with arson.
If convicted, Pfeffer, Hinojosa, Rickenbacker, and Sanchez each face a maximum penalty of life in prison, while Dunphy and Hantz each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of their counts.
The indictment also charges David Vargas, also known as Brake Check and First Time, 33, of Houston, with murder in aid of racketeering; using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence resulting in death; attempted murder in aid of racketeering; and using a firearm during and in relation to the attempted murders. All those charges relate to the killing of a rival and the shooting of two others. If convicted, Vargas faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison or the death penalty.
Further, Marky Baker, also known as Pinche Guero and Guero, 40; Ronnie McCabe, also known as Meathead, 56; and Jeremy Cox, also known as JD, 37, all of Houston; Roy Gomez, also known as Repo, 50, of Richmond, Texas; and Marcel Lett, 56, of Pearland, Texas, are charged along with Pfeffer and Rickenbacker with assault in aid of racketeering and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. These charges are in relation to an alleged assault and robbery that resulted in the death of a rival. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Hinojosa is also charged along with John Sblendorio, also known as Tech9, 54, of Houston, with conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, assault in aid of racketeering, and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in connection with the shooting of a rival gang member. Hinojosa is also charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and three counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. If convicted, Sblendorio and Hinojosa each face a maximum penalty of life in prison.
In addition, Sean G. Christison, also known as Skinman, 30, of Katy, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
For all defendants, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, Texas Board of Criminal Justice — Office of Inspector General, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office; Houston and Pasadena Police Departments; Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission; LaMarque and Katy Police Departments; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District Police Department.
Trial Attorneys Grace H. Bowen and Christopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron H. Black and Kelly Zenón-Matos for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Justice Department’s OCDETF webpage.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Justice Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about PSN, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fort Myers Woman Sentenced for $300,000 Va Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Laurie Ann Roszelle (65, Fort Myers) to one year and one day in federal prison for wire fraud. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $338,364.66, the proceeds of the fraud. Roszelle pleaded guilty on December 5, 2024.
According to court documents, in 2005, following her mother’s death, Roszelle began appropriating Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) survivor’s benefit payments to which her mother had been entitled. Roszelle forged her mother’s signature on multiple documents and sent them to the VA to ensure the continued flow of payments. When the VA discovered the mother’s death and shut off benefits in 2024, Roszelle called the VA claiming that her mother was still alive and asking that benefits be restarted. In another call, Roszelle impersonated her mother’s voice. When agents from the VA Office of Inspector General visited Roszelle’s residence, Roszelle claimed that her mother was living with her and made a series of fabricated statements about her mother seeing a physician regularly, being mobile, and otherwise being alive and in good health. Over the course of this 19-year scheme, Roszelle fraudulently obtained $338,364.66 in stolen benefits.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.
Fort Myers Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possessing Firearm, Trafficking MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Warren Gregory Edwards (34, Fort Myers) to two years and six months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing marijuana with intent to distribute. The court also ordered Edwards to forfeit the Smith & Wesson firearm involved in the offense. Edwards pleaded guilty on December 5, 2024.
According to court documents, Edwards was stopped by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for driving without a seatbelt. The deputies smelled marijuana, searched the car, and located a Smith & Wesson handgun and numerous bags of marijuana. The majority of the marijuana was in a large, clear plastic bag, and nearby were several new, empty, smaller bags. Also present in the vehicle was a scale and cup with marijuana residue. Edwards, who is prohibited from possessing a firearm based on his convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and felon in possession, admitted to ownership of the marijuana and firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.
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.
Former Newport Beach Doctor Pleads Guilty to Possession of Hundreds of Images and Video of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A former Newport Beach gynecologist pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) across multiple personally owned devices.
Mark Albert Rettenmaier, 72, of Laguna Hills, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography. He is free on $600,000 bond.
According to his plea agreement, on June 7, 2020, Rettenmaier uploaded 15 images of CSAM to an Adobe cloud-based storage system. At least four of the images Rettenmaier uploaded depicted two minors, one under the age of 12, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
On July 22, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of Rettenmaier’s residence and seized his cellphone and a laptop. Upon review of the cellphone, law enforcement identified at least two additional images of CSAM. Review of the laptop revealed at least one video and 209 images of minors engaged in sexual activity.
Rettenmaier admitted that he knowingly downloaded the images and video of CSAM from the internet and stored them on his personal devices.
United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett scheduled an August 6 sentencing hearing at which time Rettenmaier will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend that Rettenmaier be sentenced to no more than five years in federal prison.
Rettenmaier will also be required to pay a mandatory minimum of $3,000 restitution to each of six victims named in this case, for a total of at least $18,000.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Rabbani of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
Floridian Sentenced for Role in Money Laundering OperationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Ocala, Florida, has been sentenced to time served, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction for money laundering conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Charles Wilson Stout, 66, who had served approximately six months of imprisonment for his crime.
According to information presented to the Court, Stout engaged in a money laundering conspiracy from in and around April 2022 until in and around June 2022. The Court was advised that a Washington, D.C.-based university was the victim of a business email compromise that resulted in the fraudulent transfer of more than $603,000 from a bank account located in the Western District of Pennsylvania into a separate bank account owned by Stout.
To obfuscate the source of the fraudulent funds, Stout and his co-defendant, David Kakra Mensah, created a shell company and transferred portions of the fraudulently obtained proceeds into a cryptocurrency account that Mensah owned. In addition to participating in the business e-mail compromise, Mensah was also involved in a romance fraud scheme in which he obtained and moved money through individual victims living in Pennsylvania, Oregon, and elsewhere. Mensah previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark V. Gurzo and Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Stout.
Florida Man Sentenced for Dog FightingRead the Press Release
Jose Miguel Carrillo, of Spring Hill, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to violate the dog fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court filings, Carrillo conspired with others to purchase, acquire, and breed dogs for use in dog fights. Carillo also staged dog fights at his home and traveled to dog fights in Massachusetts, Florida, and Connecticut.
A June 2023 search warrant was executed at Carrillo’s home and led to the seizure of 10 pit bull-type dogs, most of which were later adopted by new owners, as well as a firearm and ammunition. Carrillo also possessed dog fighting paraphernalia including a bloodstained dog fighting box, a skin stapler, syringes, and injectable veterinary medications.
“To its core, dog fighting is a cruel and criminal exploitation of animals for entertainment,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Today’s sentence sends a strong deterrent message that the Justice Department will vigorously prosecute these cases.”
“Exploiting and endangering the welfare of animals for personal gain is cruel and abhorrent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida. “Because of the hard work of our law enforcement partners, justice was served.”
“The Office of Inspector General is committed to working with all of our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in pursuing individuals who choose to participate in animal fighting activities and engage in violations involving animal welfare, while also committing other serious offenses in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG).
Photo of dogs at Carrillo’s home, from court documents in United State v. Jose Carrillo, number 8:23-CR-00222, in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Photo of a bloodstained dog fighting pit at Carrillo’s home, from court documents in United State v. Jose Carrillo, number 8:23-CR-00222, in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.To report animal fighting crimes, please contact your local law enforcement or the USDA-OIG’s complaint hotline at: usdaoig.oversight.gov/hotline or 1-800-424-9121.
The USDA-OIG; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Pasco County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office and the Fitchburg (Massachusetts) Police Department investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, Massachusetts State Police, New Hampshire State Police, Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Law Enforcement Division, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Senior Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Favorit and Tiffany Fields for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Caitlyn Cook of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section assisted with the transfer of the seized dogs to new owners.
Financial TV News Analyst-Turned-Fugitive Agrees to Plead Guilty to Federal Charge for Conning Investors Out of Millions of DollarsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former San Gabriel Valley resident – who was a frequent guest on financial television news programs then became a fugitive from justice after being accused of scamming investors – has agreed to plead guilty to defrauding his victims out of at least $2.7 million, the Justice Department announced today.
James Arthur McDonald Jr., 53, formerly of Arcadia, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of securities fraud, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
McDonald has been in federal custody since June 2024, when he was arrested in a residence in Port Orchard, Washington, after being a fugitive since November 2021, when he failed to appear before the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to testify after allegations arose that he had defrauded investors.
According to his plea agreement, at McDonald’s Washington state hideout, law enforcement found, among other things, a fake Washington, D.C., driver’s license bearing McDonald’s photograph and the name “Brian Thomas.”
“This defendant was entrusted by his clients to care for their money and he violated that trust by using it to enrich himself,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “Because of the work of the prosecutors in our office, the FBI, and IRS Criminal Investigation, he will be held accountable for stealing from others. We hope it will bring some solace to his victims.”
McDonald was the CEO and chief investment officer of two companies headquartered in Los Angeles: Hercules Investments LLC and Index Strategy Advisors Inc. (ISA). He frequently appeared as an analyst on the CNBC financial television news network.
In late 2020, McDonald lost tens of millions of dollars of Hercules client money after adopting a risky short position that effectively bet against the health of the United States economy in the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election. McDonald projected that the COVID-19 pandemic and the election would result in major selloffs that would cause the stock market to drop. When the market decline didn’t occur, Hercules clients lost between $30 million and $40 million. By December 2020, Hercules clients were complaining to company employees about the losses in their accounts, according to court documents.
In early 2021, McDonald solicited millions of dollars' worth of funds from investors in the form of a purported capital raise for Hercules but misrepresented how the funds would be used and failed to disclose the massive losses Hercules previously sustained. As part of the capital raise, McDonald obtained $675,000 in investment funds from one victim group on March 9, 2021. He misappropriated most of those funds in various ways, including spending $174,610 at a Porsche dealership and transferring $109,512 to the landlord of a home McDonald was renting in Arcadia.
McDonald also defrauded clients of ISA, his other firm, using less than half of the approximately $3.6 million he raised for trading purposes. Instead, McDonald frequently commingled ISA client funds with funds from his personal bank account, which he used to purchase luxury cars and to pay rent on his home, personal credit card charges, and Hercules operating expenses and to make Ponzi-like payments to ISA clients -- that is, paying some ISA clients using funds from other clients.
In total, McDonald caused losses of between approximately $2,745,892 and approximately $3,025,892, according to his plea agreement.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.
In September 2022, the SEC filed a civil complaint charging McDonald and Hercules with violations of federal securities law. In April 2024, United States District Judge Percy Anderson found McDonald and Hercules liable and ordered that they pay several million dollars in disgorgement and civil penalties.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab and Nisha Chandran of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force are prosecuting this case.
Felon in Possession of Handgun and AR-15 Rifle in Nash County Sentenced to 10 YearsRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A Benson man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. On October 7, 2024, Keith Antonio Mcdougald, age 34, pled guilty to the offense.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Mcdougald was found in Nash County by the Nash County Sherriff’s deputies in a disabled vehicle on I-95 blocking all traffic. Mcdougald initially gave a false name to law enforcement and admitted to smoking marijuana in the vehicle. Inside of the vehicle, deputies located an AR-15 rifle loaded with a large capacity magazine containing 41 rounds of ammunition, a 10mm pistol and a loaded 10mm magazine, six grams of marijuana, a glass pipe, 22.87 grams of a mixture containing heroin, fentanyl, ANPP, and flourofentanyl (a fentanyl analogue) and 7.57 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin and ANPP. Mcdougald admitted to traveling to Virginia to purchase tires from someone through Facebook Marketplace and that he needed to take “something” with him in case the seller tried to rob him for the money.
Mcdougald was sentenced as a career offender and has four prior felony convictions including two counts of felony assault by strangulation, intimidation of a witness, and attempted obtaining property by false pretenses.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Sandling and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aria Q. Merle prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00203-FL.
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Federal Indictment Charges Suburban Chicago Man with Trafficking Firearms and DrugsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a suburban Chicago man for allegedly trafficking firearms and drugs.
An indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges EFRAIN JACOBO, 42, of Prospect Heights, Ill., with federal firearm and drug offenses. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment this morning in federal court. Jacobo is currently detained in federal custody.
According to the indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case, Jacobo dealt six handguns, a rifle, ammunition, and narcotics in a series of transactions last fall in Joliet, Ill. The drugs in the deals included methamphetamines and cocaine. Unbeknownst to Jacobo, the individual to whom he sold the guns and drugs was an undercover law enforcement officer, the charges allege.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 150 kilograms of methamphetamines from a truck that had traveled from Texas to Bolingbrook, Ill. Law enforcement also seized fentanyl and cocaine from a storage facility used by Jacobo in Wheeling, Ill., and additional cocaine from Jacobo’s vehicle, the charges allege.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Mike Rompa, Chief of the Bolingbrook, Ill. Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret A. Steindorf.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
0015_-_0000_-_indictment_as_to_efrain_jacobo_1_counts_1_2-6.pdf 0001_-_0000_-_complaint_signed_by_honorable_beth_w_jantz_as_to.pdfFederal Grand Jury in Louisville Indicts 3 Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned indictments on February 19, 2025, charging 3 illegal aliens with federal criminal offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, Police Chief Mike Canon of the Calvert City Police Department, and Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement made the announcement.
According to the indictments:
Juan Baltazar Felipe-Pedro, age 26, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about January 23, 2025, Felipe-Pedro was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about April 25, 2019. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. This case is being investigated by HSI and ICE/ERO.
Jhoandiris Jimenez-Barrio, age 26, and Yirvel Yonaker Rios-Castro, age 20, citizens of Venezuela, were indicted for conspiracy to commit bank larceny and attempted bank larceny. On or about January 31, 2025, they conspired with each other and others to break into and steal money from an automated teller machine (ATM). They traveled to a bank in Calvert City, Kentucky and attempted to open an ATM to steal money. Homeland Security Investigations verified that Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro are Venezuelan and entered the United States illegally. If convicted, the men face a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison. The case is being investigated by the FBI, Calvert City Police Department, and HSI.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Spencer McKiness, Seth Hancock, and Raymond McGee are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Evansville Fentanyl Dealers Sentenced to a Combined Decade in Federal Prison for Manufacturing Counterfeit Drugs Using a Pill PressRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE— Ethan Parker, 31 and Joshua Harvey 33, of Evansville, have been sentenced for their parts in a fentanyl trafficking scheme. Parker was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession and distribution of a tableting machine. Harvey was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, between January 1, 2022, and April 4, 2022, Parker and Harvey conspired together to manufacture and distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl laced pills to individuals in and around the city of Evansville.
In the furtherance of the conspiracy, on multiple occasions in February and March of 2022, Harvey sold fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills in Evansville, Indiana, and Henderson, Kentucky. On March 23, 2022, Parker, communicating through an encrypted messaging application, agreed to sell Harvey 100 fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills for $350. On April 4, 2022, Harvey possessed approximately 31.9 grams of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills with the intent to distribute them to dealers.
On August 25, 2021, Parker sold a blue pill press, along with an Alprazolam imprinting die, for $1,400, knowing that the pill press would be used to manufacture a controlled substance. The die could be used to manufacture counterfeit Alprazolam (Xanax). On April 4, 2022, Parker was found in possession of another pill press and pill imprinting dies of various shapes and imprints for use in the manufacture of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills.
“Fentanyl dealers value their profits far more than the lives of our families and neighbors,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “We must fight to save lives by investigating and prosecuting criminals who exploit the epidemic of substance use disorder to satisfy their own greed. Our office, the DEA, and the Evansville Police Department are committed to holding fentanyl traffickers accountable for pushing deadly poison on our streets.”
“The charges against Mr. Parker and Mr. Harvey were necessary and justified. This case exemplified high level investigative work conducted by the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force in collaboration with the DEA Evansville HIDTA Task Force," said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon. "Mr. Parker and Mr. Harvey were responsible for distributing significant quantities of fake pills containing fentanyl. In addition, the investigation led to the seizure of two pill presses capable of manufacturing fake Xanax pills and fentanyl pills. Taking two pill presses off the streets is a major win for our community. The DEA remains committed to working hand-in-hand with our partners to hold reckless drug dealers, who peddle poison to our communities, accountable for their actions and make our community safer.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young. This prosecution is part of the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage—a tiny amount that can fit on the tip of a pencil. Seven out of ten illegal fentanyl tablets seized from U.S. streets and analyzed by the DEA have been found to contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug.
One Pill Can Kill: Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of death for adults in the United States. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late.
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Ecuadorian Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Introduce Misbranded Prescription Drugs in the United StatesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., announced that Daniel Pinos, 30, of Ecuador, was sentenced today to one year of non-reporting probation and a $100 special assessment by United States District Court Judge John M. Gallagher for conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.
Pinos pleaded guilty last week to a one-count information charging him with that offense.
Since in or about 2022, Pinos, an Ecuadorian dentist, made regular trips to the United States to provide dental care and prescription drugs in return for payment. Pinos did so even though he was not licensed to practice dentistry or prescribe drugs in the United States. Some of the drugs he dispensed while in the United States were shipped from Ecuador.
On September 10, 2024, law enforcement encountered Pinos and seized misbranded drugs and medical and dental equipment.
“In the U.S., we regulate health care and medications, to keep people safe,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Thayer. “Pinos understood that he wasn’t licensed to practice dentistry or provide prescription drugs here, but did so, nonetheless. This office and the FBI will continue to investigate such medical malfeasance and hold those who commit it accountable.”
“The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to protect our citizens and safeguard the integrity of our healthcare systems,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “We applaud the hard work of the Allentown Resident Agency and our partners in this case and in their efforts to keep our communities safe.”
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Boscia.
Dominican National Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OVIDALIS JIMINEZ PUJOLS, 39, a citizen of the Dominican Republic last residing in New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment for a fentanyl trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration arranged the controlled purchase of two kilograms of fentanyl from a wholesale supplier of narcotics with multiple distribution points in the northeastern U.S. Jiminez Pujols and his co-defendant, Winifer Acosta Jiminez, were arrested on February 22, 2023, after they transported the two kilograms of fentanyl from New York to a meeting location in Milford, Connecticut.
Jiminez Pujols has been detained since his arrest on February 22, 2023. On November 26, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Jiminez Pujols faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term.
Acosta Jiminez, who was released on $100,000 bond after federal arrest on January 31, 2024, removed her GPS monitoring equipment on July 31, 2024, and absconded. She is currently being sought by law enforcement.
As to Acosta Jiminez, Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the West Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Nathan J. Guevremont through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Detroit Man Sentenced to over Four Years in Federal Prison for Participating in Multi-State Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A man from Detroit, Michigan was sentenced today for his role in a multi-state, million-dollar unemployment insurance fraud scheme aimed at defrauding the U.S. government and the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, of funds earmarked for unemployment assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and Megan Howell, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
Tracey Dotson, 49, was sentenced to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $900,000 in restitution in the sentence handed down by United States District Judge Matthew F. Leitman.
According to court records, Dotson and a co-defendant conspired to, and did, defraud the federal government and the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland of roughly $1 million in funds intended to support individuals who had lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pair committed their crimes through the use of interstate wires and the unauthorized possession and use of social security numbers and other means of identification belonging to other individuals.
Dotson pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in April 2024. Dotson and his co-defendant, using stolen personal identification, filed hundreds of false unemployment claims with state unemployment insurance agencies in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland in the names of other individuals without their knowledge or consent. The defendants then received hundreds of Bank of America prepaid debit cards in the names of those individuals loaded with roughly $1 million in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds at addresses in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Dotson, his co-defendant, and their accomplices then successfully unloaded more than $930,000 from the cards via cash withdrawals and purchases that included high-end jewelry, designer fashion accessories by Gucci and Louis Vuitton, drugs, at least one vehicle, and at least one firearm.
“Taxpayer unemployment assistance funds diverted to the pockets of criminals during the pandemic resulted in fewer resources that were available for those genuinely in need at that challenging time,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck. “Our office is steadfast in its commitment to bringing those to justice who used a global health crisis as a means to illegally line their own pockets at the expense of taxpayers. “
"This sentence underscores the FBI's commitment to investigating complex financial crimes," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "We will not tolerate the greed and selfish conduct demonstrated by those who chose to defraud the unemployment insurance system, especially when we faced an unprecedented global pandemic. The FBI and our federal partners remain steadfast in holding criminals accountable and protecting government assistance programs. The pandemic may be in our rearview mirrors, but our investigations continue to move forward in the name of justice."
“Individuals who commit such blatant unemployment insurance fraud and identity theft of this magnitude deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Tracey Dotson and his co-conspirator took advantage of a program intended to help those in need get through a devastating global pandemic, exposed personal identity information of many, and caused immeasurable hardship to innocent victims. IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to the pursuit of pandemic fraud and identity theft, together with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we will hold those who engage in similar conduct accountable.”
"Tracey Dotson and his co-conspirator defrauded multiple state workforce agencies by using stolen identities to obtain unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. As a result, he stole vital taxpayer resources intended for unemployed American workers in dire need of UI benefits. Today’s sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice those who exploit this critical benefit program,” said Megan Howell, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carl D. Gilmer-Hill and Jessica A. Nathan. The investigation was conducted jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
DISTRICT OF NEBRASKA Grand Island Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew Molsen announced that Robert Burkhardt, 56, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced February 19, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Burkhardt to 57 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Burkhard is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release
On January 30, 2024, co-conspirators Jolene Armentrout and Lonnie Mason flew from Omaha to Los Angeles, California, and purchased 25 pounds of methamphetamine. Meanwhile, Burkhardt drove Mason’s car from Omaha to Las Vegas, Nevada, with co-conspirator Stephanie Cummings. Burkhardt and Cummings met Armentrout and Mason in Las Vegas.
Mason and Cummings then flew back to Nebraska while Armentrout and Burkhardt drove to California from Las Vegas and picked up the 25 pounds of methamphetamine purchased by Armentrout and Mason. Armentrout and Burkhardt then drove the 25 pounds of methamphetamine back to Nebraska and arrived on February 4, 2024. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and located the 25 pounds of methamphetamine contained in a hidden compartment.
Cummings pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and sentencing is scheduled for April 9, 2025. Armentrout pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and is scheduled for sentencing on March 19, 2025. Mason pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and is scheduled for sentencing on May 7, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Omaha Police Department. 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.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Gun CrimeRead 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Nashville Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Herman Dewayne Steen, 35, to 60 months in prison. In November 2024, Steen pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, Steen illegally possessed a firearm on two separate occasions. First, on December 14, 2022, Steen possessed a firearm at a bus station in Birmingham. A Birmingham Police officer responded to a call regarding Steen. This was the third time that day that the officer had responded to the same address regarding Steen. When the officer arrived, she was approached by a security guard who stated that Steen had a firearm. The officer took a loaded Glock 9mm pistol from Steen.
Second, on March 12, 2023, Steen went to the Jefferson County Jail to make a report that he had been assaulted in the Center Point area. While making the report, Steen complained of being dizzy and his head hurting. Birmingham Fire and Rescue responded; and during a pre-transport search, a sheriff’s deputy found a loaded Taurus .380 caliber pistol in Steen’s pocket.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy M. Peoples prosecuted the case.
Convicted Drug Trafficker Found Guilty of Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in the Deaths of Two Hillsborough County MenRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that a federal jury has found Marquis Lamar McCullough (39, Tampa) guilty of two counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. For both counts of distribution of fentanyl, the jury also found that the death of a person resulted from the use of the fentanyl that McCullough had distributed. McCullough, who was previously convicted of trafficking in cocaine, faces mandatory sentences of life imprisonment.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on April 22, 2021, deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to the residence of K.K. to conduct a wellness check. They found K.K. dead when they entered his apartment, standing with his feet on the floor and his head and torso on top of the bathroom counter. Deputies found two baggies with small quantities of a substance, suspected to be heroin or fentanyl, in K.K.’s residence. Detectives reviewed K.K.’s cellphone and found communications with a woman who appeared to help K.K. purchase fentanyl the previous evening. The woman—who was a heroin user and not a dealer—was arrested on an unrelated charge and interviewed by detectives. She told them that K.K. could not get heroin from his usual source, so he asked her to buy heroin for him from her source, and she agreed to do it if she got to keep a bag for herself. The woman arranged a meeting with her supplier, “Slim,” and K.K. took her to meet Slim. With money provided by K.K., the woman bought several bags from Slim, provided most of them to K.K., and kept a couple of bags for herself.
On April 28, 2021, HCSO detectives conducted a controlled purchase during which detectives observed “Slim” deliver fentanyl and identified him as Marquis Lamar McCullough.
On May 6, 2021, the son of N.M. found his father dead, lying in his bed, and called 911 to report the death. HCSO deputies and detectives responded to the residence, and inside N.M.’s wallet they found a baggie with a small amount of a substance suspected to be heroin or fentanyl. While reviewing calls and texts on N.M.’s phone, a detective who had participated in the surveillance operation eight days earlier recognized that the last three calls placed by N.M. were to McCullough’s phone number, and the call and text history indicated that McCullough was N.M.’s supplier. Later that day, HCSO detectives planned for another purchase of heroin or fentanyl from McCullough, using N.M.’s cellphone to set up the meeting. When McCullough arrived at the meeting location, he tried to call N.M., but when his calls went unanswered, McCullough fled the area. An arrest team pursued his vehicle and took McCullough into custody.
The Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory determined that the substances found at the residences of K.K. and N.M., and the substances purchased from McCullough on April 28, 2021, all contained fentanyl. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office investigated both deaths and determined that the use of fentanyl caused the deaths of K.K. and N.M.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Sinacore and Ross Roberts.
Centerville woman pleads guilty embezzling over half a million dollars from farm cooperativeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Centerville woman pled guilty today to wire fraud relating to her embezzlement of $550,000 from her employer.
According to court documents, Paula Sue Leventhal, 64, was the Chief Executive Secretary to the Chief Executive Officer for a farmer-owned cooperative headquartered in Herndon. Leventhal’s duties included arranging travel for cooperative executives. Leventhal used credit cards issued by the cooperative to make travel arrangements, often using travel websites.
On Nov. 30, 2015, Leventhal created a merchant account on Square, a point-of-sale platform that small businesses and other merchants can use to accept credit and debit card payments. Square allows users to change the name of the merchant account that appears to the customer when making a payment.
From December 2015 through July 2022, Leventhal used cooperative-issued credit cards to send money to herself via Square by charging fraudulent transactions. Leventhal disguised the transactions by changing the merchant name associated with her Square account so the charges would appear as cooperative-authorized business expenses in bank statements. Leventhal often changed the merchant name associated with her Square account to mimic travel providers and other seemingly authorized businesses.
After the funds were available in the Square account, Leventhal would transfer the money to her personal bank accounts. From Dec. 14, 2015, until July 6, 2022, Leventhal used her Square account to fraudulently charge cooperative-issued credit cards 506 times for a total of $550,000 and transferred that amount from her Square account to her personal bank accounts in 373 increments.
Leventhal is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 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, and Matt McCool, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul III and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Hood are prosecuting the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Finnegan provided substantial assistance to the investigation.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-26.
Capital Region Man Indicted on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Devere Williams, age 36, of Troy, New York, was charged last week by indictment for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
The charges filed against Williams carry a prison term of at least 5 year and up to life in federal prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and a supervised release term of up to 5 years. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Williams was arraigned today in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Paul J. Evangelista, and will continue to be detained pending a hearing on February 21. The FBI is investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph S. Hartunian and Nicholas Walter are prosecuting this case.
California Man Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Troy Alexander Mendez, age 25, a resident of California, was sentenced today to 66 months in federal prison for distributing controlled substances. Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Mendez admitted that, in August 2023, he sold and shipped over 300 grams of methamphetamine via the U.S. Postal Service to a customer in the Syracuse, New York area. Law enforcement intercepted the package and identified Mendez as the source of the shipment. At the sentencing hearing, the evidence established that Mendez also sold drugs on other occasions and possessed multiple firearms in connection with that drug activity.
Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 5-year term of supervised release to begin after Mendez is released from prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case, with assistance from the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis prosecuted the case.
Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Drug Robbery AttemptRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDY MARTE, also known as “AD,” 31, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 51 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a drug robbery conspiracy.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 28, 2023, Marte, Kareem Porter, and Tyrone Allen drove to a Bridgeport apartment building where they intended to carry out a robbery at an apartment they believed contained a substantial quantity of drugs and drug proceeds. Marte separately contacted Jermaine Bethel, who arrived to participate in the robbery. Marte instructed Bethel, Porter, and Allen, who had a crowbar, to carry out the robbery, while Marte remained in the car, with two handguns, to serve as a getaway driver. After failing to enter the apartment, Bethel, Porter, and Allen returned to the vehicle where they were encountered by law enforcement. Investigators learned of the scheme by monitoring Marte’s phone, which was subject to a court-authorized wiretap related to alleged drug trafficking activity. Officers searched the vehicle and its occupants and seized the two handguns and the crowbar.
Marte’s criminal history includes convictions for multiple firearms offenses and a violent robbery.
Marte has been detained since his arrest on April 28, 2023. On March 28, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery.
Porter, Allen, and Bethel pleaded guilty to the same charge. On October 28, 2024, Porter was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment. On December 2, 2024, Bethel was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment. Allen awaits sentencing.
This investigation was conducted by FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Karen Peck.
Bradenton Man Sentenced to over Seven Years in Federal Prison for Firearms and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Terry Lavon McDonald, Jr. (32, Bradenton) to seven years and six months in federal prison for possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The court also ordered McDonald to forfeit a Smith & Wesson firearm and ammunition, which were used in the commission of the offense. McDonald pleaded guilty on November 22, 2024.
According to court documents, on October 5, 2023, deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office executed a residential search warrant in Bradenton based on a series of controlled fentanyl purchases from another individual at the residence. At the time of the execution, McDonald was the sole occupant of a vehicle backed into the driveway. The vehicle was searched, and McDonald was found in possession of a loaded Smith & Wesson handgun, a digital scale, fentanyl, and cocaine. Prior to the offense, McDonald had been convicted of multiple felonies, including possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, and carrying a concealed firearm. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. McDonald’s cellphone was recovered during his arrest and a search warrant was obtained for its contents. Multiple photographs were found in the cellphone depicting McDonald in possession of suspected firearms and narcotics, as depicted below.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Boston Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for bank robbery and escape charges.
Kim Daley, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 125 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Daley was also sentenced to a five year concurrent sentence on the escape conviction. In April 2024, Daley pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of escape from custody. Daley was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2022.
In July 2017, Daley received a 100 month federal sentence followed by three years of supervised release for federal bank robbery convictions. On May 9, 2022, while serving the remainder of the custodial portion of that federal sentence at a Boston Residential Reentry Center (“RRC”), a facility in which he was lawfully confined at the direction of the Attorney General, Daley left the RRC with his belongings without permission and never returned. His whereabouts were unknown and he was classified as an escape on that date.
On June 20, 2022, Daley walked into a TD Bank in Cambridge, passed a note to the teller demanding all the money and robbed the bank of $560 in US currency. Bank surveillance captured Daley entering the bank, passing the note to the teller and then leaving the bank a short time later with cash. Within approximately 40 minutes of the robbery, Daley was arrested in Cambridge and found to have $560 in US currency on his person.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Christine Elow Cambridge Chief of Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Arizona Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew Molsen announced that Carlos Loya-Rodriguez, 33, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced February 19, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Loya-Rodriguez to 70 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Loya-Rodriguez is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Loya-Rodriguez will also forfeit to the United States $61,195.00 in United States currency that was drug proceeds or used to facilitate his drug trafficking.
On January 2, 2024, law enforcement utilized an undercover agent to purchase 445.3 grams of actual methamphetamine from Loya-Rodriguez in Omaha.
On February 5, 2024, law enforcement officers saw Loya-Rodriguez leave his residence and enter into his vehicle. They watched Loya-Rodriguez commit traffic infractions and initiated a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, a K9 conducted a sniff of the vehicle and indicated to the presence of narcotics. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and located 419.9 grams of actual methamphetamine. Loya-Rodriguez was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. Also located in the vehicle was $20,225 in United States currency.
Also on February 5, 2024, law enforcement searched Loya-Rodriguez’s residence in Omaha, pursuant to a search warrant. Law enforcement seized 450 grams of actual methamphetamine, 344 grams of cocaine in multiple baggies, a scale with suspected drug residue, $40,970 in United States currency, and money wire receipts.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Omaha Police Department. 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.