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27 March 2025
Nevada Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Violent Tesla Arson in Las VegasRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident made his initial appearance today in United States District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla collision business.
Paul Hyon Kim, 36, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of arson. Kim was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers on March 26. He remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for March 28, 2025, and preliminary hearing scheduled for April 10, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Elayna J. Youchah.
“The Department of Justice has been clear: anyone who participates in the wave of domestic terrorism targeting Tesla properties will suffer severe legal consequences,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will continue to find, arrest, and prosecute these attackers until the lesson is learned.”
“As promised, acts of violence and vandalism will not be tolerated, and today law enforcement personnel acted quickly to arrest an individual on charges including arson,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Under Attorney General Bondi's leadership, we will continue to pursue these investigations with the full force of law and will bring to justice anyone responsible for these attacks.”
“Today’s federal charges demonstrate our strong partnerships and collaboration with law enforcement partners and the joint pursuit to end domestic terrorism,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada. “Thank you to the detectives from the Southern Nevada Counterterrorism Center (SNCTC), FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) ARMOR (All-Hazard Regional Multi-Agency Operations and Response) unit, as well as Clark County Fire Department Arson Investigators, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, and the Justice Department’s National Security Division for their hard work and tireless efforts. We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and remain steadfastly committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat domestic violent extremism.”
“The arrest announced today showcases the remarkable outcomes achievable through collaborative task force partnerships,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans, FBI Las Vegas Division. “To ensure community safety, it is essential for law enforcement at all levels to work in unison. Although our agencies have distinct roles and responsibilities, the fight against crime is a shared commitment.”
“ATF responded alongside our law enforcement partners to the targeted attack on a Tesla collision shop in Las Vegas,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). “At the forefront of ATF’s mission is combating violent crime. Crimes of this nature will not be tolerated and are a threat to public safety. Threats to public safety will be taken seriously and law enforcement will utilize our resources to ensure justice is served. ATF deployed our experts in arson related crimes in response to this incident. Those experts included members of our Arson Task Force. A task force that is a collaboration between ATF and the Clark County Fire Department. A certified fire investigator, bomb technician, certified explosive specialist, and an accelerant detection K9 were utilized at the scene. Special agents from our local field office also responded to the incident. ATF is pleased to see the arrest made today. We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to ensure that these targeted attacks are investigated and that the person(s) responsible are prosecuted.”
According to allegations in the complaint, on March 18, 2025, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patrol officers responded to an emergency call about a person setting vehicles on fire and hearing gunshots at a Tesla collision business. The Clark County Fire Department arrived to suppress the fires. During the investigation, it was determined that Molotov cocktails and a .30 caliber AR-style firearm were used to damage and destroy five Tesla vehicles, and graffiti was sprayed to write “Resist” on the front of the building.
Photo: Suspect in black hoodie, black pants, and carrying a black backpack while spray painting the glass doors of a business.
Photo: A Molotov cocktail that did not ignite laying on seat in vehicle with broken glass window
On March 26, law enforcement officials executed various state search warrants related to this case, including a search warrant at Kim’s residence. Inside the residence, they found various firearms, including an AR style rifle consistent with the firearm used in the March 18, 2025 incident and with a suppressor on it, a black gun belt with a pouch and a small drop of pink paint residue, a black hoodie, face masks, and a handwritten note with what appeared to be an escape plan.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi for the Department of Justice; Director Kash Patel of the FBI; Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani of the ATF San Francisco Field Division; and Sheriff Kevin McMahill for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, and with significant assistance by the Clark County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Operskalski for the District of Nevada and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Kim faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison for the unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum of 20 years in prison for the arson charge.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the ATF are investigating the case and with significant assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Operskalski for the District of Nevada and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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usao-nv_criminal_complaint-paul_hyon_kim_2-25-mj-261_0.pdfNative of Mexico Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Daniel Martinez-Canjay, age 34, of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of illegal reentry.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about November 13, 2024, Martinez-Canjay was found in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, after previously having been removed from the United States. The indictment also alleges that Martinez-Canjay had been removed from the United States on or about April 24, 2019, through Hidalgo, Texas, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
This case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Mortgage Broker That Ran a Ponzi Scheme, Fraudulently Acquired CARES Act SBA Loans, and Filed a False Tax Return is Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Rhode Island mortgage broker who ran a Ponzi scheme with investors’ monies causing millions of dollars in losses, who fraudulently obtained more than $160,000 in COVID-19 pandemic-related SBA loans, and who failed to pay more than $140,000 in taxes due the IRS was sentenced today to more than four years in federal prison and was ordered to pay restitution to his victims, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Joseph Giuttari, owner and operator of Hybrid Capital Group, LLC, THE FENS CO., LLC, and Realty Funding Advisors, LLC, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 55 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, Giuttari was ordered to pay a fine of $20,000 and to pay restitution to victims of his Ponzi scheme, to SBA loan programs, and to the IRS totaling $4,579,130.95.
Mr. Giuttari pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024, to charges of wire fraud, theft of government property, and filing a false tax return. The day after his guilty plea he engaged in brokerage activities in violation of his condition of release. Upon discovery of his activities, the Court revoked its order of release and remanded him to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.
Court documents reflect that Joseph Giuttari purported to match borrowers seeking short-term loans with private lenders seeking secured investments in real estate. As part of the scheme, Giuttari served as the clearing house for funds between the borrowers and the investors. In executing his scheme, Giuttari directed investors and closing attorneys to send all or a portion of the loan proceeds directly to him through his multiple business entities and business bank accounts. Instead of forwarding these funds to borrowers as represented to the investors, Giuttari used the money personally or to repay earlier investors who were seeking a return on their investments.
Additionally, Giuttari fraudulently acquired $167,800 in COVID-19 pandemic Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) for Hybrid Capital Group and THE FENS CO that he was not entitled to receive, and he falsely stated on his 2019 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return that his total income was $22,176, when in fact it was at least $541,000, thus failing to pay $140,102 due the IRS.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General.
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Mexican national extradited from Mexico to the United States pleads guilty to drug and money laundering conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Gilberto Alarcon-Holguin a/k/a Beto, 57, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000.
According to the plea agreement, on October 14, 2017, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized 10 kilograms of cocaine from an identified co-conspirator. HSI obtained a phone number as a point of contact for the delivery of the cocaine, which was linked to co-conspirators of Alarcon-Holguin. On October 19, 2017, HSI conducted a controlled delivery of 10 bricks of “sham” cocaine, which had been wrapped in the same manner as the seized kilograms of cocaine, to a motel parking lot in Corfu, NY. The bag was given to co-conspirator Eduardo Valdez, who was on the phone with Alarcon-Holguin during the delivery. Following the controlled delivery, the New York State Police conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle Valdez was riding in. HSI seized $259,960 in cash as a result of the controlled delivery.
Subsequent investigation determined that Alarcon-Holguin had multiple communications with another co-conspirator, Edgar Pavia. Alarcon-Holguin provided instructions to Pavia about shipments of cocaine, packaging of money, and more, all of which was passed along to drug distributors supplied by Alarcon-Holguin in cities including Buffalo, and Louisville, KY. Alarcon-Holguin also passed information to Pavia that was separately conveyed to other co-conspirators, including those involved in the transportation of drugs. For example, on June 21, 2018, co-conspirator Adrian Goudelock received 40 kilograms of cocaine in Buffalo. Over the course of the conspiracy, Goudelock received multiple shipments of 10 kilograms of cocaine or more brokered by Pavia and supplied by Alarcon-Holguin. Alarcon-Holguin also provided instructions to Pavia on how Goudelock should wrap and mark money being sent back to Mexico. Specifically, Alarcon-Holguin told Pavia that Goudelock should wrap the money into 52 packages of $10,000 each.
Other deliveries organized by Alarcon-Holguin during the investigation included: 17 kilograms of cocaine seized from a co-conspirator in West Seneca, NY, and shipments of 10, 15, 20, and 40 kilograms of cocaine to a co-conspirator in Kentucky. In addition, approximately $1,144,735 in cash was seized from a commercial truck driver in Chicago, Illinois. During the course of the investigation, investigators seized approximately $2,600,000.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto; the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia; and Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Unit, under the direction of Brian Manaher, Director, Marine Operations. Additional assistance was provided by the New York National Guard and Homeland Security Investigations, El Paso, Texas. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Alarcon-Holguin.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 3, 2025, before Judge Sinatra.
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Mexican National Indicted for Passport and Visa Fraud After Assuming the Identity of a United States Citizen over 40 Years AgoRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Enrrique Ricardo Diaz Vazquez, 60, a Mexican national living in Arizona, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Phoenix on Tuesday with Passport and Visa Fraud.
According to the criminal complaint in this case, an individual purporting to be Gene Edward Katzorke (“Katzorke”), first applied for and received a U.S. passport in 1986, submitting an Arizona license and U.S. birth certificate as supporting documentation. In subsequent years, the same individual filed multiple passport renewal applications, using his previously issued passport to support his identity claim. In 2022, Katzorke’s application was flagged for investigation after agents discovered an obituary from the 1960s for a Gene Edward Katzorke.
During the investigation, United States Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents learned that Gene Edward Katzorke had died in 1966, at the age of 2 years old. They also learned that Katzorke’s name was linked in criminal databases to Enrrique Ricardo Diaz Vazquez, a Mexican national.
On March 7, 2025, Diaz Vazquez, purporting to be Gene Edward Katzorke, arrived at the Western Passport Center for a regularly scheduled appointment regarding his most recent passport applications. After confirming that he had applied for the renewal under Katzorke’s name, Diaz Vazquez was arrested for Passport and Visa Fraud.
During a post-arrest interview, Diaz Vazquez admitted his real name to be Enrrique Ricardo Diaz Vasquez and his place of birth as Guadalajara, Mexico. Diaz Vazquez told law enforcement agents that he wanted to join the U.S. military and picked the name Gene Edward Katzorke as his alias after visiting a cemetery. Diaz Vazquez successfully joined the military under Katzorke’s name, but then fled to Mexico after facing criminal charges for a homicide involving a nine-month-old infant in Tucson, Arizona. Diaz Vazquez was eventually deported from Mexico to the United States under the belief that he was a U.S. Citizen, and he has been living under Katzorke’s name since that time.
Passport and Visa Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Diplomatic Security Service Tucson Resident Office and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Sydney Yew, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution
diaz_vazquez-_indictment.pdfCASE NUMBER: CR-25-00469-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-042_Diaz Vazquez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Mexican National Indicted for Illegal Reentry After Three Prior Removals and Two Illegal Reentry Felony ConvictionsRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Abraham Moreno Garcia, 51, of Mexico, charging him with being an illegal alien present in the United States after having been previously convicted of a felony and removed from the United States.
According to a previously filed criminal complaint, Moreno Garcia was removed to Mexico at least three times and has two felony convictions for illegally reentering the United States. In 2019, he was convicted in the District of Hawaii for illegal reentry and sentenced to five months in federal prison. After serving his sentence, he was removed to Mexico in March of 2019. He later reentered the United States illegally and was arrested on Hawaii Island in March of 2025.
If convicted of the charged offense, Moreno Garcia would face up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charge in the indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren W.K. Ching.
Meridian Man Sentenced to 74 months for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Meridian, MS man was sentenced today to 74 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Lester Landrum, 42, while under state correctional supervision as a probationer was found in possession of a firearm during an operation led by the East Mississippi Drug Task Force in Meridian. Landrum pleaded guilty to the charged conduct on December 16, 2024. In delivering the sentence, the Court ordered that the 74-month sentence for the instant offense run consecutive to the unfinished term of his prior state sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.
The ATF and the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff prosecuted the case.
Mentmore Man Charged with Federal Assault and StrangulationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mentmore man is facing charges in federal court for allegedly assaulting and injuring a woman.
According to court records, on December 5, 2024, Alery Al Reid, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly assaulted and strangled Jane Doe. Reid is accused of inflicting substantial bodily injury on Jane Doe, including extensive facial bruising, neck abrasions, and other injuries.
Reid is charged with assault by strangling and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. Reid will remain with a third-party custodian on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Reid faces 15 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Melbourne Man Indicted for Enticing A Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and Other Child Sexual Abuse OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Kacey Caudill (28, Melbourne) with one count of enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, one count of production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), three counts of receipt of CSAM, and one count of possession of CSAM involving a minor under 12 years of age.
If convicted on the enticement count, Caudill faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. For the production of CSAM count, he faces a minimum sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years. Each receipt count carries a minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, and for the possession of CSAM count, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Caudill committed these offenses between August 2 and October 9, 2024.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
This is another case 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 admits attempting to send kilograms of cocaine in the mailRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 26-year-old McAllen resident has entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Narciso Dominguez III attempted to place packages in the mail that contained narcotics.
On May 23, 2024, authorities were conducting surveillance at suspected stash house locations in McAllen. During the operation, they observed Dominguez purchase shipping products such as boxes and bubble wrap and followed him to one of the locations. He departed and drove to a local mail shipping establishment where he provided multiple packages to be mailed to Dallas.
Authorities conducted a search of the items and discovered a total of 19 kilograms of cocaine in the same shipping materials as he had previously purchased.
He admitted he knew the items contained cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton will impose sentencing July 15. At that time, Dominguez faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.
Maryland Man Indicted for Passport Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, a federal grand jury indicted Beautiful Life Allah, aka Tezelle Miller, aka Tezell Miller, 65, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland, charging him with passport fraud, aggravated identity theft, false statements, and false representation of a social security number.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with David M. Richeson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) – Washington Field Office, and Colleen Lawlor, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division.
According to the indictment, Allah used someone else’s social security number to submit a passport application; submitted a fraudulent custody order to apply for a passport for his minor child; and made false statements on passport applications from August 2022 through February 2023.
If convicted, Allah faces up to 10 years for passport fraud, a mandatory minimum sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft, up to five years for false statements, and up to five years for false representation of a social security number. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.
A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended DSS and SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Manhattan Franciscan Friar Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Fraud Related to Fake Medical Charity in Beirut, LebanonRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that PAUL BIELECKI, a/k/a “Paul HRH Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,” a Manhattan-based Franciscan friar, was sentenced to five years in prison for perpetrating a multi-year scheme to obtain donations for a fake medical charity purportedly operating in Beirut, Lebanon. BIELECKI previously pled guilty to wire fraud on November 11, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti, who imposed today’s sentence.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Paul Bielecki exploited his position as a friar to defraud hundreds of innocent victims. He faked a charity to rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars, and then used these stolen funds to live the high life. But Bielecki’s days of luxury and lies are over. Let today’s sentence be a lesson to all — if you abuse your position of trust to take advantage of others, you will be held accountable.”
According to the Complaint, Information, public court filings, and statements made in court:
BIELECKI is a friar in the Capuchin Order, a Catholic order of priests and brothers, based out of a friary in New York City. BIELECKI engaged in a fraudulent scheme related to fake medical clinics he claimed to operate in Lebanon.
Specifically, for nearly a decade, BIELECKI fraudulently raised money from victims by falsely claiming that he operated two medical clinics in Lebanon and was raising money for medicine, medical equipment, baby incubators, food, and an ambulance for those clinics. BIELECKI also lied to victims by falsely stating that he was a physician, vascular surgeon, cardiac surgeon, and/or general surgeon, who had earned multiple Ph.D. degrees, and by falsely claiming to have been badly injured—and his fake clinics badly damaged—by a widely reported August 2020 explosion in Beirut, Lebanon.
BIELECKI reached victims by fraudulently soliciting donations at church masses and through other church events, by appearing as a guest or through advertisements on radio programs and online podcasts, and through various other means, including campaigns on crowdfunding websites. Through his scheme, BIELECKI fraudulently obtained more than $560,000 in donations from more than 350 victims for his fake medical clinics. Despite taking a vow of poverty as a friar in the Capuchin Order, BIELECKI used the donations he fraudulently received to fund lavish personal spending, including first-class travel, a $334.40 per month membership at a luxury gym chain, multiple trips to the Hamptons, numerous meals at high-end restaurants, and aesthetic plastic surgery costing thousands of dollars.
If you believe you are a victim of fraud perpetrated by BIELECKI, please contact Special Agent Sean Smyth, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, at (914) 993‑1900 or by following the instructions available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/report-crime.
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In addition to the prison term, BIELECKI, 48, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to pay forfeiture of $563,448, and ordered to pay restitution.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Division. Mr. Podolsky also thanked the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Levander and Ryan W. Allison are in charge of the prosecution.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Large-Scale Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CONCORD –A Manchester man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Luis Maldonado, age 50, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely, fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2025. The defendant was originally charged with conspiracy on April 26, 2023, along with 20 other defendants. To date, 14 defendants in this conspiracy have been convicted.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant was involved in a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine in Manchester and elsewhere. As of 2022, the defendant’s role in the DTO was selling crack and other drugs for the DTO. On May 19, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which the defendant was a passenger. A search revealed that the defendant had $12,994 and a digital scale in his backpack, and the vehicle contained a secret compartment used to conceal narcotics. The defendant’s phone was searched and contained text messages between the defendant and others arranging drug transactions.
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 case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Long-Time Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips Leader Charged in 43-Count Indictment Alleging Murder, Extortion, Fraud, and Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury has returned a 43-count indictment charging a music label owner and purported anti-gang activist who is a long-time leader of a South Los Angeles street gang with dozens of felonies, including fraud, robbery, extortion, tax evasion, embezzlement of donations to his charity that receives public money, and running a racketeering conspiracy in which he allegedly murdered an aspiring musician, the Justice Department announced today.
Eugene Henley, Jr., 58, a.k.a. “Big U,” of the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, two counts of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and extortion (Hobbs Act), one count of Hobbs Act robbery, nine counts of attempted Hobbs Act extortion, five counts of Hobbs Act extortion, one count of transportation of an individual in interstate commerce with intent that the individual engage in prostitution (Mann Act), 15 counts of wire fraud, five counts of embezzlement, conversion, and intentional misapplication of funds from an organization receiving federal funds, one count of bank fraud, one count of tax evasion, and two counts of willful failure to file a tax return.
Henley – a long-time member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips street gang – has been in federal custody since March 19 after being charged in a federal criminal complaint. His arraignment is scheduled for April 8 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He has a detention hearing scheduled for April 10, also in Los Angeles federal court.
Also charged in today’s indictment are:
- Sylvester Robinson, 59, a.k.a. “Vey,” of Northridge;
- Mark Martin, 50, a.k.a. “Bear Claw,” of the Beverlywood area of Los Angeles;
- Termaine Ashley Williams, 42, a.k.a. “Luce Cannon,” of Las Vegas;
- Armani Aflleje, 38, a.k.a. “Mani,” of Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles;
- Fredrick Blanton Jr., 43, of South Los Angeles; and
- Tiffany Shanrika Hines, 51, of Yorba Linda.
These defendants are in federal custody and are expected to be arraigned in the coming weeks.
“As the indictment alleges, Mr. Henley led a criminal enterprise whose conduct ranged from murder to sophisticated fraud that included stealing from taxpayers and a charity,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Eradicating gangs and organized crime is the Department of Justice's top priority. Today's charges against the leadership of this criminal outfit will make our neighborhoods in Los Angeles safer.”
According to the indictment returned on Wednesday, from 2010 until March 2025, Henley’s criminal group – identified in court documents as the “Big U Enterprise” – operated as a mafia-like organization that utilized Henley’s stature and long-standing association with the Rollin’ 60s and other street gangs to intimidate businesses and individuals in Los Angeles. Henley is widely regarded as a leader within the Rollin’ 60s and rose to prominence in the street gang during the 1980s.
While the Big U Enterprise at times partnered with the Rollin’ 60s and other criminal elements for mutual benefit, the Big U Enterprise is a distinct and independent criminal enterprise engaged in criminal activity including murder, extortion, robbery, trafficking and exploiting sex workers, fraud, and illegal gambling.
Not only did the enterprise expand its power through violence, fear, and intimidation, but it also used social media platforms, documentaries, podcasts, interviews, and Henley’s reputation and status as an “O.G.” (original gangster) to create fame for – and stoke fear of – the Big U Enterprise, its members, and its associates.
For example, in January 2021, Henley murdered a victim – identified in the indictment as “R.W.” – an aspiring musician signed to Uneek Music, Henley’s music label. Henley shot and killed R.W., who had recorded a defamatory song about Henley. Henley then dragged the victim’s body off Interstate 15 in Las Vegas and left it in a ditch.
Henley also committed other crimes, including fraudulently obtaining a COVID-19 business-relief loan for Uneek Music, which operated at a loss and was ineligible for such relief. He used his anti-gang charity, Developing Options, as a front for fraudulent activities and to insulate other members of the Big U Enterprise from law enforcement suspicion.
Henley further embezzled large donations that celebrities and award-winning companies made to Developing Options, which Henley immediately converted to his personal bank account. According to the indictment, Developing Options is primarily funded through the City of Los Angeles’s Mayor’s Office through the Gang Reduction Youth Development (GRYD) Foundation, portions of which receive federal funding, but also receives donations from prominent sources, including NBA players.
Finally, the indictment alleges that – as part of the racketeering conspiracy charge – that during the early morning hours of March 19, while law enforcement was arresting other members of the enterprise, Henley turned off his cellphones and fled his home. That day, Henley posted to the “Crenshaw Cougars” Instagram account, claiming racial profiling, blaming his co-defendants and opponents for the criminal charges filed against him in a federal criminal complaint, and instructing the public not to associate with his co-defendants and known opponents. Henley eventually surrendered to federal law enforcement without his phones.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Henley, Robinson, Martin would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the racketeering conspiracy count. The bank fraud count is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison. The Hobbs Act conspiracy, robbery, and extortion and the wire fraud counts each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The Mann Act count and the theft concerning programs receiving federal funds count each carry a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison. The tax evasion count carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison while the willful failure to pay file a tax return count is punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment.
The FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs; IRS Criminal Investigation; the United States Department of Justice Office of Inspector General; the Los Angeles Police Department; and the North Las Vegas Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Leader of $23 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JUNYI LIU, a/k/a “Jenny,” pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill insurance providers for acupuncture and physical therapy services that were unnecessary or never performed at medical offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. LIU, a licensed acupuncturist and leader of this scheme, pled guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Junyi Liu led a fraud scheme in which she and her co-conspirators bilked Medicare and other insurers out of millions of dollars by submitting fraudulent claims for acupuncture and physical therapy services. Liu took advantage of our health care system—and abused her licensing as an acupuncturist—and she now awaits sentencing for her crime. This Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to detect and dismantle fraud schemes, including schemes that seek to siphon money from our health care system.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the plea agreement, and statements made in court:
Between 2018 and 2021, LIU, a licensed acupuncturist, operated medical offices (the “Offices”) from which LIU and her partners fraudulently billed Medicare and other insurance providers (collectively, the “Insurance Providers”) for physical therapy and acupuncture services that were not rendered in the manner represented or not rendered at all. During the scheme, LIU partnered with other licensed medical professionals, including licensed physical therapists and at least one other licensed acupuncturist (collectively, the “Partners”). The Partners’ roles in the scheme typically included: allowing the Offices to use their enrollments with the Insurance Providers to submit to the Insurance Providers materially false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement for physical therapy and acupuncture services that were not rendered in the manner represented or were not rendered at all; creating materially false medical documentation, which stated that certain physical therapy and acupuncture services had been rendered, when such services in fact were not rendered in the manner represented or were not rendered at all; and contributing financing for the Offices, including for the payment of cash kickbacks to patients (the “Paid Patients”) to induce those patients to provide their insurance information and receive medically unnecessary and/or non-existent services at the Offices. LIU and certain of the Partners also agreed to give kickbacks, including cash and expensive wine, to employees of Insurance Providers to enable the scheme to continue.
In furtherance of the scheme, LIU employed receptionists, cashiers, marketers, financial and billing personnel, acupuncturists, massagists, and other personnel. The cashiers distributed tens of thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks to the Paid Patients. In some instances, these Paid Patients visited the Offices, signed in, and received unnecessary physical therapy and acupuncture services. In other instances, the Paid Patients visited the Offices, signed a sign-in sheet and other documents, and then left without receiving any services at all. In yet other instances, the Paid Patients did not visit the Offices at all and instead signed sign-in sheets and other documents brought to them elsewhere. Regardless of whether the Paid Patients received any services or even visited the Offices at all, the conspirators used the Paid Patients’ insurance information to fraudulently bill the Insurance Providers for unnecessary and/or never rendered services.
While LIU and her Partners were defrauding the Insurance Providers of millions of dollars, from April 2020 through September 2021, LIU also engaged in a scheme to obtain COVID-19 unemployment benefits for herself and a family member (the “Family Member”) by fraudulently submitting and causing to be submitted to the New York Department of Labor materially false online applications and certifications for COVID-19 benefits. Among other things, the applications and/or certifications represented that LIU was unemployed when she continued to operate the Offices for all or nearly all of this period and that LIU’s Family Member was unable to work because of COVID-19 during a five-month period when the Family Member was in China. In connection with her guilty plea, LIU agreed to pay back the misappropriated COVID-19 unemployment benefits received by her and the Family Member.
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JUNYI LIU, 70, of Great Neck, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. As part of her plea agreement with the Government, LIU agreed to pay $23,855,425 in restitution to the Insurance Providers and $40,075 to the New York State Department of Labor. She additionally agreed to forfeiture of $15,368,171.
In addition to LIU, NOEMI ALGODON, MOHAMED ELMANDOUH, GERARD ESTRELLA, RAMON GARCIA, III, HENLER DATU TAHIL, JONATHAN LAQUI, and MITZY BALDOVINO have also pled guilty in connection with their participation in the health care fraud scheme.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General’s New York Office and the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Mr. Podolsky also thanked the New York State Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy V. Capozzi and Jerry Fang are in charge of the prosecution.
Latin Music Talent Agency and Its CEO Found Guilty of Violating U.S. Sanctions by Doing Business with Cartel-Linked Concert PromoterRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The CEO of a Latin music conglomerate and his talent agency were found guilty by a jury today of conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act by conducting business with a Guadalajara-based concert promoter with ties to Mexican drug cartels.
José Ángel Del Villar, 44, of Huntington Beach, the CEO of Del Records and its related talent agency Del Entertainment Inc., was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers in violation of the Kingpin Act and 10 counts of violating the Kingpin Act.
Co-defendant Del Entertainment also was found guilty of all 11 counts of which Del Villar was convicted.
According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, in April 2018, the defendants did business with Jesús Pérez Alvear, a.k.a. “Chucho,” of Guadalajara, Mexico, a music promoter who controlled Gallistica Diamante, a.k.a. Ticket Premier. Pérez promoted concerts for Del Entertainment in Mexico until March 2019.
The U.S. Treasury Department listed Pérez and his company as “specially designated narcotics traffickers” under the Kingpin Act on April 6, 2018, after concluding he facilitated money laundering for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the Los Cuinis drug trafficking organization. The Kingpin Act prevents people in the United States from conducting business with sanctioned persons and entities.
Even though Del Villar and Del Entertainment were aware that it was illegal to engage in transactions or dealings with Pérez, they willfully did business with him by continuing to have a Del Entertainment musical artist perform at concerts in which Pérez and Del Entertainment had a financial interest.
For example, on April 19, 2018, FBI agents approached a well-known musician and explicitly told him about Pérez’s designation under the Kingpin Act and how that prohibited him from conducting business with Pérez and performing concerts that Pérez promoted.
On April 28, 2018, the musician performed at a music concert which Pérez organized. Del Villar’s credit card was used to pay for a private jet that brought the musician from Van Nuys Airport to the performance in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
On multiple other occasions in 2018 and 2019, Pérez and Del Villar continued to do business by arranging for the musician to perform at concerts in Mexico – including Mexicali and San José Iturbide, Guanajuato.
“The defendants here chose to get into business with an individual they knew had ties to the CJNG and had been designated a narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Cartels and transnational criminal organizations cause immeasurable harm to our country. We are using every tool to eliminate these organizations and will prosecute those that do business with cartels.”
“Doing business with government-sanctioned individuals is illegal and can have very serious consequences,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s guilty verdict sends a message to music industry associates and others who engage in business with those sanctioned for laundering money for Mexican cartels that such criminal activity will not be tolerated by the FBI and our partners at the IRS and the United States Attorney’s Office.”
United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled an August 15 sentencing hearing, at which time Del Villar will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count. Del Entertainment will face a sentence of five years of probation and a fine of $10 million for each count.
Co-defendant Luca Scalisi, 58, of West Hollywood, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in this case and is scheduled to be tried separately in July 2025.
Co-defendant Pérez, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers, was murdered in Mexico in December 2024.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control provided significant assistance in this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benedetto L. Balding and Alexander B. Schwab of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, and Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, prosecuted this case, with substantial assistance from the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Killeen Man and Former Soldiers Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Fort Cavazos Equipment Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Killeen man was sentenced in a federal court in Waco to 120 months in prison for buying and selling U.S. Army equipment that had been stolen by soldiers and former soldiers.
According to court documents, beginning in January 2017, Benjamin Alvarado Jr., 32, purchased thousands of military items, owned by the United States, from co-conspirators Darius Alston, Justin Wallas and Gabriel Taylor, and Kynyqus Bryant. The co-conspirators were U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Fort Cavazos and had participated in at least seven thefts of U.S. government property from Fort Cavazos. Collectively, they coordinated with Alvarado throughout the scheme through telecommunications and text messages.
Investigators with the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army CID) traced several transactions through online sellers, such as eBay, to Alvarado, who, on Aug, 9, 2021, was discovered to be selling multiple M-50 gas masks similar to what had been reported stolen from Fort Cavazos. Alvarado was also selling filters for the masks, night vision device image intensifier tubes, Litefighter tents, and other miscellaneous sensitive property being transported in interstate and foreign commerce with a value of $5,000 or more.
Executed search warrants resulted in the recovery of more than 24,000 individual items stolen from the U.S. government, including, in addition to the items previously named, weapons parts, and Level III and Level IV body armor. The recovered properties were valued at approximately $2.75 million. Another search warrant led to the recovery of another $100,000 worth of military property at a Killeen storage building. The investigation also revealed that, on or about Jan. 5, 2021, Alvarado participated in the sale and transfer of a Joint Chemical Agent Detector M4A1 to a buyer in China through an intermediary in Delaware.
Alvarado stated he had purchased 90% of the 24,000 items seized from Bryant and Alston, who were assigned to the 553rd Combat Service Support Battalion. Taylor later confessed that he had participated as the lookout in a July 2021 robbery on Fort Cavazos, while other members of the conspiracy retrieved the items. Alston stated that he had conducted seven or eight theft operations with Bryant and the others, also as a lookout.
On Sept. 3, 2019, Alvarado transferred a cashier’s check for $52,890.55 to a title company for a residence in Killeen. On July 7, 2021, Alvarado transferred a personal check for $50,000 to a licensed automobile dealer for the purchase of a 2013 McLaren MP4. Following the April 2022 indictment, Alvarado forfeited the house and the car.
Alvarado pleaded guilty on Oct. 31, 2023 to one count of theft of government property conspiracy, one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, two counts of money laundering, and one count of smuggling goods from the United States. On March 26, Alvarado was sentenced to 120 months custody in federal prison.
Alston, Wallas and Taylor were also sentenced with Alvarado. Alston and Wallas were each sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Taylor was sentenced to five years of probation. Bryant was sentenced to five years of probation and incurred a $2,000 fine on March 24.
In addition to their sentences, Alston, Wallas, Taylor, and Bryant were ordered to pay $618,750 in restitution. Alvarado was ordered to pay a restitution of $2,367,780.12.
“Alvarado and his co-conspirators engaged in a massive scheme to steal, store and sell millions of dollars’ worth of U.S. military equipment—not only taking advantage of our government but placing personal profit over national security and military readiness,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Thank you to all of the federal law enforcement agencies involved for provided their individual specialized investigative skills to this case and reinforcing the fact that criminals who engage in this illicit reckless behavior will be caught and prosecuted.”
“We traced Alvarado’s sales and profits, which helped lead the team to seize assets like his real estate, his bank accounts and his McLaren. There are no sports cars and lavish lifestyles for Alvarado in prison,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan, of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “The moment he left a money trail, it sealed his fate. As the law enforcement division of the IRS, we follow the money to bring criminals to justice.”
"These sentencings are a result of a highly successful joint investigative effort by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our investigative partners" said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch of the Department of Defense – Office of Inspector General, DCIS Southwest Field Office. "Ensuring the integrity of DoD supply chains, safeguarding taxpayer investments and, most importantly, protecting the warfighter are top priorities for DCIS."
“Joint efforts with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners demonstrate our unified commitment to actively identify, disrupt, deter, and dismantle unlawful activity," said Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Central Texas Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Maria Thomas. “The result of this investigation shows that our agents, and those of our partner law enforcement agencies, are relentless in our pursuit of those who violate their position of trust in safeguarding Army resources and property for monetary gain. Corruption and fraud in U.S. Army programs jeopardize the safety of our warfighters.”
“This case highlights the partnership and commitment between Homeland Security Investigations and Army CID in securing the Homeland by targeting malicious actors stealing and exporting sensitive military equipment,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “HSI, in collaboration with law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and dismantle criminal networks that threaten the country’s national security.”
IRS-CI, DCIS, Army CID, the Department of State and HSI investigated the case with assistance from the Killeen Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton prosecuted the case.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Donald Renard Taylor, 49, of Dunbar, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 31, 2023, Taylor sold 104.63 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $850. Taylor admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling 27.71 grams of methamphetamine for $240 on June 14, 2023, and 55.75 grams of methamphetamine for $440 on July 13, 3023, to the confidential informant. All three transactions occurred in Dunbar.
On August 2, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Taylor’s Dunbar residence and seized 139.7 grams of methamphetamine, over 200 grams of fentanyl, 544.8 grams of cocaine and $19,479. Officers also seized six firearms: a Highpoint 9mm pistol, a Bearman .38-caliber pistol, a F.I.E. Corp .25-caliber pistol, a Glock L9 9mm pistol, a Taurus GX4 9mm pistol, and a Davis Industries .25-caliber pistol.
Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-44.
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Justice Department Launches Anticompetitive Regulations Task ForceRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department launches an Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force to advocate for the elimination of anticompetitive state and federal laws and regulations that undermine free market competition and harm consumers, workers, and businesses. The Antitrust Division has a long history of advocacy against laws and regulations that create unnecessary barriers to competition. The Task Force will surge resources to these efforts and invite public comments to support the Administration’s mission to unwind laws and regulations that hinder business dynamism and make markets less competitive.
“Realizing President Trump’s economic Golden Age will require unwinding burdensome regulations that stifle free market competition. This Antitrust Division will stand against harmful barriers to competition whether imposed by public regulators or private monopolists,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We look forward to working with the public and with other federal agencies to identify and eliminate anticompetitive laws and regulations.”
On Jan. 31, President Trump signed Executive Order 14192 declaring “the policy of the executive branch” to be that federal agencies should “alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens placed on the American people.” Consistent with this policy, on Feb. 19, President Trump signed Executive Order 14219 directing agencies to “initiate a process to review all regulations” and identify regulations that, among other things, “impose undue burdens on small businesses and impede private enterprise and entrepreneurship.” Consistent with longstanding practice, the Antitrust Division will support federal agencies’ deregulatory initiatives by sharing its market expertise on regulations that pose the greatest barriers to economic growth.
Regulatory capture is a well-studied phenomenon in which agencies become “captured” by special interests and big businesses, rather than serving the interests of the American people. But when regulations serve the few and impose undue burdens on small businesses, private enterprise, and entrepreneurs, they also harm competition and ultimately hurt American consumers, workers, and businesses. For example, regulations can increase compliance costs, preventing businesses from competing on a level playing field with powerful corporations. Regulations can also discourage or even intentionally prohibit small businesses and new products from entering markets and lowering prices for American families. In contrast, eliminating unnecessary anticompetitive regulations makes it easier for businesses to compete. More competition empowers the American people — not government regulators — to drive economic progress and innovation. When every American has a fair opportunity to enjoy the benefits of competitive free markets, every American has an opportunity to realize the American dream.
By identifying and working with state and federal agencies to revise or eliminate these laws and regulations, the Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force will contribute to making the American dream a reality. As a first step, the Antitrust Division will initiate a public inquiry to identify unnecessary laws and regulations that raise the highest barriers to competition. In particular, the Division will seek information from the public about laws and regulations that make it more difficult for businesses to compete effectively, especially in markets that have the greatest impact on American households, including:
- Housing: Americans spend more than one-third of their monthly income on housing, and the cost of owning or renting a home continues to rise. Laws and regulations in housing markets can contribute to these problems by making it more difficult for companies to build and ordinary Americans to rent or buy.
- Transportation: Laws and regulations in areas like airlines, rail, and ocean shipping can grant antitrust immunities, outright monopolies, or safe harbors for conduct that undermines competition. As a result, Americans pay more for travel, fuel, and a variety of other products.
- Food and Agriculture: By the end of the Biden-Harris Administration, grocery prices were 27% higher than at the end of the first Trump Administration. Eliminating unnecessary anticompetitive regulations will help farmers, growers, and ranchers increase the amount of food they produce and unlock lower prices for American consumers.
- Healthcare: Laws and regulations in healthcare markets too often discourage doctors and hospitals from providing low-cost, high-quality healthcare and instead encourage overbilling and consolidation. These kinds of unnecessary anticompetitive regulations put affordable healthcare out of reach for millions of American families.
- Energy: Reliable and affordable energy is essential to modern American life — whether in homes, businesses, manufacturing plants, schools, hospitals, sporting events, or data centers. Laws and regulations can undermine reliability and affordability by protecting incumbent electricity providers from competition or disruptive innovation.
The public will have 60 days to submit comments at www.Regulations.gov (Docket No. ATR-2025-0001), no later than May 27. Once submitted, comments will be posted to Regulations.gov. All market participants are invited to provide comments in response to this inquiry, including consumers, consumer advocates, small businesses, employers, trade groups, industry analysts, and other entities that are impacted by anticompetitive state or federal laws and regulations.
In addition to reviewing responses from the public, the Task Force will bring together attorneys, economists, and other staff from across the Division, together with interagency partners, to identify state and federal laws and regulations that unnecessarily harm competition. The Antitrust Division will then take appropriate action, including helping agencies revise or eliminate these regulations.
The Task Force will also consider other ways to advocate for the removal of anticompetitive laws and regulations. The Division routinely files amicus briefs and statements of interests in private litigation, and it will continue to do so to promote competition and oppose anticompetitive laws and regulations. The Division also provides comments on proposed legislation in the states on the request of state legislators. These efforts will continue with an eye toward protecting competition and interstate commerce in light of dormant Commerce Clause principles.
The Justice Department has a long history of serving as the Executive Branch’s chief competition advocate by working with agencies to identify and eliminate unnecessary regulations. In 2018, the Justice Department released a report on how regulations can harm competition. Following this report, the Justice Department submitted dozens of comments to federal agencies supporting efforts to eliminate unnecessary regulations and increase competition. For example, the Justice Department, in consultation with the Federal Trade Commission, submitted a comment opposing regulations that would have protected incumbent electricity transmission companies from much-needed competition in energy markets across the country. The Justice Department filed comments aimed at making it easier for individuals and small businesses to navigate the federal government bureaucracy. The Justice Department also provided technical assistance and trainings to federal agencies to help them analyze how new and existing regulations might affect competition, or whether competition may be a better alternative to regulation altogether.
The Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force will continue these efforts, supporting ongoing efforts across the Trump Administration to unleash competition by eliminating unnecessary, burdensome, and wasteful government regulations. For more information on the Task Force, including contact information, see Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force page on the Division’s website.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: [email protected].
Justice Department Disrupts Hamas Terrorist Financing Scheme Through Seizure of CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced the disruption of an ongoing terrorist financing scheme through the seizure of approximately $201,400 (based on current value) in cryptocurrency held in wallets and accounts intended to benefit Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas). The seized funds were traced from Hamas fundraising addresses, purportedly controlled by Hamas, that were used to launder more than $1.5 million in virtual currency since October 2024.
The action was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Sue J. Bai head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the Albuquerque Field Office.
As alleged in court documents, a group chat claiming association with Hamas on an encrypted communications platform provided Hamas supporters, worldwide, with a changing set of at least 17 cryptocurrency addresses. Supporters were encouraged to donate money to those addresses. Those funds were sent into an operational wallet and laundered through a series of virtual currency exchanges and transactions by leveraging suspected financiers and over-the-counter brokers. More than a million dollars were raised and laundered using the laundering system and the virtual currency accounts described in the affidavit.
“Hamas is responsible for the deaths of many U.S. and Israeli nationals, and we will use every legal tool at our disposal to stop their campaign of terror and murder,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “These seizures are but one illustration of the determination of this office and the Department of Justice to shut off the flow of funds to this group, and to locate every cent intended to support their activities, no matter what form it takes.”
“At Attorney General Pam Bondi’s direction, the Department of Justice is committed to dismantling Hamas using every tool at our disposal,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
“Countering terrorism remains the FBI’s number one priority. By successfully disrupting access to these funds, we have weakened their ability to function,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Bujanda, of the Albuquerque Field Office. “This success demonstrates that financial warfare is a critical component to fight terrorism. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect the American people and pursue justice by depriving terrorist organizations of the resources they need to continue their illicit activity.”
Included among the assets seized were cryptocurrency addresses valued at approximately $89,900, and three additional accounts containing cryptocurrency valued at approximately $111,500. These accounts were registered in the names of Palestinian individuals living in Turkey and elsewhere.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Albuquerque Field Office in coordination with the FBI Counterterrorism Division (CTD) and Cyber Division (CyD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal Chawla for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery for the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Jessica Joyce for the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
signed_warrant_package_redacted.pdfJustice Department Disrupts Hamas Terrorist Financing Scheme Through Seizure of CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced the disruption of an ongoing terrorist financing scheme through the seizure of approximately $201,400 in cryptocurrency held in wallets and accounts intended to benefit Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas). The seized funds were traced from fundraising addresses purportedly controlled by Hamas that were used to launder more than $1.5 million in virtual currency since October 2024.
“At Attorney General Pam Bondi’s direction, the Department of Justice is committed to dismantling Hamas using every tool at our disposal,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
“These seizures show that this office will search high and low for every cent of money going to fund Hamas, wherever it is found, and in whatever form of currency,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “Hamas is responsible for the death of many U.S. and Israeli nationals, and we will stop at nothing to stop their campaign of terror and murder.”
“Hamas raised and laundered more than a million dollars to support its terrorist operation, but through our investigation, the FBI traced and seized these funds,” said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI Counterterrorism Division. “Disrupting funding mechanisms and seizing cryptocurrency from Hamas is one of the FBI’s many tools that we use in the fight against terrorism. The FBI will work with our partners to dismantle this terrorist group and protect the American people from their violent and horrific acts.”
“Countering terrorism remains the FBI’s number one priority. By successfully disrupting access to funds, we weaken their ability to function,” said Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “This success demonstrates that financial warfare is a critical component to fight terrorism. We will continue to do everything in our power to protect the American people and pursue justice by depriving terrorist organizations of the resources they need to continue their illicit activity.”
As alleged in court documents, a group chat claiming association with Hamas on an encrypted communications platform provided Hamas supporters worldwide with a changing set of at least 17 cryptocurrency addresses. Supporters were encouraged to donate money to those addresses. Those funds were sent into an operational wallet and laundered through a series of virtual currency exchanges and transactions by leveraging suspected financiers and over-the-counter brokers. More than a million dollars was raised and laundered using the laundering system and the virtual currency accounts described in the affidavit.
Included among the assets seized were cryptocurrency addresses valued at approximately $89,900 and three additional accounts containing cryptocurrency valued at approximately $111,500. These accounts were registered in the names of Palestinian individuals living in Turkey and elsewhere.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office is investigating the case, in coordination with the FBI Counterterrorism Division and Cyber Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tejpal Chawla for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery for the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Jessica Joyce of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts Ohio Man of Armed Cocaine Trafficking and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati, Ohio, man was convicted on Thursday by a federal jury in Covington for armed cocaine trafficking and illegal firearm possession.
After slightly under three hours of deliberation, following a three-day trial, the jury convicted 33-year-old Anthony Wynn of one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to testimony at trial, in August 2020, law enforcement stopped a vehicle being driven by Wynn to investigate a possible DUI. During the stop, officers located two bags of crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana on Wynn’s person. Officers also found a loaded firearm in the glove box and a digital scale in the center console. An additional loaded firearm was found in the trunk. Wynn possessed the firearms to protect himself, drugs, and drug proceeds from robbery. Also, Wynn was aware at the time of his arrest that he had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Wynn was previously convicted of facilitation of robbery and first degree trafficking in a controlled substance in Campbell County Circuit Court in 2010; and first degree trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine, and two counts of first degree trafficking in a controlled substance, heroin, in Kenton County Circuit Court in 2015.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department, jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and Covington Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Bracke and Joel King.
Wynn will appear for sentencing on July 16, 2025. He faces a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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James Mailhiot, Jr. Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that James Mailhiot, Jr., 56, of Rutland, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Rutland to four years of probation following his guilty plea to a charge of federal income tax evasion. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier ordered that Mailhiot perform 200 hours of community service during his probationary term, pay restitution totaling $296,618, and an additional fine of $25,000. At today’s hearing, counsel represented to the court that Mailhiot was prepared to pay his restitution obligation in full immediately after sentencing.
On November 14, 2024, the United States Attorney filed a one-count information charging Mailhiot with evading a significant portion of the income taxes he owed to the United States for Tax Years 2019 through 2022. Mailhiot pleaded guilty to that information last December.
According to the information, Mailhiot owned and operated a roofing business that generated approximately $1.6 million in gross revenues between 2019 and 2022. Mailhiot used an out-of-state accountant to prepare his federal income tax returns. To enable the accountant to prepare each return, Mailhiot sent the accountant records of revenues earned and expenses incurred on the various roofing jobs he completed that year. In fact, the records Mailhiot gave to the accountant were very incomplete, resulting in a very substantial understatement of the taxable income he earned each year, and very substantial underpayments of the taxes he owed to the Internal Revenue Service. According to the information, Mailhiot’s underpayments for years 2019-2022 totaled $296,000.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Mailhiot is represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
Indiana Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Indiana, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 70 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and crack, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Barry Baker, 46.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around December 2021 to in and around March 2023, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Baker conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and a quantity of crack. Baker was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to other members of the drug organization in Johnstown.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Baker. Additional agencies participating in the investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. 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.
Illegal Alien Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS– A Mexican national, illegally in the United States, was ordered detained by a Federal Magistrate Judge on Tuesday after he was arrested last week on a criminal complaint related to his alleged possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Adolfo Raul Vasquez-Santana, 32, of Southaven, Mississippi, downloaded and shared videos that depicted the sexual abuse of children, some of whom appear to be younger than thirteen years of age. Vasquez-Santana is charged with the receipt or distribution of those images using the internet. If convicted of these charges, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Vasquez-Santana was investigated initially by the Southaven Police Department responding to a tip that they received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He had been arrested and charged by the Southaven Police Department, but prior to his prosecution for these offenses in state court, he was released to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal from the United States. The Department of Homeland Security charged the defendant with the federal offenses at issue in the complaint.
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi made the announcement. Joyner said, “The Department of Justice will fully prosecute any alien that violates the laws of our great country. Possession of child sexual abuse images leads to further abuse of the most vulnerable members of our society: our children. The DOJ will do everything in our power to protect them and to that end, I appreciate the Southaven Police Department for their thorough investigation of this matter.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Addison is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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.
Houston man guilty of trafficking minors in two citiesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 22-year-old man residing in the Houston and Dallas areas has been convicted of two counts of sex trafficking and one count of enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
A federal jury deliberated for a day and a half before returning the guilty verdict against Cristian Morris following a three-day trial.
From Jan. 1 - June 23, 2023, Morris recruited young teenage girls. He supplied them with drugs, posted sexually explicit advertisements for commercial sex online and forced them to engage in sex acts with clients for money in hotels around the “blade” in Houston and Dallas.
The blade or “track” is an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston and Harry Hines Boulevard in Dallas where pimps and traffickers commonly place their victims to engage in commercial sex.
During trial, the jury heard from the three victims whom Morris trafficked over the course of several months. They testified he instructed them on how to walk the blade, how much to charge and provided them with condoms. The jury also heard that Morris would transport them between Houston and Dallas to engage in sex acts.
Morris kept all the proceeds.
“What this case demonstrates is that if you pimp, traffic, or exploit either women or children, you will be caught, and you shouldn’t expect anything other than the hardest charges that we can bring,” said Ganjei. “This is a great result for victims and will hopefully serve as a warning to other pimps that you’re not just risking state charges, you’ll also have the feds on you as well.”
Morris was ultimately arrested June 23, 2023, after he had posted commercial sex ads for the youngest victim, a 15-year-old runaway.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that the victims were just a group of runaways and school drop-outs engaged in bad behavior. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett presided over the trial and set sentencing for July 10. At that time, Morris faces up to life in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody until the sentencing.
FBI and Houston Police Department (HPD) conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA).
HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Kimberly Leo prosecuted the case.
Honduras Man Charged with Multiple Firearms and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Carlos Alberto Diaz-Chavez, 21, a citizen of Honduras without legal status in the United States, has been charged by criminal complaint with being an Alien in possession of a firearm, possession of a machinegun, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“We will not hesitate to keep our community safe from those who would illegally possess dangerous firearms, deal deadly narcotics, and who put our first responders at risk by their actions,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire.
According to court documents, on February 17, 2025, on Interstate 65 near the 67-mile marker, a Williamson County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) Deputy Sheriff observed a silver Toyota Camry that failed to move over into the next lane for a vehicle stopped on the side of Interstate 65 with its emergency lights on, in violation of Tennessee law. The Deputy activated the emergency lights on his patrol car to stop the Camry, at which point it came to a stop. As the Deputy approached the Camry and knocked on the passenger side window to speak with the occupants, the car accelerated at a high rate of speed and fled. WCSO Deputies deployed spike strips on Interstate 65 to disable its wheels. After the Camry’s tires were struck by the spike strips, it continued to drive towards Spring Hill, where it came to a stop by crashing into a guardrail.
Three people ran from the car, including Diaz-Chavez, who got out of the back seat carrying a backpack. WCSO Deputies chased and caught Diaz-Chavez, and found a purple Palmetto State Armory, Model: PA-15, Caliber: Multi firearm, a bag containing approximately 15 grams of methamphetamine, 14 additional individual plastic baggies of methamphetamine weighing approximately 0.2 grams each, and a black digital scale in his backpack. The Deputies also searched the Camry and located two more firearms – a Glock, Model: 17, Caliber: 9x19 mm, and a Ruger, Model: Single-Six, Caliber: 22. Diaz-Chavez was arrested on state charges and transported to the Williamson County Jail.
After waiving his Miranda rights, Diaz-Chavez admitted to being in possession of the Palmetto State Armory, PA-15, the Glock, Model: 17, and the Ruger Single-Six. He said he used the firearms for protection while he sold narcotics in the Nashville area. He also said that he was aware the Palmetto State Armory, PA-15, was a machinegun, which he purchased to have “more firepower” to protect himself while he sold narcotics in the Nashville area.
Diaz-Chavez admitted that he is from Honduras, he entered the United States illegally in 2019, and he has stayed in the Middle Tennessee and Northern Alabama area since his arrival.
If convicted, Diaz-Chavez faces a maximum of 15 years years in federal prison on the Alien in possession of a firearm count, 10 years on the possession of a machinegun count, 20 years on the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine count, and a mandatory minimum of five years consecutive to all other punishment on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking count. He also faces up to a $1,000,000 fine on the drug trafficking count, and a $250,000 fine on each of the firearms offenses.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Stephens is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Fresno Man Convicted at Trial for Running Catalytic Converter Theft Ring That Stole Millions of Dollars’ Worth of ConvertersRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Following a four-day jury trial, George Thomas, 72, formerly of Fresno and Clovis, was convicted today of selling thousands of stolen catalytic converters for more than $2.7 million, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
Thomas was also convicted of structuring the money that he received for the converters out of his bank accounts through cash withdrawals to conceal his activities from the government. Generally speaking, banks are required to report cash withdrawals over $10,000 to the government. Structuring is the intentional withdrawal of cash in increments under $10,000 to avoid that reporting threshold.
“Catalytic converter theft is a nationwide problem that has affected tens of thousands of Californians,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud of its continuing effort to disrupt and dismantle this type of organized criminal activity that impacts so many victims.”
“Today’s verdict sends a message; catalytic converter theft conspiracies will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners relentlessly pursue those who exploit hard working community members for whom these thefts are a financial hardship to extract the precious metals within them for personal gain.”
“This collaboration exemplifies the power of teamwork between local and federal agencies in combating organized crime and ensuring justice for our community. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Deputy District Attorney Adam Kook for his initiative in engaging with federal authorities to drive a coordinated investigation in this case,” said District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp. “Thanks to collaborate efforts of the agencies involved, the ringleader behind the catalytic converter theft operations across the Central Valley is now facing significant fines and jail time for his wrongdoing.”
“The Fresno Police Department is proud to have participated with our partners, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clovis Police Department, in this investigation and successful prosecution,” said Chief Mindy Casto. “Mr. Thomas’ criminal actions impacted countless members of our communities, both financially and emotionally. Through solid investigations by officers and detectives and the determined prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Thomas will finally be held accountable.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, between January 2021 and November 2022, Thomas purchased stolen converters from a group of habitual thieves in the Fresno area who cut the converters off of vehicles. The sales occurred in the parking lots of motels, gas stations, and similar places at all hours of the day and night.
Thomas gave the thieves instructions on the types of converters that he was looking for and how to best cut the converters off vehicles. Thomas also loaned the thieves money to pay for their motel rooms, saws, and bail. The loans were contingent on the thieves continuing to steal converters for him.
After an initial search warrant was executed at Thomas’ home in mid-2021, Thomas continued with the illegal sales but tried to cover it up. The cover-up included taking a photograph of the thief and an identification card each time he made a sale, requesting a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for the vehicle from which the converter was supposedly cutoff, and having the thief sign a piece of paper stating that the converter was not stolen.
But Thomas did not actually change anything. For example, Thomas continued doing cash buys in the same places with the same thieves. He allowed the thieves to use fake and stolen IDs and provide him with false VINs. He also completed undercover sales where he said that he did not care where the VINs or converters came from.
The following is an example of an incriminating photograph taken during the search warrant at Thomas’ home.
Thomas drove the stolen converters to Oregon where he sold them to a metal recycling company for $2.7 million. The recycling company paid Thomas by wire transfer. He then withdrew the money through 386 cash withdrawals that were each under the $10,000 reporting threshold. He often made the withdrawals on his way to and from Oregon.
Importantly, after Thomas was arrested in April 2023, reports of converter theft in the Fresno area decreased by more than 60 percent.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Clovis Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Justin Gilio are prosecuting the case.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11, 2025. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of his convictions The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Fourth Defendant Pleads Guilty in Car Dealership Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jackson, Mississippi – A Louisiana woman pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to use the stolen identities of others to purchase expensive vehicles in the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2023, Anna Waldei, 27, of New Orleans, Louisiana, and her coconspirators obtained the identity information of credit-worthy individuals, created false identity documents in the names of those individuals, and then posed as those individuals at automotive dealerships in order to apply for vehicle financing. Waldei and her coconspirators submitted credit applications and purchased or attempted to purchase vehicles from dealerships in the Jackson metro area. The defendants traveled from Louisiana to Mississippi in a vehicle rented by Waldei.
Waldei is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office are investigating the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
Four Individuals and One Company Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging Schemes and Related Crimes Plaguing Public Schools in Mississippi and LouisianaRead the Press Release
Four individuals and one company pleaded guilty in three separate U.S. District Courts for their roles in various bid rigging and wire fraud conspiracies which targeted the sale of sports equipment to public schools throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. The schemes affected sales to hundreds of public schools in both states.
The individuals and company pleaded guilty between February and March of 2025. Yesterday, Patrick Joseph Stewart of Hattiesburg, Mississippi pleaded guilty to one count of bid rigging and one count of wire fraud affecting sales to at least 69 public schools in the Eastern District of Louisiana. In the Southern District of Mississippi, Maurice Daniel Bowering Jr., of Hattiesburg, Mississippi pleaded guilty to five counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 50 public schools on March 6; and Robert Tucker Craig of Starkville, Mississippi pleaded guilty to three counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 38 public schools and one count of obstruction for the deletion of related evidence on Feb. 19. Lastly, Robert Douglas Heflin of Starkville, Mississippi pleaded guilty to two counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 31 public schools on March 4; and Mississippi company Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc., pleaded guilty to two counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 60 public schools on Feb. 20, in the Northern District of Mississippi.
“School sports are integral to the development and upbringing of American children. From these opportunities, they learn the benefits of teamwork and open competition. Bid rigging, on the other hand, is the antithesis of American meritocracy. It is also patently unlawful,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The defendants here selfishly targeted school sports programs, depriving students of an opportunity to thrive. The Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force has zero tolerance for bid collusion schemes, particularly when they target children.”
“The defendants rigged bids for school sports equipment which resulted in an unfair playing field,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi is committed to working with our law enforcement and Antitrust Division partners to protect school athletics and taxpayer dollars.”
“Financial fraud perpetrated against the U.S. government is a serious crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Particularly egregious, is fraud that undercuts government procurement processes and erodes public trust in the fair-bidding practice. These guilty pleas send a clear and decisive message that our office, along with our federal partners, will continue to protect the taxpayer by vigorously investigating and prosecuting all such corruption cases.”
“Bid rigging and the collusion that makes it possible drive up prices for taxpayers and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi. “We will continue our commitment to work with the FBI and to root out corruption.”
“This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding public schools from criminal schemes that defraud the American people and exploit taxpayer money,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “Stewart, Bowering, Craig, Heflin, and Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc. were in positions to help shape children's learning, the benefits of physical fitness in living prosperous lives. Instead, these co-conspirators chose to abuse the trust given to them by stealing future opportunities from students in fraudulently filling their pockets with the hard-earned tax dollars schools are entrusted to invest in the development of America's future leaders. The FBI will continue to work with our federal partners to relentlessly pursue and bring justice to individuals and companies who use fraudulent schemes to defraud our communities.”
According to court documents, Craig, Bowering, Heflin, Stewart, and Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc. entered into conspiracies in which they agreed to submit complementary bids to public schools to obtain procurements for sports equipment and related services. The longest of the charged conspiracies lasted more than a decade. Two other co-conspirators, Charles Ferrell Trimm and Bradley D. Willcutt, previously pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Mississippi in May 2024 and September 2024, respectively.
The maximum penalty for the Sherman Act is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years in prison, a criminal fine, and Court-ordered restitution. The maximum penalty for obstruction in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c) is 20 years in prison and a criminal fine of no more than $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine the sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Today’s guilty pleas result from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the school sports equipment industry being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant Chief Laura Butte; Trial Attorneys Jill Rogowski, Marc Hedrich, and Hannah Muller; and Senior Litigation Counsel Paul Torzilli are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Four Individuals and One Company Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging Schemes and Related Crimes Plaguing Public Schools in Mississippi and LouisianaRead the Press Release
Four individuals and one company pleaded guilty in three separate U.S. District Courts for their roles in various bid rigging and wire fraud conspiracies which targeted the sale of sports equipment to public schools throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. The schemes affected sales to hundreds of public schools in both states.
The individuals and company pleaded guilty between February and March of 2025. Yesterday, Patrick Joseph Stewart of Hattiesburg, Mississippi pleaded guilty to one count of bid rigging and one count of wire fraud affecting sales to at least 69 public schools in the Eastern District of Louisiana. In the Southern District of Mississippi, Maurice Daniel Bowering Jr., of Hattiesburg, Mississippi pleaded guilty to five counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 50 public schools on March 6; and Robert Tucker Craig of Starkville, Mississippi pleaded guilty to three counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 38 public schools and one count of obstruction for the deletion of related evidence on Feb. 19. Lastly, Robert Douglas Heflin of Starkville, Mississippi pleaded guilty to two counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 31 public schools on March 4; and Mississippi company Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc., pleaded guilty to two counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 60 public schools on Feb. 20, in the Northern District of Mississippi.
“School sports are integral to the development and upbringing of American children. From these opportunities, they learn the benefits of teamwork and open competition. Bid rigging, on the other hand, is the antithesis of American meritocracy. It is also patently unlawful,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The defendants here selfishly targeted school sports programs, depriving students of an opportunity to thrive. The Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force has zero tolerance for bid collusion schemes, particularly when they target children.”
“The defendants rigged bids for school sports equipment which resulted in an unfair playing field,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi is committed to working with our law enforcement and Antitrust Division partners to protect school athletics and taxpayer dollars.”
“Financial fraud perpetrated against the U.S. government is a serious crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Particularly egregious, is fraud that undercuts government procurement processes and erodes public trust in the fair-bidding practice. These guilty pleas send a clear and decisive message that our office, along with our federal partners, will continue to protect the taxpayer by vigorously investigating and prosecuting all such corruption cases.”
“Bid rigging and the collusion that makes it possible drive up prices for taxpayers and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi. “We will continue our commitment to work with the FBI and to root out corruption.”
“This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding public schools from criminal schemes that defraud the American people and exploit taxpayer money,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “Stewart, Bowering, Craig, Heflin, and Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc. were in positions to help shape children's learning, the benefits of physical fitness in living prosperous lives. Instead, these co-conspirators chose to abuse the trust given to them by stealing future opportunities from students in fraudulently filling their pockets with the hard-earned tax dollars schools are entrusted to invest in the development of America's future leaders. The FBI will continue to work with our federal partners to relentlessly pursue and bring justice to individuals and companies who use fraudulent schemes to defraud our communities.”
According to court documents, Tucker, Bowering, Heflin, Stewart, and Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc. entered into conspiracies in which they agreed to submit complementary bids to public schools to obtain procurements for sports equipment and related services. The longest of the charged conspiracies lasted more than a decade. Two other co-conspirators, Charles Ferrell Trimm and Bradley D. Willcutt, previously pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Mississippi in May 2024 and September 2024, respectively.
The maximum penalty for the Sherman Act is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years in prison, a criminal fine, and Court-ordered restitution. The maximum penalty for obstruction in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c) is 20 years in prison and a criminal fine of no more than $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine the sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Today’s guilty pleas result from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the school sports equipment industry being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant Chief Laura Butte; Trial Attorneys Jill Rogowski, Marc Hedrich, and Hannah Muller; and Senior Litigation Counsel Paul Torzilli are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Former U.S. Postal Service Employee Pleads Guilty to Theft of Postal OrdersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to embezzling over $18,000.
Christine Hedges, 47, of Brockton, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2025. In March 2024, Hedges was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Hedges began working for USPS around 2020, most recently as a Lead Sales & Service Associate in Brockton. From approximately October 2021 to August 2023, Hedges engaged in a scheme to steal USPS funds for her personal use. As part of this scheme, Hedges generated, for her own use, no-fee money orders without a customer physically present at her customer window and which a customer did not request. Hedges also stole cash from her USPS workstation and often attempted to conceal her theft by replacing the cash with these fraudulent money orders. During the relevant period, Hedges generated approximately 64 fraudulent no-fee money orders. Of those no-fee money orders, 11 were made out to her boyfriend or a family member. From on or about Aug. 1, 2023 to on or about Aug. 14, 2023, video surveillance from above Hedges’ workstation showed Hedges on at least one occasion removing cash from her assigned drawer and putting it in her pocket. In all, Hedges stole approximately $18,939 in postal funds.
The charge of theft of government money provides a sentence of up to 10 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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
Former Postal Clerk Sentenced for Stealing from Cherryfield Post OfficeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Ellsworth woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for theft of public money.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Melissa Milliken, 33, to three years of probation. She was also ordered to pay $17,130.22 in restitution.
According to court records, in October 2022, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) launched an investigation after receiving a report that postal funds were missing following stamp stock and cash counts at the Cherryfield Post Office. Surveillance video from within the post office captured Milliken placing money into her pockets. Milliken admitted to investigators that she had been stealing from the post office for approximately a year. Investigators determined she stole more than $17,130 in government money between December 2021 and September 2023.
USPS-OIG Northeast Area Field Office, under Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, investigated the case.
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Former North Dakota State Senator Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Traveling to Prague to Engage in Commercial Sex with ChildrenRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former North Dakota state legislator for 45 years was sentenced on March 26, 2025, to 10 years in prison for traveling to Prague in the Czech Republic, where he paid to sexually exploit children.
According to court documents, Raymon (Ray) Everett Holmberg, 81, of Grand Forks, traveled to Prague approximately 14 times between 2011 and 2021. During these trips, while staying at a brothel that catered to men looking to engage in commercial sex with adolescent boys, Holmberg paid for sex acts with boys. During some of the trips, Holmberg used the alias “Sean Evans.” Witnesses told law enforcement that Holmberg did not want his name on the brothel’s registry because he was a North Dakota state legislator. Witnesses also told law enforcement that Holmberg would also visit a public park in front of the main train station in Prague to procure sex from underage boys.
Holmberg also used the “Evans” alias to tell friends about his trips and encourage them to travel to Prague. In these communications, Holmberg shared an image of an adolescent boy that he called “his twink,” and said that “no one is ever to [sic] young . . . remember Prague.” He emailed a different friend a link to a brothel in Prague and suggested that they go that summer, writing: “The boys rent at around $60 . . . (sex is extra).” Holmberg also wrote: “It will be decadent but oh so much fun bro. What happens in Prague—Stays in Prague.” Back in the United States, Holmberg boasted about having engaged in sexual activity with boys as young as 12- and 15-years old during his travels.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Holmberg’s sexual exploitation of minors was not limited to his trips to Prague. Holmberg established an online relationship with a 16-year-old Canadian boy, posing as a boy of a similar age in order to manipulate the Canadian teen into taking images of himself engaging in sexually explicit conduct and sending them to Holmberg.
On August 8, 2024, Holmberg pled guilty to traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl for the District of North Dakota made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations, Grand Forks, and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Charles Schmitz of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and Acting U.S. Attorney Puhl are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Mt. Carmel Borough Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Violate Civil RightsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that former Officer Jonathan McHugh, age 36, of the Mt. Carmel Borough Police Department, pleaded guilty yesterday before Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann, to conspiring to use excessive force when arresting people over a three-year period.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, former Officer McHugh, was previously indicted on June 15, 2023, with former Lt. David Donkochik, age 53, and former Officer Kyle Schauer, age 36, on charges of conspiracy to deprive rights under color of law. McHugh, Donkochik, and Schauer conspired to violate the civil rights of those they arrested from 2018 to 2021. During 22 different arrests, one or more of the defendants kicked, punched, choked, or otherwise used excessive force against those they were arresting. In those arrests, they caused bodily injuries to their victims.
McHugh, Donkochik, and Schauer also took steps to ensure that video of the arrests was not captured by police cameras, or if footage that incriminated them was captured, took steps to ensure that footage was not preserved. They falsely reported that arrestees acted in a manner requiring violence and then charged arrestees with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and related offenses to conceal their own use of violence.
Schauer pleaded guilty on October 24, 2024, and Donkochik pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, to conspiracy to deprive rights under color of law.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Consiglio and Carlo D. Marchioli and are prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Former Law Student Sentenced for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A former law school student who possessed more than 10,000 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his cell phone and uploaded on cloud-based storage was sentenced to serve more than six years in prison for his crime.
Gregory Gallagher, 37, of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $169,649.12 in restitution to the victims by U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on March 26. Gallagher will also be required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison. The defendant previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on April 22, 2024. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Children who experience the horror of being sexually abused are continually traumatized each and every time the image or video of the heinous act is viewed. These images are permanent and cause harm well beyond the moment they were originally captured,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Our office, working alongside our law enforcement and community partners, will pursue federal prosecution against child predators caught viewing, uploading or sharing child sexual abuse material on the internet.”
“This conviction is a victory for justice and a warning to those who prey on children—we will find you and you will face the full force of the law,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta, which covers Georgia and Alabama. “Together, HSI and our law enforcement partners will remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard communities and ensure that those who exploit children are held accountable.”
"Today’s conviction reflects the relentless efforts of law enforcement to protect children from exploitation and hold offenders accountable,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI remains steadfast in its commitment to using all available resources to prevent child abuse and bring justice to the victims of these horrific crimes."
According to court documents and statements referenced in Court, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received five Cybertip reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) between May and August 2021 from a cloud infrastructure company of suspected child sexual exploitation associated with a cell phone number. The subsequent investigation led to Gallagher, who was a Mercer Law School student at the time; agents executed a search warrant of the account in January 2022 and found subfolders belonging to Gallagher that contained 38 videos and 1,970 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), also known as child pornography. Another folder containing files uploaded from Gallagher’s cell phone had two videos and 3,389 images of more CSAM. Agents executed search warrants at Gallagher’s residences in Macon and Marietta on March 29, 2022. Agents discovered that Gallagher’s cell phone had 97 videos and 5,749 images of children being sexually assaulted and abused, including very young children and toddlers.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s (GBI) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Former Financial Advisor Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A former Morgan Stanley financial advisor in El Paso was sentenced in a federal court today to 144 months in prison for committing a multi-million dollar fraud scheme.
According to court documents, from May 2018 to August 2021, Jesus Rodriguez de la Cruz, 46, defrauded his financial services employer, Morgan Stanley, and clients of money through materially false pretenses, representations and promises. Rodriguez de la Cruz orchestrated fraudulent transfers of funds from the bank accounts of Morgan Stanley and clients to other bank accounts for his own benefit.
In one instance, Rodriguez de la Cruz created false communications and documents impersonating a client and submitted them to Morgan Stanley personnel to cause fraudulent transfers on the client’s line of credit account for personal profit. One of these included a form that falsely claimed the client had verbally authorized the transfer of $48,575.36 for the purchase of real estate in El Paso. Relying on the documentation, Morgan Stanley initiated the wire transfer from the client’s account to an account at a separate financial institution belonging to one of Rodriguez de la Cruz’s family members.
One fraudulent transfer of approximately $125,000 from a client’s account to an account at another financial institution facilitated Rodriguez de la Cruz’s purchase of a Lamborghini.
Rodriguez de la Cruz committed similar acts using other Morgan Stanley client accounts. In all, Morgan Stanley suffered a total loss of $5,554,968.10 due to Rodriguez de la Cruz’s scheme. Additionally, Rodriguez de la Cruz did not report any of the embezzled funds as income on his tax returns from 2017 through 2021, causing a loss of $408,055 for the IRS.
Rodriguez de la Cruz was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023 and arrested Jan. 12, 2024. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 5, 2024, to one count of wire fraud, one count of engaging in a monetary transaction over $10,000 using criminally derived proceeds, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of making and subscribing a false income tax return.
“This defendant abused the trust of his clients and his responsibilities as a financial advisory to steal millions of dollars in customer funds in order to enrich himself,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “Today's sentence of more than a decade in federal prison demonstrates that perpetrators of fraud in this district will be investigated and brought to justice.”
“The defendant exploited his position of trust as a financial advisor to deceive both his clients and employer for personal gain. Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to pursuing those who abuse their positions for financial fraud and ensuring they are held accountable,” said John Morales, FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge. “We are grateful for the invaluable collaboration of our partners at the Internal Revenue Service, whose continued assistance is vital in protecting our communities from greed and financial crimes.”
“Rodriguez is the epitome of criminals fueled by greed that destroy the trust we place in those who handle our personal finances. He stole from his employer, his clients, and even personally recruited a victim to trust him as her financial advisor so he could hijack her accounts, after stealing her identity,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Lucy Tan, of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “These complex financial schemes are why law enforcement agencies, like IRS-CI and the FBI, team up to help bring justice to victims and deter future criminals, like Rodriguez, from violating your trust.”
The FBI and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Calve and Adrian Gallegos prosecuted the case.
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Former Corrections Officer Convicted of Committing Perjury After Making False Statements During an Investigation into Use of Excessive Force at PrisonRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Richard Wargo, a former Sergeant at Pender Correctional Institution, pled guilty today to committing perjury before a federal grand jury in a civil rights investigation. Wargo, 37, faces up to 60 months in prison when sentenced later this year.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began an investigation in 2022 into Pender Correctional Institution (PCI), in Burgaw, after receiving multiple allegations of officers using excessive force against inmates in the prior year. During one incident, which occurred on November 17, 2021, PCI officers removed an inmate from a dorm room due to apparent intoxication and took him to a separate shipping and receiving building with no surveillance cameras. The inmate was handcuffed and struck with a baton multiple times, resulting in lacerations on his legs and scarring.
Wargo was working the night shift when the November 17, 2021, incident occurred and was tasked with preparing the incident report regarding the use of force. In his report, Wargo omitted that he was present during or involved in the use of force. It was the prison’s policy that no one involved in the incident should prepare the incident report.
The FBI interviewed Wargo in August 2023. When asked about the November 17, 2021, incident, Wargo described being the investigating officer but said he otherwise was in no way involved and was not even present for the use of force. He appeared before a federal grand jury on August 22, 2023, and while under oath, gave the same account. However, grand jury testimony from other officers and witnesses established that Wargo was present in the shipping and receiving building during the assault. Two officers testified that Wargo participated in the assault, striking the inmate with a baton, while another officer testified that he saw Wargo standing over the inmate.
Wargo agreed to a second, audio recorded interview on February 26, 2024. He again denied being present for or participating in the November 17, 2021, use of force incident. But when confronted with evidence to the contrary, Wargo admitted that he had entered the shipping and receiving building during an ongoing use of force incident. He further admitted that he had drawn his baton and witnessed other officers strike the inmate with batons.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the plea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:24-cr-0043-BO.
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Former Bank Teller Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $180,000Read the Press Release
BOSTON – A Saugus man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to embezzling bank funds while working as a teller at a Boston branch of a national bank.
Derek Aut, 28, pleaded guilty to embezzlement by a bank employee and aggravated identity theft. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2025. Aut was previously charged by criminal complaint on Dec. 18, 2024.
According to the charging documents, while working as a teller at a bank branch in Boston, Aut stole from the bank accounts of two customers by forging the victims’ names on withdrawal slips, among other things. When one of the victims noticed money missing from her account, Aut attempted to cover his theft by taking money from the other victim’s account and depositing it into the first victim’s account. In total, Aut took more than $180,000 from the victims’ accounts.
The charge of embezzlement by a bank employee provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Who Bought Diamond-Studded “Grills” with Fraud Cash Sentenced to 71 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal district judge in South Florida has sentenced an Orlando man to almost six years in prison for leading a scheme that defrauded California’s Employment Development Department of over $4 million in state and federal unemployment insurance benefit money. The judge also ordered him to pay over $1.2 million in restitution.
Zachary Kameron Ramyard, 23, of Orlando, Fla. pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in October 2024.
From August 2020 to August 2022, Ramyard and others submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims to California’s Employment Development Department (EDD). UI payments are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. They purchased the personally identifiable information (PII) of victims (including names, dates of birth, and social security numbers), created counterfeit driver licenses with it, and submitted at least 68 fraudulent UI benefits applications using the victims’ PII.
Ramyard also withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars in UI funds from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in different states using fraudulent debit cards. (The EDD typically distributed UI benefits electronically to debit cards that were mailed to claimants.) Ramyard used the cash to buy luxury items like the diamond-studded teeth jewelry, also known as “grills,” pictured above.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region announced the sentence.
HSI Miami and DOL-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Egozi prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture.
Additional Background Information: Beginning in or around March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded UI eligibility and increased UI benefits, including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC), and the Lost Wages Assistance Program (LWAP). In the State of California, the EDD administered the UI program.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed, and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force: On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Reporting: 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.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20382.
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Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 65 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Derek Gaines, 37, of Severn, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 65 months in federal prison for selling thousands of fentanyl pills and cocaine to a confidential informant working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Gaines pleaded guilty on December 5, 2024, to unlawful distribution of 40 or more grams of fentanyl. In addition to the 65-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Gaines to serve four years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on April 4, 2024, an ATF confidential informant (CI) contacted Gaines. Gaines asked the CI if they wanted “the two” (two ounces of cocaine) and the blues (fentanyl pills), or just the blues. The CI stated that they wanted both. At 4:11 p.m., the CI texted Gaines to meet them on the 1600 block Maryland Avenue NE. Prior to the controlled purchase, law enforcement agents provided $5,000 to the CI. At the arranged meeting place, at 5:09 p.m., a dark-colored Chevrolet pulled alongside the CI’s vehicle. Gaines exited the Chevrolet and entered the front passenger seat of the CI’s vehicle and exchanged the cocaine and five baggies of fentanyl pills to the CI for $4,000. A DEA analysis showed that the suspected cocaine was in fact determined to be 55.78 grams of the drug. The five plastic baggies contained 502 blue M/30 fentanyl pills that weighed 59.2 grams, including packaging.
On June 4, 2024, the CI texted Gaines and asked for another transaction at the same location. On June 6, 2024, ATF agents provided $7,500 to the CI. At 5:34 p.m., a gray Volkswagen Passat pulled up alongside the CI’s vehicle. Gaines exchanged the suspected cocaine and fentanyl pills for $6,500. Following the controlled purchase, the CI met with ATF agents and turned over the suspected narcotics. A DEA analysis of the suspected cocaine determined that the substance was in fact cocaine with a net weight of 56.44 grams. An analysis of the blue pills determined them to be fentanyl with a net weight of 106.69 grams.
On July 23, 2024, Gaines sold 2,000 blue M/30 fentanyl pills to the CI for $8,000 at the same Maryland Ave. location.
Law enforcement arrested Gaines on August 29, 2024, in Severn, Maryland.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Washington Field Division, with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
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Felon Sentenced on Two Federal Drug Counts Incurred While Awaiting Self-Surrender on Peoria County Drug Possession ConvictionRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – Romel Michael Turner, 31, formerly of the 2500 block of West Wardcliffe Drive, Peoria, Illinois, was sentenced in federal court on March 25, 2025, to 151 months’ imprisonment for two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual).
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm, evidence showed that Turner was sentenced in Peoria County Circuit Court on October 25, 2023, to 6 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (“IDOC”) for unlawful possession of methamphetamine. He was to self-surrender on January 5, 2024. Turner was found to have distributed methamphetamine at least three times in December 2023. He pled guilty in August 2024 and has remained in the custody of the IDOC since his self-surrender for the county charges in January 2024. His projected parole on the county case is December 2026.
At the hearing, the judge also ordered that the 151-month term should be served consecutive to his current IDOC sentence.
The statutory penalties for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) are: not less than 10 years and up to life imprisonment; a minimum of 5 years’ supervised release; and a fine of up to $10 million.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Springfield Resident Office, Peoria Multi-Agency Enforcement Group (P-MEG), and Peoria Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Federal Jury Convicts Rochester Felon for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Rochester man guilty of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on March 18-19, 2023, Divaunte Kartrell Young, 24, pressured an acquaintance “Victim A” for a ride to the Twin Cities. When Victim A refused, Young brandished a handgun he carried in a black and white Adidas cross-body bag. After Victim A and Young drove to a nearby gas station, Victim A went inside the gas station and locked herself in the bathroom in order to call a friend for help. Shortly afterwards, Victim A abandoned her vehicle and called 911. Responding officers located the car, found Young sleeping inside, and took him into custody. During the subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located the black and white Adidas bag with a silver Taurus nine-millimeter handgun inside. Young’s DNA was matched to DNA that was found on the gun. After Young was taken into custody, he contacted Victim A and was captured on recorded jail calls attempting to obstruct Victim A from participating in the criminal case against him.
Because Young has multiple prior felony convictions for domestic assault, aggravated robbery, burglary, and fourth degree assault, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Following a three-day trial before Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court, a jury found Young guilty on one count of illegal possession of a firearm.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Rochester Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan B. Gilead and David B. Green prosecuted the case.
Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging 14 Defendants with Drug Conspiracy, Racketeering, and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook, along with DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Keith Bakewell, Lincoln Parish Sheriff J. Stephen Williams, Louisiana State Police Captain Eric Cuenca, and Ruston Police Department Chief Eric Watson, have joined together in a press conference today to announce the indictment of 14 defendants on drug and firearms charges related to a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Ruston, Louisiana area.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment charging the following individuals with drug conspiracy, racketeering, and firearms charges. The defendants named in the indictment and the charges they face are as follows:
Defendant Name
Charges
Cornelius Boston, a/k/a “C-Rock”
Age 44 of Ruston, LA
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking
- Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon
Shedrick Green, III a/k/a “Shed”
Age 40 of Ruston, LA
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Ferrano Barnes, a/k/a “Quan”
Age 54 of Lodi, CA
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Marcus Gray
Age 41 of Salina, KS
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Landon Askins
Age 42 of Ruston, LA
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Brodrick Graham, a/k/a “Broderick Graham”
Age 31 of Ruston, LA
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Kimoni McMurray, a/k/a “KiMoney”
Age 46 of Ruston, LA
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Jakevdrick Carter, a/k/a “OB”
Age 34 of Ruston, LA
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Ladavid Hunter
Age 37 of Jonesboro, LA
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Jason Teddy Potts
Age 46 of Ruston, LA
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Roy Lee Williams, a/k/a “Mickey”
Age 40 of Ruston, LA
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
Tangua Raybon, a/k/a “Tangua King”
Age 56 of Winnfield, LA
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Interstate Travel in Aid of Racketeering
There are two additional individuals not named above who have been charged in this indictment. We are unable to disclose their identity at this time.
The indictment alleges that between January 1, 2022, and continuing through on or about November 27, 2024, in the Western District of Louisiana and elsewhere, the 14 defendants knowingly and intentionally conspired together to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
The indictment further alleges that on November 27, 2024, Cornelius Boston possessed with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessed a Glock 9mm caliber pistol, Model 45, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and as a convicted felon. In addition, it is alleged that on or about November 27, 2024, Shedrick Green, III knowingly and intentionally possessed with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. On or about September 10, 2024, it is also alleged that Roy Lee Williams knowingly and intentionally possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In addition to the drug conspiracy and possession charges, the indictment alleges that between on or about May 1, 2021, and on or about November 27, 2024, Tangua Raybon knowingly traveled in interstate commerce between the State of Louisiana and the State of Texas with the intent to distribute the proceeds of an unlawful activity which was the distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The indictment includes a sentencing enhancement for Boston, Green, Askins, McMurray, Hunter, and Potts. As a result of their prior serious felony drug trafficking convictions, they are each subject to increased punishment under the criminal statute.
If convicted, the defendants face a sentence of not less than 10 years or more than life in prison, a fine of up to $10,000,000, or both.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by DEA, ATF, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, Ruston Police Department, Sulphur Police Department, Louisiana National Guard Counterdrug Unit, Louisiana Air National Guard, and U.S. Marshals Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This ongoing investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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.
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Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Against 5 Louisville Residents - Charges Include Fentanyl and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – On March 19, 2025, a federal grand jury in Louisville charged 5 Louisville residents in an indictment involving fentanyl and firearms offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Abdulkadir Malindo, 21, Abdulkadir Ali, 21, Hussein Hussein, 19, Henry Martinez, 20, and Bilal Malindo, 19, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl between October 28, 2024, and March 5, 2025.
Abdulkadir Malindo is also charged with twelve counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, two counts of distribution of fentanyl, seven counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of illegal possession of a machine gun, and one count of firearms trafficking. On the following dates, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed the listed firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On November 9, 2024, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed a Plumcrazy Firearms, Gen II, multi-caliber pistol.
On December 3, 2024, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed a P80, 9-millimeter pistol.
On December 5, 2024, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed an American Tactical Imports, Omni Hybrid, multi-caliber pistol.
On December 12, 2024, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed a Glock Switch. A Glock Switch device allows a semi-automatic handgun to function as an automatic and is defined as a machine gun under federal law.
On January 2, 2025, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed a Glock, Model 19X, 9-millimeter pistol.
On January 17, 2025, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed a Bear Creek Arsenal, Model BCA19, multi-caliber pistol and a Canik55, Model TP-9SF, 9-millimeter pistol.
On March 5, 2025, Abdulkadir Malindo possessed a Palmetto, multi-caliber rifle, a Sig Sauer, Model P226, .40 caliber pistol, a Canik, 9-millimeter pistol, and a Glock, Model 22, .40 caliber pistol.
Abdulkadir Ali is also charged with one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Hussein Hussein is also charged with one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On November 21, 2024, Hussein possessed a Radical Firearms, Model RF-15, multi-caliber pistol.
Henry Martinez is also charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl.
Bilal Malindo is also charged with two counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Abdulkadir Malindo, Ali, Hussein, and Martinez have been arrested and made their initial court appearances this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Bilal Malindo is in state custody and will make an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on a later date.
If convicted, Abdulkadir Malindo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison, Abdulkadir Ali faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, Hussein Hussein faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, Henry Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and Bilal Malindo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. All the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison. 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.
The cases are being investigated by the ATF, DEA, HSI, KSP, and LMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts is prosecuting the cases.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that Marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment 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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Ecuadorian National Indicted for Attempting to Smuggle Firearms Out of the United StatesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Karla Alejandra Tejena Parraga (38, Ecuador) with attempted smuggling of firearms. If convicted, Tejena Parraga faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on February 19, 2025, Tejena Parraga fraudulently attempted to export a firearm and firearm part from the United States to Panama. Prior to the attempted exportation, Tejena Parraga concealed, received, bought or sold, or facilitated such, knowing the firearm and firearm part was intended for exportation contrary to any law or regulation of the United States.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
East Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking and Gun Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that WARREN SIMPSON, also known as “Wodi,” 43, of East Hartford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in Bridgeport to drug trafficking and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July and August 2024, ATF special agents conducted multiple controlled purchases of cocaine from Simpson in Hartford. On September 12, 2024, as investigators approached Simpson’s residence on Judson Avenue in East Hartford to execute a federal search warrant, Simpson attempted to flee and tossed bags containing narcotics as he ran. Investigators apprehended Simpson and recovered the bags. Searches of Simpson’s residence and vehicle, and the discarded bags, revealed approximately 248 grams of fentanyl, approximately 690 grams of cocaine, drug processing and packaging materials, a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol, and ammunition.
Simpson’s criminal history includes felony convictions in Connecticut for possession of narcotics, larceny, and criminal possession of a firearm. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm and ammunition that have moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Simpson pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams more of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
Simpson is released on a $200,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean P. Mahard.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’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.
Drug Task Force Operation Leads to Multiple Drug ArrestsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that on March 26, 2025, a multi-agency operation led to the arrests of 8 individuals in central Nebraska on federal drug charges, and the unsealing of several indictments. An additional 5 people were arrested on state charges. Multiple search warrants were also executed.
Those arrested federally and a summary of their charges and the penalties include the following:
A superseding indictment was unsealed charging Manuel Enrique Corona-Ramirez, Shawn Norris, Trevor Hardin, and Omar Gonzalez-Garcia with conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine between March 1, 2024 and February 5, 2025. Also listed in that conspiracy count are Reyes Ernesto Garcia-Urquizo and Enrique Martinez, who were arrested a month prior. A conviction on that conspiracy charge carries a possible penalty of not less than 10 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million; and a term of supervised release not less than five years.
A related indictment was also unsealed charging Adelso Saravia and Adriana Zepeda Rivera with conspiracy to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine (actual) between October 3, 2024 and November 30, 2024. The penalties on that charge are not less than 10 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million; and a term of supervised release not less than five years.
These cases were investigated by the Cooperative Operations for Drug Enforcement (CODE) Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska in cooperation with federal partners at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Also assisting in the investigation and subsequent arrests were the Tri-Cities Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT) Task Force based around the Grand Island-Hastings-Kearney area, the Cozad Police Department, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, the Lexington Police Department, the Nebraska State Patrol, the North Platte Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
To report tips on drug trafficking, please contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 402-492-8688 or the Nebraska Crime Stoppers tipline at 1-800-422-1494.
Drug Task Force Operation Leads to Multiple Drug ArrestsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that on March 26, 2025, a multi-agency operation led to the arrests of 8 individuals in central Nebraska on federal drug charges, and the unsealing of several indictments. An additional 5 people were arrested on state charges. Multiple search warrants were also executed.
Those arrested federally and a summary of their charges and the penalties include the following:
A superseding indictment was unsealed charging Manuel Enrique Corona-Ramirez, Shawn Norris, Trevor Hardin, and Omar Gonzalez-Garcia with conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine between March 1, 2024 and February 5, 2025. Also listed in that conspiracy count are Reyes Ernesto Garcia-Urquizo and Enrique Martinez, who were arrested a month prior. A conviction on that conspiracy charge carries a possible penalty of not less than 10 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million; and a term of supervised release not less than five years.
A related indictment was also unsealed charging Adelso Saravia and Adriana Zepeda Rivera with conspiracy to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine (actual) between October 3, 2024 and November 30, 2024. The penalties on that charge are not less than 10 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million; and a term of supervised release not less than five years.
These cases were investigated by the Cooperative Operations for Drug Enforcement (CODE) Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska in cooperation with federal partners at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Also assisting in the investigation and subsequent arrests were the Tri-Cities Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT) Task Force based around the Grand Island-Hastings-Kearney area, the Cozad Police Department, the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, the Lexington Police Department, the Nebraska State Patrol, the North Platte Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
To report tips on drug trafficking, please contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 402-492-8688 or the Nebraska Crime Stoppers tipline at 1-800-422-1494.
Diopsys, Inc. Agrees to Pay up to $14.25 Million to Resolve Alleged Federal False Claims Act and State Law Violations Relating to Vision TestingRead the Press Release
Newark, N.J. – Diopsys, Inc., a medical device company based in Middletown, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay up to $14.25 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the federal False Claims Act and various state laws by knowingly submitting or causing others to submit false claims for payment to Medicare and Medicaid in connection with certain vision testing services, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced today.
The settlement resolves allegations relating to Diopsys’ NOVA device, an electrophysiological device that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared for visual evoked potential (VEP) testing. The United States alleged that, during the period from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2021, Diopsys caused healthcare providers to submit false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for services in which the NOVA device was utilized for medically unnecessary uses, specifically electroretinography (ERG) vision testing, a substantially different vision test for which the NOVA device lacked FDA clearance. The government further contended that Diopsys made substantial changes to the NOVA device that it never submitted to FDA for clearance or approval despite knowing that such a submission was required.
“Today’s resolution reaffirms our commitment to protect the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Health care companies must not encourage doctors to submit claims for payment for medically unnecessary tests.”
U.S. Attorney John Giordano
Under the terms of the settlement, Diopsys will make guaranteed payments of $1,225,000 and contingent payments of up to $13,025,000. The settlement is based on Diopsys’ financial condition.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Dr. Atul Jain, a California ophthalmologist. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Approximately $1,120,000 of the guaranteed payment and up to approximately $11,900,000 of the contingent payments constitute the federal portion of the recovery. Dr. Jain will receive at least approximately $207,000 as his share of the federal recovery in this case.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and Trial Attorney Daniel Meyler of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Jain v. Diopsys, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 21-18151 (D.N.J.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
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Counsel for Diopsys, Inc: Paul Fishman, Newark, NJ
Counsel for Relator Dr. Atul Jain: Justin Berger, Esq., San Mateo, CA
diopsys.agreement.pdf