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Tuesday 18 February 2025
Guatemalan Citizen Pleads Guilty to Illegally Transporting Undocumented AliensRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Fredi Herrera-Sontay (42, Guatemala) has pleaded guilty to being paid to transport an undocumented alien to further his illegal presence in the United States. Herrera faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, the U.S. Border Patrol received information that a grey truck with a Georgia license plate traveling southbound on I-75 was transporting undocumented aliens between Atlanta, Georgia, and South Florida. Border Patrol agents patrolling I-75 observed the truck and determined that Herrera was the registered owner and was illegally present in the United States. Agents stopped the vehicle in the early morning hours of January 29, 2025.
Upon questioning, Herrera and a passenger in the truck stated that they were citizens of Guatemala. Neither of them had any documents establishing that they were legally authorized to be in the United States.
Database checks for the vehicle reflected that it was purchased by Herrera on February 4, 2022, and that the mileage at the time of the purchase was 88,054. The vehicle’s odometer showed that the mileage at the time of the stop was 435,814, meaning that the vehicle had been driven 347,760 miles—or, on average, about 9,660 miles per month—since Herrera had purchased it.
Both Herrera and the passenger were administratively arrested and transported to the Jacksonville Border Patrol Station for immigration processing. During processing, agents learned that Herrera had multiple previous immigration encounters and had been removed from the United States on July 11, 2018. No results returned for the passenger, indicating no prior encounters.
During an interview, Herrera stated that that he was taking the passenger to Miami, for which he was paid $250, and that he was generally paid $250 for each person he transported. When he was asked how many times he had transported aliens, he replied that he did not know, that he did not have a clue how many times.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Former Western New York man pleads guilty to perjury for lying while testifying during his fraud trialRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –Acting U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti announced today that Michael W. Luehrsen, 41, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to perjury, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. As part of his plea, Luehrsen has agreed to pay approximately $2-million dollars in restitution and forfeit approximately $2-million dollars in assets, including investments and real estate proceeds.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles M. Kruly and Grace Carducci, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2022, Luehrsen testified under oath in his previous jury trial before the United States District Court for the Western District of New York as follows:
Q. Mike, I want to start by talking about your dad. You told Mr. Kruly that on the days that those prescriptions were faxed you were not in town, is that what you said?
A. That’s correct.
Q. Can you tell the jury, where were you?
A. On June 27, 2014, I was actually in California visiting Cornerstone Pharmacy with two physicians. On July 11, of 2014, I was in Boston, Massachusetts.
Q. And how do you remember that?
A. I have photographs from my phone showing me in those particular cities.
Evidence from Luehrsen’s cellular telephone shows that the testimony quoted above was false. Photographs on the cell phone establish that he was, in fact, in Buffalo on July 11, 2014. In addition, telephone records and financial records established that Luehrsen was in Buffalo on that date. At the time of this testimony, Luehrsen was being tried for, among other crimes, conspiring to commit health care fraud. It was a matter material to the trial whether or not Luehrsen was in Buffalo when an altered compound prescription form was faxed from his father’s home located in the Western District of New York.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2025, before Judge Vilardo.
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Former Guatemalan Congressman sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for international drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A former Guatemalan congressman has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for his role in an international drug trafficking conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. of the Eastern District of Texas.
Jose Armando Ubico Aguilar, 45, a former senior Republic of Guatemala official, pleaded guilty to being involved in an international drug trafficking conspiracy and was sentenced to 216 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale on February 11, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Ubico Aguilar served as an elected member of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala from 2016 to 2024. He also served as an elected Deputy and was the President of the National Defense Committee of the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala from 2018 to 2023.
“The sentencing of this corrupt Guatemalan official who brokered and facilitated cocaine shipments into the United States while betraying his country through his partnerships with known drug traffickers and other corrupt officials shows the commitment of the Eastern District of Texas United States Attorney’s Office to identify, disrupt, and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to ensure that Ubico Aguilar will no longer be allowed to hide behind his position of power.”
“The sentencing of this corrupt official who brokered and facilitated cocaine shipments into the United States sends a message to Transnational Criminal Organizations across the world that they will be held responsible for the poison they distribute into the United States,” said Dallas DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. “This sentence reflects our continued resolve to partner with our international law-enforcement counterparts to fight greed, violence, and public corruption.”
On March 3, 2021, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas indicted Ubico Aguilar charging him with federal drug trafficking violations. In May 2024, Ubico Aguilar arrived in the United States and pleaded guilty. During his plea hearing, Ubico Aguilar admitted his role in the conspiracy, including relaying drug-related information and U.S. currency to another Guatemalan official on behalf of an international drug trafficker. These actions resulted in the safe passage of at least 450 kilograms of cocaine through Guatemala for distribution in the United States.
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.
This case was investigated by the North Texas Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) Strike Force Group Two; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Division; the DEA’s Guatemala City Country Office and the DEA’s San Jose (Costa Rica) Country Office; the FBI’s Dallas Field Office; the Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas and Guatemala Field Offices; the U.S. Marshals Service’s Dallas Field Office; and Customs and Border Protection’s San Diego Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division also provided significant assistance in securing the surrender of Ubico Aguilar.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Eason.
Former Great Falls woman sentenced to prison for 2021 crash on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation that seriously injured passengerRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A former Great Falls woman who was convicted by a federal judge for a December 2021 crash on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in which a juvenile passenger suffered serious injuries was sentenced on Feb. 12 to 14 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Racicot said today.
After a one-day bench trial on Aug. 27, 2024, Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris found the defendant, Noblee Rose Littledog, 23, currently of Aberdeen, Washington, guilty of assault resulting in serious bodily injury as charged in an indictment. At sentencing, the court allowed Littledog to self-report to prison.
In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on Dec. 1, 2021, Littledog was driving a 2019 Jeep Cherokee on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation with the victim, a passenger identified as Jane Doe, who was 17 years old. While driving on Badger Creek Road, Littledog attempted to pass two vehicles at the same time while driving 105 mph. Littledog lost control of the vehicle and overcorrected, causing the vehicle to leave the roadway and roll several times before coming to rest right side up. Both Littledog and the victim were seriously injured. Jane Doe suffered severe trauma to her lower extremities, underwent multiple surgeries and has permanent damage.
The government presented evidence at trial that seconds before the crash, Littledog was traveling at a minimum speed of 105 mph. The evidence also showed that both occupants were restrained at the time of the crash. Jane Doe reported that Littledog had consumed alcohol on the drive, and Littledog told law enforcement at the hospital that she had consumed two alcoholic beverages approximately 30 to 40 minutes before the crash.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, the Montana Highway Patrol and the FBI, with assistance from the Cut Bank Police Department, conducted the investigation.
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First Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Racicot is now Acting U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS--The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana announced today that First Assistant Timothy J. Racicot is now the Acting U.S. Attorney following the departure of former U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich.
As Acting U.S. Attorney, Racicot is the chief federal law enforcement official in the state of Montana.
Racicot is a career prosecutor who became an Assistant U.S. Attorney in October 2005. He has served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney since August 2022.
Racicot received an undergraduate degree from Carroll College and a law degree from the University of Notre Dame.
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Federal felon pleads guilty to committing drug and gun crimes while still on supervised releaseRead the Press Release
Seattle – A federal felon, still on supervision for a 2012 conviction, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to four federal felonies concerning drug and gun crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Barry Tremain, 58, of Gold Bar, Washington, was found with guns and drugs on two different occasions in May 2024. U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead scheduled Tremain’s sentencing for May 22, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, on May 7, 2024, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Deputies attempted to stop a vehicle Tremain was driving for a traffic violation. Tremain attempted to flee but was apprehended. Officers found Tremain with methamphetamine, scales, and $16,000 cash. In the car deputies found a 9mm handgun and additional methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and three cell phones. Tremain was taken into local custody and released a short time later.
Tremain was on supervision for a 2012 conviction for drug and firearms crimes, so federal probation visited Tremain’s Gold Bar residence on May 15, 2024. Tremain was found to have a .44 caliber revolver and additional methamphetamine. He had a drug ledger and more than $10,000 in cash.
Tremain pleaded guilty today to two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. Tremain is prohibited from possessing firearms due to 2012 convictions for three counts of distribution of heroin, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
The drug charges are punishable by up to 40 years in prison and the gun charges are punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Whitehead after considering the sentencing guidelines and other factors.
The case was investigated by the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Probation.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs.
Federal Trial Jury Convicts New Orleans Woman of Two 2022 Robberies of Igor’s LoungeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA- Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson announced that on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, DEBORAH COOPER (“COOPER”), 54, of New Orleans, was found guilty of all charges following a jury trial presided over by U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.
The jury found COOPER guilty of all seven counts against her. Count 1 charged COOPER with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a). Counts 2 and 4 charged COOPER with interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1951(a) and 2. Counts 3 and 5 charged COOPER with using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§924(c)(1)(A)(ii) and 2. Count 6 charged COOPER with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Count 7 charged COOPER with tampering with proceedings, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(1).
According to court documents, COOPER, and an unknown person, robbed Igor’s Lounge, located on St. Charles Avenue, in New Orleans in February and March of 2022. During the February robbery, COOPER, and the unknown person, held an Igor’s bartender at gunpoint and demanded she open the register and poker drawer. The robbers then forced the bartender to the rear of the bar, and ordered her, at gunpoint, to lie on the floor while they fled. The robbers stole over twelve hundred dollars ($1,200.00) in U.S. currency. Similarly, during the March robbery, COOPER and the unknown person, retuned to Igor’s and robbed another bartender at gunpoint. This time , they stole over seven thousand dollars ($7,000.00) in U.S. currency. The New Orleans Police Department investigated the robberies and obtained surveillance footage showing the robbers parking COOPER’s Ram pickup truck near Igor’s on the day of the February robbery. NOPD then obtained a search warrant for COOPER’s residence and located various items of clothing worn by COOPER during the robberies, twelve hundred dollars ($1,200.00) in U.S. currency, and a Smith and Wesson firearm, that COOPER attempted to hide, during this search. The NOPD also located blue latex gloves in COOPER's Ram truck, similar to the blue latex gloves worn by the robbers during the March robbery.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo will sentence COOPER on May 7, 2025. COOPER faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years imprisonment up to a maximum term of life imprisonment as a result of being convicted of two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing of a firearm during the commission of a drug trafficking crime. This sentence will run consecutive to the sentences imposed by the Court for the remaining counts for which COOPER was convicted. As it relates to her convictions for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, Hobbs Act Robbery, and Tampering with Proceedings, COOPER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. For the felon in possession of a firearm conviction, COOPER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. COOPER also faces a term of supervised release of up to 5 years after completing her term of imprisonment. At sentencing, the Court will also impose a mandatory special assessment fee of $700.00. Additionally, the Court may impose fines and restitution.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brittany Reed and Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime/Strike Force Unit.
Federal Jury Finds Dauphin County Man Guilty of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Melad Fahmy, age 44, of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was convicted on February 13, 2025, for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor following a four-day jury trial before United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson. The jury deliberated approximately 45 minutes before returning its verdict.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, this case was the result of a multi-agency undercover operation designed to combat human trafficking and child exploitation. Fahmy responded to an advertisement FBI had placed on a website known to advertise prostitution and escort service. Fahmy then communicated with an undercover agent posing as an aunt and acting as the pimp for her minor niece to entice the child to engage in illegal sexual acts for $100. Fahmy was arrested after arriving at a Harrisburg hotel with $100 in cash.
"Cases like this are brought together through the diligent work of law enforcement and their dedication to protecting all children from exploitation," said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. "The FBI will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to locate, apprehend, and bring to justice those who prey on our most vulnerable."
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Dauphin County Drug Task Force, and Lower Paxton Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Haugsby and Stephen Dukes prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is a life of imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of 10 years, 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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East Conemaugh Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of East Conemaugh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Kari Ameen Wheeler, 38, pleaded guilty to Counts One and Two of the Indictment before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about August 21, 2024, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Wheeler distributed and possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Further, on August 23, 2024, Wheeler possessed two firearms and ammunition after previously having been convicted of a felony. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for June 30, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Safe Streets Task Force, and Cambria County Drug Task Force conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Wheeler.
District Court Enters Permanent Injunctions Prohibiting Unauthorized Debits to Consumer and Small Business Bank AccountsRead the Press Release
On Jan. 31, a court in Miami entered the final in a series of consent decrees, permanently barring 10 individuals and entities from operating a scheme to steal funds from thousands of bank accounts belonging to consumers and small businesses across the United States.
In a civil complaint unsealed on Dec. 11, 2023, the Justice Department alleged that a network of individuals and their companies, including defendants Farhan Khan, Jeremy Todd Briley, Christopher Foufas, Brandon Hahn, and Melinda Petit-Homme, participated in a scheme to steal millions of dollars from consumers and small businesses by making recurring unauthorized charges against their bank accounts.
The defendants allegedly used sham companies, including Altitude Processing Inc., which does business as Clear Marketing Agency, to cover their tracks and make the unauthorized charges appear legitimate. The defendants also allegedly took elaborate steps to portray the sham companies as legitimate businesses that provided online marketing services, creating bogus websites for the sham companies, fake customer authorizations for the charges, and a “customer service” call center to field complaints and offer refunds. The government alleged that, in reality, victims of the scheme never signed up for — or received — any services from the defendants.
“These consent decrees are the hard-won result of the Department’s efforts to eradicate schemes that prey upon consumers and small businesses across the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department is committed to using all the tools at its disposal to block fraudsters from reaching into victims’ bank accounts and draining their savings through repeated unauthorized charges.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will relentlessly pursue any and everyone masquerading as legitimate businesses to fraudulently steal money from unsuspecting consumers,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “Postal inspectors work diligently to investigate fraud scams and educate the public about how to protect their money from criminals.”
Under the consent decrees, the defendants may not charge consumers without authorization. The consent decrees also prevent the defendants from taking any measures to: (a) evade fraud and risk monitoring programs established by any financial institution, payment processor, or the operator of any payment system; (b) disguise the nature of transactions; or (c) artificially reduce chargeback rates. They are further prohibited from assisting any other individuals or entities with taking any of the prohibited actions. The consent decrees do not constitute an admission of guilt on behalf of the defendants.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Carolyn Rice and Meredith Reiter of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch represented the government in this matter. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida provided substantial assistance.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Denton County woman sentenced to federal prison for fatal fentanyl overdoseRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Denton woman has been sentenced to over 19 years in federal prison for her role in a fatal fentanyl overdose in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Tiffane Chantial Volz, 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos
Mazzant on February 18, 2025.Co-defendant, Courtney Green, 28, also of Denton, pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on January 30, 2025, by Judge Mazzant.
According to information presented in court, on April 15, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a reported overdose death on Heatherton Drive in Celina, Texas. Autopsy results determined the victim died of pulmonary congestion and edema due to the toxic effects of fentanyl. An investigation revealed emails and text messages between the victim and Green discussing the distribution of prescription pills. Further investigation determined Volz to be Green’s source of supply.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a Public Safety Alert warning Americans of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. The Public Safety Alert coincides with the launch of DEA’s One Pill Can Kill Public Awareness Campaign to educate the public of the dangers of counterfeit pills and urges all Americans to take only medications prescribed by a medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of a significant nationwide surge in fake pills that are mass-produced by criminal drug networks in labs, deceptively marketed as legitimate prescription pills, and are killing unsuspecting Americans at an unprecedented rate. For more information, please visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
This case was investigated by the Celina Police Department, Denton County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Collin County Medical Examiner’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Delta Man Sentenced to Prison for His Role in Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Aberdeen, MS – Jarvis Hood, 23 of Belzoni, was sentenced on Tuesday to five years in prison for conspiring to transfer firearms to Chicago, Illinois residents and making false statements to federal firearms licensees during the purchase of multiple firearms.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the investigation began after agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives noticed that a high volume of firearms recovered in crimes in the City of Chicago had been purchased in the Northern District of Mississippi. Some of the firearms involved in new crimes had been purchased as recent as one day prior to use in a new offense.
Several of the firearms were recovered in violent crimes and had machinegun devices attached that converted the firearms to be able to fire automatically. In total, investigators identified over 60 firearms that were purchased illegally and transported to Chicago for resale. Five defendants pled guilty for their roles in the offense. After a five-day trial in October 2024, a federal jury returned a verdict finding Hood guilty of the offense.
On February 18, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Hood to 60 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence imposed will run consecutive to a sentence that Hood is currently serving in an unrelated state court case. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Hood absolutely deserves this time in prison after he participated in a scheme to illegally traffic firearms to Chicago for personal profit without any concern that these guns would be used by violent criminals to create more victims,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We will continue to hold accountable those who place innocent citizens at risk by putting guns in the hands of people who do not have any respect for human life.”
“Machineguns cannot be tolerated on the streets of any community, and this defendant, alongside his codefendants, are guilty of trafficking these dangerous weapons between Mississippi and Chicago,” remarked ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon of the Chicago Field Division. “I commend the agents, officers and the United States Attorney’s Office for their commitment in investigating and prosecuting this case, holding the defendants accountable for trafficking over 60 firearms which ended up in the hands of dangerous individuals.”
The case was investigated by the Chicago Field Division of ATF, with assistance from the ATF Oxford, Mississippi Field Office. Valuable contributions were made by the Chicago Police Department, Wilmette Police Department, and Amtrak Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Addison and Samuel Stringfellow prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Daytona Beach Man Sentenced to Prison for Theft of Government Money and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Richard Eugene Findley (63, Daytona Beach) to 3 years and 9 months in federal prison for theft of government money and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, Findley must also pay restitution to the Social Security Administration, the Department of Agriculture, and the victim of the identity theft. Findley entered a guilty plea on April 30, 2024.
According to court documents, Findley obtained E.G.’s identification card, Social Security card, and birth certificate sometime in the 1990s. He then used E.G.’s identity without E.G.’s permission to fraudulently obtain various government benefits, including a Florida driver license, Social Security benefits, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.
Convicted Robber Sentenced to Additional Prison Term After Firing Machine Gun at Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Montrez Ballard has been sentenced to ten years in prison after firing a machine gun at a Georgia State Patrol officer.
“Ballard’s brazen actions endangered the life of a law enforcement officer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Moultrie, Jr. “This lengthy prison sentence reflects Ballard’s dangerous, and potentially lethal, attack on a Georgia State Patrol trooper whose very mission is to help keep our community safe.”
“The swift and coordinated response of law enforcement ensured that a dangerous individual was taken off the streets before he could inflict further harm. ATF will not stand by while criminals use illegally modified weapons to terrorize our communities. We will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who believe they can act without consequence,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: On July 21, 2023, Ballard, driving a Nissan Maxima, abruptly cut off a Georgia State Patrol (GSP) trooper in Atlanta. Ballard fled from the trooper after the officer activated his emergency equipment to stop Ballard. In his attempt to evade the trooper, Ballard drove more than 20 miles per hour above the speed limit in a residential neighborhood, ran stop signs, and nearly struck another motorist.
Minutes into the chase, Ballard’s vehicle crashed into a stop sign. Ballard then exited his vehicle and fled on foot. When the trooper chased him, Ballard confronted the officer and fired at least three shots at the trooper. The trooper returned fire but Ballard escaped.
Other law enforcement agencies, including the Atlanta Police Department and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, responded to help locate Ballard. Officers eventually arrested Ballard – who was on probation for a state robbery offense at the time – and recovered his firearm. Ballard’s gun, a Glock 19 9mm handgun, was examined and determined to be equipped with a device that converted the weapon into a machine gun, allowing the gun to fire continuously without multiple trigger pulls.
Montrez Ballard, 21, of Hampton, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee to ten years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Atlanta Police Department and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Dwayne A. Brown, Jr. prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
California man who molested teen on flight sentenced to two years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 42-year-old Los Angeles County, California man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two years in prison for abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft enroute to Seattle from Burbank, California, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Justin Baker was arrested March 14, 2024, when the Alaska Airlines plane arrived at SEA. Baker has been in custody since the jury returned its guilty verdict on October 23, 2024. At sentencing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour imposed the maximum sentence allowed by law saying, “I was particularly struck by the candor of the victim and her bravery in testifying.”
“This was a calculated and predatory sexual assault on an 18-year-old girl,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “Mr. Baker underestimated the victim’s strength in testifying, as well as the commitment we have in the Western District of Washington to hold these aircraft offenders accountable.”
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, Baker was in the middle seat, with the victim seated to his right next to the wall of the plane. Baker learned the victim was preparing to go to college and was just 18 years old. According to testimony at trial, Baker showed the teen sexually explicit text messages he had on his phone and then draped his jacket over his lap as well as her lower body. The victim attempted to move away from Baker and closer to the wall. He reached under the jacket and groped her leg. Despite the victim saying “No” and moving away when he first tried to touch her, he continued to grope her genitals over her clothing. Then he reached into her top and groped her breast
Ultimately, the victim got out of her seat to contact the flight crew. As she tried to pass by Baker, he groped her buttocks and pulled her back down into her seat. Ultimately the victim was able to leave and report the assault.
Speaking in court today, Assistant United States Attorney Grace Zoller said Baker, “treated the victim like an object… He dehumanized her.”
The victim shared how the assault has “shattered the trajectory of her life.” She told the court about anxiety around airports and flying, and how her family and loved ones “have watched me change in ways I have never imagined.” Her goal she said is to “hold Baker accountable.”
Judge Coughenour said he was imposing the maximum two-year sentence because of the “seriousness of the crime, the harm to the victim and the danger (Baker) poses to the community.”
When released from prison, Baker will be on five years of federal supervision and will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Port of Seattle Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristine Foerster and Grace Zoller.
Bonita Springs Man Sentenced to Thirty Months for Interstate Threats and CyberstalkingRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Aaron Thomas Fister (30, Bonita Springs) to two years and six months in federal prison for interstate transmission of threats and stalking. Fister entered a guilty plea on November 7, 2024.
According to court documents, Fister engaged in a years-long campaign of threats and harassment against a former intimate partner and her sister. Fister’s conduct included making hundreds of harassing phone calls, including dozens in a single day and many during the early-morning hours. Fister also created a series of graphically threatening voicemails, including numerous threats to kill both victims and their family members, as well as a threat to kill and decapitate one victim’s infant daughter. Fister engaged in physically threatening and harassing conduct as well, including slashing car tires, smashing headlights, hitting a family residence with paintballs, using a GPS tracking device to track one victim, and nearly striking one victim with his car while she was pregnant. One victim fled the state of Florida, traveling hundreds of miles away and leaving behind family members and possessions to get away from Fister.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.
Atlanta Woman Indicted for Aggravated Identity Theft and Passport FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Jermirria Jackson (48, Atlanta, GA) with aggravated identity theft and making a false statement on a passport application. If convicted, Jackson faces a minimum sentence of 2 years, up to12 years, in federal prison.
According to court records, on January 19, 2022, Jackson applied for a passport in a name that was not her own. Prior to applying for the passport, Jackson had obtained means of identification in the victim’s name. When Jackson applied for the passport, Jackson pretended to be the victim and submitted the fraudulent identification as her own.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta.
Anchorage man sentenced to over 11 years for attempting to coerce a minorRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced today to over 11 years in prison and will serve the rest of his life on supervised release for attempting to coerce and entice a minor in 2023.
According to court documents, in early July 2023, Benjamin Roundy, aka “Aleks” or “Alekzander Marko,” 43, responded to a public group chat post on an internet-based app by an individual who identified herself as a 13-year-old living in Anchorage. The group chat post was actually made by an undercover agent.
Court documents explain that Roundy communicated with the undercover agent for nearly a month, first on the app and then via text message, and he initiated sexual conversations. Roundy discussed sexual acts he wanted to perform on the individual, who be believed to be a child, and made repeated requests for explicit photos of her.
On Aug. 4, 2023, Roundy asked the undercover agent to meet in person at the parking lot of a grocery store in Anchorage. The undercover agent told Roundy she was going to walk home from a friend’s house, and Roundy asked what street the friend lived on. Shortly after learning the fictional address of the friend, the defendant left his home to meet the undercover agent, who he thought was a minor.
Court documents further explain that Roundy texted the undercover agent instructions on where to meet him. When he received no response to his instructions, Roundy drove to a parking lot where he could see the street of the fictitious friend. Law enforcement arrested Roundy in the parking lot shortly thereafter and discovered a new bottle of personal lubricant and condoms in his vehicle.
The investigation revealed thousands of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse on Roundy’s electronic devices and data detailing his online presence, which included searches for child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and related terms.
On April 25, 2024, Roundy pleaded guilty to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
“Mr. Roundy’s conduct was heinous, as he tried to meet with who he believed was an underage girl in Anchorage to engage in sex, sought explicit images of the child, and obtained graphic images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of other minors for years,” said First Assistant U.S Attorney Kathryn R. Vogel for the District of Alaska. “Our office’s commitment to safeguarding Alaska’s children from those who seek to exploit their innocence is unwavering. We will relentlessly pursue justice by working with law enforcement to identify, investigate and hold accountable anyone who targets children.”
“The defendant posed a significant threat to children in Alaska and abroad, as demonstrated by his disturbing pattern of conduct involving child exploitation,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Even in the darkest corners of the Internet, the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force will find a way to seek justice for our most vulnerable.”
The FBI and Anchorage Police Department investigated this case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander of the District of Alaska and Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Alleged serial arsonist faces federal chargesRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 36-year-old McAllen resident has been charged with arson and possession of a destructive device, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Daniel Eduardo Rivera is expected to make an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 9:00 a.m.
According to the criminal complaint, Rivera has allegedly been targeting an individual since 2022 by setting multiple fires to the victim’s residence and vehicles.
The charges allege that in November 2022 at approximately 2:03 a.m., fire department officials responded to the victim’s residence due to a fire coming from a storage shed. They extinguished it, but authorities later determined it to be incendiary in nature, according to the complaint.
At approximately 1:10 p.m. that same day, the fire department was allegedly dispatched to the victim’s house for a second time where they discovered the porch to be fully engulfed with fire seeping into the home. The charges allege they were again able to extinguish it but not before it had caused significant damage to the home. They also found a Molotov cocktail at the scene, according to the complaint.
According to the victim, Rivera had allegedly confronted him and threatened to kill his family at night and burn the victim’s house down.
The complaint further alleges that in May 2024, fire officials responded to a vehicle fire in McAllen. It has already been extinguished, but authorities allegedly determined another Molotov cocktail was used in an attempt to set the car ablaze. The investigation links Rivera to that incident, according to the charges.
If convicted, Rivera faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the arson and a maximum of 10 for possession of a destructive device.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and explosives is conducting the investigation with the assistance of the McAllen Fire Marshal’s Office, Fire and Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee Fry and Devin V. Walker are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Alleged High-Level Human Smuggler Extradited to El PasoRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A Mexican national was extradited from Mexico City to El Paso on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in human smuggling operations through the El Paso corridor.
According to court documents, Osvaldo Coronel-Fernandez aka “Omero,” of Ciudad Juarez, is charged with one count of aiding and abetting, bringing in aliens without authorization for financial gain and one count of conspiracy to encourage and induce aliens to come to the United States for financial gain.
Coronel-Fernandez was indicted by a federal grand jury in El Paso on Nov. 20, 2019 for offenses that allegedly occurred between July 2015 and August 2016. If convicted, he faces three to 10 years in federal prison for the aiding and abetting charge and up to 10 years in prison for the conspiracy charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Marshals Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Coronel-Fernandez. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting and extraditing Coronel-Fernandez.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Watts is prosecuting the case.
An indictment 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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52-Month Prison Sentence for a D.C. Convicted Felon Who Traveled to the Jersey Shore to Rob an Overnight PharmacyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ashawntea Henderson, 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. to 52 months in federal prison for participating in an early morning robbery of a drug store at the Jersey Shore. During the May 2020 robbery, he and his co-conspirators jumped the counter, overpowered the night pharmacist, stole thousands of prescription narcotics, and then – as they attempted to flee to the District – crashed into a responding police cruiser.
The sentencing was announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Terence Reilly of the Newark Field Office.
Henderson pleaded guilty on October 30, 2024, to interference of commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery). In addition to the 52-month prison sentence, Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Henderson to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Henderson and his co-conspirators researched potential targets including Walgreens and CVS pharmacies which were open all night. On May 9, 2020, Henderson and others drove more than 200 miles from Washington, D.C. to a Walgreens Pharmacy on State Road 33, in Neptune, New Jersey.
At 3:09 a.m., Henderson and two others dressed in masks and gloves entered the Walgreens. All three jumped over the pharmacy counter and demanded codeine, Adderall, and Percocet. One of the co-conspirators grabbed the night pharmacist, demanded that he open the locked cabinets containing additional pills, and forced the pharmacist to assist them. After grabbing thousands of prescription medicines – including Oxycodone, morphine, amphetamine, and Nucynta – Henderson and the two co-conspirators fled in a black Nissan Altima operated by a fourth co-conspirator. At one point, the Nissan collided with a responding police officer’s patrol car but continued at high speed back to Washington D.C.
After returning to the District, as they celebrated at a hotel, one of the co-conspirators received a text from a known drug distributor asking the price for a drug of the same type stolen from Neptune, New Jersey. The co-conspirator and the drug distributor continued to exchange texts about the sale of drugs for the following weeks.
Henderson is currently serving a five-year prison sentence in Maryland in connection with his 2022 possession of a firearm.
The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force and the Neptune Township Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by AUSAs Justin Song, Sarah Martin and Cameron Tepfer.
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Monday 17 February 2025
Zachary A. Cunha Concludes His Service as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Zachary A. Cunha announced today that he has stepped down from his position as United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, effective immediately, after receiving notification from the White House that the President has directed him to do so. Mr. Cunha previously tendered a letter of resignation to the President and the Attorney General on February 7, 2025, in which he indicated his intent to leave office at the end of this week. U.S. Attorney Cunha made the following statement:
I am deeply grateful to Senators Reed and Whitehouse for recommending my nomination to the White House, and to President Biden for his trust and confidence in appointing me to serve this extraordinary District and its citizens as United States Attorney. I have worked hard every day to live up to the example of excellence set by my thirty-eight distinguished predecessors over the 235-year history of this Office, and it has been the honor of my career to do this job.
Over the three years that I have had the high privilege to serve as U.S. Attorney, it has been my constant goal to make sure that the work of this District punched far above the weight that our compact geography and small staff might imply. By every measure, the men and women of this Office have met that goal, again and again, across every category in which we prosecute and litigate on behalf of the people of the Ocean State.
In the face of a persistent opioid crisis, and the scourge of fentanyl that has cost countless lives, this Office prosecuted the largest illegal pill seizure in the United States, and brought suit against the nation’s largest pharmacy chain for creating a culture of noncompliance that allowed countless improper opioid prescriptions to flow out into our communities. Recognizing the complexity of this crisis, we have prosecuted criminals who prey on our neighbors struggling in recovery, while at the same time partnering with public health authorities to make sure that those same vulnerable victims have access to the care they need, and we have worked tirelessly to present an innovative, effective, and impactful anti-opioids education program in schools and community settings across Rhode Island.
At the same time, we have worked relentlessly to bring fraudsters to justice, because their crimes have devastating impacts on our family, friends, neighbors, towns and businesses. We have likewise remained focused on holding businesses and corporations who commit crimes accountable, and have worked to protect the federal taxpayer from fraud, waste, and abuse, including by ensuring that those who serve our nation in uniform are not put at risk by shoddy and counterfeit gear. And, because every American deserves safe and secure communities, we have taken a firm stand against violent crime, bringing the serious charges against those responsible for bringing the most deadly illegal weapons into our communities, while proceeding with resolve and fierce determination against those who prey on our most vulnerable community members: our children.This Office’s civil rights work stood up to ensure that every Rhode Islander can access fair lending and to ensure that children with behavioral disabilities have the chance to receive care in their communities, rather than spending months of isolation in a locked hospital ward; and we have stood resolute against acts of hatred and violence directed against our communities of faith, race, or ethnicity, while hosting more than fifteen United Against Hate conversations with over 800 of our fellow citizens across the state.
In these, and countless other areas, the men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island exemplify excellence in public service: acting always with integrity, in the best traditions of this Office and the Department of Justice, and driven by precisely those qualities that Attorney General Robert H. Jackson impeccably distilled, over eight decades ago, as the defining traits of a first-rate prosecutor: the ability to “temper[] zeal with human kindness, [the determination to] seek[] truth and not victims, [the unwavering commitment to] . . . serve[] the law and not factional purposes, and[, above all] [a resolution to] approach[] [the] task with humility.”[1]
I am profoundly proud of their work, and deeply humbled to have served with them.
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Zachary A. Cunha took the oath of office as United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island on December 13, 2021, following his nomination by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., and confirmation by the United States Senate. During his tenure as U.S. Attorney, he was also honored to be named to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, where he served alongside a small group of colleagues from across the nation who advised the Department’s senior leadership on matters of policy.
Mr. Cunha devoted the past twenty years of his career to public service with the Department of Justice, beginning as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn), before serving in the District of Massachusetts, and, for more than a decade, in the District of Rhode Island. In the course of his DOJ service before being appointed U.S. Attorney, he was named Chief of the Civil Division in the District of Rhode Island, and Chief and Deputy Chief of Affirmative Civil Enforcement in the District of Massachusetts, where he focused on civil and criminal health care fraud matters, litigation under the federal False Claims Act, and representation of the federal government’s interests at both the trial and appellate level. He began his legal career on September 10, 2001, when he was sworn in as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of New York, representing the City and its officers in litigation in the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. He is a graduate of Brown University (A.B., with honors, 1998) and the George Washington University Law School (J.D., with honors, 2001).
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[1] Robert H. Jackson, The Federal Prosecutor, 24 J. Am. Jud. Soc’y 18 (1940) (address at Conference of United States Attorneys, Washington, D.C., April 1, 1940).
United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero Concludes Her Tenure as Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for the Eastern District of PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Jacqueline C. Romero announced the conclusion of her tenure as United States Attorney, effective immediately.
Ms. Romero was sworn in as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (EDPA) on June 21, 2022, following her nomination by President Joseph R. Biden and confirmation by the U.S. Senate. She oversaw one of the largest Districts in the country, with nearly six million residents across nine counties, and one of the busiest United States Attorney’s Offices, with a staff of over 300 located at offices in Philadelphia and Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Prior to her appointment as U.S. Attorney, Ms. Romero had served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the same Office for 16 years, specializing in fraud investigations and civil rights cases.
“When I came here, almost 20 years ago now, it was to do the job, to be a prosecutor. I didn’t come here for a title,” said Ms. Romero. “But it has been the absolute honor of my life to hold this title of U.S. Attorney. The work we’ve done these last years — scores of violent offenders and child predators taken off the street, fraudsters who preyed on investors and the elderly locked up, drug dealers and dirty doctors who poisoned our communities brought to justice, civil rights violations brought to light, and much more — all of it has made the Eastern District of Pennsylvania safer, stronger, and more just.”
“I’m extraordinarily proud, too, of our outreach efforts,” Ms. Romero said. “My team and I have gone out and met the people of this District where they are. It’s helped build trust in the community and that isn’t just something, it’s everything. I know that all of my colleagues here, no matter their role, will carry on this Office’s important work, on behalf of the people of southeastern Pennsylvania.”
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Under Ms. Romero’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania prioritized both the prosecution of violent crime, fraud, and civil rights violations, and proactive anti-crime efforts through community engagement, youth outreach, and reentry initiatives.
U.S. Attorney Romero also oversaw the expansion of EDPA’s Allentown office to better serve the residents of Lancaster, Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties, hiring three experienced Assistant District Attorneys from Lehigh, Berks, and Northampton Counties, to add to an experienced team with deep roots in the area. The expansion also increased the office’s physical footprint and upgraded its facilities, to meet the increased investigative workload from the Office’s law enforcement partners from the Lehigh Valley to Lancaster.
Violent Crime
U.S. Attorney Romero doubled the size of EDPA’s Violent Crime Unit, pursuing data-driven prosecutions that targeted the predominant drivers of violence in the District. Through focused partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the Office took illegal guns off the street, dismantled dangerous gangs and drug trafficking organizations, and sent a message to area carjackers and other violent offenders. These collaborative efforts significantly contributed to a 40 percent drop in violent crime in many areas of the District.
During Ms. Romero’s tenure:
- Her Office, the ATF, FBI, and Philadelphia Police Department, working together as the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force, charged dozens of carjackers federally, resulting in substantial prison sentences.
- USAO-EDPA, following an investigation by HSI and the Reading Police Department, secured life imprisonment for the leaders of a violent drug and sex trafficking gang known as the Sevens, putting a permanent end to their reign of terror in the city.
- EDPA prosecutors secured the conviction at trial of Rafael Vega-Rodriguez for the attempted murder of three FBI agents, resulting in a 45-year prison sentence.
White Collar Crime
Under U.S. Attorney Romero, the Office successfully prosecuted numerous complex financial fraud and public corruption cases.
Among them:
- Bringing racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and related charges against Joseph LaForte and James LaForte, the main principals of the fraudulent investment vehicle Par Funding, which is alleged to have generated over $100 million in illegal proceeds for the defendants to the detriment of Par Funding’s numerous investors. The brothers have both pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
- The convictions at trial of former Local 98 business manager John Dougherty and former Local 98 president Brian Burrows for embezzling union funds and related charges. Dougherty was sentenced to six years in prison for these offenses and public corruption crimes for which he was convicted at an earlier trial; Burrows was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment.
- The conviction at trial of Joseph Cammarata for stealing more than $40 million in a years-long securities fraud scheme carried out with two codefendants. Cammarata, a securities claims aggregator, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was subsequently convicted at a separate trial of tax evasion related to the securities scheme and sentenced to a partially concurrent term of 72 months in prison.
Civil Enforcements
Under U.S. Attorney Romero, EDPA maintained one of the most active affirmative civil enforcement dockets in the country, including False Claims Act qui tams, civil Controlled Substances Act investigations, and civil rights matters. U.S. Attorney Romero was able to do so while supporting the Civil Division’s handling of an increased defensive litigation docket.
During her tenure:
- The District recovered hundreds of millions of dollars through False Claims Act settlements, including $172 million from national insurer the Cigna Group; almost $60 million in total from cardiac monitoring company BioTelemetry Inc. and two of its subsidiaries; $25 million from generic drug manufacturer Glenmark Pharmaceuticals; $20 million from durable medical equipment supplier Electrostim Medical Services, Inc. and its chairman; more than $16 million from optical lens and lens equipment maker Essilor; more than $15 million from Kansas chiropractic company Titan Medical Compliance and its owner; and over $8 million from the Boeing Company for allegedly failing to adhere to critical manufacturing specifications in the production of composite parts for V-22 Osprey military aircraft.
- The District sued AmerisourceBergen, one of the country’s largest wholesale pharmaceutical distributors, for allegedly violating federal law in connection with the distribution of controlled substances to pharmacies and other customers across the country, thereby contributing to the prescription opioid epidemic. That litigation is ongoing.
- Ms. Romero prioritized the Office’s civil rights work. This included the resolution of the most redlining investigations in the country, in which EDPA held financial institutions like Citadel Federal Credit Union, ESSA Bank & Trust, and Trident Mortgage Company accountable for such alleged practices.
Community Outreach
U.S. Attorney Romero was committed to strengthening the Office’s partnerships in the diverse communities it serves throughout the District, particularly those struggling with violent crime, opioid abuse, and the legacy of systemic exclusion from education, health care, housing, and employment.
She expanded the Office’s outreach efforts, adding a youth engagement coordinator and other personnel to form a dedicated External Engagement team, which bolsters EDPA’s public safety mission.
U.S. Attorney Romero and the team worked proactively with local leaders, schools, and organizations to identify potential issues that could be addressed through better community engagement, outreach to area youth, and support for people returning home to our communities from prison.
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Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., the District’s First Assistant United States Attorney, is now Acting U.S. Attorney upon Ms. Romero’s departure from the Office. Mr. Thayer is a career prosecutor with over three decades of experience in the Department of Justice.
U.S. Attorney Ross outlines her accomplishmentsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross became the United States Attorney on October 11, 2021. Nominated by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on July 26, 2021, and unanimously confirmed by the Senate on September 30, 2021, she became the first black woman to hold the position in the Western District of New York.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve in this position as the top law enforcement officer in the Western District of New York, my home, where I was born and raised and have spent the majority of my life.” U.S. Attorney Ross said. “And serving in this particular office was also special because I started my career as a federal prosecutor here, in 1995.”
As U.S. Attorney for the 17 counties in the Western District of New York, Ms. Ross’s accomplishments are wide ranging. Cases involving approximately 1178 defendants were resolved during her tenure, including several high-profile cases:
U.S. v. Robert Morgan
U.S. v. Joseph Bongiovanni
U.S. v. Peter Gerace
U.S. v. David Jakubonis
U.S. v. Abughanem
Ms. Ross also oversaw the filing of charges in multiple new cases, including addition high profile cases, of national and international interest, including:
U.S. v. Payton Gendron
U.S. v. Hadi Matar
U.S. v. Brandon Washington
Under Ms. Ross’s tenure, the violent crime rate decreased in several Western District of New York counties, including Erie and Monroe Counties, home to the Cities of Buffalo and Rochester.
In addition, approximately 120 appellate briefs were filed and 75 appellate oral arguments handled while Ms. Ross was U.S. Attorney, resulting in a near perfect rate of affirmations by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, notably:
U.S. v. Richard Leon Wilbern
U.S. v. George Moses
In civil matters, between 2022 and January 2025, approximately $80,000,000 was collected in criminal, civil and forfeiture actions. That funding collected is given to victims of crime, and provided as aid to state and local law enforcement agency partners who worked with the United States Attorney’s Office on criminal cases. And Ms. Ross oversaw the largest settlement in the history of the District with a $98,000,000 settlement with Independent Health.
In March, 2022, Ms. Ross was one of the first 12, of 93, United States Attorney’s to be selected to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC), which she served on until her term ended after a year and a half. The AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. In addition, Ms. Ross was also selected as the Chairperson for the AGAC sub-committee on Law Enforcement Coordination, Victim Assistance and Community Relations (LEVC). In this role, Ms. Ross lead the sub-committee that advised the Attorney General on matters involving law enforcement, victim assistance, and community relations. In June, 2023, Ms. Ross hosted the LEVC meeting in Buffalo, bringing U.S. Attorneys from across the country to the Buffalo area for two days. The meeting included presentations and discussions on the May 14th tragedy, which included a visit to the Tops store on Jefferson Avenue, business, and community outreach efforts, as well as multiple presentations by law enforcement.
In June 2022, Ms. Ross arranged a visit by then Attorney General Merrick Garland, and other top DOJ and FBI officials, who came to Buffalo to meet with families and survivors of the Tops shooting and announce federal hate crime charges against defendant Payton Gendron.
Community outreach was a hallmark of Ms. Ross’s tenure as U.S. Attorney. She worked tirelessly to build better relationships between members of the community and law enforcement in both Buffalo and Rochester. Ms. Ross developed quarterly meetings with community leaders in both cities, establishing an ongoing dialogue and building trust. She also sought new and innovative ways to reach the community, including creating the first of its kind podcast in the U.S. Attorney’s community. “Feds Demystified” sought to pull back the curtain from federal law enforcement agencies to provide information about those agencies and educate the public. Ms. Ross also created a series of Public Service Announcements, sharing important messages on Human Trafficking, Black History, Women’s History, Juneteenth, Internet Safety, and Voting Rights. In addition, she empowered members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to also get involved in the community by attending job and career fairs, speaking at local schools, and serving on the Erie County Overdose Prevention Task Force.
Throughout Ms. Ross’s time as U.S. Attorney, school districts, police departments, social service agencies, and local governments received approximately $55,000,000 in federal grant funding for youth and victim services, to battle human trafficking, and initiatives addressing law enforcement, the opiate epidemic, reentry and recidivism, among others.
As a result of her efforts, Ms. Ross was honored by multiple organizations for her work, including the New York State Bar Association, Erie County Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Minority Bar Association of WNY, and the Women’s Bar Association. She was also named as a top leader in WNY in several publications, some multiple times, including Buffalo Business First’s Power 100 Business Leader of Color; Business First’s Power 200 Woman; the Rochester Business Journal and The Daily Record Power 50 Law list; City & State’s Power of Diversity: Black 100 list; and City & State’s Law Power 100 list and was selected as a Woman of Distinction by the New York State Senate.
Ms. Ross was also a much sought after speaker locally and across the country. She spoke at two United States Attorney’s Conferences; numerous law enforcement conferences; victims’ rights conferences; several legal and professional conferences; as well as at colleges, U.B Law School and many community events.
Ms. Ross wants the community and staff in her office to know that as United States Attorney she was completely dedicated to the WNY community and the staff in her office. “I came to make positive changes inside and outside of the office, and I believe I was successful. I always want to leave a place better than when I showed up, that was the goal. And I believe I have reached that goal.”
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U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez to Step Down, Concluding Impactful Tenure in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez announced his resignation today at the request of President Donald J. Trump, becoming one of over 20 U.S. Attorneys asked to step down amid the transition of presidential administrations.
“Today, I say farewell to a Department that I love,” said U.S. Attorney Uballez. “Together, we have made our community safer by delivering swift and certain justice to the most prolific violent offenders, human and drug traffickers, and child abusers. We have saved lives by intervening to prevent violence and by supporting those who strive to return to our community from incarceration. Most importantly, we fought to build a community united in the pursuit of justice for all by choosing prevention before punishment, delivering consequences but not indignity, and seeking redemption not isolation.”
Uballez, nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on January 26, 2022, and confirmed by the Senate on May 17, 2022, focused on restructuring the office’s approach to violent crime throughout his tenure. He engaged in proactive measures through the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, working in partnership with Albuquerque Community Safety’s Violence Intervention Program, to engage directly and personally with those most likely to shoot or be shot. For those who chose violence, he realigned federal law enforcement to focus on the danger of the individual, not the nature of the charge, and in doing so wielded federal jurisdiction surgically against those driving violence in our community. And he established the District’s first Federal Reentry Program in order to support people returning to our community from incarceration.
Uballez’s other efforts included expanding resources and services to Tribal communities and modernizing the U.S. Attorney's Office by transitioning it from a paper file system to digital, enhancing operational efficiency and responsiveness in federal prosecutions.
"Alex Uballez has served the people of New Mexico with honor and distinction as U.S. Attorney and has been an incredible partner in our mission to protect the American public," said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque field office. "Throughout his time as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Uballez has been dedicated to ensuring the safety of the citizens in our community and relentless in his pursuit of justice for victims of crime. There is no doubt his work has made a positive impact on our community. It's been a privilege to work with Mr. Uballez, we thank him for his service and wish him well in his future endeavors."
“It has been a pleasure to partner with District of New Mexico U.S. Attorney Alex Uballez.” said Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “U.S. Attorney Uballez’s dedication to upholding the law and ensuring violent criminals are held responsible for their crimes has been in lock step with ATF’s mission. The ultimate goal of ATF and all law enforcement throughout the State of New Mexico is to ensure that the great citizens of New Mexico can feel safe and secure in their communities. US Attorney Uballez was in steadfast with this goal, and I truly believe he leaves his position having made New Mexico a safer place then when he took the position.”
“I had the privilege of working with Alex, first as an Assistant United Sates Attorney and later as the United States Attorney,” said Margaret A. Katze, Federal Public Defender for the District of New Mexico. “Throughout his tenure, he exemplified honesty and a straightforward approach. His focus on community safety was evident in his deliberate, data-driven prosecutorial decisions, always asking whether a case would enhance public safety. Alex’s commitment to community engagement as a crime-reduction strategy was thoughtful and research-based. Under his leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office played a key role in establishing the District’s first re-entry court. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him and found our professional partnership both effective and rewarding.”
“The Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office has enjoyed a strong collaboration with U.S. Attorney Alex Uballez,” said Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. “He has been a great leader for the people of New Mexico and we wish him continued success in his future endeavors.”
During his tenure, Uballez also served in a senior policy role at the Department of Justice, having been appointed to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee where he advised Attorney General Merrick Garland on policy, procedure, and management impacting U.S. Attorney’s Offices. Uballez also served on subcommittees specializing in Native American issues, violent and organized crime, environmental justice, and border and immigration. Before his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Uballez was an Assistant U.S. Attorney, focusing on organized crime investigations and prosecuted serious offenses such as child sexual abuse, human trafficking, and violent crimes. As a line attorney, Uballez also handled the extradition of high-profile cartel leader Carlos Arturo Quintana, and assisted in international investigations pursuant to Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties.
Following his resignation, current First Assistant U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney until a successor is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
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Carla Freedman Concludes Her Service as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Carla B. Freedman announced the conclusion of her tenure as United States Attorney, effective immediately.
Ms. Freedman was sworn in on October 8, 2021. Ms. Freedman previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Syracuse office of the Northern District of New York from 2007 through 2021. She was a Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney and the Narcotics Chief from February 2018 through 2021. She also served as Deputy Narcotics Chief from 2016 through 2018.
Ms. Freedman stated: “For over 17 years, I have had the honor and privilege of working at the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York, first as an Assistant United States Attorney, and for the past three years, leading the office as the United States Attorney. During my tenure I have had the good fortune to work with some of the finest public servants in my office as well as with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. I could not be more proud of the work and accomplishments we have achieved in the pursuit of justice, always with integrity and commitment to the rule of law.”
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Hanlon now serves as Acting United States Attorney.
Sunday 16 February 2025
First Woman Presidentially Appointed as United States Attorney for the District of Utah Departs from PostRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The first woman presidentially appointed as the United States Attorney for the District of Utah and sworn into office as the 38th United States Attorney to serve in the State of Utah, leaves the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Honorable Trina A. Higgins was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on January 31, 2022. Her last day as United States Attorney is February 16, 2025.
Under Higgins’ leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah focused on cases that have the largest impact and cause the most harm to Utah citizens. Working with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office significantly increased the number of financial crime prosecutions in Utah; brought more complex narcotics and firearm cases focused on defendants higher in criminal organizations; and prosecuted many significant violent crime cases, including murders, sexual assaults, child exploitation, human trafficking, robberies, and carjackings.
During her tenure, The U.S. Attorney’s Office tried 35 jury trials, including three homicides committed in Tribal communities. United States Attorney Higgins was the trial attorney in one case where a man brutally murdered a Navajo woman in front of her two young daughters in the Navajo Nation. The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison.
United States Attorney Higgins also served on several Attorney General’s Advisory Committee subcommittees for Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. Those included the Environmental Justice Subcommittee, the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee, and the Native American Issues Subcommittee.
Maintaining the United States Attorney’s strong partnerships with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, United States Attorney Higgins made it a priority to strengthen and build upon those relationships to pursue justice and better serve the people of Utah.
Leaders in the law enforcement community offered comments regarding U.S Attorney Higgins’ service.
“Strong partnerships between law enforcement and prosecutors are essential to upholding the rule of law. U.S. Attorney Higgins has been an invaluable friend to the FBI and a staunch supporter of our mission,” said Mehtab Syed, Special Agent in Charge of the Salt Lake City FBI. “During her tenure, she championed the safety of Utahns, and we thank her for her years of dedicated public service.”
“United States Attorney Trina Higgins has been an engaged and dedicated law enforcement partner as well as a steadfast advocate of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. “Her extensive experience as a career prosecutor, and unwavering commitment in her pursuit of justice have been pivotal in the successful prosecution of many complex cases.”
“I would like to thank United States Attorney Higgins for her many years of dedicated service as a federal prosecutor and as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah,” said U.S. Marshal Justin Martinez of the District of Utah. “USA Higgins is a consummate professional and has always kept the lines of communication open. USA Higgins is an extremally effective leader and a real change agent. She will be greatly missed by the U.S. Marshals Service and every federal, state and local agency she works with.”
“With appreciation, we thank United States Attorney Higgins for her dedication to DEA efforts in the state of Utah,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen. “Cooperation and hard work between DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, has led to many successful prosecutions. On behalf of the men and women of DEA, we wish nothing but the best for United States Attorney Higgins now and into the future.”
"HSI is grateful for its long-standing relationship with United States Attorney Higgins and her staff," said HSI Utah Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brandon Crane. "The collaboration has had a significant impact on public safety throughout Utah and stands as an example for future collaborations."
“United States Attorney Higgins has been a tremendous partner in supporting the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s efforts to safeguard the U.S. Mail, postal workers, and the public,” said Glen Henderson, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division. “United States Attorney Higgins was committed to holding accountable those who harm postal employees or exploit the U.S. Mail for illicit activities, including narcotics distribution. It has been a pleasure to collaborate with United States Attorney Higgins and we wish her continued success in all her future endeavors.”
“I want to thank United States Attorney Higgins for her partnership and outstanding leadership in working with our local law enforcement agencies,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. “She prioritized complex and violent offender cases to improve safety within the communities we serve.”
“United States Attorney Trina Higgins’ dedication to justice and service to the community is truly exceptional and will be greatly missed,” said Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown. “Her career as a dedicated prosecutor made our city safer—whether it was prosecuting some of our first Project Safe Neighborhood cases or complex, high-profile, or challenging cases. United States Attorney Higgins handled every case with professionalism and a true sense of duty. Never did she hide from the difficult cases. We will always remember USA Higgins’ compassion for crime victims and their families. She made sure victims’ voices were heard and understood in the pursuit of justice. While we will miss United States Attorney Higgins greatly, I know her legacy will endure through the District of Utah because of her distinguished career.”
United States Attorney Higgins has been in public service for 30 years. Prior to her leadership role as U.S. Attorney, Higgins served as an Assistant United States Attorney for over two decades and as a Salt Lake County Deputy District Attorney. At the time of her nomination, Higgins was serving as the Mediterranean Legal Advisor at the United States embassies in Valletta, Malta and Nicosia, Cyprus. A Utah native, Higgins earned her undergraduate degree from Weber State University and Juris Doctor degree from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, where she also worked as an adjunct professor for a decade.
Friday 14 February 2025
Woman indicted for spending $260,000 on handbags using company debit cardRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging a Kansas woman with using her former employer’s company debit card to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in unauthorized purchases.According to court documents, Kendra Gonzalez, 32, of Olathe was indicted on one count of wire fraud.
While working as a comptroller, Gonzalez is accused of using a company debit card to purchase 150 luxury handbags from a social commerce marketplace for online buying and selling of secondhand goods.
Gonzalez also allegedly used the company debit card for unauthorized personal expenses such as meals, entertainment, and hotel accommodations, and to send money to other people.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Hoover Rafael Alberto-Zuniga, 34, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle McFarlane is prosecuting the case.
Jose Melecio Bolivar-Chaidez, 54, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation - subsequent to a felony conviction. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case.
Jose Cristobal Rubio-Bardales, 43, was indicted on one count of reentry of a previously removed alien convicted of an aggravated felony. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
Lazarro Tiburcio-Nevarro, 38, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Christopher Oakley is prosecuting the case.
An indictment 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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West Virginia Man Sentenced for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A West Virginia man, Richard Hudson, 72, was sentenced on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 139 months, for bank robbery by intimidation.
According to his plea agreement, on February 15, 2024, Hudson robbed the Traditional Bank on Tates Creek Road in Lexington. Hudson approached a teller, placed a grocery bag and a note on the counter, and demanded that the teller empty the contents of her drawer into the bag. The teller did so and attempted to hand the bag back to Hudson, who then demanded for her to empty the bottom drawer as well. The teller did so, and Hudson was able to obtain $14,106 during the robbery. He fled the scene and was eventually apprehended in Charleston, WV. Hudson, a career offender, has robbed a series of banks across the Nation since the 1980s.
Under federal law, Hudson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, Hudson will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Waukee Man Sentenced to 32 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl and Fraud-Related ChargesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Waukee man was sentenced today to 32 years in federal prison for fraud, money laundering, and fentanyl distribution.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Stephan Rashad Haley, 36, also known as “Ace” and “Bosh,” acquired large quantities of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl from multiple drug sources and distributed the fentanyl-laced pills in the Southern District of Iowa. During an October 2023 search warrant at Haley’s Waukee residence, law enforcement located a stolen, loaded pistol, marijuana, cocaine, and pills containing fentanyl. Haley used the stolen pistol during an October 2023 shooting at an apartment complex in West Des Moines. At sentencing, the Court found Haley was responsible for more than 12 kilograms of fentanyl.
From May to August 2023, Haley also participated in a vast, multi-million-dollar fraud scheme. Working with coconspirators located throughout the country, Haley recruited at least three other individuals to open fraudulent bank accounts and deposit stolen checks. The portion of the conspiracies in which Haley participated caused an intended loss of over $3.5 million to more than 10 victims.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Haley will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Haley was also ordered to pay $66,437 in restitution.
Ten of Haley’s co-defendants in the fraud and money laundering case remain set for trial, currently scheduled to begin on June 23, 2025. Eight co‑defendants have pleaded guilty.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and West Des Moines Police Department, with assistance from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Clive Police Department, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Des Moines Police Department, Secret Service, and numerous state and local agencies from across the country.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Warwick Man Sentenced for Traveling with the Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Warwick man who previously admitted to a federal judge that he traveled to a local hotel via a commercial rideshare provider with the intent to have sex with a person he thought to be 13 years old was sentenced today to six years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Zachary Q. Baker 39, admitted that on March 10, 2023, he responded to an online advertisement for escorts that contained images of what appeared to be two young females being offered for a “short visit” and a “little fun.” Baker engaged in a lengthy series of text messages with a person he believed was offering a 13-year-old and an 11-year-old for sex in exchange for a fee.
According to information presented to the court, after several hours of text messaging, Baker traveled to a local hotel via a rideshare where he met with the person he believed was arranging for a sexual encounter with one or both of the girls. The person with whom Baker was communicating and with whom he met was, in fact, a Homeland Security Investigations agent.
Baker was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Senior Judge William E. Smith to 72 months of incarceration to be followed by 10 years of federal supervised release. Baker pleaded guilty on July 9, 2024, to a charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
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Unlawful Alien Found Guilty of Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Martin County man was convicted this week by a Fort Pierce federal jury of being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm.
Adam Marc Twinley, 44, of Palm City, Florida, entered the United States lawfully from the United Kingdom in 2013 on a visa for internationally recognized athletes and supporting personnel. Twinley did not leave the United States upon the expiration of his visa at the end of 2013. In 2016, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began Twinley’s removal proceedings, which were ongoing when, in October 2023, Twinley was discovered at a local gun range in possession of several firearms.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and Interim Field Office Director Juan Agudelo of ICE, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), made the announcement.
ATF West Palm Beach Field Office and ICE ERO investigated the case.
Federal law prohibits an unlawful alien of possessing a firearm in the United States.
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 24-cr-14012.
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Undocumented Immigrant Indicted on Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A undocumented immigrant living in St. Charles County, Missouri was indicted Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and accused of receiving images containing child sexual abuse material.
Francisco J. Ocana-Talamantes, 46, was indicted on one count of receiving child pornography. The indictment accuses him of receiving those images via the internet between Feb. 11, 2020, and March 14, 2024.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ocana-Talamantes is already in custody.
A motion seeking to have him held in jail until trial says that Ocana-Talamantes is in the country illegally.
“The FBI and our local law enforcement partners had been investigating Franscisco Ocana-Talamantes for his alleged crimes against children,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Because this defendant had entered the country illegally, the FBI was able to expedite his federal indictment and arrest by leveraging our assistance to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement action.”
The charge carries a potential penalty of at least five years in prison, with a maximum of 20 years.
The FBI, the St. Charles Police Department and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
U.S. Attorney's Office and ATF File New Charges Against Albuquerque ManRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man, already in custody awaiting trial on federal charges, now faces additional allegations of drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
According to court documents, on or about March 7, 2020, Kyle Majedi, 45, allegedly possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. On the same day, Majedi is accused of possessing with the intent to distribute heroin.
The indictment further alleges that Majedi knowingly possessed a firearm in connection with these alleged drug trafficking activities. Majedi, who was previously convicted of possession for sale of a controlled substance, is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Majedi is currently in custody, awaiting trial on separate charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Trial is scheduled to begin on April 7, 2025. If convicted, Majedi faces up to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
If convicted on the new charges, Majedi faces not less than 15 years and up to life in prison, followed by five years and up to life on supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico Department of Justice. Assistant United States Attorney Natasha Moghadam is prosecuting both cases.
The indictment is the result of a newly formed Firearms Trafficking Task Force. The New Mexico ATF Firearms Trafficking Task Force works with State and local law enforcement partners, including the New Mexico Department of Justice, the Albuquerque Police Department, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, the Bernalillo Police Department, and the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office to identify, deter, disrupt, and dismantle Firearms Trafficking Organizations (FTOs) supplying firearms to individuals and groups engaged in our community’s most egregious acts of violence, as well as any associated, violent offenders.
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Plea in Firearms and Drug Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man pled to federal charges of firearm and drug trafficking, including the possession and sale of a machine gun.
According to court documents, on March 1, 2024, Micah Maestas, 20, and two accomplices sold 3 grams of cocaine for $100 and a firearm with an attached machinegun conversion device for $1200 to an undercover officer. Maestas also possessed a second firearm during this drug trafficking offense.
In a subsequent incident on May 9, 2024, Maestas and two others met the undercover officer to sell a rifle for $1100 and offered additional firearms for sale, including firearms with machinegun conversion devices. During this interaction, the buyer claimed to be a felon, yet Maestas proceeded with the transaction.
The final incident occurred on July 3, 2024. Maestas met the undercover officer alone and sold him a firearm fitted with an "Invisible Switch" machinegun conversion device for $1300. Maestas admitted to installing the conversion device himself, knowing it would transform the semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic firearm.
At sentencing, Maestas faces not less than five years and up to 25 years in prison, followed by not less than five years and up to life of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Letitia Carroll Simms is prosecuting the case.
Machine gun conversion devices and auto sears are illegal devices that transform semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons capable of continuous firing with a single trigger pull. The possession, manufacture, and sale of these devices without proper licensing is a federal offense carrying severe penalties, including up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $250,000.
The proliferation of these devices poses an immediate and critical threat to public safety. Between 2018 and 2023, the ATF recovered thousands of machine gun conversion devices, indicating an alarming trend in their availability and use. Violent street gangs are increasingly employing these devices, devastating communities and neighborhoods with unprecedented firepower.
This dramatic increase in illegal automatic weapons puts both civilians and law enforcement at extreme risk. Officers responding to incidents may find themselves severely outgunned, facing weapons capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute. The potential for mass casualties in such encounters is staggering.
Law enforcement agencies are racing against time to intercept these devices before they can be used in violent crimes. Public cooperation is crucial in combating this threat. If you have information about illegal firearms or conversion devices, please contact the ATF immediately:
- Call: 1-888-ATF-Tips (1-888-283-8477)
- Email: [email protected]
- Visit: www.atf.gov/atf-tips
Your tip could save lives and prevent these dangerous weapons from falling into the wrong hands. The time to act is now, before our community fall victim to the devastating impact of these illegal automatic weapons.
Three Staten Island Residents and a Florida Man Charged with Firearms Trafficking Conspiracy and Illegal Possession of Machine GunsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a nine-count superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Justin Nudelman, his brother Brandon Nudelman, Ronnie Mershon and Michael Daddea with conspiracy to traffic firearms, conspiracy to obstruct justice, possession of machine guns and related firearms counts. Three defendants were arrested this morning. Brandon Nudelman and Mershon are being arraigned this afternoon in Brooklyn before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho, and Daddea is making his initial appearance in federal court in Tampa, Florida for removal proceedings to Brooklyn. Justin Nudelman had previously been charged with possession of machine guns and unregistered firearms in the underlying indictment and will be arraigned at a later date.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Division (ATF), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges.
“The defendants’ use of 3D printers to make untraceable, fully automatic weapons poses an extremely serious threat to public safety,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “My Office and our federal and local partners are working tirelessly to protect our communities by preventing these guns from making their way into the hands of violent criminals.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the United States Secret Service and the NYPD Intelligence Division’s Major Case Team and Intelligence Analytical Team for their work on the case.
“Illegally manufacturing and distributing privately made firearms and machine gun conversion devices is a direct threat to public safety,” stated ATF New York Special Agent in Charge Miller. “This indictment underscores our unwavering commitment to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the flow of illegal firearms that fuels violence in our communities. Through strong collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we are taking proactive action against those who endanger public safety. We commend the work of ATF New York, NYPD Ghost Gun Team, ATF Tampa, United States Secret Service, N.Y. State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Richmond County DA’s office and EDNY. Every illegal firearm taken off the streets is a step toward protecting innocent lives and ensuring safer neighborhoods. We remain steadfast in our mission to combat gun violence.”
“These individuals thought they could evade law enforcement by using 3D printers to churn out illegal ghost guns and endanger our streets — but they were wrong” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “The NYPD, along with the ATF, the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and all our partners, will not tolerate criminals wreaking havoc in New York City with untraceable, deadly weapons — and we will bring down anyone brazen enough to try.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment and in court filings, between approximately January 2023 and September 2023, the defendants conspired to illegally manufacture and traffic firearms. Mershon and Justin Nudelman used 3D printers and parts sourced from online retailers to assemble privately made firearms, commonly called “ghost guns.” These 3D-printed firearms included at least 10 devices called “auto sears,” which convert semi-automatic guns into fully automatic weapons and are considered machine guns under federal law. The defendants made the unserialized, unregistered ghost guns that they assembled available for sale without obtaining a license or otherwise notifying government authorities. To date, 23 firearms have already been seized and the investigation has revealed that the defendants made numerous others.
Justin Nudelman and Brandon Nudelman are also charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice. As alleged, on September 7, 2023, law enforcement officers sought to seize Justin Nudelman’s phone pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant. Both Justin and Brandon Nudelman took steps to conceal the phone and render its contents inaccessible to law enforcement.
The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
Trial Attorney Arun Bodapati is in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist David Harrison.
The Defendants:
JUSTIN NUDELMAN
Age: 30
Staten Island, New YorkBRANDON NUDELMAN
Age: 32
Staten Island, New YorkRONNIE MERSHON
Age: 27
Staten Island, New YorkMICHAEL DADDEA
Age: 29
Tampa, FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-437(S-1) (AMD)
Three Illegal Aliens Sentenced for Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY –Three illegal aliens were sentenced to federal prison yesterday for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation or removal.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration and Customs, made the announcement.
According to court documents, Jose Alcides Ramirez-Vasquez, age 32, a citizen of El Salvador, was sentenced to seven months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Ramirez-Vasquez was found in Warren County, Kentucky on or about December 4, 2021, after having previously been deported and removed from the United States on or about November 4, 2013.
Carlos Mendoza-Zapata, age 35, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to fourteen months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release. Mendoza-Zapata was found in the Warren County on or about December 1, 2023, after having been previously deported and removed from the United States on or about October 21, 2016, April 22, 2022, and April 7, 2023.
Jenaro Heron Mendoza-Hernandez, age 36, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Mendoza-Hernandez was found in Warren County on or about May 9, 2024, after having been previously deported and removed from the United States on or about November 30, 2020, and October 6, 2021.
There is no parole in the federal system.
These cases were investigated by ERO-Louisville, and HSI-Bowling Green.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell prosecuted the cases.
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Texas Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Darlene Ruelas Flores, a/k/a Darlene Sheppard, age 44, of San Antonio, Texas, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
The Indictment alleged that on May 30, 2024, Flores knowingly and intentionally possessed 400 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, with the intent to distribute it.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Flores will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Texas Man Guilty of Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that LEROY OTERO (“OTERO”), age 35, a resident of Texas, pled guilty before United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter on February 4, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectible amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and 846.
As to this charge, OTERO faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to a maximum of life in prison, up to a $10,000,000.00 fine, at least five years of supervised release, and a 100 mandatory special assessment fee.
His sentencing is set for May 29, 2025.
During the course of this investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents determined that OTERO was supplying large amounts of methamphetamine to local drug dealers, who, in turn, were selling the drugs in Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Houma Police Department, the Louisiana State Police, and the Terrebonne and Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Offices. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit.
Summers County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Matthew Harris England, 38, of Meadow Bridge, was sentenced today to one year and eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 3, 2023, law enforcement responded to reports of a domestic disturbance at England’s residence in Meadow Bridge. When law enforcement entered the residence, they found and seized a Savage model Stevens 94F, 20-gauge shotgun with a modified and shortened barrel and a modified and shortened stock on a chair in the living room. England was arrested, and told officers he knew the firearm was in the residence and that the length of its barrel appeared to be illegal.
The short-barreled shotgun was not registered to England in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law. Federal law also prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. England knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for aiding and abetting the possession of stolen firearms in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on May 9, 2014.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Summers County Sheriff’s Department, the West Virginia State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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. 5:23-cr-93.
Suburban Chicago Medical Device Company to Pay $1 Million to Resolve Federal Fraud InvestigationRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago medical device company has agreed to pay a $1 million fine to resolve a federal criminal investigation into the alleged selling of misbranded products imported from overseas.
Mokena, Ill.-based ADVANCED INVENTORY MANAGEMENT, INC. admitted in a Statement of Facts filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago that the company imported medical products from international distributors at cheaper prices than what it would have paid to U.S. distributors. Once the products arrived in the U.S., company employees – under the direction of its sole owner and Chief Executive Officer, ANTHONY IADEROSA, 52, of Mokena, Ill. – used a hair dryer to remove labels that had cautioned the products were only available for resale in a specified country and not in the United States. The company then re-sold the products to customers in the U.S. at a substantial markup, resulting in profit margins of 35% to 50%. In total, AIM admitted that it made profits of approximately $500,000 by employing this tactic.
The investigation of AIM and Iaderosa is being resolved with deferred prosecution agreements, under which the company and Iaderosa admitted that the tactic rendered the products misbranded under the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The company and Iaderosa further admitted that they deliberately concealed the tactic from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and caused false statements to be submitted to customs agents.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a one-count criminal information charging AIM and Iaderosa with misbranding of a medical device with the intent to defraud. Under the agreements, the government will defer prosecution on the charge against AIM for three years and the charge against Iaderosa for one year, and then seek to dismiss the charges if the company and Iaderosa abide by certain conditions. Among other things, the company agreed to pay a $1 million fine to the Department of Justice and implement a new compliance and ethics program designed to prevent violations of federal food and drug laws, as well as provide annual reports to the government regarding remediation and implementation of the program. If AIM or Iaderosa fail to completely fulfill each of their obligations during the terms of the agreements, the U.S. Attorney’s Office can initiate prosecution of the charged offenses.
The charges and the deferred prosecution agreements were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ronne Malham, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FDA, Office of Criminal Investigations. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hasten.
iaderosa_deferred_prosecution_agreement.pdf aim_deferred_prosecution_agreement.pdf aim_and_iaderosa_information.pdfStarr County felon sentenced for illegally possessing multiple firearmsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 46-year-old man has been ordered to prison following his conviction of being a felon in possession of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Rosvel Gonzalez pleaded guilty Nov. 21, 2024.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Gonzalez to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
On Sept. 5, 2024, an undercover law enforcement officer engaged in a controlled sale of a firearm to Gonzalez, a convicted felon. Authorities arrested him following the sale. A subsequent search of Gonzalez’s home revealed eight additional firearms and several amounts of ammunition.
The investigation revealed Gonzalez was previously convicted of felony possession of marijuana. He also had a prior felony conviction for manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms per federal law.
Gonzalez has been and will remain in custody pending his transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.
St. Tammany Parish Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ALVAREZ JOSEPH CYPRIAN (“CYPRIAN”), age 23, of Madisonville, Louisiana, was sentenced on February 11, 2025 after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. CYPRIAN was sentenced to five years probation and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, CYPRIAN sold fentanyl pills to an undercover agent on September 8, 2023. CYPRIAN met the undercover agent in Covington and gave the agent 200 fentanyl pills in exchange for $550.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit oversees the prosecution.
St. Bernard Parish Man Guilty of Federal Gun and Drug ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ABE JYLES (“JYLES”), age 44, a resident of St. Bernard Parish, pled guilty on February 4, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter to Counts 1, 2, and 3 of a superseding bill of information that was filed against him. Count 1 charged JYLES with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). Count 2 charged him with possession, with the intent to distribute, a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, and cocaine, in violation of Title 21 USC § 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). Count 3 charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18 USC § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). JYLES faces the following sentences as to each count:
As to Count 1, JYLES faces a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than 5 years up to a maximum of life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000. Any jail sentence imposed in connection with Count 1 must run consecutive to any other count. He will also face up to five years of supervised release. He will also face up to five years of supervised release.
As to Count 2, JYLES faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000.00 fine, and a term of supervised release of not less than three years up to life.
As to Count 3, JYLES faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
Additionally, as to each charged count, JYLES faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
On February 29, 2024, JYLES was identified as the driver and sole occupant of a vehicle. involved in a traffic stop by St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office personnel. After law enforcement personnel noticed the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, they detained JYLES and searched the vehicle. During the search, multiple illegal narcotics, a scale, drug paraphernalia, and four firearms were found inside the vehicle.
At the time of his arrest, JYLES was on federal supervised release due to his 2008 federal drug trafficking conviction.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.
Spokane Valley Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Production and Attempted Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – On February 13, 2025, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Nicholas James Thieschafer, age 31, of Spokane Valley, Washington, to 25 years in federal prison on charges of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material. Judge Rice also imposed a life term of supervised release and restitution of over $63,000, to be paid to Thieschafer’s victims.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, a minor disclosed in February 2023 that Thieschafer had been sexually abusing the minor and had at times used his phone to take pictures. When law enforcement executed a search warrant at Thieschafer’s home and seized several electronic devices, investigators located 3,300 image and video files of child sexual abuse material, including 877 files depicting the child who made the initial disclosure. Investigators located several videos in which Thieschafer was readily identifiable as the person sexually abusing the child.
“Those who prey on innocent children will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rich Barker. “Protecting Eastern Washington communities—especially our most vulnerable among us—is a top priority. Our incredible team of prosecutors and support staff will continue to work tirelessly with federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement partners to ensure justice is served.”
“Thanks to the relentless efforts of our special agents, criminal analysts, and law enforcement partners, Mr. Thieschafer will be held accountable for his heinous crimes,” said ICE HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy. “This case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing need for HSI to stay vigilant in our mission to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Our commitment to the victims of these crimes is resolute, and we will continue to collaborate closely with our partners to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security, Washington State Patrol, and the Spokane Police Department, which make up the Eastern Washington Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), a Washington State Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) affiliate. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick.
2:23-cr-00129-TOR
Sexual Assault Aboard Metro Train Yields Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Garner, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 45 months in prison for sexual assault of a woman aboard a Metro train, traveling from Maryland to D.C., in April 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr.
Garner pleaded guilty on July 10, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of third-degree sexual abuse. In addition to the sentence, the Honorable Errol Arthur also ordered that Garner will be required to register for 10 years as a sex offender and complete three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately, 9:30 a.m., on April 16, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to the Gallery Place Metro station for a report of a sexual assault on a female passenger. Officers spoke with the victim, who stated she had boarded the green line train at Suitland station and sat down. At that time, the defendant also boarded the train and sat directly across from her. Garner then sat next to the victim, when she noticed that his penis was exposed. When the victim motioned to other passengers that the defendant was masturbating, he got up and moved away claiming he was just fixing his pants. As the train continued and approached L’Enfant Plaza Metro station, Garner again sat next to the victim and masturbated, at which time the victim tried to get the attention of another passenger on the train. When the victim and a female passenger attempted to walk past the defendant, he blocked their path and stated “You can get off, but she isn’t going anywhere. You’re not going anywhere until I bust a nut”. The defendant let the unknown female passenger go but held on to the victim, grabbed her butt, and refused to let her leave the train. The victim continued to try to get off the train, but the defendant forced her to stay on board while he continued to assault her.
At one point, when other passengers observed what was happening Garner lied and stated that the victim was his lady. As the train pulled into the Fort Totten metro station, again Garner refused to let the victim leave and, with his penis exposed, ultimately ejaculated on her. When the train pulled into the next station, both the victim and Garner exited the train. The victim immediately reported the assault to the station manager, who called the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD). The defendant boarded a train on the other platform going in the opposite direction. MTPD officers were able to locate Garner on a train at Gallery Place Metro, where he was identified by the victim and placed under arrest, and he has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Transit Police Department and the Metropolitan Police Department. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim Advocate Tracey Hawkins and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Kelley and Sarah Folse, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
San Diego Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin-Filled Bibles Addressed to California Prison InmatesRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – U.S. District Court Judge Todd Robinson sentenced Lucresia Stone-Rojas of San Diego today to 86 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm on November 12, 2023, and possession with intent to distribute heroin on December 27, 2023. Stone-Rojas previously pleaded guilty in federal court to these charges.
According to court records, police stopped Stone-Rojas on November 12, 2023, after license plate readers identified a stolen Porsche near North Second Street and East Main Street in El Cajon. During the stop, police recovered a loaded 9mm Walther firearm and an additional ammunition magazine. Multiple prior felony convictions prohibit Stone-Rojas from possessing a firearm or ammunition. She was therefore charged with unlawful firearm possession, following investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Stone-Rojas was again arrested by federal investigators on December 27, 2023, for a second offense. This time, Stone-Rojas possessed sealed packages and envelopes addressed to multiple prison inmates in the California Department of Corrections. A search of the packages revealed two Bibles containing approximately 23 grams of heroin; the drugs were concealed in the spine of the Bibles and destined for delivery to two different California prisons.
“Smuggling drugs into our prisons endangers both the inmates and the correctional staff. It will not be tolerated.” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden “Hopefully this case will serve as a warning to anyone who would be willing to abuse the tools of faith and rehabilitation to perpetuate addiction and despair.”
“Multi-convicted felons who possess firearms will be held accountable as we work to keep our communities safe and firearms out of the hands of prohibited people,” said ATF Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kenneth R. Cooper. “ATF will continue to work with local and state law enforcement agencies to investigate the violent career criminals who illegally possess firearms.”“Drug distribution, no matter where it occurs, threatens the safety of our community and will not be tolerated,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23CR2622 (TWR)
Lucresia Stone-Rojas Age: 46 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Felon in Possession of a Firearm — Title 18 U.S.C., Section 922(g)(1)
Maximum Penalty: 15 years in prison and $250,000 finePossession with Intent to Distribute Heroin – Title 21 U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum Penalty: 20 years in prison and $1,000,000 fineINVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Drug Enforcement Administration
El Cajon Police Department
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.Saint Vincents Catholic Medical Centers of New York Agrees to Pay $29M to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
SVCMC Inc., formerly known as Saint Vincents Catholic Medical Centers of New York (Saint Vincent), has agreed to pay $29 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly retaining erroneously inflated payments received from the Department of Defense for healthcare services provided to retired military members and their families.
Saint Vincent is one of six health plans participating in the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP) program, which is a federal health insurance program funded by the Defense Health Agency (DHA), a component of the Department of Defense. Under the USFHP program, DHA pays Saint Vincent capitated rates to provide healthcare services to military personnel, retirees, and their families. The complaint alleged that, in 2012, Saint Vincent learned that errors had been made in the calculation of the capitated rates resulting in substantial overpayments to Saint Vincent and the other five USFHP plans over the preceding four years. According to the government’s complaint, instead of notifying the government of the overpayments or repaying the funds, Saint Vincent, along with the other five USFHP plans, took steps to conceal the existence of the overpayments from DHA, continued to submit invoices at the inflated payment rates, and conspired to avoid paying the money back. Today’s settlement resolves the government’s claims against Saint Vincent.
“Those who receive public funds, including participants in government health care programs, must return funds to which they are not entitled,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Together with our partners across the federal government, we will hold accountable those who knowingly violate this obligation to the American taxpayers.”
“I want to thank the Justice Department for resolving this case on behalf of TRICARE and the Defense Health Agency,” said Dr. David C. Krulak, Director, TRICARE Health Plan, DHA. “Providing excellent health care to our 9.5 million beneficiaries worldwide is essential to maintaining force readiness and keeping our promise to our family members and retirees, while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars at the same time.”
The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Jane Rollinson and Daniel Gregorie in the District of Maine. From 2007 to 2015, Ms. Rollinson worked at Martin’s Point Health Care, one of the health plans participating in the USFHP program, including as its Interim Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Gregorie was a consultant to the CEO and Board of Martin’s Point Health Care and later served on its Board of Trustees. Under the False Claims Act’s qui tam provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The United States may intervene and proceed with the case, as it did here. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Rollinson v. Martin’s Point Health Care, Inc., No. 2:16-cv-00447-NT (D. Me.). As part of today’s settlement, Ms. Rollinson and Mr. Gregorie will receive $5.655 million. The United States is continuing to pursue the remaining claims in this case.
The resolution of this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, with assistance from the DHA.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare 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 Fraud Section Attorneys Diana Cieslak and Evan Ballan and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Lizotte and Sheila Sawyer for the District of Maine.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Prison for Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking and Illegal Weapons Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alberto Gonzalez Salgado, 45, of Sacramento, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to 13 years and one month in prison and ordered to forfeit $100,000 to the government for drug trafficking and firearms crimes, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, in 2019 and 2020, Salgado trafficked fentanyl pills, heroin, marijuana, and firearms. On multiple occasions Salgado sold heroin and fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills and illegal short-barreled rifles to a confidential source. Salgado also maintained a stash house in Sacramento where he grew over 100 marijuana plants and also kept a firearm to protect his drug trafficking operation. When law enforcement attempted to stop Salgado’s vehicle to arrest him on the way to a fentanyl pill deal in October 2020, Salgado fled, leading law enforcement on a high-speed vehicle chase on public roadways that lasted over an hour and a half and endangered law enforcement officers and the public.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Task Force, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Raleigh Man Sentenced to over 10 years in Prison for Drugs and GunsRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced to 152 months in prison for wire fraud, conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On September 16, 2024, and November 4, 2024, Cory Sean Heard, age 47, pled guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on February 8, 2021, Heard was pulled over by the Raleigh Police Department for a routine traffic stop. During a search of Heard’s car, officers located a 9mm pistol, a bag of heroin, and a digital scale. Further investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that between 2019 and 2021, Heard sold over 100 grams of heroin.
While investigating Heard for drug distribution, the FBI learned that in March 2020, Heard submitted a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) application and IRS Form Schedule C for a fake business. As a result of this fraudulent EIDL application, Heard received a cash advance. Further investigation revealed that Heard also received PPP funds for an alleged car washing business. As part of the resolution of this case, Heard agreed, and was ordered to pay, $140,000 in restitution to the Small Business Administration.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Raleigh Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Labresh prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:21-CR-178-M and 5:23-CR-388-M.
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