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Thursday 13 February 2025
Chicago Man Admits Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $1.5 Million in SNAP BenefitsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A man has admitted in federal court that he fraudulently obtained more than $1.5 million in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
DAVID QUINONES, 44, of Chicago, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a federal wire fraud charge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for June 18, 2025.
SNAP is a federal benefit program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in conjunction with state governments. The program is intended to provide nutritional benefits to supplement the food budgets of eligible individuals and families. Retail stores authorized to participate in SNAP can accept SNAP benefits through EBT cards, also known as Link cards, as payment for eligible food items. It is illegal for stores or individuals to exchange Link cards for cash or other items.
Quinones admitted in a plea agreement that from 2018 to 2023, he gave cash or other items to SNAP recipients in exchange for access to their Link cards and associated identification numbers. Quinones used the cards to purchase various goods at authorized retail stores, fraudulently representing himself as the authorized user of the cards. He then re-sold most of the goods, keeping the proceeds for himself. Quinones admitted that he used more than 1,200 cards and fraudulently caused the USDA to pay out approximately $1,554,804 in SNAP benefits.
The guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Shantel R. Robinson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Midwest Region, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly.
Career Offender Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A 49-year-old former Rhode Island man whom court records reflect is a career offender who has spent nearly half of his life incarcerated, has been sentenced to a further ten years in federal prison for trafficking multiple kilos of methamphetamine into Rhode Island, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Carl Sharp, 49, of Peoria, Arizona, who formerly resided in Rhode Island, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 120 months of incarceration to be followed by five years of federal supervised release. Sharp pleaded guilty on October 15, 2024, to a charge of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Court records reflect that Sharp was previously convicted and incarcerated on unrelated charges involving, among other things: drug trafficking, domestic violence, and assault. Sharp also previously faced a murder charge, but was acquitted of that charge after a key witness in the case died.
According to court documents and information provided to the court in the current federal case, during an investigation into drugs being shipped through the U.S. Mail to Rhode Island from Western states, the United States Postal Inspection Service identified thirteen packages, six of which were mailed by Sharp. Court-authorized searches of three packages, two of which were mailed by Sharp, resulted in the seizure of a total of 4.44 kilograms of methamphetamine and 249 grams of cocaine.
One of the packages shipped by Sharp was sent to a Rhode Island residence that he had used previously for his drug trafficking activities, and another parcel was mailed to the residence of an unsuspecting 85-year-old woman who lived alone. After opening the package and finding nearly two kilos of meth wrapped in clothing inside the package, a man knocked on her back door looking for the package. The woman told the man that she did not have the package, and he left. She then brought the package to the post office.
A financial investigation into Sharp’s assets determined that between January 2022 and May 2024, he deposited over $320,000 in unexplained cash into his personal bank account.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the FBI.
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Canadian National Indicted for Attempted Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, and Distributing, Transporting, and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging James Hjelmeland (30, Canada) with one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, two counts of distributing, one count of transporting, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). If convicted, Hjelmeland faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for the attempted offense, a minimum of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for each distribution and transportation offense, and up to 20 years in federal prison for the possession offense.
According to court documents, on December 29, 2024, an undercover detective with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office posed as the guardian of a 12-year-old “child.” Hjelmeland messaged the undercover detective and inquired about the age of the “child.” Hjelmeland then engaged in sexually explicit conversation with the undercover detective and made plans to travel from Canada to Orlando to have sex with the “child.” During the conversation, Hjelmeland distributed CSAM to the undercover detective. When Hjelmeland was arrested in Orlando, he had CSAM material on his cellphone that he had transported to the United States involving children under the age of 12.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, United States Customs and Border Patrol, and the Southern Alberta Internet Child Exploitation Team. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Canadian Citizen Charged with Aerial Photography of Defense InstallationRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the filing of a criminal information charging Xiao Guang Pan (71, Canada) with three counts of using an unmanned aircraft to photograph vital defense installations and equipment without authorization. If convicted, Pan faces a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison on each count.
According to the criminal information, Pan used an unmanned aircraft to photograph vital defense installations and equipment at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base. On three separate days in January 2025, Pan took aerial photographs of Space Launch complexes, a payload processing facility, a submarine wharf, and munitions bunkers. Taking unauthorized photographs of vital defense installations or equipment is prohibited under federal law.
An information is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Air Marshals Service, the NASA Office of Inspector General, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.
Businessman sentenced to over nine years in prison for $1.5M fraud on employees, investors, and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer ServicesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Suffolk man was sentenced yesterday to nine years and two months in prison for defrauding investors and employees of his business out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. While on pretrial release and after his bond was revoked, he additionally attempted to defraud the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services out of $1.1 million.
According to court documents, in November 2017, Breon Clemons, 36, worked at a car dealership with P.C., whom he told about his plans to form an organic produce company. Clemons later formed GoGreen Farms and Greenhouses, Inc., GoGreen Farms, Inc., and GoGreen Farms, LLC, (collectively GoGreen Farms), and offered employment to P.C. In February 2020, P.C. began working at GoGreen Farms and Clemons, as the owner of GoGreen Farms, had access to P.C.’s personally identifying information.
Also in 2020, Clemons invited his neighbor, C.F., to invest in GoGreen Farms. After C.F. invested $10,000, Clemons asked C.F. if she would like to be an unpaid officer or director of the business, and C.F. agreed. Clemons told C.F. that he needed a copy of her driver’s license for the articles of incorporation, and C.F. provided it. In November 2021, Clemons told C.F. that the company needed a revolving line of credit and asked if she would be a co-applicant. During discussions about the line of credit, Clemons asked C.F. for her Social Security number, and she provided it to him. Clemons later told C.F. that she would not need to co-sign for a line of credit because, he claimed, he would receive a loan from a professional basketball player.
In March 2022, C.F. received a call from Capital One regarding late payments. Upon further inquiry, C.F. discovered that the card in question was a joint account with GoGreen Farms. C.F. conferred with an acquaintance at GoGreen Farms, who indicated that GoGreen Farms also utilized an American Express card and a line of credit with lender TVT Capital that were in C.F.’s name.
The loan application submitted to TVT Capital falsely showed Clemons and C.F. as each owning 50% of GoGreen Farms, and a Virginia State Corporation Commission document was provided to TVT Capital as part of the loan application. The document, titled “Certificate of Entity Conversion,” contained a signature page dated July 6, 2021, with C.F. and Clemons’ purported signatures, when C.F. had not signed the document
The TVT Capital loan amount was $100,000, with interest of $46,000, resulting in a total repayment amount of $146,000. When C.F. confronted Clemons, he denied taking out lines of credit in her name. He also removed Capital One and American Express cards from his pocket and gave them to C.F. The balance on each card was over $100,000.
P.C. later discovered that in November 2021, Clemons took out a $25,000 line of credit with Bluevine Inc. using P.C.’s personal information and without P.C.’s consent. Clemons further forged P.C.’s signature on a financing and security agreement, and guaranty agreement. Bluevine Inc. advanced approximately $30,390 to Clemons on the line of credit.
While on pretrial release, Clemons continued committing fraud. He defrauded two individual investors, H.H. and J.B., taking $5,000 from each victim by promising to pay inordinate returns in one week. Clemons also applied for a $1.1 million Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grant from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Clemons submitted a grant application with false representations from prison with the assistance of a family member.
The total loss from Clemons’ fraud was approximately $1.5 million. The total amount of laundered funds was $218,442. Neither P.C. nor C.F. consented to or authorized the use of their personal identifying information being used for these credit cards and lines or credit.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mack Coleman and Brian J. Samuels prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-2.
Brazilian National Pleads Guilty to PerjuryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national residing in Malden, Mass. has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston for lying on his asylum application and at an immigration hearing. Upon applying for a U.S. Visa, the defendant never disclosed his arrest in a case involving the murders of 11 people, mostly teenagers, in Brazil in retaliation for the death of a police officer, an incident known as The Slaughter of Curió.
Antonio Jose De Abreu Vidal Filho, 31, pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury before U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper who scheduled sentencing for Mau 29, 2025. In May 2024, De Abreu was indicted by a federal grand jury.
In April 2014, De Abreu joined the Ceara State Military Police – Brazilian state forces who, under the governor, do first line policing on the street. In the early morning hours of Nov. 12, 2015, numerous Brazilian military police officers employed by the government of the Brazilian state of Ceará, including De Abreu, participated in a mass killing event of primarily young people from the impoverished neighborhoods of Barroso, Messejana, Guajeru, Curió and Lagoa Redonda in the capital of Ceará.
The killings were in retaliation for the death of another police officer who was attempting to defend his wife who was being assaulted. In total, 11 people, mostly teenagers, were murdered and many others seriously injured and tortured. This incident has come to be known as A Chacina do Curió or The Slaughter of Curió or The Curió Massacre. A total of 45 individuals, including De Abreu, were charged by the Brazilian authorities and, on Aug. 31, 2016, De Abreu was arrested and detained by the Brazilian police. He was subsequently released pending trial on May 24, 2017.
Two weeks later, on June 9, 2017, while in Recife, Brazil, De Abreu applied for a United States non-immigrant B2 visitor visa. When asked whether he had ever been arrested or convicted for any offense or crime, De Abreu responded “no.” Thereafter, on or about June 21, 2017, the United States Department of State approved De Abreu’s Visa Application and issued him the B2 Visa based upon his false representations. De Abreu used the B2 Visa and travelled to Miami on May 30, 2018.
Between May 30, 2018 through Aug. 14, 2023, as a result of the approval of his Visa Application, De Abreu obtained various state driver’s licenses, a social security card, travel documents and authorizations for employment.
De Abreu applied for asylum on Jan. 29, 2020, and lied when asked whether he had ever been accused, charged, arrested, detained, interrogated and imprisoned in any country other than the United States. He also failed to disclose his arrest and detention in Brazil when he applied for adjustment of status with United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.
On June 25, 2023, De Abreu was convicted of 11 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and four counts of physical and mental torture in the First Court of Fortaleza, Ceará. That same day, De Abreu was sentenced to 275 years and 11 months in prison and an arrest warrant issued.On Feb. 9, 2024, De Abreu testified under oath at an immigration hearing conducted by U.S. Immigration Court, falsely claiming that he had never lied to immigration officials and that the only reason he had left off important information on immigration documents filed with the United States government was because he had not yet been arrested.
The charge of misuse of visas, permits and other documents provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of perjury provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of falsifying, concealing and covering up a material fact provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; Mathew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Denis C. Riordan, District Director of the Fraud Detection and National Security Division of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.
Boston Woman Sentenced for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-Relief FundsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston woman was sentenced in federal court in Boston for a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Jameela Gross, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to time served (one day) to be followed by three years of supervised release. Gross has also been ordered to pay $18,750 in restitution. In September 2024, Gross pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Gross was arrested in February 2024 along with over 40 Heath Street Gang members/associates, who were charged with racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, firearms charges and financial frauds, including COVID-related fraud.
Among other relief programs, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act created the PPP, a temporary loan program directed at small businesses. PPP loans were processed and funded by participating lenders and guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. If the small business used the loan funds for permissible expenses, the loan could be forgiven.
In April 2021, Gross submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application on behalf of her purported photography business. The application contained multiple false statements, including false representations regarding the fictitious business’s income in 2020 and the purpose of the loan. Gross also submitted false tax records in support of her loan application. Based on the fraudulent application, Gross received approximately $18,750.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Hoefle and Lucy Sun of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Myles Robert Williams, 37, of Beckley, was sentenced today to eight years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 26, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Williams in Beckley. The traffic stop occurred shortly after a controlled purchase of drugs was made from Williams. Officers searched the vehicle and found a Ruger model EC9S 9mm semi-automatic handgun, 41 grams of fentanyl, and $1,179. Williams admitted that he possessed the firearm and used it for protection.
Williams further admitted to possessing the fentanyl found in his vehicle, and that he intended to distribute it. Williams also admitted that he sold 1.3 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Beckley shortly before officers conducted the traffic stop.
On April 17, 2024, law enforcement officers responding to a reported shooting at a Beckley residence encountered Williams outside the residence and found a Springfield model Hellcat 9mm semi-automatic pistol on the ground near Williams. Officers also found an individual with a gunshot wound to the leg outside the residence. Williams told officers that he fired the pistol inside the residence.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Williams knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for common law robbery in Lincoln County, North Carolina, Superior Court on September 10, 2013.
Williams has a long criminal history that also includes prior convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon, trafficking opium or heroin, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell 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. 5:24-cr-79.
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Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to EscapeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kishaun Andre Jones, 25, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to escape after walking away from a federal reentry facility.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 2, 2024, Jones left Dismas Charities Inc., a Bureau of Prisons residential reentry facility in St. Albans, without permission. Jones was confined at Dismas Charities as a result of his conviction for distribution of methamphetamine in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on February 23, 2023.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney D. Keith Randolph is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-21.
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Armed Cocaine Trafficker Is Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced an armed cocaine trafficker to five years in prison, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Cleveland Pegues, 40, of Charlotte, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after he is released from prison.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on March 15, 2023, CMPD officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a black Honda Accord for a traffic violation. The driver of the vehicle initially pulled over, but as the officers exited their vehicle the driver took off at a high rate of speed. As the vehicle sped away, the officers observed a bag being thrown from the passenger window. Officers recovered the bag which contained quantities of marijuana and cocaine. The officers also conducted a search of the area where the vehicle had traveled and located a stolen and loaded firearm. During the investigation, the officers determined that the driver of the vehicle was Pegues.
According to filed documents, on March 29, 2023, while surveilling Pegues, officers observed the defendant walking toward a truck, carrying bags. When Pegues saw the officers, he attempted to flee on foot, but he was quickly taken into custody. Court records show that Pegues had been carrying a shopping bag and a satchel. Officers searched the satchel, where they found a Pietro Beretta, Model 96A1, .40 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber and 10 rounds in the magazine; a stolen Smith and Wesson, Model 66, 357 Magnum revolver loaded with six rounds; and a Beretta magazine loaded with six rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Inside the shopping bag, officers found multiple plastic bags containing over 100 grams of cocaine packaged for distribution, quantities of MDMA and cocaine base, and more than half a kilogram of marijuana packaged in several bags. The officers also found digital scales and cash. Court documents show that law enforcement executed a search warrant at Pegues apartment, where they seized $7,000 in U.S. currency, ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and a money counter.
On August 29, 2024, Pegues pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Pegues will remain in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at a designated facility.
In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Ardmore Resident Sentenced for Unlawful Dealing in FirearmsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that David Haskell Moore, age 69, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to five years of probation and 12 months of home detention for one count of Dealing Firearms Without a License.
The charges arose from an investigation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On May 9, 2024, Moore pleaded guilty to illegally dealing in firearms. According to investigators, on September 6, 2023, U.S. border agents at the Port of Entry in Donna, Texas, discovered 268 guns hidden behind the wall panel of a utility trailer attempting to gain entry into Mexico. ATF agents investigating the weapons cache traced 24 of the firearms to purchases originally made by Moore from legitimate dealers throughout Oklahoma and Texas. Moore then resold the firearms. At the time of the incident, Moore was not licensed to deal in firearms and had been served a cease and desist letter in 2018 by ATF agents warning him not to sell firearms without a Federal Firearms License.
“ATF’s commitment to keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of those that shouldn’t have them knows no boundaries. As this case proves, Mr. Moore was knowingly dealing firearms without a license, many of which were eventually found in the hands of criminals throughout the United States. Together with our partners, we will continue to work tirelessly to protect our communities from violent firearm crime,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
“I commend the work of ATF agents, border patrol, and federal prosecutors in their efforts to reduce the unlawful trade of firearms,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Angelina County felon sentenced for federal drug trafficking and firearms violationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Lufkin man has been sentenced for federal drug trafficking and firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Bradley Skyler Bryan, 27, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to 175 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on February 13, 2025.
According to information presented in court, in April 2024, Bryan was stopped for a traffic violation in Lufkin. During the stop, the officer smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed marijuana, vape pens, pills, and a large amount of methamphetamine. A concealed handgun was found on Bryan. Further investigation revealed Bryan had twelve prior felony convictions, including numerous felony convictions involving narcotics and firearms.
A search warrant was obtained for Bryan’s residence where officers located methamphetamine, cocaine, ammunition, a cell phone hidden inside of a wall, a camera surveillance system, and various other items typically used to distribute illegal drugs. As a convicted felon, Bryan is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigations Division; Lufkin Police Department; and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Carter.
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2013 Stranger Armed Rape Solved by Maryland DNA Upon Arrest Law Results in Guilty VerdictRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Samuel Peaks, 36, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of one count of first degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances for a February 12, 2013 assault of a stranger in the 4400 block of Gault Place, NE, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Sentencing is scheduled in front of Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz for May 2, 2025. Peaks faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
According to the government’s evidence that was presented at trial, at approximately 6:00 a.m., on February 12, 2013, Peaks encountered the victim at the Minnesota Ave. Metro and tried to speak with her. The victim rejected his advances and walked away. The defendant followed her, brandished a gun, forced her to put a condom on his penis, and perform a sexual act on him. Peaks threw the condom on the ground afterward. The victim immediately reported to police, who responded and recovered the condom.
The condom was timely tested for DNA in 2013 and resulted in a mixture of DNA from the victim and an unknown male. The case was pending without an identification of a suspect until the defendant was arrested for an attempted homicide in Maryland in 2020, where his DNA was collected pursuant to Maryland’s DNA upon arrest law and entered into CODIS.
The defendant’s DNA was compared to the male profile from the seized condom developed in the 2013 DNA testing and was determined to be a match.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The case was investigated by Assistant United States Attorney Amy Zubrensky and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Folse and Raha Mokhtari, of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section.
Wednesday 12 February 2025
Wisconsin Rapids Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Bradly Rosenthal, 42, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to nine years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution and possessing two loaded firearms as a felon.
Rosenthal sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant three times in February 2024. On March 13, 2024, law enforcement received a report of suspected drug activity at a car wash located in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. Officers responded to the car wash where they encountered Rosenthal. After a K9 alerted to the presence of illicit substances, law enforcement searched Rosenthal’s vehicle and found 266 grams of methamphetamine, two loaded firearms, a Taser, $2,000, and drug distribution paraphernalia. Rosenthal is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction.
At sentencing, Judge Conley expressed concern at Rosenthal’s “repeated serious crimes,” which include prior drug trafficking and firearms offenses, and his continued “endangerment of others.”
The charges against Rosenthal were the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force and the Wisconsin Rapids and Nekoosa Police Departments. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Remington and Megan Stelljes prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Venezuelan Men Charged with Bank Larceny OffensesRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY –A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued this week charging two Venezuelan men with conspiracy to commit bank larceny and attempted bank larceny.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Police Chief Mike Canon of the Calvert City Police Department made the announcement.
According to court records, on January 31, 2025, Jhoandiris Jimenez-Barrio, 26, and Yirvel Yonaiker Rios-Castro, 20, both citizens of Venezuela, attempted to steal money from an ATM located in Calvert City, Kentucky. That day the Calvert City Police Department responded to an ATM alarm and the men fled the scene in a vehicle traveling between 70 and 80 mph. The men struck another vehicle and fled the wreck on foot. The Calvert City Police Department apprehended the men near a service station in Calvert City. A search of their vehicle yielded a cordless drill, drill bits, latex gloves, a mask, and duct tape.
Homeland Security Investigations verified that Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro are Venezuelan and entered the United States illegally.
Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro are in state custody and will make initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky at a later date. If convicted on the charges in the complaint, the men face maximum potential penalties of 50 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI, HSI, and Calvert City Police Department are investigating.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Hancock and Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Utah Man Indicted for Strangling and Cyberstalking Victim in JapanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A grand jury in the District of Utah returned a superseding indictment today charging Ian West, 50, of Mountain Green, Utah, with assaulting a former dating and intimate partner by strangulation and attempted strangulation while working overseas with the U.S. military, and then cyberstalking the same person after returning to his home in Utah.
According to court documents, West was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, working as a teacher with the U.S. Department of Defense when he strangled the victim on or about March 31, 2024. After the assault in Japan, West returned to his home in Utah and began to cyberstalk the same person by setting up fake online profiles advertising massage and escort services, including some that featured intimate photos of the victim with personal contact information. These profiles led to the victim receiving multiple unwanted communications from people seeking sexual encounters.
West was charged by indictment on Jan. 15, with assault of a spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner by strangling, suffocating, or attempting to strangle or suffocate. West was charged by superseding indictment on Feb. 12 with cyberstalking. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case.Trial Attorney Taryn Meeks of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hirata for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Dena J. King Announces Departure After Serving as Chief Law Enforcement Officer in the Western District of North CarolinaRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – United States Attorney Dena J. King announced that she will step down from her position as the Western District’s chief law enforcement officer effective today.
“It has been a tremendous honor to serve the people of the Western District of North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney King. “I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the most talented public servants who are dedicated to serving our communities with integrity, distinction, and excellence. Our collective mission is to serve and protect the people of Western North Carolina. I stand proud of our accomplishments and our efforts to support law enforcement, build strong partnerships with our communities, and uphold justice.”
U.S. Attorney King is the first person of color to be appointed to the position in the Western District of North Carolina (WDNC). She was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on September 28, 2021, and was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 19, 2021. U.S. Attorney King was officially sworn into the position on November 29, 2021.
During her tenure, U.S. Attorney King led an office of nearly 100 federal prosecutors and support personnel, serving a district that covers 32 counties across the western part of the state. The WDNC also includes half of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests cover over one million acres of the Western District. The largest Native American Community in the eastern half of the United States, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is in WDNC.
As the chief federal law enforcement officer, U.S. Attorney King was in charge of all criminal and civil matters filed in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of North Carolina. Under U.S. Attorney King, the Office focused its efforts on the protection of civil rights; enhancing public safety; recovering taxpayer dollars; combatting health care fraud, financial fraud and COVID-19 fraud; disrupting drug trafficking and gun trafficking networks; uncovering public corruption and financial fraud schemes; protecting vulnerable populations from exploitation including older adults and children; prosecuting human traffickers and supporting victims; pursuing repeat offenders and drivers of violent criminal activity; and overseeing affirmative civil enforcement actions and all other civil litigations.
During her time in office, U.S. Attorney King formed WDNC’s first ever Civil Rights Team, to focus on the enforcement of civil rights laws, prosecute individuals who commit criminal civil rights violations, ensure equal access to justice and equal opportunities by pursuing civil enforcement actions, and protect voting rights and access and rights of the disabled. In addition to enforcement efforts, the Civil Rights Team has enhanced the Office’s engagement with the community to raise awareness and to encourage reporting of potential civil rights violations.
U.S. Attorney King also reconstituted the Western District’s Health Care Fraud Task Force, a multi-agency team that comprises federal and state law enforcement agencies and regulatory entities. The goal of the task force is to identify and prosecute those who defraud public and private insurers, jeopardize the integrity of the health care system and waste taxpayer dollars. The work of the task force has led to an increase in criminal and civil matters, and has secured settlements with corporations and individuals, including hospitals, telemedicine companies and providers, durable medical equipment suppliers, physicians, therapists, and affiliated health care professionals. In addition, the task force has recovered millions in restitution for the government-funded programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
U.S. Attorney King also prioritized the protection of vulnerable populations from exploitation and violence. Under her leadership, the Office successfully prosecuted numerous child predators, ensuring justice for victims and securing restitution for victims of sexual exploitation. The Office also took significant steps to protect older Americans from financial exploitation, by bringing to justice those who prey on the elderly and conducting educational and training events to raise public awareness about financial scams targeting older adults.
U.S. Attorney King remained committed to enhancing public safety by focusing on identifying and dismantling extensive drug trafficking networks, which are often drivers of violent criminal activity. The Office also increased its efforts to reduce gun-induced violence by identifying and disrupting gun trafficking pipelines, prosecuting repeat offenders and felons in possession of firearms, and those involved in the illegal sale or purchase of firearms.
Throughout U.S. Attorney King’s tenure, the Office also prioritized strengthening partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders through training seminars on Department of Justice priorities and U.S. Attorney’s Office initiatives, as well as in response to community needs to include violent crime, civil rights, and human trafficking.
“Serving as U.S. Attorney has given me the privilege of working alongside our dedicated federal, state, and local law enforcement partners on prosecutions, crime prevention efforts, and outreach initiatives,” said U.S. Attorney King. “I am grateful for the support of these agencies, which will continue to serve and protect our communities long after my tenure. I also want to thank the countless agents, officers, and deputies whose commitment and extraordinary service enhance the safety of our communities and help bring offenders to justice.”
In addition to overseeing federal cases and conducting trainings, U.S. Attorney King engaged in outreach and crime prevention efforts, including initiatives to enhance public safety and strengthen community engagement. Among them is Think Again, a campaign aimed at preventing illegal firearm purchases and reducing gun violence. U.S. Attorney King also prioritized the fight against hate crimes through the United Against Hate initiative, a Department of Justice-led effort designed to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and historically targeted communities.
A key focus of U.S. Attorney King during her tenure was engaging with young people to prevent youth violence and foster positive youth development. U.S. Attorney King’s Office partnered with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), Buncombe County and City of Asheville Schools, and Cherokee Central Schools to engage with students on important issues such as school violence, teen dating violence, effective leadership, and positive conflict resolution. U.S. Attorney King also participated in numerous public events and partnered with youth community organizations, where she spoke on topics of crime prevention, mentorship, and collaborating with law enforcement.
“As U.S. Attorney, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and interacting with countless members from communities throughout the Western District, including young people. I am extremely grateful to all our community partners for their collaboration and partnership. None of this work would be possible without the support of our community partners and the citizens who stand behind these efforts. I am deeply grateful for their support and for their commitment to our outreach initiatives, particularly those that focus on helping our young people navigate their challenges in a positive and constructive manner.”
In addition to serving as U.S. Attorney for WDNC, U.S. Attorney King served as Chair of the Civil Rights Subcommittee and Native American Issues Subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) of U.S. Attorneys, as well as the Juvenile Violence Subcommittee. “It’s been a privilege to serve as Chair on these two very important subcommittees and an incredible opportunity to provide input on key issues to Department of Justice leadership,” said U.S. Attorney King, who also served as a member of the AGAC’s subcommittees for Violent and Organized Crime; Law Enforcement, Victims and Community Relations; and Elder Justice.
Since 2021, U.S. Attorney King successfully steered the office through significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and unprecedented budgetary cuts. In spite of these challenges, the Office maintained its ability to manage a large caseload and secure additional resources, including prosecutors and support personnel.
Before her appointment, U.S. Attorney King served as WDNC’s Deputy Criminal Chief, overseeing the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Section, and as Lead Task Force Attorney for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program. U.S. Attorney King’s extensive prosecutorial experience also includes serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of North Carolina, an enforcement attorney in the Securities Division of the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, and an Assistant District Attorney in Mecklenburg County.
“Being U.S. Attorney is an incredible job,” said U.S. Attorney King. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to have served in this role and I will always be incredibly thankful for the opportunity.”
Upon U.S. Attorney King’s departure, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney until a replacement is named.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects more than $1.5 Billion in Criminal and Civil Actions in Fiscal Year 2024Read the Press Release
Seattle -- U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced today that the Western District of Washington collected $1,518145,143 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $1,509,282,780 was collected in criminal actions and $8,862,362 was collected in civil actions.
The Western District of Washington worked with the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and the National Security Division to obtain the $1.5 billion payment from cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
“Our office worked closely with Department of Justice components on the criminal case against Binance, in which Binance pleaded guilty to failing to register as a money transmitting business, willfully violating the Bank Secrecy Act and willfully causing violations of U.S. sanctions,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “That $1.5 billion coming through our office, is part of the $4.3 billion criminal fine and forfeiture. It is a record in the Western District of Washington.”
Independently, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington collected $3.8 million in criminal restitution payments, and an additional $8.8 million civil collections. Many of the criminal collections were for cases in which people intentionally failed to pay their income taxes. The owner of a string of coffee stands paid $96,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service for intentionally underreporting his income from the business. A Snohomish County restaurant owner paid over $511,000 for tax fraud and a Tukwila restaurant owner paid $376,000 so that his $926,902 tax fraud debt was paid in full.
Of the civil collections, the district obtained $217,000 following the sale of Dr. Frank Li’s Spokane medical office building. The payment was applied to Dr. Li’s $2.85 million civil settlement for health care fraud.
Additionally, we collected $1.23 million from Yakima Products, Inc. These payments (which were in addition to payments made in 2023) satisfied Yakima’s $3 million settlement with the United States, for failing to pay duties on aluminum components imported from the People’s Republic of China. Learn more about the case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/automobile-accessory-company-yakima-products-inc-settles-allegations-failed-pay-duties
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Western District of Washington, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $2,864,850 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. A large portion of the forfeitures relate to the indictment of two men operating a business that posted stolen items for sale via online websites. You can learn more about the case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/two-indicted-buying-stolen-goods-and-selling-them-online-amazon-or-ebay-more-3-million.
- U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Plea from Shiprock Woman in Straw Purchase Case
U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Sentencing of Albuquerque Man for Violent Carjacking and Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison for a series of violent crimes committed in 2021.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, Dairon Romero, 28, engaged in a crime spree that included carjacking and multiple robberies. Specifically:
- On July 17, 2021, Romero carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint from a pregnant woman exiting a Walmart with her three young children.
- On October 10, 2021, Romero entered a 7-Eleven convenience store, pointed a firearm at an employee, and stole approximately $200 in cash and several cartons of cigarettes.
- On October 13, 2021, Romero robbed a Circle K, using mace on an employee and taking about $60 from the cash register.
On April 18, 2024, Romero pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and two counts of interference with commerce by robbery.
At sentencing, the federal judge considered, among other things, Romero's violent criminal background as well as numerous other robberies Romero was alleged to have committed. This finding resulted in a sentence greater than the sentencing guideline range.
Upon his release from prison, Romero will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Moghadam is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath Concludes Tenure as Chief Law Enforcement Officer in Southern District of CaliforniaRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California announced that U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath’s tenure as the chief federal law enforcement official for San Diego and Imperial counties ended today, February 12, 2025.
As a Presidential appointee, Ms. McGrath was informed of her termination in a communication from the White House, at the direction of the President of the United States. The White House also thanked Ms. McGrath for her service to the nation.
“It has been an honor to serve as U.S. Attorney, working alongside an exceptional team in this office and forging strong partnerships with our law enforcement agencies and communities in pursuit of justice,” Ms. McGrath said. “As I step down from a decades-long career in public service, I remain inspired by dedicated public servants across this district and am proud of all we achieved together.”
Ms. McGrath was confirmed by the U.S. Senate after nomination by President Biden. She was sworn in as the district’s top federal law enforcement official on October 5, 2023. She oversaw one of the nation’s busiest United States Attorney’s Offices, which has a staff of about 300 and serves approximately 3.5 million residents in San Diego and Imperial counties.
During her tenure, Ms. McGrath prioritized protecting the community from the deadly scourge of fentanyl; investigating and prosecuting scammers targeting vulnerable populations; getting firearms out of the hands of felons and violent offenders; bringing cases to root out corruption and enforce civil rights; and using the legal tools available to safeguard the environment. The office also successfully prosecuted cases involving Mexican drug cartels and drug trafficking — leading the nation in the number of drug trafficking cases prosecuted — as well as firearms trafficking and violent crime; complex financial frauds; national security and cybersecurity; and human smuggling and trafficking.
Some key accomplishments of the U.S. Attorney’s Office under Ms. McGrath’s leadership:
- Became first in the nation to charge defendants for smuggling potent greenhouse gases across the U.S.-Mexico border, in violation of U.S. environmental laws.
- Secured sentences of six consecutive life terms and 45 years, respectively, for brothers convicted of murdering their American half-sister, her three children, and her partner in Tijuana.
- Reinforced the region’s Elder Justice Task Force in partnership with the FBI and San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, recovering approximately $4.5 million stolen from elderly victims through sophisticated scams.
- Charged 40 individuals with stealing public-assistance benefits from low-income families, as part of an ongoing effort targeting thieves who exploit the government’s electronic payment system.
- Negotiated a $130,131,645 forfeiture settlement with Wynn Las Vegas for criminal conspiracy involving unlicensed money transmitting businesses worldwide. Achieved what is believed to be the largest forfeiture by a casino based on admissions of criminal wrongdoing.
- Secured conviction at trial against a defendant on 25 counts of securities fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering in connection with a $35 million investment and COVID-relief fraud scheme. Highlighted victim impact during the trial, including the defendant’s immigrant uncle who’d been swindled out of $4.5 million and many other victims who collectively lost millions of dollars.
- Facilitated the extradition of Michael Pratt, the alleged mastermind behind the GirlsDoPorn commercial sex trafficking ring, following his arrest in Spain after more than three years as an international fugitive.
Ms. McGrath also oversaw key civil cases, including successful defensive litigation on behalf of the United States, and led efforts to recover millions of dollars from individuals and companies involved in fraud and civil rights violations.
Since Ms. McGrath took the helm, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has obtained settlements and recoveries in excess of $41 million. This includes cases brought under the False Claims Act across a broad spectrum of program areas including health care, defense procurement, and the Paycheck Protection Program enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These substantial recoveries also involved matters investigated under the Controlled Substances Act in response to the opioid epidemic, including those against a large-scale pharmacy and other DEA registrants for failing to meet their obligations to properly handle and dispense opioids and other dangerous controlled substances.
Pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act, career prosecutor and current First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Andrew R. Haden, has taken over as the Acting United States Attorney, effective today.
For more information about Ms. McGrath, please see Tara McGrath Sworn In
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron Announces ResignationRead the Press Release
Erek L. Barron resigned as United States Attorney for the District of Maryland on February 12, 2025. Mr. Barron announced his resignation, effective today. Mr. Barron has served in the position since October 7, 2021.
Statement from U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron:
“Serving as United States Attorney has been the honor of a lifetime. The office’s career attorneys and administrative staff are public servants of exceptional caliber. In support of our mission, they perform their responsibilities with excellence while maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct and working with them has been a great privilege. I am immeasurably proud of the justice we have done together.”
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Two Pharmacists Convicted for Illegal Distribution of OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a federal jury in Brooklyn returned guilty verdicts against licensed pharmacists Yousef Ennab and Mohamed Hassan on all counts of a superseding indictment charging them with conspiracies to dispense and distribute oxycodone, as well as distribution and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. The verdict followed a three-week trial before United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly. When sentenced, the defendants each face up to 60 years in prison.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA); Naomi Gruchacz, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI); Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI); and Dr. James V. McDonald, Commissioner, New York State Department of Health, announced the verdicts.
“The defendants abused their access to oxycodone and violated the trust placed in them as pharmacists by illegally agreeing to supply drug dealers with tens of thousands of pills to sell on the streets of our district with zero regard for the immense harm this dangerously addictive narcotic has caused,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Pharmacists have a responsibility to prevent the illegal flow of drugs from their businesses, but these defendants only cared about lining their pockets with cash. With today’s verdict they will soon learn there is a reckoning for their criminal conduct that has contributed to the opioid epidemic.”
United States Attorney Durham expressed sincere thanks to his team of prosecutors and paralegals and all of the law enforcement partners whose tireless efforts contributed to the convictions of these defendants and their co-conspirators. They include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the New York State Comptroller, the New York Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the New York National Guard.
“Today’s verdict against Yousef Ennab and Mohamed Hassan sends a strong message to anyone in the medical profession willing to betray their patients’ trust,” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “Pharmacists who abuse their license, a license to help and promote the health and safety of others, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This abuse is a breach of trust that not only undermines public confidence but also causes irreputable harm and erodes the foundation of integrity which the public relies on. The DEA and our partners will continue to target those individuals who abuse their authority and profit from fueling the national opioid crisis.”
“The pharmacists convicted in this case chose to dispense illegally prescribed controlled substances to patients and accept cash kickbacks to do so, which is especially egregious given the ongoing opioid epidemic,” stated HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Gruchacz. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure health care providers involved in schemes that threaten patient safety are held accountable.”
“These two men used their positions as pharmacists to scheme and cheat the system, filling their pockets with the money of the vulnerable and addicted. Yousef Ennab and Mohamed Hassan had little regard for the safety and well-being of their clients, and today a jury of their peers found them guilty of their criminal behavior. This conviction was made possible with the collaborative efforts of our federal and local partners, and now both defendants will soon be faced with sentencing,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
“Whether illegal drug transactions occur on a street corner or in brick-and-mortar pharmacies masquerading as legitimate businesses, the pushers are fueling addiction,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “The numbers here are staggering—over 1.2 million pills exchanged with a street value of approximately $24 million. While the full extent of the harm is unquantifiable, the guilty verdicts send a clear message that wherever you illegally distribute drugs, your operation will be shut down and you will go to jail. I thank the investigators in the NYPD, in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and across numerous law enforcement agencies for their joint effort to eradicate poison from our streets.”
“The defendants’ criminal conduct, and that of their co-conspirators, flooded our city with 1.2 million pills of highly addictive oxycodone. Their convictions make clear that DOI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and all of our partner law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation are committed to bringing to justice those responsible for the distribution of dangerous drugs.” stated DOI Commissioner Strauber.
“The Department takes professional and medical misconduct very seriously, with the health and safety of New Yorkers and our communities being of utmost concern,” stated New York State Department of Health Commissioner McDonald. “The State Department of Health’s Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement will continue to remain vigilant and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to protect the public health by combatting diversion and safeguarding the legitimate use of controlled substances in health care.”
As proven at trial, Hassan and Ennab were licensed pharmacists who participated in a large-scale scheme using illegal medical prescriptions to obtain oxycodone for distribution on the streets of New York City. Hassan held ownership stakes in more than a dozen pharmacies, where were located in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island and did business under the names Nile RX, Nile Ridge, Nile City, Sunset Corner, Prospect Care, Downtown RX and Forest Care, among others. Ennab was the supervising pharmacist at Forest Care, one of Hassan’s pharmacies in Staten Island.
The scheme relied on filling illegally issued prescriptions for 30-day supplies of oxycodone 30 mg that were written out of a Brooklyn medical practice operating as a pill mill, often for patients that the resident doctor at the practice had never examined. Oxycodone 30 pills are high in strength and are prescribed to cancer patients, for instance. In some cases, the prescriptions were for individuals whose identities had been stolen and were not patients of the practice. The prescriptions were then filled at pharmacies controlled by Hassan, including the pharmacy where Ennab worked. Hassan and Ennab conspired with other drug dealers to effect the distribution of the illegally obtained oxycodone. One of the drug dealers picked up the oxycodone from the pharmacies in exchange for cash payments to Hassan and Ennab. Hassan and other pharmacist co-conspirators also billed insurance companies for the pills even though they had no legitimate medical purpose. The trial evidence included video footage of Ennab taking a cash payment from one of the drug dealers, Michael Kent, while handing over multiple prescriptions for oxycodone for sham patients. In total, the scheme resulted in the illegal distribution of more than 1.2 million pills of oxycodone worth more than $36 million in retail street value.
Six co-defendants, including Dr. Somsri Ratanaprasatporn, her receptionist Leticia Smith and pharmacists Bassam Amin and Omar Elsayed, previously pleaded guilty based on their involvement in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. A seventh co-defendant, Michael Kent, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years’ incarceration.
These convictions are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA. 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.
Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Zuckerwise, Victor Zapana and Gilbert M. Rein are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Rachel Friedman and Nadya Osman. Assistant United States Attorney Claire Kedeshian is handing forfeiture matters.
The Defendants:
YOUSEF ENNAB
Age: 27
Brooklyn, New YorkMOHAMED HASSAN
Age: 34
Brooklyn, New YorkCo-Defendants Who Pleaded Guilty:
LETICIA SMITH
Age: 54
Brooklyn, New YorkBASSAM AMIN
Age: 69
Brooklyn, New YorkOMAR ELSAYED
Age: 28
Hackensack, New JerseyMICHAEL KENT
Age: 49
Brooklyn, New YorkANTHONY MATHIS
Age: 55
New Windsor, New YorkDr. SOMSRI RATANAPRASATPORN
Age: 75
Staten Island, New YorkRAYMOND WALKER
Age: 70
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-464 (AMD)
Two Individuals Charged in Connection with Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two individuals have been charged in connection with possessing distribution quantities of fentanyl, and one of the individuals has additionally been charged with possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Pablo Suruy Hernandez, 41, of Guatemala, and Giovanni Guzman, 41, of El Salvador, were charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Hernandez is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Hernandez and Guzman appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacey D. Adams in Newark federal court on February 10, 2025, and were detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In January 2025, law enforcement officials received information that Hernandez was engaged in narcotics trafficking in New Jersey. On January 16, 2025, Hernandez met with a confidential source to discuss the potential purchase of firearms, fentanyl, and cocaine. On January 21, 2025, Hernandez sold a defaced firearm to the confidential source. On February 7, 2025, Hernandez and Guzman met with the confidential source to sell 100,000 fentanyl pills. Along with the seizure of approximately eleven kilograms of fentanyl, law enforcement also recovered approximately $65,000 during a lawfully executed search of Hernandez’s residence.
The fentanyl conspiracy and distribution counts carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. The possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of not more than $250,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division’s Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino, and the work of New York Drug Enforcement Task Force Group T-42, which is comprised of Special Agents from the DEA and Task Force Officers from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the New York State Police (NYSP).
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ingrid Eicher of the Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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hernandez_guzman.complaint.pdfTrafficking drugs for Mexican Cartel lands Laredo man in prison for more than 16 yearsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 37-year-old man has been sentenced for conspiring to distribute a large quantity of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Gavino Cadena pleaded guilty Nov. 10, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now ordered Cadena to serve a total of 194 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court considered Cadena’s extensive criminal record, including his involvement with Cartel del Noreste (CDN) and the Tango Blast gang. Records also showed that while in custody awaiting sentencing in this case, Cadena was involved in numerous altercations with rival gang members such as Hermano Pistoleros Latinos, including incidents involving weapons.
The court found Cadena to be a leader/organizer within the drug trafficking organization. He coordinated the drug loads, paid co-conspirators for their involvement and reported directly to cartel leaders in Mexico. Cadena was held responsible for organizing the offloading and transport of more than 8,000 pounds of marijuana from multiple tractor trailers in Laredo that had been imported from Mexico.
“The Department of Justice is going to use all available avenues to crack down on cartel activity operating inside our country,” said Ganjei. “The drug trade inevitably leads to violence, and so every drug dealer or cartel member taken off the street makes our communities a little bit safer.”
Throughout the course of this multi-year investigation, which includes two related indictments, authorities seized more than 17 tons of marijuana valued at approximately $16.4 million.
To date, a total of 22 people, including several Mexican nationals, have been convicted for their roles in the conspiracy to transport narcotics for CDN. Their sentences have ranged from 18 months to 168 months in prison.
Cadena will remain in custody pending a transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Laredo Police Department conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; Border Patrol; Customs and Border Protection; FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. National Guard; Webb County District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Office and Constable’s Office Precincts 1 and 4; Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Blue Indigo Task Force. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Day and Anthony Evans prosecuted this case.
Torrington Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting U.S. Attorney of the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER JESUS CONSTANZO, 22, of Torrington, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to an offense stemming from his sexual exploitation of three different minors, including kidnapping and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, enticement and sexual assault of another 16-year-old girl, and production of child pornography involving a 17-year-old girl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 2, 2021, at approximately 7:27 a.m., Constanzo and a 16-year-old female arrived by car at the U.S. Port of Entry at Highgate Springs, Vermont. Just prior to their arrival, officials at the St-Armand/Philipsburg Border Crossing in Canada had refused Constanzo and the minor victim entry into Canada. After U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officers separated Constanzo from the minor victim, the victim reported that she met Constanzo the night before at Stillwater Pond State Park in Torrington. Constanzo then sexually assaulted the minor victim, forced her into the trunk of the minor victim’s car, restrained her with a shoelace, and began driving. At some point during the night, Constanzo removed the minor victim from the trunk and sexually assaulted her again. As they neared the Canadian border, Constanzo had the minor victim sit in the front passenger seat of the car. Constanzo instructed her to “act normal” and “go along with the story.” Constanzo then told Canadian Border Services Agency officials that the minor victim was his sister and they intended to go into Canada for four days to visit friends. However, due to their lack of COVID tests, Constanzo and the minor victim were denied entry into Canada. Constanzo was arrested by CBP on December 2, 2021.
In July 2021, Constanzo used SnapChat to coerce a 16-year-old female to go to an abandoned warehouse in Torrington to record herself having sex with Constanzo, and, posing as two fictitious individuals on SnapChat, he threatened to kill the minor victim and kill her boyfriend if she did not comply. At the warehouse, Constanzo sexually assaulted the minor victim at knifepoint.
Also in July 2021, Constanzo used his iPhone to record sexually explicit Facetime videos of a 17-year-old female.
Constanzo pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and, as part of his plea agreement, admitted his conduct against all three victims. Constanzo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on May 7, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
Constanzo has been detained since his arrest.
State charges against Constanzo are pending.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Vermont State Police, and the Torrington Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Neeraj N. Patel.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont and the State’s Attorney for the Litchfield Judicial District for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Thirty-Eight Defendants Sentenced in Massive Prison-Based Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA, Ga. – Thirty-eight members of a drug trafficking organization, including several State of Georgia prison inmates, have been sentenced for their roles in coordinating and distributing deadly heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl throughout the metro-Atlanta area, as well as laundering drug proceeds to Mexico.
“The successful dismantling of this large organization is a result of a tenacious multi-year effort from federal, state, and local authorities to root out narcotics trafficking originating from state prisons,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to leverage all resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute entire networks of offenders responsible for distributing deadly drugs into our communities.”
“These sentences mirror the destructive impact on the community caused by this violent drug trafficking organization,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Wherever you operate, if you distribute dangerous drugs, DEA will find you and hold you accountable.”
“Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, thirty-eight members of this extensive drug distribution network will spend significant time behind bars where they will no longer be able to plague our community with poison,” said Sean Burke, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges and other information presented in court: During the investigation, federal special agents learned that a network of prison inmates was using contraband cell phones to broker drug transactions throughout the metro-Atlanta area, including importing drug shipments from Mexico and other states. These prison brokers relied on conspirators on the outside to store, package and distribute multiple types of illegal drugs. Other members of the organization were responsible for laundering the proceeds from the drug sales to Mexico using local money remitters. The organization also repeatedly threatened violence to uncooperative members. In one case, agents learned of a plot to abduct and murder a narcotics dealer. In response, law enforcement quickly mobilized to disrupt the plan.
After the first phase of the investigation concluded, a Grand Jury sitting in the Northern District of Georgia returned an indictment against 19 of the conspirators for drug trafficking and money laundering offenses. During the second phase of the investigation, agents identified additional conspirators including two of the high-level prison brokers, Jesus Sanchez-Morales and Juan Ramirez, who were later indicted by the Grand Jury for drug trafficking offenses. After Ramirez was brought into federal custody, he used another contraband cell phone to broker drug deals, including the attempted distribution of fentanyl. The Grand Jury later charged him with this new conduct.
Through this multi-year investigation, agents seized over 250 kilograms of methamphetamine, 25 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, more than 12,000 fentanyl pills, kilogram-quantities of fentanyl powder, heroin, and marijuana, and over $450,000 in drug proceeds.
The defendants were convicted and sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May:
- Juan Ramirez was sentenced earlier today to 27 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release . Ramirez was convicted of ten drug trafficking counts including Conspiracy and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl, after a jury found him guilty of these charges on July 25, 2024.
- Jesus Sanchez-Morales was sentenced to 27 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Sanchez-Morales was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on June 22, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
- Martin Maldonado was sentenced to 19 years, seven months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Maldonado was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on April 26, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
- Benjamin Villareal Perez was sentenced to 19 years, seven months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Perez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on September 17, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
- Jaime Chavez was sentenced to 17 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Chavez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on April 30, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
- Aszavious Anderson was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Anderson was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on May 28, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
- Kristofer Ty Armistead was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Armistead was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 7, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
- Mario Castillo was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Castillo was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on September 25, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
- Aricus Cantrell Holloway was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Holloway was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on April 24, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
- Cristian Hernandez-Lovo was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Hernandez-Lovo was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on September 24, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
- Jesus Antonio Molina-Ortiz was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Molina-Ortiz was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime on August 10, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
- Jamar Tyrone Zanders was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Zanders was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on September 24, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
- Brandon Richard Duncan was sentenced to 14 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Duncan was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on July 9, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
- Joseph Dominic Edwards was sentenced to 14 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Edwards was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on August 4, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
- Rafael Alvarez was sentenced to 13 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Alvarez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on August 13, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
- Jason Garcia-Lara was sentenced to 13 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Garcia-Lara was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 23, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
- Jordan Duane Bowers was sentenced to 12 years, six months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Bowers was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Heroin on May 10, 2022, after he pleaded guilty.
- Emmanuel De Santos Nieto was sentenced to 12 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. De Santos Nieto was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on September 9, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
- Salvador Valencia-Zavala was sentenced to 11 years, three months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Valencia-Zavala was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on January 27, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
- Marvin Gaye Banks was sentenced to 11 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Banks was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on July 15, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
- Samantha Fagundes was sentenced to 11 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Fagundes was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl, on January 15, 2020, after she pleaded guilty.
- Alejandro Vasquez-Lopez was sentenced to 10 years, nine months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Vasquez-Lopez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on May 24, 2021, after he pleaded guilty.
- Shelly Denise Class was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Class was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on October 10, 2019, after she pleaded guilty.
- Edgar Ochoa Martinez was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Martinez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on July 22, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
- Allison Nichole Daniel was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Daniel was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on May 27, 2020, after she pleaded guilty.
- Enrique Rodriguez-Govea was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Rodriguez-Govea was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on May 30, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
- Taurus Basil Stephens was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Stephens was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on December 16, 2020, after he pleaded guilty.
- Raheem Jamal Morris was sentenced to nine years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Morris was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on June 26, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
- Lilia Martinez Rodriguez was sentenced to eight years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Martinez Rodriguez was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering on September 21, 2020, after she pleaded guilty.
- Roberto Rojas was sentenced to eight years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Rojas was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on January 13, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
- Nicholas Charles Johnson was sentenced to seven years, eight months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Johnson was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on July 10, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
- Leonardo Rosas was sentenced to six years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Rosas was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on October 3, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
- Daniel Gonzalez was sentenced to five years, four months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Gonzalez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on July 11, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
- Juan Torres Chavez was sentenced to a time-served sentence of approximately four years, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Chavez was convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on December 14, 2023, after he pleaded guilty.
- David Chavez-Ortiz was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Chavez-Ortiz was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Fentanyl on October 21, 2019, after he pleaded guilty.
- Antwonette Jarnez Thomas was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Thomas was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on January 7, 2021, after she pleaded guilty.
- Erin Cortez was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Cortez was convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on January 22, 2020, after she pleaded guilty.
- Joaquin Flores, Jr. was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Flores was convicted of Conspiracy and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on January 19, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
Eusebio Paniagua-Paz remains a fugitive. If you have any information about his whereabouts, please contact your local law enforcement agency.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, Atlanta Police Department, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb County Police Department, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia State Patrol, and the South Fulton Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alison B. Prout, Amy M. Palumbo, Elizabeth M. Hathaway, Sarah Klapman, and Nicholas Evert, together with former Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler Mann, Scott McAfee, and Erin H. Harris, prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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.
Ten Defendants Plead Guilty in Multi-Million-Dollar Sports-Betting and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ten men pleaded guilty this week to managing a multi-million-dollar sports-betting operation, announced United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office.
Timothy J. Pughsley, 53, and Nathan Burdette, 39, of Birmingham, Alabama; Christopher Burdette, 32, of Chelsea, Alabama; Thomas Zito, 59, of Vestavia, Alabama; Gary Rapp, 46, of Lakeland, Tennessee; Mark Giaquinto, 52, of Upton, Massachusetts; Matthew Voorhees, 49, of Englewood, Colorado; David Richards, 39, of Las Vegas, Nevada; and Joshua Gentrup, 38, of Athens, Georgia, entered their guilty pleas before United States District Judge Madeline Haikala to conspiring to operate an illegal gambling business and to their participation in a money laundering conspiracy. Jonathan Lind, 46, of Birmingham, Alabama, also pleaded guilty to conspiring to operate an illegal gambling business. Sentencing hearings for the defendants are set in May 2025.
According to the plea agreements, Pughsley began operating a bookmaking organization at least 17 years ago. The organization eventually became known as “Red44,” and bookmaking and betting activities occurred online via an offshore server located in Costa Rica. It is estimated that the organization accepted over $2 billion in wagers during its existence. Within the plea agreements, the defendants—all senior agents within Red44—agreed to pay excise tax restitution totaling $19,777,382.61 to the IRS arising from their acceptance of wagers from sports betters across the U.S. and to satisfy any income tax obligations that remain outstanding.
“These guilty pleas are the end result of years of hard work by members of federal and state law enforcement agencies to enforce our nation’s gambling and tax laws,” Escalona said. “The defendants illegally accepted millions of dollars in wagers and lived lavishly while avoiding their excise tax obligations. This office will diligently pursue those who enrich themselves in violation of the law.”
“Excise tax evasion and illegal sports betting are not victimless crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Hardeman. “Money obtained from illegal gambling operations is often used to finance other criminal activities. IRS-CI special agents are skilled at following the money to investigate and expose these illegal organizations, who will be held accountable. Thank you to our local, state, and federal partners who assisted in this investigation.”
IRS-Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, with assistance from the Vestavia Hills Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Department of Revenue, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine Crosby, Kristen Osborne, and Ryan Rummage are prosecuting the case.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Child and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – William Seneca, Sr., age 65, was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child sexual abuse material. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Seneca admitted that, from approximately 2000 through 2008, he engaged in sexual conduct with a minor male child, starting when the child was about seven years old. On several different occasions during that period, Seneca created sexually explicit images depicting that child. Seneca also admitted that, on at least one occasion, he distributed the material he created to someone in Canada.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment and supervised release, the district court also ordered Seneca to pay $1,141.14 in restitution to the victim, and he will have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by HSI with the assistance of the New York State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.
St. Michael Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child AbuseRead the Press Release
Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Collin Ray Delorme, also known as Collin Ray Delorme Sr., age 30, from St. Michael, North Dakota, appeared in United States District Court for the District of North Dakota in Fargo today and was sentenced by Chief Judge Peter Welte to serve 40 years in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release during which time he will be required to follow a number of conditions. Delorme was also ordered to pay restitution, joint and severally with his codefendant, for medical and funeral expenses.
On February 18, 2023, Baker called 911 from a home in St. Michael, North Dakota within the boundaries of the Spirit Lake Reservation. Delorme’s co-Defendant, Kenzie Rose Baker, reported her one-year-old child was not breathing. The child was transported to CHI St. Alexius in Devils Lake, North Dakota and was pronounced dead. An autopsy concluded the cause of death was “battered child” due to multiple, repeated injuries of various ages, evident upon external and internal examination. The child’s internal injuries were untreated which created infection and sepsis.
Two of the charges to which Delorme pled are related to his abuse of the deceased one-year-old child. The third charge is the result of his abuse of a three-year-old child that included hitting the child on the arms and throwing him on a bed.
On August 16, 2024, Baker pleaded guilty to charges of Accessory after the Fact; Child Abuse in Indian country; Child Neglect in Indian country. Baker is scheduled to be sentenced on February 24, 2025.
“This sentence provides a measure of accountability for the horrendous abuse and tragic death of a toddler,” Schneider said. “Through their work on multi-disciplinary teams on each reservation with tribal social services, law enforcement, tribal court prosecutors, and behavioral health partners, our Indian country prosecutors are committed to preventing child abuse. They also will not hesitate to bring forceful prosecutions against child abusers in federal court. Our hope is that today’s sentence serves as a deterrence in our efforts to keep children safe.”
"The abuse and neglect that these children experienced is truly horrific. No child should ever endure such suffering," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. "Today's sentencing demonstrates the FBI and our partners' commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in our communities and ensuring that those who harm children are brought to justice."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lori H. Conroy and SheraLynn Ternes.
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Spokane Bank Robber Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – On February 11, 2025, United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Dustin T. Perrin, age 41, of Spokane, Washington, to 96 months in prison for several bank robberies. Judge Dimke also imposed 3 years of supervised release and restitution of $9,224.00.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on October 13, 2023, Perrin entered the First Interstate Bank brank at 57th Avenue and Regal in Spokane. Perrin was wearing a wig under his hat. Perrin handed a bank teller a bag and a handwritten note demanding the teller put cash in a bag. Perrin also warned the teller about activating the silent alarm. The teller handed Perrin $1,986 in cash, and Perrin left the bank on a bike and headed north.
Perrin left the note at the bank. It was collected by law enforcement and sent to the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory. DNA analysis later confirmed Perrin’s DNA on the note.
On November 17, 2023, Perrin rode his bike to the Numerica Credit Union branch on South Regal Street in Spokane, just a half mile from the bank Perrin robbed one month earlier. Perrin entered the bank, handed two bank tellers one bag each, and demanded the tellers put money in the bags. The tellers handed Perrin a total of $5,238 in cash. Perrin then left the bank on his bike.
Perrin went to a Wal-Mart store that night. A security camera recorded him spreading out a large amount of cash while making a purchase.
On January 22, 2024, Perrin rode his bike to a Washington Trust Bank branch located at 27 E. Indiana Avenue in Spokane. Perrin entered the bank wearing a blond wig. Perrin handed the teller a small bag and told the teller to put money in the bag. Perrin also warned the teller he had a gun and “not to do anything stupid,” while he pointed at a lump in his jacket. The teller handed Perrin $2,000 in cash, and Perrin left the bank on his bike.
“For the people of Eastern Washington, their banks should be places of trust and security – not fear,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Rich Barker. “Mr. Perrin’s repeated acts of intimidation and theft put innocent employees and community members at risk. As today’s sentence makes clear, violent crime will not be tolerated in Eastern Washington, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue working alongside our federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable and protect the safety if neighborhoods and communities in Spokane and throughout Eastern Washington.”
“Today we, together with our law enforcement partners, are holding Mr. Perrin responsible for stealing from three different federally insured financial institutions,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “We are grateful no one was hurt, but this kind of violent crime terrorizes our communities nonetheless and is completely unacceptable.”
“Today’s successful prosecution of Mr. Perrin is a testament to the strong partnership of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners and our commitment to keep our community safe,” stated Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels.
This case was investigated by the FBI Spokane Regional Safe Streets Task Force and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich.
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Schenectady Man Sentenced for Distributing Drugs in Exchange for Food StampsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Omar Alaidrus, age 24, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison following his guilty pleas to distributing controlled substances and food stamp fraud.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker of the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General Northeast Region (USDA-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office; and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James.
Alaidrus admitted that on multiple occasions, he exchanged fentanyl for food stamps in the Schenectady deli his family owned and operated. Alaidrus also unlawfully provided cash in exchange for food stamps, and redeemed food stamps for other prohibited items such as Xanax, alcohol, and tobacco. Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also ordered Alaidrus to pay $316,975 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Food and Nutrition Service and imposed a 3-year-term of supervised release.
USDA-OIG, HSI, New York State Police, and the Schenectady Sheriff and Police investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted.
Richard R. Barker to Serve as Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of WashingtonRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Following the recent resignation of the Honorable Vanessa R. Waldref, and by operation of the Vacancies Reform Act, Richard R. Barker is now serving as the Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Acting United States Attorney Barker has over a decade of experience as a career prosecutor, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney since 2014. During his career, Barker has held the positions of First Assistant United States Attorney, Tribal Liaison, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Coordinator, Digital Asset Coordinator, and Public Affairs Officer. From 2014 – 2019, Barker served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the nation’s capital, where he served as a dedicated homicide prosecutor. In early 2019, Barker joined the Eastern District of Washington, serving as an Assistant United States Attorney (“AUSA”) in the Spokane office.
Acting United States Attorney Barker has dedicated his career to serving victims of violent crime, while handling numerous homicide and violent crime cases. Late last year, Barker was lead counsel with AUSA Michael J. Ellis in the trial of Zachery Holt and Dezmonique Tenzsley for the double murder of two Tribal members and the attempted murder of a federal officer on the Colville Indian Reservation. In 2023, Barker successfully prosecuted Ronald Craig Ilg, who attempted to hire hitmen on the dark web to harm his wife and a former work colleague.
Throughout his career, Acting United States Attorney Barker also has handled several significant drug trafficking prosecutions. In 2023, Barker and AUSA Stephanie Van Marter prosecuted the “Fetty Bros” Drug Trafficking Organization, which was distributing hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills and other drugs into Eastern Washington and using extreme violence to insulate their organization. Barker later served as lead counsel in the removal of more than 161,000 fentanyl-laced pills and 80 pounds of methamphetamine from rural Washington. In his efforts to further address the fentanyl crisis, Barker worked closely with now former U.S. Attorney Waldref and the City of Spokane to create a Special U.S. Assistant Attorney position focused on prosecuting those responsible for illegal narcotics impacting the Spokane area.
As First Assistant United States Attorney, Barker has supervised the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s litigating units, which include the Criminal, Civil, and Appellate Divisions. As the Chief Deputy to the U.S. Attorney, Barker helped establish the District’s dedicated Appellate Division and worked closely with the Office’s administrative team to obtain additional DOJ resources for increasing public safety throughout Eastern Washington. Barker also played a pivotal role in opening the District’s Branch Office in Richland Washington, and he has been instrumental in the office’s efforts to increase resources for prosecuting cases on Native American Reservations. In early 2024, Barker played a key role in hiring the district’s first MMIP AUSA, who is fully dedicated to prosecuting cases of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People. For Barker’s dedication to working with Native American communities and improving public safety, he received a Department of Justice Director’s Award in 2024.
“I have loved serving as a federal prosecutor and working so closely with federal, state, local, and Tribal leaders to seek justice and protect our communities,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Barker. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington has an incredible team of attorneys and support staff, who are fully dedicated to protecting the citizens of Eastern Washington and our nation. It is truly inspiring to serve alongside such an excellent group of professionals, who have dedicated their careers to doing the right thing each and every day.”
Outgoing U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref stated, “Acting U.S. Attorney Barker is an exceptional leader, a gifted attorney, and a tireless advocate for justice. His unwavering dedication to protecting the communities of Eastern Washington is evident in everything he does. It has been an honor to work alongside him as my First Assistant, and I have no doubt that he will continue to serve with integrity, determination, and a deep commitment to upholding the law, as he takes on this new role as the chief law enforcement officer for the Eastern District of Washington.”
Acting United States Attorney Barker graduated with highest honors from Brigham Young University Law School. After graduation, Barker clerked for the Honorable J. Clifford Wallace on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Honorable G. Murray Snow on the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. Following his clerkships, Acting United States Attorney Barker worked in private practice for Davis Polk, LLP, in Washington D.C.
Outside the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Barker serves as an adjunct professor at Gonzaga University School of Law, where he has taught courses in Trial Advocacy and Conflicts of Law. Barker also serves as a Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Prison Term of 18 Years Handed to Man Who Sexually Abused 13-Year-OldRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Damion Brown, 33, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison and lifetime supervision, for sexually abusing the 13-year-old daughter of his long-time girlfriend in February of 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendant was convicted on May 7, 2024, by a Superior Court jury of ten felony charges, including first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree child sexual abuse following a multi-day jury trial. The Honorable Judge Anthony Epstein also ordered Brown to stay away and have no contact with the victim or her mother.
According to the government’s evidence, on February 24, 2023, the 13-year-old victim was home alone with the defendant, who was the victim’s mother’s live-in boyfriend. While the victim was changing clothes, the defendant came into her room and began hugging and kissing her and pushed her onto her bed. The defendant performed a number of sexual acts on the child, then left the room laughing. The victim immediately left the apartment and reported to her aunt, who called the police. The defendant was still in the apartment when police arrived.
Subsequent DNA testing determined that the defendant could not be excluded from the positive results of DNA found on the victim after the abuse.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Victim Advocate Veronica Vaughn; former Forensic Child Interviewer Tracy Owusu; Paralegals ReShawn Johnson and Garcia Clarke; and Katina Washington-Adams, who assisted with witness travel, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Folse and Robert Platt, who prosecuted the case.
Prior sex offender pleads guilty to raping a 14-year-old and gun chargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Kelvin Hunt, 48, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to production of child pornography, following a prior conviction, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 25 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that in March 1995, Hunt was convicted in Monroe County Court of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and sentenced to 2 to 6 years in prison. On February 2, 2024, he entered the home of a 14-year-old minor victim in Rochester, and forcibly raped her. Hunt then took the minor victim’s cell phone and took sexually explicit photos of her. After producing the pornographic images, Hunt forced the minor victim to another location, where he forcibly raped her again. On February 4, 2024, law enforcement located Hunt, took him into custody, and executed a search warrant on the hotel room he was staying in. Investigators seized a loaded semi-automatic handgun, and approximately 71 grams of heroin.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the United States Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 12, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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Plaquemines Parish Man Sentenced for Federal Fentanyl and Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RODERICK PARKER (“PARKER”), age 54, a resident of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, was sentenced February 6, 2025 to (9) nine months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
PARKER previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, quantities of fentanyl and heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents started investigating PARKER, and other co-conspirators in October 2019 as narcotics distributors in the New Orleans area. The investigation revealed that PARKER was regularly supplied with 25 to 50 heroin and fentanyl pills, and PARKER subsequently distributed those narcotics to his own customers.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office led the investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit.
Pair admit stealing ski boat from St. Mary Lake property on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A man and a woman today admitted they stole a ski boat and trailer from property on St. Mary Lake on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendants, Tiffany Rae Morris, 37, of Shelby, and Levi Jacques Carl Johnson, 44, of Kevin, each pleaded guilty in separate hearings to theft within Indian Country. Morris and Johnson face a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 25. The defendants were released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on June 9, 2024, Morris and Johnson stole a ski boat and trailer from the property of the victim, identified as John Doe. The property is on St. Mary Lake on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Doe reported the theft to law enforcement and posted about it on Facebook. An investigation identified Morris and Johnson as potential suspects, based on video surveillance. The following day, a landowner in the Cut Bank area notified law enforcement that a boat had been abandoned on his property and that he thought it was the stolen boat. John Doe responded to the scene and identified his boat. The boat’s identifying decals had been removed. In interviews with law enforcement, Morris and Johnson admitted to stealing the boat. After the theft was circulated on Facebook, the defendants wanted to return the boat but were afraid of being apprehended and abandoned it in the field. Johnson reported that the decals came off when he power-washed the boat. The boat was a 2007 Ski-doo Challenger 180, valued at more than $1,000.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI conducted the investigation.
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Orleans Parish Man Guilty of Carjacking and Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on February 4, 2025, RICHARD CARR (“CARR”), age 29, a resident of Orleans Parish, pled guilty in connection with a carjacking and gun violations that occurred on January 12, 2023, in New Orleans.
Specifically, CARR pled guilty to carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1); brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii); and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Court documents revealed that on January 12, 2023, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers were dispatched to Conti Street in response to an armed robbery/carjacking. The victim said he met CARR that day and drove with him to various areas in the city after which, CARR produced a firearm and demanded the victim’s cell phone and car keys for his silver Toyota CHR. On January 13, 2023, NOPD Officers observed the victim’s stolen silver Toyota CHR, minus the license plate , parked in front of a Franklin Ave gas station. Police then saw a male sleeping in the front seat with a firearm in on his lap. NOPD then secured the firearm, a Glock Model 43, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, and arrested CARR. CARR was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction.
As to the carjacking and felon in possession charges, CARR faces a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to 3 years of supervised release. As to the charge for brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, CARR faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years, up to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to 5 years of supervised release, and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crime Unit.
Ohio Man Admits to Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Rodney S. Knotts, age 55, of Ravenna, Ohio, has admitted to unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Knotts possessed eight (8) firearms in Ritchie County, WV. Knotts is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony drug conviction in Ohio.
Knotts is facing up to 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rhee is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Norwich Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing a Short-Barreled RifleRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Benjamin Wheeler, age 20, of Norwich, New York was sentenced today to serve 8 months in federal prison for possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Craig. L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
As part of his guilty plea, Wheeler admitted that on August 6, 2024, he knowingly possessed a Spikes Tactical AR-15 style rifle at his apartment in Norwich, New York, knowing that the firearm had a barrel length of less than sixteen inches. The firearm was not registered to Wheeler in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd also sentenced Wheeler to a 3-year term of supervised release, to begin after his imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), New York Police Department (NYPD) and the New York State Police with assistance from the Chenango County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CORIS ADDISON (“ADDISON”), age 42, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on February 5, 2025, by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, after previously pleading guilty to violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act by participating, along with others, in a methamphetamine conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, one of ADDISON’s co-conspirators sold approximately seven grams of pure methamphetamine to an undercover Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) agent, and another individual, on August 29, 2023 at a Westbank, New Orleans apartment.
Another drug deal was set for the following day at the same apartment, but before the deal took place, two of ADDISON’s co-defendants robbed the undercover ATF agent, and the other individual, at gun point. To escape the danger, the undercover ATF agent, and the other individual, went onto the third-floor balcony of the apartment and began climbing down. The agent fell during his escape and sustained severe injuries. Although ADDISON did not participate in the robbery, he and others were later arrested at the apartment.
Judge Lemelle sentenced ADDISON to serve 80 months in prison, followed by a three-year term of supervised release, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The investigation was conducted primarily by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department and Crimestoppers GNO. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator, and Nolan Paige, Chief of the Narcotics Unit.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Fentanyl and Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KENNETH TURNER (“TURNER”), age 37, was sentenced on February 5, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to 130 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B).
According to court documents, TURNER’s co-defendant made five distributions of fentanyl and methamphetamine to undercover agents as well as a confidential informant with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. TURNER supplied his co-defendant with the drugs and assisted in the storage, weighing and packaging of the drugs for distribution. The total scope of the conspiracy exceeded 420 grams of fentanyl and 370 grams of methamphetamine. When TURNER was arrested, he had more than $15,000 cash in his personal possession.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JOSHUWA DIAZ, 34, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to a narcotics trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Diaz was arrested on February 16, 2024, after a court-authorized search of his apartment on Orange Street in New Haven revealed approximately 75 grams of fentanyl, 278 grams of cocaine, 47 grams of crack cocaine, and a loaded P80 handgun with no serial number (“ghost gun”).
Diaz pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base (“crack”), and fentanyl, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for May 7.
Diaz is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
In April 2013, Diaz was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 78 months of imprisonment for distributing heroin.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, which includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.
New Hampshire Registered Sex Offender Sentenced for Attempting to Purchase a Gun in MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for making false statements to acquire a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Brandon Pinard, 33, to time served, approximately 9 months, followed by three years of supervised release. Pinard pleaded guilty on November 19, 2024.
According to court records, in May 2024, the Seabrook (N.H.) Police Department received a firearms denial notice showing that Pinard was denied a purchase of a long gun in Bath, Maine. When attempting to purchase the Daniel Defense DDM4 assault rifle, Pinard listed a Dover, N.H. address and checked “No” next to the question on the ATF Form 4473 that read, “Have you ever been convicted in any court, including a military court, of a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year, or are you a current member of the military who has been charged with violations(s) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and whose charge(s) have been referred to a general court-martial?” At the time of the attempted purchase, Pinard was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2013 conviction in Massachusetts for a felony sex offense. He had been a registered sex offender in Seabrook since relocating from Dover in November 2022.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Seabrook (N.H.) Police Department.
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Nashville Man Charged with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm Following Robbery at the Mall at Green HillsRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Omari Rashad Moore, 30, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm as part of a shooting incident near the Green Hills mall, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Citizens in our community need to feel confident that they can go shopping at a mall without fearing gunfire,” said McGuire. “We are unwavering in our commitment to secure a safe city and hold those who would threaten that safety fully accountable for their actions.”
According to the complaint, on February 4, 2025, officers with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) responded to the Mall at Green Hills in Nashville, in response to a possible robbery and shots-fired complaint. As the officers responded, 911 dispatch also received a complaint about a shooting near the I– 65 South and I–440 Interstate interchange in Nashville, which is about five miles driving distance from the Mall.
When MNPD officers arrived at the Mall, they found two .10 millimeter cartridge casings on the ground along with a high capacity magazine containing .10 millimeter ammunition near where the shooting and robbery had occurred. Officers could not locate a victim or suspect of the shooting at the Mall. About that time, MNPD officers arrived in the area of the I–65 South and I–440 Interstate interchange and saw a silver Tesla, which had been traveling away from the direction of the Mall, that had crashed into a tree. MNPD officers recovered two Louis Vuitton bags from inside the Tesla and located two men near the crash scene, who were later identified as Moore and SUBJECT 1. A bystander, who witnessed the aftermath of the crash, told MNPD officers that he/she had seen Moore approach a nearby guardrail on foot after the Tesla crashed. MNPD officers found a Glock Model: 29, Caliber: .10 millimeter pistol with the magazine missing near the guardrail.
SUBJECT 1 had multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to Vanderbilt Hospital by emergency medical services, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
MNPD Detectives reviewed security footage of the robbery and shooting at the Mall. It showed a man walking away from the mall carrying two shopping bags. As he approached his car, a silver Tesla drove up to and stopped near the man’s car. A man, later identified as Moore, got out of the Tesla with an object in his pocket that was consistent with the appearance of a handgun loaded with a high-capacity magazine. Moore approached the other man’s car, and they fought before the other man broke free and ran. Moore then leaned into the other man’s car, then ran back to the Tesla carrying the two shopping bags.
Moore has multiple prior felony convictions in Henderson County and Davidson County, Tennessee.
If convicted, Moore faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Hinkle is prosecuting the case.
A federal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Montgomery County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Enticing Minors to Engage in Sexually Explicit Conduct, Manufacturing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Kevin Kelly Murray, 30, of Oreland, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge R. Barclay Surrick to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for child exploitation and child pornography offenses.
In June 2022, Murray was charged by indictment with one count of use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct, one count of manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all three charges in October of last year.
As presented in court filings, on September 1, 2020, a user of the online chat service Omegle uploaded and shared videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of prepubescent children. A content moderator for Omegle reported the activity to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”), with NCMEC subsequently providing this report in the form of a cybertip to the Pennsylvania Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Records revealed that the unlawful content had been distributed online using an internet account registered to the defendant’s residence.
On October 22, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Murray’s residence and found the defendant inside. After being advised of the reason for the search warrant, Murray admitted to possessing child pornography on his computer. Murray then consented to an interview at the local police station, where he confessed to police that he had accessed Omegle to both download and share child pornography. He further admitted to soliciting “preteen” girls over Omegle to undress themselves and perform sexual acts on themselves, at which point he would record their images/videos on his computer for his sexual gratification.
A forensic review of his electronic devices showed that from 2019 through 2020, the defendant used his cell phone and his computer to obtain at least 361 images and 93 videos of child pornography. Among the videos were several taken during Murray’s Omegle video chats with at least three different young girls, including Minor #1, who appeared to be approximately eight to ten years old. Chat records documented the defendant directing the child to engage in sexually explicit behavior. In response, Minor #1 engaged in the sexually explicit conduct and the defendant created three videos depicting the conduct.
“Murray preyed on children, grooming them for his own deviant purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He exposed these young girls to child pornography to normalize sexual behavior in their minds, convinced them to engage in explicit acts on camera, then saved the material for his repeated consumption. My office and our partners are working every day to prosecute predators like this, get justice for their victims, and keep all children safe from similar harm.”
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 United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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 projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Abington Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza.
Mexican National Sentenced to over 8 Years in Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Dario Mata-Manzo, 33, a Mexican national residing in Fresno, was sentenced today to eight years and eight months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, in June 2022, Mata-Manzo negotiated the sale of crystal methamphetamine for $1,200 per pound and subsequently delivered 8 pounds of the drug to undercover officers in Fresno. Court documents indicate that Mata-Manzo was connected to an interstate poly-drug trafficking organization.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA), which consists of personnel from the California Department of Justice, Fresno Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar 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.
Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing More than Eight Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – On February 10, 2025, United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Santiago Rojas-Rangel (“Charapo”), age 51, of Mexico, to 151 months in prison on methamphetamine distribution charges. Judge Dimke also imposed 5 years of supervised release. When imposing the sentence, Judge Dimke noted Rojas-Rangel’s “complete and utter lack of respect for the law in this country.”
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, in early 2024 agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) developed information that Rojas-Rangel was selling methamphetamine in and around Yakima, Washington. Between February and May 2024, the DEA conducted several controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Rojas-Rangel totaling approximately 8 pounds. The purchase of the illegal drugs was carefully monitored and controlled by DEA agents.
Rojas-Rangel was previously convicted in Yakima County Superior Court on two counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Methamphetamine in December 2019 for offenses that occurred in 2016. He was sentenced to a total of 44 months and 1 day of confinement. Rojas-Rangel has also previously been deported from the United States and illegally re-entered, before engaging in further drug trafficking in the Eastern District of Washington.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of dangerous repeat drug offenders,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker. “Mr. Rojas-Rangel entered the United States illegally and then distributed large quantities of methamphetamine into the Yakima community. I am grateful for the dedication of our federal, state, and local partners and for the incredible team of prosecutors, who dedicate their careers to keeping our communities safe.”
“Methamphetamine traffickers prey on their communities for profit,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The Drug Enforcement Administration and our partners work especially hard to ensure accountability for repeat drug offenders, like Mr. Rojas-Rangel, with this richly deserved prison sentence.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Letitia A. Sikes.
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Mexican National Previously Convicted of Sexually Assaulting a Minor Arrested in El PasoRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A Mexican national with a violent criminal record was arrested in El Paso on criminal charges related to his alleged illegal re-entry.
According to court documents, Jose Juan Garcia Tiro was determined upon arrest to be in the United States illegally. He had been previously removed from the country to Mexico on April 23, 2015. In 2007, Garcia Tiro was convicted in Ocean, New Jersey and sentenced to eight years in prison for sexually assaulting a prepubescent minor.
Garcia Tiro is charged with one count of illegal re-entry. He was ordered in a Feb. 10 hearing to be detained without bond. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The U.S. Border Patrol is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Aguayo is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Member of the 764 Criminal Enterprise Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and Other ChargesRead the Press Release
Jairo Jaime Tinajero, 25, pleaded guilty yesterday in the Western District of Kentucky to the following charges contained in the superseding information: racketeering conspiracy, online enticement, three counts of production of child sexual abuse material, three counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), five counts of interstate communications of threats, cyberstalking, and conspiracy to murder Jane Doe 1 in aid of racketeering. The terms of the plea agreement specify that both parties agree to the applicability of the terrorism sentencing enhancement (U.S.S.G. § 3A1.4 n. 4).
On Oct. 11, 2023, a grand jury in the Western District of Kentucky returned an indictment charging Tinajero with online enticement and production of child sexual abuse material. On Oct. 4, 2023, in the Eastern District of Arkansas, Tinajero was arrested on a criminal complaint that was filed in the Western District of Kentucky.
According to the court documents, Tinajero is a self-identified member of the 764 network. The 764 network’s accelerationist goals include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the U.S. Government. Beginning in 2020, Tinajero started communicating with, and grooming, several minor victims to obtain sexually explicit content from them, including Jane Doe 1. In 2023, Tinajero began to threaten the safety of Jane Doe 1 and her family. Tinajero posted online in encrypted platforms associated with 764 and related groups a “Lorebook” – commonly used in 764 blackmail schemes — containing Jane Doe 1’s identifying information along with nude pictures of the minor.
Between July 2023 and September 2023, during multiple discussions over social media, Tinajero and a co-conspirator agreed that Tinajero should kill Jane Doe 1. Tinajero and the co-conspirator specifically discussed that Tinajero should murder Jane Doe 1 and dispose of Jane Doe 1’s body in a barrel of acid after the murder. Tinajero posted multiple messages on various social media websites stating that he planned to kill Jane Doe 1 with a firearm because Jane Doe 1 refused to provide additional child sexual abuse material.
On Aug. 26, 2023, Tinajero posted on Telegram, “Im determined to die” and “If I gotta kill her I can’t let her live and f**k with dudes and girls while I’m sick and miserable” and “Im gonna live stream it.” Tinajero also posted a picture of Jane Doe 1. On Sept. 2, 2023, Tinajero posted on Telegram, “I wanna kill them so bad just show up at their cribs and shoot 100 rounds in 5 seconds” and, on Sept. 3, 2023, posted “I didn’t wanna do anything bc I was scared of dying or prison but now I’m determined to die if I have to after getting rid of [Jane Doe 1] . . . .” Tinajero also began soliciting others to assist with attempting to kill Jane Doe 1.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. The Violent Crime and Racketeering Section for the Criminal Division and the Eastern District of Arkansas provided assistance.
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