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20 March 2025
Union County Woman Admits Embezzling Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars from SynagogueRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County woman admitted her role in embezzling more than approximately $350,000 from a Union County synagogue, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.
Stacy Margaritondo, 52, of Scotch Plains, New Jersey pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to an Information charging her with wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2010, Margaritondo began working at the synagogue located in Union County, New Jersey and was promoted to office manager and bookkeeper in July 2020. From December 2019 through May 2023, Margaritondo abused this position of trust by engaging in a fraudulent scheme to misappropriate approximately $350,000 from the synagogue’s accounts. As part of the scheme, Margaritondo routinely issued unauthorized checks made payable to herself drawn on the synagogue’s bank accounts; obtained unauthorized additional funds to conceal the embezzlement scheme by fraudulently using the synagogue’s name, bank statements, and balance sheet to obtain short-term financing from at least three cash advance companies; and intentionally kept inaccurate accounting records and altered bank statements that she provided to the board of directors to conceal her scheme.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for July 22, 2025 at 12 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked the Scotch Plains Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jeffrey J. Briel, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Marc A. Sposato, Esq. and Steven F. Wukovits, Esq., Cranford, New Jersey
margaritondo.information.pdfTwo illegal aliens imprisoned for unlawfully reentering the U.S.Read the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two Mexican nationals with felony criminal histories have been sentenced in two separate cases for illegally entering the county without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose Eduardo Soto-Hernandez, 29, and Salvador Eduardo Gonzalez-Ledezma, 25, pleaded guilty Dec. 17 and 18, 2024, respectively.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now imposed a 46-month term of imprisonment for Gonzalez-Ledezma, while Soto-Hernandez received 27 months. Not U.S. citizens, both are expected to face removal proceedings following their imprisonment.
Soto-Hernandez has prior felony convictions for sexual assault of a child and possession of a controlled substance. He has been removed from the United States two previous times, most recently in 2019.
Gonzalez-Ledezma also has prior felony convictions for assault family violence impeding breath and harboring aliens. Authorities removed him most recently in 2022, but he has a total of four prior removals.
Both will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol conducted the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda McColgan prosecuted the cases.
Two Eastern European Organized Crime Leaders Convicted of Murder-For-Hire Targeting U.S.-Based Journalist on Behalf of the Iranian GovernmentRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Leslie R. Backschies, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that a jury returned guilty verdicts against RAFAT AMIROV, a/k/a “Farkhaddin Mirzoev,” a/k/a “Pᴎᴍ,” a/k/a “Rome,” and POLAD OMAROV, a/k/a “Araz Aliyev,” a/k/a “Polad Qaqa,” a/k/a “Haci Qaqa,” on all five counts in the Superseding Indictment, which included murder-for-hire and attempted murder in aid of racketeering charges, in a trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon. AMIROV and OMAROV are scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “For years, the Government of Iran has attempted to silence an outspoken Iranian journalist, author, activist and critic of their regime through any means necessary, including harassment, violence, intimidation, and even attempted murder. Chillingly, the plot to murder this Iranian dissident culminated over 6,000 miles from Iran, on U.S. soil, right here in New York, when a hitman with an AK-47 camped outside her home to kill her. I commend the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners at the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division for their tireless work in bringing these defendants to justice. This verdict should send a clear message around the world: if you target U.S. citizens, we will find you, no matter where you are, and bring you to justice.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Leslie R. Backschies said: “The convictions of Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov send a clear message to all foreign governments who violate our laws and attempt to commit violence against Americans — they and their proxies will face justice for any attempt to silence Americans on U.S. soil. The Iranian government’s shameless conduct and attempt to violate our laws and assassinate a critic of their human rights atrocities will not be tolerated. The FBI is determined to disrupt any effort by foreign governments to use violence to repress our citizens’ freedoms, here or abroad.”
As reflected in the Superseding Indictment and the evidence presented at trial:
AMIROV and OMAROV were high-ranking members of an Azeri faction of the Russian Mob (the “Organization”) who worked with other members of the Organization to attempt to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”). Alinejad has previously been the target of plots by the Government of Iran to intimidate, harass, and kidnap her for her work as a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses around the world. As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Alinejad from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the Iranian regime.
After these brazen efforts to kidnap Alinejad from the U.S. failed, the IRGC turned to AMIROV and OMAROV to locate, surveil, and murder her. Beginning in approximately July 2022, AMIROV sent targeting information—which he had received directly from IRGC officials in Iran—about Alinejad to OMAROV. In turn, OMAROV communicated this information to Khalid Mehdiyev, another member of the Organization who had been residing in Yonkers, New York, so that Mehdiyev could surveil Alinejad and murder her. In turn, Mehdiyev sent photographs and videos of Alinejad’s residence to OMAROV, who shared these materials with AMIROV and the IRGC officials who orchestrated the plot in Iran. AMIROV and OMAROV then arranged for a $30,000 cash payment to Mehdiyev, who used a portion of this payment to buy an AK-47 style assault rifle, two magazines, and at least 66 rounds of ammunition; as Mehdiyev boasted in electronic communications, a “war machine” he could use to kill Alinejad.
In late July 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Alinejad’s neighborhood to surveil her. Mehdiyev sent reports of his surveillance to OMAROV, who passed them to AMIROV. On July 24, 2022, Mehdiyev reported to OMAROV from Alinejad’s residence that he was “at the crime scene.” On July 27, 2022, OMAROV told AMIROV that Mehdiyev was ready to kill Alinejad, writing “this matter will be over today. I told them to make a birthday present for me. I pressured them, they will sleep there this night.” On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent OMAROV a video taken from inside the car that Mehdiyev was driving with the assault rifle and a message reading “we are ready.” AMIROV sent an image of the interior of Alinejad’s home to OMAROV to be forwarded to Mehdiyev, writing “this is the house where she stays.” As OMAROV continued to update AMIROV about Mehdiyev’s readiness, AMIROV cautioned OMAROV “let him keep the car clean.” When Mehdiyev subsequently drove from where he was surveilling the residence, he was stopped after a traffic violation and, during a subsequent search of the vehicle, police officers found the assault rifle, 66 rounds of ammunition, approximately $1,100 in cash, and a black ski mask.
After Mehdiyev was arrested and placed into custody, OMAROV contacted Mehdiyev’s mother and threatened to kill her and her other son if she did not locate Mehdiyev.
* * *
AMIROV, 46, of Iran; OMAROV, 40, of the country of Georgia, were convicted on five counts: murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (Count One); conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (Count Two); conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison (Count Three); attempted murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (Count Four); and possession and use of a firearm in connection with the attempted murder, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison (Count Five).
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division and the New York FBI Iran Threat Task Force. Mr. Podolsky also thanked the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance. Mr. Podolsky also thanked the authorities in the Czech Republic.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and Matthew J.C. Hellman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from paralegal specialists Owen Foley and Sabrina Jim Munoz, and Trial Attorneys Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Two Consulting Companies and its Owners Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging Scheme Involving New York City Public SchoolsRead the Press Release
Four defendants, two companies and their owners, have pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, for their roles in a bid rigging scheme involving budget and procurement consulting services for New York City (NYC) Public Schools.
On March 19 and 20, Transcend BS LLC (Transcend), a procurement and training consultant company, and its owner, Victor A. Garrido of Peekskill, New York; and Clark & Garner LLC (C&G), an educational programming consultant for schools and non-profit organizations, and its owner, Donald Clark Garner II, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty to a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act.
“Defendants targeted the nation’s largest school system with their scheme, undermining the rights of New York City taxpayers to benefit from fair and honest competition,” said Director of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force Daniel Glad of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its PCSF partners remain steadfast in our commitment to root out fraud, waste, and abuse in procurement processes at any level of government, as we have since 2019.”
According to court documents, from approximately November 2020 through at least January 2023, Garrido and his co-conspirators, including Garner and C&G, created and submitted artificially high “competitor” bids to make it appear as if Transcend was the lowest bidder for consulting services contracts to circumvent NYC Department of Education’s (DOE) requirement for a competitive bidding process. C&G never provided any of the same services that Transcend provided. Rather, the co-conspirators rigged the bidding process for Transcend to continue to obtain lucrative work orders from New York City public schools without competing fairly. This scheme affected more than $707,000 in work orders to NYC Public Schools and resulted in estimated losses to the NYC DOE of $141,511.
Prior to forming Transcend and C&G, Garrido and Garner were employed by NYC Public Schools. Garrido was a business manager, providing substantially similar consulting services to various schools, and Garner was a former teacher recruitment manager
In addition, both Garrido and Garner agreed to pay restitution to New York State Department of Labor for unemployment benefits they improperly received.
“Victor Garrido and Donald Clark Garner admitted their guilt in scheming to use their companies to artificially control the bidding process for a New York City Department of Education contract,” said Acting Assistant Director in Charge Leslie Backshies of the FBI New York Field Office. “Garrido and Garner will now rightly face justice for attempting to personally benefit at the expense of the New York City taxpayers. The FBI will continue to enforce antitrust laws to ensure a fair and competitive bidding process for government contracts.”
“SCI is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside our partners at the DOJ Anti-trust Division, the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Labor, and the FBI in bringing this important case to justice,” said Special Commissioner of Investigation Anatasia Coleman of the Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the NYC School District. “SCI is also pleased to recover tax dollars for New York City taxpayers. Bid-rigging is a serious crime that deprives the school district of vital funds and deprives students of a stable learning environment — and it is a crime that SCI will continue to tirelessly root out.”
"These guilty pleas underscore the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General's unwavering commitment to safeguard the American workplace from corruption and illegal influence,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General Northeast Region. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to pursue those who engage in the exploitation of governmental programs within our jurisdiction."
The maximum penalty for bid rigging for individuals is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The maximum penalty for corporations is a $100 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Antitrust Division’s New York Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the FBI New York Field Office, the SCI for the New York City School District, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state, and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Two Cleveland Men Indicted for Trying to Send Firearms to Drug Cartel Members in MexicoRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Yarquimedes Rodriguez Hilario (32, Cleveland, OH) and Adison Lopez-Ramirez (34, Cleveland, OH) with conspiring to traffic firearms and money laundering. If convicted on all counts, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit assets that are traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment and other court documents filed during this investigation, since 2021, undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), posing as Mexican cartel members, were introduced to Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario because he was a trafficker of firearms that could be smuggled to Mexico. Undercover communications with Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario and others discussed the purchase of AR-15s and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. One of the coconspirators described that he sold AR-15s and AK-47s to El Salvadorans and had cocaine available for distribution. Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario further offered fentanyl to one of the agents to make pills.
Beginning in late-2021, members of the conspiracy sold or arranged the sale of at least 90 rifles and one Mac-10-type machine gun with a silencer to undercover agents in the Middle District of Florida and Cleveland, Ohio. On October 21, 2021, Adison Lopez-Ramirez delivered nine .223/5.56 caliber rifles and one 9mm rifle to undercover ATF agents in St. Petersburg, Florida, in exchange for $16,000. Soon after the sale, federal agents followed Lopez-Ramirez as he deposited $9,000 from the sale into the bank account of Yarquimedes Rodriguez Hilario, the brother of Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario.
In November 2022, an undercover agent told Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario that his associates in Mexico were “battling and losing” and needed to purchase more firearms. On March 2, 2023, Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario arranged to deliver 40 AM-15 multi-caliber firearms to the agents. Saleh Yusuf Saleh, who acquired and assembled the parts to make the firearms, arrived at the meeting with Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario and the agents. After an undercover agent inspected one of the boxes of firearms, both Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario and Saleh were arrested.
In March 2024, Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario was sentenced to 13 years and 4 months’ imprisonment. In November 2024, Saleh Yusuf Saleh previously was sentenced to 5 years and 8 months in federal prison.
Image 1: Firearms from the October 21, 2021 Sale
Images 2-3: Firearms from March 10, 2022 Sale
Images 4-5: Firearms from May 26, 2022 Sale
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The Cleveland offices of ATF, HSI, DEA, and FBI, with assistance from the Cleveland Police Department and Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, provided critical support in the apprehension of the defendants. It is being prosecuted by Dan Baeza.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America which streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Two California Doctors Agree to Settlements Totaling $375,000 to Resolve Allegations of Fraud Schemes Related to “Electroacupuncture” DevicesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Zachary J. Lipman MD, of Chico, has paid $290,000 to the United States and Michael Woo-Ming MD, of Murrieta, has agreed to pay $85,000 to the United States to resolve allegations arising from a fraud scheme that caused the submission of hundreds of false claims to Medicare, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced today.
Both settlements relate to a fraud scheme orchestrated by Riverside County chiropractor Kevin Brown, in which Brown used various companies he owned to seek and receive reimbursement from Medicare for surgically implanted neurostimulators at multiple locations within and beyond California, even though the companies did not perform surgery or implant neurostimulators. In a prior settlement with the United States, Brown stipulated that he and his companies instead taped a disposable “electroacupuncture” device called “Stivax” to their patients’ ears. Stivax devices do not require surgical implantation and are not reimbursable by Medicare. The United States alleges that this scheme violated the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute.
With respect to the settlement with Dr. Lipman announced today, the United States had alleged that Lipman solicited and received unlawful kickbacks from Brown in return for Lipman referring his patients to Brown for the furnishing of Stivax devices paid for by Medicare. The settlement with Dr. Woo-Ming resolves allegations that his companies Revive Medical of San Diego, which Woo-Ming co-owned with Brown, and Medical Wellness Group submitted false claims to Medicare for surgically implanted neurostimulators.
“These physicians took part in a fraud scheme at the expense of hardworking taxpayers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “My office is committed to working with our partners to address fraud schemes like these that divert funds from important federal health care programs like Medicare.”
“Improper financial arrangements can compromise medical judgment, adversely influencing the medical decision-making process,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of federal health care programs and those served by those programs.”
The investigation was conducted with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emilia P.E. Morris handled the case for the United States.
The settlement agreements can be found here:
lipman_settlement_agreement_executed_10.25.24.pdf
woo-ming_settlement_agreement-executed_3.5.25.pdf
brown_settlement_agreement-_executed_07.10.24_0.pdfTwenty-two Charged in Imperial Valley Takedown of Violent Drug Trafficking Organization Linked to Beltran Leyva CartelRead the Press Release
EL CENTRO – Twenty-two alleged members of a sophisticated transnational drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa-based Beltran Leyva Cartel were indicted by a federal grand jury for importing and distributing more than a ton of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine into the United States, laundering the illicit proceeds, and attempting to export firearms from the United States into Mexico.
In a coordinated takedown this morning in California, Arizona, Iowa, and Colorado, more than 150 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials arrested 10 defendants and executed six search warrants in Imperial County. As of this afternoon, the search continues for 12 fugitives.
Including seizures today and throughout this long-term investigation, authorities have confiscated more than 1,000 kilograms (about 2,204 pounds) of drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and over 750 kilograms (about 1,653 pounds) of fentanyl, 10 firearms, and more than $250,000 in narcotics proceeds.
“We have literally seized a ton of drugs that were destined to hit our streets and harm our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden. “By disrupting this prolific, cartel-linked trafficking network, we are preventing the devastation and violence it brings.”
“Today’s enforcement action marks the culmination of a complex, long-term HSI investigation, demonstrating the strong collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies nationwide,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Diego. “Our local communities are undoubtedly safer today, and we remain committed to aggressively pursuing criminal organizations that threaten our country.”
“Close coordination and aggressive action amongst allied law enforcement agencies just made communities nationwide safer places to live and work,” said El Centro Border Patrol Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino. “The well executed takedown of this drug trafficking organization heralds a new day in homeland security where we will relentlessly apprehend and prosecute transnational threats.”
According to search warrants, the defendants belonged to a Mexicali, Mexico- and Imperial County-based transnational criminal organization that operated as a distribution cell for the Beltrán Leyva Cartel, specifically associated with Fausto Isidro Meza Flores aka El Chapo Isidro. Using undercover operations and multiple rounds of wiretaps, agents conducted numerous controlled purchases, traffic stops of personal vehicles and tractor trailers, and searches of houses and stash locations leading to large seizures of narcotics.
Additionally, during the fourth round of wiretaps, one of the wiretap targets, an Imperial County-based narcotics subdistributor, was shot multiple times in Mexicali and died several months thereafter. Investigators believe that the subdistributor was lured from the United States to Mexico and shot by a co-conspirator in relation to their drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
According to federal search warrants:
In one instance on January 23, 2023, authorities seized approximately 1.4 million fentanyl pills after intercepting phone conversations about moving fentanyl pills in a semi-truck. Federal agents watched the transaction from afar, then conducted a traffic stop on the drug-laden tractor-trailer. Law enforcement officials located eight duffel bags containing approximately 148.53 kilograms (327.45 pounds) in the trailer of the truck.
In another instance, on May 9, 2023, authorities seized approximately 483,000 fentanyl pills after intercepting phone conversations about moving narcotics in a semi-truck. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on the drug-laden tractor-trailer and located bags containing approximately 48.30 kilograms (106.48 pounds) of fentanyl pills in the truck.
Shortly thereafter, on May 25, 2023, authorities seized approximately 480,000 fentanyl pills, 72.29 kilograms of methamphetamine, and a loaded 9mm handgun with a 10-round magazine inserted and a round in the chamber. After intercepting phone conversations about coordinating the movement of narcotics in a semi-truck, federal agents surveilled the narcotics being loaded into the tractor-trailer, then conducted a traffic stop. Law enforcement officials located six duffel bags containing approximately 72.29 kilograms (159.37 pounds) of methamphetamine and 48.6 kilograms (107.14 pounds) of fentanyl in the trailer of the truck.
In another instance, on October 9, 2023, investigators seized approximately 139,000 fentanyl pills and 36.66 kilograms (80.82 pounds) of methamphetamine following federal agents’ surveillance of defendants unloading and transporting the narcotics.
On March 14, 2024, after a traffic stop conducted by a Brawley police officer, law enforcement seized approximately 59.48 kilograms (131.13 pounds) of methamphetamine.
Federal agents also seized firearms and ammunition during the investigation, including two gold plated AR-15 semi-automatic rifles hidden inside a 55-gallon barbeque grill on August 3, 2023, and two rifles, two pistols, approximately 2182 ammunition rounds, and seven magazines destined for Mexicali-based drug traffickers.
Additionally, according to court records, five of the charged defendants are tied to alien smuggling activity, having been either arrested and/or previously prosecuted for immigration-related crimes, such as alien smuggling, accessory after the fact to illegal entry, and selling or offering to sell a Visa.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Loren G. Renner.
DEFENDANTS
Case Number 24cr2399
Irving Alberto Lopez Valdes Age: 36 Mexicali, Mexico
Raul Salome Valdez-Orduno Age: 46 Mexicali, Mexico
Case Number 24cr2400
Jesus Damian Lizarraga Sanchez Age: 28 Mexicali, Mexico
Case Number 24cr2434
Elizabeth Millan Age: 46 San Diego, California
Brandon Garcia Age: 27 Calexico, California
*Seven unnamed defendants are fugitives
Case Number 24cr2431
Roberto Marrufo Age: 40 Calexico, California
Case Number 25cr0785
Ricardo Miramontes Nava Age: 35 Calexico, California
Case Number 25cr0786
Jacob Rodiles Age: 21 El Centro, California
Roberto Fernandez Age: 70 Calexico, California
Raul Martinez Jimenez Age: 56 Mexicali, Mexico
Julian Banuelos Age: 19 Imperial, California
Alain Alejandro Robles-Murrieta Age: 19 Mexicali, Mexico
*Three unnamed defendants are fugitives
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a) and (b)(1), 846
Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a $10 million fine.
Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a $500,000 fine
Attempted Transfer of a Firearm for Use in a Drug Trafficking Crime – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1924(h)
Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and a $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations, Calexico - Imperial Valley Border Enforcement Security Taskforce (IV-BEST)
Homeland Security Investigations, Riverside, CA
Homeland Security Investigations, Denver, CO
Homeland Security Investigations, Yuma, AZ
Homeland Security Investigations, Sioux City, IA
United States Border Patrol, El Centro Sector Intelligence Unit
Customs and Border Protection, Calexico Intelligence Division
Imperial County Narcotics Task Force
Drug Enforcement Administration, Imperial County Office
Drug Enforcement Administration, Phoenix Office
Federal Bureau of Investigations, Imperial County Office
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations
United States Marshals Service
Calexico Police Department
Imperial County Sheriff’s Office
Imperial County District Attorney’s Office
Brawley Police Department
California Highway Patrol
El Centro Police Department
San Diego-Imperial Valley HIDTA
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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.
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.
This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Three More Defendants Plead Guilty in Large Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Davon Hunter, age 27, of Richmond, Virginia, Christian Quivers, age 20, of Richmond, and Crystal Kurschner, age 44, of Brooklyn, New York, have pled guilty for their respective roles in a bank fraud conspiracy. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of their pleas, Hunter, Quivers, and Kurschner each admitted that they were members of a conspiracy to defraud financial institutions all over the country by obtaining the personal identifying information (“PII”) of victims and using lower-level “workers” to impersonate the identity-theft victims to conduct fraudulent banking transactions in their names. As part of a plea agreement entered today, Quivers admitted that he was a supervisor in the conspiracy and relayed instructions he obtained from supervisors, including Oluwaseun Adekoya, Kani Bassie, and Hunter, to lower-level members of the conspiracy who impersonated identity-theft victims and conducted fraudulent transactions in their names. As part of a plea agreement entered earlier this week, Kurschner admitted that she was a “worker” who impersonated identity-theft victims and provided most of the fraud proceeds to her supervisors. Earlier this month, Hunter admitted that he was a manager of the conspiracy who received directions and PII from supervisors including Adekoya and Bassie and orchestrated fraudulent transactions on their behalf.
Hunter and Quivers each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Kurschner pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
These remaining defendants are charged as follows in the second superseding indictment:
- Adekoya, age 39, a Nigerian citizen living in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and nine counts of aggravated identity theft;
- Bassie, age 36, of Brooklyn, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and two counts of aggravated identity theft; and
- Jermon Brooks, age 20, of Richmond, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
As to these defendants, the charges in the second superseding indictment are merely accusations. These remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The prosecution is the result of an ongoing investigation led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI-Albany, which began after the May 2022 arrest of Daniyan, Gaysha Kennedy, age 46, of Brooklyn, and Victor Barriera, age 64, of the Bronx, by the Cohoes Police Department after the trio traveled to the Capital Region to commit bank fraud. According to documents previously filed in the case, the investigation has uncovered over $1.7 million in fraudulent transactions to date. Eleven defendants have pled guilty and forfeited hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds, luxury apparel, and jewelry.
At sentencing later this year, Hunter, Quivers, and Kurschner each face a maximum term of 30 years’ incarceration for the bank fraud conspiracy, and Hunter and Quivers each face a mandatory consecutive term of 2 years’ incarceration for their convictions of aggravated identity theft. The defendants will be ordered to pay restitution and will also face a term of post-incarceration supervised release of up to 5 years.
FBI Albany is investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in New York, Newark, Richmond and Resident Agencies in Westchester, New York; Brooklyn/Queens, New York; Garrett Mountain, New Jersey; and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Additional assistance was provided by other law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement & Removal Operations (New York Field Office & Albany sub-office); U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (Buffalo Field Office & St. Albans Resident Office); U.S. Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General; New York law enforcement agencies including the New York State Police; Cohoes PD; Colonie PD; Elmira PD; Corning PD; Plattsburgh PD; Florida law enforcement agencies including the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; the Pennsylvania State Police; Alabama law enforcement agencies including the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Gasden PD, and Rainbow City PD; Georgia law enforcement agencies including the Georgia State Patrol, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, and Morrow PD; Kansas law enforcement agencies including Lawrence PD and Overland Park PD; New Hampshire law enforcement agencies including Rochester PD, Manchester PD, and Amherst PD; the Delaware State Police; Maryland law enforcement agencies including the Maryland State Police, Harford County Sheriff’s Office and Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office; Wisconsin law enforcement agencies including Onalaska PD and Eau Claire PD; and Indiana law enforcement agencies including the Allen County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting this case.
Texan Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sex with a Minor in Mexico Resulting in 2 BirthsRead the Press Release
Correction: A previous version of this press release stated that when Garcia applied for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CBRA), he misrepresented the age of the victim as 21 and 23 at the time of the two births. Court documents indicate Garcia was 21 and 23 years old at the time of the births and applied for CBRAs with that information--not misrepresenting the victim's age.
DEL RIO, Texas – A U.S. citizen who had been traveling to and from Mexico was sentenced today in a federal court in Del Rio to 188 months in prison for engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place.
According to court documents, David Manuel Garcia, 42, traveled from the U.S. to Mexico between July 2003 and August 2008, and engaged in forced sexual acts with a minor victim under the age of 18, which resulted in the birth of two children. Records indicate that the victim was 13 years old at the time of the first birth, and 15 years old when she gave birth to the second child.
Garcia was arrested Dec. 11, 2018 at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses found Garcia guilty in a bench trial on Aug. 26, 2022.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly Pavlinski prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Tenderloin Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to over Four Years for Distribution of A Controlled Substance and International Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Elbin Salvador Archaga-Ayestas, aka “Cuco,” was sentenced today to 50 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl and international money laundering. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers handed down the sentence.
Archaga-Ayestas, 21, a Honduran national, was charged on Dec. 7, 2023, by a superseding indictment with one count of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and three counts of international money laundering in connection with sending the proceeds of his fentanyl sales to Honduras via a money services business in Oakland, Calif. On Nov. 7, 2024, he pleaded guilty to all four counts in the superseding indictment.
According to court documents, Archaga-Ayestas resided in Oakland and traveled to the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco to sell drugs. Archaga-Ayestas sold multiple ounces of fentanyl to an undercover officer on May 11, 2023. At the time of Archaga-Ayestas’s arrest on June 26, 2023, he was in possession of nearly 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl. In the months leading up to his arrest, Archaga-Ayestas sent proceeds from his fentanyl sales, wiring over $10,000 on several occasions, back to his family in Honduras through a money transmitting business, Envios Express. These transactions avoided Bank Secrecy Act reporting requirements by using multiple fake wire senders and multiple enlisted recipients in Honduras.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gonzalez Rogers also ordered the defendant to serve four years of supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris, and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge of the Oakland Field Office Linda Nguyen made the announcement.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, which streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs). 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Kassabian is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amanda Martinez and Andy Ding. The prosecution is the result of a year-long investigation by the DEA and IRS-CI.
Tahlequah Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Laura Gema Carroll, age 36, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The Indictment charged Carroll with knowingly possessing one .380ACP caliber, semi-automatic pistol and five rounds of .380ACP caliber ammunition on June 12, 2024, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tahlequah Police Department.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Carroll will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Geizura and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Statement of Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky on the Conviction of Sev Side / DOA Leader Kevin Perez, A/K/A “Kay Flock”Read the Press Release
“Kevin Perez, a/k/a “Kay Flock,” was the leader of a neighborhood street gang known as Sev Side / DOA, and with that gang, he committed a series of gang-motivated shootings. Perez, a drill rapper, instilled fear across the community with his violent actions, and then threatened rivals, bragged about shootings, and taunted victims in his rap lyrics. But as a unanimous jury has now found, Perez can no longer hide behind his music, and instead will be held to account for his violent crimes. Thanks to the hard work of the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, the cycle of violence that Perez engaged in is over. This Office remains resolute in its commitment to prosecuting gang members who sow fear and spread violence on our city streets.”
Software company settles fraud case for $524,947Read the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Vianair Inc., an airport management software company located in Naples, Florida, agreed to pay $225,000 and forgo $299,947 remaining unpaid on a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to settle False Claims Act allegations involving statements made in connection with a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant awarded by the NSF.
The government alleged that Vianair performed grant work outside of the United States, which is expressly prohibited by the terms and conditions of the grant funding agreement and interim reports, and contrary to Vianair’s grant proposal, and, separately, that Vianair failed to maintain timesheets on NSF-related grant efforts, while falsely certifying compliance with both conditions. NSF suspended payments on the grant when it learned of the conduct. At the time, $299,947 was the balance remaining on the grant that had not yet been transmitted to Vianair.
“The requirement that research associated with these grants be conducted in the United States is intended to protect our nation’s security, and the recordkeeping requirements are important to protect taxpayer resources,” said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “When grantees fail to comply with those requirements, my office will pursue ardent enforcement to safeguard American citizens and the public treasury. I thank the NSF Office of Inspector General for ensuring that grant requirements are faithfully observed.”
“SBIR awards are highly competitive grants intended to fund American-owned small businesses to conduct U.S.-based research that will lead to the commercialization of innovative new products and services,” said Megan E. Wallace, Acting Inspector General of the National Science Foundation. “This investigation resulted from the NSF Office of Inspector General’s proactive initiative to protect national security interests by identifying SBIR recipients who improperly operate outside the U.S. The NSF Office of Inspector General is committed to vigorously pursuing oversight of these taxpayer funds. I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for supporting this effort.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Kim.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Six Defendants Charged with Attempting to Steal Approximately $80 Million in Government Check Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Leslie R. Backschies, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Harry T. Chavez, Jr., the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (“IRS-CI”), announced the unsealing of a four-count criminal Indictment charging SHAN ANAND, NOSAKHARE NOBORE, NICHOLAS PAPPAS, LEONARD UJKIC, SOLOMON ALUKO, a/k/a “D1 ReallyRich,” and JORGE GONZALEZ with a scheme to fraudulently obtain checks and launder the proceeds. Many of the checks were funds provided by the government for COVID-19 relief that the defendants stole before depositing into bank accounts opened using sham businesses or stolen or fake identities. In total, the defendants attempted to steal approximately $80 million and succeeded in depositing approximately $50 million.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “We allege that the defendants stole tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief and other checks, and even used a ‘Fraud Bible’ containing instructions for committing fraud. This Office will not tolerate the exploitation of programs designed to support the public in times of crisis, and we and our law enforcement partners will hold those responsible to full account.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director Leslie R. Backschies said: “These six defendants allegedly used sham businesses, stolen, and fake identities to operate a multi-year check fraud scheme, resulting in $50 million in illicit funds being deposited into their accounts. The defendants brazenly attempted to exploit multiple United States government programs in their attempts to illegally enrich themselves. The FBI will continue to ensure fraudsters attempting to lie, cheat, and steal from the Government answer for their crimes in the criminal justice system.”
IRS Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. said: “This group of suspects openly communicated about their fraud, taking pride in the multiple schemes that stole nearly $50 million from the American public. They lied and cheated a benefits system meant to help struggling businesses that need it, all while stealing checks from agencies who assist the elderly and veterans. This gang of ‘bag hunters’ will now face justice for multiple charges. This time, the U.S. government were the hunters, and the arrests in this massive fraud case are ‘in the bag.’”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
From 2021 to 2025, the six defendants worked together to steal money from the U.S. government, banks, and individuals. The defendants opened bank accounts using fake or stolen identity information for individuals or businesses, and were assisted in doing so by one of the defendants who was a teller at a major bank. From the inside, he worked to open or alter bank accounts to advance the defendants’ fraud.
The defendants then deposited fraudulently obtained or counterfeit checks into the accounts. Many of the checks were issued by the U.S. Treasury (the “Treasury”) based on false and fraudulent filings with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) in connection with the Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”) and Qualified Sick Leave Wages (“QSLW”) credit. The ERC is a refundable tax credit for businesses and tax-exempt organizations that had employees during and were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers must have paid qualified wages to claim the credit. The QSLW credit is a related credit that was also established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendants did not operate businesses that would have qualified for these credits. The businesses they used to open bank accounts and apply for the credits were fake or sham businesses.
Other Treasury checks passed as part of the defendants’ scheme were payments for different tax refunds, including personal and corporate income tax refunds. Still other Treasury checks were associated with programs at other government agencies such as the Department of Veterans of Affairs and the Social Security Administration. Some of the checks involved in the scheme—both Treasury checks and other business or individual checks—were stolen from the mail or elsewhere. Other checks were partially or completely forged.
Once the checks were deposited, the defendants withdrew the fraudulently obtained funds in cash or transferred them to other banks accounts under their control. Over the course of their scheme, the defendants attempted to obtain approximately $80 million in total. They succeeded in depositing approximately $50 million.
The defendants communicated openly about their fraud. One defendant sent another a video of a screen recording of a document or documents titled “✅ 2021 Fraud Bible ✅”, shown in the following image:
This “Fraud Bible” contained instructions on how to engage in various forms of fraud, including credit card fraud, ATM fraud, and mobile cash transfer fraud.
Since at least 2021, some members of the conspiracy have worn clothing items bearing a logo depicting a sack of money running along with the phrase “Bag Hunter.”
Certain members of the conspiracy wore this logo while engaging in criminal conduct. For example, the following image shows NOBORE withdrawing fraudulently obtained funds while prominently displaying the Bag Hunters logo:
* * *
ANAND, 34, of Queens, New York; NOBORE, 29, of Edgewater, New Jersey; PAPPAS, 28, of Miami, Florida; UJKIC, 44, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; ALUKO, 29, of Hackensack, New Jersey; and GONZALEZ, 28, of North Bergen, New Jersey, are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; conspiracy to commit money laundering and engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specific unlawful activity, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; conspiracy to defraud the government, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the FBI and IRS-CI. Mr. Podolsky also thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the New York City Police Department for their assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime and Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Units. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maggie Lynaugh, Steven J. Kochevar, and Qais Ghafary are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._anand_et_al._indictment.pdf[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Shelby County Man Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison for Multiple RobberiesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Shelby County man has been sentenced for multiple robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Nashville Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Dorian Blake Bivins, 20, of Alabaster, Alabama, to 180 months in prison. In September 2024, Bivins pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery and use of a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to the plea agreement, Bivins attempted robberies of three businesses in Alabaster—Whataburger, Shell, and Chevron—over a span of 12 days in May and June 2023. Bivins committed two of the offenses while armed with a pistol and discharged the firearm during his final attempted robbery.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Alabaster Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.
Sex offender sentenced for transporting illegal alienRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 36-year-old Brownsville man has been ordered to prison for unlawfully transporting an illegal alien, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
A federal jury deliberated for approximately 40 minutes before finding Juan Andres Vasquez guilty Nov. 6, 2024, following a one-day trial.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Vasquez to serve 21 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Vasquez is a lifetime sex offender with a troubling criminal history including assault.
On Aug. 2, 2024, Vasquez drove to the Javier Vega Jr. Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint accompanied by two individuals. After an immigration inspection, authorities determined the front-seat passenger was illegally present in the United States.
At trial, Vasquez claimed the illegal alien asked him for a ride. However, the illegal alien testified that Vasquez told him to hide his Mexican identification card. Testimony also revealed he was dropped off at a location where Vasquez was waiting for him.
Vasquez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liesel Roscher and Ashley A. Pruitt prosecuted the case.
Scotia Man Sentenced for Groping a Nursing Student at Stratton VARead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Danning Lake, age 87, of Scotia, New York, was sentenced to 1 year of probation today for abusive sexual contact.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Thomas Gibbons, Chief of the Department of Veterans Affairs Police at the Stratton VA Medical Center; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri, of the Northeast Field Office for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, made the announcement.
Lake admitted that he grabbed the breast of a nursing student at the Stratton VA as she was giving him care on February 29, 2024. Lake then asked the student nurse, “did you like that?” and told her “they feel nice.” When the Veterans Affairs Police Officer spoke to Lake, he said that he would do the same thing again if he had the opportunity. Lake acknowledged that his mental status was not altered by medication, age, or illness and that he groped the nursing student for his own sexual gratification. As a result of this conviction, Lake must register as a sex offender.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Police Department and Office of Inspector General investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Reiner and Tamara B. Thomson prosecuted.
Rochester trucking company owner convicted by a federal jury of lying to the Department of Transportation going to prisonRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Tony Kirik, a/k/a Anatoliy Kirik, 43, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted by a federal jury of making false statements to the Federal Motor Commission Safety Administration (FMCSA), U.S. Department of Transportation, and conspiring to do the same, was sentenced to serve 45 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Marangola, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that Kirik operated a multiple million-dollar trucking business called Dallas Logistics. When applying to the FMCSA for authority to operate as an interstate carrier, Kirik submitted false documents regarding the safety rating of his trucking business. Further, when undergoing compliance reviews and safety audits by the FMSCA. Kirik provided false statements and information regarding the many safety violations incurred by his business. To trick the FMSCA regarding the safety of this trucking business, Kirik started new companies using various family members’ names and an employee’s name to make it appear that these new companies were independent and not affiliated with the prior business that incurred the negative safety ratings, when in fact, the new company was merely an extension of the prior company. At trial, it was shown that Kirik’s actions jeopardized the safety of the nation’s highways and roadways from unsafe tractor trailers.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Special Agents of the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Scharf, Northeast Region, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Harry Chavis, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office.
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Repeat Felon on Probation Is Indicted for Alleged Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal indictment was filed today charging Charles Washington, Jr., 33, of Washington, D.C., with being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Washington was on probation at the time of his arrest.
According to court documents, uniformed members of the MPD’s Seventh District Special Missions Unit responded at 4:05 p.m. on March 12 to the 2800 block of Alabama Ave. SE. Multiple individuals, including Washington, were gathered near a grey car. Washington was seen leaning on the vehicle. As MPD officers arrived, Washington took off running while holding his waistband. At one point, he stopped, hunched over a sewer drain, and appeared to toss an object down the drain. The officers observed Washington was no longer holding his waistband. Shortly after discarding the item, the defendant tripped and officers apprehended him. Officers went to the sewer drain, lifted the manhole cover, and recovered a black “ghost gun,” a privately made firearm with a Polymer 80 frame, with an attached Glock 23 slide and barrel, loaded with 12 rounds and one in the chamber.
Washington was previously convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and also previously convicted of being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition. A detention hearing is scheduled for March 25.
This case is being investigated by the MPD and the ATF. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
This case is part of Make DC Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Registered Sex Offender Admits to Enticing a Minor, Launching a Murder-for-Hire Plot to Silence the VictimRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A 30-year-old Rhode Island man who was previously convicted in RI state court for child molestation and required to register as a sex offender, admitted to a federal judge today that, in a separate matter, he enticed a 12-year-old girl to engage in multiple sexual encounters and later launched a murder-for-hire plot in a scheme to eliminate her as a witness, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Chandler J. Cardente pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to enticement of a minor, commission of a felony while being required to register as a sex offender, and interstate murder for hire. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Court documents reflect that in the summer of 2021, Cardente, while posing as a 17-year-old, began communicating with the minor victim via a messaging app, and told the victim that he was interested in having sexual contact with her. In December 2021, he met the girl a short distance from her middle school, drove her to various locations in Rhode Island, and engaged in sexual contact with her multiple times. Cardente was subsequently arrested and detained in state custody.
While being held at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI), Cardente communicated by telephone with another person, expressing his intent that the victim be murdered. In a conversation with a law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity, Cardente told the officer that the victim needed “to end up dead” because she was “a witness.” He offered the undercover officer $200 in cash and equipment worth $1,500.
The case in U.S. District Court is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; the Warwick, Cranston, and Burrillville Police Departments; Rhode Island State Police; and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections Special Investigations Unit.
Cardente, facing both federal and state prosecution in this matter, is currently being held without bail at the ACI. Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom acknowledges and thanks the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General for their assistance in advancing federal charges brought in this matter.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc
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Rapids Theatre owner pleads guilty to defrauding COVID relief programs out of more than $1.8 millionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that John L. Hutchins, 71, of Lewiston, NY, pleaded guilty before Judge Meredith A. Vacca to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Bonanno and Douglas A. C. Penrose, who are handling the case, stated that between March 2020, and March 2024, Hutchins conspired with co-defendant Roberto Soliman and others to file fraudulent loan applications under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG). The loans available for these programs were designed to provide emergency financial assistance pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES Act). Hutchins and Soliman applied for loans under the following companies, which were owned by Hutchins:
• Rapids Theatre Niagara Falls, USA, Inc.
• 1711 Main, LLC
• Bear Creek Entertainment, LLC
• Hutch Enterprises, LLC
• The Hutchins Agency, LLC
• CWE Entertainment, Corp. (owned by defendant Soliman)
Between March and August 2020, Hutchins and Soliman received five Economic Injury Disaster Loans totaling $779,500.00. In addition, they received SVOG loans totaling $989,905.05, a PPP loan from Bank on Buffalo totaling $74,838, and a PPP loan from Northwest Bank totaling $41,140. In support of each of the loans, Hutchins and Soliman submitted false revenue and expense figures for the businesses on the loan applications.
Charges remain pending against Roberto Soliman.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Harry Chavis, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Rose Brophy, Director of Field Operations, and the New York State Office of Professional Discipline.
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Quad Cities Man Sentenced to 235 Months in Federal Prison for Racketeering and Cocaine Base ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Quad Cities Man was sentenced on March 13, 2025 to 235 months in federal prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy and possession of a distribution quantity of cocaine base.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at trials and sentencing, Timothy Justin Beaver, 30, was a Fifth Street gang member. The Fifth Street gang is also known as the Arsenal Courts Posse, Zone Fifth, Fifth Street Mafia, Rock Town Money Getters (RTMG), and Money Team.” The Fifth Street gang engaged in a years-long pattern of violence, including murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking in the Davenport and Rock Island area. Evidence at trial demonstrated the criminal enterprise was connected to dozens of shooting investigations and at least seven homicides over the course of two decades.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Beaver will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On January 23, 2025, co-defendant Ricky Lee Childs, Jr., 40, of Peoria, Illinois, was sentenced for his role in the racketeering conspiracy. He received a 160-month prison sentence, followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
On February 10, 2025, co-defendant Rasheem Damonte Bogan, 33, of the Quad Cities, also known as “Sheem,” plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy and felon in possession of a firearm. Bogan is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2025. Bogan faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
On February 20, 2025, following a six-day jury trial, a jury found co-defendant Kylea Dapri Cartwright Jr., 28, of the Quad Cities, guilty of racketeering conspiracy and possessing ammunition as a felon. Cartwright is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the United States sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport and Rock Island Police Departments, with assistance from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Criminal Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 125 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Ezequiel Rosa-Hernandez, 47 years old, of Erie, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Rosa-Hernandez was sentenced to 125 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in April 2022, Rosa-Hernandez drove from his home in Pennsylvania to Chicago to obtain a kilogram of cocaine intended for distribution in Pennsylvania. On his way back home, he was stopped in Indiana by law enforcement and the kilogram of cocaine was discovered.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, including the DEA North Central Laboratory, with assistance from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
Operators of Jacksonville Roofing Business Sentenced to Federal Prison for Payroll Tax Fraud and Workers’ Compensation FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Jacksonville residents Travis Morgan Slaughter and Tripp Charles Slaughter to 41 months and 21 months in federal prison, respectively, for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud related to Jacksonville roofing businesses they operated. The Slaughters pled guilty on November 25, 2024.
As part of their sentence, the court entered an order of forfeiture against Travis Slaughter in the amount of $2,780,947.56 and against Tripp Slaughter in the amount $416,799.66, which were proceeds traceable to the mail and wire fraud offenses. The court also ordered Travis Slaughter to pay restitution in the amount of $6,768,612.32 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for payroll tax losses, $2,780,947.56 to two insurance companies for unpaid workers’ compensation insurance premiums, and $271,217.39 to the same two companies for two paid workers’ compensation claims. The court ordered Tripp Slaughter to pay restitution of $623,269.64 to the IRS for payroll tax losses, $416,799.66 to an insurance company for unpaid workers’ compensation insurance premiums, and $137,778.39 to the same company for a paid workers’ compensation claim.
According to court documents, beginning in 2007, Travis Slaughter operated a roofing business in Jacksonville, first under the name Great White Construction and then under the name Florida Roofing Experts. In January 2020, the business began operating under the name 5 Star Roofing Services, which Tripp Slaughter incorporated. Although the name changed, each business operated in the same manner, banked at the same financial institutions, and employed the same employees.
The company contracted with professional employer organizations (PEOs) to prepare payroll checks for employees, after making deductions for payroll taxes, and to file payroll tax returns and forward tax payments to governmental authorities. However, the company did not provide the PEOs with information about all the hours worked by, or all the wages due to, its employees. Instead, the company also paid the employees directly, with separate checks drawn on company bank accounts, and did not deduct payroll taxes from these checks. By paying employees with “split checks”—one from the PEO and one from the company—the company avoided paying the full amount of payroll taxes due to the IRS. For the period of October 2015 through June 2020, the company paid a total of approximately $23,079,680 in wages that were not reported to the IRS. The payroll taxes due to the IRS on this amount total approximately $4,292,429. The PEOs also secured workers’ compensation insurance coverage for the company. The premiums charged by the workers’ compensation insurers were based on the total amount of payroll that the company reported to the PEOs. If the company had reported the actual amount of payroll, the insurers would have charged additional premiums totaling approximately $2,780,947.
In addition to causing the company to underreport their payroll to the IRS, the Slaughters also underreported their personal income to the IRS. For the tax years 2014 through 2019, the unpaid taxes due on Travis Slaughter’s unreported income totaled approximately $2,467,183. For the tax years 2015 through 2019, the unpaid taxes due on Tripp Slaughter’s unreported income totaled approximately $263,614.
“The actions of these two defendants represent a blatant disregard for U.S. law and our financial systems. Despite operating successful construction businesses that generated millions of dollars in wealth, their greed drove them to lie and cheat for years,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker, of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Tampa Field Office. “Their scheme to evade millions of dollars in taxes not only undermined the integrity of our tax system but also created an unfair advantage in which law-abiding competitors cannot compete for bids. Our job is to make sure dishonest offenders like these two face the consequences of their criminal activities.”
“The Slaughters defrauded insurance companies of millions in workers’ compensation insurance premiums and will be responsible for financial restitution for the loss of insurance premiums and death and injury claims,” said ICE HSI Tampa, Jacksonville office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker. “As part of this criminal enterprise, they also exploited the labor of hundreds of illegal aliens.”
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.
Ontario county woman sentenced for HIPAA violationRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Tonya D’Agostino, 53, of Farmington, NY, who pleaded guilty to HIPAA: unlawfully obtaining/disclosing individually identifying health information, was sentenced to serve one year probation by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. D’Agostino was also ordered to pay $13,410.42 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that on March 23, 2023, D’Agostino mailed a USPS Priority Mail parcel to an individual in Medina, NY, which contained individually identifiable health information of four individuals. D’Agostino did not have authorization to obtain or disclose the individually identifiable health information. She did this in an attempt to obtain $216,000 from the individual who received the parcel.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Naomi Gruchacz.
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Okmulgee Resident Pleads Guilty to Robbery, Transporting A Stolen Vehicle and AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Vincent Jerome May, age 37, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Robbery in Indian Country, one count of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Vehicle, and one count of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, and Dating Partner in Indian Country.
The Indictment alleged that on March 4, 2023, May took and attempted to take, by force, violence and intimidation, items of value from the victim, that May knowingly transported a stolen vehicle from Oklahoma to Colorado, and that May assaulted an intimate partner, causing substantial bodily injury.
The crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Okmulgee Police Department.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. May will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Destroy Satanic Temple in Salem with a Pipe BombRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Oklahoma man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to throwing a pipe bomb at The Satanic Temple (TST) in Salem, Mass. on April 8, 2024.
Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins, Okla., pleaded guilty to one count of using an explosive device to damage and attempt to damage a building used in interstate or foreign commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2025. Palmer was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024. He was charged by criminal complaint and arrested on April 17, 2024, in Perkins, Okla.
TST is a non-theistic religious organization headquartered in Salem, Mass. According to the charging documents, at approximately 4:14 a.m. on April 8, 2024, surveillance cameras captured a man, subsequently identified as Palmer, walking towards TST wearing a black face covering, a tan-colored tactical vest and gloves. As Palmer approached TST, he ignited a pipe bomb – a type of improvised explosive device or “IED” – threw it at TST’s main entrance, and then ran away. The IED did not fully detonate and therefore caused only minor damage to TST’s exterior.
According to the charging documents, the pipe bomb was constructed from a roughly two-foot section of plastic pipe covered with metal nails attached to the pipe with duct tape. The inside of the pipe was filled with smokeless gunpowder. During the investigation, Palmer’s DNA was found on the outside of the IED.
A six-page handwritten note was found in a flower bed adjacent to TST, near the area where Palmer threw the IED. Among other things, the letter stated:DEAR SATANIST
ELOHIM SEND ME 7 MONTHS AGO TO GIVE YOU
PEACEFUL MESSAGE TO HOPE YOU REPENT. YOU SAY
NO, ELOHIM NOW SEND ME TO SMITE SATAN AND I
HAPPY TO OBEY. AND ELOHIM WANT ME TO CONTACT
YOU TO TELL YOU REPENT. TURN FROM SIN. ELOHIM
NO LIKE THIS PLACE AND PLAN TO DESTROY IT. MAYBE
SALEM TOO? ELOHIM SEND ME TO FIGHT CRYBABY
SATAN, BUT WANT ME TO MAKE HARD EFFORT SO NO
ONE DIES. I OBEY.The charge of using fire or an explosive to cause damage to a building used in interstate or foreign commerce provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Lucas J. Miller, Chief of the Salem Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Massachusetts State Police; Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Oklahoma City Field Office; Payne County Sherriff’s Office; Oklahoma Highway Patrol; the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma; and Stillwater (Okla.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Casey of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.
North Texas Concrete Manufacturer Settles PPP Lawsuit for $1.8 MillionRead the Press Release
Speed Fab-Crete Corporation, a precast concrete manufacturer in Kennedale, Texas, agreed to pay $1,817,546.25 to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by applying for and receiving a loan it was not eligible for in the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide emergency loans to small businesses suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether an applicant qualified for a PPP loan depended on various factors.
Speed Fab-Crete applied for and received a PPP loan in the principal amount of $1,170,000 in 2020, at a time when certain of its owners were facing criminal charges. The government contends that Speed Fab-Crete was ineligible for the loan for that reason, because applicable SBA rules disqualified a business from PPP eligibility if any owner of 20% or more of the business’s equity was subject to criminal charges.
“This office is committed to finding and recovering PPP funds that were obtained by ineligible recipients during the pandemic,” said Acting United States Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “We will continue to investigate and take action as necessary to reclaim those funds on behalf of the American taxpayer.”
“This settlement highlights the enhanced efforts of the SBA, working with the Department of Justice, SBA’s Office of Inspector General, and other Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as private individuals who have information about possible fraud in connection with PPP loans, to pursuing those who violated PPP program requirements and holding them accountable,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis.
The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is case number 3:23-CV-2162-S in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and the qui tam relator, Aidan Forsyth, will receive a 15% share of the government’s recovery as part of the settlement.
The government was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Stoltz in the lawsuit, with assistance from Lane Siems of the SBA. The civil claims settled by the agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
North County Residents Indicted for Using Children to Manufacture and Distribute Hallucinogenic DrugsRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Randal Vance and his longtime friend, Keir Ceballos-Rivera, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that they employed children to help them cultivate, produce and distribute psilocybin mushrooms at locations in Fallbrook and Bonsall.
Also indicted was Rebecca Vance, wife of Randal Vance. The trio made their initial appearances in federal court today on an array of federal drug-trafficking charges. Randal Vance and Ceballos are charged with conspiring to use and employ minors to produce a controlled substance; all defendants are charged with conspiring to distribute a controlled substance and conspiring to obstruct justice by destroying evidence; and Randal Vance is charged with distributing a controlled substance to minors and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
At today’s hearing, prosecutors told the court the children were 9 and 11 when the alleged conspiracy to harvest psilocybin at the locations on Ash Street in Fallbrook and Lilac Road in Bonsall began. Psilocybin mushrooms are a controlled substance that act as hallucinogenic drugs, inducing altered states of consciousness and vivid sensory experiences.
All three defendants were arrested yesterday. At today’s hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie E. Torres granted the government’s request that Randal and Rebecca Vance be detained without bond because they are a flight risk. A detention hearing for Ceballos-Rivera is set for March 25, 2025.
The United States told the Court that Randal Vance informed customers and co-conspirators that the minors assisted him in producing psilocybin. For example, on or about October 18, 2023, Vance texted a photograph of one of the minors holding a large psilocybin mushroom in front of his face at the Ash Street location and said that the “11 year old helps me grow them.”
One of the minors informed Randal Vance on May 31, 2024, that he was selling a psilocybin capsule to a friend for $3. At the time, the boy was a student at Lincoln Middle School in Oceanside. Randal Vance responded: “Nice! Make sure your friend’s parents don’t find out or you and I are in big big trouble.”
Randal Vance boasted of dosing the children with psilocybin and advised others to do likewise, the indictment said. For example, on or about October 13, 2023, Randal Vance messaged a co-conspirator a photo of one of the minors holding a large psilocybin mushroom and stated that an 11-year old “cultivates and microdoses. It’s good for kids’ brains.” Later in the conversation, Randal Vance identified the other minor as nine years old and said, “Yeah I usually do a half dose of microdose capsules for them” and “.05 every other day for them. It’s such a difference too.”
Ceballos-Rivera sent Randal Vance a photograph of another child at the Ash Street location holding a large psilocybin mushroom and covering part of his/her face on or about September 7, 2024. Ceballos-Rivera wrote: “From earlier today haha” and “‘No face, no case.’”
Randal Vance is also charged with illegally possessing a Glock 34 pistol, a Walther P22 pistol, a Henry Survival AR7 rifle, a Smith and Wesson revolver, an H&R Model 900 revolver, and a Browning 30-06 rifle in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
On October 4, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants on the Fallbrook and Bonsall locations. At the Ash Street location, law enforcement recovered approximately 204 pounds of fresh psilocybin mushrooms, 53 pounds of dried psilocybin mushrooms, 35 pounds of psilocybin chocolate bars, 18 pounds of inoculated substrate to grow psilocybin mushrooms, and equipment used to grow, harvest, and process psilocybin mushrooms.
At the Lilac Road location, law enforcement recovered approximately 25 pounds of dried psilocybin mushrooms, five pounds of psilocybin chocolates, and five pounds of psilocybin capsules, as well as molds used to make the psilocybin chocolate bars.
Law enforcement officials also seized six firearms from the Lilac Road location: a Glock 34 pistol, a Walther P22 pistol, a Henry Survival AR7 rifle, a Smith and Wesson revolver, an H&R Model 900 revolver, and a Browning 30-06 rifle. None of the firearms were locked up, and loaded magazines were found next to the Glock 34 and Walther P22.
Randal Vance was arrested that day. Prior to his federal arrest, he was out on bond pending state charges. After Randal Vance’s arrest by local law enforcement, the defendants are alleged to have conspired together to destroy evidence by deleting phone messages and taking down websites Randal Vance had used to distribute psilocybin.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Benjamin and Dana Segal.
If you are concerned that your child may have been exposed to illegal drugs as a result of the activities alleged in this case, please contact the DEA at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 25-CR-817-RSH
Randal Vance Age: 42 Fallbrook, CA
Rebecca Vance Age: 41 Oceanside, CA
Keir Ceballos-Rivera Age: 33 Oceanside, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Employ or Use Minors to Violate the Controlled Substances Act – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841, 846, and 861(a)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum one year to 40 years in prison
Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance- – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841 and 846
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison
Distribution of a Controlled Substance to Minors– Title 21, U.S.C., Section 859(a)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum one year to 40 years in prison
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense- – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 924(c)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum five years to life in prison
Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice- – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1503(a), (b)(3), and 371
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
San Diego Sheriff’s Department
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Nigerian Citizen Admits Fraud Scheme Targeting Plattsburgh CompanyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Lotenna Chisom Umeadi, age 35, and a citizen of Nigeria, pled guilty yesterday to two counts of wire fraud.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
Umeadi admitted soliciting and purchasing a webpage from a computer hacker that allowed him to illegally gain access to people’s email passwords. Umeadi used those passwords to gain access to email accounts belonging to employees of a produce exporter in Sri Lanka. Umeadi then sent fraudulent emails, which appeared to legitimately come from the produce exporter but were in fact from an email account set up and controlled by Umeadi, directing payment on the Sri Lankan company’s accounts receivable be made to bank accounts in the United Kingdom, controlled by Umeadi. As a result of the fraudulent emails from Umeadi, on two occasions in 2016, a produce importer in Plattsburgh, New York, wired money, totaling $158,400, to those bank accounts in the United Kingdom.
Umeadi was arrested on the charges on September 1, 2024, by authorities in Germany when he arrived there from Nigeria. Umeadi was then extradited from Germany to the United States.
At sentencing, scheduled for July 21, 2025, Umeadi faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The defendant will face removal from the United States after service of his imprisonment term.
HSI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer is prosecuting the case with the assistance of the United States Department of Justice Office of International Affairs.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Using Stash House to Violate Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on March 12, 2025, TERENCE WILSON (“WILSON”), age 43, was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment after previously being found guilty of conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and 100 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of heroin, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and 100 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of heroin, as well as for being a felon in possession of firearms. Following his imprisonment, WILSON will be placed in supervised release for 5 years.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, WILSON and his co-defendant, conspired together, and with others, to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl in New Orleans from August 2022 through October 12, 2022. During this time, WILSON and the co-defendant engaged, near daily, in multiple hand-to-hand transactions with drug customers in the Hollygrove area.
In September 2022, law enforcement identified a residence in the 3500 block of Encampment Street as a stash house used by WILSON and the co-defendant. Both WILSON and the co-defendant regularly went to the stash house and had key access to enter. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the stash house and other addresses associated with WILSON and the co-defendant on October 12, 2022.
During the search of the stash house, law enforcement seized over 534 grams of heroin and fentanyl, over 120 grams of fentanyl, and 363 grams of methamphetamine. Law enforcement also seized a Diamondback, Model DB9, multicaliber pistol, and a Palmetto State Armory, Model PA-X9, multicaliber pistol. The nearly empty stash house also contained drug paraphernalia, including digital scales with suspected drug residue, a large mechanical press used to compress drugs into kilogram shaped packages for later distribution, and several bags of brown sugar, that is used a cutting agent.
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.
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 Drug Enforcement Administration - New Orleans Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration Special Response Team, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Response Team, New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana State Police, Slidell Police Department, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, and the Thibodeaux Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and André Jones of the Narcotics Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Violating Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANARD WALTON (“WALTON”), age 41, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to violating the Federal Gun Control Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
According to court records, on March 19, 2024, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at WALTON’s residence. During the search, agents found a Springfield, nine-millimeter caliber semi-automatic pistol, in a kitchen cabinet wrapped in a towel. In the kitchen, they also found approximately one and a half pounds of marijuana. The agents located a hidden compartment under a set of stairs leading to the second story. In this hidden compartment, they found a Smith and Wesson, .40 caliber pistol, and approximately $37,941.00 of U.S. currency. The Smith & Wesson firearm was confirmed to have been stolen.
A records check showed that WALTON was a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms. Court records confirmed that WALTON had at least five felony convictions, including a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On March 12, 2025, WALTON pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of the two firearms found during the March 19, 2024 search.
Judge Milazzo set sentencing for June 18, 2025. WALTON faces up to fifteen years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Slidell Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator.
New Orleans Man Charged for Being Felon in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – HAVEN PATTERSON (“PATTERSON”), age 42, a resident of New Orleans, was indicted on March 13, 2025, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
According to the indictment, PATTERSON intentionally possessed firearms, a Smith & Wesson SD40, 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, loaded with ammunition; and a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 380, .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun, loaded with ammunition.
PATTERSON is a convicted felon and, as such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.
If convicted, PATTERSON faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chandra Menon of the of the Public Integrity Unit.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
New Jersey Pain Clinic Admits Health Care Fraud and Agrees to Criminal and Civil PenaltiesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A pain clinic with locations in Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties admitted to overbilling insurance companies for services provided, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced today.
Pain Specialists, P.A., with locations in Northfield, Vineland, and Cape May Courthouse, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams to an information charging it with health care fraud. Pain Specialists also signed a civil settlement with the United States to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act.
According to documents filed in this case, statements made in court, and the terms of the civil settlement:
Pain Specialists was owned by a physician specializing in anesthesia and pain management (“Individual-1”). On various dates between November 2015 and January 2020 when Individual-1 was traveling and not physically present at a Pain Specialists location, Pain Specialists used Individual-1’s National Provider Identifier (“NPI”) number to bill Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance plans for services and procedures requiring Individual-1’s in-person consultation or Individual-1’s direct supervision of the rendering provider. Pain Specialists received approximately $58,365.26 for services purportedly rendered by Individual-1 or directly supervised by him while he was traveling and out of the office.
In addition, Pain Specialists entered a civil settlement with the United States to resolve allegations that, between January 2014 and November 2020, Pain Specialists improperly listed a physician as the rendering provider for services that were provided by a non-physician practitioner when no physician was present in the office, in violation of Medicare’s “incident-to billing” requirements and in violation of Medicaid’s requirement that providers bill under their own NPI number.
Pain Specialists agreed to pay criminal restitution of $58,365.26, a criminal fine of $81,711.36, and a civil settlement of $240,000. The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations-New Jersey Field Office, under the Direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; special agents of the FBI Atlantic City Resident Agency and the Healthcare Fraud Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark; and special agents and diversion investigators of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division and Susan Pappy of the Health Care Fraud Unit, and Trial Attorney Daniel Meyler of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section).
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Defense counsel:
Riza I. Dagli Esq., Roseland, New Jersey
pain_specialists.information.pdf pain_specialists.civil_settlement_agreement.pdfMilwaukee Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Marcus Stokes, 45, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 5 years in federal prison for possessing over 40 grams of fentanyl intended for distribution. This sentence will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Stokes pleaded guilty to this charge on December 18, 2024.
On May 15, 2024, law enforcement stopped a vehicle driven by the defendant in Monroe County, Wisconsin. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found a plastic bag under the driver’s seat that contained three separate bags, each bag contained over 90 grams of fentanyl. The defendant picked up the fentanyl from Milwaukee and was on his way to deliver it to La Crosse.
At sentencing, Judge Conley considered that Stokes had spent most of his adult life in state prison or on supervision for drug distribution offenses. Judge Conley balanced this criminal history with his recent period of employment. Judge Conley concluded that Stokes has the potential to turn his life around but cautioned that if he returns to drug dealing again, he could face decades in prison.
The charge against Stokes was the result of an investigation conducted by the Monroe County Sherriff’s Office and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case.
Michigan Resident and Heavy-Duty Diesel Parts Supplier Sentenced for Conspiracy to Violate Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kyle Offringa, age 34, of Caledonia, Michigan, and Highway and Heavy Parts, LLC (“HHP”), a heavy-duty diesel parts supplier headquartered in Coleman, Michigan, have been sentenced and fined a total of $125,000 for their pleas last year to an indictment charging them with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (“CAA”). United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Daniel Meyers, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”)’s Criminal Investigations Division (“CID”), Northeast Area Branch, made the announcement.
Pursuant to the CAA, the EPA enacted regulations that required heavy-duty diesel engine manufacturers to limit emissions on those engines. To comply with these regulations, manufacturers install hardware components, including filters, exhaust recirculation systems, and exhaust aftertreatment systems. Heavy-duty diesel trucks are also required under the CAA to maintain an onboard-diagnostic system (“OBD”), which monitors the functionality of the hardware emissions control components. If the OBD detects that an emissions control component is not working, or has been removed, it will ultimately put the truck into what is known as “limp mode,” which limits the top speed to as low as 5 miles per hour. This is designed to incentivize truck operators to repair any faulty components.
Offringa and HHP previously pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that between at least June 2017 and March 2019, they conspired together and with HHP’s customers, including coconspirators DAIM Logistics, Inc. and Patrick Oare of Fultonville, New York, to tamper with (“tune”) the emission control monitoring devices and systems of numerous diesel vehicles. As part of the conspiracy, HHP referred its customers who had removed emissions hardware on their heavy-duty diesel trucks to Offringa, who then reprogrammed the OBDs to bypass the CAA monitoring functions so the trucks would remain operational in exchange for a fee of $1,000 to $1,500 per OBD. HHP charged its customers approximately $250 for each tune performed by Offringa on top of what Offringa charged.
Today, Offringa was sentenced to a fine of $100,000, payable immediately. Offringa also agreed to allow the EPA to monitor his businesses for ongoing compliance for two years. Earlier this year, HHP was sentenced to a fine of $25,000, which it paid at the time of sentencing.
EPA CID investigated the case, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case.
Mexican Man Indicted for False Claim to U.S. Citizenship, False Statement in Application for a Passport, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Arturo Perez Ramirez, age 33, a citizen of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury for False Claim to U.S. Citizenship, making a False Statement in Application for Passport, and Aggravated Identity Theft.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Perez Ramirez applied for a U.S. Passport using the name, date of birth, place of birth, and social security number of another person to represent that he was a U.S. Citizen. It is further alleged that in furtherance of that offense, Perez Ramirez utilized multiple means of identification of another actual person, including a state issued identification card and birth certificate.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DOS-DSS) and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Member of Philadelphia-Based Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 80 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Alex Wellman Castro Frias, 51, a Dominican citizen who had been residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond to 80 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for his role as a “bagger” in a drug trafficking operation based in Philadelphia.
In August of 2023, Castro Frias was charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. The defendant pleaded guilty to both counts in April of last year.
As detailed in court filings, Castro Frias and his co-conspirators in the Ortiz drug trafficking organization (DTO) were responsible for packaging thousands of individual baggies of fentanyl mixed with xylazine, drugs bound for distribution in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The volume of drugs processed was significant; when the FBI executed a search warrant on a house used by the DTO, over six kilograms of fentanyl were found on the bagging table.
“As a member of this DTO, Castro Frias played an active role in funneling fentanyl cut with xylazine onto the streets of Philadelphia and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “This highly addictive and destructive combination of drugs does horrific physical damage to users, causing gaping wounds that have led to amputations and deaths. My office is committed to bringing to justice the people and organizations fueling the city’s drug epidemic and all the ills that come with it. After serving his sentence, Castro Frias, who’s here illegally, will promptly be deported to his home country.”
The case was investigated by the FBI as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell.
Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Five Defendants Charged in Connection with Alien in Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictments of five individuals on charges related to illegal aliens in possession of firearms and ammunition and firearms trafficking.
Vielman Cabrera Arevalo, 20, of Guatemala; Erick Lozano Colindrez, 23, of Honduras; and Ludwin Fuentes Lopez, 22, of El Salvador, were indicted on Alien in Possession of a Firearm and/or Ammunition charges. Lester Araely Ramos Perez, 28, and Milton Leon-Morales, 27 — both from Guatemala — are charged with Firearms Trafficking and Aliens in Possession of a Firearm offenses.
The indictments announced today are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Hayes made the announcement with Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Baltimore Field Division (ATF); Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS); Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCoPD); and Chief Jason Lando, Frederick Police Department (FPD).
According to the indictments, Ramos Perez, Leon-Morales, Arevalo, Lopez, and Colindrez are all illegal aliens unlawfully in the United States. Ramos Perez and Leon-Morales are charged with conspiring with others to ship, transport, cause to be transported, and otherwise dispose of more than 35 firearms on January 22, 2025. They are also charged with dealing firearms without a license, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possessing firearms as illegal aliens unlawfully in the United States.
Law enforcement found Arevalo in possession of two rounds of CBC 9mm Luger ammunition on December 14, 2023. Similarly, authorities found Lopez in possession of a black Polymer 80 firearm and ammunition on July 20, 2024. On November 15, 2024, authorities found Colindrez in possession of a Johnson Arms & Cycle Works .32 caliber revolver and one black 9mm polymer pistol along with approximately 23 rounds of ammunition. As a result, each of these defendants is charged in separate indictments for Alien in Possession of a Firearm and/or Ammunition.
Upon a conviction, Ramos Perez and Leon-Morales face up to 15 years in prison on firearms trafficking charges, five years on dealing firearms without a license, 15 years in prison on the alien in possession charges, and 20 years on drug conspiracy charges. If Arevalo, Colindrez, and/or Lopez are convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is also 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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI Baltimore; the FBI; ATF; DPSCS; BCoPD; and FPD for their work in connection with these investigations. Ms. Hayes also thanked Kenneth Clark, Chief, Violent and Organized Crime, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Beim, Kim Hagan, and Jamie O’Donohue, who are prosecuting the federal cases.
For more information about 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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Maryland MS-13 Gang Members Indicted for Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury has charged Manuel Erazo Alvarado, also known as Castigo, 46, and Erick Guillen Pleitez, also known as Kilo, both of Annapolis, Maryland, with murder in aid of racketeering. The indictment was returned on Feb. 13, 2025. Erazo Alvarado made his initial appearance yesterday in the U.S. District Court in Baltimore, and Guillen Pleitez made his initial appearance on March 6, 2025, in the same courthouse.
According to court documents, La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an international criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland and throughout the United States. It is alleged that in 2017, the defendants were members or associates of MS-13 in Maryland. During that time, the defendants engaged in narcotics distribution, collected extortion payments, or “rent,” and engaged in acts of violence. On or about Aug. 29, 2017, the defendants participated in the murder of an individual to maintain and increase their positions in the gang. If convicted, the defendants face either a mandatory life sentence or death.
Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; and Colonel Roland L. Butler Jr. Superintendent of the Maryland State Police made the announcement.
The FBI, HSI, Anne Arundel County Police Department, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and James Hammond for the District of Maryland and Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoff and Amanda Kotula of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and HSI both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland MS-13 Gang Members Indicted for Murder in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has charged Manuel Erazo Alvarado, a/k/a “Castigo,” 46, and Erick Guillen Pleitez, a/k/a “Kilo,” both of Annapolis, Maryland, with Murder in Aid of Racketeering. The indictment was returned on February 13, 2025. Erazo Alvarado made his initial appearance yesterday in the United States District Court in Baltimore, Maryland and Guillen Pleitez made his initial appearance on March 6, 2025 in the same courthouse.
According to court documents, La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is an international criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, with members operating in the State of Maryland and throughout the United States.
It is alleged that in 2017, the defendants were members or associates of MS-13 in Maryland. During that time, the defendants engaged in narcotics distribution, collected extortion payments, or “rent,” and engaged in acts of violence. On or about August 29, 2017, the defendants participated in the murder of an individual to maintain and increase their positions in the gang. If convicted, the defendants face either a mandatory life sentence or death.Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Kelly O. Hayes, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department; Chief Edward Jackson of the Annapolis Police Department; and Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr. Superintendent of the Maryland State Police made the announcement today.
The FBI, HSI and Anne Arundel County Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) are investigating the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and James Hammond, along with Criminal Division Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoff and Amanda Kotula of the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and HSI both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or you can call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
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March Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the March Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Dylan Ray Alexander. Second Degree Murder in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (superseding). Alexander, 31, of Bartlesville and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with unlawfully killing Kevin Holden and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Additionally, Alexander is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bartlesville Police Department, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Dunn and Tara Heign are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-052
Daniel Allen Ash; Amber Dawn Murphy.Second Degree Murder in Indian Country (Count 1); Child Neglect in Indian Country (Counts 2 through 5); Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country; (Count 6); Second Degree Murder in Indian Country (Count 7); Child Neglect in Indian Country (Counts 8 through 11). Both from Commerce, Ash, 32, and Murphy, 30, a member of the Cherokee Nation, are charged with unlawfully killing a minor child in Sep. 2024 and willfully neglecting the health, safety, and welfare of four minor children. Ash is further charged with engaging in a sexual act with a minor child under 12 years old. The FBI and Quapaw Nation Marshal Service are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-088
Eric Lee Blanchard. Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country; Production of Child Pornography; Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Blanchard, 21, of Broken Arrow and a member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe, is charged with knowingly engaging in sexual activity with a minor under 16 years old and coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce material showing the sexual abuse of children. Further, he is charged with coercing and enticing a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Homeland Security Investigations, Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-094
Pedro Vazquez Camacho. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Camacho, 52, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Jun. 2009. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-089
Kenneth Troy Cooper. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (superseding). Cooper, 58, of Drumright, is charged with possessing several firearms and various rounds of ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Creek Country Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-006
Leonardo Giovanni Segura Curiel. Drug Conspiracy; Distribution of Fentanyl. Curiel, 26, a Mexican national, is charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl and intentionally distributing fentanyl. Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Tulsa Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-082
Karina Garcia-Salazar; Jorge Augusto Prieto-Gamboa. Conspiracy to Transfer Identification Documents; Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Use or Transfer Five or More Documents; Aggravated Identity Theft. Garcia-Salazar, 46, of Tulsa, Prieto-Gamboa, 40, a Mexican National, are charged with conspiring to make false identification documents in exchange for payment. They further conspired to knowingly possess with intent to transfer more than five identification documents, such as a United States Permanent Resident Card or Social Security Card, without lawful authority. Garcia-Salazar is additionally charged with unlawfully possessing and using the identification of others to create counterfeit permanent resident and social security cards. Homeland Security Investigations, Office of the Inspector General – Social Security Investigations, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case.
25-CR-099Hayden Barclay Greene. Abusive Sexual Contact by Force or Threat in Indian Country; Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Suffocating in Indian Country; Assault by Striking, Beating, and Wounding in Indian Country (Misdemeanor). Greene, 47, of Tulsa and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is charged with engaging in a sexual act by force and threat. Additionally, Greene allegedly strangled an intimate dating partner and physically assaulted a second victim. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-095
Phyllis Christine Henson. Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Henson, 63, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing she was previously convicted of a felony. She is charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana with intent to distribute. Additionally, Henson possessed a firearm while involved in drug trafficking and maintained a residence for the purposes of drug distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case.
25-CR-096Patrick Kanaley; Teia Newberry. Drug Conspiracy; Distribution of Methamphetamine. Kanaley, 47, and Newberry, 45, of Tulsa, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from May 2024 through Jan. 2025. They are further charged with intentionally distributing a substance that contains a detectable amount of methamphetamine. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-097
Steven Shain McDaniel. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. McDaniel, 49, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-098
Jimmie Dewayne Martin. Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country (Count 1); Production of Child Pornography (Counts 2 through 4). Martin, 75, of Tulsa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting children under 12 years old engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Further, Martin is charged with using three minor children to produce images or videos that show the child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Ashley Robert are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-086
Geovani Narvaez-Ramirez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Narvaez-Ramirez, 29, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Feb. 2017. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case.
25-CR-090Adrian Marquez Rodriguez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Aggravated Identity Theft (superseding). Rodriguez, 46, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Nov. 2005. He is further charged with unlawfully using another person's identification to stay in the United States. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office and Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-054
Jose Juan Salas-Esparza. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Salas-Esparza, 47, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Dec. 2014. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case.
25-CR-091E’Mari Yatel Stancle. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. Stancle, 27, of Muskogee, is charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and discharging a firearm while drug trafficking. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case.
25-CR-105Joseph Austin Wagener. Theft in Indian Country – Over $1,000. Wagener, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with stealing personal property exceeding $1,000 in value. The Homeland Security Investigations and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-100
Manhattan Man Sentenced to 51 Months Following Trial Conviction for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Keemont Reynolds, age 25, of Manhattan, New York, was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances. Reynolds was convicted in November 2024 following a four-day jury trial.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.
The evidence at trial established that on November 1, 2023, law enforcement stopped a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Malone, New York. Tyrece Franklin was driving the Grand Cherokee; Roddrick Ingram was seated in the front passenger seat; and Keemont Reynolds was seated in the backseat. Police located a false compartment built within the front dash of the Grand Cherokee. Within the hidden compartment, police found approximately 424 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 564.89 grams of cocaine, approximately 545.77 grams of cocaine base, and approximately 4.87 grams of heroin and fentanyl. In all, the drugs had an approximate street value of $140,000 in Malone.
After three days of testimony, the jury deliberated for five hours before convicting Reynolds of the conspiracy charge but acquitting him of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The jury acquitted Ingram of both charges. Franklin pled guilty and was sentenced on January 23, 2025, to 120 months in prison.
Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to begin after Reynolds is released from prison.
HSI and the New York State Police investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas Collyer and Jeffrey Stitt prosecuted the case.
Man arrested in Arizona for making bomb threats in AlaskaRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A man was arrested March 6 in Flagstaff, Arizona, after a federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment in December 2024 charging him with making six bomb threats targeting locations in Alaska in 2023.
According to court documents, on Oct. 17, 2023, Christopher Gilbert, 33, used a phone to make bomb threats targeting the Ted Stevens International Airport and Fairview Elementary School in Anchorage, and the Maniilaq Health Center in Kotzebue. On Dec. 8, 2023, Gilbert also used a phone to make bomb threats targeting the Ted Stevens International Airport and O’Malley Elementary School in Anchorage, and Harborview Elementary School in Juneau.
Court documents allege that during the phone calls, he demanded a hospital be evacuated, that there were bombs in a school and that he had hidden a pipe bomb on a plane. On at least one occasion, the threats were allegedly made in retaliation because a family member refused to give him money.
Gilbert is charged with six counts of making bomb threats in interstate commerce. The defendant made his initial court appearance today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona and will be transported to Alaska. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 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 Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Taylor is prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Madison County Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Cyberstalking, Extortion, and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A New Hope man was sentenced today for stalking and extorting a woman and producing child pornography involving two minor victims, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Court Judge Liles C. Burke sentenced Donald Wayne Carmody, 29, of New Hope, Alabama, to 480 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. In December, Carmody pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, extortion, and production of child pornography. These convictions will require Carmody to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to the plea agreement, Carmody used anonymous text messages to threaten to release pictures of the victim on the internet if she did not send him intimate photographs. Carmody also obtained the victim’s login credentials for her social media accounts and accessed their contents. After Carmody was arrested on cyberstalking and extortion charges for this conduct, investigators discovered a USB thumb drive belonging to him that contained images of child pornography involving two victims under the age of twelve. The FBI’s Video Forensic Analysis Unit compared the images from the thumb drive, which showed a person’s hand, to pictures of Carmody’s hands taken during the investigation. The Unit identified similar class and distinguishing characteristics between the images, demonstrating that the hand in the images on the thumb drive belonged to Carmody.
The FBI investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the case.
If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. 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 and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. For more resources on cybercrime, visit www.ic3.gov.
Little Rock Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison After Being Convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Little Rock man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison today after a jury convicted him of committing multiple drug crimes. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
Marquis Hunt, 42, Hunt was indicted by a federal grand jury on a third superseding indictment on August 6, 2024. An investigation revealed that on July 8, 2022, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made contact with Hunt at a residence in southwest Little Rock. Hunt was detained while a search warrant was obtained and executed. During a search, agents located more than 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 16 pounds of fentanyl throughout the residence, as well as distributable amounts of cocaine and marijuana. Through further investigation, it was discovered that the fentanyl was distributed or sprayed on shredded vegetable material with a mixture of the prescription painkiller tramadol, which made it appear to be a form of synthetic marijuana or “K2.” During the jury trial, Hunt acknowledged selling drugs, but then denied selling the drugs located at the residence.
After a three-day jury trial, a federal grand jury found Hunt guilty of four federal narcotics violations: possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
In addition to the 360-month prison term, Judge Moody also sentenced Hunt to five years’ supervised release, and $400 in special assessments. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from the Arkansas State Police and Arkansas State Crime Laboratory. The and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda Fields and Reese Lancaster.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Lexington Park Man Indicted Federally for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jerod Adam Taylor, age 39, of Lexington Park, Maryland, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment was returned on February 27, 2025. The defendant had an initial appearance on March 17, 2025, in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gina L. Simms and was ordered detained.
The indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives- Baltimore Field Division (ATF).
According to the indictment, law enforcement executed a search of Taylor’s home on November 7, 2024, and recovered a firearm, including a Vulcan Arms Model AK47 7.62 caliber rifle. Taylor knew that he had a previous felony conviction which prohibited him from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
If convicted, Taylor faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
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.
Ms. Hayes commended the ATF and the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaShanta Harris and Chris Sarma, who are prosecuting the federal case.
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.
Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Florida Tax Return Business Allegedly Engaged in FraudRead the Press Release
Note: View complaint here.
The Justice Department filed a complaint yesterday seeking to permanently bar tax preparer Juan Humberto Garcia, of Kissimmee, Florida, his son-in-law Marcos Yariel Figueroa, and Garcia’s business, the Tax Master of BVL Inc., from preparing federal tax returns for others.
The complaint, filed in a federal court in Orlando, alleges that Garcia and Figueroa prepare and file false federal tax returns through Tax Master that understate their customers’ tax liabilities by reporting false or exaggerated itemized deductions and business expenses.
According to the complaint, the IRS interviewed Tax Master customers who said they were not self-employed and did not incur the business expenses reported on their income tax returns; they did not make the charitable donations or incur the medical expenses reflected on their tax returns; and they did not give Garcia or Figueroa any reason to believe that the items reported on their returns were legitimate.
The complaint alleges that, by repeatedly understating their customers’ tax liabilities, the preparers at Tax Master have caused the United States to lose substantial tax revenue.
In addition to a permanent injunction, the complaint asks the court to order the defendants to turn over the ill-gotten tax preparation fees they earned while preparing and filing fraudulent tax returns.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams, and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax preparer, launched a free directory of federal tax preparers, and offers information on how to avoid “ghost” tax preparers whose refusal to sign a return should be a red flag to taxpayers. The IRS also has a checklist of things to remember when filing income tax returns in 2025.
In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $84,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronic federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS also has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found here. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Jamestown man going to prison for his role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Charles Lawson a/k/a Charley Marley, 38, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between January and March 2020, Lawson conspired with others to sell heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. Lawson was a close associate of Rocco Beardsley and actively assisted Beardsley’s drug trafficking activities. Lawson used Facebook to advertise and sell Beardsley’s heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, and he received narcotics for personal use from Beardsley as compensation for his services. On January 23, 2020, investigators conducted a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Beardsley and Lawson participated in the purchase. Beardsley was previously convicted and sentenced.
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.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarantino, III, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson.
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Indictment Charges St. Louis Man with COVID FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cortney Merritts, 46, of St. Louis, Missouri, was charged today by federal indictment with two counts of wire fraud for allegedly filing fraudulent applications with the Small Business Administration in 2020 and 2021 that allowed him to collect more than $20,000 in government funds under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of the Inspector General-Eastern Region, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
According to the indictment, on July 7, 2020, Merritts received an $8,500 EIDL loan from the SBA for a moving business he operated that he called Vetted Couriers. In the application he submitted for Vetted Couriers, Merritts certified that his business had six employees and had generated $32,000 in gross revenue between January 30, 2019 and January 30, 2020.
On July 8, 2020, Merritts submitted another application to the SBA for an EIDL loan in the name of a sole proprietorship he called “Cortney Merritts.” In this EIDL application, Merritts fraudulently claimed to have a business that employed 10 people and generated $53,000 in gross revenue between January 30, 2019 and January 30, 2020. In addition to an EIDL loan, Merritts also requested an EIDL advance of up to $10,000 based on his false claim that he had 10 employees. The SBA rejected Merritts’ attempt to obtain additional EIDL funds after determining that his July 2020 application was nearly identical to the prior one he submitted.
The indictment further alleges that on April 22, 2021, Merritts applied for a PPP loan in the name of a sole proprietorship he called “Cortney Merritts.” Merritts fraudulently claimed in this application that he had created this business in 2020 and that it had generated $128,000 in gross income that year. Based on Merritts’ representations about his gross income, Merritts received a $20,832 PPP loan. Merritts used the proceeds for his personal benefit and enjoyment. In July 2022, Merritts submitted a loan forgiveness application in which he falsely claimed that this business had 10 employees at the time of the PPP loan, and that he spent the $20,832 on payroll costs. Based on Merritts’ alleged fraudulent representations, the SBA forgave the PPP loan in the amount of $20,832 and the $254.03 in interest.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General and the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami Sibay.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.