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Friday 7 February 2025
Massachusetts Man Arrested for Making Violent Threats Against Officials, Private Individuals and ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wilbraham, Mass. man has been arrested and charged for allegedly making numerous violent threats on social media targeting certain officials and their families, private individuals, children and sensitive locations such as shopping malls and an elementary school.
Funwayo Mbilini Nyawo, also known as “Jonathan Funwayo Nyawo,” “Michael Jacobs,” “Robert Jacobs,” and “Carl Fields,” 36, was charged in the District of Massachusetts with one count of interstate transmission of threatening communications. Nyawo was arrested yesterday in the Southern District of Florida and ordered detained until his appearance in federal court in Springfield, Mass., which will take place at a later date.
According to the charging documents filed in federal court in Springfield, Mass., between approximately July 30, 2024 and Nov. 7, 2024, Nyawo posted various threatening communications on X (formerly known as Twitter) and Google targeting certain officials and their family members; private individuals; the children of Wilbraham and Boston; members of the Wilbraham Police Department, Wilbraham Fire Department and the Miami Police Department (and their family members); shopping malls in Holyoke and Burlington, Mass.; and an elementary school, among others.
Specifically, according to the charging documents, Nyawo’s threats involved explicit and repeated threats to bomb, shoot, or otherwise kill his targets. For example, on Aug. 21, 2024, Nyawo allegedly posted the following threat on social media: “wilbraham and boston: time for your children to die. […] The Wilbraham Police and Fire Department I’m going to kill their families next and make them watch before I kill them.” It is further alleged that Nyawo frequently fixated on children. For example, on Sept. 27, 2024, Nyawo allegedly posted a threatening message concerning an elementary school, stating: “Torch it. Kill the kids,” followed by a photograph of the elementary school.
Nyawo’s threats also often allegedly expressed a call to arms directed at followers of the foreign terrorist organizations ISIS and Al Qaeda or at Muslim holy warriors known as mujahadeen. For example, on Nov. 1-4, 2024, Nyawo allegedly made three successive posts: “ISIS: Attack Boston again;” “Start killing g [sic] the children of the Miami Police ISIS;” and “Mujahideen from around the world: Go to boston. Shoot to kill. Preferably their children.”
The charge of interstate transmission of threatening communications provides for a sentence of up to five 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 J. Thomas Manger, Chief of the United States Capitol Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department and the Wilbraham and Miami-Dade Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Man Facing Federal Felony Charges for Illegally Operating A Drone During the National Football League Wild Card GameRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal criminal complaint has been filed charging Alexis Perez Suarez, 43, of Baltimore, Maryland, on federal felony charges related to flying a drone over M&T Bank Stadium during a National Football League Wild Card Game in Baltimore on January 11, 2025.
The federal charges were announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. 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 Greg Thompson of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG), Mid-Atlantic Regional Office; and Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police (MSP).
“We are very serious about temporary flight restrictions,” said U.S. Attorney Barron. “You will be charged and held accountable for any incursion into restricted airspace, including around sports and entertainment venues such as the Super Bowl.”
"If you are going to fly a drone, you are responsible for learning all the laws and requirements to responsibly operate it. Failing to do so will not excuse you from the consequences of breaking the law," said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office.“Federal laws and regulations related to owning and operating drones are in place to protect the public and our nation's airspace,” said Greg Thompson, Special Agent in Charge of DOT OIG’s Mid-Atlantic Region. “We will continue to partner with law enforcement and prosecutors to pursue those whose actions jeopardize public safety.”
According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, on January 11, 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration had put in place a temporary flight restriction (TFR) for M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore during the NFL Wild Card game, which precluded the flight of any UAS, including flying a UAS under the Exception for Recreational Flyers. A TFR temporarily restricts certain aircraft, including an UAS, from operating within a three nautical mile radius of the stadium. This is a standard practice for stadiums or sporting venues where a regular or postseason Major League Baseball, NFL, or NCAA Division I Game is occurring; or a NASCAR Cup, Indy Car, or Champ Series Race is occurring. The TFR goes into effect one hour before the scheduled start time and lasts until one hour after the end of a qualifying event.
During the game, the incursion of an unidentified and unapproved drone was deemed a serious enough threat that NFL Security temporarily suspended the game. MSP Troopers and FBI Special Agents tracked the movement of the drone over the stadium and deployed it to the area where the drone landed in Baltimore, Maryland. Despite Suarez having left the scene, law enforcement was able to track down his whereabouts.
Suarez stated that he purchased a DJI UAS for recreation and also claimed he used it for work. The drone was not registered, nor did Suarez possess a Remote Pilot certificate to operate it. Suarez allegedly flew the drone approximately 400 feet or higher directly over the NFL stadium. According to the affidavit, while in flight, Suarez captured approximately seven photos of the Stadium while the game was going on and thousands of people were below his flight path.
There is a zero-tolerance policy regarding UAS/drone use anywhere within the No Drone Zone established by the FAA. Anyone who attempts to fly a UAS/drone in any prohibited manner may be subject to arrest, prosecution, fines, and/or imprisonment. Members of the public are encouraged to report all suspicious activity. Law enforcement will be actively monitoring the airways for illegal UAS/drones and is committed to identifying, investigating, disrupting, and prosecuting the careless or criminal use of drones in the area.
If convicted, Suarez faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison for knowingly operating an unregistered UAS and for knowingly serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate. Suarez faces a maximum of one year in federal prison for willfully violating United States National Defense Airspace.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An initial appearance and arraignment will be scheduled later this month.
A criminal complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by criminal complaint is presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI, DOT OIG, and MSP for their work in the investigation, and thanked the FAA Office of Security & Hazardous Materials Safety and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their substantial assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert I. Goldaris, who is 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.
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Martinsville Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Distributing Double, Fatal Dose of FentanylRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Martinsville, Virginia man, who distributed cocaine that was laced with fentanyl to a pair of individuals that later died from overdoses, was sentenced yesterday to 18 years in federal prison.
Okoyte Devon Gaston, 31, pled guilty in September 2024 to one count of distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents, in February 2023 Gaston, a known drug dealer in Southside Virginia, arranged to sell what was supposed to be one-fourth an ounce of cocaine powder to victim “C.U.” Unbeknownst to C.U., the cocaine was laced with fentanyl.
Gaston met C.U. and her boyfriend, victim “M.A.” and another individual, J.U. in the parking lot of a Sheetz gas station in Franklin County, Virginia. Gaston sold the group what they believed was cocaine for $350.
Shortly after meeting with Gaston C.U., M.A., and J.U. all used some of the drugs they purchased from Gaston. The group then made a short drive back to C.U.’s Franklin County trailer home.
Once there, J.U. said he did not feel well and went inside to go to sleep, leaving C.U. and M.A. alone in the car.
The next morning, J.U. woke up disoriented, nauseous, and incoherent. He found C.U. and M.A. unresponsive. M.A. was still in the passenger seat of the vehicle and C.U. was on the ground outside of the driver’s door.
J.U. called 911 and when police arrived, they pronounced C.U. and M.A. deceased. The medical examiner later determined that both C.U. and M.A. died of acute fentanyl and cocaine toxicity.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with the assistance of the Virginia State Police, the Roanoke City Police, and the Roanoke County Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly McGann and Keith Parrella are prosecuting the case.
Man Who Stabbed His Girlfriend 21 Times Gets 15 Year Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Devan Green, 30, of Washington DC, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison, for stabbing his girlfriend in their apartment on September 19, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendant was convicted on November 14, 2024, by a Superior Court jury of one count of assault with intent to kill while armed, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of aggravated assault while armed, and one count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed following a 13-day jury trial. The Honorable Judge Rainey Brandt also ordered Green to stay away and have no contact with the victim or her son.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Green held his girlfriend and her child inside of their apartment against their will for over forty minutes while her family called 911 numerous times. Green put her son in a back bedroom and stabbed his girlfriend once in the chest with a knife. When she went to check on her son, he stabbed her 20 more times. He then fled the apartment and was apprehended a month later.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Molly K. Smith and Katharine E. Yaske of the Domestic Violence Section, who prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for Sweepstakes Scam Targeting ElderlyRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Fabrisio Arias was sentenced in federal court today to 41 months in prison for his part in an international scam that tricked seniors into believing they’d won a sweepstakes prize, but first they had to pay a fee or tax to release their winnings.
At today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta also ordered Arias to pay $395,536.05 in restitution to 22 victims.
According to his plea agreement, between November 2020 and September 2022, Arias was a member of an international conspiracy that defrauded victims in the United States and laundered large amounts of money.
The conspiracy involved scammers who contacted victims by phone and convinced them to send thousands of dollars to Arias’ home in Fontana, California; and Arias, who laundered the proceeds through his U.S.-based bank accounts. Arias received and transferred most of the ill-gotten gains to coconspirators in Costa Rica, and in the process concealed the nature, source, location, ownership and control of the proceeds.
The phone scammers in Costa Rica made unsolicited calls to elderly victims in the United States using spoofed numbers. This allowed callers to conceal their identity and make it appear as if the calls originated from locations in the United States.
During calls with victims, the scammers purported to be with the Internal Revenue Service or the Federal Trade Commission, and made victims believe they’d won a sweepstakes award or prize and had to pay a fee or tax to release the winnings. The scammers instructed victims to send cashier’s checks, blank money orders or cash to Arias, who scammers falsely identified as a government CPA.
In reality, there was no sweepstakes prize or award. Arias simply received the fraud proceeds, deposited them into his U.S.-based bank accounts, and notified his co-conspirators in Costa Rica when he received the proceeds. Co-conspirators then contacted the victims again, attempting to convince and pressure them to send more money to release the purported winnings.
According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Arias received 200 cashier’s checks and blank money orders from at least 22 victims throughout the U.S. Arias concealed the proceeds and made them appear legitimate by writing false payor names, signatures, and memo line entries on money orders and by commingling the proceeds with funds from his nightclub and used-car businesses. Arias also concealed the proceeds he sent to his co-conspirators in Costa Rica and made them appear legitimate by placing false information on at least 30 wire transfers, claiming the payments were for used cars, a house, or family support.
The victims – many of whom were in their seventies, eighties, or nineties – suffered financial hardship as a result of the scheme. To make ends meet, one victim had to obtain a reverse mortgage on his home; another had to take money from a family member’s college fund; and another had to return to work after retirement. Several victims lost their life savings, including a victim whose entire 401(k) retirement account was drained.
Arias received and laundered more than $395,000 in fraud proceeds over the course of nearly two years and sent more than $237,000 of proceeds to his co-conspirators in Costa Rica. Arias kept a substantial portion of the remaining $157,000 as profit.
“If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “These schemes can be difficult to identify and very appealing – when in doubt, hang up the phone and report suspicious callers to law enforcement.”
“Victimizing taxpayers by impersonating IRS employees is a serious crime,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Knarr. “TIGTA and our law enforcement partners will do everything within our power to ensure that those involved in the impersonation of IRS employees are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The consequences of this type of fraud scheme are far reaching, affecting not only people in the United States, but also across the world,” said Los Angeles Division U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Matt Shields. “This investigation is just another example of how effective law enforcement agencies can be when they join forces. By working together, we can keep our communities and our vulnerable populations safe from financial exploitation. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud to be at the forefront of the fight against fraud and Postal Inspectors will continue to adapt to the ever changing landscape to stop the scammers and protect our customers.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Swan.
If you think you’ve been contacted by a scammer, report it quickly to the FBI at IC3.gov. There is a team standing by. The faster the report comes in, the more likely we are to stop the transaction and recover your money.
For other non-life-threatening emergencies, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11, or go to the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative website for more information: www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
DEFENDANT Case Number 22-cr-2745-JO
Fabrisio Arias Age: 46 Fontana, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest; and a term of supervised release up to 3 years
Concealment Money Laundering – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(i)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison; a maximum $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greatest
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA)
U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Los Angeles Division
Logan County Physician Found Guilty of Drug Crimes by Federal JuryRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After four days of trial, a federal jury convicted Brian McDevitt, D.O., 61, of Chapmanville, today of four counts of distribution of a controlled substance and also found that McDevitt's West Virginia medical license and the Chapmanville Medical Clinic, which he operated as a sole practitioner, are subject to forfeiture.
Evidence at trial proved that McDevitt provided controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose when he wrote prescriptions for hydrocodone on May 17, 2022, and March 29, 2024, and alprazolam on May 18, 2022, and March 29, 2024.
McDevitt is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison.
McDevitt previously pleaded guilty on January 20, 2010 to conspiracy to use a registration number in violation of federal law and to engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. McDevitt admitted that he allowed others to use his federal registration number to distribute the prescription diet drug phentermine and then converted the cash proceeds from the conspiracy for his personal benefit. On June 29, 2010, McDevitt was sentenced to one year and one day, followed by three years of supervised release, and fined $60,000 for these prior convictions.
“Dr. McDevitt was one of the original drug dealers in a lab coat, and did not learn his lesson from his prior convictions and prison sentence,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “Instead, he chose to continue violating his ethical duties and responsibilities as a physician to enrich himself at the expense of vulnerable West Virginians.”
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Route 119 Drug Task Force, which consists of members of the Mingo County Sheriff's Office, the Logan County Sheriff's Office, the Boone County Sheriff's Office, and the West Virginia State Police, conducted the investigation.
“Dr. McDevitt chose to put his own greed above the health and well-being of his patients, causing great harm in the process,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division. “Doctors are expected to follow their oath to first do no harm; when they intentionally prescribe controlled substances in a manner outside of accepted medical norms, they reduce themselves to drug dealers in lab coats and they should expect to meet the full measure of our justice system.”
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the jury trial. Assistant United States Attorneys Owen Reynolds and Andrew J. Tessman are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-96.
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Lincoln Woman Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Merry Barbara Bills, age 42, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 6, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln for to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture and an unspecified amount of marijuana. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Bills to 125 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Bills’s release from prison, she will being a five-year term of supervised release.
Shortly before 1:00 am on November 26, 2023, Lincoln Police Department officers were dispatched to a convenience store in Lincoln after a clerk found a bag outside the entrance to the store which contained four breast milk bags, each containing approximately 33 grams of meth. The clerk provided the bag to LPD and described the couple believed to be associated with the bag, as well as a description of their car. LPD officers obtained security video from the store which showed Bills and a male companion arriving at the store shortly before midnight on November 25, 2023. Bills dropped the bag containing the meth when she got out of the car and put on her coat before going into the store. Bills and her companion left the store about 20 minutes later but failed to notice the bag on the ground outside. They returned about 10 minutes later and appeared to look around for something briefly before leaving again. Shortly before 2:00 am on the 26th of November, the clerk called LPD to tell them the couple had returned. Bills was found in the store restroom. She was holding a bag containing approximately one ounce of meth and a second bag was found on her person. She told LPD all the meth belonged to her, claiming it was for her personal use. The total meth found weighed approximately six ounces.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Lehigh Acres Man Arrested for Passport FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Carlos Alberto Calderon Johnson (64, Lehigh Acres) in connection with an indictment charging him with making a false statement in connection with a passport application. If convicted, Calderon Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, in October 2019, Calderon Johnson submitted an application for a U.S. passport which, among other things, falsely identified himself as “Francisco Javier Maldonado.”
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
Key member of drug ring associated with Aryan prison gang sentenced to 7+ years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 65-year-old Shelton, Washington resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 90 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking ring connected to Aryan prison gangs, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Michael Warren was arrested in March 2023, when federal agents moved in following a two-year investigation of drug trafficking activities. A search of Warren’s home in December 2022, turned up two pill presses, more than 640,000 fentanyl pills and a kilo of fentanyl powder to make thousands more. Warren also possessed 23 firearms at the stash house.
At today’s sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “the crime is unquestionably serious based on the amount of narcotics found at his residence and the presence of firearms.”
“This defendant demonstrates that drug trafficking is not just a young person’s game,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Mr. Warren was a key drug transporter, manufacturer and distributor causing untold harm in our community.”
According to records filed in the case, Warren served as a trusted co-conspirator to the leader of one of the drug distribution cells led by Bryson Gill. In addition to manufacturing pills and storing them at his Shelton home, Warren drove to Arizona on multiple occasions to pick up methamphetamine and fentanyl from the group’s drug supplier.
Bryson Gill entered a guilty plea today to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and is scheduled for sentencing on May 9, 2025.
Law enforcement made two dozen arrests on federal charges on March 22, 2023. The coordinated takedown involved ten swat teams and more than 350 law enforcement officers. On that day law enforcement seized 177 firearms, more than ten kilos of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills and more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona. Earlier in the investigation law enforcement seized 830,000 fentanyl pills, 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, 223 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, 5 pounds of cocaine, $388,000 in cash, and 48 firearms.
The top-level leader of the drug trafficking ring, Jesse Bailey, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, 2025, and his wife and co-conspirator Candace Bailey, is scheduled for sentencing on June 13, 2025.
This case 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 investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.
Kalispell man sentenced to prison for possessing stolen firearmRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Kalispell man who admitted to possessing a stolen gun was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Joseph Christopher Steele, 24, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to possession of a stolen firearm.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in December 2022, a man, identified as John Doe, filed a report with the Kalispell Police Department that his firearm safe containing a .45-caliber pistol and two magazines, along with the title to his pickup truck, had been stolen from his vehicle. Five days later, while investigating an unrelated incident, police officers found Doe’s stolen pickup title in a Subaru that also had been reported stolen. While being interviewed about the Subaru, Steele admitted he had been driving the vehicle but denied knowing it was stolen. Doe’s pickup title was not discussed. In January 2024, Whitefish Police Department officers executed a search warrant on Steele’s residence to locate evidence related to a stolen cell phone. Steele was on state probation at the time. During the search, officers located a pistol in a gun case with two magazines. Based on the gun’s serial number, officers determined the pistol was the firearm Doe had reported stolen.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Kalispell and Whitefish police departments and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Justice Department Secures Agreement with Oklahoma City Public Schools to Resolve Alleged Discrimination Against U.S. Air Force Reserve MemberRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Justice Department announced today that a federal judge in Oklahoma City has approved an agreement with Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) to resolve allegations that OKCPS violated Air Force Reserve Staff Sergeant Michael J. McCullough’s rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). The department’s lawsuit alleged that OKCPS violated USERRA when it failed to renew Mr. McCullough’s employment contract because of his military deployment and then failed to reinstate him on his return.
“When servicemembers answer their nation’s call — leaving home and work to serve and protect us — federal law protects them against employment discrimination and unjust termination,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kathleen Wolfe of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Veterans must be able to serve their country free from worry about jeopardizing civilian career opportunities.”
“We owe it to our service members to safeguard their employment rights when they are deployed,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “Doing so shields the service member and their families from suffering financial and other hardships extending beyond the term of the deployment. My office will continue to vigorously defend the rights justly earned by military veterans who serve our country.”
According to the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Mr. McCullough was employed as a music teacher at OKCPS’s Fillmore Elementary School in January 2022. He was under contract for the remainder of the school year, and his principal told him that she wanted him to return to teach the following year. In February 2022, Mr. McCullough was ordered to perform military service. When he notified his principal, she suggested it would be easier if he just resigned his teaching position. Less than a month later, during his deployment, OKCPS advised Mr. McCullough that his contract would not be renewed for the 2022-2023 school year. Prior to and on his return from active military duty, OKCPS refused Mr. McCullough’s repeated requests for reemployment, despite available positions.
Under the agreement, OKCPS will pay Mr. McCullough monetary damages, and it will revise its polices, practices, and trainings to prevent violations of USERRA.
USERRA is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on military status, service, or obligation and protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations. The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at https://www.justice.gov/crt/laws-we-enforce and www.justice.gov/servicemembers, as well as on the Department of Labor’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
The Department of Labor referred this matter to the Justice Department following an investigation by its Veterans’ Employment and Training Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Fagan and Senior Trial Attorneys Robert Galbreath and Kathleen Lawrence of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section are handling this case.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Oklahoma City Public Schools to Resolve Alleged Discrimination Against U.S. Air Force Reserve MemberRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that a federal judge in Oklahoma City has approved an agreement with Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) to resolve allegations that OKCPS violated Air Force Reserve Staff Sergeant Michael J. McCullough’s rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). The department’s lawsuit alleged that OKCPS violated USERRA when it failed to renew Mr. McCullough’s employment contract because of his military deployment and then failed to reinstate him on his return.
“When servicemembers answer their nation’s call — leaving home and work to serve and protect us — federal law protects them against employment discrimination and unjust termination,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kathleen Wolfe of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Veterans must be able to serve their country free from worry about jeopardizing civilian career opportunities.”
“We owe it to our service members to safeguard their employment rights when they are deployed,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma. “Doing so shields the service member and their families from suffering financial and other hardships extending beyond the term of the deployment. My office will continue to vigorously defend the rights justly earned by military veterans who serve our country.”
According to the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Mr. McCullough was employed as a music teacher at OKCPS’s Fillmore Elementary School in January 2022. He was under contract for the remainder of the school year, and his principal told him that she wanted him to return to teach the following year. In February 2022, Mr. McCullough was ordered to perform military service. When he notified his principal, she suggested it would be easier if he just resigned his teaching position. Less than a month later, during his deployment, OKCPS advised Mr. McCullough that his contract would not be renewed for the 2022-2023 school year. Prior to and on his return from active military duty, OKCPS refused Mr. McCullough’s repeated requests for reemployment, despite available positions.
Under the agreement, OKCPS will pay Mr. McCullough monetary damages, and it will revise its polices, practices, and trainings to prevent violations of USERRA.
USERRA is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on military status, service, or obligation and protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations. The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at https://www.justice.gov/crt/laws-we-enforce and www.justice.gov/servicemembers, as well as on the Department of Labor’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
The Department of Labor referred this matter to the Justice Department following an investigation by its Veterans’ Employment and Training Service.
Senior Trial Attorneys Robert Galbreath and Kathleen Lawrence of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Fagan for the Western District of Oklahoma are handling this case.
Jury convicts 2 defendants who were charged with 23 other Ohioans in narcotics distribution ringRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted two local men for their roles in a narcotics distribution ring involving bulk amounts of fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, methamphetamine & other narcotics. As part of this case, the government has seized more than $1.7 million, 50 firearms, and nine vehicles, including a motorcycle. One of the defendants convicted at trial also sex-trafficked at least three adult victims.
The jury found David Price, 56, of Columbus, guilty on all counts, and Tavaryyuan Johnson, 25, of Columbus, guilty on drug trafficking counts.
The verdict was announced on Feb. 5 following a trial that began on January 13, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr.
A multi-agency law enforcement task force initially announced the case in July 2022 after a federal grand jury initially indicted 11 defendants for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine in central Ohio within 1,000 feet of a Columbus elementary school.
A superseding indictment returned in October 2022 charged additional co-conspirators with distributing those same drugs in addition to methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, Xanax and Oxycodone.
Price, who is also known as “DP,” was charged in a third superseding indictment in December 2024 with 11 drug, firearm and sex trafficking crimes. He faces a minimum of 25 years and up to life in prison.
Johnson is also known as “Gucci” and “TJ,” and was also charged in a third superseding indictment in December 2024. He was convicted of four drug offenses, including using a family residence in Columbus as his stash house for bulk amounts of narcotics. Johnson faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
According to court documents and trial testimony, the two men were part of a conspiracy to distribute and possess to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine, 280 grams or more of “crack” cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin, as well as marijuana, oxycodone and alprazolam. The drug trafficking organization operated from January 2008 until it was dismantled by law enforcement in 2022.
Drug offenses took place at residences on Burgess and Harris avenues, which are within 1,000 feet of Burroughs Elementary School.
In July 2021, Price distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine that resulted in the overdose death of an adult female. The testimony at trial indicated he purposefully killed her to get rid of her as she was talking to the police about his drug business.
The government also proved beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that Price conspired to commit sex trafficking. From 2016 until 2022, Price and other members of the conspiracy would force and/or coerce adult female drug addicts into performing commercial sex acts by providing, withholding, or threatening to withhold controlled substances and lodging. Law enforcement’s investigation showed that various women engaged in a “rinse and repeat” cycle where they would be allowed to stay at a drug residence associated with Price, receive a front of drugs so they were not in active drug withdrawal, go to Sullivant Avenue, have sex for money, pay the debt from the front drugs, and then be allowed to remain at the house.
Price was also found guilty of three counts of sex trafficking related to his violence and coercion towards three adult females. The testimony at trial indicated that he would lock the females inside his residence for days or weeks at a time and refuse to let them leave, forcing them to engage in sex acts. One victim was locked in a dog cage, shot and stabbed by Price. Another was restrained. A third was beaten and choked and left with a black eye. Price would refuse to provide them drugs unless or until they engaged in the sex acts, forcing them into withdrawal if they did not comply.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker commended the investigation coordinated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission task force, which includes Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Other agencies that have assisted the task force with the investigation include the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, HIDTA Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Ohio National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Pickerington Police Department, New Albany Police Department, and the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team.
Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Prichard and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Crack Cocaine and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on February 6, 2025, to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Daniel Culmer, 57, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to Count One of the Superseding Indictment and to violating conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around April 2021 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Culmer conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack. Culmer was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drug that he distributed to others. At the time of the offense, Culmer was on supervised release from a prior federal conviction in 2018 in the Western District of Pennsylvania for distributing heroin.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $2 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Culmer. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Jamaican Nationals Arrested in Lottery Scam InvestigationRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Four current and former residents of Baldwin County, Alabama were arrested today in Foley on criminal charges related to their alleged participation in a fraudulent lottery scam.
According to court documents, the defendants, all Jamaican nationals, received more than $200,000 in over 100 shipments of cash from victims across the country who had falsely been told that they had won a lottery. The victims, many of them elderly, had been directed to pay “taxes” on their lottery winnings by sending cash to fictitious names at addresses controlled by the defendants in Baldwin County. The following individuals were arrested on a criminal complaint charging them with mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud:
Peter Walcott, Malik Chambers, Romario Nembhard, and Jermaine Smith.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama; and Special Agent in Charge Paul W. Brown of the Mobile Division of the FBI made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mobile Division, is investigating the case, with the assistance of the agencies participating in today’s enforcement action, including the FBI Baltimore Division, the United States Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Customs and Border Patrol, the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Foley Police Department, the Gulf Shores Police Department, and the Silverhill Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Anderson and Kasee Heisterhagen are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud Involving Stolen MailRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Frank Anthony Acanda (27, Jacksonville) to one year and one day in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Acanda was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims he and his co-defendant, Jonathan Benavide Hidalgo, (27, Jacksonville) defrauded.
According to court documents, for several months, Acanda, Hidalgo, and others drove around Fleming Island, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine and stole large volumes of mail from residential and business mailboxes. After opening the mail and stealing checks and money orders, Acanda, Hidalgo, and others acting on their behalf, deposited the items into bank accounts controlled by them and then used ATMs to immediately withdraw cash. In some instances, the co-defendants altered the stolen checks by increasing the amount of the checks to maximize the amount of money they could withdraw from ATMs.
Hidalgo pled guilty on September 5, 2024. He is set for sentencing on February 28, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the United States Postal Inspection Service - Jacksonville Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Indiana Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracies Involving Cyber Intrusion and a Massive $37 Million Cryptocurrency TheftRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Lebanon, Indiana, man convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments. The sentencing took place on February 6, 2025.
Evan Frederick Light, age 22, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Light was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Victims Fund and will be ordered to pay restitution for no less than $37 million. A hearing will be set at a later date to determine restitution.
Light was indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments by a federal grand jury in May 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 30, 2024.
“From his mother’s basement in Indiana, Evan Light set out to steal millions of dollars in cryptocurrency, thereby destroying the retirement savings of hardworking, honest Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsdell. “His 20-year sentence demonstrates the severity of his crime and its impact on the hundreds of victims whose lives have been devastated by his fraudulent activity. At sentencing, both the Court and the victims rightfully praised the tremendous work of the career professionals at the FBI, whose expertise and dogged commitment resulted in the identification of this perpetrator and the subsequent recovery of a substantial portion of the stolen cryptocurrency. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is equally grateful for its dedicated partners at the FBI, whose first-rate investigative work made it possible for our office to hold Evan Light accountable and bring him to justice.”
“Cybercrime is not a victimless offense — its impact is felt by hardworking Americans who suffer financial and emotional harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Today’s sentencing makes clear that cybercriminals who believe they can operate from the shadows without consequence are mistaken. The FBI, alongside our partners, will continue to investigate and dismantle these schemes to ensure justice is served and the public remains protected.”
According to court documents, in February of 2022, Light was involved in a cyber-intrusion involving an investment holdings company located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. During the cyber-intrusion, Light stole customers’ personal identifiable information (“PII”) and then stole cryptocurrency worth over $37 million from nearly 600 victims. He acted with one or more unidentified perpetrators.
Specifically, during the cyber intrusion, Light accessed the identity of a real client of the investment holdings company and unlawfully utilized that identity to infiltrate the investment holdings company’s computer servers. After successfully accessing the computer servers, he then exfiltrated from the servers the PII of hundreds of other clients, using this access to steal virtual currencies from the clients who held such assets with the investment holdings company.
The stolen cryptocurrency, under Light’s control, was then funneled to various locations throughout the world, including multiple mixing services and gambling websites to conceal his identity and to hide the virtual currency. Light’s conduct adversely affected victims all over the world, including South Dakota. As a result of his conduct, the total loss was approximately $37 million.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri.
Light was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to continue serving his sentence.
Idaho Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Possessing A Firearm in Checked LuggageRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger sentenced Dedric Dwayne Rivers (52, Moscow, Idaho) to 18 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition after having been convicted of a felony. Rivers pled guilty on October 22, 2024.
According to court documents, on April 27, 2024, Rivers arrived at Jacksonville International Airport to board a flight traveling to Idaho. During a routine screening process of checked luggage Transportation Security Administration officers identified an undeclared firearm and ammunition located in a checked suitcase bearing Rivers’ name. Law enforcement cut the cables to the gun case inside the suitcase and found an undeclared FN509 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a magazine containing 10 rounds of live ammunition inserted into the magazine well. The gun case also contained three extended magazines loaded with 70 rounds of live ammunition distributed among the three magazines. In a voluntary interview, Rivers said he thought the gun case only contained ammunition.
However, in a telephone conversation the next day, Rivers admitted to his mother that he had previously travelled with a firearm to Jacksonville, Florida. Prior to possessing the firearm, Rivers had had been convicted of multiple felonies, including kidnapping, armed robbery, and aggravated assault. Therefore, he is prohibited by law from possessing firearms and ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Transportation Security Administration, the Jacksonville Airport Authority, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Milliron.
This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Honduran sex offender sentenced to two years in prison after repeatedly reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Honduran national was sentenced today to two years in prison for illegally reentering the United States and failing to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Eliseo Garcia Gordillo, aka Julio Antonio Caceres Morales and Julio Caceres-Antonio, 43, has been removed three times previously for illegally entering or reentering the United States. On June 17, 2019, Garcia Gordillo was convicted in Prince William County of two counts of aggravated sexual battery of a victim under the age of 13. Garcia Gordillo was required to register as a sex offender on a quarterly basis for the rest of his life and to keep his registration current.
After his most recent reentry into the United States, Garcia Gordillo was arrested in Prince William County. Garcia Gordillo failed to keep his registration as a sex offender current.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kai Wah Chan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Shannon Saylor, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lyndi E. McVey, Katherine Legel-Kasper, and Noah Sissoko prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-244.
Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing A Firearm While Intoxicated During A Domestic IncidentRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Walner Josue Alvarado-Sabonje (27, Honduras) today pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Alvarado faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, Alvarado illegally entered the United States near Hidalgo, Texas in April 2019, and is subject to a final order of removal. On June 16, 2024, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to multiple callers who reported hearing gunshots from the back of Alvarado’s home. The deputies received permission to search the backyard and found nine 9mm shell casings in the backyard.
In the afternoon of September 22, 2024, sheriff’s deputies responded to a call from Alvarado’s wife, who told the dispatcher that Alvarado was intoxicated on the front porch of their home and acting recklessly with a gun. Deputies arrived approximately five minutes later, but Alvarado had left the home. A red Chevrolet Suburban sport utility vehicle registered to Alvarado was no longer parked at the house, so deputies determined that he had driven it elsewhere.
Minutes later, a deputy located Alvarado alone in the driver’s seat of his SUV parked at a 7-Eleven approximately one mile away from Alvarado’s home. Alvarado had two open beer cans in the center console and smelled like alcohol. After arresting Alvarado for driving under the influence of alcohol, the deputies found a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol in the center console. The pistol and ammunition are traceable to the offense and subject to forfeiture.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam W. McCall.
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.
Harvey Man Sentenced for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – MIGUEL KEELEN (“KEELEN”), age 36, of Harvey, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon on January 30, 2025 to 75 months imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to violating Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, KEELEN possessed a firearm on December 11, 2023, while at a Valero Gas Station in New Orleans. Specifically, KEELEN displayed and drew a pistol from his waistband before then concealing the pistol and fleeing from police. KEELEN was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his previous felony convictions.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger of the Violent Crimes Unit.
Hampton man convicted on mail theft and firearm chargesRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Hampton man today on charges of conspiracy, mail theft, and illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on July 22, 2024, Jamal Ashton Shields, 33, drove to a postal collection box at the Patrick Henry Post Office in Newport News along with Sampson G. Jumbo, 28, of the Bronx, New York, and another co-conspirator. Because the collection box had been broken into on multiple recent occasions, law enforcement was surveilling it. Jumbo and the other co-conspirator exited the vehicle and approached the collection box, then used an arrow key to open the collection box and remove mail. An arrow key is used to access collection boxes, outdoor parcel lockers, and apartment mailbox panels in a specific area.
After witnessing Jumbo and the co-conspirators take mail from the box, law enforcement moved in to apprehend them, and the three men fled. Shields, who fled in the vehicle, was eventually pulled over and taken into custody after a high-speed chase. When officers approached the vehicle, Shields informed them that he had a firearm in the vehicle. An investigation revealed that Shields had received the firearm while under felony indictment for rape and forcible sodomy in Hampton.
Jumbo, who fled on foot along with the co-conspirator, was apprehended 50 yards from the collection box. Jumbo had a black backpack with approximately 35 pieces of stolen mail.
The other co-conspirator discarded his jacket and then carjacked a vehicle. The discarded jacket was recovered and contained the arrow key.
The conspirators stole at least 82 pieces of outgoing mail, at least ten of which included checks.
On Nov. 15, 2024, Jumbo pled guilty to mail theft. Jumbo is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21 and faces up to five years in prison.
Shields faces up to 15 years in prison when sentenced on June 13. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen accepted the verdict. The Virginia State Police and Newport News Police Department assisted in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Therese O'Brien and Mack Coleman are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-49.
Four More Defendants Plead Guilty to $250 Million Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Four additional defendants have pleaded guilty for their roles in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
First, according to court documents, at times between October 2020 and January 2022, Abduljabar Hussein, 44, of Shakopee, Minnesota, knowingly and willfully conspired with others to participate in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misappropriate millions in federal child nutrition funds.
According to court documents, in October 2020, Abduljabar Hussein’s wife, Mekfira Hussein, enrolled her non-profit, Shamsia Hopes, in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future, at the direction of one of its employees, Abdikerm Eidleh. Mekfira Hussein submitted her application to Aimee Bock, Feeding Our Future’s executive director. In December 2020 and also at the direction of Abdikerm Eidleh, Abduljabar Hussein registered his company, Oromia Feeds LLC, with the State of Minnesota. Oromia Feeds LLC also participated in the Federal Child Nutrition Program as a vendor for food to be served by Shamsia Hopes sites run by his wife.
Together, the Husseins submitted fraudulent claims that sought reimbursement for far more meals and food than they actually prepared. Hussein and his wife submitted fraudulently inflated invoices for reimbursement—including inflated meal counts and false attendance rosters. As part of this scheme, Hussein and his wife paid at least $140,000 in kickbacks to Eidleh and least $12,000 in kickbacks to Aimee Bock, in exchange for Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship of Shamsia Hopes. In some instances, these kickback payments were disguised as “consulting fees,” when, in fact, neither Eidleh nor Aimee Bock provided any service to justify these payments.
According to his plea agreement entered today, the Husseins ultimately obtained up to $8.8 million in federal child nutrition program funds some of which they used to pay for personal expenditures unrelated to feeding children. For instance, the defendant used $173,438 of the proceeds to pay off the mortgage on his home in Shakopee, Minnesota, and also purchased a 2021 Porsche for $93,250, as well as a 2022 GMC truck for $61,722. As part of his sentence, Hussein was ordered to forfeit those vehicles as well as a 2021 Tesla, and the fraud money he applied toward his home mortgage.
Next, according to court documents, Zamzam Jama, 50, and Mustafa Jama, 48, of Rochester, Minnesota, and Asha Jama, 42, of Lakeville, Minnesota, each pled guilty to laundering fraudulent proceeds that were paid by Feeding Our Future through the Federal Child Nutrition Program to Brava Restaurant. In October 2020, Brava Restaurant, which was located in a retail strip mall in Rochester, Minnesota, enrolled as a distribution site in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future.
The Jamas and their conspirators coordinated the establishment of shell companies through which they received and disbursed funds from the federal child nutrition program to make expenditures that had nothing to do with feeding children. Specifically, on January 7, 2021, Salim Said, a co-owner of Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, paid to register six different shell companies with the state of Minnesota for the Jamas and others.
In 2021, Zamzam Jama, Mustafa Jama, and Asha Jama deposited at least $491,245, $1,429,730, and $449,933, in misappropriated Federal Child Nutrition Program funds into their respective shell entities’ bank accounts. The Jamas then used those funds for various personal expenditures that had nothing to do with feeding children.
Zamzam Jama spent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds on a home in Rosemount, Minnesota, and to purchase a 2021 Toyota RAV4 vehicle. With her guilty plea, Zamzam Jama has forfeited that vehicle, her interest in the Rosemount property, as well as $114,482 from her bank accounts in 2022 by federal investigators.
Mustafa Jama used Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to buy a home in Columbus, Ohio. He also spent $394,000 in program money toward a home in Lakeville, Minnesota, and to purchase Mediterranean coastal property in Alanya, Turkey. With his guilty plea, Mustafa Jama has forfeited any interest in the Ohio and Lakeville properties, as well as $239,500 from his bank accounts in 2022 by federal investigators.
Asha Jama spent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds toward a home in Lakeville, Minnesota, and another in Rochester, Minnesota. With her guilty plea, Zamzam Jama has forfeited her interest on those two properties any interest in that vehicle, the Rosemount property, as well as $149,880 seized from her bank accounts in 2022 by federal investigators.
In separate proceedings in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel, Abduljabar Hussein pleaded guilty on February 5, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; Zamzam Jama pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025, to one count of money laundering; Mustafa Jama pleaded guilty on February 6, 2025, to one count of money laundering; and Asha Jama pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025, to one count of money laundering. Sentencing hearings for all four defendants will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Former Whitefish Housing Authority executive director sentenced to prison for embezzling from organization; $144,842 restitution orderedRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — The former executive director of the Whitefish Housing Authority was sentenced today to four months in prison and four months of home confinement, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $144,842 for embezzling from the organization, which receives federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Dwarne Lamont Hawkins, 46, of Fairview Heights, Illinois, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to theft from organization receiving federal funding.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court also ordered Hawkins to perform 200 hours of community service. Hawkins was allowed to self-report to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
In court documents, the government alleged that from about May 2023 to January 2024, while working as the Whitefish Housing Authority’s executive director, Hawkins embezzled from the organization. The Whitefish Housing Authority provides safe, decent and affordable housing options for low-income families in the Whitefish community and received approximately $468,616 in federal funds from HUD during the period of the indictment. Hawkins stole housing authority money by diverting and inflating payroll, fraudulently paying personal expenses with the Whitefish Housing Authority credit card and creating and paying fraudulent invoices to businesses over which he had control. The investigation identified approximately $144,842 in restitution.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
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Former Stoneham Auxiliary Police Officer Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Bribery ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Stoneham Auxiliary Police Officer was sentenced in federal court in Boston for a bribery and kickback scheme that netted millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts.
Christopher Ponzo, 50, of North Reading, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 27 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Ponzo was also ordered to pay a $300,000 fine. In November 2024, Christopher Ponzo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, 24 counts of honest services wire fraud and one count of making false statements to government officials. Christopher Ponzo was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023 along with his brother Joseph Ponzo.
Christopher Ponzo, along with his brother and co-conspirator, Joseph Ponzo, conspired to pay, and did pay, tens of thousands of dollars in cash bribes, kickbacks and other in-kind benefits, including a John Deere tractor, a computer, home bathroom fixtures and free electrical work, among other things, to Company A employees (Associates 1 and 2) in exchange for the Associates’ assistance in getting the defendants millions of dollars in Mass Save contracts.
Massachusetts law requires utility companies to collect an energy efficiency surcharge on all Massachusetts energy consumers. These funds, which amount to hundreds of millions of dollars each year, are to be disbursed by the utility companies to fund energy efficiency programs and initiatives in Massachusetts. Under the Mass Save program, the utility companies select lead vendors, like Company A, to approve and select contractors to perform energy improvement work for residential customers. This contracting work – performed by contractors at no-cost or reduced cost to the customer – is then paid for by Company A with Mass Save funds.
On a weekly basis, from 2013 to 2017, Christopher Ponzo paid Associate 1 $1,000 in cash. At times, Christopher Ponzo paid Associate 1 $5,000 to $10,000 in cash, telling Associate 1 that the extra money was from Joseph Ponzo for his part in the bribery scheme. In return for these payments, Associate 1, among other things, helped Joseph Ponzo set up a shell company, Air Tight, to do insulation work and get approved as a Company A contractor under the Mass Save program. Joseph Ponzo put his spouse’s name on Air Tight incorporation documents and contracting licenses in order to conceal his involvement in his corrupt side business. Despite having no professional experience in residential insulation work, Joseph Ponzo collected over $7 million under the Mass Save program.
After Associate 1 left Company A in 2017, Christopher Ponzo and Joseph Ponzo recruited Associate 2 to the bribery-kickback scheme from approximately 2018 to 2022, paying Associate 2 thousands of dollars in cash and hiring a relative of Associate 2 as part of the ongoing scheme.
In April 2022, both Joseph Ponzo and Christopher Ponzo falsely denied making bribe payments to any Company A employees when interviewed by federal agents.Joseph Ponzo pleaded guilty in November 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 28, 2025.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Dustin Chao of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Former Postal Employee Guilty of Delay of Election MailRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 5, 2025, a federal jury convicted María De Lourdes Martínez-Garriga, a former United States Postal Service City Carrier, for unlawfully delaying and not delivering four pieces of election mail.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on August 5, 11 and 15, 2022, Martínez-Garriga, 34, a then City Carrier assigned to the 65th Infantry Postal Office in San Juan, Puerto Rico unlawfully delayed four certified mail envelopes containing ballots for the 2022 Special Election for the District of San Juan. All affected voters confirmed, and four of them testified at trial, that despite having requested early vote ballots from the Puerto Rico Elections Commission they never received the Election Mail envelopes.
“Our democracy depends on the right of eligible voters to cast a ballot and to have that ballot counted. If voters do not receive their ballots, they cannot execute one of our fundamental rights as United States citizens -- the right to vote,” said United States Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office along with our law enforcement partners will continue to protect this fundamental pillar of our society.”
“Placing mail into the hands of the Postal Service is an act of public trust all postal employees must uphold,” said Tammy Hull, Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service. “Ms. Martínez violated that trust by delaying the delivery of election mail. Through our investigation USPS OIG special agents brought her to justice and she has been convicted of her crimes by a jury.”
“The FBI is committed to protecting the integrity of our democratic processes, including ensuring that every voter’s voice is heard. Any attempt to interfere with election mail is a violation of public trust and a threat to the foundation of our democracy,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This case is the result of our unwavering dedication to holding accountable those who undermine the electoral system.”
Three other former U.S. Postal Service employees were charged in separate indictments, and they are all pending trial. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) is investigating the case with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), consistent with the mission to ensure efficiency, accountability, and integrity in the U.S. Postal Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Colón and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tania Salas-De Jesús from the USPS-OIG are prosecuting the case.
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Former Massachusetts State Senator Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for COVID and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean A. Tran was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for scheming to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and collecting income that he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Tran, 48, of Fitchburg, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV to 18 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Tran was also ordered to pay $25,100 in restitution to the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and $23,327 to the Internal Revenue Service, as well as a $7,500 fine and a mandatory assessment of $2,300. In September 2024, Tran was convicted of 20 counts of wire fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023.
Tran served as an elected member of the Massachusetts State Senate, representing Worcester and Middlesex Counties from 2017 to January 2021. After Tran’s State Senate term ended in 2021, Tran fraudulently received pandemic unemployment benefits while simultaneously employed as a paid consultant for a New Hampshire-based retailer of automotive parts (the Automotive Parts Company). While working as a paid consultant for the Automotive Parts Company, Tran fraudulently collected $30,120 in pandemic unemployment benefits.
In addition, Tran concealed $54,700 in consulting income that he received from the Automotive Parts Company from his 2021 federal income tax return. This was in addition to thousands of dollars in income that Tran concealed from the IRS while collecting rent from tenants who rented his Fitchburg property from 2020 to 2022.
“When Dean Tran took his oath of office as a Massachusetts State Senator, he willingly entered into a world of being in the public eye. He chose to violate the public’s trust not once, but twice by defrauding the government out of unemployment benefits and willfully omitting his taxable income. His fraud and calculated deception erode the public’s trust in elected officials and diverted money away from those who truly needed it,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out public officials who violate the law and holding them accountable for their actions.”
“Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran stole taxpayer funds intended for American workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His sentencing affirms the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to prioritize and investigate allegations of fraud involving the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) unemployment insurance (UI) program. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who exploit this critical benefit program,” stated Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“Today’s sentencing of Dean Tran demonstrates that no one is above the law, even elected officials,” said Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Elected officials are held to a higher standard when they take an oath to serve but to Tran, his oath meant nothing when he chose to steal from the America taxpayers on two separate occasions. Tran stole from a pandemic unemployment program designed to help those most in need. Tran proceeded to harm the American public further when he decided not to report his taxable income, the most basic of principles all Americans are expected to follow.”
“Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran blatantly defrauded a government program meant to keep businesses and workers afloat during the pandemic, using the money for his own personal expenses, effectively stealing funds from others who needed them,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to crack down on frauds like this because willfully defrauding the government and cheating honest taxpayers is a federal crime.”
U.S. Attorney Foley, DOL-OIG SAC Mellone, Acting IRS-CI SAC Thomas Demeo and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and John T. Mulcahy of the Office’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Former Federal Juror Sentenced to 30 Days for Contempt of CourtRead the Press Release
Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant, Gregorio Concepcion Tyquienco, age 72, was sentenced on February 4, 2025, in the District Court of Guam to 30 days imprisonment followed by one year of supervised release for Contempt of Court, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 401(3). The Court ordered Tyquiengco to pay $1,537.04 as restitution (representing the fees and mileage paid to him as a juror during a trial), a $2,000 fine, and a mandatory $25 special assessment fee.
Tyquienco was a juror in the trial of United States vs. Raymond John Martinez and Juanita Marie Quitugua Moser in the District Court of Guam. Between October 11, 2018, and December 27, 2018, Tyquienco knowingly disobeyed the Court’s instruction not to discuss the case with anyone outside of the jury’s deliberative process. During the trial, and prior to jury deliberation, Tyquienco discussed what verdict he would render with brothers William Topasna Mantanona and John T. Mantanona, aka “Boom.” Tyquienco knew Boom was working as a member of the defense team. He knew Boom previously but did not disclose the association to the Court. Tyquienco was asked by William and Boom to be the jury foreman and to issue a “Not Guilty” verdict regardless of the evidence. These discussions violated the clear and specific daily orders of the Honorable Frances Tydingco-Gatewood, Chief Judge, District Court of Guam. After a mistrial was declared, Boom met with Tyquiengco and gave him $1,100 in cash.
“Jury tampering is an affront to the Rule of Law,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Our citizens and the accused expect fair legal proceedings that result in justice. Jurors and witnesses make great sacrifices to fulfil this important civic duty. This case sends a message that the Department of Justice will hold accountable those who violate this public trust.”
“The integrity and impartiality of jurors and their deliberations are essential to our criminal justice system,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Those who tamper with this important civic responsibility attempt to deny our communities the justice they deserve. As reflected by this investigation, the FBI is committed to protecting our legal processes and will bring to justice those who act to corrupt it.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rosetta L. San Nicolas in the District of Guam.
Former Army Private Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation Crimes Involving Girls He Met on SnapchatRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Army private based at Fort Irwin was sentenced today to 264 months in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting a 14-year-old girl, using Snapchat to receive CSAM of her when she was 13 years old, possessing CSAM featuring her on his iPhone, and for receiving sexually explicit images of a 15-year-old girl via Snapchat.
Parker William White, 24, of Johnsonville, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who scheduled a restitution hearing for May 2. Upon his eventual release from prison, White will be placed on lifetime supervised release. White has been in federal custody since February 2023.
At the conclusion of a five-day trial in August 2024, a jury found White guilty of one count of production of child pornography, three counts of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
In January 2022, the Department of Children and Families in Bay County, Florida received a tip that White was engaging in an online, sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. Later, investigators found CSAM of her on White’s iPhone as well as CSAM that White had received via Snapchat featuring her and another minor.
White used Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media platforms to find minor “girlfriends” as young as 13 years old, according to court documents. White groomed these minor girls by boasting about his military service, telling them that they were “beautiful” and “queens,” and pretending to be in love with them. In some instances, White deceptively portrayed himself as teenager to earn their trust. White’s behavior would then escalate to a practice that he called “teasing.” He would send these children sexually explicit videos and photographs of himself via social media and encourage them to “tease” him back by doing the same.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi C. Allsop of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Laura A. Alexander of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Antonio Bayarri-Barrera, 35, a citizen of Spain, pleaded guilty to a criminal complaint charging him with illegally entering the United States at a time or place other than designated for entering the country by immigration authorities.
According to court records, on January 31, 2025, at approximately 2:52 a.m., U.S. Border Patrol agents were notified of a single individual walking south towards the United States-Canada international border near the Haskell Free Library in Derby Line, Vermont. Minutes later, a Border Patrol Agent stopped the individual, who had crossed into United States, and conducted an immigration inspection. In response to the agent’s questions, Bayarri-Barrera admitted that he was a citizen of Spain and that he had just walked over the border near the library.
During his initial court appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on February 3, 2025, Bayarri-Barrera entered his guilty plea and received a time-served sentence. Bayarri-Barrera had faced up to 6 months’ imprisonment.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Gilman. Bayarri-Barrera is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon.
Feeding Our Future Defendant Sentenced to 43 Months in Prison for Her “Flagrant” Role in $250 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Sharon Denise Ross, 54, of Willernie, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 43 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for her role in a $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. Ross was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,434,360. Ross was further ordered to forfeit to the United States all property derived from fraud proceeds, including her house in Willernie.
Ross was charged in a 12-count indictment on March 7, 2023, with wire fraud and money laundering for her role in devising and carrying out a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud the Federal Child Nutrition Program. On January 10, 2024, Ross pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.
According to court documents, Ross was the executive director of House of Refuge Twin Cities, a St. Paul-based non-profit which she enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition. Ross claimed that House of Refuge operated distribution sites at a dozen locations throughout the Twin Cities that served food by a vendor called Brava Café, a restaurant in Minneapolis run by Hanna Marakegn. Between September 2021 through February 2022, Ross falsely claimed to be serving thousands of children each day at her House of Refuge sites, which included fraudulently claiming to feed children at multiple area churches. In total, Ross fraudulently claimed to have served nearly 900,000 meals and she received approximately $2.4 million in fraudulent Federal Child Nutrition Program funds. Ross distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to family members and used the rest of the money to fund her lifestyle, including to pay for vacations to Florida and Las Vegas, to purchase a suite at a Minnesota Timberwolves game, and to purchase her house in Willernie.
In handing down the sentence today, Judge Nancy E. Brasel commented that Ross “used a position of trust in the community” for her own “flagrant personal gain.” Judge Brasel further noted that Ross’s crime was all the more aggravating because she acquired large amounts of fraudulent money in an “extremely short time span” while Ross was on probation for another fraud.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, and Daniel W. Bobier prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Facebook Marketplace Armed Robberies Case Ends in Guilty PleaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Elijah Porter, 20, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges from two armed robberies, committed in 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Porter pleaded guilty to armed robbery for an incident on December 2, 2023; he pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to commit robbery for an incident on November 8, 2023. Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 30, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, on December 2, 2023, Porter, using a false Facebook account, responded to a Facebook Marketplace advertisement for the sale of an Apple MacBook. The defendant arranged for the victim to meet him in the 1300 block of Orren Street NE. When the victim arrived, Porter asked to inspect the MacBook, so the victim handed the MacBook to the defendant. The defendant then pulled out what appeared to be a black handgun and stole the MacBook from the victim. A search, conducted two days later at Porter’s residence, resulted in the recovery of the victim’s MacBook.
On November 8, 2023, Porter created an advertisement for the sale of Apple iPhones using a false Facebook account and the victim responded to the advertisement, eventually agreeing to meet with the defendant to discuss the purchase of the iPhones posted for sale. Porter arranged for the victim to meet him in the 1300 block of Orren Street NE. When the victim arrived, Porter and an accomplice got into the victim’s vehicle and struck the victim in the face with what appeared to be a handgun. Porter and the accomplice then stole personal property belonging to the victim.
Porter was apprehended on December 4, 2023, and has been in custody ever since.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Travis Wolf.
Father and Son Duo Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distribution and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Bobby Glenn Wall, Jr., age 46, of Parchman, Mississippi, to 192 months in federal prison following his conviction for distribution and receipt of child pornography. Wall, Jr. must serve fifteen years of supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment and ordered to register as a sex offender upon his release.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on December 14, 2021, while using the Facebook Messenger application on a cell phone in the Wilkinson County Jail in Mississippi, Wall, Jr. knowingly transmitted five images of child pornography to his father, Bobby Glenn Wall, in Denham Springs Louisiana, with each image depicting a prepubescent female. Wall Jr. had access to, at a minimum, 100 images of child pornography that he sent to his own Facebook Messenger account, five of which he then sent to his father in Denham Springs via Facebook Messenger.
His father, Bobby Glenn Wall, age 68, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to 160 months in federal prison following his conviction for the same incident involving distribution and receipt of child pornography. Wall must serve five years of supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment and ordered to register as a sex offender upon his release.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Wall knowingly received five images of child pornography on his Facebook Messenger application, from his son, Wall, Jr. Wall received one image of child pornography from his son, and, after telling his son “to keep them coming,” received 15 additional images of child pornography, to include images depicting masturbation and sex acts.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Pugliese.
Exploiter of Children Sentenced to 38 Years in Prison by Miami Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Rafael Antonio Saldana, 39, of Miami-Dade County, has been sentenced to over 38 years in prison after a South Florida federal jury found him guilty in October 2024, of various child exploitation crimes.
In 2023, Saldana solicited sexually explicit images from three minors (aged 14, 16, and 17) and attempted to meet them in person for sex. Ultimately, Saldana coordinated a plan with the youngest of the children: They would meet at a local McDonald’s then go to Saldana’s house for sex. Saldana arrived across the street from the restaurant on the set date and time and directed the minor to meet him, but law enforcement officers were waiting for him. Investigation revealed that Saldana possessed over sixty images of child sexual exploitation.
At trial, the jury found Saldana guilty of three counts of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, attempted production of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors, receipt of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors, and possession of visual depictions involving sexual exploitation of minors.
U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office; and Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
HSI Miami and MDSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Pence Tomanelli and Arielle Klepach prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Anyone with information regarding child sexual exploitation and abuse is encouraged to call (877) 4-HSI-TIP [(877) 447-4847].
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20308.
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Ecuadorian Man Charged with Being in the United States Illegally After Having Been Previously Removed by Immigration OfficialsRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that during an arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on February 5, 2025, Alex Patin-Patin, 28, of Ecuador, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with being unlawfully present in the United States after having been previously removed by immigration officials. At a detention hearing held on February 6, 2025, Judge Doyle ordered that Patin-Patin be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, Patin-Patin unlawfully entered the United States in or around February 2022, and was then removed from the United States by federal authorities in or around July 2022. It is unknown where or when Patin-Patin re-entered the United States, but in April 2024 Patin-Patin was arrested in South Burlington, Vermont, and charged by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office with, among other charges, aggravated domestic assault. Because Patin-Patin had not obtained permission to re-enter the United States, his presence in the country was in violation of U.S. law.
The federal grand jury returned the indictment charging Patin-Patin with this offense in October 2024 and at that time a federal warrant for his arrest was issued. Court records indicate that Patin-Patin’s arrest earlier this week followed surveillance indicating he had been living at an address other than that required by conditions imposed on him by the Vermont Superior Court in connection with his state domestic assault prosecution.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Patin-Patin is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Patin-Patin faces up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement/ Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Marshals Service.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Lasher and Michelle Arra. Patin-Patin is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
Dumfries man pleads guilty to nearly $150,000 fraud of COVID relief programRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Dumfries man pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent application for and receipt of funds through a COVID-19 relief program.
According to court documents, in 2021, Kingsley Apenteng, 40, was the registered owner of Pioneers Real Estate LLC (Pioneers). From at least 2017 through 2021, Pioneers had no employees, transacted no business, and was completely inactive.
In March 2021, Apenteng completed and signed a loan application seeking $149,740.00 for Pioneers through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a COVID-19 relief program intended to provide loans to certain businesses to help them retain their employees or stay afloat during the pandemic. Apenteng falsely claimed on the application that, during all of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020, Pioneers had nine employees and paid them, on average, a combined payroll of $59,896 per month. Apenteng falsely certified on the application that the PPP loan funds he was requesting would be used to pay the wages of those employees.
Apenteng prepared fraudulent tax return forms to support the PPP application. Apenteng filled out five IRS Forms 941 for Pioneers, one for each quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020. To make these forms appear legitimate, Apenteng falsely claimed that they had been prepared by a professional tax preparer. Apenteng wrote the name of a real tax preparer, forged that person’s digital signature, and entered that person’s business information.
Apenteng also fraudulently altered a bank account statement. After downloading a PDF of a monthly statement for Pioneers’ bank account, Apenteng used a computer program to alter the date and transaction information on the statement to make it appear that Pioneers paid payroll to employees during the first quarter of 2020.
On or around March 10, 2021, Apenteng caused the fraudulent PPP loan application, tax forms, and bank statement to be electronically submitted to a lender and to the Small Business Administration (SBA). Based on the false claims in those fraudulent documents, Apenteng’s PPP loan application was approved and Apenteng received PPP loan funds in the amount of $149,740.00 on April 28, 2021.
On Nov. 2, 2021, Apenteng submitted a loan forgiveness application to the SBA for the Pioneers PPP loan. Apenteng again falsely claimed that Pioneers had nine employees and claimed that he spent all the PPP loan funds on their wages. On Nov. 9, 2021, the SBA approved Apenteng’s loan forgiveness application and reimbursed the lender for the full amount of the loan. Apenteng never repaid any portion of the PPP loan.
Apenteng is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6 and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-21.
Defendant Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Soliciting a Minor and Lying to the FBI About Pro-ISIS Social Media PostingsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A defendant has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for soliciting a minor to engage in commercial sex and lying to the FBI about social media postings supportive of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
HARDY LEE BROWNER, 37, of Chicago, pleaded guilty in 2023 to one count of making a materially false statement to the FBI involving international terrorism and one count of soliciting a minor to engage in commercial sex. U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood imposed the sentence on Wednesday and ordered that it be followed by five years of court-supervised release.
Browner admitted in a plea agreement that Browner used various accounts on the social media site formerly known as Twitter to communicate with individuals associated with ISIS, including a media arm of the terrorist group. Browner also used the accounts to make public posts regarding, among other topics, jihad, martyrdom, and ISIS. When FBI agents interviewed Browner about the posts, Browner falsely claimed not to have used the accounts and not to have communicated with certain Twitter users, including the ISIS media arm.
The solicitation charge relates to Browner’s attempt to traffic a minor with whom Browner had engaged in a sexual relationship. Browner communicated with the minor on Instagram and through texts and phone calls. Browner then met the minor on multiple occasions and had sex with the minor. Browner sometimes gave the minor cash or other items of value. Browner also took steps to traffic the minor for sex with others for money, although Browner’s crimes were discovered before the minor was trafficked.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“The defendant disrespected law enforcement agents and sought to thwart the FBI’s mission in defending against terrorist organizations,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Julia Schwartz argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. With regard to the solicitation, the prosecutors argued, “Traffickers operating today should receive the message that if you traffic children in the Chicagoland area, the sentence will be severe.”
Crystal Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Counts of Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Crystal man has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of production of child pornography that victimized minor teenage girls in Minnesota and across the country, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, between April 2022 and September 13, 2023, Dapree Richard Christlieb-Peterson, 22, used internet apps, social media, and text messages to engage minors in sexually explicit conversations in order to entice and coerce them to in engage in illegal sexual encounters with him. Christlieb-Peterson specifically targeted at least five minors between the ages of 12 and 17 years old in Minnesota, Florida, and elsewhere, to create images and videos of their sexually explicit conduct. Christlieb-Peterson knew the minor girls’ ages because the minor victims either disclosed them, or they were apparent on their social media profiles. Christlieb-Peterson enticed and coerced his minor victims to engage in sexually explicit activity with him, recorded it on a cell phone, and then distributed the child pornography he created to others.
Christlieb-Peterson pleaded guilty on February 4, 2024, in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud to five counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. It 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 combines 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Classen and Robert M. Lewis are prosecuting the case.
Corona Customs Broker Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Clients Out of More Than $5 Million and Evading More Than $1 Million in TaxesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A customs broker pleaded guilty today to defrauding his clients – businesses who ship goods into the United States from foreign countries – out of more than $5 million, including after he had been indicted on fraud charges, and to committing more than $1 million in tax evasion.
Frank Seung Noah, 64, of Corona, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and two counts of wire fraud.
According to his plea agreement, Noah owned and operated Comis International Inc., a Cerritos-based logistics and supply-chain company, which offered customs import brokerage services on behalf of businesses. From 2007 to 2019, Comis was a customs import broker for Daiso, a Japan-based variety and value store with stores in the United States, including Southern California.
During that time, Noah provided Daiso with false customs duty forms and invoices in support of fraudulent requests for reimbursement for duty fees. These forms differed materially from those Noah submitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and inflated the total amounts, resulting in Daiso overpaying Noah nearly $3.4 million.
After Noah was indicted for defrauding Daiso in 2022, he continued to defraud his other clients out of more than $2 million using a different fraud scheme. Noah defrauded two other client companies by invoicing and receiving funds from the two victim companies, and then simply pocketing the funds instead of paying the customs duties to CBP. After CBP notified the victim clients of their unpaid customs duties, they asked Noah about the unpaid fees, and he sent the victim clients altered bank statements falsely reflecting that he had paid the customs duties.
Noah also willfully evaded payment of federal taxes resulting in a loss to the IRS of approximately $2.4 million, with penalties and interest continuing to accrue. After agreeing with the IRS that he owed more than $1 million in taxes in 2014, Noah actively avoided IRS attempts to collect the amount owed. This included paying for two homes in his former girlfriend’s name, using check cashing businesses to avoid IRS levies of his bank accounts, lying to IRS collection agents, and spending thousands of dollars on country club memberships, travel, and golf purchases.
United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled a May 8 sentencing hearing at which time he will face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to five years in federal prison for the tax evasion count.
IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter with the assistance of United States Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss and Robert J. Keenan of the Orange County Office are prosecuting this case.
Columbus Man Receives 78 Months After Selling Methamphetamine to Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Brandon Salyers, age 31, of Columbus, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 6, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Chief United States District Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Salyers to 78 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Salyers’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On October 29, 2023, law enforcement conducted a controlled drug buy against Salyers whereby they purchased 3.5 grams of actual methamphetamine in Nebraska. The next day, law enforcement again purchased 12 grams of actual methamphetamine from Salyers during another controlled drug buy. One month later, on November 30, 2023, law enforcement purchased less than 1 gram of methamphetamine from Salyers. On December 28, 2023, law enforcement arrested Salyers and located 12 grams of actual methamphetamine on his person along with glass pipes and 39 grams of marijuana.
This case was investigated by the Columbus Police Department.
Clay County Felon Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Kyle Garrett Prevatt (24, Orange Park) to four years in federal prison for two counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Prevatt pled guilty on November 5, 2024.
According to court documents, over a period of five months, Prevatt sold multiple firearms to a confidential informant. The offense involved nine firearms in total. After the final transaction concluded, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office attempted to perform a traffic stop on Prevatt’s truck and Prevatt fled in his truck until he crashed it into a ditch. He then attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended. A search following Prevatt’s arrest revealed additional firearms, along with other ammunition, in the truck.
Prior to the firearms sales, Prevatt had been convicted of two felonies, including armed burglary of a dwelling structure or conveyance, and unarmed burglary of an unoccupied structure in 2020. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Milliron and Kevin C. Frein.
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.
Cincinnati man sentenced to 27 years in prison for role in narcotics, firearms conspiraciesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – The leader of a drug trafficking organization was sentenced in federal court here to 324 months in prison. He is one of 16 individuals convicted in a narcotics and firearms conspiracies case.
Ryan Haskamp, 36, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to conspiring to distribute controlled substances, conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
A federal grand jury indicted all 16 defendants in July 2021, charging the defendants in a firearms conspiracy and in a narcotics conspiracy involving 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine and 10 grams or more of LSD, as well as detectable amounts of MDMA, DMT, marijuana and ketamine.
In total, as part of this case, law enforcement seized 11 firearms and more than one kilogram of methamphetamine, more than 200 pounds of DMT, more than five kilograms of marijuana, more than 15 kilograms of hashish and hashish oil, more than one kilogram of MDMA, more than 19,000 dose units of LSD, fentanyl, cocaine, and other synthetic and counterfeit drugs.
The case originated with two individuals involved in an Aug. 7, 2020, police chase through Cincinnati that resulted in the deaths of two bystanders in Newport, Kentucky. Mason Meyer, 32, and Kirsten Johnson, 26, both of Cincinnati, were charged federally in August 2020. Ongoing investigation led to the additional 14 defendants and charges.
According to court documents, officials with the ATF, Cincinnati Police and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force were surveilling Meyer in Cincinnati on Aug. 7, 2020, when Meyer drove away. Cincinnati Police officers attempted to stop Meyer when he fled, causing a police chase through Cincinnati and into Covington and Newport, Kentucky.
Local court documents detail that Meyer’s vehicle struck and killed a couple dining on the patio of Press on Monmouth in Newport, Kentucky. Two other pedestrians were struck and suffered minor injuries.
At the time of the chase, Meyer and Johnson possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle.
Additional investigation tied Meyer and Johnson to Haskamp’s drug trafficking organization. Haskamp was Meyer’s source of supply of methamphetamine. Haskamp used at least five Cincinnati residences as stash houses to store and sell drugs. He also had others rent Airbnb locations and hotel rooms to further his drug trafficking. Haskamp had packages of drugs delivered to the Airbnb rental properties. Haskamp supplied drugs for redistribution in Cincinnati and Dayton via numerous co-defendants.
Others convicted in this case include:
NameAgeCity of ResidenceWilliam Keith Jenkins37CincinnatiMichael Alden Mobley42Ghent, Ky.Michael Tyler Boeh35CincinnatiVictoria Stauffer30CincinnatiQuincy Pemberton33CincinnatiDamon Gene Wade31California, Ky.Kelly Marie Smart35CincinnatiKevin Patrick Thiery44CincinnatiCrystal Randall37CincinnatiRory Hartmann30CincinnatiJulie Renae Wetzel34CincinnatiAshley Long30CincinnatiHaley Pennington26Moraine, OhioKenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge and agencies with the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force and Drug Abuse Reduction Task Force (DART) announced the sentence imposed on Feb. 6 by U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in this case.
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Chinese National Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty to Establishing A Commercial Enterprise for the Purpose of Evading Immigration LawsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Hua Yao Ke (38), of Jacksonville has pleaded guilty to establishing a commercial enterprise for the purpose of evading a provision of the immigration laws. Ke faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, Ke owned and operated the Kamiya 86 Sushi and Thai restaurant located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. At the restaurant, he employed workers who were unlawfully present in the United States. Contrary to federal law, Ke did not require the workers to provide documents to establish that they could legally work in the United States.
Ke also owned a residence at which he provided free housing to the undocumented workers, and he provided the workers with free transportation between the house and the restaurant. He also paid the workers in cash and did not withhold taxes and other payments from the workers’ wages.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Border Patrol, with assistance from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Chicago Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Manufacturing and Using Counterfeit BillsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit $100 bills and using them in retail stores.
MARQUISE SHORES used chemicals and a printer in his Chicago residence to manufacture approximately $92,000 in counterfeit $100 bills. Shores then used Facebook Messenger to recruit young women, including girls as young as 16 years old, to use the counterfeit bills to buy merchandise at retail stores, while Shores waited outside. He later instructed the young women to return the merchandise for genuine currency, with Shores retaining most of the illicit proceeds.
Shores, 28, pleaded guilty last year to a federal counterfeiting charge. U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall on Wednesday sentenced Shores to seven years and three months in prison.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Dai Tran, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. Secret Service. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kurt Siegal.
“Marquise Shores manufactured counterfeit currency and used it to defraud local businesses and enrich himself,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute counterfeiters and ensure the integrity of our economy.”
“The U.S. Secret Service is dedicated to combatting crimes that threaten or harm our nation’s financial infrastructure,” Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Tran said. “Counterfeiting not only harms that infrastructure, but also hurts law-abiding citizens as evidenced by the businesses defrauded in this case. I’m proud of our agents, and I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent work on this case.”
Bucks County Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Possession of Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Joseph Weikel, age 50, a resident of Quakertown, Pennsylvania was sentenced on February 6, 2025, to 30 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, for possession of an unregistered firearm.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on or about June 28, 2021, Weikel possessed two improvised explosive devices inside his former residence in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. After manufacturing the devices, Weikel concealed them behind the ceiling tiles in his apartment, abandoning them when he was evicted. The devices were discovered on May 31, 2023, by maintenance workers. Following their discovery, law enforcement agents disassembled the devices. They were subsequently analyzed at the FBI Laboratory and identified improvised explosive devices. Under federal law, it is illegal to manufacture or possess a destructive device without proper authority.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—Allentown Field Office and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson prosecuted the case.
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Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Man Sentenced for Distributing CocaineRead the Press Release
A man who conspired with others to distribute large quantities of cocaine that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman was sentenced today to more than 16 years in federal prison.
Michael Samuel Knight, age 38, from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, received the prison term after a September 10, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of cocaine within 1000 feet of several parks and schools in Dubuque, Iowa, between 2017 and April of 2021, that resulted in the death of a young Dubuque woman on February 14, 2021. Knight also pled guilty to personally distributing the cocaine on February 14, 2021, that caused the woman’s death.
At the plea hearing, Knight admitted he was a member of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the Dubuque area near numerous parks and schools. He admitted getting cocaine from the individual who brought it from Chicago, and then worked with others to distribute the cocaine to customers in Dubuque. On February 14, 2021, Knight distributed cocaine to a young woman in Dubuque who went home, used the cocaine and died.
Knight was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Knight was sentenced to 201months’ and 19 days imprisonment and was ordered to make $13,911 in restitution to the victim’s family. He must also serve a 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Knight is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office. 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-01013.
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Bristol Man Who Made Interstate Threats is SentencedRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DENNIS JOHN HERNANDEZ, also known as “DJ Hernandez” and “Jonathan Hernandez,” 38, of Bristol, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to approximately 18 months of imprisonment, time already served, and three years of supervised release for making interstate threats.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 6 and 7, 2023, Hernandez communicated with an individual via Facebook Messenger and made multiple statements threatening to carry out a shooting incident at UConn. The statements included “I would recommend remaining away from there because when I go I’m taking down everything And don’t give a f--- who gets caught in the crossfire. I’ve died for years now and now it’s others people turn. I’m prepared to give my life. So if I don’t get to see you on the outside know I love you always Not all shootings are bad I’m realizing. Some are necessary for change to happen.”
Court documents allege that Hernandez’s vehicle was identified on UConn’s campus on July 7.
On July 18 and 19, 2023, Hernandez made multiple Facebook posts threatening to harm or kill three individuals who reside out of state, including a state court judge. In addition, on July 19, in a conversation via text message with one of the victims, Hernandez stated “We’re taking lives if s--- isn’t paid up. It’s been years in planning just taking notes, names and locations. They talked their way into this and it’s almost point game. I know we don’t play in my family. If we have to take lives or buildings we will. So just letting you know so you can be prepared for a media circus one way or another.”
Hernandez has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on July 19, 2023. On December 18, 2024, he pleaded guilty to transmitting interstate communications containing a threat to injure.
While on supervised release, Hernandez must continue mental health and substance abuse treatment and allow his electronic devices to be monitored by the U.S. Probation Office, and he is prohibited from visiting UConn and other locations that he targeted in his threats.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bristol Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
Beechview Resident Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on February 6, 2025, to a charge of child exploitation, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Michael J. Close Jr., 53, of the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on at least four occasions from May 16, 2022, through July 6, 2022, Close purchased and received from an online Russian vendor compressed and encrypted video and still image collections depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, some of whom were prepubescent. Close created a cryptocurrency account and, using a cryptocurrency exchange platform, transferred payment to the vendor in bitcoin. Once payment was received, the vendor provided Close with a password to access and view the encrypted videos and still images.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the Court remanded Close to the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations in Pittsburgh and Portland, Maine, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Close.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Arkansas man sentenced for possessing machinegun conversion deviceRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Little Rock, Arkansas, man has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing a machinegun conversion device in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Jajuan Lee Bonds, 22, pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on February 7, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on July 21, 2022, an officer with the Corrigan Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Bonds. The officer observed what appeared to be marijuana in a clear plastic baggie in the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, the officer located a firearm outfitted with a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock Switch”. The modified handgun had been previously reported stolen. Federal law defines a machinegun as a weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Corrigan Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy Coleman.
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Anderson County Man Pleads Guilty to $13M Ponzi Scheme and Cyber StalkingRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Michael J. French, 41, of Pendleton, has pleaded guilty to operating a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme and to stalking two social media content creators.
Evidence put forth at the plea hearing established that French owned MJF Holdings, LLC and MJF Capital, LLC. Beginning in March 2019, through these companies, French offered promissory notes to investors that projected annual returns of 12 percent. He represented to investors that their funds would be used to provide loans to small businesses and that he had experience in the financial industry, including underwriting the loans in which the investor would be invested. French represented to investors that he would not receive compensation unless the promissory notes earned in excess of the 12 percent guaranteed to investors.
These were false representations. French paid previous investors with new investor monies because his investment product was not generating returns. This lulled investors into believing the product was successful, when, in fact, French was spending investor money to maintain a lavish lifestyle that included supporting female social media content creators by paying them thousands of dollars each month.
At one point, the content creators stopped communicating with French. He became angry with the women and began harassing them through various “burner” phone numbers and fake email accounts. French claimed that he was a sniper, had killed people, and that the police could not protect them. French traveled to one woman’s home unannounced, forcing her to hide in a locked vehicle in the garage with her 2-year-old child. She called 911 as French attempted to force his way into the home. He was arrested by local police before he could reach them.
United State Chief District Judge Timothy Cain accepted French’s guilty plea and will sentence him after receiving and reviewing a pre-sentence report from the U.S. Probation Office. French faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.
The FBI Columbia Field Office and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins is prosecuting the case.
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