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13 March 2025
Dumfries man sentenced to over 19 years in prison for a series of armed robberies and fentanyl possessionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Dumfries man was sentenced today to 19 years and two months in prison for conspiracy to commit armed robbery and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl.
According to court documents, from March 6, 2024, through March 27, 2024, Dwayne Selman-Neville, 38, and a co-conspirator, Al Gibran Taylor, 42, of Reston, conspired to rob multiple local businesses throughout Northern Virginia.
On March 8, 2024, Taylor entered a Starbucks in Herndon, jumped over the store’s counter, and pointed a handgun at employees. Taylor ordered the employees to open the store's safe and give him cash. Taylor left the store with stolen money and fled with Selman-Neville who was waiting nearby in a vehicle.
On March 11, 2024, Selman-Neville entered a check cashing store in Chantilly dressed as an Amazon delivery driver and carrying a cardboard box with an Amazon.com logo on it. Selman-Neville showed a cashier a piece of paper on the clipboard that stated, among other things, "This is a robbery." Selman-Neville then grabbed the cashier's arm and pushed her toward the store's safe. When the cashier attempted to press a panic button, Selman-Neville said, "No, don't do that, I'm going to kill you." At Selman-Neville's demand, the cashier took a tray of cash from the safe and gave it to him. Selman-Neville ran out of the store and fled with Taylor, who was waiting nearby in a vehicle.
On March 14, 2024, Selman-Neville and Taylor approached a drive-through window at a bank in Herndon. Either Selman-Neville or Taylor handed the drive-through teller a note stating, among other things, "This is a bank robbery. Follow your training and follow my instructions. I have an associate inside the bank right now, who is ready to kill on my signal." The note demanded money from the bank and stated, "If you comply, no one will get hurt." The teller left the drive-through window for a short period of time, and Selman-Neville and Taylor drove away before they could obtain any money.
On March 14, 2024, Selman-Neville, again disguised as an Amazon delivery driver, entered a check cashing store in Annandale and spoke with the store's cashier, who was behind a window. Approximately 40 seconds later, Selman-Neville walked out of the store after the cashier, who did not speak English, was unable to understand what Selman-Neville was saying to her.
On March 26, 2024, Taylor was arrested by federal authorities for a different offense and detained pending trial.
On March 27, 2024, Selman-Neville robbed a check cashing store in Woodbridge, once again dressed as an Amazon delivery driver. He drove to the store in a vehicle that he and Taylor had rented together the previous week. The store’s cashier area was separated by a window and a locking door from customers. As Selman-Neville approached the window, a cashier opened the door and took an Amazon box from Selman-Neville. Selman-Neville then grabbed this cashier by the arm and pushed her toward a cash register. Selman-Neville pointed a handgun at the cashier and another employee and ordered them to give him money. The employees complied and Selman-Neville ran to the rental vehicle and fled.
On April 15, 2024, law enforcement arrested Selman-Neville and searched a residence where he had been staying. Investigators found clothes that Selman-Neville wore during some of the robberies, including a vest with an Amazon logo. They also found 280 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, 136 pills containing oxycodone, 46.37 grams of solid pink material containing methamphetamine, 26.07 grams of solid material containing dipentylone, and 7.23 grams of cocaine hydrochloride.
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 sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles. The Fairfax County Police Department and Prince William County Police Department assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel K. Amzallag 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-220.
Dual Russian and Israeli National Extradited to the United States for His Role in the LockBit Ransomware ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A dual Russian and Israeli national was extradited to the United States on charges that he was a developer of the LockBit ransomware group, United States Attorney John Giordano announced.
In August, Rostislav Panev, 51, was arrested in Israel pursuant to a U.S. provisional arrest request. Today, Panev was extradited to the United States and had an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa where Panev was detained pending trial.
“Rostislav Panev’s extradition to the District of New Jersey makes it clear: if you are a member of the LockBit ransomware conspiracy, the United States will find you and bring you to justice,” said United States Attorney John Giordano. “Even as the means and methods of cybercriminals become more sophisticated, my Office and our FBI, Criminal Division, and international law enforcement partners are more committed than ever to prosecuting these criminals.”
"No one is safe from ransomware attacks, from individuals to institutions. Along with our international partners, the FBI continues to leave no stone unturned when it comes to following LockBit's trail of destruction. We will continue to work tirelessly to prevent actors, such as Panev, from hacking their way to financial gain," said Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Newark Division Terence G. Reilly.
According to the superseding complaint, documents filed in this and related cases, and statements made in court, Panev acted as a developer of the LockBit ransomware group from its inception in or around 2019 through at least February 2024. During that time, Panev and his LockBit coconspirators grew LockBit into what was, at times, the most active and destructive ransomware group in the world. The LockBit group attacked more than 2,500 victims in at least 120 countries around the world, including 1,800 in the United States. Their victims ranged from individuals and small businesses to multinational corporations, including hospitals, schools, nonprofit organizations, critical infrastructure, and government and law-enforcement agencies. LockBit’s members extracted at least $500 million in ransom payments from their victims and caused billions of dollars in other losses, including lost revenue and costs from incident response and recovery.
LockBit’s members were comprised of “developers,” like Panev, who designed the LockBit malware code and maintained the infrastructure on which LockBit operated. LockBit’s other members, called “affiliates,” carried out LockBit attacks and extorted ransom payments from LockBit victims. LockBit’s developers and affiliates would then split the ransom payments which were extorted from victims.
As alleged in the superseding complaint, at the time of Panev’s arrest in Israel in August, law enforcement discovered on Panev’s computer administrator credentials for an online repository that was hosted on the dark web and stored source code for multiple versions of the LockBit builder, which allowed LockBit’s affiliates to generate custom builds of the LockBit ransomware malware for particular victims. On that repository, law enforcement also discovered source code for LockBit’s StealBit tool, which helped LockBit affiliates exfiltrate data stolen through LockBit attacks. Law enforcement also discovered access credentials for the LockBit control panel, an online dashboard maintained by LockBit developers for LockBit’s affiliates and hosted by those developers on the dark web.
The superseding complaint also alleges that Panev exchanged direct messages through a cybercriminal forum with LockBit’s primary administrator, who, in an indictment unsealed in the District of New Jersey in May, the United States alleged to be Dimitry Yuryevich Khoroshev (Дмитрий Юрьевич Хорошев), also known as LockBitSupp, LockBit, and putinkrab. In those messages, Panev and the LockBit primary administrator discussed work that needed to be done on the LockBit builder and control panel.
Court documents further indicate that, between June 2022 and February 2024, the primary LockBit administrator made a series of transfers of cryptocurrency, laundered through one or more illicit cryptocurrency mixing services, of approximately $10,000 per month to a cryptocurrency wallet owned by Panev. Those transfers amounted to over $230,000 during that period.
In interviews with Israeli authorities following his arrest in August, Panev admitted to having performed coding, development, and consulting work for the LockBit group and to having received regular payments in cryptocurrency for that work, consistent with the transfers identified by U.S. authorities. Among the work that Panev admitted to having completed for the LockBit group was the development of code to disable antivirus software; to deploy malware to multiple computers connected to a victim network; and to print the LockBit ransom note to all printers connected to a victim network. Panev also admitted to having written and maintained LockBit malware code and to having provided technical guidance to the LockBit group.
The LockBit Investigation
The superseding complaint against, and apprehension of, Panev follows a disruption of LockBit ransomware in February 2024 by the U.K. National Crime Agency (NCA)’s Cyber Division, which worked in cooperation with the Justice Department, FBI, and other international law enforcement partners. As previously announced by the Department, authorities disrupted LockBit by seizing numerous public-facing websites used by LockBit to connect to the organization’s infrastructure and by seizing control of servers used by LockBit administrators, thereby disrupting the ability of LockBit actors to attack and encrypt networks and extort victims by threatening to publish stolen data. That disruption succeeded in greatly diminishing LockBit’s reputation and its ability to attack further victims, as alleged by documents filed in this case.
The superseding complaint against Panev also follows charges brought in the District of New Jersey against other LockBit members, including its alleged primary creator, developer, and administrator, Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev. An indictment against Khoroshev unsealed in May alleges that Khoroshev began developing LockBit as early as September 2019, continued acting as the group’s administrator through 2024, a role in which Khoroshev recruited new affiliate members, spoke for the group publicly under the alias “LockBitSupp,” and developed and maintained the infrastructure used by affiliates to deploy LockBit attacks. Khoroshev is currently the subject of a reward of up to $10 million through the U.S. Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) Rewards Program, with information accepted through the FBI tip website at www.tips.fbi.gov/.
A total of seven LockBit members have now been charged in the District of New Jersey. Beyond Panev and Khoroshev, other previously charged LockBit defendants include:
- In July, two LockBit affiliate members, Mikhail Vasiliev, also known as Ghostrider, Free, Digitalocean90, Digitalocean99, Digitalwaters99, and Newwave110, and Ruslan Astamirov, also known as BETTERPAY, offtitan, and Eastfarmer, pleaded guilty in the District of New Jersey for their participation in the LockBit ransomware group and admitted deploying multiple LockBit attacks against U.S. and foreign victims. Vasiliev and Astamirov are presently in custody awaiting sentencing.
- In February 2024, in parallel with the disruption operation described above, an indictment was unsealed in the District of New Jersey charging Russian nationals Artur Sungatov and Ivan Kondratyev, also known as Bassterlord, with deploying LockBit against numerous victims throughout the United States, including businesses nationwide in the manufacturing and other industries, as well as victims around the world in the semiconductor and other industries. Sungatov and Kondratyev remain at large.
- In May 2023, two indictments were unsealed in Washington, D.C., and the District of New Jersey charging Mikhail Matveev, also known as Wazawaka, m1x, Boriselcin, and Uhodiransomwar, with using different ransomware variants, including LockBit, to attack numerous victims throughout the United States, including the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department. Matveev remains at large and is currently the subject of a reward of up to $10 million through the U.S. Department of State’s TOC Rewards Program, with information accepted through the FBI tip website at www.tips.fbi.gov/.
The U.S. Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) Rewards Program is offering rewards of:
- Up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction in any country of Khoroshev;
- Up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Matveev;
- Up to $10 million for information leading to the identification and location of any individuals who hold a key leadership position in LockBit; and
- Up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction in any country of any individual participating or attempting to participate in LockBit.
Information is accepted through the FBI tip website at tips.fbi.gov.
Khoroshev, Matveev, Sungatov, and Kondratyev have also been designated for sanctions by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for their roles in launching cyberattacks.
Victim Assistance
LockBit victims are encouraged to contact the FBI and submit information at www.ic3.gov. As announced by the Department in February, law enforcement, through its disruption efforts, has developed decryption capabilities that may enable hundreds of victims around the world to restore systems encrypted using the LockBit ransomware variant. Submitting information at the IC3 site will enable law enforcement to determine whether affected systems can be successfully decrypted.
LockBit victims are also encouraged to visit www.justice.gov/usao-nj/lockbit for case updates and information regarding their rights under U.S. law, including the right to submit victim impact statements and request restitution, in the criminal litigation against Panev, Astamirov, and Vasiliev.
The FBI Newark Field Office, under the supervision of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, is investigating the LockBit ransomware variant. Israel’s Office of the State Attorney, Department of International Affairs, and Israel National Police; France’s Gendarmerie Nationale Cyberspace Command, Paris Prosecution Office — Cyber Division, and judicial authorities at the Tribunal Judiciare of Paris; Europol; Eurojust; the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency; Germany’s Landeskriminalamt Schleswig-Holstein, Bundeskriminalamt, and the Central Cybercrime Department North Rhine-Westphalia; Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice, Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Canton of Zurich, and Zurich Cantonal Police; Spain’s Policia Nacional and Guardia Civil; authorities in Japan; Australian Federal Police; Sweden’s Polismyndighetens; Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Politie Dienst Regionale Recherche Oost-Brabant of the Netherlands; and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation have provided significant assistance and coordination in these matters and in the LockBit investigation generally.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, David E. Malagold, and Vinay Limbachia for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys Debra Ireland and Jorge Gonzalez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the charges against Panev and the other previously charged LockBit defendants in the District of New Jersey.
The Justice Department’s former Cybercrime Liaison Prosecutor to Eurojust, Office of International Affairs, and National Security Division also provided significant assistance.
Additional details on protecting networks against LockBit ransomware are available at StopRansomware.gov. These include Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Advisories AA23-325A, AA23-165A, and AA23-075A.
The charges and allegations contained in the superseding complaint and above-named Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Frank Arleo, Esq.
panev.complaint.pdfCrown Point Man Sentenced to 135 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Adam Lee Taylor, 45 years old, of Crown Point, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to distributing child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Taylor was sentenced to 135 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $6,000 in monetary assessments that support services for victims of human trafficking and child sexual abuse.
According to documents in the case, in November 2022, Taylor distributed a series of videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to members of a group chat on an encrypted messaging platform. Federal agents subsequently executed a search warrant at Taylor’s residence and discovered additional CSAM in Taylor’s possession.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Indiana State Police Digital Forensics Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary D. Heater.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor VictimRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced Daniel Valentin-Morales, 35, of Frederick, Maryland, to 13 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for one count of coercion and enticement. Judge Bredar also ordered that Valentin-Morales must register as a sex offender in places where he resides and is employed, upon his release from prison, pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Jason Lando, Frederick Police Department.
According to the plea agreement, Valentin-Morales used the social media application Snapchat to induce a minor victim to send several videos of her performing sex acts. Valentin-Morales then distributed the videos and additional child sexual abuse material videos to others. The investigation revealed that Valentin-Morales was a substitute teacher in Frederick County, Maryland.
In August 2020, and again in March 2021, investigators executed search warrants on Snapchat for records and the contents of Valentin-Morales’ account. Investigators learned that Valentin-Morales’ Snapchat account contained more than 200 files of suspected child sexual abuse material.
Additionally, investigators uncovered hundreds of chat messages expressing a sexual interest in minors, including with his own students. Valentin-Morales further communicated with minors to entice them to perform sexual acts and/or send him sexually explicit material that he distributed to users.
During a subsequent search warrant executed at Valentin-Morales’ home, law enforcement located multiple electronic devices. During law enforcement’s review of a device, they found files containing child sexual abuse material, including images depicting a minor victim.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. Learn more about Internet safety education by clicking on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and Frederick Police Department for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Aubin who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Citizen of Zimbabwe, who twice crossed illegally from Canada into Washington State, pleads guilty to gun and drug crimesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A citizen of Zimbabwe pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two federal felonies related to his illegal border crossing in the wilderness area between Canada and Western Washington, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Tatenda Banga, 30, was observed twice in 2024 on surveillance cameras near Hozomeen, Washington in the North Cascades. Today Banga pleaded guilty to being an unlawful alien in possession of firearms and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Sentencing is scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead on June 12, 2025.
According to the plea agreement, on January 3, 2024, the U.S. Border Patrol detection technology captured an image of an armed person entering the United States near the north end of Ross Lake near Hozomeen, Washington. The image shows a person, later identified as Banga, crossing over the border with a longarm shotgun. Later that day Banga is seen defacing another camera near the border. Personnel from the Border Patrol and the National Park Service responded and searched for the person pictured in the surveillance, but the subject fled into the woods and was not located. Agents did find a loaded 12-gauge Winchester shotgun that appeared to match the gun in the surveillance image that the subject left behind during his flight from law enforcement. The gun was traced to a firearms dealer in Montreal, but no fingerprint records matching those on the gun were found at the time.
On December 27, 2024, the National Park Service alerted Border Patrol to suspected cross border activity. A National Park Service canoe was discovered near Ross Dam with a machete and food wrappers inside the canoe. RCMP cameras provided an image of someone with a headlamp and backpack moving toward the U.S./Canada border.
While driving Highway 20 (the North Cascades Highway) near the south end of Ross Lake, Border Patrol agents noticed Banga walking on the side of the highway. Banga’s appearance matched the appearance of the individual from the RCMP surveillance images. Banga was contacted for an immigration inspection and had no documents to establish that he had legally crossed into the U.S. or that he was legally present in the U.S. When Banga was taken into custody he was found to have scales, gelatin capsules and about 1.4 pounds of MDMA in his possession.
It was then that Border Patrol Agents recognized Banga as being the same individual who was recorded defacing cameras in the area nearly a year prior. Border Patrol Agents reran the fingerprints found on the shotgun that was recovered on the U.S. side of the border back in January 2024, and the fingerprints on the gun matched to Banga. Information on Banga’s phone also linked him to the shotgun. Banga admits that he unlawfully entered the U.S. while armed with the shotgun.
Being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Judge Whitehead will determine the actual sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol Blaine Sector Anti-Smuggling Unit, National Park Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer and Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Collins.
Charlottesville Man to Serve 10 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Charlottesville, Virginia man, who believed he was communicating online with the father of a 12-year-old boy and arranged to meet the purported 12-year-old boy to have sex with and in front of the child, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison on child pornography charges.
William Combs, 54, pled guilty in January 2024 to a one-count Information charging him with possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, in July 2023, Combs engaged in an online chat with who Combs believed to be the father of a 12-year-old boy. During these discussions, Combs attempted to arrange a meeting with the 12-year-old for the purpose of having sex with the minor. Shortly before the time of the scheduled meeting, Combs cut off all communication with the alleged father.
Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement obtained the physical address associated with the IP address linked to the user identified as Combs.
On August 10, 2023, officers conducted a search of Combs’ residence and recovered several electronic devices. Following a forensic review, agents identified more than 25,000 files depicting minor children and suspected minor children engaged in sex acts. These files included prepubescent children and children who had not yet obtained the age of 12 years old.
The Department of Homeland Security- Homeland Security Investigations and the Albemarle County Police Department investigated the case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee, ICE Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck, and Col. Sean Reeves, Chief of Albemarle County Police Department, made the announcement.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
California man sentenced in cryptocurrency money laundering conspiracyRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A California man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a cryptocurrency money laundering conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
John Khuu, 29, of San Francisco, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on March 12, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Khuu conspired with others to launder the proceeds of his drug trafficking organization through cryptocurrency. Khuu illegally imported counterfeit pharmaceutical and MDMA (“ecstasy”) pills from Germany then distributed them to customers across the United States, primarily on dark web markets (DWMs). Customers paid for their purchases by transferring cryptocurrency, usually Bitcoin (BTC), from their DWM customer accounts to one of Khuu’s vendor accounts. Khuu and his co-conspirators traded the BTC for U.S. currency and laundered and transmitted the proceeds through hundreds of transactions and dozens of financial accounts.
Khuu was indicted on May 18, 2022, in the Eastern District of Texas and charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering. On August 17, 2022, Khuu was indicted in the Northern District of California and charged with unlawful importation of a Schedule I controlled substance. On August 19, 2022, agents arrested Khuu pursuant to both warrants at a residence in Garden Grove, California.
This effort is part of Operation Crypto Runner, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The cases were investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, San Francisco, and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys D. Ryan Locker and Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld for the Eastern District of Texas, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Bisesto for the Northern District of California.
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California Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Victor Garcia will spend the next 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr.
A federal grand jury indicted Garcia, 43, of Palmdale, California, in a superseding indictment on April 5, 2023. He was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. On November 4, 2024, Garcia pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
On December 21, 2022, the Conway Police Department conducted a traffic stop and upon investigation, discovered Garcia had a federal warrant for drug distribution out of California. Officers conducted a pat down search of Garcia and located a methamphetamine pipe in his possession. Garcia admitted to officers that he had a small amount of marijuana in the center console of the vehicle. During the officers questioning of Garcia and his passenger, they provided officers inconsistent stories. Upon a search of the passenger, officers located a baggie of methamphetamine in her possession.
While conducting a search of the vehicle, officers noted the carpeting was not uniform and after locating the seam of the carpet, determined it had been glued down. Officers pulled the carpet back and discovered a sheet of metal with hinges. Upon a search of this after-market hidden compartment, officers located over 20 kilograms of pure methamphetamine in five vacuum-sealed bags.
Judge Marshall sentenced Garcia to serve 168 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Judge Marshall also sentenced Garcia to five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Conway Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Brooklyn Man Admits to Fraudulently Entering Competitor Laboratory, Destroying and Stealing EquipmentRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Brooklyn, New York man admitted to having entered a laboratory business on false pretenses and destroying and stealing that business’ equipment, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.
Eric Leykin, 33, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to a one-count indictment charging him with wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Leykin was the CEO of a clinical reference laboratory based in New Jersey. Leykin’s laboratory competed against the victim business, another clinical reference laboratory also based in New Jersey. On June 30, 2022, Leykin bought and activated a prepaid mobile phone and called an employee of the victim business, claiming to be a technician with a vendor that the victim business used to service its laboratory equipment. On that false pretense, Leykin arranged with the victim business’ employee to come to the victim business on the following day, supposedly to service the victim business’ laboratory equipment. On July 1, 2022, the date of the supposed service appointment, Leykin went to the victim business, entered the premises fraudulently posing as a vendor technician, and proceeded to destroy a significant amount of the victim business’ laboratory and computer equipment. Leykin also stole multiple hard drives housed within the victim business’ equipment.
The wire fraud count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for July 22, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. U.S. Attorney Giordano also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, and the Millburn Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Gilfedder, for substantial assistance provided to the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, Deputy Chief of the Cybercrime Unit, and Chana Y. Zuckier of the Bank Integrity, Recovery, and Money Laundering Unit.
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Defense counsel: Albert Dayan, Esq.; Robert DeGroot, Esq.; Oleg Nekritin, Esq.
leykin.indictment.pdfBOP Inmate Sentenced for Possession of ContrabandRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A United States Bureau of Prisons inmate housed at the Yazoo Federal Correctional Institute was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for possession of contraband within the prison facility.
According to court documents, Frederick Joshua Scott, 36, while an inmate in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons was found in possession of fifteen individually wrapped packages of methamphetamine. Scott pleaded guilty to the charged conduct on November 8, 2024. In delivering the sentence, the Court ordered that the 16-month sentence for the instant offense run consecutive to the 180-month sentence Scott was already serving for his previous 2014 federal conviction for Felon in Possession of a Firearm in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.
The United States Bureau of Prisons investigated the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael FiggsGanter and Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff prosecuted the case.
Aliquippa Cocaine and Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on March 12, 2025, to 10 years of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of federal supervised release, on his drug trafficking conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Kijana Stephaun Lowe, 27.
According to information presented to the Court, Lowe was a participant in a drug trafficking organization that was the subject of a joint investigation by federal, state, and local law enforcement operating under the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program in Beaver County. Prison call recordings between Lowe and an inmate at State Correctional Institution Phoenix revealed that Lowe would order kilogram quantities of cocaine and fentanyl from the prisoner, who would then direct a co-defendant to deliver the controlled substances to Lowe. Lowe in turn supplied the drugs to another co-defendant, who would subsequently sell them to end users.
In November 2021, investigators learned that an in-person delivery of kilogram quantities of cocaine was planned to Lowe in the Western District of Pennsylvania. On November 8, 2021, law enforcement conducted a surveillance operation at the Greyhound Bus Station in downtown Pittsburgh, where they observed two co-defendants exit the bus station with suitcases and enter a vehicle driven by a third co-defendant. Mobile surveillance followed the vehicle to a motel in Coraopolis.
A separate surveillance detail followed Lowe from his residence to the same motel, where they observed Lowe enter the motel room occupied by the three co-defendants, and then, back outside, accept one of the suitcases transported from the bus station. Law enforcement detained the individuals and executed search warrants on the suitcase, the motel room, and Lowe’s vehicle. The suitcase contained nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine, while Lowe’s vehicle contained over $280,000 that was to be used to purchase the seized cocaine. In conjunction with the interdiction, law enforcement obtained search warrants for cell phones found in the possession of Lowe and one of the co-defendants. Digital extractions revealed numerous communications and photographs between the conspirators regarding their drug trafficking activity.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman emphasized that the amount of fentanyl and cocaine attributable to Lowe in this drug trafficking organization was staggering and that these controlled substances were a poison to the community. Judge Stickman also denied Lowe’s request to have his federal sentence run concurrently to a recent parole revocation related to his last felony drug trafficking crimes, explaining to Lowe that he “do(es) not get a free crime.”
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kara Cotter prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lowe and his co-conspirators.
Adult man guilty of pretending to be minor to illegally enter the countryRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – An 18-year-old Honduran citizen has admitted to making false statements in a juvenile immigration case, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
On Feb. 2, Elger Fabricio Cotto-Navarro represented to law enforcement he was an unaccompanied minor as he attempted to enter the country near Roma.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) must provide care for each unaccompanied alien child who has no lawful immigration status in the United States for whom there is no parent or legal guardian in the country with the ability to provide such care and custody. As such, Cotto-Navarro was placed in a facility charged with the housing and needs for unaccompanied alien children.
Cotto-Navarro identified himself as a minor with a date of birth of May 2007 to his case manager. However, the investigation revealed Cotto-Navarro was actually an adult posing as a minor. Cotto-Navarro denied the allegations and made a written statement, still claiming to be a juvenile.
He later acknowledged he was born in 2006 and an adult. He admitted he provided an incorrect date of birth and that his submitted written statements attesting to being a juvenile while in DHHS custody were false.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. will impose sentencing June 17. At that time, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
DHHS-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Marian is prosecuting the case.
700,000 Blue M30 Pills Containing Fentanyl Seized Inside Roofing Shingles and ResidenceRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Carlos Rene Montes, 32, a United States Citizen from Tucson, and Miguel Angel Sesma, 30, a legal permanent resident from Mexico living in Phoenix, were charged on Tuesday by federal criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl after agents seized a combined total of approximately 700,000 blue M30 pills from Sesma’s truck and Montes’ residence.
According to the criminal complaint, on March 10, 2025, DEA Phoenix East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force (EVDETF) investigators observed Montes drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee into a Phoenix store parking lot and park next to a white Ford F250 bearing Sonora license plates. After speaking briefly with Sesma, the driver of the Ford F250, Montes transferred factory-sealed packages of roofing shingles from his vehicle to the bed of the Ford F250.
After Montes left the parking lot, EVDETF investigators conducted traffic stops on both the Jeep Cherokee and Ford F250. A Mesa Police Department Canine Detective conducted an open-air sniff of the Ford F250 and alerted to narcotics in the vicinity of the truck bed. Investigators searched Sesma’s truck and seized approximately 52 kilograms (114 pounds) of blue M30 pills laced with fentanyl, which were concealed in the roofing shingles. Sesma and Montes were subsequently placed under arrest.
According to the criminal complaint, Montes advised investigators that he possessed more drugs at his residence in Tucson. During a consensual search of Montes’ residence, investigators seized approximately 14.68 kilograms of blue M30 pills (32 pounds) containing fentanyl.
Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute More than 400 grams of Fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000,000.
A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force which is comprised of partners from: the Mesa Police Department, the Gilbert Police Department, the Apache Junction Police Department, the Salt River Police Department and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Stuart Zander, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-MJ-6099-PHX-ASB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-033_Montes et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
12 March 2025
Yakima Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Kalispel Tribal Cultural Items from the Northern Quest Resort and CasinoRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that on March 12, 2025, Kevin William Wissman, age 61, of Yakima, Washington, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to one misdemeanor count of theft from an Indian tribal organization.
Based on court documents and information presented at the change-of-plea hearing, on October 30, 2020, Wissman stole five moccasins and one beaded glove that were on display in the Heritage Hall of the Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Airway Heights, Washington. The items were displayed inside a shadow box and behind a glass display window at the time Wissman stole them. To date, the stolen items have not been recovered.
“This theft was devastating to the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and the individuals who lost their invaluable family heirlooms,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Barker. “My office takes seriously the theft of any Indian cultural items and will continue to hold accountable those who illegally take, possess, or traffic in such items.”
“To the Kalispel Tribe, these are not just decorative items in a display case, but rather priceless and irreplaceable pieces of the Kalispel’s history,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Together with our tribal and federal partners, FBI Seattle will not accept the theft of cultural items and will work to reinforce the consequences of these actions to deter other would-be thieves.”
“We’re grateful to the Kalispel Tribal Police Department and the FBI for tracking down the person responsible for the theft of these cherished family heirlooms,” said Nick Pierre, a Kalispel Tribal Council Member and General Manager of Northern Quest Resort & Casino. “While we hope justice will be served, it doesn’t make up for the fact that the items have still not been recovered. The Kalispel Tribe of Indians is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to the safe return of the stolen items. We encourage anyone with information to please come forward.”
To report information about the stolen items, please contact the Kalispel Tribal Police Department at (509) 481-4444.
United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice accepted Wissman’s guilty plea and set sentencing for June 12, 2025, at 1:30 pm.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Kalispel Tribal Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Vander Giessen.
2:23-cr-00116-TOR
Woman Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Assault While ArmedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marquita Holloman, 36, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with a stabbing that occurred in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, S.E. on September 13, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On March 11, 2025, Holloman pleaded guilty to aggravated assault while armed before the Honorable Michael Ryan, who scheduled sentencing for May 13, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:00 p.m. on September 13, 2023, Holloman and the victim got into a verbal argument while hanging out in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, S.E. After the argument had concluded, the victim walked away from Holloman and towards her daughter, who was also present in the block that night. Holloman got up from the chair she was seated in and lunged at the victim with a knife, stabbing the victim’s daughter in the neck in the process. Holloman then attacked the victim and stabbed her multiple times in the face and head. The victim and her daughter were both transported to local hospitals for treatment of their wounds. The victim suffered severe damage to her right eye that ultimately required surgery to remove the eye.
MPD officers and detectives reviewed surveillance video footage of the stabbing from nearby Savoy Elementary school, which led to Holloman’s identification as the assailant. MPD detectives arrested Holloman on January 8, 2024, pursuant to an arrest warrant.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorney Ella Gladman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Washington State Resident Sentenced for Receiving Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Christopher Dean Robinson-Holm, age 26, of Lynnwood, Washington, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of Receipt of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. This term of imprisonment will be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
The charge arose from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.
On August 26, 2024, Robinson-Holm pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, in June 2022, Robinson-Holm knowingly received a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The subject of that image resided in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
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.
We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.com, through the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or through Homeland Security Investigations at 1-877-4-HSI TIP.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Robinson-Holm will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caila M. Cleary represented the United States.
Wagoner County Resident Sentenced for Two Counts of Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nicholas Lapez Scarborough, age 32, of Redbird, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 405 months in prison for two counts of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On May 6, 2024, Scarborough pleaded guilty to two counts of Murder in Indian Country—Second Degree. According to investigators, on October 24, 2023, Scarborough intentionally stabbed two individuals with a steak knife. One victim died after completing an emergency call for help. A second victim died two weeks later from injuries sustained in the attack. The crimes occurred in Wagoner County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Scarborough will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Virginia Beach man sentenced to 40 years in prison for attempting to coerce children to send child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced to 40 years in prison for attempted production of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and distribution of CSAM.
According to court documents, on March 10, 2024, Andrew Joseph Fernandez, 33, a married Machinist’s Mate in the U.S. Navy, contacted a victim, identified as Minor Victim 1 (MV1), by private message on TikTok and later continued to engage with her by text messages. The victim told Fernandez that she was 10 years old and Fernandez told her that he was under 13 years old, that his name was Levi, and that he previously attended her school before he moved to another state.
Fernandez’s text messages quickly turned sexual, sending a sexually graphic message within one minute of his first text and a video exposing himself two minutes later. Fernandez continued to engage the child in sexual conversations and sending graphic images, even after the victim declined his offers to send more. He also made the victim promise to keep their conversations a secret.
On March 14, 2024, a school bus driver overheard MV1 describing sexually explicit subjects and alerted the school principal, who contacted MV1’s parent. Law enforcement began an investigation and learned that MV1 was actually nine years old. An FBI agent assumed the victim’s identity and continued to engage with Fernandez, who continued to send sexually explicit images, which he directed the victim to delete. Fernandez attempted to persuade MV1 to produce CSAM depicting herself by telling her that the images would lead to a lucrative modeling audition.
On Oct. 3, 2023, Fernandez engaged Minor Victim 2 (MV2), a 14-year-old girl, in text and WhatsApp messages, introducing himself as 13-year-old “Levi.” Less than four minutes after his first text message to MV2, Fernandez sent her a video of himself engaged in a sexual act. MV2 reacted negatively, and no messages were exchanged for about two months. When their messages resumed, Fernandez offered to send more sexual images of himself, which the victim declined. On Dec. 3, 2023, Fernandez asked MV2 to produce CSAM, and she declined. When MV2 expressed concern after Fernandez threatened to end their relationship, Fernandez took the opportunity to again send sexually graphic images of himself and pressured her to provide CSAM.
On July 13, 2023, Fernandez began engaging in text messages with Minor Victim 3 (MV3), a friend of MV1 who was eight years old, but told Fernandez that she was 10. Fernandez told MV3 that his name was Levi and that he attended her school. Less than one minute after his first message, Fernandez asked MV3 whether she was dating anyone and if she wanted “to go out.” Then, after asking MV3 if she could keep a secret, Fernandez began sending sexually graphic messages.
On Aug. 19, 2023, after asking her age again, Fernandez sent to MV3 a video depicting himself in a sexual act, then became angry that she did not want to see images of that type of content. He nonetheless sent similar images and videos and requested that MV3 send him CSAM.
Messages found on Fernandez cellphone show that he engaged in similar conduct with several other victims, including sending sexually explicit images of himself, sending CSAM, and requesting CSAM from the victims, some of whom acquiesced to his requests.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Michael Feinberg, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. The FBI New York Field Office and Dutchess County (New York) Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the Dutchess Child Advocacy Center provided valuable assistance in this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony C. Marek prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 2:24-cr-55.
Vietnamese National Pleads Guilty to Using Stolen Identity of Deceased Individual for over Five YearsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Vietnamese man who has been residing in Braintree, Mass., and whose true identity was unknown at indictment, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to passport fraud and aggravated identity theft.
John Doe, a/k/a “Truong Nguyen,” 50, pleaded guilty to passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2025. The defendant was arrested and charged in May 2024 and released on conditions including an unsecured bond of $50,000. He was later indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024.
In March 2023, the defendant submitted a passport application in-person at the U.S. post office in Weymouth, presenting himself to be an individual identified as HH (the victim). In support of the application, Doe provided the victim’s date of birth and Social Security number, a copy of the victim’s U.S. birth certificate, as well a Massachusetts driver’s license with the victim’s information.
In June 2023, the Boston Passport Agency forwarded the defendant’s passport application and supporting documents to federal law enforcement, after verifying a death record for HH (the victim) when reviewing the application. The Social Security number, date of birth and parental information provided by Doe in his passport application matched the records for the deceased victim. It was ultimately confirmed that the victim died in Boston in 2002 at the age of 13. The passport was not issued to the defendant.
A subsequent investigation determined that the defendant used the victim’s identity to obtain and use multiple government-issued identification documents in the victim’s name, including Massachusetts driver’s licenses in June 2018, January 2019 and April 2023, as well as a Social Security card in the victim’s name in 2018.
Doe also used the deceased victim’s identity to obtain an EMT-Basic Certification in 2021 and an EMT-Paramedic Certification in 2023, before going on to apply for employment as a paramedic, again using the stolen identity.
From November 2023 to January 2024, Doe used the deceased victim’s identity to attend the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. After graduating, the defendant began employment with the Melrose Fire Department in the name of the victim, where he worked until his arrest in May 2024.
The investigation further revealed that Doe (while using the identity of the victim) was the subject of an RMV fraud hearing in August 2018, after a facial recognition hit determined the defendant had been issued Massachusetts driver’s licenses under two separate identities – that of an individual identified as Truong Nguyen issued in February 2018 and that of the deceased victim issued in June 2018. At the fraud hearing, Doe claimed the victim’s identity was his true identity and presented a birth certificate and Social Security card issued under the deceased victim’s identity. As a result of the hearing, RMV closed the case – determining the victim was Doe’s true identity and suspending his license for six months.
However, the investigation found that Doe matched the identity of Nguyen and the individual’s corresponding records which span from 1997 to 2018. Specifically, Nguyen entered the United States from Vietnam in 1979 as a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR). In 1995, Nguyen’s LPR status was revoked and he was ordered deported after being convicted of second-degree burglary in 1991. Although ordered deported, the investigation revealed that Nguyen was not physically deported to Vietnam. Nguyen was later arrested in 2010 for embezzlement and larceny after allegedly stealing over $46,000 from the Norwell Firefighters Union while working as an officer of the union.
At the plea hearing, John Doe stated under oath that is true identity his Truong Nguyen.
The charge of false statement in a passport application provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be added to the felony committed while using the means of identification of another without lawful authority. The defendant will be subject to deportation proceedings upon competition of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Matthew O’Brien. Special Agent in Charge of the Department of State/Diplomatic Security Service; Braintree Police Chief Tim Cohoon; Melrose Police Chief Kevin M. Faller; Melrose Fire Chief John White; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan; and Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.UPDATE: This press release was amended on March 14, 2025 to reflect that the defendant is 50 years old, not 40 years old.
U.S. Attorney's Office and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Charge Convicted Felon with Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A convicted felon has been charged with unlawful possession of firearms after law enforcement discovered multiple guns during a search warrant execution at his Albuquerque residence.
According to court documents, on March 7, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence in Albuquerque as part of an ongoing fraud and identity theft investigation. During the operation, one of the residents, Ryan John Leach, 46, attempted to flee by exiting the rear of the house. When law enforcement prevented him from doing so, Leach returned to the residence and allegedly started a fire in his bedroom to burn evidence of his alleged crimes.
After containing the fire, law enforcement discovered suspected methamphetamine, four firearms and ammunition in Leach's bedroom. Leach, who was previously convicted of trafficking a controlled substance, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Leach will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Leach faces 15 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Glen Henderson, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Bell is prosecuting the case.
View the Complaint (Leach).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Lordsburg man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for producing child pornography.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between July 1, 2022, and September 18, 2022, Keith Joseph Medina, 38, recorded at least four videos of himself performing sexual acts on a minor victim at his residence in Lordsburg.
Upon his release from prison, Medina will be subject to twenty years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. Medina was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to his victims.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Lordsburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Ong and Jackson K. Dering V prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Plea in Navajo Nation DUI CrashRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock woman pleaded guilty in federal court to assault resulting in serious bodily injury after driving while intoxicated and causing a crash that severely injured two children on the Navajo Nation.
According to court documents, on April 23, 2023, Jazmyne Deschinny, 22, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving a sedan carrying eight people within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation. Deschinny was heavily intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of 0.264, which is more than three times the legal limit in New Mexico. She also had opiates and cannabinoids in her system at the time of the incident.
The crash occurred when Deschinny ran a red light and collided with a flatbed trailer being towed by a truck. The sedan was overcrowded with three adults and five children, and there were insufficient seatbelts and car seats to properly secure all occupants. As a result, two unsecured minors suffered severe injuries.
John Doe 1, one of the minors in Deschinny's vehicle, sustained a life-threatening head injury, including subdural hematomas, a fractured skull, and bleeding within the brain structure. The child's condition was so critical that he nearly died during the emergency flight to the University of New Mexico Hospital. John Doe 1 required weeks of hospitalization for treatment.
Jane Doe 1, another minor in the vehicle, suffered multiple facial fractures, a fractured wrist, and facial lacerations that required surgical repair. She was hospitalized for several days following the incident.
According to the plea agreement, Deschinny faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing followed by three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement (Deschinny).pdfThree Defendants Face Federal Charges of Bilking and Attempting to Defraud FEMA with Fraudulent Claims for Wildfire Disaster BenefitsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Three defendants have been charged in recent days with fraudulently seeking federal disaster relief funds by falsely claiming their properties were damaged by the Eaton and Palisades wildfires when in fact they did not have an interest in the affected property or the property was not affected by either fire, the Justice Department announced today.
Three defendants – two in Southern California and one in Texas – were arrested this week after being charged with defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“These defendants allegedly made false and fraudulent claims to FEMA for emergency benefits related to wildfires that devastated Los Angeles County two months ago,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “These false claims resulted in badly needed disaster-relief money being denied to actual wildfire victims while these defendants allegedly used property information to illegally line their own pockets.”
“The Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, along with our law enforcement partners, including HSI, SBA OIG, FEMA fraud investigations and Inspections Division, IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will continue to investigate anyone who attempts to defraud FEMA in order to protect the integrity of government assistance programs, and to ensure FEMA funds are accessible to those who truly need them,” said Matthew Brackett, Special Agent in Charge of DHS OIG, Los Angeles Field Office.
“Criminals will seize every opportunity to defraud the government, even at the expense of those who have lost everything,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles Acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. “We strongly urge the public to report any suspicious activity related to disaster relief claims to the HSI Los Angeles’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force and our law enforcement partners.”
“These suspects are accused of attempting to defraud the U.S. Government out of disaster relief funds carved out to help those who lost loved ones, pets, and homes…as well as those whose properties were damaged instead of destroyed,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation stands proudly with our law enforcement partners to prevent and deter this sort of fraud to ensure relief funds exist for those in need as Los Angeles rebuilds our communities.”
The allegedly false claims were made in the wake of the Eaton and Palisades fires that started on January 7. Together, the wildfires burned nearly 60,000 acres, destroyed more than 16,000 structures, and resulted in the deaths of 29 people. As a result, the President approved a Major Disaster Declaration, which prompted FEMA to develop a program to provide financial assistance to fire victims.
FEMA offered various forms of relief, a one-time payment of $750, up to $43,600 for “other needs” assistance, and housing assistance for up to 18 months. Homeowners are also potentially eligible for additional relief of up to $43,600 for home repair.
The fraud alleged in the three cases include payment of “other needs assistance” based on false claims of damage to personal property, lost vehicles, and medical and relocation expenses.
The cases announced today were investigated by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and HSI’s El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force.
- United States v. Turner
Joyce Turner, 55, of Rosharon, Texas, was arrested Tuesday after being charged Friday in a criminal complaint with fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits.
Turner allegedly submitted an application claiming her home had been destroyed in the Eaton fire, but she appears never to have lived in California and in fact had no connection to the address she claimed was destroyed in the fire. Instead, she allegedly forged a lease making it look like she lived there, and she received more than $25,000 from FEMA because of the fraudulent submissions.
“Turner submitted at least ten other applications to FEMA for disaster relief (so eleven total) related to seven other federally declared disasters, e.g., Hurricane Katrina (2005), Hurricane Ike (2008), Hurricane Isaac (2012), Hurricane Harvey (2017), and Hurricane Beryl (2024), and otherwise has a criminal history showing previous arrests and convictions for fraud offenses,” the affidavit states.
Turner is scheduled to make her initial appearance today in United States District Court in the Southern District of Texas and is expected to appear in the Central District of California in the coming weeks.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section.
- United States v. Barnes
Tyrone D. Barnes Jr., 38, of Paramount, was arrested Tuesday after being named in an indictment charging him with making false claims that was returned by a federal grand jury on February 21. The indictment alleges that Barnes submitted a disaster relief claim to FEMA for an Altadena property owned by other individuals who did not know Barnes. The true owners of the property contacted FEMA about potential assistance, which is when they learned another person had already submitted an application in relation to their property.
Barnes is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Y. Pi of the Major Frauds Section.
- United States v. Robertson
Hedeshia Robertson, 36, of Lakewood, was arrested on Tuesday after being charged in a criminal complaint filed Monday. Robertson allegedly filed a fraudulent application for FEMA benefits on January 28, seeking benefits related to a damaged residence in the Pacific Palisades that she did not own, did not rent, and in which she did not reside or work. As a result of her fraudulent application, Robertson obtained approximately $24,899 in FEMA benefits to which she was not entitled. At the time of her arrest, Robertson also allegedly attempted to obtain additional FEMA benefits for a purported property lease in San Francisco. She is due to make an initial appearance in court this afternoon.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Paetty and Roger Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section.
Complaints and indictments contain allegations of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The charge of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits carries a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. The charge of false, fictitious, or fraudulent claim against the United States carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
To report fraud related to FEMA disaster-relief public assistance, please contact the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) hotline at (800) 323-8603. Homeland Security's tip line may be contacted at (866) 347-2423.
The “Wolf of West Virginia” Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Theodore Miller, 35, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty today to two counts of wire fraud. Miller admitted to defrauding more than 170 individuals through two real estate-related investment schemes that caused losses of between $395,000 and $434,501.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller conceived and perpetrated the two fraudulent schemes between the spring of 2022 and September 2024. One scheme solicited direct investments to develop modern residential duplexes and a dry-storage lot on Bigley Avenue in Charleston. The other scheme offered a pooled real estate investment vehicle dubbed “Bear Lute.”
To carry out these schemes, Miller portrayed himself on social media as the “Wolf of West Virginia,” a wealthy, successful and knowledgeable real estate mogul with enough disposable income to travel the world at his leisure. As part of his guilty pleas, Miller admitted that in reality, he had poor credit, thin month-to-month financial margins, was delinquent on property taxes and bills, and defaulted on loans.
In each scheme, Miller made multiple misrepresentations to investors. These misrepresentations included that individuals would receive returns on their investments, that their investments were secured by real property, and that they could withdraw their investments. As part of his guilty pleas, Miller admitted that there were no returns on investments, that he never owned the real property he identified as security for the investments, and that he used the money from his fraud schemes to pay unrelated expenses, debts and obligations.
Miller’s victims included an individual who wired $20,000 to Miller from California for the storage lot project on July 5, 2022, and an individual who wired $2,500 to Miller from Texas for Bear Lute on December 12, 2022.
The money from the schemes was deposited into bank accounts for several entities Miller solely owned and operated including Bear Industries LLC, which initially served as an umbrella entity for the related businesses. Miller’s mother, Deanna Drumm, served as vice president of operations for Bear Industries from in or around 2019 to September 2024. While Miller lived outside the United States from in or about June 2021 to on or about August 8, 2024, he directed his mother to handle the day-to-day operational tasks for the Bear entities including the management of finances and transfer of funds.
Drumm, 61, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on November 21, 2024, to aiding and abetting the sale and offer of unregistered securities. Both the direct investments and the Bear Lute investments were securities as defined by federal law, offered through interstate commerce via the internet, and were required to be registered. Drumm admitted that no registration statement was in effect for either of these securities, and that neither was exempt from the registration requirement. Drumm further admitted that she aided and abetted the offering of these unregistered securities in the course of her duties as vice president of operations for Bear Industries. Drumm is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025.
In September 2022, the West Virginia Securities Commission issued a cease-and-desist letter to Bear Industries ordering it to stop the unregistered sale and offering of securities in Bear Lute. In November 2022, the West Virginia Securities Commission issued a cease-and-desist order regarding the same. Miller admitted that he continued to operate Bear Lute in violation of the order and never disclosed the order to his investors.
On August 9, 2024, law enforcement officers arrested Miller following his return to the United States. Miller admitted that he told his wife during a recorded jail phone call on August 11, 2024, to report his iPhone stolen to make it inaccessible to law enforcement and to hide a backpack containing his laptop computer. Miller further admitted that the laptop contained most of the documents related to the direct investments and Bear Lute.
Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. Miller also owes restitution of between $395,000 and $434,501, with the final amount to be determined by the Court.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia Fusion Center, the West Virginia Securities Commission, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Holly Wilson and Joshua Hanks are prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a parallel civil action against Miller, Bear Industries LLC, Bear Investments and Business Consulting LLC, and Drumm in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. The lawsuit alleges that Miller has engaged in the unregistered and fraudulent offer of securities related to his real estate-related investment programs since at least 2022, and that Miller’s social-media persona and businesses were all a calculated fraud to divert investor funds for his own personal benefit. The lawsuit seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and prejudgment interest, and civil penalties.
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 Nos. 2:24-cr-145 and 2:24-cv-479.
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Texas Man Sentenced for Supplying Cocaine to Omaha DealerRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Luis Perez, 37, of Rosenburg, Texas, was sentenced on March 12, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Perez to 87 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Perez’s release from prison, he will begin a three-year term of supervised release. Perez was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.
Law enforcement became aware of co-defendant Gary Pope as a dealer of cocaine in the Omaha area. This led to a three-month wiretap of Pope’s cell phone in 2022. The wiretap intercepts and resulting investigation confirmed that Pope would receive cocaine deliveries from Perez. Perez would send kilogram quantities of cocaine from Texas using a courier, co-defendant Joseph Reyes. Reyes was arrested on May 23, 2022, in Kansas with two kilograms of cocaine destined for Omaha.
After Reyes’s arrest, Pope began receiving cocaine from a different Texas supplier. Co-defendant Lonnie Embers was arrested on July 15, 2022, in Oklahoma with two kilograms of cocaine destined for Omaha from the Texas supplier that was not Perez.
Perez was the last of the four defendants to be sentenced. Pope, 43, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for the Nebraska case and was sentenced to an additional 66 months in prison for a case prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa for charges of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Reyes, 34, of Houston, Texas, and Embers, 53, of San Marcos, Texas, were each sentenced to 46 months in prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven,
multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Texas Man Admits to Stowaway Charge Onboard a Delta Airlines FlightRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Texas man admitted to a felony, after he boarded and hid in a lavatory of a Delta Airlines flight to catch a free flight to Austin, Texas, from Salt Lake City International Airport.
Wicliff Yves Fleurizard, 26, of Leander, Texas, was indicted in April 2024. Prior press release here: Alleged Airline Stowaway Passenger Facing Federal Charges
According to court documents and admissions made at the change of plea hearing, in March of 2024, Fleurizard intentionally boarded Delta Airlines flight #1683 and hid in the lavatory. Prior to boarding, Fleurizard was captured on surveillance footage in the boarding area taking photos of multiple passenger’s phones and/or boarding passes while they were not looking. Surveillance footage also showed Fleurizard used his phone as a boarding pass when he boarded the plane. However, Fleurizard did not purchase a ticket, and was not authorized to board. Fleurizard further admitted his actions caused the flight, which had pushed away from the gate, to return to the gate where he was met by law enforcement and taken into custody.
Fleurizard is scheduled to be sentenced May 20, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan N. Reeves and Michael Kennedy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
Tennessee Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Employment Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
A Tennessee woman pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud by her role in making claims for refunds of false COVID-19 employment tax credits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aylissa Glidewell, of Kingsport, conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Glidewell and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of claiming the bogus credits. Glidewell filed numerous false tax returns for those phony businesses and directed the tax refunds to be mailed to addresses she and co-conspirators controlled.
In total, the refunds claimed were over $3.4 million, of which the IRS paid approximately $1.8 million.
Glidewell is set to be sentenced on July 9. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
Tennessee Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Employment Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn.— On March 12, 2025, Aylissa Glidewell, 35 of Kingsport, Tennessee plead guilty to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud by her role in making claims for refunds of false COVID-19 employment tax credits before the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge. Sentencing is set for July 9, 2025, at 11:00am., in the United States District Court at Greeneville. Glidewell faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aylissa Glidewell conspired with others to file false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credit, both of which were created by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Glidewell and co-conspirators created phony businesses, which lacked any employees or operations, for the sole purpose of claiming the bogus credits. Glidewell filed numerous false tax returns for those phony businesses and directed the tax refunds to be mailed to an address she and co-conspirators controlled.
In total, the refunds claimed were over $3.4 million, of which the IRS paid approximately $1.8 million.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and the U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Zachary A. Cobb of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac D. Heavener for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
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Tarpon Springs Felon Previously Convicted for Attempted Murder of A Police Officer Sentenced to over Twelve Years in Prison for Possessing Ammunition Loaded into Ar-15 Ghost GunRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States District Judge Kathryn K. Mizelle has sentenced James Patrick Sychowski (48, Tarpon Springs) to 12 years and 6 months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. A federal jury found Sychowski guilty on December 6, 2024.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on February 7, 2023, at his mother’s residence in Tarpon Springs, Sychowski armed himself with a loaded AR-15 “ghost gun” that he had built himself over the course of several months. Sychowski threatened to kill his mother and her husband and threatened to shoot at any police officers responding to the scene. When officers from the Tarpon Springs Police Department arrived, Sychowski fled and was later arrested in Clearwater. Officers discovered the AR-15 ghost gun on Sychowski’s bed in his room along with the construction materials and accessories Sychowski used to build the AR-15. Further investigation revealed that Sychowski had purchased the AR-15 components online and shipped them to the Tarpon Springs residence.
Bank statements, financial documents, and electronic evidence presented at trial corroborated Sychowski’s purchase of the ghost gun components and his purchase of PMC 5.56mm ammunition and a magazine from a local firearms store. Below is a photograph of the AR-15 ghost gun recovered from Sychowski’s phone.
Over the last 20 years, Sychowski was convicted in Florida of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault, carjacking, various sex crimes involving children, and bank robbery. Sychowski had been released from the Florida Department of Corrections for fewer than 5 months when he began planning to assemble his “ghost gun” and load it with ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tarpon Springs Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and David J. Pardo.
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.
Tampa Shooter Convicted by A Federal Jury at TrialRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that a federal jury has found Milton Anthony Bradshaw (44, Tampa) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Bradshaw faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. Sentencing has been set for June 3, 2025.
According to evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of September 20, 2022, Bradshaw got into an argument with three unknown individuals at an apartment complex in Tampa. As the three individuals walked to their car, Bradshaw grabbed a gun and proceeded to hide behind a dumpster in the parking lot. As the individuals drove away, Bradshaw started firing at them.
Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office were called to the scene where they recovered a firearm that Bradshaw had left outside of an apartment after the shooting. Bradshaw was identified in surveillance video that captured the argument and the shooting, and DNA recovered from the firearm matched Bradshaw’s.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Kenneth and Chelsey Hanson. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne C. Nebesky.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Detroit Club Owners and Operators Settle False Claims Act Allegations for $357,669Read the Press Release
DETROIT – Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced today that the owners and operators of The Detroit Club agreed to pay $357,669 to the United States to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act. The settling parties are Detroit Management Corporation, Lynn Kassotis, Citi Investment Group Corporation, and Emre Uralli (collectively, Defendants).
Congress created the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, to provide emergency financial assistance to American businesses suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP was administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), but the loans were issued by private lenders, with the SBA guaranteeing the loans. Under the PPP, eligible small businesses could receive forgivable loans to cover expenses like payroll and lease payments. To obtain a PPP loan, an organization submitted an application, which required the applicant to certify, among other things, that it was eligible for the loan and that it would use the proceeds for eligible purposes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Defendants applied for two PPP loans related to the operation of The Detroit Club – a hotel, social club, and restaurant in Downtown Detroit. Under the program rules, PPP loans were forgivable if the proceeds were spent on eligible expenses during a period of up to 24 weeks after the loan was issued. Here, the first draw loan, which was applied for on April 4, 2020, was for $348,400. The second draw loan, which was applied for on February 16, 2021, was for $410,546. Defendants certified that all their PPP loan proceeds were spent on eligible expenses and, as a result, both loans were fully forgiven. The United States contends that Defendants did not spend all their PPP funds on expenses that were eligible for forgiveness. Specifically, the United States contends that Defendants obtained forgiveness of $167,040 for building lease expenses that were not eligible for forgiveness under the applicable rules.
“The False Claims Act is an important tool to deter and hold accountable those who defraud the government,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julie A. Beck for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Entities who took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to commit fraud against the government will be vigorously investigated by our office.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under these provisions, a private party may file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The whistleblower will receive $71,533.96 from the settlement. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Decker v. Detroit Club Management Corporation, et al., case no. 23-cv-10209 (E.D. Mich.).
The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney John Postulka from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Stockton Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sean Arthur Robinson, 38, of Stockton, was sentenced Tuesday by Senior United States District Judge John A. Mendez to serve two years in prison followed three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers recovered a Glock 27 semiautomatic firearm and a loaded high-capacity magazine inside a vehicle while serving a search warrant at Robinson’s residence in Stockton in September 2022. The firearm had previously been reported stolen from Sacramento. On the same day in September 2022, law enforcement officers also recovered two Glock switches inside a separate residence associated with Robinson in Fairfield. Robinson is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions for elder abuse and for carrying a loaded firearm in public.
Law enforcement’s investigation into Robinson began at least as early as May 2021, when surveillance footage captured him engaging in a violent shootout at the Grand Hyatt Hotel near San Francisco International Airport. During this incident, Robinson and a compatriot attempted to carjack at least two other vehicles. Following the shootout, law enforcement officers seized a black duffel bag that surveillance footage captured Robinson carrying just before the firefight began, and that contained three illegal firearms.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from the San Francisco Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Lee and Sam Stefanki prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
State Prisoner Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Kill Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Marcus Pratt (39, Crestview) has pleaded guilty to one count of mailing threatening communications and one count of influencing, impeding or retaliating against a federal official. Pratt faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in July 2023, Pratt was in Live Oak serving a state sentence when he placed a threatening handwritten letter through the U.S. Mail. The letter was addressed to a judge and the federal courthouse in Miami threatening that his associates would kill a certain U.S. District Judge and place bombs outside the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Pratt sent another hand-written letter on September 27, 2023, addressed to the same federal judge that threatened that Pratt’s associates were going to kill the judge and whoever was at his house when they got there. Finally, Pratt sent a handwritten letter dated October 10, 2023, to the same federal judge telling the judge that the Pratt’s associates would kill him very soon, and that he was planning an attack on the U.S. Courthouse and U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami. All letters were signed by Pratt and threatened to kill the judge due to the performance of his official duties and with the intent to retaliate against the judge on the performance of his official duties.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Lasry and Kirwinn Mike.
Shirley Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Shirley man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Noel Haro, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; aiding and abetting; and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; aiding and abetting. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for June 5, 2025. In April 2023, Noel Haro was indicted along with his brother Marcos Haro.
Noel Haro is a member and influential leader of the “Border Brothers” gang – a large-scale international gang known to be heavily involved in drug, weapon and human trafficking in Southern Arizona with a presence in Nogales, Mexico and the Arizona prison system. Noel Haro is currently serving a life sentence at a Massachusetts Department of Correction facility in connection with convictions in Arizona for drug distribution, conspiracy and money laundering.
Noel Haro was previously serving his sentence at a facility in Arizona but was transferred to serve his sentence in Massachusetts upon being deemed a security concern due to his alleged influence over other inmates and repeated introduction of cell phones and narcotics into Arizona facilities.
Beginning in or about April 2019, and investigation began into Noel Haro’s attempts to facilitate the trafficking of narcotics to Massachusetts during his inmate phone calls. Specifically, during his inmate calls, Noel Haro attempted to solicit friends and family members to transport narcotics from Arizona to Massachusetts on his behalf. In April 2022, recorded inmate calls indicated that Noel Haro worked with his brother, Marcos Haro, to allegedly arrange drug deals outside of prison.
In June 2022, Marcos Haro allegedly agreed to supply an individual with samples of multiple narcotics – including fentanyl and methamphetamine. It is alleged that Marcos Haro later mailed the narcotics to the individual concealed in a purple teddy bear inside a postal package. It is alleged that, on July 13, 2022, the package was retrieved and found to contain fentanyl, five fentanyl pills, methamphetamine and approximately 3 grams of black tar heroin. On July 25, 2022, during a recorded inmate call, Noel Haro and Marcos Haro allegedly discussed selling one pound of methamphetamine to the same individual and agreed on a sale price of $5,000. It is alleged that, on July 27, 2022, a package sent from Marcos Haro was retrieved and found to contain approximately 446.6 grams of 99% pure methamphetamine.
During a recorded inmate call on Aug. 10, 2022, Noel Haro allegedly directed Marcos Haro to arrange the sale of five pounds of methamphetamine to the individual. Later, on Sept. 12, 2022, two packages allegedly sent from Marcos Haro were retrieved and each found to contain approximately 892.3 grams of 86% pure methamphetamine and approximately 1,320.2 grams of 95% pure methamphetamine.
Marcos Haro is scheduled to plead guilty on March 19, 2025.
The charge conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; aiding and abetting each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; aiding and abetting provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. 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 Shawn Jenkins, Commissioner of the Department of Correction’s made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea E. Porter and Charles Dell’Anno of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the 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 the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Seven Pasco County Methamphetamine Traffickers Face Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of indictments charging Ismael Alvarez (36, Dade City), Lonnie Griffin (63, Dade City), Juan Medrano (42, Dade City), Raymond Downing (51, Dade City), Lionel Florez (27, Dade City), Lorenzo Herrera (34, Dade City), and Richard Sanchez (31, Dade City) with distribution of methamphetamine. If convicted, each faces a minimum sentence of five years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the indictments and statements made in court, on multiple occasions over a series of months, these individuals conducted drug transactions with an undercover confidential source. The transactions involved varying amounts of methamphetamine. Between April and November 2024, law enforcement recovered over 800 grams of pure methamphetamine collectively from these transactions.
On March 11, 2025, the FBI, in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies, arrested five of the defendants during an early morning takedown.
“These law enforcement actions demonstrate the FBI’s persistence in combating violent crime in our communities. We will continue to strengthen our federal, state, and local partnerships to meet our mission and to ensure the safety and security of the American people,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and the Zephyrhills Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.
Seven Detroit Men Charged for Drug Distribution, Illegal Possession of Weapons, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Seven men have been charged in a forty-three-count indictment alleging conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, weapons charges, and money laundering, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.
Beck was joined in the announcement by Chevoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Detroit Field Office, and Charles E. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Detroit Field Office.
Tary Holcomb (age 52), Maurice Hill (56), James Thomas (47), Curtis Weathers (52), Jason Ford, Conrad Taylor (48), and Shantonio Brooks (49), all of Detroit, were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a myriad of controlled substances, including cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. If convicted of the conspiracy charge, each of the men faces a mandatory prison sentence of at least 10 years. Holcomb and Thomas each face additional charges for possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, while Holcomb also faces charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and for money laundering activities dating back to January 2023.
This case is assigned to Judge Edmunds of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
“This case is an example of our zealous commitment to identify and dismantle local drug trafficking organizations that wreak havoc in our community by distributing harmful substances, illegally amassing weapons, and laundering illicit proceeds. This activity puts far too many at risk, and it will not be tolerated in our district,” Acting U.S. Attorney Beck said.
“The indictment of seven men, accused of conspiring to distribute drugs, illegally possess firearms, and engage in money laundering, was successfully halted due to the tireless and meticulous investigative efforts by our dedicated team at the FBI Detroit Field Office, in close collaboration with our law enforcement partners at the IRS Criminal Investigation. This operation underscores our commitment to protecting the safety of Michigan’s communities,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI is unwavering in its mission to investigate and hold accountable those who threaten the well-being and security of our residents, ensuring a safer Michigan for all.”
“Federal laws that regulate the reporting of financial transactions are in place to detect and stop illegal activities, such as the drug trafficking and money laundering charges levied today,” said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “CI is committed to enforcing these laws and following the money, wherever it leads.”
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by agents from FBI’s Detroit Organized Crime Squad and IRS-CI along with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Ramamurthy.
Serial Sex Offender Indicted for New Felony Offense Under Secure DC LawRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Hilliard, 65, of no fixed address, was indicted today by a D.C. Superior Court grand jury on four felony accounts. Specifically, he is charged with two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, felony offenses for forced sexual contacts, and two counts of enhanced misdemeanor sexual abuse, now also a felony, for engaging in a sexual contact within the victim’s permission having three or more prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse. The charges are in connection with an allegation that the defendant forcibly sexually touched a treating nurse at George Washington University Hospital, a stranger to him. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Hilliard is detained pending competency proceedings.
According to charging documents, on September 26, 2024, the victim attempted to draw blood from Hilliard while he sat inside of a hospital room. Hilliard requested to sit on the bed to get his blood drawn. As the nurse attempted to adjust the bed rail, Hilliard grabbed her into a face-to-face bear hug. Having wrapped his arms around her, Hillard then reached down to grope her on her buttocks and genitalia.
Hilliard has more than three prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse. His most recent conviction occurred on December 19, 2023, when he was convicted of misdemeanor sexual abuse for sexually abusing a female stranger.
Hilliard is the first individual indicted with enhanced misdemeanor sexual abuse, a felony created by the D.C. Council’s Secure D.C. Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024. Prior to the legislation going into effect, repeat offenders who committed sexual contacts or sexual acts when the offender knew or should have known the victim did not give permission for such contact/act, could not be charged with a felony, no matter how many times they were prosecuted, often for virtually identical misdemeanor sexual abuse conduct. The new felony offense of enhanced misdemeanor sexual abuse is chargeable if the defendant has three or more prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Houck.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Scrap metal dealer sentenced to over two years in prison for multi-state catalytic converter theft conspiracyRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A North Carolina scrap metal dealer was sentenced today to two years and three months in prison for theft and tax charges related to his participation in a multi-state catalytic converter theft conspiracy.
According to court documents, Theodore Nicholas Papouloglou, 45, used his business, DG Auto South in Emporia to purchase stolen catalytic converters from thieves. Papouloglou then transported the stolen catalytic converters to his co-conspirators in New Jersey for shipment of the catalytic metals to Japan. In 2020 and 2021, Papouloglou received over $12.2 million in wired payments from his co-conspirators in New Jersey, including for proceeds from his illicit sale of catalytic converters. Papouloglou spent the money he received from DG Auto South on personal expenses, such as purchasing real estate and a luxury motorcycle for his girlfriend and to gamble at casinos in Las Vegas. Despite realizing income from DG Auto South, Papouloglou paid no taxes in 2020 and 2021.
Catalytic converters, which reduce toxic gas and pollutants from a vehicle’s exhaust system, use precious metals in their centers, or “cores,” and are regularly targeted for theft due to the high value of these metals, especially palladium, platinum, and rhodium.
Papouloglou separately helped his co-conspirators in New Jersey to purchase stolen catalytic converters from other sellers, including sellers in Texas and Oklahoma, by facilitating bulk cash payments. The total value of the funds that Papouloglou illicitly transferred was at least $6.6 million.
Papouloglou pled guilty on Aug. 20, 2024, and must forfeit various vehicles associated with the offense:
(1) 2021 Ford F250 (Roush)
(2) 2021 Jeep Gladiator Sport (Apocalypse)
(3) 2017 Lamborghini Huracan (Convertible)
(4) 2020 McLaren 720s (Convertible)
(5) 2021 Mercedes-AMG G63
(6) 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista
(7) 2021 McLaren 765LT
(8) 2021 Ford F450 (Super Duty)
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office; and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kashan K. Pathan prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section assisted with the prosecution.
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. 3:24-cr-42.
San Francisco Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Cristian Eduardo Mattus Piccardo, 52, of San Francisco, was sentenced today to 108 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria handed down the sentence.
Mattus pleaded guilty on July 11, 2024, to one count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). He was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023 and by a superseding indictment in December 2023. According to the plea agreement, Mattus knowingly possessed over 4,000 videos and over 2,000 images of child sexual abuse materials that he downloaded from the Internet using peer-to-peer file sharing software. Many of the videos and images depicted infants and toddlers as young as two, three, four, and five years old. Mattus admitted that he actively searched for and downloaded files depicting infants and toddlers. He also uploaded over 2,000 files of child sexual abuse materials to the Internet for other users to access and download. Mattus further admitted that the minor daughter of a family friend was among the victims to whom he owed restitution.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Chhabria sentenced the defendant to a 10-year period of supervised release. The defendant will be required to register as a sex offender. Mattus will begin serving his sentence on May 12, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George Hageman prosecuted the case with the assistance of Helen Yee. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI.
Roseville Man Sentenced to Three Years and Ten months in Prison for Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alex Altoh, 64, of Roseville, was sentenced Tuesday to three years and ten months in prison for money laundering conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. Altoh was also ordered to pay $1,478,068.99 in restitution.
According to court documents, between January 2021 and November 2021, Altoh and his co-defendant Oumar Sidibe, 31, were involved in a conspiracy to launder the proceeds from two large business email compromise schemes, in which two corporate victims were tricked into making payments to bank accounts controlled by Altoh and another person, rather than to the intended beneficiaries of the payments. Altoh, Sidibe, and others then quickly withdrew a large portion of the funds by way of check deposits, which effectively transferred the funds, concealed their unlawful nature, and prevented them from being clawed back.
For instance, on October 26, 2021, an employee of a victim company was tricked into wiring approximately $3.5 million to Altoh’s account at Wells Fargo. That same day, in a span of less than two hours, Altoh withdrew money from the Wells Fargo account by depositing five checks in five separate transactions at multiple bank branches in the Sacramento area. One transaction included a check for $248,000 that Altoh wrote to himself and deposited into his own Chase bank account. In that one day, Altoh successfully withdrew approximately $1.1 million of the funds out of his Wells Fargo account, which was never recovered. Law enforcement traced Altoh and Sidibe to almost $3.9 million in laundered fraud proceeds.
Sidibe is yet to be apprehended. The charges against Sibide are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise N. Yasinow and Matthew Thuesen prosecuted the case.
Repeat child sex predator sentenced to 25 years for possession of child sexual assault materialRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 63-year-old Alvin resident has been sentenced for distribution and possession of child sexual assault material (CSAM), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Robert Earl Cochran Jr. pleaded guilty Dec. 17, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown has now ordered him to serve a total of 300 months in federal prison. Restitution will be determined at a later date. He will also serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“The lengthy sentence imposed today is welcome news” said Ganjei. “The defendant has repeatedly demonstrated that, given the opportunity, he will unrepentantly victimize young children. Every day that he is behind bars, as opposed to walking the streets or accessing the internet, is a win for the community.”
“With today’s sentence we have removed an extremely dangerous child predator from the community who was an immediate threat to every child he encountered,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “After spending time in prison for sexually assaulting a child, he brazenly admits to getting out and actively seeking, possessing and distributing child sexual abuse materials with absolutely no remorse for the physical, psychological and emotional trauma inflicted on the innocent children who were victimized to produce them. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our special agents in Galveston, he is returning to prison and will no longer be free in the local community to harm children.”
The investigation revealed Cochran utilized multiple virtual identities to commit violations concerning child exploitation.
From Feb. 24, 2015, to July 16, 2019, he had distributed, received and possessed CSAM of children approximately three to 12 years of age. He was also discovered to be in possession of child pornography at the time of his arrest.
Cochran admitted he began viewing child pornography in 2015, shortly after his release from prison, and heavily traded it between 2015-2016. He also acknowledged using his three cellphones to download and view the material. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement located nine images and 54 obscene representations of children depicting child pornography on those devices.
He is a registered sex offender after serving a lengthy sentence for aggravated sexual assault of a three-year-old child.
Cochran has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
HSI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Batarse is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Parkersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charles Ray Mackey, 43, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 16, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Mackey in Parkersburg. Officers searched the vehicle following the traffic stop and found a German Sports Guns model Firefly .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Mackey knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for non-aggravated robbery, assault during the commission of a felony upon a person 65 years of age or older, and conspiracy to commit non-aggravated robbery in Wood County Circuit Court on June 12, 2001.
Mackey has a long criminal history that also includes convictions for breaking and entering, escape, domestic battery, fleeing, and obstruction.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Parkersburg Police Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin and former Assistant United States Attorney Bill Longwell prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-128.
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Parkersburg Man Sentenced for Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael McHenry, age 23, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 155 months in federal prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, McHenry is prohibited from having firearms because of a grand larceny conviction in Wood County. McHenry and a second defendant, Garrett DeBerry, carjacked a vehicle at gunpoint and led officers on a high-speed chase through Monongalia County. McHenry used a 9mm pistol during the crime.
McHenry will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
DeBerry, 26, of Morgantown, West Virginia, pled guilty in June 2024 to the unlawful possession of a firearm. DeBerry is prohibited because of a prior firearms conviction in Monongalia County. He will be sentenced in May 2025.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Pair Convicted at Trial for St. Louis CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Jurors in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Wednesday convicted two men of charges related to multiple St. Louis carjackings.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Quinn Turner and Jaylen Mays stole a 2007 Chevrolet Impala at gunpoint on Nov. 11, 2022, and a 2017 GMC Terrain two days later. A 2015 Malibu was stolen at gunpoint by Mays and others on Nov. 5, 2022, in the downtown business district. Turner drove the Malibu with Mays and a juvenile as passengers to a gas station at the northwest corner of Russell Boulevard and South 7th Street in the Soulard neighborhood, where the GMC was taken. Detectives assigned to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Anti-Crime Task Force utilized spike strips to stop the Malibu as it was leaving the gas station, and found Turner, Mays and the juvenile inside.
Turner, 22, and Mays, 27, both of East St. Louis, Illinois, were each convicted of two counts of carjacking with the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm and two charges of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Mays was convicted of an additional carjacking charge.
The trial began Monday. Turner and Mays are scheduled to be sentenced on June 18. The carjacking charges carry a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison. The firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Martin and Jennifer Szczucinski are prosecuting the case.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Investors in $2 Million Green Energy SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Euclid, Ohio, was sentenced in federal court on March 11, 2025, to 30 months of prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Kevin Carney, 63.
According to information presented to the Court, Carney and his co-conspirators, Robert Irey (deceased) and Jonathan Freeze, owned and ran a company called Alternative Energy Holdings, LLC (AEH). The co-conspirators informed victims that AEH was going to build a plant that would convert biodegradable waste into green energy and offered the victims an opportunity to invest in AEH. Specifically, the co-conspirators solicited short-term loans that offered high interest rates and, in some cases, an ownership interest in AEH. Carney and his co-conspirators told victims that their funds would be used for costs associated with building the plant and other business expenses. Instead, the co-conspirators often split the victims’ funds three ways and used it for their personal benefit, including for gambling, high-end clothing, and restaurants. Despite the promise of a short-term repayment, the co-conspirators did not repay the victims. From approximately June 2016 until April 2018, the co-conspirators defrauded over 20 victims out of approximately $2 million.
Both Irey and Freeze also pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, with Freeze currently scheduled for sentencing in May 2025.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lee J. Karl and Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Postal Inspection Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Carney.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Catra Nelson, also known as “Trey,” 48, of Zanesville, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least January 2020 to in or around March 2021, Nelson conspired with co-defendant Steven Reger and others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine in the Parkersburg, West Virginia, area. On March 23, 2021, Nelson aided and abetted in the sale of approximately 428.1 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Parkersburg.
Nelson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
Reger, 48, of Morgantown, was sentenced on August 24, 2023, to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe, Joshua Hanks, and Negar M. Kordestani 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. 2:22-cr-196.
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Oakmont Woman Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling Quarter of a Million Dollars from Employer over Five-Year PeriodRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Oakmont, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on March 11, 2025, to 34 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on her conviction of bank fraud, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Christy Myers, 64.
According to information presented to the Court, Myers, through a variety of methods, embezzled approximately $250,400 from her employer between April 2016 and June 2021. Myers had been previously convicted and sentenced to a term in federal prison in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme in 2007.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Myers.
Norfolk payroll manager pleads guilty for embezzling over $400,000 from her employerRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A former payroll manager pled guilty yesterday to wire fraud for embezzling $419,210 from her employer.
According to court documents, from 2022 until 2023, Courtney Johnson-Gregory, 47, was employed by a security services company in Norfolk. Her position gave her access to the company’s bank accounts and permitted her to alter the payment information for employees in the company’s systems.
In February 2023, a review of the payroll system revealed multiple gaps in the sequence of company checks. Through a review of banking records, the company discovered hundreds of additional checks that had not been recorded in the payroll system and that had been paid to inactive former employees of the company.
Further review of the system logs associated with the company’s payroll system reflected that the routing number and account numbers where funds were sent via direct deposit had also been changed for various former employees. Those logs showed that, using the login information assigned to her, Johnson-Gregory had accessed the system, reactivated employee profiles, and, after payments were made to those former employees, deleted the records of the payments.
From February 2022 through February 2023, Johnson-Gregory made over one hundred transfers from the company’s accounts to her own personal bank account, as well as hundreds of other unauthorized automated clearing house (AHC) transfers. In total, $136,145.68 was taken from the company using physical checks and another $283,064.62 was taken from the company’s accounts using unauthorized electronic transfers.
Johnson-Gregory is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 5, 2025. She faces a maximum penalty of twenty 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 Michael Feinberg, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Mozzi 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. 2:25-cr-14.
New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Producing, Distributing, and Receiving Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Michael Taylor, Jr. (27, New Jersey) has pleaded guilty to producing, distributing, and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Taylor faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the production offense, and a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years’ imprisonment, for each of the distribution and receipt offenses. Taylor’s co-defendant, Alexandria Stevens (20, New Jersey), pleaded guilty to producing, distributing, and receiving CSAM on February 28, 2025. A sentencing date has not yet been set for Taylor or Stevens. Both remain in federal custody pending the resolution of this case.
According to court documents, while visiting Florida in November 2023, Taylor and Stevens produced CSAM with an 8-year-old child. They also received and distributed images of CSAM over the internet.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Montgomery County Man Charged with Distribution and Attempted Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Douglas Penglase, 37, of Hatboro, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography.
The defendant was arrested this morning and made his initial appearance before the Honorable Lynne A. Sitarski.
As detailed in the criminal complaint, on May 27, 2024, the social media platform Kik reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that one of its users was transmitting files depicting child pornography (hereafter referred to as Child Sex Abuse Material or CSAM). NCMEC flagged 50 files as CSAM, specifically, depictions of prepubescent female minor children between the approximate ages of 8-12 years engaged in sexual activities with adults.
The contents of the Kik account were obtained by law enforcement via a search warrant, and review of the contents revealed almost 300 files containing CSAM. The search warrant return also included more than 1,100 messages between that target and other Kik users.
The criminal complaint alleges that the defendant was one of the other users involved in chatting about, and trading, CSAM, with the original Kik user and the defendant distributing nine CSAM videos each.
The complaint further alleges that law enforcement also obtained the contents of the Kik account belonging to the defendant. A review of the account revealed approximately 780 files containing CSAM.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Carissimi.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.