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Tuesday 7 July 2026
Long Island MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 42 Years in Prison for His Role in Two 2016 Murders in Nassau CountyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Kevin Cuevas Del Cid, also known as “Creeper,” “Malcriado,” “Sombra,” “Vinky” and “Dabura,” a member of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (Sailors) clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, a transnational criminal organization, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 42 years’ imprisonment for his role in the May 21, 2016 murder of Kerin Pineda and the October 10, 2016 murder of Javier Castillo, both of whom were killed in Freeport, New York, as well as a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana. Del Cid had previously pleaded guilty to these crimes in July 2025.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the sentence.
“Today, the defendant faces justice for his role in the brutal murder of two innocent victims, young men who were targeted and tortured by the MS-13 street gang,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This defendant used social media to lure Kerin Pineda to his death, and this callous disregard for human life has now been met with a just punishment thanks to the work of our Office.”
“Today's sentencing marks an important step in holding violent MS-13 gang members accountable for the harm they inflict on innocent civilians. Kevin Cuevas Del Cid, an alleged MS-13 gang member, is facing punishment for the abhorrent crimes he committed. Rest assured that the FBI with its partners will continue to dismantle the MS-13 gang presence in New York and across the United States,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
“Gang activity will never be tolerated here in Nassau County. The County Executive and I will dedicate any resources necessary to combat criminal behavior. Our department worked aggressively to investigate these cases with our partners in the FBI and US attorneys’ office. Today’s sentencing demonstrates our commitment to holding the defendant accountable for these murders," stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder.
According to court filings and statements by the defendant at the guilty plea proceeding, the defendant participated in the murder of 20-year-old Kerin Pineda, who was killed because of his suspected membership in the 18th Street gang. Specifically, in May 2016, Del Cid and other MS-13 members devised a plan where Del Cid created a fake Facebook profile of a young female to communicate with Pineda and lure him out to be killed. On May 21, 2016, Pineda went to a secluded wooded area near the Merrick-Freeport border believing that he was meeting the young female he had been communicating with on Facebook, who was, in fact, Del Cid. When Pineda arrived, he was surrounded and violently attacked by Del Cid and the other MS-13 members, each of whom took turns hacking and slashing him with the machetes. Pineda’s body was then buried in a hole that had been dug in the ground the day before, in anticipation of the murder. Del Cid is the first of six participants in the Pineda murder, all of whom have pleaded guilty, to be sentenced for that crime.
Del Cid also pleaded guilty to the murder of 15-year-old Javier Castillo, who, like Pineda, was killed because the MS-13 suspected him of being a member of the 18th Street gang. On October 10, 2016, members of the Sailors clique in Brentwood convinced Castillo, who lived in Central Islip, to go with them to Freeport – approximately 30 miles away – to smoke marijuana. Del Cid and the other MS-13 members took Castillo to an isolated marsh area along the water in Cow Meadow Park in Freeport, where they attacked and killed him, taking turns hacking him with a machete. Thereafter, the MS-13 members dug a hole and buried Castillo’s body, which was not recovered until one year later, in October 2017. More than a half dozen MS-13 members have been charged and pleaded guilty in connection with the Castillo murder.
Del Cid, who was 16 years-old at the time of the Pineda and Castillo murders, initially was charged by a juvenile information filed under seal on May 20, 2020. The government subsequently filed a motion to transfer Del Cid to adult status for prosecution, and an evidentiary hearing was held on June 3, 2022. On July 6, 2022, United States Circuit Judge Joseph F. Bianco, sitting by designation, issued a Memorandum and Order granting the government’s motion, and ordering Del Cid be prosecuted as an adult.
Today’s sentencing is the latest achievement in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 75 murders in the Eastern District of New York, resulting in the convictions of dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, NCPD, Suffolk County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at eradicating transnational criminal organizations, combating violent crime, and restoring the rule of law.
This prosecution is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kerry Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello.
The Defendant:
KEVIN CUEVAS DEL CID (also known as “Creeper,” “Malcriado,” “Sombra,” “Vinky” and “Dabura”)
Age: 26
Freeport, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-251 (S-1) (JMA)
Lafayette Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE – On June 30, 2026, Javon Robertson, 40, of Lafayette, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison after his April 2026 guilty plea to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. As part of his plea, Robinson forfeited $79,805.00 in U.S. currency and a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, which were proceeds derived from his sale of illegal narcotics.
“Methamphetamine continues to inflict tremendous harm on families and communities across Louisiana,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “This sentence reflects our office’s commitment to holding traffickers accountable and to supporting the law enforcement partners who work every day to keep our neighborhoods safe.”
In July of 2025, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit opened an investigation into Robertson based on information that he was selling narcotics out of his home in Lafayette, Louisiana. While surveilling Robertson’s residence, law enforcement observed Robertson leave his residence, meet an individual at a local store, and conduct a “hand-to-hand” transaction of suspected illegal drugs. The recipient in this transaction admitted to law enforcement that she had just purchased drugs from Robertson. Law Enforcement then obtained a search warrant for Robertson’s residence, which was executed on July 29, 2025. During the execution of this search warrant, agents seized large quantities of controlled substances and drug distribution paraphernalia, including two hydraulic presses, a currency counter, and $79,805.00 in U.S. currency. Robertson admitted to law enforcement that the seized narcotics belonged to him. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s South-Central Laboratory confirmed that the narcotics seized from Robertson’s residence included 38.22 grams of cocaine base, 134.9 grams of cocaine, and 90.46 grams of methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit (LPSONU) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren L. Nickel with assistance from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 6:25-CR-00322-01.
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Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
[email protected]
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
Kyle Man Sentenced to over 2 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon on the Pine Ridge ReservationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on June 29, 2026.
Marcel Boyd, 40, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Boyd was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on March 31, 2026.
On July 10, 2024, law enforcement responded to a report of gunshots fired in Kyle, South Dakota. Boyd pointed a pistol at others and shot it off in the air. Boyd then ran into the home of someone he knew. Law enforcement officers observed a small child’s hand wave for help from inside. They entered the home and safely secured Boyd. Underneath the mattress where Boyd was found, officers located the pistol. Boyd had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and, accordingly, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Boyd was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Knoxville Man Sentenced to 60 Months’ Imprisonment for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Tobias Billingsley of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced on June 30, 2026, by United States District Judge William H. Steele to 60 months in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents, on May 20, 2025, agents with the 17th Judicial Drug Task Force conducted a traffic stop on a rollback wrecker traveling north on Interstate 65 near mile marker 85 in Conecuh County after observing that the vehicle's license plate was not plainly visible. The wrecker was transporting a GMC Yukon. During the stop, investigators developed probable cause to search the Yukon and discovered approximately seven kilograms of fentanyl concealed inside the vehicle's battery compartment.
The investigation revealed that Billingsley had traveled to Houston, Texas, to retrieve the fentanyl at the direction of others. After obtaining the drugs, he arranged for the Yukon to be transported by rollback wrecker to Atlanta, Georgia, where he was instructed to deliver the fentanyl to another individual.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations and the 17th Judicial Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms and Dog Fighting Charges from Interstate “Mayhem Madness” EventRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY – Kansas City, Mo., resident Vinol Wilson, 52, pleaded guilty today in federal court to illegally possessing a firearm after a felony conviction and to multiple federal dog fighting offenses. Those offenses include conspiring to violate the federal Animal Welfare Act’s animal fighting law, keeping a dog for use in dog fighting, and buying and receiving a dog to use in a dog fighting venture.
“Wilson subjected animals to pain and suffering all for sport and profit,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam R.F. Gustafson of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Energy and Natural Resources Division. “The Justice Department continues to aggressively prosecute this criminal activity, and we work with our partners to rescue dogs whenever we can.”
“Inflicting cruelty on innocent dogs for entertainment and profit is both deplorable and in violation of federal law,” said U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price of the Western District of Missouri. “The Western District of Missouri is proud to have worked alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to enforce the Animal Welfare Act and hold those responsible accountable. Through these efforts, we help protect those that cannot defend themselves.”
According to court documents filed in the case, the defendant ran a dog fighting operation. He invited several others to participate in a multi-card dog fighting event known as “Mayhem Madness 2025” to be held at his residence in Kansas City on May 17, 2025. Parties traveled with fighting dogs from multiple states and used rental cars and short-term, internet-based vacation rental housing in connection with their trip to attend the “Mayhem Madness 2025” dog fighting event.
At the event, four dog fights were set to take place and three occurred. During the overnight period of May 17–18, 2025, after all dog fights were completed, the defendant polled attendees for their views on which dog performed the best and which was the “gamest,” or most willing to continue fighting despite injury, of the evening. The defendant awarded large trophies for “Best in Show” and “Gamest in Show” to two of the dog fight participants. Wilson further purchased and received a puppy from one of the out-of-state participants and intended to possess this dog for fighting purposes.
During a search warrant executed at Wilson’s residence on May 20, 2025, agents recovered sixteen fighting dogs, four of whom were pregnant and soon thereafter gave birth to 31 puppies. Agents also recovered items used in connection with the possession and maintenance of fighting dogs, such as medications, syringes, a “slatmill” dog treadmill, and fighting dog “pedigrees.” The defendant was further found in unlawful possession of a 5.56mm pistol loaded and chambered with 29 rounds of ammunition.
The dogs were rescued and cared for by a program administered by the U.S. Marshals Service. Following a separate, successful civil forfeiture action brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, these dogs did not have to be returned to the defendant, but instead, could be rehabilitated and evaluated for possible adoption.
Under federal law, it is illegal not only to fight dogs in a venture that affects interstate commerce, but also to possess, train, transport, deliver, sell, purchase or receive dogs for fighting purposes.
Each of the three dog fighting counts carries a maximum of five years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000. The firearm charge carries a maximum of fifteen years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and the Jackson County Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Becker, David Barnes, and James Kirkpatrick and Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Farmakidis handled the civil forfeiture case for the dogs.
Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms and Dog Fighting Charges from Interstate “Mayhem Madness” EventRead the Press Release
Kansas City, Missouri, resident Vinol Wilson, 52, pleaded guilty today in federal court to illegally possessing a firearm after a felony conviction and to multiple federal dogfighting offenses. Those offenses include conspiring to violate the federal Animal Welfare Act’s animal fighting law, keeping a dog for use in dog fighting, and buying and receiving a dog to use in a dogfighting venture.
“Wilson subjected animals to pain and suffering all for sport and profit,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division. “The Justice Department continues to aggressively prosecute this criminal activity, and we work with our partners to rescue dogs whenever we can.”
“Inflicting cruelty on innocent dogs for entertainment and profit is both deplorable and in violation of federal law,” said U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price for the Western District of Missouri. “The Western District of Missouri is proud to have worked alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to enforce the Animal Welfare Act and hold those responsible accountable. Through these efforts, we help protect those that cannot defend themselves.”
According to court documents filed in the case, the defendant ran a dog fighting operation. He invited several others to participate in a multi-card dog fighting event known as “Mayhem Madness 2025” to be held at his residence in Kansas City on May 17, 2025. Parties traveled with fighting dogs from multiple states and used rental cars and short-term, internet-based vacation rental housing in connection with their trip to attend the “Mayhem Madness 2025” dog fighting event.
At the event, four dog fights were set to take place and three occurred. During the overnight period of May 17–18, 2025, after all dog fights were completed, the defendant polled attendees for their views on which dog performed the best and which was the “gamest,” or most willing to continue fighting despite injury, of the evening. The defendant awarded large trophies for “Best in Show” and “Gamest in Show” to two of the dog fight participants. Wilson further purchased and received a puppy from one of the out-of-state participants and intended to possess this dog for fighting purposes.
During a search warrant executed at Wilson’s residence on May 20, 2025, agents recovered sixteen fighting dogs, four of whom were pregnant and soon thereafter gave birth to 31 puppies. Agents also recovered items used in connection with the possession and maintenance of fighting dogs, such as medications, syringes, a “slatmill” dog treadmill, and fighting dog “pedigrees.” The defendant was further found in unlawful possession of a 5.56mm pistol loaded and chambered with 29 rounds of ammunition.
The dogs were rescued and cared for by a program administered by the U.S. Marshals Service. Following a separate, successful civil forfeiture action brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, these dogs did not have to be returned to the defendant, but instead, could be rehabilitated and evaluated for possible adoption.
Under federal law, it is illegal not only to fight dogs in a venture that affects interstate commerce, but also to possess, train, transport, deliver, sell, purchase or receive dogs for fighting purposes.
Each of the three dog fighting counts carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000. The firearm charge carries a maximum penalty of fifteen years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General and the Jackson County Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Becker, David Barnes, and James Kirkpatrick for the Western District of Missouri and Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Farmakidis for the Western District of Missouri handled the civil forfeiture case for the dogs.
Justice Department Dismisses Alaska Lawsuit, Conceding Biden Era Oil and Gas Leasing Program Violated the LawRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Energy and Natural Resources Division filed a stipulation today dismissing lawsuits by the State of Alaska and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, concerning those plaintiffs’ challenges to the 2024 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
The lawsuits arose because the 2024 Program had imposed various restrictions on development, with the effect of frustrating Congress’s directive that the Department of the Interior establish and administer a competitive oil and gas leasing program in the Coastal Plain region of the Arctic Refuge.
“The Biden era Alaska oil and gas leasing program violated the law and improperly limited Alaska’s energy potential with unreasonable regulation,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This settlement supports the Trump Administration’s commitment to secure American energy independence and our national security for generations to come.”
“This settlement sets the record straight that the Biden administration’s 2024 restrictions on oil and gas production in Alaska were overly restrictive and contrary to Congress’s clear command to establish a competitive oil and gas leasing program in Alaska’s Coastal Plain,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “Today’s correction of the prior administration’s congressional obstruction helps enhance America’s energy dominance and prevents any future repetition of overreaching policies that thwart our Nation’s best interests.”
“This settlement furthers President Trump’s commitment to unleash Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential,” said Adam Gustafson, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division. “The Bureau of Land Management will now administer its oil and gas leasing program according to the plain meaning of the controlling statute. That means more oil leasing, more domestic energy, and more independence from foreign sources of energy.”
The settlement concedes that the 2024 Program violated the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in various ways, including by:
- effectively abdicating Interior’s duty to conduct a second lease sale;
- closing 75% of the 1.56 million-acre Coastal Plain to exploration and leasing;
- imposing unreasonable surface use restrictions on the remaining 25%; and
- unreasonably restricting surface disturbance to 995 acres Program-wide, instead of the “up to 2,000 acres” explicitly provided for in the Tax Act.
The settlement advances national and energy security interests by clarifying the Tax Act’s requirements, identifying violations of those requirements, and prohibiting the Department of the Interior from repeating those violations in any future decision governing the Program.
Justice Department Announces Completion of Compliance Review After Minnesota Repeals Grant Program Based on Unlawful DEI CriteriaRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department announced that the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) voluntarily resolved the Department’s compliance review under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI). The Department opened a review of MDH’s Capacity Strengthening Initiative grant program because it used race, color, and national origin to determine which applicants received funding. Because MDH has now ended the grant program, the Department is closing its review.
“Recipients of federal dollars cannot decide who benefits from those funds on the basis of race, color, or national origin,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department appreciates that the State of Minnesota has recognized this foundational principle and has repealed the statute governing the program.”
The Capacity Strengthening Initiative grant program was purportedly established to help organizations serving “people of color.” The grant program limited eligible grantees to organizations that worked with “people of color,” provided “strategic consideration and g[a]ve priority” to proposals from organizations “led by populations of color,” and ensured that grant funds were prioritized and awarded to organizations that were within counties that had a higher proportion of “Black or African American” and “nonwhite Latino(a)” communities. After the Department notified MDH of the compliance review, Minnesota repealed the Capacity Strengthening Initiative grant program’s enabling statute and MDH confirmed the program had ended.
Title VI prohibits race, color, or national origin discrimination by recipients of Federal financial assistance, including the Minnesota Department of Health. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Jury Convicts Chicago Resident of Drug Trafficking and Firearm Crimes While in the District of UtahRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – A federal jury in St. George returned a guilty verdict against a Chicago man after law enforcement found him in possession of cocaine and a firearm during a traffic stop.
Marcus Kentral Brown, 44, of Chicago, IL, was found guilty of possession of 500 grams or more of cocaine with intent to distribute, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on July 13, 2021, Brown was pulled over by a Utah Highway Patrol Trooper. Brown, the driver and sole occupant of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, stated he was traveling back to Chicago from California. Brown claimed the Jeep was his and that he purchased the vehicle from a “friend” in February or March. During a consensual search of the vehicle, the UHP Trooper found air fresheners throughout the car and a hidden compartment in the rear cargo area. He also located and seized approximately $14,000 in cash. Inside the hidden compartment, the trooper located 10 packages of a controlled substance that later tested positive for cocaine, and a loaded Glock pistol. The total weight of the cocaine was 25 pounds
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on October 28, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen in courtroom 2B at the courthouse located at 206 West Tabernacle Street, St. George, Utah 84470.
The case is being investigated by the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).Assistant United States Attorneys Brady Wilson and Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Jamaican National Sentenced to 66 Months in Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Sweepstakes Fraud Scheme Targeting the ElderlyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Adrian Lawrence, also known as “Mastermind,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 66 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, in connection with a years-long scheme to defraud elderly United States citizens. In addition to the prison term, Lawrence was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $5.4 million. Lawrence was arrested in Jamaica, and was extradited to the United States. He pleaded guilty in December 2023.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), and Joel D. Weaver, Special Agent in Charge, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Southeast Field Division (TIGTA), announced the sentence.
“Today’s sentence punishes Lawrence for targeting dozens of vulnerable senior citizens, who were manipulated into believing they had won an official sweepstakes prize, in order to line his pockets with their hard-earned savings,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “It will always be a priority of our Office to aggressively investigate elder fraud and hold responsible those who shamefully exploit our seniors for personal gain.”
"Adrian Lawrence defrauded at least 50 elderly victims of more than $5.4 million through manipulation and deceit. May today's sentencing highlight the FBI's commitment to holding accountable those who exploit vulnerable Americans out of greed," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
“Individuals who financially and emotionally exploit the elderly need to be held accountable. The United States Postal Inspection Service is committed to protecting the public and collaborating with other law enforcement agencies in combating schemes that target vulnerable victims. We encourage all USPS customers to be cautious, speak to loved ones about financial scams, and report any suspicious activities to law enforcement” stated USPIS Inspector in Charge Larco-Ward.
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration takes all investigations into Internal Revenue Service impersonation scams targeting elderly United States citizens seriously," stated TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Weaver. “We would like to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office for prosecuting such egregious acts in this case."
As set forth in court filings and on the record at sentencing, for more than six and a half years—between October 2013 and April 2020—Lawrence and his co-conspirators located in Jamaica and elsewhere outside the United States, carried out a scheme to defraud elderly U.S. citizens (the Victims). They used the telephone and email to falsely inform the Victims that they had won sweepstakes contests that were sponsored by Publishers Clearing House. Lawrence and his co-conspirators instructed the Victims that to facilitate the release of their purported prize money, the Victims first needed to wire money, mail checks, or send cash to bank accounts controlled by Lawrence to cover the purported taxes and fees. The Victims were led to believe that once these funds were wired or otherwise received by the defendant and others, their prizes would be released to them. In reality, Lawrence knew that the Victims had won no sweepstakes prizes and owed no fees. At least 50 victims, whose average age was approximately 82 years old, sent more than $5.6 million to Lawrence and his co-conspirators.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Kaitlin McTague is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ADRIAN LAWRENCE (also known as “Mastermind”)
Age: 34
Kingston, JamaicaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-159 (JMA)
International Crackdown on India-Based Organized Crime Gangs Results in 24 Arrests in U.S., Canada, and EuropeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and Europe have arrested 24 defendants – 11 of them in California – connected to three India-based transnational organized crime groups charged with a litany of criminal acts, including the assassination in Canada in 2023 of a prominent Indian political and religious figure, the Justice Department announced today.
Today’s law enforcement action – “Operation Hard Ball” – is the result of a years-long federal investigation into Indian crime syndicates that engage in racketeering, targeted killings, shootings, extortion, the trafficking of bulk quantities of narcotics across international borders, and other crimes around the world whose impact is especially felt in the Indian diaspora.
In total, 37 defendants – including two defendants who ran their global criminal syndicates while imprisoned in India – are charged across three indictments unsealed today. Those arrested in the United States – 11 in California, one in Indiana, and one in Georgia – are expected to make their initial appearances today in federal court.
Three defendants have been arrested in Canada, one defendant was arrested in Spain, and seven defendants already were in custody prior to today’s law enforcement operation.
Law enforcement is looking for 10 fugitives – seven in the United States, two in India, and one in Europe.
As part of this investigation, law enforcement has seized approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and 1 kilogram of heroin along with $40,000 in cash and a dozen firearms. A total of 23 search warrants have been executed in the Sacramento area and 11 warrants have been executed in the Los Angeles area.
“Transnational criminal gangs who spread fear, drugs, and violence will face the full force of justice and the weight of the federal government,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Working together, law enforcement in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia are determined to target and dismantle these criminal organizations wherever they operate. There is no safe harbor for these thugs.”
“Today’s coordinated operation strikes at the heart of three brutal transnational organizations that have terrorized families, exploited communities, and stolen lives through ruthless acts of violence in the U.S. and abroad,” said Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “We, alongside our partners, remain steadfast in our commitment to identifying these violent organizations, disrupting their activities, and ensuring they face the justice they deserve.”
“The true measure of this operation isn’t found in the arrests or the seizures alone,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. “It’s found in what they represent: a united commitment between the LAPD and our federal and international partners to relentlessly pursue those who threaten our communities. Together, we are dismantling organized crime, removing dangerous offenders from our streets, and making Los Angeles a safer city.”
“The most effective way to combat transnational crime is for multiple law enforcement partners to team up and target criminals where they operate,” said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Mike Duheme. “Together, we disrupted the operations of organized criminals who used murder, cruelty and fear to extort and control people in both Canada and the United States. We won’t pause for long to reflect on the work it took to get this job done – we’ll keep doing what we do best to preserve public safety in Canada, in the United States, and around the world.”
United States v. Bishnoi, et al.
Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, of Punjab, India, a gangster long imprisoned in India, was a self-styled university student leader before tiring of politics and turning himself and his followers to crime, according to a nine-count indictment that a federal grand jury returned on July 1.
In public, Bishnoi projected an image of himself as a “patriot,” “nationalist,” and deeply religious individual through social media posts and interviews with news organizations and used this public image to recruit members and associates to his crime syndicate in India, the United States, and elsewhere.
In private, Bishnoi presided over a sweeping criminal enterprise that spanned multiple continents. Using contraband cellphones and other voice-over internet protocol devices smuggled into his jail cell, Bishnoi personally directed political assassinations, murders, shootings, extortions, kidnappings, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and other crimes committed by members and associates of the Bishnoi enterprise worldwide.
The Canadian government in September 2025 designated the Bishnoi enterprise as a terrorist entity.
To help manage the enterprise’s day-to-day operations, Bishnoi delegated control to trusted lieutenants and regional leaders of the enterprise. These lieutenants and regional leaders included Satinderjeet Singh, 32, a.k.a. “Goldy Brar”, of Punjab, India, the North American leader of the Bishnoi enterprise, Rohit Godara, 37, of Rajasthan, India, the European leader of the Bishnoi enterprise, and Sukhraj Singh Kang, 58, of Punjab, India. According to the indictment, both Brar and Godara effectively spoke for Bishnoi and helped direct the actions of members and associates of the Bishnoi enterprise worldwide, including acts of violence committed by the gang’s members and associates in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere.
This criminal gang engaged in violent activity in each country in which it operated, including the United States, and used violence to cultivate a climate of fear, in particular in India and among Indian diaspora communities worldwide. The gang exploited this fear to extort its victims, hyping their violence and criminality through online videos and internet posts.
Among the crimes alleged in the indictment is the assassination of a prominent political and religious leader – identified in court documents as “H.S.N.” – from India’s Punjab state and who was living in Canada at the time of his death. Bishnoi and Brar are charged with ordering this assassination, which occurred when two gunmen shot and killed H.S.N. as he left a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023.
According to the indictment, the enterprise routinely targeted prominent religious, social, and political leaders with violence, and used these high-profile acts to terrorize and extort members of the community. For instance, in November 2023, Bishnoi claimed responsibility for a separate shooting that occurred at the Vancouver, Canada residence of a prominent Indian actor and singer, and warned in the Punjabi language in a Facebook post, “no one can save you from us.”
Bishnoi, Brar, Godara, and others extorted victims via WhatsApp and other encrypted messaging applications by threatening violence against the victims or the victims’ families. For example, Bishnoi, Brar, Godara, and other defendants attempted to extort victims in Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks, demanding in December 2025 and January 2026 that the latter victim make a $5 million payment.
In addition to these extortion schemes, the Bishnoi enterprise helped fund its activities through international drug trafficking and stealing drug shipments from rival gangs. For example, in November 2024, Bishnoi and Brar oversaw the transportation of 49 kilograms (108 pounds) of cocaine that was intercepted in Redlands and was intended for shipment via long-haul semi-trucks from the U.S. to Canada.
From March 2024 to July 2025, the Bishnoi enterprise stole a total of approximately 520 kilograms (1,146.4 pounds) of cocaine in the greater Los Angeles area from rival drug trafficking gangs.
The indictment charges Bishnoi, Brar, Godara, and six other defendants with one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion (Hobbs Act), six counts of attempted Hobbs Act extortion, and one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely cocaine and methamphetamine.
United States v. Bhagwanpuria, et al.
A seven-count federal grand jury indictment returned June 25 charges 17 defendants with operating a criminal enterprise that engaged in murder-for-hire, drug trafficking, kidnappings, extortions, weapons trafficking, and other crimes around the world, including in the United States and Canada.
Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, 38, of Punjab, India, a gangster imprisoned in India, is an associate-turned-rival of Bishnoi, and founded his own criminal enterprise in India’s Punjab state.
The Bhagwanpuria gang operates as a transnational criminal syndicate headquartered in India with members across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. This group includes more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide, and more than 100 members and associates in the United States.
To expand its power, this group corrupted law enforcement officers in India and partnered with corrupt government officials, including to assist in extortion schemes. It also provided false information to law enforcement officers in India regarding alleged crimes. The Bhagwanpuria group used this false information to target perceived rivals and individuals that members or associates believed were cooperating with law enforcement, often triggering baseless criminal proceedings and extortion plots by corrupt Indian law enforcement officers against perceived rivals.
According to the indictment, in April 2026, Gurlal Singh, 22, of Stockton, California, a member of the Bhagwanpuria syndicate who is an illegal alien from India, threatened a victim and then provided the victim’s name to a corrupt law enforcement officer in India’s Punjab state. This ultimately led to the victim, the victim’s father, and the victim’s sister being falsely accused of the January 2026 murder of a victim in India identified in court documents as “B.S.” It also led to the corrupt law enforcement officer in India extorting the victim and the victim’s father in connection with that pending murder case. A separate member of the Bhagwanpuria syndicate, Gurdev Singh, 26, is alleged to have attempted to extort a family living in the Midwest while he was being held in ICE custody, including by threatening to “put [] bullets in your kids.”
The group funded its activities through drug trafficking, including through drug transportation sub-networks in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, as well as through illegal firearms dealing.
Garinder Deo, 40, a.k.a. “Doctor, “Rocket,” and “Ritz Carlton,” of Vancouver, Canada, though not charged as a member or associate of this criminal group, allegedly helped enrich the group by purchasing bulk quantities of cocaine and heroin that were to be shipped from Southern California to the eastern United States with the assistance of members and associates of the Bhagwanpuria enterprise. This included the attempted shipment in June 2025 of 99.2 kilograms (218.7 pounds) of cocaine and one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of heroin that law enforcement ultimately intercepted.
The indictment charges one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of attempted Hobbs Act extortion, two counts of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of distribution of cocaine, one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, and one count of possession of a machine gun.
United States v. Dhanda, et al.
Ravinder Singh Dhanda, 57, a.k.a. “Randy,” “Rolex,” and “John Wick,” of Vancouver, Canada, Jaskarn Baghri, 50, a.k.a. “Baba,” of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Gurtej Singh Smagh, 43, a.k.a. “Simba,” of Creston, British Columbia, Canada, and eight other defendants are charged in an eight-count indictment returned June 23 alleging they transported, smuggled, and distributed hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine each week from the U.S. into Canda.
According to the indictment, Dhanda operated a drug distribution network that provided international smuggling services for bulk quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He negotiated transportation rates and logistics with these DTOs and subcontracted the storage and transportation of these drugs.
The cocaine and methamphetamine were concealed and transported on long-haul semi-trucks from the greater Los Angeles area – including Los Angeles, West Covina, Ontario, Fontana, and Perris – to the U.S.-Canada border. Sometimes, farm trucks from working farms were used to hide the narcotics en route to Canada.
The indictment specifically alleges the shipment of 430.1 kilograms (948.2 pounds) of cocaine from July 2023 to November 2024.
The indictment charges one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of conspiracy to export controlled substances, one count of operating a continuing criminal enterprise, and five counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, many of the defendants would face a mandatory minimum prison sentence between 10 years in federal prison and life imprisonment, and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The FBI; the Los Angeles Police Department; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP); and United States Customs and Border Protection’s Buffalo Field Office are investigating these matters. RCMP is conducting a parallel investigation into South Asian organized crime.
Assistance was provided by Unidad Central Operativa de la Guardia Civil (Spain); Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles; the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Division; the Regional Narcotics Suppression Program, a specialized multi-agency task force that targets high-level drug trafficking and money laundering organizations operating in Southern California and managed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department; the Brownsburg (Indiana) Police Department; the Pennsylvania State Police; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Philadelphia Field Division; the FBI’s field offices in Buffalo, Sacramento, and San Francisco; and the FBI’s Legal Attaché offices in New Delhi, Mexico City, Madrid, and Ottawa.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.
Assistant United States Attorney Declan T. Conroy of the Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting these cases.
Individuals Sentenced to 35 and 25 Years in Prison for Firearms Violations and Double MurderRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – United States District Court Judge Pedro A. Delgado-Hernández sentenced two defendants, Sean Díaz-De León and Juan Carlos Pagán-Bonilla, charged with the murder of two transgender women in April 2020 in Humacao, PR. The defendants were arrested on May 4, 2020, indicted on May 13, 2020, and pleaded guilty in October and December 2025.
According to court documents, on June 30, 2026, defendant Sean Díaz-De León was sentenced to 35 years in prison and five years of supervised release for carrying and using a firearm during a crime of violence which resulted in the murder of L.P.S. and S.A.V.R., two transgender women. On December 4, 2025, Díaz-De León pleaded guilty to shooting and killing both victims and disposing of their bodies with co-defendant Pagán-Bonilla. On May 22, 2026, Juan Carlos Pagán-Bonilla was sentence to 25 years in prison and five years of supervised release for using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence which resulted in the double murder of the transgender women. Pagán-Bonilla pleaded guilty on October 20, 2025.
On April 21, 2020, Sean Díaz-De León and Juan Carlos Pagán-Bonilla agreed and planned to meet on a double date with L.P.S. and S.A.V.R. at L.P.S.’s residence in the municipality of Las Piedras. The defendants and the victims socialized, smoked marihuana, made small talk, and got to know each other. L.P.S. recorded a short video showing all their faces that she published online on the Snapchat social media application. At some point, Díaz-DeLeón and L.P.S. moved to a different bedroom and had sexual relations. Afterwards L.P.S. admitted to Díaz-De León that she was transgender and Díaz-De León got angry.
Pagán-Bonilla and S.A.V.R. also had sexual relations. Subsequently, Díaz-De León told Pagán-Bonilla that S.A.V.R. was also transgender and that he wanted to kill both women because he felt like they tricked them into having sex without telling them that they were transgender. The victims tried to calm down the defendants and proposed that they get more marihuana to smoke and talk. The defendants however, decided to shoot the victims once they reached the highway. Díaz-De León shot and killed both victims. Both defendants, to conceal their crimes, filled the car with trash to make it more flammable and set the car on fire under a bridge in Barrio Mambiche Prieto in Humacao.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Carlos R. Goris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement. The FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney José Contreras prosecuted the case.
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Indiana man pleads guilty to sex trafficking underage Montana girlRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – An Indiana man who traveled to Montana to have sex with a minor, and had explicit images of her on his phone, admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Brandon Cole Stoliby, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of transportation of child pornography. On the first charge, Stoliby faces 30 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, a $5,000 special assessment, and an additional $100 special assessment. On the second charge, Stoliby faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, a $35,000 special assessment, a $5,000 special assessment, and an additional $100 special assessment.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided at the change of plea and sentencing was set for Nov. 3, 2026. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Malloy will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Stoliby remained in custody pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Stoliby met a 15-year-old Montana girl through Snapchat, exchanged sexually explicit messages and photos with her, and then traveled from Indiana to Missoula with his wife and children to pick up the girl and take her back to his home in Indiana.
The incident began in March 2025 when Stoliby and the girl met over Snapchat. She presented herself as 18 and Stoliby quickly showed sexual interest in her, sending her explicit messages and persuading her to send him explicit images. Those images were later found on Stoliby’s phone when he was eventually arrested in Montana.
By April 2025, the two had made plans for Stoliby to travel to Montana to pick her up and move her back to Indiana. While traveling with his family, Stoliby and the girl made plans for her to sell explicit images of herself to help cover the costs of the trip and the move. He arrived in Missoula County on April 6, 2025, picked the girl up from her home and took her to Butte, where the two engaged in sexual intercourse.
From there, they headed to Rapid City, South Dakota, where they were located by law enforcement and the girl was removed from Stoliby’s custody. Authorities also told Stoliby that the girl was 15. After contact with law enforcement, Stoliby again met up with the girl a day later and they resumed their trip to Indiana. This time, the girl’s guardians texted the girl and demanded she return.
Stoliby drove back to Montana and stayed the night in Billings, where he and his wife attempted to engage the girl in sexual activity. The next day they returned the girl to her guardians, who traveled back to Missoula County with her. However, Stolibly returned to Missoula County to pick her up again that night, without the knowledge of her guardians. They again left for Indiana but were stopped this time in Powder River County. The girl was once again returned to her guardians. Stoliby was later arrested and admitted in interviews with law enforcement to exchanging sexually explicit images with the girl, engaging in a sexual relationship with her, and keeping explicit photos she had sent him.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney is prosecuting the case. The Missoula County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Illegal alien faces lengthy prison sentence after pleading guilty to possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: An illegal alien in possession of a firearm has been sentenced to prison in federal district court.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker, and announced by Margaret E. ‘Meg’ Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Alan Castro-Hernandez, 27, of Garden City, was sentenced to 160 months in prison followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to two counts of being an Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm.
There is no parole in the federal system.
In March 2025, Chatham County Police responded to a shooting at the Emperors Gentlemen’s Club, finding a wounded victim along with 9 mm casings at the scene. During the investigation, using surveillance video, investigators identified the suspects’ vehicle and physical description.
Investigators searched Castro-Hernandez’s residence and found the Glock Model 48, 9 mm pistol used in the shooting. Several additional firearms were recovered during the search.
“This defendant knew his actions were illegal, and the community is safer after the conclusion of this case,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “The teamwork and investigative skills of our law enforcement partners, including Chatham County Police Detectives Randall Noble and Jon Puhala, ensured this illegal alien would face justice.”
Castro-Hernandez admitted to officers that he possessed the firearm and shot someone the night he was at the establishment. Castro-Hernandez also admitted to knowingly being illegally in the United States.
"When individuals who are prohibited from possessing firearms choose to arm themselves and commit acts of violence, they put innocent lives at risk,” said ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph Waller. “ATF will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate firearms offenses, remove illegal firearms from our communities, and ensure violent offenders are brought to justice.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Chatham County Police Department and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant United States Attorneys Kelsey L. Scanlon, Michael Spitulnik and J. Bishop Ravenel.
Illegal Alien with 11 Prior Deportations and Multiple Felony Convictions Sentenced to over One Year in Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced today by United States District Judge Cristina D. Silva to 13 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after having been removed from the country on three prior occasions. The government recommended a sentence of 13 months and one day imprisonment.
According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings, on December 27, 2025, Ulian Ohye-Michiko was found in the United States after being arrested by officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for child abuse or neglect, domestic battery, false statement to or obstruct public officer, driving without a driver's license, driving under the influence, and operator - proof of insurance required.
Ohye-Michiko has four prior felony convictions: Aggravated Assault- Law Enforcement Officer, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and two for illegally returning to the United States after a removal. This is his third conviction for illegally reentering the United States.
Ohye-Michiko was previously deported to Mexico 11 times between 2008 and 2020.
Ohye-Michiko pleaded guilty to one count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. After serving his prison sentence, he will be deported to Mexico for a 12th time.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Alejandro Almeida made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Hot Springs Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs, Arkansas man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in Federal Prison to be followed by five years of Supervised Release for Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute, Possession of a Firearm in furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person - Felon. The Honorable Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearings, which took place in the United States District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court records, in July of 2024 law enforcement agent conducted undercover controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Markevin Duwayne Taylor, age 33. On August 5, 2024, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Taylor’s residence, during which they located a large quantity of methamphetamine and a handgun. It was also determined that Taylor was a multiple time convicted felon.
On June 26, 2025, Taylor pleaded guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute, Possession of a Firearm in furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person - Felon. During Taylor’s sentencing hearing on July 6, 2026, the Court determined that Taylor was an Armed Career Criminal based on the number and type of Taylor’s prior felony convictions.
“Career criminals will not have safe harbor inside the Western District of Arkansas,” said United States Attorney Kevin R. Holmes. “Our state, local and federal law enforcement partnership is strong, and we will work together to ensure that these dangerous offenders get the time in prison they deserve.”
“This investigation highlights our unyielding resolve to target drug traffickers who bring weapons and dangerous narcotics into our neighborhoods. Through Operation Take Back America, we will continue to deploy the full force of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from violent crime,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott, New Orleans Field Division.
“We are thankful for our relationship with the US Attorney’s Office,” said Hot Springs Police Chief Chris Chapmond. “The aggressive prosecution of these types of offenders sends a clear message to those that want to commit offenses that endanger our citizens.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan A. Achorn prosecuted the case for the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hot Springs Police Department investigated the case. The 18th East Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office also assisted with the prosecution and investigation of this matter.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.
Honduran woman sentenced for transporting a Mexican national illegally in the U.S.Read the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A woman from Honduras who was found guilty of illegally reentering the country and transporting a Mexican national was sentenced today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Yolanda Ernestina Soto-Antunez, 41, was found guilty by a federal jury in June 2026 of being in the county illegally and transporting someone in the country illegally. Soto-Antunez was sentenced to time served (126 days) and remanded to the custody and control of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Soto-Antunez was illegally transporting a Mexican national in the U.S. and that she had illegally reentered the country in 2016.
A Phillips County Sheriff’s deputy pulled over Soto-Antunez on March 6, 2026, on Highway 2 near Malta for speeding. The deputy eventually requested translation help from two U.S. Border Patrol agents after he struggled to understand Soto-Antunez’s broken English. Law enforcement learned Soto-Antunez was in the county illegally from Honduras and the passenger in her car was in the country illegally from Mexico.
Through the course of their investigation, agents found $18,000 in a duffle bag that belonged to her passenger. He told agents he was traveling to Washington to borrow an additional $12,000 from a cousin for a total of $30,000 to pay for his sister to be transported illegally into the U.S.
Agents also learned Soto-Antunez had been previously deported from the U.S. in June 2012 and had reentered the country illegally in August 2016.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Phillip’s County Sheriff’s Office.
HSTF Investigation Leads to Lengthy Prison Sentence for Illegal Alien from Mexico Who Trafficked Methamphetamine Supplied by the Sinaloa CartelRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) has resulted in the conviction and sentencing of an illegal alien from Mexico who distributed hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine for a drug trafficking organization supplied by the Sinaloa Cartel, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Anselmo Nava-Sanchez, 32, was sentenced to 188 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. After serving his prison sentence, Nava-Sanchez will be removed from the United States.
“The Sinaloa Cartel depends on drug trafficking organizations operating inside our country to distribute deadly drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “This one illegal alien defendant trafficked almost 800 pounds of drugs for the organization. For that, he will serve almost 16 years in an American prison before being deported.”
According to filed documents and court proceedings, law enforcement identified Nava-Sanchez as a drug distributor for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) supplied by the Sinaloa Cartel. Over the course of the investigation, Nava-Sanchez was involved in the importation, manufacture, and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine. In August 2023, law enforcement intercepted Nava-Sanchez’s vehicle on his way from Georgia to North Carolina to make an arranged drug delivery. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement seized two large trash bags containing plastic bins with nearly 10 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Law enforcement also searched Nava-Sanchez’s residence where they found multiple coolers filled with more than 85 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine, plastic tubs containing nearly 90 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, drug ledgers, digital scales, and items indicating that Nava-Sanchez was using his residence as a meth lab to convert liquid meth into crystal meth. Law enforcement also located a Buick SUV at the residence that had built-in trap compartments commonly used to avoid detection by law enforcement when transporting large quantities of drugs.
In total, during the investigation, Nava-Sanchez was responsible for trafficking more than 360 kilograms of methamphetamine for the DTO.
Nava-Sanchez will remain in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility.
This was an investigation led by the HSTF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
HSTF is an initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF CORE 23 (Charlotte) is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), United States Customers and Border Protection (CBP), United States ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the Naval Criminal investigative Service (NCIS), the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FIDC) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the North Carolina Insurance Bureau, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Raleigh Police Department, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the Nash Count Sheriff’s Office, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Halifax County Sheriff’s office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick Count Sheriff’s Office, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Nags Head Police Department, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS), the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the Kannapolis Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, the Gastonia Police Department, the Huntersville Police Department, the Cornelius Police Department, the Matthews Police Department, the Pineville Police Department, the Stallings Police Department, the Kings Mountain Police Department, the Greensville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) International Airport Police Department, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Anderson City Police Department, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston County Airport Police Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Summerville Police Department, the Greensboro Police Department, the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Alamance County Sheriff’s office, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office, the Eden Police Department, the Piedmont Triad Internal Airport Police Department, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of North and South Carolina.
Gun-Toting Drug Dealer Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Kevin Tyrone Eure, 37, to 14 years in federal prison for conspiracy to sell and selling cocaine and crack and possessing guns as a convicted felon and while selling crack.
Kevin Tyrone Eure, AKA “Boo Dro,” dealt drugs in the Craven County area. Law enforcement confirmed this by covertly purchasing cocaine and crack from him. They followed up by executing a search warrant at his home in Grifton. Investigators found crack packaging materials, digital scales, and vacuum sealed bags, that he used to package his drugs for sale. Investigators also located a bullet proof vest, over 37 pounds of ammunition, and 12 guns of various sizes throughout his home. He hid the guns in random spots around his home, including in the slot of a toaster and a Draco inside a dryer. When interviewed, Eure admitted to selling cocaine and crack for the past eight years throughout eastern North Carolina.
“Selling crack and cocaine is illegal. Stashing a bunch of guns in your house while slinging drugs makes the crime that much worse.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “It’s really easy to avoid this type of trouble: don’t sell drugs; don’t have guns if you are a felon. I hope he learns his lesson and doesn’t commit any more crimes when he eventually gets out of prison. He will have a long time to reconsider these bad choices. Drugs kill. Prison awaits. Do right.”
W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. ATF, the North Carolina SBI, the Craven County Sherrif’s Office, and the New Bern Police Department investigated the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-00007-FL.
Greece man arrested, charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars by filing false class action lawsuit claimsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Phillip Digennaro, 38 of Greece, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Digennaro has filed false claims in multiple class action lawsuits in order to obtain payments from settlement funds that he was not otherwise entitled to receive. He used over 480 bank accounts at eight different financial institutions to perpetuate this scheme, including Synchrony Bank, Alliant Bank, Chase Bank, Key Bank, M&T Bank, PNC Bank, Discover Bank, and Barclays Bank, as well as Pay Pal. Between January 2022 and December 2025, Digennaro is accused of receiving approximately 27,052 payments totaling approximately $1,303,060.59 from approximately 107 different class action lawsuit settlements. Digennaro continued to transfer funds derived from the class action lawsuits between various accounts in his control until April 2026.
One example, Digennaro filed false claims in the Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep EcoDiesel Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Lawsuit, which was litigated in the Northern District of California. The lawsuit alleged that the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, Model Years 2014-2016, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Eco Diesel, model years 2014-2016, did not comply with federal and state emissions regulations and that Fiat Chrysler made misrepresentations to consumers regarding the vehicles. The defendants settled the Ecodiesel Class Action Lawsuit by making cash payments to class members ranging from $990 to $3,075. Between January 25, 2022, and May 19, 2023, Digennaro received nine payments totaling $27,060 from the lawsuit settlement fund. The investigation determined that Digennaro submitted at least five fraudulent driver’s licenses to support his fraudulent claims.
On May 21, 2026, law enforcement executed a federal seizure warrant and seized approximately $1,224,497.27 from accounts controlled by Digennaro. That same day, investigators executed a search warrant at his residence, seizing multiple checks that were issued from class action settlement funds and were payable to individuals other than Digennaro. During the search warrant, law enforcement also seized numerous electronic devices, which contained voluminous records of class action lawsuit filings, photoshopped documents with fake names, and a folder labeled “ready for claims” with subfolders for various class action lawsuits.
Digennaro made an initial appearance before U.S. District Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was released on conditions.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan K. McGuire and Melanie Bailey. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis II.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Fugitive Charged with Rape of a Child Returned from Guatemala to Face ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Federal agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation working with federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee and in collaboration with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) recently returned Domingo Sunun to the United States to face state sexual assault charges including two counts of child rape and one count of aggravated rape, United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek announced today.
“Holding offenders accountable for offenses against children is among the highest priorities of this office and the Department of Justice,” said United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek. “When federal law enforcement and local partners work together with one goal, there is nowhere a fugitive can run that will be beyond the reach of the law.”
“Let this be a message to those who seek to victimize our youth: no matter where you run or where you hide, law enforcement will hunt you down and hold you accountable for your crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “There is no place in our community for those who prey on children, and we will do everything we can to not only seek justice for the victims, but to prevent additional child exploitation crimes. I commend FBI Nashville’s Violent Crimes Squad and our partners for their steadfast commitment to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”
“Our Youth Services detectives are committed to seeking justice for innocent children against whom unthinkable acts have allegedly been committed,” said Metro Police Chief John Drake. “That can happen now that Domingo Sunun has been returned to Nashville from Guatemala. This is not the first time our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI have assisted in bringing a fugitive accused of serious crimes back to our city from another country. I am grateful to all for the years of work on this case.”
According to court documents, MNPD officers went to a residence on Gwynnwood Drive in Nashville in September 2021 to investigate allegations that Sunun had sexually assaulted his three nieces who were eight, ten, and twelve years old at the time. According to the victim statements, the sexual assaults occurred over a period of nearly three-and-a-half years. According to court documents, Sunun’s family members told investigators that Sunun abruptly packed all his belongings and left his Nashville residence after the initial police report was filed. State arrest warrants were obtained for Sunun charging him with aggravated rape and two counts of rape of a child. MNPD investigators then determined that Sunun had likely fled to Guatemala to avoid apprehension and prosecution.
In March 2022, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained an arrest warrant for the federal offense of Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution and began working with international law enforcement partners to apprehend Sunun and return him to the United States. In December 2025, Sunun was apprehended in Guatemala and in March 2026, his extradition to the United States was granted by the government of Guatemala.
Upon his return to the United States, Sunun was transferred to state custody to face the child sexual abuse charges lodged against him in Davidson County General Sessions Court.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in collaboration with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs worked to obtain cooperation from the government of Guatemala to enable Sunun’s return to the United States. The Davidson County District Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting Sunun on the sexual abuse indictment. Assistant District Attorney Jeff George is the lead prosecutor on the sexual assault case and Administrative Assistant Ashley Mondelli assisted in the extradition of Sunun from Guatemala to the United States.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Founder/CEO and Clinical President of Digital Health Company Sentenced to 72 Months and 24 Months, Respectively, for $90 Million Scheme to Distribute over 37 Million Pills of AdderallRead the Press Release
The founder and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ruthia He of Done Global Inc., a California-based digital mental health company, was sentenced today to six years in prison and a fine of $1 million for orchestrating a scheme that used her company’s technology platform, compensation structure, and clinical protocols to unlawfully distribute over 37 million pills of Adderall, defraud insurers of over $12 million, and obstruct the federal investigation that followed. The defendant spent over $40 million on social media advertisements to deceive Americans into believing they had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), falsely diagnosing patients with ADHD, and distributing Adderall, including to patients who the company was warned were suffering from Adderall psychosis, bipolar, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions that were worsened by stimulant prescriptions. The goal of the conspiracy was to obtain an over $1 billion valuation by fueling user growth through a subscription for prescription business model whereby patients paid a monthly fee for prescriptions that were automatically refilled and obtained through a frictionless technology platform. Co-defendant David Brody, Done’s former clinical president, was separately sentenced to two years in prison a fine of $1 million.
“Ruthia He hid behind the cloak of medicine to deceive the public, defraud health care programs, and unlawfully deal highly addictive drugs to vulnerable patients,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Ruthia He’s business model cast aside medical necessity and patient care in favor of profit and greed. Today’s sentence is a clear warning to every digital health boardroom: if you build fraud or illegal drug distribution into your growth model, the Department of Justice will find you and bring you to justice.”
“Drug traffickers are driven by profits, not people,” said U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian for the Northern District of California. “Whether they operate from a street corner or from a computer, the motive and the resulting harm are the same. These defendants made a choice to operate a telehealth platform that ignored medical necessity and as a result put patients at risk. Today’s sentences send an important message: Telehealth companies prescribing controlled substances must follow medical standards, prioritize patient safety, and comply with the law, and those who do not will be held responsible.”
“Today’s sentencing reflects the serious consequences of abusing the public’s trust and corrupting the nation’s controlled substance system for personal profit,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “The defendants used the convenience of telemedicine to facilitate the unlawful distribution of highly addictive stimulants, placing communities at risk and undermining legitimate patient care. Whether the scheme operates on a street corner or behind a computer screen, DEA and our partners will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who traffic in prescription drugs for criminal gain.”
“Today’s sentencing makes clear that people who use technology as a cover to push dangerous drugs and exploit federal health care programs will pay a heavy price,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of HHS‑OIG. “These defendants harmed patients, undermined clinicians, and stole taxpayer dollars. High‑tech fraud schemes are still just fraud, and HHS‑OIG will continue to work with our partners to pursue justice for victims and hold fraudsters accountable.”
According to court documents, defendants used a technology platform, management incentives, and clinical protocols that were designed together to corrupt medical decision-making at a national scale. Defendants sought to build a billion-dollar technology company and raise money from investors by advertising easy access to Adderall and other stimulants in exchange for payment of a monthly subscription fee:
Done Health adertisement.Other ads deceived Americans who suffered from other mental health conditions — or simply from inattentiveness due to aging or a lack of structure due to work-from-home policies — into thinking that they were suffering from ADHD, and that Adderall was the solution to their problems.
“When fraudsters steal from Medicare and Medicaid, they’re also stealing from the elderly, disabled, and low-income Americans who depend on these programs and from the taxpayers who fund them,” said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “But it’s never just about the money. The evidence prosecutors assembled in this case confirms what we’ve seen countless times before: that scammers who are willing to steal your money don’t mind stealing your health or even your life. CMS is proud to work alongside the Justice Department and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud to put criminals like He and Brody behind bars, where they can’t steal from hardworking taxpayers or harm vulnerable Americans anymore.”
Evidence at trial showed that the defendants used a combination of carrots and sticks to cause unnecessary prescriptions. The defendants refused to hire or fired Done clinicians who did not participate in the conspiracy, while paying up to $60,000 per month to clinicians who signed Adderall prescriptions every 30 seconds. The defendants pressured clinicians to diagnose ADHD in initial visits capped at half the length of a typical examination and pressured them to prescribe stimulants to patients who the clinicians did not believe had ADHD or who were at risk for serious side effects. The defendants also used an “auto-refill” platform technology feature after an initial diagnosis to minimize follow-up appointments, where prescribers signed prescriptions for Adderall based on an automatically generated message that a patient desired a refill. Because of these policies, some patients went years without seeing clinicians, who continually authorized refills even through involuntary psychiatric holds or after the patients had died. Brody himself personally wrote prescriptions for 394,324 Schedule II stimulant pills prescribed to 6,559 Done members who were complete strangers to him: he never evaluated them or even reviewed a single patient record. Brody even admitted that “it only [took him] 30 seconds per refill” prescription because he never checked patients’ medical records. As he told defendant He, his dream job at Done would allow him to make money “WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO SEE OR TALK TO THE PATIENT[s].”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting American communities from the devastating impact of prescription drug abuse and corporate fraud,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “These defendants deliberately corrupted medical decision-making and flooded communities with over 40 million pills of Adderall, fueling addiction and worsening the prescription epidemic across the United States. “Their actions put vulnerable patients — including children — at risk. They ignored repeated warnings from clinicians and families, and prioritized profit over safety and health. This case demonstrates the critical role HSI plays in investigating and dismantling complex criminal enterprises that exploit technology and the health care system for profit. HSI remains steadfast in our mission to protect the public and ensure that those who endanger lives for personal gain face the full consequences of their actions.”
The evidence at trial showed that defendants were repeatedly warned by clinical leaders that they would face “legal consequences” for furthering illegal prescriptions, but they nevertheless persisted. He told providers and employees who raised concerns that she would buy an expensive luxury car for the “first person to get arrested.” Defendants also prohibited independent clinical practitioners from discharging patients, and patients continued to receive Adderall even after concerned family members repeatedly notified Done that their children were suffering from bipolar, Adderall-induced psychosis, or other mental health conditions that could be worsened by continued prescriptions. Three mothers testified at trial about their desperate efforts to warn Done that it should not be prescribing to their children, which Done ignored.
“When people put profit above the safety and well-being of others, they undermine trust in the systems we all rely on,” said Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. of IRS-CI New York. “IRS-CI special agents are specially equipped to trace the complex financial trails left behind by those seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of patient care and public safety. We stand up for victims and remain vigilant, holding individuals accountable for brazen schemes that put lives at risk.”
Brody encouraged Done’s practitioners to disregard the widely accepted DSM-V criteria. Indeed, Brody described these addictive substances to Done employees as candy that Done providers handed out like Santa Claus. Brody acknowledged that Done’s practices were “on the edge” of the law, remarking that people who were “really into the law” were not his cup of tea. When one prescriber expressed concerns about the legality of Done’s prescribing practices, defendant Brody said that she should prescribe stimulants to patients “no matter what and not worry about going to jail.”
In order to ensure that members continued paying monthly subscription fees, He, Brody, and others conspired to defraud insurers so that Done members would be able to use insurance to pay for Adderall dispensed at pharmacies. He, Brody, and others submitted false and fraudulent prior authorization requests to insurers, which claimed that Done followed the DSM-5 in diagnosing ADHD, utilized urine drug screens, and falsely claimed that non-stimulants had previously been tried without success. As a result, Medicare, Medicaid, and the commercial insurers paid in excess of approximately $12.3 million.
In 2022, faced with scrutiny from the media, He and Brody lied about Done’s policies. When national pharmacy chains began blocking Done prescriptions due to safety concerns, the defendants falsely claimed to have robust compliance measures to ensure the pills kept flowing. Internal documents showed that defendant He ultimately created a secondary entity, Mindful Mental Wellness, specifically to bypass pharmacy blocks and continue dispensing stimulants.
The Health Care Fraud Unit’s investigation reached beyond the individual clinicians writing the prescriptions to examine how corporate decisionmakers controlled its operations. To obstruct the government’s investigation, the evidence at trial showed that He moved operations to China to make personnel and evidence unavailable. After receipt of the grand jury subpoena issued to Done, He instructed Done employees to move to encrypted messaging applications, such as Signal and WhatsApp, to discuss sensitive company business, instead of using official company platforms that were being collected by Done’s attorneys for production to the government. He also turned on “disappearing messages” in her communications with Done colleagues, rendering it impossible to obtain such messages. He also personally deleted and directed employees to delete incriminatory documents and messages from the company servers. As the investigation closed in, He continued to move assets and company operations abroad. She researched non-extradition countries on her MacBook and saved a screenshot of the results:
Image of He's search for non-extradition countries. Chart of Done Global Advertising-Related Payments to China. Notification of He turning on disappearing messages.In Feb. 2023, agents intercepted He on her way to the airport, bound for a flight to Hong Kong. She surrendered her passport and was warned that leaving the country would result in arrest. Four months later, however, she secretly obtained a Chinese travel document that would allow her to travel to China — a fact she concealed from the court and law enforcement following her arrest and that ultimately led to her pretrial detention due to her risk of flight. He also set up a shell company — MakeBelieve Asia — and transferred millions of dollars to China.
In Nov. 2025, He and Brody were both convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, four counts of distribution of controlled substances, and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He was also convicted of one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.
The DEA, HHS-OIG, HSI, and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Acting Health Care Fraud Unit Chief Jacob Foster, Assistant Chief Emily Gurskis, and Trial Attorneys Arun Bodapati and Raymond Beckering III of the Justice Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Green for the Northern District of California prosecuted the case. The sentence is the first sentence announced since the creation of the West Coast Strike Force in the Northern District of California, District of Arizona, and District of Nevada.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Fraud Division’s Health Care Strike Force program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, CMS, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Former Texas Tech Professor Pleads Guilty to Running Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Note: As a courtesy to the public, a copy of the Factual Resume is attached.
An official copy of this court document can be obtained (irrespective of any markings that may indicate that the document was filed under seal or otherwise marked as not available for public dissemination) on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records website at https://pacer.uscourts.gov.A former Texas Tech marketing and supply chain professor pled guilty today for his leadership role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Daniel Taylor, 51, of Lubbock, Texas, was charged in February 2026 with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. On July 1, 2026, he pled guilty to conspiring to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. During the entire scope of the conspiracy, Taylor was employed as an assistant professor of marketing and supply chain management at the Texas Tech University Rawls College of Business. He admitted in court documents that his educational background and expertise in supply chain management helped to further or advance his fentanyl distribution network.“Taylor utilized his education and background in supply chain management to build and operate his own supply chain of dangerous narcotics in the Lubbock area, primarily dealing out of the Executive Inn,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “With his pink flamingo and ghost branding of fentanyl, he also drugged prostitutes to fuel his own sexual desires. I expect—and we will certainly be asking for—a severe prison sentence to hold him accountable for the harm he caused our community.”
“This defendant exploited the knowledge and credibility he gained as a university professor to build a fentanyl trafficking operation that put lives at risk throughout the Lubbock community,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “DEA and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying and dismantling the criminal networks responsible for distributing fentanyl, and we will continue pursuing those who profit from this deadly poison.”
According to court documents, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Caprock High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force began investigating Taylor and others in June 2025, after receiving information that a Texas Tech professor named “Dan” was distributing fentanyl powder in Lubbock.
In January 2026, agents were conducting surveillance on Taylor when they observed him leave his residence with a female. They followed Taylor and the female as Taylor drove (them) to the Executive Inn in Lubbock. At the Executive Inn, Taylor and the female picked up a second female. Agents learned that, while this second female was in custody in September 2025, Taylor created an account through the jail electronic messaging system and used it to put money on her jail account and to arrange to pick her up upon her release from jail.
Shortly thereafter, agents obtained a court order to place a GPS tracking device on Taylor’s vehicle.
On January 12, 2026, agents and watched Taylor leave his residence and travel to a convenience store off Frankford Avenue. Inside the store, Taylor made contact with the female he previously picked up at the Executive Inn, who followed Taylor outside and entered Taylor’s vehicle for less than a minute before exiting and returning to her vehicle, some of which is depicted below:
Agents believed they had witnessed a narcotics transaction and conducted a traffic stop on the female’s vehicle. As a Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office deputy approached the vehicle, the occupants began telling the deputy that there was a male in the back seat experiencing a drug overdose. Paramedics arrived and transported the individual to the University Medical Center (UMC) hospital in Lubbock. The individual required endotracheal intubation and was intubated for approximately three days. The individual’s treating physician stated that he was experiencing imminent, life-threatening deterioration as a result of an opioid overdose.
Subsequent investigation revealed that Taylor had just distributed two different types of fentanyl powder to the female: white fentanyl powder, marketed as “ghost,” and a pink powder that the DEA laboratory determined to be a combination of fentanyl and bromazoloam, a benzodiazepine that was emergency scheduled by the DEA as a Schedule I controlled substance in March 2026. Taylor marketed the pink powder as “pink flamingo.” The individuals in the vehicle began consuming the drugs immediately after obtaining it from Taylor, causing the individual’s overdose.
On February 17, 2026, agents were conducting surveillance on Taylor when they observed another female leaving his house with fentanyl powder. Agents obtained a search warrant for Taylor’s residence, where the found a station containing a heat-sealer, multiple clear and pink plastic baggies, and a handwritten note describing the recipe for “flamingo,” which was indicated to be 60% “ghost” fentanyl powder and “8mg bromazoloam per point (appx. 2 Xanax bars). Inside a Pelican case, agents found numerous containers of suspected fentanyl powder, baggies with stickers of scissors on them containing a white powdery substance. Agents also located a pink container with several doses of Narcan. Flamingo-related paraphernalia, including small flamingo stickers, keychains, and pink envelopes. Inside the kitchen, agents found a sign with cartoon flamingos holding cocktails. Various items were seized during the execution of the search warrant, some of which are depicted below:The drugs were analyzed by the DEA laboratory and confirmed Taylor’s possession of various quantities of fentanyl, bromazoloam, cocaine base (also known as crack cocaine), methamphetamine, ketamine, and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).
Inside Taylor’s home office, agents observed that his computer monitor displayed a photograph of a young adult female dressed in lingerie and posing on Taylor’s bed. Subsequent investigation revealed that Taylor was providing fentanyl powder to prostitutes in exchange for sex. Three different cooperating sources independently stated the following: that females would arrange to meet with Taylor at his residence through text messaging applications. Upon their arrival, Taylor would have a small quantity of fentanyl powder, and sometimes methamphetamine, out on his kitchen counter. The women would consume the narcotics and would then be directed to shower in Taylor’s bathroom, where he would often have a gift basket that included lingerie, a toothbrush, a razor, and perfume. The women would shower and put on the lingerie, and Taylor would often photograph the women in the lingerie before having sex with them. Taylor would then provide the women with additional fentanyl powder, and occasionally cocaine, methamphetamine, or MDMA, and they would leave.
In total, Taylor admitted to distributing fentanyl powder to three different prostitutes several times a week for at least two years, and that he had been selling “pink flamingo” fentanyl powder for approximately eight months. Taylor was told by the women that the ghost fentanyl powder was causing people to overdose. Taylor then started mixing ghost with bromazoloam and would mix the substances with water and red food coloring, which would turn the powder pink. Taylor chose to call and market the substance as “pink flamingo.” Taylor would put cartoon flamingo stickers on his product and conceal the narcotics inside different types of snack and candy packaging and would heat-seal the packages to make it look as though the packages had never been opened.
Taylor referred to the prostitutes as his “flamingo fam” and that he had a plan to purchase a house for himself and the prostitutes to all live together.
Confidential sources confirmed that several individuals had overdosed on fentanyl supplied by Taylor and had to be administered Narcan. On one occasion, a prostitute overdosed on fentanyl at Taylor’s house, and Taylor had to administer two doses of Narcan to revive her. In total, Taylor admitted to causing at least eight overdoses on fentanyl powder he had supplied. On one coconspirator’s phone, agents found a video taken in 2025 of an adult male appearing to suffer from a drug overdose. During the recording, the camera panned to drugs and drug paraphernalia on a table, including a clear plastic baggie with a flamingo sticker, as depicted below:Taylor remains in federal custody pending sentencing before United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix. The date for the sentencing hearing is currently pending. Taylor faces a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison and a $5,000,000 fine.
daniel_taylor_press_release_factual_resume_attachment.pdf
This investigation was a joint operation of the Texas Anti-Gang Center and the Caprock Hi-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. This group is composed of agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lubbock Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting the case.
Former Spartanburg County Sheriff Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison in Public Corruption SchemeRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Charles Wright, 61, of Wellford, the former sheriff of Spartanburg County, has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and obtaining controlled substances by misrepresentation.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain’s Benevolence Fund is a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to SCSO deputies and their families during times of need, such as bereavement, financial difficulties, and traumatic line-of-duty events. Wright, in his capacity as sheriff, hired Amos Durham as the director of the Benevolence Fund. In that position, Durham was responsible for overseeing the fund. Wright then directed Durham to withdraw cash and right checks to Wright, which Wright used for his own personal enrichment and not for deputies and their families in need. When one employee’s family approached the Benevolence Fund for help covering hospice bills, they were turned away because the fund was empty. When another deputy asked for assistance with bills associated with a tree that fell on the deputy’s house, they were also turned away. Around the same time, Wright took more than $89,000 donated cash from the Benevolence Fund for his private use. Wright used for personal purchases and expenses, to include hotel rooms, food, and travel bills. Wright also charged more than $17,000 in personal expense on the county credit card, including for fitness programs, Apple products, online games, and streaming platform subscriptions.
Wright also employed and paid his cousin, Lawson Watson, at least $200,000 in taxpayer funds for a no-show job across a four-year period. In March 2005, Wright hired Watson as an employee of the SCSO. Watson received a full salary and benefits for work that he did not perform from at least January 2021 through March 2025. Wright knew that his cousin was not working and he allowed Watson to continue to fraudulently receive a paycheck and benefits for work that he did not perform. Wright further provided his cousin the use of a county vehicle and county phone for the cousin to use at a private job.
Wright also obtained controlled substances under false pretenses. Wright repeatedly obtained oxycodone and hydrocodone pills fraudulently by misleading numerous employees and members of the public, seeking them out to turn over prescription pills over to Wright for what he claimed was part of the SCSO “take back” narcotic disposal program. In truth, Wright obtained the narcotics for his own personal use. He targeted many at SCSO and in his community who were suffering loss and medical hardship—including at funerals, at church, and following surgery—whom he knew would have pills. Wright, while in uniform, badge on chest and service weapon on his hip, purchased drugs from a street-level pill dealer on several occasions in the SCSO parking lot.“Wright’s abuses represent a grave violation of public trust. He let down the people who elected him to serve,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate public corruption and hold those who abuse their positions of power accountable.”
“Today’s sentencing reaffirms that honor and integrity remain core traits of wearing a law enforcement badge,” said FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore. “There is a real cost for tarnishing the badge and the trust it represents, and former Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright will now face that consequence. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to ensure elected officials are held accountable for crimes—especially when their actions erode the public’s trust.”
“My office was proud to partner with law enforcement at SLED and the FBI who investigated this matter as well as our counterparts at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute this case and ensure that justice was done,” stated 10th Circuit Solicitor Micah Black. “Public trust in our institutions cannot be undermined, and today’s sentence should send a clear message that this behavior will not be tolerated.”Chief United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain sentenced Wright to 41 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Wright’s two co-defendants, Amos Durham and Lawson Watson, are scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, July 9.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lothrop Morris and Criminal Chief Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.###
Former San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced to Federal Prison for Excessive Force and Cover-UpRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Former San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremiah Manuyag Flores was sentenced in federal court today to 57 months in prison for violating the civil rights of a pretrial detainee by using excessive force that caused a spinal injury, then lying in a report to cover up his illegal conduct.
“When a law enforcement officer abuses his authority and violates someone’s constitutional rights, there will be serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.
“Upholding civil rights is fundamental to the mission of every law enforcement agency. When an officer violates that oath, equal accountability is essential to maintaining the public’s trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office. “Today’s sentence reflects the commitment of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate such matters and ensure those who abuse their authority face appropriate consequences.”
After a weeklong trial in December 2025, it took a jury just two hours to convict Flores of both counts filed against him, including Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law and Falsification of Records in a Federal Investigation.
The jury found that Flores violated the civil rights of the victim, identified by the initials J.P., by unnecessarily shoving him from behind while his legs were shackled and his hands were cross-chained at his waist, causing J.P. to fly across his holding cell, slam headfirst into the far wall, and collapse to the ground with what was later determined to be a fracture of his spinal column.
Flores did not provide J.P. with medical aid and failed to report his use of excessive force to a supervisor, both of which are required by the Sheriff’s Department’s Use of Force Policy. As a result, J.P. lay on the floor of his cell next to a pool of his own blood for over two hours before his injuries were discovered by another deputy. When Flores then was directed to write an Inmate Status Report about his earlier interaction with J.P., he included multiple false statements, including “no force was used.”
In advocating for a lengthy prison term, Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Askins argued: “The power disparity between the defendant who was in complete control and [J.P.] who couldn’t do anything to protect himself was as wide as the ocean. The defendant’s only job was to walk with him.” Askins continued: “There was no escalation here. There was no resistance here. The defendant didn’t have to use any force at all. All he had to do was to keep walking.”
Before pronouncing sentence, U.S. District Judge Linda Lopez noted that the public does not get to see what goes on inside jail facilities and relies on law enforcement officers to “do the right thing.” She discussed at length that Flores not only used excessive force but then told another deputy “nothing happened” and repeatedly ignored multiple opportunities in the two hours afterwards to help the victim. Addressing Flores, Judge Lopez said: “What you do then matters.” In referencing a still-shot from a surveillance camera that showed Flores walking away from the victim’s cell smiling in the moments afterward, Judge Lopez said: “I don’t know how many years it’s going to be before I get that photo out of my mind. Your conduct was egregious.”
Flores, who had been free on bond, was ordered to report to prison by August 18, 2026. As a result of his convictions, Flores was terminated by the San Diego Sheriff’s Office and will not be able to work as a law enforcement officer at any level of government—local, state, or federal—in the future.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Askins and Michael Deshong.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 25cr0254
Jeremiah Manuyag Flores Age: 45 La Jolla, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine
Falsification of Records in a Federal Investigation – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1519
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
San Diego County Sheriff’s Office (Homicide Unit)
Former Phoenix Mariachi Instructor Pleads Guilty to Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Carlos Jobany Castaneda Lechuga, 38, of Laredo, Texas, pleaded guilty yesterday to five counts of Producing Child Pornography involving five minor age girls. Sentencing is scheduled for September 15, 2026, before United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa. Lechuga has been detained in federal custody since his arrest in December 2024.
During the change of plea hearing, Lechuga admitted that between 2013 and 2019, he taught mariachi music classes at a school and gave private music lessons at his home in Phoenix, Arizona. The victims were students who came to his home for private music lessons. During this period, when each of the girls was between the ages of 6 – 11 years old, Lechuga recorded videos and images that showed him undressing, touching, and exposing the girls’ nude genitalia to the camera. In December 2024, the FBI located five video recordings on the dark web showing two of the identified girls.
A conviction for Producing Child Pornography carries a minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 30 years, and a possible $250,000 fine.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC coordinates federal, state, and local resources to investigate, prosecute, and rescue victims. For more investigation, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The FBI’s Phoenix Division and Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 25-CR-00025-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-120_Lechuga# # #
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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Former Department of Defense Employee Pleads Guilty to Laundering Millions of Dollars for Overseas ScammersRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Samuel D. Marcus, 33, of Oreland, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky yesterday to one count of concealment money laundering.
The defendant was charged by indictment in February, arising from his role as a money mule for a group of Nigeria-based scammers, in which he received, concealed, and laundered millions of dollars in fraud proceeds.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, after falling victim to a romance fraud scheme in late 2022 and early 2023, Marcus then knowingly served as a money mule for the same group of fraudsters that initially victimized him.
From approximately July 2023 to December 2025, while employed as a Logistics Specialist with the U.S. Department of Defense, Marcus was in direct and regular contact with this group of Nigeria-based fraudsters, who operated under the aliases “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray,” among others. These fraudsters engaged in a variety of wire fraud schemes that targeted victims based in the United States, including romance fraud, cyber fraud, tax fraud, financing fraud, and business email compromise schemes, to which victims lost millions of dollars.
The fraudsters employed a network of money mules in the United States to help launder the fraud proceeds, and instructed victims to transfer funds to financial accounts opened and operated by various money mules, including Marcus.
At the direction of fraudsters, Marcus and other money mules conducted a series of rapid financial transactions to convert fraud victim funds deposited into their accounts into cryptocurrency and to move those funds into foreign accounts. Marcus personally deposited and transferred millions of dollars of fraudulently obtained money into and through his personal and business accounts, while fully aware that “Rachel Jude” and “Ned McMurray” were scammers who carried out sophisticated fraud schemes.
Marcus also affirmatively misled and lied to his financial institutions and law enforcement officers about the laundered funds, to include sending fraudulent invoices to make the transactions appear legitimate. In fact, Marcus continued to work as a money mule for the fraudsters after being informed by FBI agents that the money passing through his accounts had been stolen from other people and that his monetary transfers were consistent with money laundering.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on October 16 and faces a maximum possible term of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samuel S. Dalke.
Foreign National Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal Prison for Conducting “Tech Support” Fraud Scheme That Victimized Senior Citizens in United StatesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A foreign national has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for conducting a “tech support” fraud scheme that victimized senior citizens in the United States.
While residing in his native India in 2020 and 2021, KARTIK SAINI and co-schemers falsely represented to individuals in the United States that they were tech support or security employees of large companies, such as Google, Apple, or Citibank. Saini or a co-schemer falsely informed the victims that their computers had been hacked and that their bank accounts had been compromised. Saini or a co-schemer then convinced the victims to transfer significant funds to various bank accounts, claiming the companies would safely hold the money while the purported cyber hack was investigated by law enforcement. In reality, those bank accounts were controlled by Saini and his co-schemers, who used the accounts to steal the victims’ money.
In addition to the tech support fraud, Saini also convinced some of his victims to transfer cryptocurrency or gift cards to him or his co-schemers. In all, Saini defrauded at least four victims with an intended loss of more than $1.2 million. One of the victims, a Chicago resident, suffered a loss of more than $746,000, which reflected a large portion of her retirement savings.
Saini, 33, was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Aug. 26, 2024, where he arrived from India. He pleaded guilty in federal court in Chicago in March 2026 to a wire fraud charge. On June 25, 2026, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey sentenced Saini to six years and a month in federal prison and ordered him to pay full restitution to his victims.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Defendant’s scheme caused significant financial loss and emotional trauma to victims,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “A significant sentence of incarceration will send a message to those would-be participants in these types of schemes, including those located in India, that those who defraud American citizens from abroad will face a meaningful term of imprisonment.”
Florida Man Sentenced to over 12 Years for Multi-State Drug OperationRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Kerby Pata, 40, of Miramar Florida, to over 12 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 11 pounds of cocaine and conspiracy to possess with the intent to sell more than 50 grams of meth.
In August 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and DEA, along with multiple state law enforcement agencies including the Nash County Sheriff’s Office and the Nashville Police Department, learned Pata had sold pounds and pounds of cocaine throughout multiple states, including Florida, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Pata shipped drugs from the west coast to the east coast and then up and down the eastern seaboard. As part of his scheme, Pata utilized numerous drug couriers, often referred to as “drug mules”, to transport and sell his product.
“Drug thugs like Pata can’t hide in Eastern North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “We will continue to leverage law enforcement partnerships and federal resources through the Homeland Security Task Force to clear the streets of deadly illegal drugs and the greedy criminals who profit from destroying our homes, families, and communities.”
In April 2022, the Virginia State Police caught Pata, with more than six pounds of cocaine in his car. The Virginia court released Pata pending trial. Six months later, Pata and Stacey Phillipe flew to California where they purchased more than 13 pounds of cocaine. Phillipe then drove a rental car with Pata’s cocaine from California towards North Carolina. Fortunately, the Arkansas State Police stopped Phillipe on the way.
Pata continued using his drug mules unabated. Simoneka Neal drove eight pounds of Pata’s cocaine in February 2023. Officers attempted to stop Neal, but she recklessly sped off, eventually crashing. Officers searched her car and found the cocaine.
In February 2023, Pata was arrested in Florida on federal charges, but the Florida court released him pending trial. He immediately returned to his criminal ways, selling drugs again.
In September 2025, Pata mailed more than ¾ of a pound of methamphetamine to Aaron Barner in Virginia from Florida. Pata told Barner to deliver the meth to an individual in Nash County, North Carolina. Law enforcement conducted surveillance, observed Barner’s drug transaction, and arrested him.
Pata had previously served time in a federal prison for Aggravated Identity Theft in 2012. Neal received 60 months and Barnes received 24 months in federal prison for their roles in Pata’s drug distribution organization.
“This investigation is another example of what can be accomplished when local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies work together toward a common mission. Partnerships make our communities safer and send a clear message to drug traffickers: there is no jurisdictional boundary that will protect you from our unified law enforcement efforts.” said Nashville Police Department Chief, Caleb Shockley.
“This case is a testament to what can be accomplished when local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies work together toward a common goal, said Nash County Sheriff, Keith Stone. “Let this serve as a clear message to those who choose to traffic dangerous narcotics: there is nowhere to hide. We will continue working together across jurisdictions and agencies to relentlessly disrupt the flow of dangerous narcotics into our communities because the safety of our citizens remains our highest priority. I am grateful for the dedication, professionalism, and tireless efforts of every investigator, agent, prosecutor, and officer involved in this investigation. Together, we are making our communities safer and sending a strong message that criminal activity will not be tolerated in Nash County."
“This sentence sends a strong message that individuals who traffic kilogram quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into our communities will be held accountable,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Working alongside our local law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate, prosecute, and dismantle those who threaten the safety and well-being of our communities.”
This prosecution is part of Operation Bandit of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the sentencing before U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. This investigation came from partnerships between DEA, HSI, Nash County Sherriff’s Office and Nashville Police Department.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-00278-FL.
Employee of Securities Filing Agent Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Insider TradingRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Justin Chen was sentenced by United States District Judge Orelia E. Merchant to 27 months in prison for insider trading conspiracy. Chen was previously employed at an EDGAR filing company and was responsible for reviewing draft securities filings before they were filed on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s EDGAR filing system. Chen misused material non-public information taken from his employer to trade in the securities of 13 publicly traded companies, making at least $2.38 million in profits. In addition to the custodial sentence, Judge Merchant ordered Chen to forfeit $1,828,442.00 in ill-gotten gains and pay $115,437.19 in restitution. A co-defendant, Jun Zhen, pleaded guilty in October 2025 for his role in the insider trading conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“Chen abused his position with his employer and misappropriated material non-public information to make millions,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This sentence sends the message to the public that we are watching and will aggressively prosecute those who exploit their access to private information for personal gain and undermine the integrity of economic markets.”
Mr. Nocella thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for their significant assistance in the prosecution.
"Justin Chen leveraged his employee access to earn over two million dollars through trades made with non-public information of more than a dozen companies. The FBI continues to hold accountable those who attempt to establish an unfair financial advantage by undermining the integrity of our securities market," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
As detailed in court filings and on the record statements, Chen was employed as an assistant manager at a company identified as “EDGAR Filer 1.” EDGAR Filer 1 is a filing agent that assists issuers of securities with submitting required disclosures to the SEC and the investing public through the SEC’s EDGAR filing system. Through his employment at EDGAR Filer 1, Chen had advance access to upcoming SEC filings for EDGAR Filer 1’s clients. These filings routinely included significant, market-moving information—material non-public information, including Form 8-K announcements about upcoming mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, asset sales, and quarterly earnings reports. As a part of his employment, Chen and his co-defendant Zhen, were responsible for reviewing draft securities filings and providing those filings to other EDGAR Filer 1 employees who would convert the filings to the format used by the SEC’s EDGAR filing system. Chen and Zhen used their advanced knowledge of upcoming securities filings, which would disclose material non-public information about, for example, partnerships, mergers, and planned acquisitions, to trade in 13 NASDAQ-listed companies, making a total profit of at least $2.38 million.
For instance, in the afternoon and evening on May 20, 2025, Chen and Zhen purchased approximately 186,275 shares of SigmaTron International, Inc. (ticker: SGMA), an Illinois-based provider of electronic manufacturing services. The next morning, on May 21, 2025, SGMA announced that it had entered into a merger agreement whereby SGMA would be acquired by Transom Capital Group, LLC at a 134% price premium over SGMA’s closing price per share on May 20, 2025. Following the announcement SGMA shares opened for trading on May 21, 2025 up approximately 127% from their closing price on May 20, 2025. Chen and Zhen sold all their shares in SGMA approximately a half-hour after the announcement, making a total profit of approximately $290,005.
Chen engaged in similar trading, sometimes within minutes of material announcements, in Ondas Holdings, Inc. (ticker: ONDS); Purple Innovation, Inc. (ticker: PRPL); Signing Day Sports, Inc. (ticker: SGN); Triller Group, Inc. (ticker: ILLR); ARB OIT Group Limited (ticker: ARBB); Asset Entities Inc. (ticker ASST); Rumble Inc. (ticker: RUM); Gryphon Digital Mining Inc. (ticker GRYP); New GenIVF Group Limited (ticker NIVF); Getty Images Holding (ticker: GETY); and Polyrizon Ltd. (ticker: PLRZ).
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nick M. Axelrod and Sara K. Winik are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Brendan King of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section who is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
JUSTIN CHEN (also known as “Jia Wei Chen”)
Age: 32
Brooklyn, New YorkCo-Defendant Awaiting Sentencing:
JUN ZHEN
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-303 (OEM)
D.C. Felon with Two Prior Firearms Convictions Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Loaded Ghost GunRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Rhondell Williams, 39, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 14 months in prison in connection with his illegal possession of a loaded ghost gun while intoxicated on a residential road in Southeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Williams pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2025, before Judge Loren L. AliKhan to three firearms counts: unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a prohibited weapon. In addition to the 14-month prison term, Judge AliKhan ordered Williams to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 28-month prison term.
According to court documents, on April 4, 2025, about 6:15 p.m., officers from the Metropolitan Police Department's Violent Crime Suppression Division observed Williams walking on Pomeroy Road SE carrying an open bottle of tequila.
Officers approached and attempted to detain him for possessing an open container of alcohol. After Williams resisted, officers removed a cross-body satchel from Williams. Inside the bag was a loaded 9mm semi-automatic ghost gun, privately manufactured, bearing no serial number and untraceable by law enforcement. The ghost gun was loaded with five rounds of 9mm ammunition in a Glock magazine. While in custody, Williams tested positive for amphetamines.
Williams has two prior felony convictions for illegally possessing firearms, in 2007 and 2017. He repeatedly failed to comply with the terms of court-ordered supervision in each case.
This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Office.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand.
Body-worn-camera photo depicts a police officer reaching for Williams’ bag in which a 9mm semi-automatic ghost gun (below) was found.
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Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting a 7-Year-Old ChildRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Bobby Lequan Council, 39, of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty yesterday to sexually exploiting a 7-year-old child, possessing child sexual abuse material depicting a prepubescent minor, failing to register as a sex offender, and committing a felony offense involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender, announced United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Because Council has a prior federal conviction for sexual exploitation of a minor, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 90 years.
"Protecting children from sexual predators remains one of our highest priorities," said U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek. "This defendant's repeated exploitation of children and disregard for sex offender registration requirements warrant the substantial penalties Congress has prescribed. We commend the Goodlettsville Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals, for their swift and thorough investigations."
According to court documents, on April 16, 2025, detectives with the Goodlettsville Police Department responded to a residence in Goodlettsville after a woman reported discovering sexually explicit videos of a 7-year-old minor on an iPhone Council was using.
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting children from those who seek to exploit them,” said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Dennis M. Fetting. “This case highlights the importance of collaboration among law enforcement agencies to ensure that offenders, especially those who repeatedly disregard the law, are held accountable and that vulnerable victims receive justice.”
Detectives obtained a state search warrant for the phone. A forensic examination recovered three sexually explicit videos of the prepubescent minor, all created on January 16, 2025. After waiving his Miranda rights, Council admitted to detectives that he had sexually abused the minor and recorded the abuse using the phone.
At the time he created the videos, Council was a registered sex offender based on a 2012 federal conviction for sexual exploitation of a minor. As a Tier III sex offender, Council was required to report in person every three months for life and to update his registration whenever he established or changed a residence.
In February 2025, Council registered a Nashville motel as his primary address but checked out four days later. Investigators determined that Council had, in fact, been residing at a Goodlettsville residence since at least December 2024, but never updated his sex offender registration to reflect that address.
Council pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Eli J. Richardson to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second offense; one count of possession of child sexual abuse material depicting a prepubescent minor, second offense; one count of failure to register as a sex offender; and one count of committing a felony offense involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender.
The sexual exploitation offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 50 years. The child sexual abuse material possession offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years. The failure-to-register offense carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. The offense of committing a felony involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender carries a mandatory 10-year sentence that must run consecutively to the sentence imposed for the sexual exploitation offense.
Council also faces a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life, restitution, and mandatory special assessments.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 16. U.S. District Court Judge Eli J. Richardson will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Goodlettsville Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica R. Morrison and Carlin Hess are prosecuting the case.
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Columbus repeat felon pleads guilty to firearms crime on same day jury trial was to commenceRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus repeat felon whose jury trial was scheduled to begin on Monday pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to a firearms crime.
Antonio Triplett, 47, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Triplett, who is also known as “Trip,” has at least six prior convictions that prohibit him from possessing a firearm, including robbery and domestic violence.
According to court documents, on July 12, 2025, Columbus police officers were dispatched to Stevens Avenue in response to a 911 call about an armed man threatening a woman. Triplett was present at the property despite requests that he leave.
Officers discovered a pistol under an inflatable mattress in the residence’s living room. Triplett told officers he had been staying at the home and spending most of his time in the living room. He also told officers that if his DNA was on the firearm, it was because he picked it up while cleaning the house. Lab results issued on Dec. 31, 2025, showed Triplett’s DNA on the firearm in at least three areas.
The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2026.
Triplett faces up to 15 years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the guilty plea entered on July 6 before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
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Cleveland Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Possessing Meth and Crack with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 28-year-old Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing distribution amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine base, more commonly known as “crack.”
Haroon Gaines, 28, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 170 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher Boyko after being convicted by a federal jury in March 2026 of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Cocaine Base.
According to court documents, Gaines was discovered unconscious in the hallway of the La Quinta Inn in Independence, Ohio. Law enforcement responding to the scene found distribution amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine base “crack” in his pockets. According to investigators, the drug amounts found equated to about a two-month supply of methamphetamine and 200 user doses of crack cocaine. Testimony and video footage evidence presented at trial revealed that Gaines was driving in donuts in the parking lot outside of the hotel, knocking on hotel patrons’ doors, and then eventually passed out on the third-floor hallway.
In total, investigators seized:
- 45.76 grams of methamphetamine (with 92% purity)
- 20.2 grams of cocaine base
- A Smith & Wesson, Model M&P, .22 caliber rifle, with magazines and ammunition
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Independence Police Department.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Brenna L. Fasko and Paul E. Hanna.
Chinese National Sentenced to Prison for Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving $2.2 Million in Walmart Gift CardsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jun Wang, age 64, a Chinese national and lawful permanent resident of the United States, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison following his trial conviction for participating in a money laundering conspiracy.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Evidence presented during the bench trial in December 2025 proved that, between June 2019 and June 2021, Wang redeemed $2,285,039.81 in gift cards originally purchased by defrauded victims throughout the United States (including in the Northern District of New York). Wang, who received the gift card information electronically from co-conspirators overseas, used the fraud proceeds to buy other gift cards at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in Florida to disguise the source and nature of the funds. To try to evade detection and disguise the volume of his gift card redemptions, Wang often used different registers within the same store and frequently drove from store to store to redeem gift cards, sometimes visiting several Walmart stores on the same day. Wang often redeemed gift cards just hours, and sometimes minutes, after they were purchased by victims. Multiple victims testified at trial about the gift cards they purchased after being scammed online or over the phone. Although the trial evidence proved that Wang’s role in the scheme was to redeem gift cards purchased by victims he never interacted with directly, he admitted to an FBI agent in a secretly recorded conversation that “[w]e all know” about the fraud, which is “[e]asy to know.” In relation to one elderly victim, Wang explained on the recording, “[t]he only loser is the lady,” and, “[o]ther than this lady, everybody’s happy.”
As part of his sentence, Wang was also ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $2,285,039.81 and to pay restitution in the amount of $275,634.27 to identified victims. Following his release from imprisonment, Wang will serve 3 years of supervised release. Because his offense of conviction is an aggravated felony, Wang also faces deportation to China upon release from imprisonment.
“Mr. Wang preyed on vulnerable victims to enrich himself and his co-conspirators to the tune of $2,285,039.81, and on recoding boasted about defrauding senior citizens,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated. “My office is committed to aggressively pursuing all acts of fraud to protect the American people from defendants like Mr. Wang and ensure justice for the victims who were defrauded.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated, “Mr. Wang once joked that everyone was happy in his scheme and the only person who lost anything was his elderly victim. With this sentence, the tables have turned, and he has now lost his freedom. Fraud is one of the most pervasive threats facing our communities today, but the FBI is relentless in our mission to aggressively investigate and bring to justice anyone responsible for stealing from hardworking Americans.”
FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Perry and Tamara B. Thomson prosecuted the case.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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Cape Girardeau County Man Admits Meth Possession, SaleRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A Cape Girardeau County man who led investigators to two pounds of methamphetamine in 2025 on Tuesday admitted possessing and selling the drug.
Billy R. Davis, 66, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. As part of his plea, he admitted that during a court-approved search of his home on Feb. 27, 2025, investigators found 43 baggies of meth weighing about 104.6 grams, drug paraphernalia, two rifles and two shotguns. Davis told investigators that he used about 1.5 grams of meth per week and had been selling it to Russell S. Jackman for the last 12 to 18 months. He then led investigators to his next delivery – 952 grams of meth.
Investigators were alerted to Davis’ home when someone working on behalf of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office tried to buy two ounces of meth from Jackman at Jackman’s home. Jackman did not have the meth on hand and traveled to Davis’ nearby home to resupply.
Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on October 15. The charge is punishable by 10 years to life in prison.
Jackman, 66, pleaded guilty in September to distribution of methamphetamine and is currently serving a 90-month prison sentence.
The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office and the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton is prosecuting the case.
California Man Sentenced in $39M Bank Fraud Scheme That Defrauded Seven Financial InstitutionsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A California man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison and three years of supervised release for perpetrating an elaborate bank fraud scheme that took in approximately $39 million from multiple financial institutions over the course of nearly 10 years. He was also ordered to pay over $19.4 million in restitution and $21.8 million in forfeiture.
According to court documents, Gary Topolewski, 64, of Northridge, engaged in the nearly decade-long scheme to defraud multiple financial institutions through the submission of false and fraudulent commercial loan applications on behalf of his purported companies, Topolewski America Inc., Morrison Knudsen Services Inc., and Metal Jeans Inc. As a result, these entities received more than $39 million in fraudulently obtained loan proceeds, with Topolewski unsuccessfully seeking millions more.
Topolewski falsely represented in the loan applications that the loans were for the purchase of large, industrial earth-moving construction equipment, and for business working capital purposes. In reality, Topolewski and his companies did not use the proceeds as represented and instead diverted, laundered, and misappropriated the proceeds for other purposes, including for the purchase of properties and to make Ponzi-like payments to financial lenders to perpetuate the scheme by using loan proceeds from newer loans to pay down the balance of other loans. Topolewski used several aliases, including the stolen identity of a victim, and company names that were similar to those of established companies in the construction and equipment industries.
In December 2025, Topolewski pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Delzotto of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Sara Hallmark of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Lopez for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
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Caddo County Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison After Embezzling from Caddo NationRead the Press Release
Defendant Also Ordered to Pay More Than $150,000 in Restitution
OKLAHOMA CITY – LARISHA LARELL WABAUNASEE, 39, of Anadarko, has been sentenced to serve six months in federal prison for embezzlement and theft from the Caddo Nation, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, while employed by the Caddo Nation, Wabaunasee worked in part at the Caddo Nation Tag Office. Between October 2023 and November 2024, she used an unauthorized point-of-sale account to divert customer payments intended for the Caddo Nation into her personal bank accounts.
On November 4, 2025, a federal grand jury charged Wabaunasee with embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization. On February 2, 2026, Wabaunasee pleaded guilty and admitted she embezzled and stole from the Caddo Nation Tag Office by diverting customer transactions to her personal accounts.
At a sentencing hearing on June 29, 2026, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones, II, sentenced Wabaunasee to serve six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Wabaunasee was also ordered to pay $151,208.25 in restitution. In announcing his sentence, Judge Jones noted the need to impose a just punishment for the offense.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Armed career criminal sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for illegal gun possessionRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: A Savannah man has been sentenced to more than 30 years in federal prison for being an armed career criminal in possession of a firearm.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall, and announced by Margaret E. ‘Meg’ Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Duane B. Smith, aka “Flex,” aka “Dwayne Kelvin Smith,” 53, of Savannah, was sentenced to 405 months in prison, fined $1,200 and ordered to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term after being convicted at trial of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Smith was adjudicated as an Armed Career Criminal, which requires imposition of a mandatory minimum 15-year term of imprisonment for recidivists convicted of illegally possessing a firearm who have three prior state or federal convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses.
As described in court documents and testimony, on June 13, 2023, officers with the Savannah Police Department responded to the Goodwill Store at 220 Eisenhower Drive in response to a missing person report. Officers found the missing individual with Smith, and learned that Smith had driven the missing person to the Goodwill Store in his vehicle.
Investigators searched Smith’s vehicle and located a Cobra .380 caliber pistol under the back seat of the vehicle. Smith later was arrested by the Savannah Police Department SWAT team. Smith was prohibited from possessing firearms because of three previous state felony convictions and one federal felony conviction.
“Our partnership with local and federal law enforcement agencies is vital in our efforts to remove firearms from the hands of those who can’t legally possess them – especially those convicted of prior felonies,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “This conviction is a positive step in reducing violence in our communities.”
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer.
“This should send a clear message that there are serious consequences for illegally possessing a firearm in Savannah,” said Savannah Police Chief Lenny B. Gunther. “I’m proud of my officers for getting both him and the weapons off our streets.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant United States Attorneys Makeia R. Jonese and Patricia G. Rhodes.
Andy Sanborn Pleads Guilty to Misusing over $250,000 of CARES Act FundsRead the Press Release
Andy Sanborn Pleads Guilty to Misusing Over $250,000 of CARES Act Funds
CONCORD – Anthony Sanborn, a/k/a Andy Sanborn, 64, pleaded guilty today to Theft of Government Funds, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. U.S. District Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for October 15, 2026.
“This office is dedicated to combating fraud and prosecuting those who wrongfully take money from American taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “Today’s conviction was the result of incredible work done by a dedicated team of agents. We and our law enforcement partners will continue to diligently investigate those who target federal benefits programs.”
“This casino owner must’ve thought he hit the jackpot when he got more than a quarter of a million dollars set aside to keep businesses afloat amid a pandemic battering our economy. But the odds and the FBI finally caught up with him when he misused that money for his own financial gain,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “The FBI simply won’t stand for opportunists thinking they can defraud the federal government, live large, and get away with it. We will aggressively pursue anyone foolish enough to do so.”
“Today’s guilty plea of Andy Sanborn demonstrates IRS-CI’s continued commitment to root out fraud and theft from the United States Government at all levels,” said Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Sanborn misappropriated federal funds designated to aid small business owners in their time of need, during a global pandemic. Instead of using these funds for their intended purpose and invest in his own business, Sanborn selfishly decided to use these funds for his own self-enrichment and to purchase luxury items.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service routinely seeks prosecution of individuals like Anthony Sanborn, who misused funds that were designated to provide financial relief during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “Postal Inspectors, alongside our federal partners, uncovered a scheme where Sanborn spent over a quarter of a million dollars of the funds on personal expenses. We will continue to support and collaborate with our federal law enforcement partners to stop those who are engaged in these types of schemes.”
Sanborn owned and operated Win Win Win, a company that did business as Concord Casino. Sanborn applied for and obtained $844,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loan funding from the Small Business Administration. In applying for the loans, Sanborn certified that he would use the loan proceeds solely as working capital for Win Win Win. However, Sanborn misused $255,232.72 of the funds on personal expenditures. For example, on January 18, 2022, Sanborn used $48,750 of EIDL funds to purchase a 2006 Porsche Cayman.
The charge of Theft of Government Funds carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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.
The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (‘Fraud Division’). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Alleged Leader of a Violent Wing of the Sinaloa Cartel Charged with Narcoterrorism, Material Support of Terrorism and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – An indictment unsealed today charges Carlos Paez Pereda, aka “Carlitos,” aka “Carlitos Rugrats,” alleged high-ranking lieutenant and leader of a violent wing of the Sinaloa Cartel called “Los Rugrats,” with Narcoterrorism and Material Support of Terrorism in connection with trafficking massive amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine into the United States.
“No se puede capturar a un personaje de dibujos animados. Pero a un narcoterrorista, sí,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.
“Today’s indictment underscores the FBI’s determination to dismantle the most violent elements of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Los Rugrats has fueled brutal violence in Mexico that reaches into the United States along with a relentless flow of deadly drugs into our communities. Together with our federal and state partners, we will continue to target cartel leadership wherever they operate to bring them to justice and protect the public.”
“For years, Pereda allegedly fueled the drug crisis by trafficking deadly drugs into the United States while using violence, intimidation, and fear to protect his criminal enterprise,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge James Nunnallee. “As alleged in the indictment, his organization relied on murder, kidnapping, and armed enforcers to maintain power and ensure the continued flow of drugs that have devastated families and communities across our nation. DEA and our law enforcement partners remain relentless in our pursuit of those who profit from addiction and violence. Together, we are strengthening a global network of partnerships that is disrupting cartel operations, dismantling their criminal enterprises, and ensuring those responsible have fewer places to hide and nowhere to run.”
“This indictment highlights the collaboration and strength of the Homeland Security Task Force,” said Kevin Murphy, acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “HSI will continue to support our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners as HSTF San Diego continues to dismantle the cartels and protect our communities.”
All photos are published in court documents and were pulled from social media accounts associated with Paez. The images depict drugs, guns and trafficking proceeds connected to the defendant.
According to court documents, Paez operates a prolific manufacturing and distribution network of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine for the Mayo Zambada faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. Paez also enforces the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations in Sinaloa and Tijuana through murder, kidnappings, and other violent activity, using a group of armed fighters and hitmen. Paez also manages and controls a portion of the Sinaloa Cartel’s transportation operations from Sinaloa to Tijuana, and the surrounding municipalities, ultimately leading to the importation of these drugs into the United States and distribution in the Southern District of California and elsewhere.
Over the past decade, Paez has imported tens of thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, into the United States and laundered hundreds of millions of dollars in drug proceeds. Paez was designated by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, as a Drug Kingpin in September 2025.
Paez has also assisted the Los Mayos faction during their ongoing bloody conflict with the “Los Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. Paez has provided fighters, weapons, logistics, and money during the conflict.
This indictment follows a storied tradition in the Southern District of California for dismantling leadership and operations of powerful Mexican cartels – from the dismantling of the Arellano Felix Cartel to major strikes against today’s most dangerous, powerful and violent cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the Beltran Leyva Organization.
The indictment is a direct result of President Trump’s Executive Order 14157 which designated the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and the Secretary of State’s subsequent designation of the same on February 20, 2025.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Mellor and Peter Horn.
DEFENDANT Case Number 26cr1044-DMS
Carlos Paez Pereda Age: 30 City of Residence: Laguna Colorada, Sinaloa, Mexico
aka “Carlitos”
aka “Carlitos Rugrats”
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 960a and 841 – Narcoterrorism
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 20 years in prison; $20 million fine
Title 18, U.S.C. Sec. 2339B – Providing Material Support to Terrorism
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 848(a) -Continuing Criminal Enterprise
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 20 years; $10 million fine
Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 952, 959, 960, and 963 - International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 10 years; $10 million fine
Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841(a)(1) and 846 - Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 10 years in prison; $10 million fine
Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 952, 960 and 963 – Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, mandatory minimum 10 years; $10 million fine
Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved, whichever is greater
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Drug Enforcement Administration
Homeland Security Investigations
Chula Vista Police Department
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the California Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.
2 Mexican nationals sentenced for reentering the country and using forged documentsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Two men from Mexico who reentered the country illegally using forged documents were sentenced today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Isaias Martinez Araiza, 48, who pleaded guilty in May 2026, was sentenced to time served (78 days) on one count of possessing a fraudulent immigration document and one count of illegal reentry.
Omar Alfaro Aguilar, 41, who pleaded guilty in May 2026, was sentenced to time served (78 days) on one count of possessing a fraudulent immigration document and one count of illegal reentry.
Both defendants were remanded to the custody and control of Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Martinez and Alfaro, who had previously been deported, had returned to the United States and applied for access to the Montana Air National Guard base in Great Falls with forged immigration documents as part of a construction crew.
Black Eagle Construction in April 2026 had submitted paperwork to allow access for four men to work a construction site on the base. In verifying the paperwork, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations found inconsistencies in Martinez’s and Alfaro’s immigration documents, including forged lawful permanent residence cards.
Additionally, a background check on Martinez found a felony drug possession conviction in Texas from 2003, a misdemeanor DUI conviction from 2005 and a misdemeanor driving without a valid license from 2006. In 2017 he was deported from Brownsville, Texas, for being in the country illegally. A background check on Alfaro found that he had been deported in 2005 and 2018 from Freer, Texas.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Monday 6 July 2026
Winston-Salem Gang Member Sentenced to 38 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute NarcoticsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. –Chrisshawn Lamont Mobley, age 32, of Winston-Salem, appeared yesterday before the Honorable William L. Osteen, Jr., United States District Court Judge, and was sentenced to 456 months of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute narcotics. The sentence will be followed by 4 years of supervised release.
Mobley, a high-ranking G-Shine Bloods gang member, was charged along with ten other individuals for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine hydrochloride. According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Mobley conspired to distribute over two kilograms of fentanyl and over thirty kilograms of methamphetamine, in addition to smaller amounts of other narcotics. Mobley and other coconspirators were responsible for shipping illegal narcotics into the Middle District of North Carolina and distributing them around Winston-Salem and the surrounding areas.
All but one of Mobley’s codefendants have been found guilty and sentenced and are currently serving terms of imprisonment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The codefendants and their sentences are as follows:
Daquan Deonte Moses, age 29, of Winston-Salem– 126 months
Malik Patience Smith, age 25, of Winston-Salem – 228 months
Michael Jerel Hayes, age 38, of Winston-Salem – 180 months
Kenan Orlando Balderas, age 28, of Winston-Salem – 120 months
Christian Gregory Horn, age 26, of Walkertown - 96 months
Kedrick Tyrone Burns, age 33, of Winston-Salem – 227 months
Rashad Hubert Blue, age 30, of Winston-Salem – 168 months
Robert Levon Jones, age 35, of Winston-Salem – 204 months
Marlow Edward Rousseau, Jr., age 32, of Winston-Salem – 210 months
The case against the remaining defendant, Eli Oliver Phelps, Jr., is ongoing.
Dan Bishop, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, made the announcement and thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Winston Salem Police Department, and partner agencies including the Drug Enforcement Agency, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, and Stokes County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Martin, and Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle Pousson and Terry Meinecke.
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Waverly Man Sentenced to 135 Months for Transportation and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Joshua Hecht, 26, of Waverly, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 6, 2026, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for transportation of child pornography and possession of child pornography. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Hecht to 135 months’ imprisonment for transportation of child pornography and 120 months’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography. The terms of imprisonment will be run concurrently to one another. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Hecht will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
Beginning in October 2023, Hecht contacted Victim 1 over Snapchat. Victim 1 was a 16-year-old male residing outside of the United States. Hecht maintained contact with Victim 1 and used Victim 1 to create visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct over Snapchat video chat. Specifically, Hecht took screenshots of Victim 1 masturbating.
On January 26, 2024, Hecht flew from Omaha, to Chicago, Illinois, with the plan to fly to meet Victim 1 in person. HSI agents had previously become aware of Hecht’s intended travel and observed Hecht board the flight in Omaha and exit the flight in Chicago. Hecht was then contacted by HSI agents in the jetway, which is the functional equivalent of the border, as he was boarding his flight to leave the United States to meet Victim 1. The agents did a border search of Hecht’s phone and found the images of Victim 1 on Hecht’s phone. Agents then seized Hecht’s phone. Hecht’s phone was then extracted pursuant to a search warrant and reviewed. On Hecht’s phone, agents found multiple videos, depicting Victim 1 and Hecht masturbating on Facetime video calls.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Venezuelan Citizen Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Yohandry Jose Molina-Camacho, age 19, a native and citizen of Venezuela illegally in the United States, was sentenced on June 1, 2026, to 8 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Molina-Camacho admitted that in August 2025, he sold another individual a Hi-Point CF380, .380-caliber pistol in exchange for $500. At the time he possessed the pistol, defendant knew he was an alien who had been illegally residing in the United States for approximately one year. Molina-Camacho also admitted that he knew he was not allowed to possess a firearm.
“Thanks to the previous administrations failed border policies, criminal illegal aliens such as this defendant have been allowed to roam freely in our country,” said First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “Mr. Molina‑Camacho’s illegal possession of a firearm serves as a reminder of the risks posed when individuals engage in criminal activity while unlawfully present in this Country. Thanks to the work of the ATF, he will now be held accountable for his actions and will face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence.”
Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives said; “This sentence holds the defendant accountable for knowingly violating federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing and selling a firearm despite knowing he was prohibited from doing so. When prohibited individuals possess and traffic firearms, they put communities at risk. Thanks to ATF NY Albany, HSI, Albany PD & USAO NDNY. We will continue working to reduce illegal firearm trafficking and protect our communities from gun violence.”ATF investigated this Project Safe Neighborhoods case with Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney A.J Vickey prosecuted this case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Union Ex-President Pleads Guilty to Theft and Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kye Carbone, 69, of Athens, New York, pled guilty on June 22, to 3 counts of wire fraud and 3 counts of theft from a labor union. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Erica Weber, District Director, Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, made the announcement.
Between 2003 and 2023, Carbone served as the president of United Federation of College Teachers Local 1460, the union representing faculty members at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. Carbone pled guilty to stealing over $290,000 from the Local between 2011 and 2023, Carbone used the money for his personal expenses, restaurants, and travel. In 2023 Carbone was voted out of office.
“Unions exist to protect and uplift their members, yet this defendant chose greed over duty, stealing from the very people he was entrusted to serve,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “I commend our investigative partners at DOL‑OIG and DOL‑OLMS, whose diligent work brought Mr. Carbone to justice. Let this serve as a warning: if you steal from hardworking Americans, the United States government will find you and hold you accountable.”
“Carbone didn’t just steal money — he betrayed the union he served for nearly two decades, robbing the American taxpayer of hundreds of thousands of dollars. His actions represent a serious abuse of position and his blatant disregard for hardworking Americans. At the Office of Inspector General, we are unwavering in our mission to expose union fraud and ensure those who steal from American workers are held fully accountable. We will continue to work relentlessly with our law enforcement partners to crush these schemes, put fraudsters behind bars, and protect the integrity of our nation's labor unions,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor.“The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards remains committed to safeguarding union financial integrity and combating fraud,” said New York District Director Erica Weber. “Alongside our partners in law enforcement, we will continue to identify criminal violations and pursue legal action when individuals unlawfully exploit their union positions without regard to the best interests of their members.”
The wire fraud charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine per count, as well as up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. The embezzlement charges carry a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000 per count, as well as up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Carbone’s guilty plea was accepted by the Honorable Anne M. Nardacci. Sentencing is set for October 20, 2026, in Albany, New York.
The Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, and the Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Walter is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Tren de Aragua Members from Venezuela Charged with Kidnappings that Resulted in Death, Racketeering Involving Murder, and Other Violent OffensesRead the Press Release
Eight Illegal Alien Tren de Aragua Members from Venezuela Charged with Kidnappings that Resulted in Death, Racketeering Involving Murder, and Other Violent Offenses in Texas and Illinois Following Homeland Security Task Force Investigations
Note: A copy of the indictment in the Northern District of Texas can be found here. A copy of the complaint and affidavit in the Northern District of Illinois can be found here.
During a press conference held on July 1, 2026, in Washington, D.C., the Department of Justice announced charges filed in the Northern Districts of Texas and Illinois against eight alleged members of designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) for murders, kidnappings, and firearms offenses. All eight defendants charged in these Homeland Security Task Force operations are illegal aliens believed to be from Venezuela who illegally enter the United States between December 2021 and April 2024. One defendant charged in Northern Texas is now in custody in Colombia for unrelated charges.
“Eight TdA members illegally entered the United States between 2021 and 2024 and are alleged to have committed horrific crimes, including murdering a father in front of his teenage daughter,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This should never have happened in the first place, but under the Biden administration, open-border policies left the doors wide open, and hundreds of suspected and convicted Tren de Aragua terrorists poured into this country. In the 18 months since President Trump stopped this madness, designating Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization, we have charged nearly 350 of its members and associates with egregious violent crimes – murders, sex trafficking, kidnapping – along with weapons and drug trafficking, robbery, and widespread financial crimes. This work requires an all government, all law enforcement approach, which is precisely what has happened under the leadership of President Trump.”
TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities include a variety of violent and criminal offenses, including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other acts of violence to enforce and further the organization’s criminal activities.
As alleged in court documents, in the United States, TdA is organized into subsets or cells based on geographic area of operation. Each regional cell typically has one or more leaders who are responsible for, among other things, managing the criminal enterprise’s activities in the territory, collecting money from other members and associates to finance gang activities and crimes, directing day-to-day management of the region, and planning and ordering acts of violence against rival gang members, associates, and other victims. The leaders of these subsets or cells report to, receive directives from, and distribute criminally-derived assets and proceeds to TdA leaders throughout the United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America.
Since Jan. 20, 2025, the Department has federally charged over 300 members and associates of TdA across 28 districts.
“On this 250th anniversary of the birth of our great nation, I am reminded of how lucky we are to enjoy the many freedoms that our country provides. Which is why, as U.S. Attorney, I am laser focused on ensuring that North Texans can enjoy freedom and safety in all our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “This indictment of TdA gang members is a significant step to ensure that this dangerous transnational gang does not oppress, intimidate or harm our fellow North Texans. Let this serve as a warning to all TdA members: you will not gain a stronghold in the Northern District of Texas.”
“President Trump‘s historic leadership designating Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization has given this FBI and our law-enforcement partners the tools we need to wipe out their operations,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Now, every single day across this country, we are decimating their presence in America - dismantling and disrupting over 2,700 violent gangs, a 365% increase, with a 500% increase in Tren de Aragua arrests since 2024. Today, thanks to tremendous work from FBI Chicago, FBI Dallas, and our partners as part of the FBI’s nationwide violent crime initiative Summer Heat 2.0, eight more alleged TdA members who entered the United States under the previous administration have been indicted or arrested and will face justice for their crimes.”
“The complaint against these three TdA members should leave no doubt that the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office is going to aggressively pursue transnational criminal organizations and hold their members and associates accountable for their violent criminal acts,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “We will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of TdA, which very deservedly has been designated by President Trump and his Administration as a terrorist organization. Our shared goal is crystal clear: to disrupt and dismantle TdA and not allow it to gain a foothold in the United States or Chicagoland. This Fourth of July weekend, as we celebrate the 250th birthday of the greatest nation on earth, many families in the Chicago area will celebrate with loved ones because the whole of federal government in Chicago is taking violent crime seriously and in a way that hasn’t been seen in years. The result is that the scourge of violence that has gripped Chicago for too long is beginning to see relief.”
“Violent transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua pose a significant and ongoing threat to the safety of our communities,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “This indictment is a testament to the dedication of our agents and the strength of our partnership through the Homeland Security Task Force. By working closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement, HSI continues to disrupt violent criminal organizations and protect communities across the United States.”
Case summaries are below:
Northern District of Texas
On June 30, a grand jury in the Northern District of Texas returned charges against five alleged members of TdA. All five defendants are citizens and nationals of Venezuela.
The defendants Hector Asdrubal Garcia Zuniga, also known as “Murry” and “Munra,” 36; Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, 27; Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, 31; Jhonatan Nahin Toro Gonzalez, 23; and Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza, also known as “El Ingeniero” and “El Negro,” 39, were indicted on racketeering charges involving murder, kidnapping, and other violent offenses.
Each defendant is charged with racketeering conspiracy for allegedly conspiring and agreeing with one another, and with others, to conduct and participate directly and indirectly in the conduct of the affairs of the TdA enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity, which consisted of multiple acts involving murder, kidnapping, robbery, and bank fraud. Each defendant is charged with kidnapping in aid of racketeering for allegedly kidnapping three individuals on or about August 24, 2024, for the purpose of maintaining and increasing position in TdA. Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano are also charged with murder in aid of racketeering for allegedly aiding and abetting each other in committing the murder of one of the individuals who was kidnapped on or about August 24, 2024. Additionally, Zambrano Bolivar is charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and causing death through the use of a firearm.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of HSI Dallas Field Office, and Chief of Police Kevin McCoy of the Farmers Branch, Texas Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Fugate and Caroline Poore for the Northern District of Texas and Joint Task Force Vulcan Trial Attorneys Jacob Operskalski, Kelly McGann, Stefani Hepford, and Josie Thomas are prosecuting this case.
Northern District of Illinois
On June 29, three alleged members of the transnational criminal organization, TdA, were charged in the Northern District of Illinois with participating in a conspiracy to kidnap and murder a man in Chicago.
The criminal complaint charges Josue Pacheco Torres, 26, Julian Pachano, 19, and Kleiver Monasterio Briceno, also known as “Goofy,” 20, with kidnapping conspiracy and committing a kidnapping that resulted in death. The three defendants are believed to be Venezuelan nationals. Pachano was arrested late last night, while Torres was arrested early yesterday morning. Monasterio Briceno was already in law enforcement custody.
According to the complaint, the defendants conspired to kidnap a man who was walking near Meyering Park on the South Side of Chicago on May 18. The victim was forced into a car and initially driven to a Chicago apartment. The defendants and other co-conspirators later transported the victim — while his wrists were bound together behind his back — to an abandoned building in Chicago, the complaint states.
The following night, the victim’s mother contacted Chicago Police to request a wellness check at the abandoned building. The mother told police that she had been directed to the building by an individual with whom the mother had been communicating on the online messaging application WhatsApp. According to the complaint, Chicago Police entered the building and found the victim deceased inside the bathroom of an abandoned unit. The victim, who was discovered facedown with his wrists bound behind his back, had been shot multiple times and had also suffered blunt force injuries to his head, arms, neck, hands, and torso, the complaint states.
According to the complaint, the conspiracy to kidnap and murder the victim was carried out in connection with the defendants’ involvement in TdA. Since 2024, law enforcement in Chicago has been investigating acts of violence, including murders and shootings, involving suspected members of TdA and its splinter faction, Anti-Tren.
Additionally, at the time of the murder, Pacheco Torres was wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet as a condition of his pretrial release in a criminal prosecution pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
The charges and arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino of HSI Chicago Field Office. The Chicago Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Chicago Field Office provided valuable assistance in this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sushma Raju, Simar Khera, and Michael Spitulnik for the Northern District of Illinois and Joint Task Force Vulcan Trial Attorneys Jun Xiang, Katelan Doyle, and Andrew K. Chan are prosecuting this case.
If convicted, the defendants in both the Northern District of Texas and the Northern District of Illinois and face up to life in prison. Pacheco Torres, Monasteria Briceno, Garcia Zuniga, Zambrano Bolivar, and Martinez Serrano also face the possibility of the death penalty.
These cases are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTFs Chicago and Dallas comprise of agents and officers from the FBI, HSI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ATF, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), HIDTA, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern Districts of Illinois and Texas.
These cases are also part of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; District of Nevada; and District of Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the Office of Judicial Attaché and DEA partners in Bogotá, Colombia. Additionally, the FBI, HSI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
A complaint and indictment are merely allegations of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.SDTX adds 256 more cases in ongoing border enforcement effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 259 individuals have been charged in immigration and border security-related crimes from June 26-July 3, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The Southern District filed a total of 188 criminal complaints for felony reentry after prior removal, while another 40 people face charges of illegal entry. Most of those individuals have previous convictions, such as narcotics and violent crimes, immigration offenses and more. The cases also include 26 people allegedly involved in human smuggling, while the remaining five matters relate to other immigration offenses and assaulting officers.
Among those charged with felony reentry include a Guatemalan illegal alien with a prior conviction for rape of a child, according to the charges. However, law enforcement discovered Jelber Botello-Hernandez near La Grulla, with no authorization to be in the United States. Also found in the same area was Mexican national Rogelio Rodriguez-Jaimes who allegedly has a prior conviction for unlawful transportation of firearms.
Authorities also allegedly found Mexican nationals Armando Almaguer-Trejo and Eva Karina Gomez-Salazar in the McAllen area without legal authorization to be in the United States. According to the criminal complaints, Almaguer-Trejo has a prior conviction for DUI with a child, while Gomez-Salazar was previously convicted of drug trafficking, according to their respective charges.
All four had just been removed during various months this year, according to the charges. If convicted of felony reentry after removal, all face up to 20 years in federal prison.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Popular Wedding Venue Owner in North Carolina Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jason Lottman, 43, of Charlotte, and former owner of Champagne Manor, a popular wedding venue in Monroe, North Carolina, appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to wire fraud for defrauding customers and investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
“In North Carolina, we don’t mess with brides,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Weddings are once-in-a-lifetime events where individuals spend significant savings, and we will be vigilant to ensure they are not defrauded while they plan their special day.”
According to court documents and today’s plea hearing, from October 2023 through January 2025, Lottman orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million from customers and investors connected to Champaign Manor. As part of the scheme, Lottman solicited investments in Champagne Manor by promising ownership interests, guaranteed returns, or other financial incentives while making false statements to secure the investment money. In addition, Lottman marketed all-inclusive wedding packages to customers interested in using his venue, that required customers to pay upfront for vendors such as caterers, photographers, florists, DJs, and hair and makeup artists, representing that Lottman would pay those vendors directly or reimburse customers who chose to use their own vendors. Then, Lottman failed to pay those vendors, leaving customers to pay out-of-pocket for services they had already paid for through Lottman.
In mid-2024, Champagne Manor defaulted on its mortgage and foreclosure proceedings began. Even though Lottman knew the venue was in severe financial distress and would ultimately cease operations, he continued to solicit payments from customers and investors, while concealing the venue’s dire financial condition.
To induce victims to part with their money, Lottman made numerous false representations, including claiming that Champagne Manor was acquiring a glass ballroom that would serve as collateral for certain investment programs. In reality, the ballroom was never purchased. Lottman also offered customers investment-style programs and promotional discounts that promised future repayments or refunds that he knew he could not fulfil. In furtherance of the scheme, Lottman falsely represented to victims that they would receive payments by certain dates. When he missed making the payments, Lottman repeatedly misrepresented the reasons for the delayed payments.
The statutory maximum penalty for the wire fraud charge is 20 years in prison. Lottman’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited the FBI for the investigation of the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
Pittsfield Man Indicted for Health Care Fraud, False Statements, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Pittsfield man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with his alleged false impersonation of a United States Army veteran for over 30 years to obtain medical care at Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and other benefits.
James D. Sommers, whose age is unknown, was indicted with one count each of health care fraud, false statements and aggravated identity theft. Sommers was previously charged by criminal complaint and arrested in March 2026 at Soldier On, a facility that provides transitional housing to United States military veterans in Pittsfield, Mass., where he was staying under the guise of the victim’s identity. He remains detained in federal custody.
According to the charging documents, beginning as early as 1994, Sommers has falsely impersonated a United States Army veteran who served honorably from 1979 to 1982. It is alleged that Sommers used the victim’s stolen identity to obtain thousands of dollars in Social Security benefits and nearly $30,000 in medical care and medications from VA medical centers. Most recently, Sommers falsely impersonated the victim on Feb. 20, 2026, to obtain medical care at the VA Medical Center in Northampton, Mass.
It is further alleged that Sommers has numerous prior convictions in New York State in 1994, 1997, 2001 and 2011 all under the victim’s name, for offenses including: criminal possession of stolen property; intent to obtain transportation without paying; sale of a controlled substance; possession of a forged instrument; attempted grand larceny; grand larceny; and forgery.
The charge of health care fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years. 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 and Christopher Algieri Special Agent in Charge of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.