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11 March 2025
Portage Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – David Allen Swisher, 29 years old, of Portage, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography with a prior conviction, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Swisher was sentenced to 120 months in prison and 20 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on or about June 23, 2023, Swisher knowingly possessed multiple videos and several images of child sexual abuse material after having being convicted of possession of child pornography in the State of Indiana.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Porter County Sheriff’s Office, the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Indiana State Police, and the Indiana State Police Digital Forensics Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nadia D. Wardrip and Steven J. Lupa.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Ontario man attempting to enter U.S. arrested for making a false statementRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Omid Kazemimanesh, 38, of Mississauga, Ontario, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making a false statement, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that on October 18, 2024, Kazemimanesh attempted to enter the United States at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge Port of Entry. During primary inspection, he stated he had served in the Iranian Army approximately 13 years ago, but could not provide any documentation related to the military service. As a result, Kazemimanesh was denied entry, and advised that he would need his military completion card and supporting documentation issued by the Iranian military that showed which branch of the military he had served to gain entry. On March 8, 2025, Kazemimanesh arrived at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge Port of Entry and during a secondary inspection, he was asked to provide proof of Iranian military service. Kazemimanesh provided an Iranian military service card as well as Iranian military discharge paperwork, stating the Iranian military documents were originals and were provided by the Iranian government approximately 3-4 months after the completion of his military service with the Iran Army Ground Forces. After a review of the military card, a Customs and Border Protection officer suspected the card was fraudulent. Subsequent review determined that the card was in fact fraudulent.
The complaint is a result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
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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New Orleans Man Charged with Possessing Files Depicting Sexual Victimization of ChildrenRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ERVIN DALVECCHIO COOPER, (“COOPER”) age 23, a resident of New Orleans, was charged on February 27, 2025, by bill of information, with possession of files depicting the sexual exploitation of children under the age of twelve years old, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2252(a)(4)(B).
COOPER faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years. COOPER also faces a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and can be required to register as a sex offender. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U. S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
NC Department of Transportation Employee Pleads Guilty to the Sale of Dangerous Counterfeit Car AirbagsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man pled guilty today to importing thousands of counterfeit car steering wheel airbags into the Raleigh area over the past two years. The counterfeit airbags were sold locally and to online buyers through Facebook Marketplace.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Mateen Mohammad Alinaghian, 31, imported approximately 2,500 counterfeit air bags into Raleigh between May 2022 and April 2024. Alinaghian imported steering wheel airbags with counterfeit markings of Honda, Chevrolet, General Motor, and Toyota, from a supplier in the United Kingdom. Alinaghian then sold the counterfeit airbags to unsuspecting customers using Facebook Marketplace. Alinaghian used the Facebook Marketplace seller profile of “Matt AutoParts” or “Medo Smith” to advertise and sell the counterfeit airbags. Alinaghian is currently employed as an engineer with the N.C. Department of Transportation.
According to testing done by Honda, General Motors, and Toyota, the steering wheel airbags obtained and sold by Alinaghian were not manufactured by the car companies, and often included materials of lesser quality. In testing, the counterfeit airbags often malfunctioned, either not fully inflating or inflating late – posing a potentially serious risk of injury to the vehicle driver.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the investigation, along with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. The investigation included a search of Alinaghian’s house, which resulted in the seizure of approximately 20 counterfeit airbags, and multiple seizures by Customs and Border Control of in-bound packages from the United Kingdom containing counterfeit airbags en route to Alinaghian.
“In this case, the defendant put profit over safety by selling counterfeit airbags that had the potential to put drivers in harm’s way if the airbags malfunctioned during a collision,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “I’m so proud of the cooperation on display by this investigative team, which included partnering with our state, federal and international colleagues, and will hold Mr. Alinaghian responsible for his illegitimate enterprise.”
“Airbags are critical life-saving devices that are designed and produced to protect motorists. Counterfeit airbags pose a serious threat to the safety of consumers,” said Cardell T. Morant, special agent in charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte that covers North and South Carolina. “HSI actively collaborates with its law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations that seek to exploit global commerce and threaten legitimate supply chains.”
“The sale of counterfeit air bags that are not regulated or tested to ensure they meet federal safety standards puts drivers and those on our nation’s roadways at serious risk,” said Greg Thompson, Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Region. “Today’s guilty plea is the result of an unwavering commitment to safety demonstrated together with our law enforcement, prosecutorial, and agency partners.”
“Selling and using counterfeit car airbags can have dangerous consequences,” said N.C. Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall. “Our strong partnerships with the brand holders and law enforcement was crucial to uncovering this serious threat and taking them off the market may have saved lives.”
After identifying that Alinaghian was importing the counterfeit airbags from a source in the United Kingdom, HSI contacted law enforcement abroad. As a result, a search warrant was executed on September 19, 2024, by the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PICU). PICU officers searched two residential and one business address and seized a total of 500 counterfeit airbags and an estimated £140,000 in cash. Three men were arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to distribute counterfeit goods. The investigation is still ongoing.
According to a consumer alert published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), three people in the U.S. were killed and two people suffered injuries from September 2023 to July 2024 as a result of their vehicles being fitted with substandard replacement airbags.
Individuals who suspect they purchased a counterfeit airbag should consult their brand’s dealership or a reputable mechanic to determine if the parts need to be replaced, and report it to their local Homeland Security Investigations office or submit an online complaint to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
If you have reason to believe that you are a victim the defendant’s conduct, either because you believe you received a counterfeit airbag from the defendant, or if you believe that you were injured or incurred costs as a result of the defendant’s conduct, please contact HSI at 919-677-6392.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the guilty plea was accepted by U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones. The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the investigation, along with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the N.C. Secretary of State Trademark Enforcement Division or Anti-Counterfeit Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Haughton prosecuted the case.
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-00013-FL.
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Missouri Sex Offender Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Tuesday sentenced a registered sex offender who was caught with child sexual abuse material to 14 years in prison.
Charles R. Hamilton, 66, of Chesterfield, had 1,288 image files and 185 video files containing child sexual abuse material on his phone. In May of 2023, law enforcement officers in Alabama identified a Kik social media account that was being used to distribute child sexual abuse material. They traced the account to Hamilton, a convicted sex offender. When investigators interviewed Hamilton on May 25, 2023, he consented to a search of his phone. Investigators later found images of child pornography matching those distributed via the Kik account. A forensic examination found that Defendant had used Kik, Instagram and Telegram accounts to receive and transmit child pornography.
Hamilton pleaded guilty in August to one count of possession of child pornography.
The FBI, the St. Louis County Police Department and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes is prosecuting the case.
Milton Man Sentenced to 336 Months in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert A. Kohl, age 50, of Northumberland County, PA, was sentenced on March 7, 2025, to 336 months of imprisonment to be followed by ten years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, for production of child pornography.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Kohl previously pleaded guilty on September 11, 2024, to production of child pornography. On January 3, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Kohl’s residence following a cyber tip. Pursuant to the warrant, several electronic devices were forensically examined and thousands of images that contained child sexual abuse material was discovered, including a video depicting a 4-year-old child. Kohl produced child pornography on five separate occasions between August 2021 and September 2022.
Multiple members of the victims’ family addressed the Court and expressed the devastating impact this crime has had on the victim and their family.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Mexican national sentenced for trafficking methamphetamine through East TexasRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Mexican national has been sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Audivier Martinez-Gomez, 24, of Oaxaca, Mexico, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale on March 11, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on June 18, 2024, Martinez-Gomez was identified as the passenger in an eastbound vehicle stopped on Interstate-10 in Beaumont for speeding in a construction zone. Martinez-Gomez and his wife, who was the driver of the vehicle, gave conflicting stories about their travel, and were unusually nervous during the interaction. Consent was given to search the vehicle, and law enforcement located THC edibles in the passenger compartment. In the trunk, law enforcement located large garbage sacks containing multiple bags of crystal methamphetamine totaling 29.6 kilograms.
This case was investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.
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Mexican National Extradited to U.S. to Face Federal Drug Trafficking Charges in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mexican national was extradited from Mexico to the United States to face federal drug trafficking charges in New Mexico.
Guillermo Amaro-Rodriguez, 42, made his initial appearance last week in federal court after being extradited from Mexico on a charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
A federal grand jury indicted Amaro-Rodriguez on October 12, 2022. According to the indictment, Amaro-Rodriguez conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Bernalillo County and elsewhere.
Mexican law enforcement authorities arrested Amaro-Rodriguez at the request of the United States in Chihuahua on October 3, 2024. The FBI assumed custody of Amaro-Rodriguez from Mexican authorities on March 7, 2025.
“Mexican authorities' efforts have ensured that the defendant will face justice in the United States for his alleged crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin. “We thank our partners at the Fiscalía General de la República for their commitment to combating drug trafficking and holding those responsible accountable. Our continued collaboration guarantees that international boundaries will not shield criminals from prosecution.”
“The extradition of Mr. Amaro-Rodriguez is an example of how the FBI will pursue justice no matter how long it takes,” said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. “Thank you to our determined FBI agents and the help of our federal, local and foreign partners for your hard work to hold this man accountable for his actions.”
Amaro-Rodriguez will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Amaro-Rodriguez faces up to life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Albuquerque Police Department and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Mexico City. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Amaro-Rodriguez. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hirsch is prosecuting the case as 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).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Obstructing Federal Hate Crimes InvestigationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Massachusetts man, who was extradited from Stockholm, Sweden, was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for obstructing an investigation of fires set at Jewish institutions in Arlington, Needham and Chelsea, Mass., in May 2019.
Alexander Giannakakis, 37, formerly of Quincy, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to 42 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In November 2024, Giannakakis pleaded guilty to concealing records in a federal investigation; tampering with documents and objects; and tampering with an official proceeding. In February 2022, Giannakakis was indicted by a federal grand jury. In February 2024 he was extradited to the United States from Sweden.
“Rather than assist authorities, Alexander Giannakakis chose instead to impede the FBI’s investigation by lying to investigators and destroying and concealing evidence,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Obstructing law enforcement is a serious crime that can embolden individuals to continue criminal behavior, sometimes with serious or even deadly consequences. Today’s sentence leaves no room for doubt, that this type of deceit and obstruction will not be tolerated.”
"With today’s sentence, Alexander Giannakakis learned the hard way that the family ties that bind you together can also land you in federal prison,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Mr. Giannakakis destroyed evidence and obstructed the FBI’s investigation into his brother’s acts of domestic terrorism that sent shockwaves of fear throughout the Jewish community. Instead of doing what was right and calling out his brother’s vile conduct, Mr. Giannakakis tried to cover for him. Anyone who thinks they can lie to us and get away with it, should think twice. The FBI can’t properly carry out investigations, if the people we interview think they can deceive us without consequence.”
In approximately February 2020, Giannakakis’ younger brother became the prime suspect in an investigation into four fires set at Jewish institutions in the Boston area: the first during the evening of May 11, 2019 at a Chabad Center in Arlington; the second at the same location during the evening of May 16, 2019; the third at a Chabad Center in Needham; and the fourth during the evening of May 26, 2019, at a Jewish-affiliated business in Chelsea. At the time Giannakakis’ brother was identified as a suspect, he was hospitalized in a coma. He remained in a coma until his death later that year.
Shortly after his brother was identified as a suspect, Giannakakis left the United States for Sweden, where he was living at the time, with his brother’s electronic devices and documents. According to court documents, when Giannakakis returned to the U.S. in March 2020, he was questioned by investigators about his brother’s involvement in the arsons and made false and misleading statements. He later concealed and destroyed physical evidence being sought by investigators that implicated his brother in the arsons. Within hours of concealing and destroying that evidence, Giannakakis fled the United States for Sweden. Giannakakis remained in Sweden until his arrest by Swedish authorities in February 2022.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Chief Juliann Flaherty of the Arlington Police Department; Chief John Schlittler of the Needham Police Department; and Chief Keith E. Houghton of the Chelsea Police Department made the announcement today. Substantial assistance was provided by Swedish authorities. Additional assistance was provided by the Quincy Massachusetts Police Department; the Massachusetts State Police; and the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance to secure the arrest and extradition from Sweden of Giannakakis. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JERAD M. BARRETT, (“BARRETT”), age 41, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on February 26, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fifty kilograms or more of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute, fifty kilograms or more of marijuana, and maintaining a drug-involved premises, violations of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 846, and 856(a)(1), respectively, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. BARRETT was sentenced to 135 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $400 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, BARRETT, with the assistance of his mother, maintained his residence to cultivate and distribute kilogram quantities of marijuana. Agents also uncovered communications between BARRETT and his mother related to distribution, packaging, and relocation of narcotics within the Eastern District of Louisiana. During the investigation, agents recovered approximately 940 kilograms of marijuana stored in plastic bins and barrels from within BARRETT’S residence and multiple storage units associated with BARRETT.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
Man Found Guilty of 6 Counts of Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – After a five-day jury trial, Lionel Albino Galindo was found guilty of six counts of child exploitation. United States District Court Judge Maria Antongiorgi-Jordan presided over the trial.
According to court documents, from February 2024 throughout March 19, 2024, Lionel Albino Galindo sexually exploited a 13-year-old female minor. The defendant used a cellular phone as well as internet instant messaging services, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a 13-year-old female minor, to engage in sexual activity, which includes the production of child pornography.
During trial, the government presented evidence to prove that Albino Galindo knowingly transported the female minor to engage in sexual activity on several occasions and produced visual depictions of such conduct. The defendant also received child pornography from the female minor and sent obscene material to the minor.
The jury found Lionel Albino Galindo guilty of one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; one count of sexual exploitation of children; one count for receipt of child pornography; one count for possession of child pornography; and one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor.
The defendant faces the following possible sentences: for coercion and enticement and transportation of minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life; for sexual exploitation of children he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years up to 30 years; for possession of child pornography and transfer of obscene material to a minor he faces up to 10 years; and for receipt of child pornography he faces five to 20 years in prison; all charges followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2025, at 9:30 am. The defendant was ordered to remain under the custody of the Bureau of Prisons pending sentencing.
“I commend the prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners for their hard work and dedication in bringing this child predator to justice,” said United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico.
“The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting our most vulnerable—our children,” said Devin Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This verdict underscores the seriousness of crimes against minors and reinforces our dedication to holding offenders accountable. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who prey on children face the full force of justice.”
The FBI investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.
Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit and AUSA Emelina Agrait Barreto prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Madison Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Donald R. Spivey, Jr., 23, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 78 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Spivey pleaded guilty to this charge on December 18, 2024.
On July 15, 2024, Spivey abused his partner after she kicked him out of the house. During this incident Spivey strangled her and then grabbed her phone preventing her from calling the police. Spivey also pointed a handgun at her and stole a Glock 19 9mm from her.
Only July 17, 2024, police found Spivey sleeping in a stolen Jeep and tried to arrest him. Spivey drove off, causing officers to jump out of the way. Spivey then led police on a chase at speeds up to 115 miles per hour before he crashed, rolling the Jeep which landed on top of two vehicles in a driveway. Spivey then fled from the Jeep and was arrested with the assistance of a K9. Officers found the victim’s stolen Glock 19 9mm along Spivey’s path of flight and near the Jeep. Officers also found a Glock 20 10mm handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD) in the Jeep.
Spivey is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms. Possession of an MCD, also known as a “switch,” is illegal. An MCD is itself considered a machinegun and converts a handgun to fire fully automatic.
At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that Spivey’s criminal history started at a young age and included offenses where he assaulted the two mothers of his children, firing a handgun at one. Judge Conley observed that Spivey had served time in prison and was on state supervision when he once again engaged in domestic violence in this federal case, concluding that Spivey poses a danger to society.
The charge against Spivey was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Long Island Pastor Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Jose Saez, Jr., a pastor at a church located in Brentwood, New York, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack. When sentenced, Saez, Jr., faces a minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years in prison.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Leslie R. Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
“The defendant’s sexual exploitation of minors, both in person and online, is horrific, and he now faces at least 15 years in prison for his unspeakable crimes,” stated United States Attorney John J. Durham. “That he held a position of trust and responsibility as a pastor of a local church makes his conduct even more reprehensible. Protecting vulnerable children from predators like this defendant will always be a priority of this Office.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Suffolk County Police Department for their work on the case.
“The defendant not only admitted to sexually abusing young children, but also discussed his church and his congregants as targets of additional abuse. His sustained exploitation of children—in person and online—is clear, and this plea is a step forward on the road to justice for his victims. Children are among the most vulnerable in our communities, and the FBI will stop at nothing to make sure they are protected and the monsters who would do them harm are put behind bars,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Backschies.
As set forth in court filings and today’s plea proceeding, Saez used an encrypted messaging service to engage in sexually explicit conversations with minors and with a law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity (the UC). In August of 2023, Saez had online conversations with the UC. During those conversations, the defendant stated that he had sexually abused an infant, that his “sweet spot” was molesting children between the ages of 11 and 15, and that he was able to find his younger victims at “church.” Pursuant to a court-authorized search, FBI agents recovered numerous images and videos of child pornography from the defendant, which he had solicited from minors. The defendant also admitted to law enforcement officers that he encouraged a minor to produce child pornography and send it to him.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone with information about sexual exploitation by the defendant is asked to contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 212-384-1000.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Misorek and Adam R. Toporovsky are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Dejah Turla.
The Defendant:
JOSE SAEZ, JR.
Age: 29
Brentwood, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-480 (JMA)
Jefferson County man sentenced for federal firearms violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Port Arthur man has been sentenced to prison for a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Christopher Dante Karo, 34, pleaded guilty to carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale on March 11, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on April 3, 2024, Karo was observed during a drug transaction in Port Arthur by law enforcement. After driving away from the scene with two minor passengers, Karo was stopped for speeding. During the stop, Karo did not have a driver’s license and was asked to step out of the vehicle and stand in front of the patrol car. Officers observed a bottle containing what appeared to be PCP under their patrol car where Karo was standing, and determined from video evidence that Karo had dropped the bottle during the traffic stop and kicked it under the patrol car. A search of Karo’s vehicle revealed a pistol under the driver’s seat. The firearm had an extended magazine with 17 rounds of ammunition and had previously been reported stolen out of Port Arthur.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.
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Jacksonville Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Credit Scheme and COVID Relief Fraud Involving the Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Crystal Denean Harvell (37, Jacksonville) to two years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving a line of credit scheme and wire fraud involving COVID relief fraud through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The court also ordered Harvell to pay $131,782.63 in restitution to the victims she defrauded and to the United States government. Harvell agreed to forfeit $20,415, which is traceable to proceeds of the wire fraud offense involving COVID relief fraud. Harvell entered a guilty plea on September 4, 2024.
According to court documents, Harvell and her co-conspirators fraudulently obtained the Social Security numbers (SSNs) of others. From February 2016 through September 2019, Harvell and others recruited individuals to obtain lines of credit at various businesses using the SSNs. After fraudulently obtaining the lines of credit, they obtained jewelry and other merchandise. Harvell resold some of the merchandise and lines of credit on social media platforms.
In April 2021, Harvell submitted a PPP loan application to a lender authorized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to lend funds for approved PPP loan applications. The PPP loan application falsely claimed that Harvell operated her own business. Throughout the loan application Harvell made multiple false statements regarding her purported gross income and expenses associated with operating her business. In support of her PPP loan application, she submitted a false IRS Form 1040 - Profit or Loss From Business. It contained false statements about operating expenses, gross income, and wage expenditures for her purported business. Harvell’s business did not exist. In reliance on the false statements made in her loan application, Harvell’s application was approved, and she received a PPP loan totaling $20,415.
After receiving the PPP loan proceeds in her bank account, Harvell began making withdrawals and spending the funds on personal expenses. In October 2021, Harvell submitted a PPP loan forgiveness application to the SBA that included multiple false representations. In the application, she falsely claimed that she spent more than $18,000 on payroll costs and that the PPP loan proceeds were only used for eligible purposes. In reliance on her false statements the SBA forgave the entire loan, plus accrued interest.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing A MachinegunRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Andres Felipe Mejia (19, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing a machinegun. Mejia faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, on August 13, 2024, undercover agents with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives met Mejia to purchase a “switch.” The “switch” Mejia sold was a machinegun conversion device designed to convert a semiautomatic Glock pistol into a fully automatic machinegun. During the sale, Mejia explained to the undercover agents how to use the switch and offered to sell them more in the future.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Brian Gregory Brightman (31, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Brightman faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, beginning no later than July 7 and continuing through September 11, 2024, Brightman, a convicted felon, orchestrated and led a drug trafficking organization to distribute controlled substances. The investigation revealed that Brightman supplied, staffed, directed, and profited from the sale of drugs from at least six different locations in and around Jacksonville. Brightman arranged for mid-level distributors, his co-conspirators, to sell more than a kilogram of actual methamphetamine to a confidential informant. They also sold crack cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. Brightman or an associate would drop off drugs on a near daily basis for his co-conspirators to sell, then Brightman or an associate would pick up cash proceeds from the drug sales. As a conservative estimate, two of the locations sold approximately $3,000 worth of methamphetamine and fentanyl per day. Brightman engaged in these activities while on pretrial release for separate offenses charged in the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court in Duval County.
On September 11, 2024, federal agents executed search warrants at eight locations associated with Brightman’s conspiracy. Drugs, including oxycodone, fentanyl, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and four firearms were seized at those locations.
As part of his plea, Brightman has agreed to forfeit a Glock firearm, a Smith & Wesson .380 pistol, a Radical Firearms AR-15, and a 9 mm Sig Sauer pistol and associated ammunition because these assets facilitated the drug conspiracy.
On January 31, 2025, Trey Allan King, one of Brightman’s co-conspirators, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. His sentencing is pending.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lasry.
Illegal Alien Charged with Immigration and Firearm Offenses for Shooting a Man in Front of His DaughterRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – A federal indictment unsealed today charges Jose Guadalupe Vazquez-Delgado, 36, of Mexico, with possession of ammunition by an illegal alien and unlawful reentry into the United States, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to court documents, Vazquez was drinking heavily in a house in Antioch, Tennessee, when he started arguing with the victim. The argument continued outside of the house, and the victim’s seven-year-old daughter followed the men outside. Moments later, Vazquez shot the victim numerous times before running away from the house. The victim was transported to the hospital where he received life-saving emergency surgery. Vazquez left 14 shell casings, his truck, his Mexican passport, and other items at the house. Before this shooting incident, immigration officials had previously deported Vazquez from the United States to Mexico on at least two prior occasions.
If convicted, Vazquez faces up to fifteen years in federal prison for the firearms offense and up to two years in prison for the immigration offense.
“Operations like this underscore the FBI's commitment to working with our partners to keep dangerous people and weapons from infecting our communities” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI in Tennessee is committed to actively investigating and apprehending individuals wanted for federal violations and those unlawfully present in the United States and remains steadfast in its mission to uphold the Constitution."
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ahmed A. Safeeullah and Joshua Kurtzman are prosecuting the case.
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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Houston Man Guilty of Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Today, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ANACLETO SILVA-HERRERA (“SILVA-HERRERA”), age 38, a resident of Houston, Texas, pled guilty on February 26, 2025, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo, to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession, with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A).
According to court documents, SILVA-HERRERA, and other co-conspirators, distributed and possessed with intent to distribute, multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine within the Eastern District of Louisiana. SILVA-HERRERA transported kilogram quantities of cocaine, and proceeds from the sale of narcotics, on behalf of a co-conspirator, a known Mexico-based source of supply.
On both counts, SILVA-HERRERA faces a minimum term of imprisonment of ten years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, at least five years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office, and assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
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Highland Park Resident Indicted on 10 Counts of Drug, Firearm, and Motor Vehicle ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Highland Park, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics, firearms, and motor vehicle laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The 10-count Superseding Indictment named Keeshon Grier, 28, as the sole defendant.
According to the Superseding Indictment, from in and around October through November 2024, Grier possessed with the intent to distribute and did distribute quantities of mixtures and substances containing heroin, fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, metonitazene, cocaine, and crack cocaine. The defendant is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm and ammunition after having been convicted of multiple prior felonies, including on federal and state drug trafficking offenses. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. The Superseding Indictment additionally charges Grier with the knowing possession of stolen vehicles that have crossed a state boundary.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 25 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $25 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER DANCY, 35, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to drug and firearm offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 18, 2022, Dancy was arrested for violating his state parole. A search of an apartment where he was staying revealed a loaded Glock model 45, 9mm pistol, approximately 20 grams of fentanyl mixed with xylazine, and items used to process and package narcotics for distribution.
On May 3, 2023, Hartford Police officers observed Dancy engaging in suspected drug activity in the area of Albany Avenue and Edgewood Street and seized a car that Dancy had occupied. On May 5, 2023, a search of the car revealed a loaded Glock model 26, 9mm pistol. Subsequent DNA testing of the pistol connected it to Dancy.
Dancy’s criminal history includes state drug and firearm convictions. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Dancy pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
Dancy has been detained since June 5, 2023.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Dearington.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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 www.justice.gov/psn.
Hanford Site Subcontractor Sentenced for Stealing COVID-19 Relief Funding, Owner Pays $1.1 Million in Restitution and PenaltiesRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker announced today that BNL Technical Services, LLC (BNL), was sentenced for a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19 relief funding. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian ordered BNL to pay restitution in the amount of $493,865. The Court further sentenced BNL to one year of probation to ensure that the restitution is paid promptly and in full. Acting U.S. Attorney Barker further announced that BNL’s owner, Wilson Pershing Stevenson III, of Nashville, Tennessee, paid $1,105,498 as part of an affirmative civil fraud settlement in the case to resolve his individual liability arising from BNL’s receipt of COVID relief funding.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, between 2020 and 2021, BNL provided contract labor services to Hanford Site prime contractors. BNL’s labor costs and payroll continued to be paid by DOE throughout the pandemic, including when BNL employees were not able to physically work at the site and instead were teleworking or simply home in “ready” status.
In April of 2020, BNL applied for and received a $493,865 loan as part of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Congress created the PPP in March 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide funding to small businesses in order to mitigate the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for small and local businesses. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the United States, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) may grant a small business borrower forgiveness so long as the loan proceeds have been used for payroll and other eligible expenses.
BNL fraudulently sought and obtained PPP funding for BNL employees despite their pay and benefits already being covered by DOE contract funds and other federal sources including the Veterans Administration. Shortly after receiving the funds, BNL transferred and used more than $424,230 of the PPP proceeds on unauthorized expenditures.
In August of 2021, BNL, through its sole owner Wilson Pershing Stevenson III, requested and was granted forgiveness of the $493,865 PPP loan, by falsely and fraudulently certifying the loan proceeds had been used for eligible uses and business expenses between April and October of 2020.
“We are proud of our law enforcement partners, without which we could not have uncovered and successfully prosecuted this blatant and fraudulent misuse of PPP funds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rich Barker. “Our COVID-19 Strike Force continues to hold accountable those that fraudulently obtained and misused federal funds set aside to help small businesses in our community. I am so proud of our team of prosecutors, led by White Collar Chief Dan Fruchter, for building this Strike Force and holding accountable those who defrauded the United States.”
“The misuse of critical emergency funds intended for those personally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic defrauds taxpayers and deprives legitimate recipients of important assistance at a time it was needed most,” stated Lewe F. Sessions, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Office of Inspector General, Department of Energy. “The Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General continues to pursue such fraudulent claims submitted by our employees and contractors.”
“This sentencing sends a message that the VA Office of Inspector General will diligently pursue those who would illegally line their pockets at the expense of the taxpayer,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners as part of the COVID-19 Strike Force to investigate fraud against relief programs intended to support bona fide recipients.”
“Today’s sentencing is a testament to the OIG’s unwavering commitment to protecting our small business support programs and bringing fraudsters to justice,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge, Weston King. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners for their diligence and pursuit of justice.”
This case was investigated by the Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General, Richland Field Office, the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, and the VA Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler H.L. Tornabene and Dan Fruchter are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
4:23-cr-06014-SAB
Guatemalan National Sentenced to 12 Months After Unlawfully Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Guatemala national was sentenced today for unlawfully reentering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Hilario Lucas Mendoza, 42, for Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Judge Hill ordered Mendoza to serve 12 months imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release.
According to court documents, Mendoza was arrested by the Tulsa Police Department for domestic assault and battery. While completing his intake during booking, officers discovered that Mendoza was in the United States illegally.
Court records show that from 2003 through 2006, Mendoza was arrested four times in Tulsa County for driving under the influence. In 2005, Mendoza was arrested for physically assaulting his girlfriend. In 2009, he was deported twice to Guatemala for unlawful reentry.
Mendoza will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris prosecuted the case.
Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegally Entering the US After a Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Guatemalan national pleaded was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for entering the United States after a prior removal.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Jorge Martinez-Urizar, 50, to time served. Martinez-Urizar had been detained since November. He will likely face deportation now that the case has concluded. Martinez-Urizar pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025.
According to court records, in November 2024, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent conducted a records check on Martinez-Urizar. The check showed that he had been removed from the country on three prior occasions, most recently in July 2005, and that he had not filed any applications or petitions granting him permission to reenter or remain in the United States lawfully. Martinez was removed in 2005 after serving a 70-month sentence in Oregon for assault in the second degree and unlawful use of a weapon.
ICE investigated the case.
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Gang-Affiliated California Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A California man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a felon in possession of firearms.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Lonnel Diggs (aka Cash, Cashiiso Runzitup), 40, to nine years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Diggs pleaded guilty on August 19, 2024.
According to court records, in March 2022, Diggs, of Van Nuys, Calif., and a co-conspirator proposed to a couple who purchased crack cocaine from Diggs that they purchase firearms on the men’s behalf in exchange for cash and crack cocaine. The couple agreed and began traveling to gun shows and stores in Maine to make the straw purchases. At one of the gun shows, Diggs took photos of firearms and texted the images to the couple who then made the purchases and provided him with the firearms. Diggs was convicted in California for robbery in 2003 and for assault with a dangerous weapon on a peace officer in 2010 and is therefore precluded from possessing any firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department.
STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.
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Gang Member Sentenced for Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Central Falls man described in court documents as being a member of a dangerous Providence street gang and a driver of violence within that group, who recently completed a term of incarceration on a federal firearms charge, was sentenced today for bank fraud conspiracy, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Ryan DaCruz, 28, pleaded guilty in February to a charge of bank fraud conspiracy. He admitted to a federal judge that between February 2022 and May 2023, he opened bank accounts at four Rhode Island banks into which he deposited tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of checks that had been stolen from the U.S. Mail stream by confederates.
According to information presented to the court, the stolen checks, most of which were third party business checks, appeared to have been “washed” so that the payee names could be changed to Ryan DaCruz. The deposited funds were rapidly depleted through cash withdrawals and/or money transfers. As banks recognized the deposited items as fraudulent, banks closed the accounts. DaCruz would then open a new account at a different bank. The intended loss to banks totaled approximately $46.000.
DaCruz completed a federal sentence imposed in January 2024 for being a felon in possession of a firearm while being detained on the current charge of bank fraud conspiracy. He was sentenced today on the bank fraud conspiracy charge by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to a term of incarceration of eighteen months to be followed by three years of supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John P. McAdams and Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Providence Police Department.
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Four Brazilian Nationals Arrested for Allegedly Running Illegal Prescription Drug Ring; Allegedly Distributed Misbranded Drugs Imported from BrazilRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Four undocumented Brazilian nationals currently residing in Framingham have been arrested for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to import pharmaceutical-grade controlled substances and other misbranded drugs from Brazil and distribute them throughout the greater Framingham area.
Douglas Reis de Souza, 40; Dekny Marcos de Carvaleho Reis, 33; Dekmara de Carvalho Reis, 34; and Wandiscleia Ferreira de Souza Guimaraes, 41, all of Framingham, have been charged with one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. The defendants were arrested yesterday morning and, following initial appearances in federal court in Boston, were detained pending a hearing scheduled for March 13, 2025.
“For years, these defendants allegedly exploited a community’s trust to peddle black-market prescription drugs under the guide of legitimacy. They entered our country illegally and put countless individuals’ health and safety in danger, all for profit,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “If you or someone you know was impacted by this scheme, we urge you to come forward and report it to law enforcement. Our office and our law enforcement partners will not allow reckless, exploitative criminals to operate in the shadows.”
“The DEA is committed to ensuring that anyone prescribing and selling prescription medication is a registrant and they are in compliance with the required regulations, which are enforceable through the Controlled Substances Act said Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes the public health and public safety of our communities. DEA pledges to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure these rules and regulations are followed.”
“Prescription drugs play a vital role allowing individuals to control symptoms, treat illnesses, and improve overall health. The illegal and improper dispensing of prescription drugs to vulnerable individuals without the concurrence from a medical professional or a licensed pharmacist is a deadly combination. The actions of the defendants arrested undermine that trust and endanger the community as they facilitated the distribution of dangerous narcotics to individuals for personal financial gain. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue the mission of eradicating illegal drugs from the U.S. Mail and protecting all those who use it,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
According to the charging documents, Reis de Souza held himself out to be a legitimate pharmacist to the Portuguese-speaking community in the greater Framingham area, doing business as “Droga Reis” (Portuguese for “Drug King”). In support of his operation, Reis de Souza allegedly distributed the following business card, which has been translated from Portuguese:
Douglas Reis, Pharmacist
[REDACTED PHONE NUMBER]
Remedies from Brazil
Service 24 H
Call me on Whats[App] and I can help you
Don’t miss your work day
Pharmacist with over 22 years of experience
Indication of medicines for adult and pediatric use
Contraceptive pills and injectables
Injectable cocktail to treat muscular and orthopedic problems
Perforation of ear cells.Reis de Souza allegedly imported pharmaceutical-grade drugs, including controlled substances from various locations in Brazil and then re-sold them to customers. It is alleged that at least 24 packages sent from Brazil to Reis de Souza’s drug trafficking organization were seized during the investigation which began in October 2023 – all of which were found to contain illegally imported pharmaceutical-grade controlled substances.
It is alleged that Reis de Souza employed Carvaleho Reis, Dekmara de Carvalho Reis and Wandiscleia Ferreira de Souza Guimaraes to process, fill and deliver orders for controlled substances and other prescription drugs that customers paid Reis de Souza for. In total, over the course of the investigation, Reis de Souza’s drug trafficking organization allegedly distributed 154 tablets of Codeine; 60 tablets of Tramadol; 280 tablets of Clonazepam; and 450 tablets of Morphine via controlled purchases or the mail.
This morning, search warrants were executed at an apartment allegedly used by Reis de Souza and his co-conspirators as a black-market doctor’s office. There, law enforcement allegedly observed an examination/consultation area, used syringes ostensibly used to inject “patients,” as well as large quantities of controlled substances and non-controlled prescription and/or misbranded drugs:
At no time did Reis de Souza possess any license authorizing him to dispense these drugs. It is alleged that Reis de Souza collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits as a result of the drug trafficking scheme.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The defendants are subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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.
If you were a customer of Reis De Souza, or his d/b/a “Droga Reis,” and you suffered any adverse events, please contact [email protected].
U.S. Attorney Foley, DEA Acting SAC Belleau and USPIS INC Larco-Ward made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations; Customs and Border Protection; and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former deportation officer sentenced to 12 years in prison for federal crimes related to depriving victims’ civil rightsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A former ICE deportation officer was sentenced in U.S. District Court here to 144 months in prison for crimes related to using his position to solicit and coerce sex from vulnerable women under his supervision.
Andrew Golobic, 53, of Cincinnati and Mason, Ohio, abused his position to deprive the civil rights of a woman under his supervision in the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program. ATD allows certain asylum seekers and other immigrants who ICE has determined pose a low risk to public safety to remain in their communities while their immigration cases are pending.
Following a jury trial in January 2024, Golobic was found guilty on four of seven counts – obstructing a sex trafficking investigation, deprivation of rights under color of law, witness tampering and destruction of records in a federal investigation.
The jury found that Golobic deprived a woman under his supervision in the ATD program of her fundamental right to bodily integrity by engaging in unwanted, forced or coerced sexual activity.
The defendant was employed as a deportation officer with ICE from 2006 to 2020 and was assigned to the ICE office in Blue Ash, Ohio. He was assigned to the ATD program from approximately 2015 to 2020.
In his role, Golobic had discretion over the degree of freedom and movement afforded to participants under his supervision. He had the authority to decide the type of monitoring, frequency of reporting and level of supervision, as well as the authority to recommend that ATD participants who violated conditions of the program be detained or deported.
To cover up his crimes, Golobic misled investigators, destroyed evidence and tampered with witnesses. Notably, after being approached by agents from FBI and the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General in June 2020 as part of this investigation, Golobic deleted evidence from his cellphones.
The sentence was imposed on March 10 by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General (DHS-OIG) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and Ashley N. Brucato represented the United States in this case.
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Former U.S. Marine Pleads Guilty to Submitting False Purple Heart ApplicationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former United States Marine pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield, Mass. to submitting a false Purple Heart application to the United States Marine Corps through his local Congressman.
Paul John Herbert, 54, of Shelburne Falls, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2025. In September 2023, Herbert was indicted by a federal grand jury.
“Military veterans deserve the respect of every citizen for their service to our country. Veterans know well that the Purple Heart honors those brave service members who were injured or killed in the line of duty. Mr. Herbert knew that he did not deserve this widely recognized and respected award, but that did not stop him from lying about a traumatic brain injury and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in disability benefits, intended to take care of veterans truly in need.” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Claiming valor for a false injury is an affront to all the members of the military who serve our country with courage and honor.”
“Today’s guilty plea holds this defendant accountable for falsifying his service record to steal funds intended for our nation’s deserving veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “The VA Office of Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate those who would represent themselves as something they are not in order to exploit VA programs and services.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement component of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General, will continue to partner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Department of Justice to protect the interests of those who selflessly serve our country,” said Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “We are committed to investigating individuals who falsely represent themselves as decorated veterans and steal benefits intended for our nation’s servicemembers.”
Beginning on Oct. 13, 2010, Herbert submitted numerous false statements to the VA concerning IED-related injuries in support of a claim for disability compensation. Based upon these false claims, between January 1, 2010 and March 1, 2023 the VA overpaid Herbert $344,040.
On Oct. 24, 2018, Herbert issued a request to his Congressman to assist with the application for a Purple Heart. The request contained a notarized letter from Herbert, that falsely stated he had been injured by a roadside explosion.
The charge of making a false statement provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $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.
U.S. Attorney Foley, VA-OIG SAC Algieri and DCIS SAC Hegarty made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
Former Pharmacy Tech is Sentenced for Using His Role to Order Drugs for Unlawful DistributionRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Curtis Green, 35, of Cleveland, has been sentenced to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.
According to court documents, between Dec. 30, 2022 and April 9, 2023, the defendant used his position as a certified pharmacy technician for a hospital in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, to order controlled substances during the course of his employment. Under the guise of ordering on behalf of the hospital, he ordered them for his own unlawful distribution. During this time, Green was found to possess 103 grams of oxycodone and 77.5 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, all schedule II controlled substances.
During a federal search warrant execution of Green’s residence on April 9, 2023, agents seized $72,880 in cash. An additional $2,025 was seized from the defendant on the following day.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mayfield Heights Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Sweeney.
Former Benicia Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for $3.2 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Euan David MacGregor, formerly known as David Joseph Bean, 54, of Iowa City, Iowa, was sentenced by Senior Judge John A. Mendez to 41 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for defrauding his former employer out of over $3.2 million, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. In addition, MacGregor was ordered to pay $3,217,456.41 in restitution to his victim.
According to court documents, between approximately November 2014 to January 2020, Euan MacGregor, then known as David Bean, used his position as a Chief Administrative Officer to execute a scheme to defraud his employer.
According to court documents, MacGregor defrauded his former employer in two ways. First, he diverted at least 122 checks made payable to his employer to bank accounts that he controlled. MacGregor did this by creating a shell corporation that had a business name similar to the name of his employer and depositing the checks into bank accounts that he opened in the name of the shell corporation. MacGregor then presented false financial information to the company’s president and shareholders, causing them to believe they had received the monies he diverted. In addition, MacGregor falsely represented to his employer that he was outsourcing his employer’s bookkeeping work to a third party, a company named Essential Business Services. In reality, Essential Business Services was another shell company that MacGregor created and controlled. MacGregor’s false representations caused his employer to pay Essential Business Services thousands of dollars each month for bookkeeping services that it did not perform. MacGregor used the money he fraudulently obtained to pay for personal expenses for him and his family, including mortgage payments, the payment of credit cards, educational expenses, travel, and the purchase or lease of vehicles.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.
Foreign-Owned Company to Pay Nearly $2 Million to Resolve Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced today that Monofrax LLC, which is located in Falconer, New York, has agreed to pay $1,977,119 to resolve allegations that it improperly obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for which it was not eligible.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to American businesses suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible small businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the SBA. Regulations provided various eligibility requirements for the PPP, including limitations on the number of employees and restrictions for foreign-owned companies.
In 2021, Monofrax obtained a second draw PPP loan through a Michigan bank. At the time of its loan application, Monofrax was ultimately owned and controlled by a private equity firm registered in Germany. Through common ownership and management, Monofrax was affiliated with multiple other companies worldwide. The United States contends that Monofrax was ineligible for the second draw loan because, together with its affiliates, it had more than 300 employees, in violation of the PPP rules in effect at the time Monofrax obtained the funds.
“PPP loans were intended to help small businesses in the United States, and not large companies owned by foreign entities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julie A. Beck for the Eastern District of Michigan. “This settlement demonstrates our office’s continued commitment to hold accountable those businesses and individuals who obtained COVID-19 relief funds that they didn’t deserve.”
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Gentner from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Federal Courthouse Security OfficersRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Sarasota, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of assaulting federal officers, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Steven M. Seitz pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on July 9, 2024, Seitz entered the Joseph F. Weis Jr. U.S. Courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh looking for the Central Intelligence Agency and refused several requests from Courthouse Security Officers to leave the building. When officers attempted to escort Seitz from the building, Seitz unlawfully and forcibly assaulted, resisted, and opposed the officers, which resulted in bodily injuries to at least two of the officers.
Judge Coville scheduled Seitz’s sentencing for July 10, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Seitz remains detained pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Protective Service and United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Seitz.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Louisville Felon for Illegally Possessing a Firearm and Distributing Heroin and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment on October 16, 2024, charging a local man with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, U.S. Marshal Gary B. Burman of the Western District of Kentucky, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Joseph Abbott, 39, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. On September 5, 2024, Abbott possessed a Glock, model 22, .40 caliber handgun and ammunition. Abbott was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On January 12, 2015, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Abbott was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree (heroin) 2 grams or more and tampering with physical evidence.
On June 11, 2010, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Abbott was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree (cocaine) while in possession of a firearm, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon (2 counts), promoting contraband in the first degree, illegal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree (cocaine) (2 counts), receiving stolen property over $300 (2 counts), and tampering with physical evidence.
On March 27, 2006, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Abbott was convicted of illegal possession of a controlled substance (cocaine) and receiving stolen property over $300 (2 counts).
The defendant made his initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. A detention hearing is scheduled for March 12, 2025. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the US Marshals Service with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia P. Gomez is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Essex County Man Sentenced to 85 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. An Essex County, New Jersey, man with a previous felony conviction was sentenced to 85 months in prison for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.
Ramad Moultrie, 23, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to an Indictment charging him with two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Aug. 2, 2021, members of the Newark Police Department responded to a shooting at the Grace West Manor Complex on Irvine Turner Boulevard, where they located two victims with gunshot wounds. Surveillance video recorded Moultrie waving members of a crowd, including small children, out of his way before firing a gun towards the two victims. Three .45 auto caliber casings were recovered from the area where Moultrie discharged the firearm. A .45 caliber handgun, a 9 mm handgun, ammunition, and drugs were recovered when Moultrie was arrested at his residence.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Moultrie to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney John Giordano credited special deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos Jr.; and officers of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director Emanuel Miranda, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.
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Defense counsel: Christopher D. Adams, Newark, N.J.
Eight guilty in wide-ranging scheme to monopolize industry serving transmigrantesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Another individual has pleaded guilty in a long-running and violent conspiracy which involved price fixing, extortion and money laundering.
Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez, 47, Brownsville, admitted to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He joins seven others who have entered guilty pleas for their various roles in a scheme to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios border region near Harlingen and Brownsville.
Those convicted include the leader in the conspiracy - Carlos Martinez aka Cuate, 38, Mission – who had previously admitted to conspiracy to fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services and one count of conspiracy to monopolize the same market as well as interference with commerce by extortion, conspiracy to do so and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Transmigrantes are individuals who transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping those clients complete the Mexican customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico.
“Price fixing harms both the public and the business community,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “Schemes like this artificially drive up prices, forcing consumers to pay more than they ordinarily would. At its core, such market collusion is nothing more than theft from consumers.”
“These guilty pleas bring to justice individuals who used violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for essential services that Americans rely on to earn a living,” said Director of Criminal Enforcement Emma Burnham of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to use every tool at its disposal to protect the public by prosecuting violent criminals – including those who aim to corrupt America’s free markets.”
“Today’s pleas reflect the relentlessness of the federal government’s pursuit of transnational criminal organizations that exploit international trade and the U.S. economy,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This violent scheme was fueled by greed that undermined the safety and economic security of the border region; HSI has prioritized significant resources to protect the U.S. and our legitimate trade.”
“These defendants tried to rule through fear, using threats, violence and intimidation to eliminate competition,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Their guilty pleas send a clear message that price fixing and market allocation are serious crimes, and we will hold those accountable who put profits over the law and fair commerce.”
The co-conspirators fixed prices and monopolized the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services by requiring participants in the transmigrante industry to pay money into a “Pool” and dividing revenues among themselves. Market participants who were not part of the conspiracy had to join and pay into the Pool. Pool members enforced the rules by monitoring whether forwarding agencies were charging the agreed-upon prices, including by posting prices publicly on social media and monitoring whether agencies were paying into the Pool as required.
Some involved in the scheme also conspired to force forwarding pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a fine for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. Conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies.
Martinez was responsible for at least $9,500,000 in extortion payments.
Martinez and Tapia Fernandez also laundered extortion proceeds. Cash obtained from the extortion conspiracy was deposited into bank accounts Martinez and his family controlled. Those deposits were made to conceal and disguise the nature, source, ownership and control of the proceeds.
Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, 51, Mission, Roberto Garcia Villareal, 60, San Benito, Sandra Guerra Medina, 70, Rancho Viejo, and Mireya Miranda, 58, La Feria, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services and one count of conspiracy to monopolize the same market. Calvillo, Villareal and Carlos Yzaguirre, 61, Mission, also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion, while Juan Hector Ramirez Avila, 35, Brownsville, pleaded guilty to one count of structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements.
As part of his plea, Martinez has agreed to forfeit four real properties and $375,000 in seized U.S. currency, pay a fine and full restitution to extortion victims.Guerra, Miranda, Calvillo and Villareal have also agreed to pay fines as part of their plea agreements.
Three others charged – Rigoberto Brown, 40, Brownsville; Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, 72, Brownsville; and Diego Ceballos-Soto, 50, Mexico – are fugitives and warrants remain outstanding for their arrests. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423).
Conspiracies to allocate the market, fix prices or monopolize in violation of the Sherman Act carry up to 10 years in federal prison and a maximum $1 million possible fine. Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act and money laundering conspiracy carry possible prison terms of up to 20 years and maximum fines of $250,000 and $500,000, respectively, while structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements carries up to five years in addition to a $250,000 maximum fine.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, HSI and FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure, Anne Veldhuis and Michael G. Lepage of the Antitrust Division and VCRS Trial Attorney Christina Taylor.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Eight Individuals Plead Guilty to Wide-Ranging Scheme to Monopolize Transmigrante Forwarding Industry, Fix Prices, Extort Competitors, and Launder MoneyRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that eight defendants have pleaded guilty for their conduct in a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region near Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas. The three remaining defendants to the superseding indictment remain at large as fugitives. Transmigrantes are individuals who transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping those clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico.
“The Criminal Division is committed to holding violent criminal organizations accountable in whatever markets in which they operate,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Transnational criminal organizations that use violence to dominate industries will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“These guilty pleas bring to justice individuals who used violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for essential services that Americans rely on to earn a living,” said Director of Criminal Enforcement Emma Burnham of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to use every tool at its disposal to protect the public by prosecuting violent criminals – including those who aim to corrupt America’s free markets.”
“Price fixing harms both the public and the business community,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “Schemes like this artificially drive up prices, forcing consumers to pay more than they ordinarily would. At its core, such market collusion is nothing more than theft from consumers.”
“These defendants tried to rule through fear, using threats, violence and intimidation to eliminate competition,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Their guilty pleas send a clear message that price fixing and market allocation are serious crimes, and we will hold those accountable who put profits over the law and fair commerce.”
“Today’s pleas reflect the relentlessness of the federal government’s pursuit of transnational criminal organizations that exploit international trade and the U.S. economy,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This violent scheme was fueled by greed that undermined the safety and economic security of the border region; HSI has prioritized significant resources to protect the U.S. and our legitimate trade.”
According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Houston, defendants Carlos Martinez also known as “Cuate,” Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, Roberto Garcia Villareal, Sandra Guerra Medina, and Mireya Miranda pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, and one count of conspiracy to monopolize the same market in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The conspirators fixed the prices for transmigrante forwarding agency services and created a centralized entity known as the “Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services. Market participants who were not part of the conspiracy had to join and pay into the Pool. Pool members enforced the rules of the Pool by monitoring whether forwarding agencies were charging the agreed-upon prices, including by posting prices publicly on social media, and monitoring whether agencies were paying into the Pool as required.
Martinez, Calvillo, Villareal, and Carlos Yzaguirre pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion. Martinez also pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by extortion. The defendants conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the Pool and to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion, and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies. Defendant Martinez was responsible for at least $9.5 million in extortion payments.
Martinez and Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez also pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy, through which they laundered extortion proceeds. Cash obtained from the extortion conspiracy was deposited into bank accounts controlled by Martinez and his family, and those deposits were made to conceal and disguise the nature, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds. Juan Hector Ramirez Avila pleaded guilty to one count of structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements.
Martinez agreed to forfeit four real properties and $375,000 in seized U.S. currency, to pay a fine, and to pay full restitution to extortion victims. Guerra, Miranda, Calvillo, and Villareal have also agreed to pay fines as part of their plea agreements.
Rigoberto Brown and Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Conspiracies to allocate the market, fix prices, or monopolize in violation of the Sherman Act carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $1 million fine for an individual. Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 fine. Money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $500,000 fine. Structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, HSI, and the FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure, Anne Veldhuis, and Michael G. Lepage of the Antitrust Division, Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of VCRS, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Dominican Republic National Charged with Illegally Re-Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Joan Tavarez
Bueno, 33, of the Dominican Republic, was charged with illegally entering the United States after being previously removed.
According to court documents, on March 10, 2025, Tavarez Bueno was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by law enforcement after Homeland Security Investigations received information that a possible non-citizen was traveling from St. John by ferry and arriving at the Red
Hook Ferry Terminal in St. Thomas. Agents observed an individual matching Tavarez Bueno’s description exiting the Red Hook Ferry Terminal and entering a vehicle parked at the terminal.
Agents later stopped the vehicle and detained Tavarez Bueno. A records check confirmed that
Tavarez Bueno was in the United States illegally and had been removed previously from the United
States on February 13, 2024. If convicted, Tavarez Bueno faces up to two years in prison.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the National Park
Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne.
United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that a criminalcomplaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican National Faces 10+ Years in Prison for Massachusetts-to-Bangor Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Dominican national pleaded guilty to two counts in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.
According to court records, from August 2023 to June 2024, Alexis Mariano De Leon (aka Leon Leon), 28, and coconspirators transported quantities of fentanyl from Massachusetts to Maine for distribution. The investigation showed that an individual known as “Leon Leon” was using a Facebook account and other means to arrange for fentanyl to be transported to the Bangor area. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arranged for several controlled buys and in June 2024 arranged a traffic stop of De Leon’s vehicle near Pittsfield with the assistance of the Maine State Police. More than a kilogram of a substance containing fentanyl was recovered from the vehicle. Investigators recovered additional evidence from De Leon’s Massachusetts residence, including a press for compressing powder into brick form.
De Leon faces 10+ years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $10 million, and five years to life of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA investigated the case with assistance from the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Maine State Police.
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Designer Drug Distributer Sentenced to 36 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Shelvin Jovan Barnes, 33, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute illegal designer drugs. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck of Homeland Security Investigations, Washington Division.
Barnes, aka “Nuke,” pleaded guilty on December 6, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute ADB-BUTINACA, attempted possession with intent to distribute N,N-dimethylpentylone; and unlawful possession of a firearm (intrafamily offense). In addition to the 36-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. AliKhan ordered Barnes to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the government’s investigation into Barnes began as part of a broader investigation into the shipment of narcotics and precursor chemicals from China. HSI seized a package on May 8, 2024, addressed to a residence on the 300 block of L Street, Southeast. The package contained 122 grams of N,N-dimethylpentylone or “dipentylone,” also known as “Boot.” Before delivering the package, law enforcement removed the dipentylone and replaced it with a sham substance.
After an undercover agent delivered the package to Barnes’ residence, law enforcement executed a search warrant and recovered several bags of bulk mixtures containing powder and rock-like substance. Some of these gallon-sized bags were marked with the word “Booka”, which Barnes admitted was similar to the synthetic drug “K2.” Subsequent lab testing found that there was approximately 1,195 grams of ADB-BUTINACA, kept in various zip-lock bags labeled with the weight of the drugs.
In addition to the drugs, agents also recovered several items often associated with drug manufacturing, including a digital scale, protective gear such as industrial gas masks and rubber gloves, a 35-pound box of tea leaves, and 16 gallons of Acetone. Agents also recovered a loaded Beretta 9mm pistol with 15 rounds of ammunition under the mattress in Barnes’ bedroom, along with several boxes containing more powder and rock-like mixtures. At the time of his arrest, Barnes was on probation stemming from a misdemeanor assault case and had been ordered not to possess a firearm just weeks prior to being arrested.
This case was investigated by ICE Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) team. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Iris McCranie and Trial Attorney Ernesto Alvarado.
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DeForest Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 3 Years PrisonRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Braulio Martinez Salazar, 31, DeForest, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 3 years in federal prison for attempting to distribute cocaine. Martinez Salazar pleaded guilty to this charge on December 16, 2024.
In late 2022 and early 2023, investigators with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a cocaine trafficking organization operating in the DeForest and Madison area. Through intercepted phone calls and surveillance of Martinez Salazar, investigators learned that he was picking up a half kilogram of cocaine on June 1, 2023, to deliver to a customer of the organization in the Madison area. When Martinez Salazar was in route to meet the customer, he was stopped by a Dane County Sheriff’s deputy. During the stop, a narcotics dog alerted on the car and officers found the ½ kilogram of cocaine hidden in the car. From the investigation, officers believe the drug trafficking organization was distributing kilograms quantities of cocaine.
In choosing a sentence, Judge Peterson balanced Martinez Salazar’s lack of criminal history or prior arrests with the fact that he was part of a substantial drug conspiracy that caused harm to the community. Judge Peterson concluded that the quantity of drugs involved in the case warranted a significant sentence.
The charge against Martinez Salazar was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, and Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Anderson and William M. Levins prosecuted this case.
The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations.
Dartmouth Woman Sentenced to Prison for Embezzling from Multiple EmployersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dartmouth woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from two different employers.
Jasmyne Botelho, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 20 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Botelho was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture orders of $443,122.59. In September 2024, Botelho pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. Botelho was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024.
Between September 2017 and April 2020, Botelho stole at least $280,000 from one employer. Specifically, Botelho directed payments purportedly intended for the company’s vendors to bank accounts she controlled and used company funds to make payments on personal credit cards and an auto loan. To hide her scheme, Botelho falsified the employer’s books and records to make it appear as though the payments had in fact been sent to legitimate vendors rather than to Botelho.
Between May 2022 and December 2023, Botelho improperly inflated her payroll from a second employer by more than $160,000. She concealed her scheme by manipulating this employer’s payroll and accounting software to hide her inflated payroll and phony “reimbursements” she paid herself.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 96 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced today to 8 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, Jesus Everardo Medina, 40, possessed a loaded, stolen pistol in his waistband in July 2024. In 2018, Medina was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa and was discharged from his term of supervised release in December 2022.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Medina will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Council Bluffs Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Meth ChargesRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man and Guatemalan native was sentenced today to 192 months in federal prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to public court documents, Wilton Omar Garcia-Castillo, 19, distributed 500 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in June 2024. Two days later, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Garcia-Castillo’s Council Bluffs residence and located 27 pounds of methamphetamine along with a loaded firearm, an extended firearm magazine, digital scales, and more than $4,000.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Garcia-Castillo will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety–Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Council Bluffs Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Iowa State Patrol.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Convicted Connecticut Child Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice and Use an 11-Year-Old Child in Florida to Produce Photos of Her Own Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Andrew Thomas Bull (37, Tolland, CT), also known as Andrew Thomas Picard, has pleaded guilty to attempting to entice a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing photos of her own sexual abuse. Bull faces a minimum sentence of 25 years, up to 50 years, in federal prison and a possible lifetime term of supervised release. Bull was convicted of importation and illegal possession of child pornography in 2013 in Connecticut. On May 25, 2023, FBI agents arrested Bull at his home in Connecticut. He was later transported to Jacksonville for prosecution. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 9, 2025.
According to court documents, on November 15, 2022, an FBI agent (UC) in the Jacksonville area was conducting an online undercover operation to identify adults seeking to meet and engage in sexual activity with children. The UC posted a text message in a public chatroom on a social media application (app) indicating that the UC had access to an 11-year-old “child.” Later that same day, user “brdr1066,” subsequently identified as Bull, contacted the UC directly using the app’s private online text messaging feature. Bull asked the UC to confirm the age and sexual experience of the “child.” Bull sent the UC explicit photos of himself to show to the “child.” During text conversations on the app between November 2022 and May 2023, Bull confirmed his desire to have sex with the “child,” and he sent the UC photos depicting young children being sexually abused. Bull solicited the UC to take and send to Bull explicit photos of the “child.”
On May 25, 2023, FBI agents arrested Bull and executed a search warrant at his Connecticut residence. A search of Bull’s cellphone revealed that it contained, among other things, at least 15 videos and 40 photos depicting children being sexually abused, including an infant.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and New Haven, Connecticut. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys D. Rodney Brown and Kelly S. Milliron.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, locate, and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Connecticut Man Sentenced to 37 Months for Fentanyl and Crack Cocaine Trafficking in Burlington, VermontRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Jahking Allah, also known as “Stop Sign,” 45, of Quaker Hill, Connecticut, was sentenced on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to 37 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Allah had previously pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and crack cocaine.
According to court records, Allah sold cocaine base to a cooperating subject in Burlington on two dates in January 2024. Then, on January 19, law enforcement executed a search warrant at 195 St. Paul Street, Apt. A, where Allah was staying. Within the apartment, law enforcement found seven handguns, three of which had previously been reported stolen. This seizure was among the largest number of pistols that the Burlington Police Department has recovered during a single search warrant execution. Also within the apartment were numerous quantities of cocaine base and fentanyl, and multiple digital scales.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate. Allah was represented Assistant Federal Public Defenders Emily Kenyon and Steve Barth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Concord Man Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Concord man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for committing drug and firearms offenses in New Hampshire, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Wayne Smith, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro to 84 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. On November 25, 2025, Smith pled guilty to three counts of distribution of controlled substances, namely methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely methamphetamine and fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.
“The defendant chose to arm himself with a gun in furtherance of his drug dealing,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “Let this lengthy sentence serve as a warning to others who choose to do the same in New Hampshire.”
"Yesterday’s sentencing serves as a powerful reminder that our efforts to protect New Hampshire’s communities from the dangers of illicit drugs remain unwavering,” said Colonel Mark Hall of the New Hampshire State Police. “The men and women of the State Police are dedicated to keeping our residents and visitors safe, and we will continue to hold those who endanger public safety accountable. This conviction reflects the relentless work of our State Troopers and the justice system’s commitment to ensuring that drug dealers face the consequences of their actions."
Between August 22, 2023, and September 6, 2023, Smith sold methamphetamine on three occasions, totaling over 80 grams. On September 12, 2023, Smith was arrested as he prepared to make another sale. On September 14, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant and recovered approximately 348 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 199 grams of fentanyl, a Ruger pistol, and pistol ammunition.
The New Hampshire State Police led the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Strelzin prosecuted the case.
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Cleveland Man Pleads Guilty to Driving to New York to Sexually Exploit 14-year Old GirlRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – David P. Greulich, 61, of Cleveland, has pleaded guilty to driving more than 400 miles across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, to child exploitation, to transporting visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also referred to as child pornography.
According to court documents, in February 2024, Greulich started communicating with a 14-year old victim living in Jefferson County, New York, on the Snapchat cellphone application. After chatting through the app’s messaging function for several weeks, the defendant drove from his home in Cleveland to New York and picked up the victim from her home on April 20, 2024. He then took her to a hotel where he kept her for two days while he violently and sexually abused her which he recorded on a digital device. Greulich drove across state lines from Ohio to New York a second time on May 11, 2024, to again engage in illicit sexual conduct with the same victim. He took video and photographs of the victim which he later emailed to himself.
During a federal search warrant execution of Greulich’s home in Cleveland, investigators obtained several electronic devices which were found to contain CSAM, including a cellphone with more than 100 images of the victim by herself as well as with the defendant. Upon further investigation, an additional 14 sexually explicit video files of the victim were found in his personal cloud storage account.
Sentencing has been scheduled for June 23, 2025. The maximum sentence varies per count. The defendant faces a maximum combined term of imprisonment of 180 years.
A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Cleveland Office, with assistance from the Jefferson County (New York) Sheriff’s Office, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Kane and Segev Phillips.
Clayton Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Assistance Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Darnell William King, age 42, pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to the indictment and information presented in court, King entered into separate conspiracies to commit Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud and to use stolen identities to obtain personal lines of credit from various private lenders in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
“The Paycheck Protection Program was an essential tool used to support the economy against an unforeseen international health crisis and provide much needed relief for small businesses,” Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar stated today. “Instead, King saw the PPP as an opportunity to commit serious fraud, and is being held responsible for his crimes because of the good work of IRS-CI and our other federal and state partners.”
“The defendant caused immeasurable hardship to innocent victims and businesses by stealing identities and using them to borrow money he never intended to repay,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. “IRS Criminal Investigation, along with our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney's Office, remain vigilant in finding, investigating and prosecuting those individuals who seek to willfully defraud the United States Treasury and blatantly disregard the victims of their schemes.”
According to the indictment, King and others recruited “mules” to obtain fraudulent personal loans. King created fake driver’s licenses and other identity documents using a true photo of the mule and stolen personally identifying information belonging to unknowing victims. The mules then used the fake identity documents and other forged business records to obtain personal loans based on applications for credit that King or others had previously submitted online. The mule would then deliver the loan proceeds to King or his co-conspirators and would receive kickbacks anywhere between $100 and $2,000. In a second conspiracy, King and other conspirators applied for a PPP loan in King’s name with falsified bank and tax records claiming that King had been working as an Uber driver before the pandemic, resulting in the disbursement of over $15,000 in funds guaranteed by the Small Business Administration. Finally, during the execution of a search warrant in Clayton seeking evidence related to the identity theft conspiracy, law enforcement discovered King in possession of a firearm with a high-capacity drum magazine, even though King is a previously convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms.
“This extensive investigation, known as Operation Overload, uncovered a sophisticated criminal enterprise that fraudulently utilized thousands of North Carolina driver licenses, resulting in financial crimes that impacted individuals across multiple states,” said Captain Vaughn of the North Carolina DMV License & Theft Bureau. “Bureau commends its inspectors, intelligence analysts, and all partner agencies for their hard work and collaboration. Their efforts underscore the importance of interagency cooperation in combating complex fraud schemes and safeguarding the identities of North Carolina residents.”
Sentencing will occur later this year before United States District Judge Richard E. Myers, II.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations; the Wake County Sheriff’s Office; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles License & Theft Bureau. The Clayton Police Department and other local agencies have also aided over the course of the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley H. Foxx prosecuted the case.
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. 5-24-CR-00156.
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Bristol Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Vehicle Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RYAN TESTA, 48, of Bristol, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a multistate identity theft and vehicle theft scheme that defrauded dozens of individuals and businesses out of more than $1 million.
According to court documents and statement made in court, beginning in approximately September 2020, Testa’s co-conspirator, Tyshon Walker, obtained personal information stolen from residents of Connecticut and other states and used it to apply for vehicle loans at dealerships in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Rhode Island for luxury and performance vehicles, motorcycles, an all-terrain vehicle, and a boat. Once the loan was approved by the dealership using the identity theft victim’s information, Walker would send “runners,” to pick up the vehicle utilizing a fictitious driver’s license that included the identity theft victim’s information and a photograph of the runner. The vehicle was then transported back to Connecticut for resale on Facebook Marketplace.
In early 2023, Walker and his wife, Stephanie Perez, recruited Testa to be a runner. Between March and May 2023, at the direction of Walker and Perez, Testa used stolen identities to acquire at least nine vehicles with a total value of more than $500,000.
Testa has been detained since May 16, 2023, after he was arrested in Pennsylvania in connection with the attempted theft of a vehicle connected to this scheme. On February 27, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Walker and Perez pleaded guilty to related charges. On March 6, 2025, Perez was sentenced to 14 months of imprisonment. Walker awaits sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, the Hopkinton (R.I.) Police Department, the Westtown – East Goshen Regional (Pa.) Police Department, and the Washington Township (N.J.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Heather M. Cherry.