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7 March 2025
Duluth Felon Charged with Possession of Firearm, FentanylRead the Press Release
DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth woman has been indicted on illegal possession of a firearm and drug trafficking charges, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, on December 8, 2023, Khadijah Denise Preston, 30, was found in possession of a Smith & Wesson model M&P Shield M2.0 handgun. On October 9, 2024, Preston possessed fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
Because Preston has a prior felony conviction in Hennepin County for second degree assault, she is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
The indictment charges Preston with one count of illegal possession of a firearm and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. She made her initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois on March 6, 2025.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Duluth Police Department, the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole J. Carter is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Misusing Identity of United States CitizenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in Dorchester pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally using the personal identifying information of a United States citizen, which he used to obtain a driver’s license and United States passport.
Luis Alison Roa Lara, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement in a U.S. passport application, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of misuse of a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for June 10, 2025. The defendant was arrested and charged in August 2024.
For nearly a decade, Luis Alison Roa Lara has been using the personal identifying information of a Puerto Rican citizen of the United States. Luis Alison Roa Lara used the misappropriated identifying information to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license and attempted to use it to obtain a United States passport.
The charge of false statement in a passport application provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of misuse of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will also be 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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, Detroit Resident Office; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and the Lorain (Ohio) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Department of State employee charged for conspiracy to gather, transmit, or lose national defense informationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Michael Charles Schena, 42, of Alexandria, was arrested on criminal charges related to his alleged participation in a criminal conspiracy to gather, transmit, or lose national defense information.
According to court documents, Schena is employed by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) working out of DOS Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Schena held a Top Secret security clearance and had access to information up to the Secret level within his DOS workspace. Beginning in or about April 2022, Schena allegedly communicated with people he met online through various communication platforms and provided them with information they were not authorized to receive. In return, Schena allegedly received payments. On Feb. 27, Schena allegedly used a cellphone to take images of multiple documents, which were displayed on the monitor of his classified computer and marked as “SECRET.” Schena then allegedly left work and returned to his home in Alexandria, where the cellphone was seized.
Schena is charged with conspiracy to gather, transmit, or lose national defense information and faces a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the FBI Richmond Field Office, the Department of Justice’s Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Office of Counterintelligence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Ben’Ary and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Maria Fedor of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-mj-143.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Department of State Employee Charged for Conspiracy to Gather, Transmit, or Lose National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
View the complaint affidavit.
Michael Charles Schena, 42, of Alexandria, Virginia, was arrested on criminal charges related to his alleged participation in a criminal conspiracy to gather, transmit, or lose national defense information.
According to court documents, Schena is employed by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) working out of DOS Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Schena held a top secret security clearance and had access to information up to the secret level within his DOS workspace. Beginning in or about April 2022, Schena allegedly communicated with people he met online through various communication platforms and provided them with information they were not authorized to receive. In return, Schena received payments. On Feb. 27, Schena allegedly used a cellphone to take images of multiple documents, which were displayed on the monitor of his classified computer and marked as “SECRET.” Schena then allegedly left work and returned to his home in Alexandria, where the cellphone was seized.
Schena is charged with conspiracy to gather, transmit, or lose national defense information and faces a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the FBI Richmond Field Office, the Department of Justice’s Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Office of Counterintelligence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Ben’Ary and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Maria Fedor of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Defendants Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Violating Big Cat Public Safety ActRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced that Keidrick Damond Usifo and Deon Johnson, were sentenced to probation on Thursday, March 6, 2025, by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr. for violation of the Big Cat Public Safety Act.
Judge Moody sentenced Usifo, 30, of Conway, Arkansas, to five years’ probation and a $5,000.00 fine, and Johnson, 29, of Little Rock, Arkansas, to 18 months’ probation, and a $1,000.00 fine. Usifo and Johnson were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 5, 2024. Usifo was indicted on one count of violation of the Big Cat Public Safety Act and Johnson was indicted on one count of misprision of a felony, which related to Johnson’s affirmative concealment of Usifo’s crime. On October 22, 2024, both Usifo and Johnson pled guilty to their counts in the indictment.
An investigation revealed that Usifo purchased and transported a tiger cub around March 16-18, 2023, from a tiger broker in Dallas, Texas. On April 7, 2023, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC) notified USFWS that they received a complaint of a tiger cub sighting in a residential neighborhood in Conway. On April 17, 2023, an agent with AGFC was notified that there was a man with a tiger in the backyard of a residence in Conway. There was also an anonymous tip posted on AGFC’s page about a tiger cub for sale in Conway. The Big Cat Public Safety Act makes it illegal to privately possess or breed big cats.
A further investigation revealed that on April 19, 2023, a second complaint was made to AGFC about a tiger at a residence in Conway. On April 21, 2023, a traffic stop was conducted and Usifo was arrested on a felony state warrant. The Conway Police Department executed a search warrant at Usifo’s residence and although they did not locate the tiger, there was evidence in the residence indicating the presence of a tiger, as well as matching rooms from Usifo’s Instagram posts that displayed a tiger cub.
While in the Pulaski County Detention Facility (PCDF), Usifo made several calls to Johnson. The investigation revealed that Johnson had knowledge of when Usifo was going to travel to Dallas to get the tiger and of Usifo’s possession of the tiger. Johnson also fed the tiger for Usifo during Usifo’s incarceration at PCDF. Johnson concealed any knowledge of the tiger when questioned by agents.
The Big Cat Public Safety Act was enacted on December 20, 2022, to protect the public by putting an end to the private ownership of big cats, such as tigers and lions, as pets and by prohibiting exhibitors from allowing public contact with big cats, including tiger cubs. It has placed new restrictions on the commerce, breeding, possession, and use of certain big cat species. In order to legally possess privately owned big cats, the Act required individuals or entities to register any big cats before the date of enactment, that were in their possession with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
The case was investigated by the USFWS, with assistance from AGFC, Conway Police Department, and the Little Rock Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Walker with assistance from the United States Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
Decatur Siblings Sentenced to Multiple Decades in Prison for Kidnapping Local BusinessmanRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Two Decatur siblings, Ademeko Maclin-Carney, 26, and Ausarian Carney, 23, were sentenced on March 5, 2025, to thirty and twenty-four years in federal prison, respectively, to be followed by multi-year terms of supervised release, for kidnapping and seeking ransom for a Decatur businessman on March 24, 2022.
During a five-day jury trial from October 7-11, 2024, the government presented evidence that Maclin-Carney lured a local businessman to an abandoned house in Decatur under the pretense of seeking a flooring estimate for the home. When the victim arrived to provide the flooring estimate, Maclin-Carney greeted him using an alias and led him inside, where she pepper-sprayed him in the eyes as he stood up from taking a measurement. As this was happening, her brother, Carney, entered from another room, pressed a firearm into the victim, and told him it was going to be a “very bad day” for him. After ordering the victim to the ground while holding him at gunpoint, Carney then zip-tied the victim’s hands, duct-taped his face, and put a bag over his head. The siblings instructed the victim that they wanted $400,000 for his release, otherwise they would kill him.
The kidnappers moved the victim to various locations, at one point instructing him to make a ransom call to his wife at their family business. Though the victim instructed his wife not to call the police, she nonetheless called 911 and the Decatur Police Department responded and began their investigation. Maclin-Carney went to the victim’s business and saw members of the Decatur Police Department there, which spurred her and Carney to again move the victim and to eventually dump him, zip-tied with a bag over his head, in the back of an abandoned van. The victim, left alone on a bed of broken glass in the rain, eventually pried a hand free and escaped his zip ties. He ran to a local business, where the authorities were contacted and came to his aid.
Meanwhile, the Decatur Police Department was conducting an extensive investigation and had located the victim’s car, which the defendants had dumped in an alleyway in Decatur. The defendants also had placed the victim’s belongings in the car, along with a notebook that listed the address of the home from which he had been abducted, the alias that had been used by Maclin-Carney, and traces of pepper spray that had been used against the victim. Ultimately, law enforcement discovered that the notebook contained the fingerprints of both defendants. Using this information, the Decatur Police were able to locate and search the home where the victim had been abducted and find more evidence implicating the two defendants.
The victim identified Maclin-Carney before and during the trial as the kidnapper who lured him to the home for the flooring estimate. A variety of forensic evidence, including fingerprints, DNA, business video footage, trace fiber evidence, and cellular location data all demonstrated that the siblings perpetrated the kidnapping. The jury convicted both siblings of kidnapping on October 11, 2024.
At the sentencing hearings before U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn on March 5, 2025, Judge McGlynn noted that the victim and his family would suffer long-lasting psychological trauma from the incident. Judge McGlynn also noted that neither defendant expressed remorse for the crime.
In imposing the thirty-year sentence for Maclin-Carney, Judge McGlynn highlighted that she was the leader of the kidnapping, specifically noting her research about the victim, his family, and his business before the crime. The court also noted that Maclin-Carney had researched the penalty for “third-degree murder” in the leadup to the kidnapping. After her arrest, Maclin-Carney also took steps while in pretrial detention both to prevent the victims from testifying against her, and to manufacture an alibi through false testimony about her own and her brother’s whereabouts during the kidnapping. Maclin-Carney had two prior violent felony convictions, both for aggravated battery, prior to committing this kidnapping.
In imposing the twenty-four-year sentence for Carney, Judge McGlynn noted that although Maclin-Carney was the mastermind of the operation and had a more serious criminal history, Carney was still the gunman and the muscle. Carney had been, in every way, a partner to his sister’s crime, had pressed the firearm into the victim multiple times to force his compliance, and like his sister, never expressed regret or remorse for his actions.
“The defendants’ violent kidnapping of the victim in this case shows their avarice for ill-gotten gains at any cost, including the terror they inflicted on the victim and his family,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. “The significant sentences here reflect the gravity of the defendants’ crimes. I want to thank our law enforcement partners – the Decatur Police Department, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service – who all did excellent work investigating this crime.”
“Kidnapping cases are incredibly traumatic, and this one was no different,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan D. Freres. “The husband and wife victims of this offense showed immense courage throughout this ordeal, including testifying at the trial. Throughout, I was deeply moved by their strength and faith. I am also deeply appreciative for all the hard work of law enforcement in investigating this case.”
“This case is a testament to the outstanding dedication and collaboration between the Decatur Police Department, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing these suspects to justice,” said Decatur Police Chief Shane Brandel. “The investigators worked tirelessly on this complex case, demonstrating exceptional skill and commitment to ensuring public safety. We are grateful for our strong partnerships and the unwavering pursuit of justice by the prosecutors who brought this case to a successful conclusion. Most importantly, our thoughts remain with the victim, and we hope this resolution brings them a measure of healing and justice.”
“Quite often, successful investigative outcomes require resources from a variety of law enforcement partners,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Karen Marinos. “The Decatur Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and FBI Springfield brought their best to the table. Those efforts held the offenders accountable and led to justice for the victim.”
The statutory penalty for kidnapping is up to life imprisonment, followed by up to five years of supervised release.
The Decatur Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Marshal’s Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan D. Freres and Douglas F. McMeyer represented the United States in the prosecution.
DOJ, HHS, ED, and GSA Announce Initial Cancelation of Grants and Contracts to Columbia University Worth $400 MillionRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Education (ED), and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the immediate cancellation of approximately $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University due to the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students. These cancellations represent the first round of action and additional cancellations are expected to follow. The Task Force is continuing to review and coordinate across federal agencies to identify additional cancellations that could be made swiftly. DOJ, HHS, ED, and GSA are taking this action as members of the Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism. Columbia University currently holds more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments.
On March 3rd, the Task Force notified the Acting President of Columbia University that it would conduct a comprehensive review of the university’s federal contracts and grants in light of ongoing investigations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Chaos and anti-Semitic harassment have continued on and near campus in the days since. Columbia has not responded to the Task Force.
"After the horrors of October 7th, Jewish students were shamefully targeted on American college campuses—including at Columbia University," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "Any university which fails to account for the discrimination of its students will not be tolerated. Comply with federal anti-discrimination laws and take action to protect students or expect consequences.”
“Since October 7, Jewish students have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses – only to be ignored by those who are supposed to protect them,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “Universities must comply with all federal antidiscrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding. For too long, Columbia has abandoned that obligation to Jewish students studying on its campus. Today, we demonstrate to Columbia and other universities that we will not tolerate their appalling inaction any longer.”
President Trump has been clear that any college or university that allows illegal protests and repeatedly fails to protect students from anti-Semitic harassment on campus will be subject to the loss of federal funding.
“Freezing the funds is one of the tools we are using to respond to this spike in anti-Semitism. This is only the beginning,” said Leo Terrell, Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and head of the DOJ Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism. “Cancelling these taxpayer funds is our strongest signal yet that the Federal Government is not going to be party to an educational institution like Columbia that does not protect Jewish students and staff.”
The decisive action by the DOJ, HHS, ED, and GSA to cancel Columbia’s grants and contracts serves as a notice to every school and university that receives federal dollars that this Administration will use all the tools at its disposal to protect Jewish students and end anti-Semitism on college campuses.
“Anti-Semitism is clearly inconsistent with the fundamental values that should inform liberal education,” said Sean Keveney, HHS Acting General Counsel and Task Force member. “Columbia University’s complacency is unacceptable.”
GSA will assist HHS and ED in issuing stop-work orders on grants and contracts that Columbia holds with those agencies. These stop-work orders will immediately freeze the university’s access to these funds. Additionally, GSA will be assisting all agencies in issuing stop work orders and terminations for contracts held by Columbia University.
“Doing business with the Federal Government is a privilege,” said Josh Gruenbaum, FAS Commissioner and Task Force member. “Columbia University, through their continued and shameful inaction to stop radical protestors from taking over buildings on campus and lack of response to the safety issues for Jewish students, and for that matter - all students - are not upholding the ideals of this Administration or the American people. Columbia cannot expect to retain the privilege of receiving federal taxpayer dollars if they will not fulfill their civil rights responsibilities to protect Jewish students from harassment and anti-Semitism.”
For more information, read the HHS, ED, and GSA joint press release from Monday, March 3rd.
Colorado Woman Sentenced to Nearly 23 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Huge Quantities of Methamphetamine in Pierre, Rapid City, and in Several Indian Reservations in South DakotaRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Denver, Colorado, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 5, 2025.
Rikki Renee Barrowman, a/k/a Juree T Rials, age 34, was sentenced to 22 years and 11 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Barrowman was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in Febuary 2024. She pleaded guilty on December 5, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from a drug conspiracy beginning in January 2021 and continuing until July 2022. Barrowman was involved in an extensive conspiracy with several other individuals to distribute methamphetamine in and around western and central South Dakota, including within the Pine Ridge Sioux Indian Reservation, the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation, and the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation, as well as in Rapid City and Pierre. This conspiracy involved approximately 65 kilograms of methamphetamine. Barrowman was the source of supply of methamphetamine in Denver. She would supply various individuals who would then transport the methamphetamine to South Dakota where it was further distributed. As part of the conspiracy firearms were traded for narcotics.
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 Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case.
Barrowman was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Colombian National Charged with Narco-Terrorism in Superseding IndictmentRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Geovany Andres Rojas, a suspected cocaine trafficker also known as Araña, was indicted by a federal grand jury today in a superseding Indictment with a new count of Narco-Terrorism.
Rojas was previously charged with one count of International Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine. In that charge, Rojas is alleged to have agreed, in Colombia, Ecuador, and elsewhere, to distribute cocaine knowing that it would be unlawfully imported into the United States. Today, the United States added a second charge of Narco-Terrorism that alleges that Rojas knowingly and intentionally provided anything of pecuniary value to persons and organizations he knew were engaged in terrorist activity and terrorism.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle B. Martin and Ashley E. Goff.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 25cr0442-H
Giovany Andres Rojas, aka Araña Age: 43 Colombia
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
International Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, and 963
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison
Narco-Terrorism – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 960a and 841
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 20 years and up to life in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Clinton, Indiana, Woman Pleads Guilty to Murder-for-HireRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Clinton, Indiana, woman, Davetta Cox, 32, pleaded guilty on March 7, 2025, to using facilities of interstate commerce in a murder-for-hire scheme. Sentencing for Cox has been set for July 18, 2025, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.
At the hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, Cox admitted to seeking to hire someone she believed to be a hitman to kill another individual. During the hearing, the government provided information that Cox had offered the supposed hitman $6,000 to murder another individual.
Cox was arrested in January 2024 and remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service, pending sentencing. Cox faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment; up to a $500,000 fine; and up to a six-year term of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, Champaign Resident Agency, and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Ritzer is representing the government in the prosecution.
Claremore Man Sentenced After Robbing and Assaulting Elderly WomanRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Teddy Lee Martin, 63, for Robbery in Indian Country and Assault with Intent to Commit a Felony in Indian Country. Judge Russell ordered Martin to be sentenced to 78 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and to pay $6,000 in restitution.
“Martin was a threat to our community, and behind bars is the best place for him,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This case is an excellent example of law enforcement using technology and working with prosecutors towards the same goal. With their swift action, Martin was in custody and off the streets.”
In August 2023, Creek County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a home in Sapulpa. Upon arrival, the 85-year-old victim told deputies that a masked man, later identified as Martin, entered the house with a handgun, demanded money, and threatened to kill the victim if she did not cooperate. Martin stole jewelry and physically assaulted the victim before leaving the home.
Neighborhood video surveillance and FLOCK cameras show Martin fleeing in a vehicle from the area. Law enforcement shared the vehicle information that Martin was seen fleeing in. Tulsa Police officers pulled over the vehicle and confirmed with Creek County that the vehicle occupants matched the description of the suspects seen fleeing the home.
Upon searching the vehicle, law enforcement found some of the jewelry taken from the home, the mask and the clothing seen on video footage.
Investigators discovered that Morgan Turley was driving the vehicle away from the victim's home. In December, she pled guilty in State Court for conspiring to commit robbery with Martin and falsely impersonation when she gave officers the incorrect name.
Martin is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and he will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI, Creek County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn prosecuted the case.
Chinese National Arrested for Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Jiaan Cao (33, China) with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, Cao faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Cao is currently detained pending the resolution of this case.
According to the indictment, beginning in at least October 2024 and continuing through December 12, 2024, Cao conspired with others to commit wire fraud. Cao and other conspirators sought to accomplish the wire fraud by gaining access to a victim’s computer, fraudulently posing as a representative of a victim’s financial institution and informing the victim their account had been subjected to fraudulent or criminal activity. A member of the conspiracy would then direct the victim to withdraw money from their account and purchase gold to provide to a conspirator. A conspirator would then travel to the victim to obtain the gold. During the conspiracy, conspirators exchanged electronic communications with one another that included location details of the victim.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Chesterfield cocaine trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chesterfield man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, on May 18, 2023, Urain Alexander Robinson, 52, was contacted by a co-conspirator (CC1), who was seeking to purchase cocaine from Robinson. That night, Robinson transported multiple kilograms of cocaine from his residence to CC1’s house in Hopewell and distributed it to CC1. Shortly after Robinson distributed the cocaine to CC1, another co-conspirator (CC2) arrived at CC1’s house and picked up three kilograms of the cocaine that Robinson had just distributed to CC1. CC2 was stopped by police shortly after leaving CC1’s house.
The cocaine was recovered by police. Law enforcement also seized $8,381 in drug-trafficking proceeds from Robinson’s residence on May 14, 2024.
Robinson was convicted in 1992 in Virginia of possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and unlawful wounding; in 1993 in New Jersey of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and in 2005 in the Eastern District of Virginia of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. The Chesterfield County Police Department assisted in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Hubbard prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-117.
California Lawyer Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Matthew C. Browndorf, 54, of Irvine, California, to more than five years in federal prison for money laundering and wire fraud.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Edwin Bonano, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office Inspector General (FHFA-OIG).
According to the guilty plea, the defendant served as an attorney licensed to practice law in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and was a named partner at a law firm. Browndorf was also majority owner and CEO of Plutos Sama, LLC, which operated as a holding company for his various business endeavors.
Plutos Sama, with Browndorf signing the purchase agreement as a managing member, procured the Fisher Law Group. After Plutos Sama acquired the Fisher Law Group, it changed the name to BP Fisher which served as an organization that represented lending and loan servicing clients in foreclosure proceedings. The newly acquired company had agreements with its clients to facilitate the foreclosure of a property, take out its expenses, and then return the remaining money.
BP Fisher also maintained an Interest on Lawyer’s Trust Account (IOLTA) and operating account, which the defendant oversaw. An IOLTA is maintained in a financial institution for the deposit of funds received or held by an attorney or law firm on behalf of a client or third person. All funds received into an IOLTA account must be delivered in whole or in part to a client, unless received as payment for fees owed to the lawyer by the client or in reimbursement for expenses that the lawyer properly advanced on behalf of the client.
Over several years, the defendant led clients to believe that they had immediate access to the money in the two BP Fisher IOLTA accounts. But Browndorf was directing employees to transfer the clients’ money into Plutos Sama accounts and other accounts that he controlled. The scheme caused more than $2.4 million in losses to BP Fisher’s clients. Browndorf used the stolen funds to pay for expenses such as his American Express credit card bill, car-lease payment to Ferrari and Maserati of Newport Beach, and mortgage.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and FHFA-OIG for their work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Sarma, Joshua Rosenthal, and Matthew Phelps, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Bakersfield Man Charged with Laser Strikes of Police HelicopterRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Brett Curtis Hair, 22, of Bakersfield, was arrested today for aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to the indictment, on Sept. 11, 2024, Hair aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter (Air One).
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), laser exposure can result in visual impairment and therefore poses a serious hazard to the safe operation of an aircraft. In 2024, the FAA received 12,840 reports of laser strikes from pilots.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Hair faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charge is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Attorney Charged with Providing Contraband to an Inmate at FDC PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., announced that Paul DiMaio, 56, of Turnersville, New Jersey, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of providing contraband to a prison inmate and aiding and abetting.
The criminal complaint alleges that on February 4, 2025, at 10:53 a.m., FDC surveillance video recorded the defendant, a practicing criminal defense attorney, entering the Federal Detention Center Philadelphia (FDC) with two “redweld” type folders. DiMaio then completed and signed a Bureau of Prisons form that warns against bringing prohibited objects, including drugs, intoxicants, telephones, and electronic devices, into the FDC.
As alleged in the complaint, FDC surveillance video shows that DiMaio carried the two folders into a legal visitation room, where he met with an inmate, who is not one of his clients, for 18 minutes. Further, FDC surveillance video shows that, following this meeting, DiMaio left the room with just one folder.
In addition, FDC surveillance video shows that the inmate did not carry any redweld folder into the meeting with DiMaio. However, the complaint alleges that, after the meeting between DiMaio and the inmate, FDC personnel observed the inmate carrying a redweld folder, stopped him, and searched the folder, which was found to contain a Motorola cell phone, a charging cord, 83 strips of suboxone, and 240 loose cigarettes. Suboxone is a Schedule III controlled substance.
Tanya Culver, 55, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was also arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of providing contraband to a prison inmate and aiding and abetting. The complaint alleges that Culver, the mother of a different inmate, took part in acquiring contraband, communicated with DiMaio, and traveled with him to the FDC on February 4.
If convicted, the defendants each face a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Miller.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ambridge Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Bradley J. Schrott, 42, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer on March 6, 2025.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on February 17, 2023, Schrott possessed a video depicting the sexual exploitation of a prepubescent minor. At the time of the offense, Schrott was serving a term of supervised release imposed for an earlier federal conviction for the same offense, for which he had been sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment.
Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for June 3, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered Schrott to remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Schrott.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Financial Crimes
Ashley M. Patton-Spencer, 37, of University Park, Illinois, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment with 2 years of supervised release for aiding and abetting the passing and uttering of a counterfeit U.S. obligation. According to court records, the defendant was responsible for aiding and abetting a scheme to pass a counterfeit U.S. Treasury check at a local Cheyenne bank in April 2024. Specifically, the defendant assisted in the crime by recruiting co-defendant Pamela Kubesh (see below) for the purpose of passing the counterfeit check, arranging for Kubesh’s travel to meet up with other co-conspirators, and coordinating with others in an effort to commit the crime. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Cheyenne Police Department investigated the crime. Patton-Spencer pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2024, and U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on March 3 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00152
Pamela Kubesh, 56, of Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release for passing and uttering a counterfeit U.S. obligation. According to court records, on April 8, 2024, the defendant used a false name and false identification to open a bank account in Cheyenne and deposit a counterfeit U.S. Treasury check. Investigators subsequently identified several individuals who aided and abetted the defendant, to include Ashley Patton-Spencer (see above) and Dwayne Rogers, Jr. (see below). The defendant was arrested and subsequently plead guilty on Dec. 12, 2024. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Cheyenne Police Department investigated the crime. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on March 4 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00152
Dwayne Rogers, Jr., 22, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release for aiding and abetting the passing and uttering of a counterfeit U.S. obligation. According to court records, on April 8, 2024, defendant aided and abetted co-conspirator Pamela Kubesh (see above) in the passing and uttering of a counterfeit U.S. Treasury check at a Cheyenne bank by providing a false name and false identification in bank account opening documents and by driving co-conspirators to and from the bank. The defendant was arrested and subsequently plead guilty on Dec. 5, 2024. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Cheyenne Police Department investigated the crime. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on February 25 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00152
Illegal Reentry of a Previously Deported Alien
Luis Angel Giron-Zavala, 32, of Guanajuato, Mexico, was sentenced to six months of imprisonment to be followed by one year of unsupervised release with the condition that he not illegally return to the United States. Giron-Zavala will be returned to the State of Texas to finish serving a separate sentence, and then he will be deported from the United States. According to court documents, on March 24, 2024, Giron-Zavala was arrested by the Wyoming Highway Patrol in Sheridan County on a state warrant from Texas. Deputies from the Sheridan County Jail notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that Giron-Zavala claimed to be a citizen of Mexico. Agents with ICE determined that he had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in April 2018. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on March 7 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00177
About the U.S. Attorney's Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include the following: Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well known and serious.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with the additional tools necessary to be successful.
Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
6 March 2025
Waterloo Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who possessed child pornography pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Forrest Rindels, age 69, of Waterloo, was convicted of two counts of possession of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Rindels admitted that, between 2021 and 2022, he knowingly possessed child pornography on a tablet and a micro SD card. He also admitted that he was convicted of receipt of child pornography in the Northern District of Iowa in 2016.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Rindels remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Rindels faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and supervised release for 5 years to life following any imprisonment.
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. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 24-2055.
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Virginia Man Convicted of Hate Crime for Attempted Church ShootingRead the Press Release
After a four-day trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict today for Rui Jiang, of Falls Church, Virginia, who was charged with attempting to obstruct the congregants of a church in Haymarket, Virginia, in the free exercise of their religious beliefs. The charge included that the defendant’s attempted act involved a dangerous weapon and an attempt to kill. Jiang also faced charges for transmitting online threats and a firearms violation. The jury found Jiang guilty on all counts.
According to evidence presented at trial, Jiang began posting online threats against the church on the evening of Sept. 23, 2023, which made clear his intention to kill congregants.
On the morning of Sept. 24, 2023, police began searching for Jiang in response to a concerned citizen’s call about his posts. Police officers located Jiang inside the front entrance to the church while Sunday services were underway. Church volunteers, independently concerned about Jiang’s behavior, had just approached Jiang when police arrived. Jiang was armed with a semiautomatic handgun and two full magazines of ammunition. He had an additional 34 rounds of ammunition in his nearby car.
During a search of Jiang’s apartment, police discovered five copies of a letter, each signed by Jiang in ink, which read in part, “To the families of those men about to be slain – I am sorry for what I have done and about to do (sic).”
Jiang was arrested by Prince William County Police on Sept. 24, 2023, and has been in custody since that time.
Jiang faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 18. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Acting Assistant Director in Charge Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Prince William County and Fairfax County Police Departments. The Anne Arundel County Police Department also provided assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas A. Durham and Troy A. Edwards Jr. for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney's Office, HSI and ATF Charge Four Illegal Aliens with Firearms Offenses in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Federal authorities announced charges against four illegal aliens for unlawful possession of firearms and related offenses following a series of state-wide law enforcement operations.
On February 25, 2025, HSI executed a search warrant at an apartment in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In one bedroom, agents recovered a loaded pistol with an extended magazine containing 19 rounds of ammunition. A witness stated that the firearm belonged to Maikol Ramos and had previously seen it in his possession.
Ramos, a citizen of Venezuela, was confirmed to be present in the United States unlawfully. Ramos is charged by criminal complaint with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm or ammunition.
In another bedroom, agents recovered another loaded pistol and ammunition from under a bed. Antoni Herrera, confirmed to be a Venezuelan national unlawfully present in the U.S., admitted the firearm was his and that he had received it two weeks prior as payment for a debt.
Herrera is charged by criminal complaint with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm or ammunition.
On February 19, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a federal search warrant at a residence of Raul Esparza-Gonzalez in Espanola, New Mexico. Agents discovered 11 firearms, including pistols, revolvers, shotguns, and rifles. Esparza-Gonzalez admitted to purchasing the firearms privately, knowing it was illegal for him to possess them. He stated he had been deported to Mexico previously and re-entered the United States illegally about six years ago. Esparza-Gonzalez is charged by criminal complaint with being an alien in possession of a firearm.
In a separate investigation, HSI initiated an inquiry into Cristhian Ortega-Lopez in January 2025, following an anonymous tip. Ortega-Lopez, an illegal alien from Venezuela suspected of being affiliated with Tren de Aragua, was allegedly residing with other illegal aliens in Las Cruces and had been in possession of firearms. The investigators determined Ortega-Lopez had entered the U.S. illegally on December 15, 2023, and was released pending removal proceedings. Social media evidence showed Ortega-Lopez in possession of multiple firearms at a shooting range in Las Cruces.
Ortega-Lopez is charged by criminal complaint with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm or ammunition.
All four men will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, they each face 15 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin, Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated these cases with enforcement assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Trembley, Patrick Cordova, Maria Armijo, and Ry Ellison are prosecuting these cases.
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing in Alien Smuggling CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Florida man was sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, following a dramatic high-speed pursuit and arrest in southern New Mexico.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on the night of July 15, 2024, Border Patrol agents observed Omar Ozuna-Berneda, 49, a Cuban national and lawful permanent resident, driving a white tractor-trailer on New Mexico State Road 26 near Deming. The vehicle had been previously observed traveling in tandem with other tractor-trailers caught in failed smuggling attempts. When agents attempted to initiate a stop, Ozuna-Berneda led them on a dangerous high-speed pursuit, including swerving into oncoming traffic to avoid a controlled tire deflation device and driving on the shoulder of the highway.
After 22 miles, Ozuna-Berneda left the vehicle on New Mexico State Road 26 near the city limits of Hatch, New Mexico, and fled on foot. The abandoned tractor-trailer was blocking both lanes traffic and Border Patrol agents discovered 31 illegal aliens locked inside the trailer, including an unaccompanied 8-year-old child. Ozuna-Berneda was later apprehended by Border Patrol agents hiding in brush several miles from the abandoned tractor-trailer.
During questioning, Ozuna-Berneda admitted to knowingly transporting illegal aliens from Las Cruces to Albuquerque in exchange for payment.
“Those who violate our immigration laws by engaging in human smuggling endanger both the public and law enforcement through their reckless actions.,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin. “We are resolute in our mission to enforce our immigration laws, dismantle smuggling networks, and prosecute those who put so many lives at risk for their own financial gain."
“If you aid in violating U.S. immigration laws by attempting to smuggle individuals into the United States, we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent possible,” said U.S. Border Patrol Interim Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar. “Strengthening border security means enforcing strict consequences for those who break the law. With the support of our partners, we will ensure you face prosecution and serve jail time.”
Upon his release from prison, Ozuna-Berneda will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, made the announcement today.
U.S. Border Patrol investigated this case with assistance from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Land Management. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Autrey Stahl is prosecuting the case.
Turkish national arrested for allegedly selling counterfeit goods at mall kiosksRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A man who operates kiosks at a local mall was arrested today by federal agents for allegedly trafficking counterfeit goods.
Emre Teski, 25, is a citizen of Turkey and illegally entered the United States of America from Mexico on September 10, 2022. Teski admitted to illegally crossing the international boundary without being inspected by an immigration officer at a designated Port of Entry. On January 3, 2024, Teski was ordered removed from the United States, but has since appealed this decision and was permitted employment authorization while his appeal is pending. Teski operates kiosks selling counterfeit goods at the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek.
According to charging documents, Teski ran one kiosk that primarily sold replica professional soccer jerseys and hats containing trademarked soccer teams, including FC Barcelona, Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, Manchester City and Arsenal. Teski operated another kiosk that sold primarily oversized slippers that look like sneakers and included Nike and Air Jordan trademarks.
Teski allegedly sold an investigator counterfeit Nike slippers that illegally used the trademark Nike Swoosh. It is alleged that he also sold a counterfeit pink Messi jersey.
Agents executed a search warrant at the kiosks today and seized numerous items containing confirmed or suspected counterfeit trademarks.
Trafficking counterfeit goods is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Tax refund scheme leads to convictions for Hampton Roads fraudstersRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton Roads duo pled guilty to their roles in a refund scheme involving pandemic relief tax credits.
According to court documents, between Oct. 11, 2022, and May 24, 2023, Kendra Michelle Eley, 36, of Norfolk, filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) eight Forms 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns, for Kreative Designs by Kendra, LLC, (KDK) using the Employer Identification Number assigned to Kendra Cleans Maid Service. These eight forms covered four tax periods in 2020 and four tax periods in 2021.
Eley falsely reported wages paid and federal tax withholdings for eighteen purported employees on each of the forms, knowing there were no such employees. For the four forms filed for 2021, Eley claimed false Sick and Family Leave Credits and Employee Retention Credit (ERC) through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, totaling approximately $713,000 and $252,000 respectively, with total refunds claimed of over $900,000.
Based on Eley’s filings, on December 9, 2022, and on December 13, 2022, the IRS issued two U.S. Treasury refund checks made payable to '‘Kendra M. Eley, Kendra Cleans Maid Services” totaling $649,050.
On Dec. 23, 2022, Eley and Rejohn Isaiah Whitehead, 28, of Portsmouth, opened a business checking account in the name of Kendra Cleans Maid Services LLC (KCMS), and the signatories on the account were Eley and Whitehead. To open the business account, Eley and Whitehead falsely represented the nature and extent of KCMS as a business, including that KCMS had sixteen employees and that the average pay rate of each employee was $2,000. Eley funded the account by depositing one of the refund checks in the amount of $389,640. On Jan. 9, 2023, Eley wrote Whitehead a check from the KCMS account for $20,000. Eley wrote Whitehead another check from the account for $40,000 on Jan. 21, 2023.
On Feb. 13, Whitehead pled guilty to engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26 and faces up to 10 years in prison.
Eley pled guilty today to one count each of false claims and engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9 and faces up to 10 years in prison.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Therese O'Brien and Mack Coleman are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-77.
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Firearm and Ammunition as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Brandon Palmore (30, Tampa) today pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Palmore faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Palmore has agreed to forfeit the Sig Sauer handgun and ammunition used in the commission of the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on December 1, 2023, agents were conducting surveillance at an apartment complex in Tampa in relation to an outstanding arrest warrant for Palmore and observed him walking to his vehicle. As Palmore was given commands to exit the vehicle, he was seen reaching toward the center console and passenger floorboard area of the vehicle. A Sig Sauer handgun was found where Palmore had been seen reaching. The handgun was loaded and had previously been reported stolen. At the time, Palmore had multiple prior felony convictions, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and shooting at, within, or into, a vehicle. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Suburban Chicago Investment Advisor Charged with Swindling ClientsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago investment advisor has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly swindling clients by soliciting them to invest in nonexistent business opportunities.
RALPH ROGERS III, also known as “Tres Rogers,” 62, of Batavia, Ill., is charged with six counts of wire fraud in an indictment returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled.
According to the indictment, Rogers held himself out as an entrepreneur and investment advisor. From 2021 to 2023, Rogers fraudulently obtained funds from multiple individuals by falsely promising that he would use his professional connections to invest their money in valuable business opportunities, including fiber optic cable installation, copper piping, a physical fitness recovery studio, and materials used to manufacture auto parts, the indictment states. Instead of investing the funds as he had promised, Rogers used the money for his own personal benefit, including for travel, hotel rooms, jewelry, apparel, and gym fees, the indictment states.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Pinkston.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
rogers_indictment.pdfSt. Charles Parish Man Guilty of Being Felon with FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on February 27, 2025, DARRYL DAVIS (“DAVIS”), age 30, a resident of St. Charles Parish, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
According to court documents, after reviewing DAVIS’s social media postings about firearms, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) agents began an investigation which revealed that DAVIS had been twice previously convicted of felonies and knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. DAVIS was arrested on August 14, 2024 and found in possession of a Glock Model 43X, nine- millimeter semi-automatic pistol and ammunition.
DAVIS faces up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to 3 years of supervised released, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. He is scheduled for sentencing on May 27, 2025.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crime Unit.
Spree of Violent Armed Carjackings and Armed Robberies Results in Guilty PleaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Javon Roach, 20, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to his role in a spree of violent armed carjackings and armed robberies perpetrated against 17 victims across Washington D.C. in early 2023.
The plea agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Roach pleaded guilty to three counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2025. He is subject to a mandatory minimum of 14 years in prison and facing a sentence up to 20.5 years when he is sentenced.
According to court documents, Roach admitted to perpetrating six armed carjackings and five armed robberies between March 6 and March 28, 2023. In these incidents, Roach used firearms to threaten 16 victims and steal their property. Roach’s prior conviction in Fairfax County, Virginia, for possession of a machinegun and assault of a police officer resulted from his arrest on March 30, 2023. As part of this spree, Roach led police on a high-speed chase in a carjacked vehicle, rammed into police vehicles, and was ultimately arrested with a handgun with a machine gun conversion device attachment on his person.
This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Duvall.
24cr349
South Bend Man Sentenced to 97 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Leontis Cornelius, 44 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after being found guilty of two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm following a two-day jury trial in 2023, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Cornelius was sentenced to 97 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Cornelius possessed firearm on two occasions. In May 2020, he was engaged in a shootout outside his house when he fired seven .45 caliber rounds at a moving vehicle. Later, in June 2021, he carried a loaded rifle with a large capacity magazine while in another person’s yard in the middle of the night. Cornelius has multiple prior felony convictions, including discharging a firearm toward a building, assault with a dangerous weapon, delivery/manufacturing of cocaine, and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, any of which prohibit him from possessing the firearms in this case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department, the St. Joseph County Police Department, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jerome W. McKeever and Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
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.
Skagit County man once declared a sexually violent predator, pleads guilty to receipt and possession of images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 71–year-old Skagit County man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to receipt and possession of images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Alan Lewis Meirhofer faces a mandatory minimum 15-year prison sentence when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge John H. Chun on June 2, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, Meirhofer befriended teen boys in the Skagit County area by inviting them to hang out at his residence, where he provided them “gifts’ such as food, clothing, alcohol, cash, and marijuana. When one of the boys borrowed the phone, he noticed that Meirhofer had sent members of a group chat, images of his friends. The teen also saw images of child sexual abuse on the phone. The teens mother alerted police and Meirhofer was arrested in March 2021 and his electronic devices were seized.
The FBI asked the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, (NCMEC) for any cyber tips associated with internet accounts linked to Meirhofer. There were more than a dozen reports of images of child sexual abuse linked to accounts controlled by Meirhofer. On July 17, 2024, Meirhofer was taken into federal custody.
In 1988 Meirhofer was convicted of burglary, kidnapping and rape. In 1990, Meirhofer was convicted of Burglary in the First Degree While Armed with a Deadly Weapon and Assault in the Second Degree. Meirhofer was civilly committed to the sexually violent predator Civil Commitment Center on McNeil Island. He was released in 2017 as a registered sex offender level 3, the level with the highest risk of reoffending.
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.justice.gov/psc.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, the Bellingham Police Department, and the Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
Sequoyah County Resident Sentenced for ArsonRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Trevor Scott McGuire, age 24, of Muldrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for one count of Arson in Indian Country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Muldrow Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On October 2, 2024, McGuire pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on May 26, 2024, McGuire stopped at a gas station, filled a gallon milk jug with gasoline, drove to a Muldrow residence, doused the kitchen with gasoline, then lit the residence on fire. McGuire later admitted to committing the arson during a phone call with the owner of the residence.
The crime occurred in Sequoyah County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. McGuire will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Second defendant sentenced to 7 years in prison for drug trafficking from RVs near a state parkRead the Press Release
Seattle –A King County woman, arrested after law enforcement discovered a drug lab and cache of firearms and explosives inside an RV near a state park, was sentenced today to seven years in prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and unlawful possession of a machinegun, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Chandler Bennett, 30, and her partner Braiden F. Wilson, were arrested following a May 12, 2024, shooting in rural King County. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, “You were taking deliveries of fentanyl at your mobile home… These crimes were egregious. You distributed a large amount of dangerous drugs.”
“Ms. Bennett was a key player in the drug distribution activities, negotiating the prices for fentanyl and other drugs from the couple’s supplier,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “The activities of Ms. Bennett and her co-defendant no doubt contributed to the crisis of fentanyl abuse that continues to plague our communities.”
According to records filed in the case, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) was investigating Bennett and Wilson for dealing drugs on the dark web, when King County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the RV near Olallie State Park
when Wilson was shot. The deputies noticed that the RV had surveillance cameras and asked to get access to the recorded video to identify the assailant. Bennett refused to allow law enforcement to enter the RV, so they sought a warrant from a King County Judge.
When law enforcement entered the RV, they found a large cache of weapons as well as fentanyl powder, tablets containing fentanyl, and sundry items associated with the manufacture of tablets, including a manual pill press. Law enforcement located more than two and a half kilograms of fentanyl-laced pills. Law enforcement seized 16 firearms, body armor, silencers, and ballistic shields. They also found gun parts made from 3D printers – making them untraceable. There were multiple destructive devices and literature on the chemistry and manufacturing of explosives, as well as literature on how to convert firearms to fully automatic capability.
Agents and officers also searched two storage units associated with Bennett and Wilson and found two additional pill presses, more controlled substances, and mailing supplies. In all law enforcement seized more than two kilos of fentanyl-laced pills, nearly a kilo of fentanyl powder, and more than three kilos of methamphetamine. Computer and bank records reveal that Wilson distributed controlled substances via his dark web identity more than 2,000 times and he took in more than $287,000 in crypto currency.
Bennett pleaded guilty in October 2024.
In asking for a seven-year prison sentence prosecutors highlighted how Bennett and Wilson’s conduct put others in the community at risk. “The manner in which Bennett and her co-defendant possessed the controlled substances placed others in danger. For the controlled substances Bennett and her co-defendant possessed in their residence, they placed park goers at risk. For the controlled substances she and her co-defendant possessed in the storage unit, they exposed other storage unit customers and facility workers at risk. And these risks are not speculative because when investigators served a search warrant on one of the storage units, they found substances strewn about to such a degree that professional remediation experts needed to be obtained to make the facility safe for occupancy again.”
“For the second time in a matter of days, the great work of the King County Sheriff’s Office is quite evident,” said King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall. “Because of the keen observation and perseverance of our patrol deputies, and the steadfastness determination of our Gun Violence Reduction Unit, another criminal contributing to the fentanyl crisis is off the street and unable to put any more members of the community in harm’s way.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with assistance from the Washington State Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.
Second Defendant Admits to Role in Bank Fraud Conspiracy Targeting Banks in Ten StatesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A second individual has admitted to a federal judge that he participated in a conspiracy to defraud banks in Rhode Island and at least nine other states of more than $140,000, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Jaymark Larios, 23, of Bronx, NY, pleaded guilty today to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to information presented to the court, Larios and other members of the conspiracy recruited and organized individuals and obtained their photographs and personal identifying information (PII). The information was used by conspirators to create fraudulent IDs that contained their own photographs and the PII of some of the recruits.
As part of the scheme, Larios and others obtained the PII of at least 28 victim individuals, including their names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, and bank account information. They also obtained information of at least 20 business entities, including business names and banking information. The information collected was used to create fraudulent IDs and checks. Members of the conspiracy then traveled with their recruits to banks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, and elsewhere to cash fraudulent checks created by members of the conspiracy.
Through the scheme, conspirators attempted to defraud banks of a total of approximately $143,000, successfully defrauding twenty-two banks of a total of approximately $93,200.
On February 27, 2025, Paul Keenan, 54, of Bronx, NY, admitted to his role in the conspiracy, pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2025.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christine Lowell.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the East Providence Police Department, with the assistance of the Portsmouth Police Department.
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Rhode Island Businesswoman Sentenced for Failing to Pay over Employee Payroll Taxes to the IRSRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Rhode Island businesswoman who collected but failed to pay over to the government eight years’ worth of employee federal withholding taxes and properly report her own personal income to the IRS has been sentenced to two years of probation, the first three months to be served in home detention, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Gail M. Hynson, 59, president of Hynson Electrical Services, Inc., pleaded guilty in October 2024 to ten counts of failure to account for and pay over payroll taxes and three counts of filing a false tax return. In addition to a term of probation and home detention, U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., ordered Hynson to perform 100 hours of community service.
Court documents detail that from 2016 through 2024, Hynson, who also acted as the company bookkeeper, withheld employment taxes from its employees’ paychecks, to include federal income taxes, Medicare, and Social Security taxes, but failed to provide the funds to the IRS.
Much of the money deducted from her employees’ paychecks was transferred to her own personal bank accounts and used to pay for personal expenses, including her mortgage, car payments, and her daughter’s student loans.
In addition, court records provide that Gail Hynson and her husband submitted false personal tax returns to the IRS, failing to reflect their actual income, which income included company tax withholdings earmarked for the IRS. Although those funds should have been paid to the IRS, Hynson transferred them to her personal bank account and used them for personal expenses.
Between 2016 and 2024, Hyson failed to remit a total of approximately $1.22 million dollars to the IRS.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ly T. Chin and Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
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Registered sex offender who was deported from United States arrested in Snohomish County for receiving images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 42-year-old Mexican citizen was indicted this week for receiving images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jaime Neri-Soto was arrested by Bothell Police detectives following an investigation prompted by reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Using those cyber tips investigators were able to identify Neri-Soto as the owner of electronic devices allegedly containing images of child sexual abuse.
According to records filed in the case, in October 2024, WhatsApp alerted NCMEC that a user of its platform had uploaded images of child sexual abuse. In January 2025, the CyberTip was referred to the Bothell Police Department who immediately began work to connect the phone number and IP address to a particular individual. Working with information on the device and internet service providers, law enforcement was able to determine the location of the phone at various times and ultimately identified Neri-Soto.
Following some surveillance, Neri-Soto was arrested and taken to Bothell Police. When he was fingerprinted law enforcement learned he was a previously registered sex offender whose registration was terminated in 2017, when he was turned over to federal authorities for deportation.
Federal authorities were involved in the forensic analysis of the electronic devices Neri-Soto possessed. The cyber review allegedly found numerous images of child sexual abuse on one of the devices. Neri-Soto was charged federally by criminal complaint with receipt of images of child sexual abuse.
The grand jury returned an indictment for receipt of child pornography late yesterday.
The charges are punishable by up to twenty in prison.
Neri-Soto is scheduled for arraignment on March 13, 2025.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Bothell Police Department and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Recidivist Sex Offender Is Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A registered sex offender was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) yesterday, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Thomas Robert Boehm III, 36, of Charlotte, was also ordered to register, again, as a sex offender after his release from prison and to pay restitution to his victims.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making this announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) referred a tip to law enforcement that a Dropbox account user had uploaded and maintained several video files containing CSAM. Law enforcement determined that the Dropbox user was Boehm. Law enforcement executed a search warrant for Boehm’s Dropbox account, and a forensic analysis of Boehm’s files revealed that Boehm possessed the equivalent of over 6,000 images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including children under the age of 12. Some of the materials maintained by Boehm portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence. Court documents show that Boehm was a registered sex offender for state convictions related to taking indecent liberties with a child.
On February 22, 2024, Boehm pleaded guilty to possession and access with intent to view child pornography involving prepubescent minors. Boehm remains in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The FBI and CMPD investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Armstrong with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Recidivist Possessor of Child Sexual Abuse Material Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Bryon, Georgia, resident who was serving federal supervised release for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) when GBI agents caught him online downloading sexually explicit images of children less than a year after he was released from prison was sentenced for his crime and violating his federal supervision.
Clarence L. Brown, II, 46, of Byron, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell on March 5, after he previously pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on Dec. 19, 2024. In addition, Brown’s supervised release was revoked in Case No. 5:22-CR-27-001 in which Brown pleaded guilty and was sentenced for one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography in the Middle District of Florida. As a result, Brown was sentenced to serve ten months in prison consecutively to the above sentence to be followed by ten years of supervised release concurrently to the above sentence. Brown will have to register as a sex offender upon release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Viewing and sharing explicit images of children being sexually abused is a federal crime that our office will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Holding online child predators accountable for their crimes—and in this case, their repeated crimes against children—is a high priority for our federal prosecutors and the local, state and federal law enforcement partners dedicated to protecting children.”
"Clarence L. Brown's actions are a tragic reminder of the persistence of individuals who prey on children, despite previous consequences,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI remains committed to investigating and bringing to justice those who possess and distribute child sexual abuse material. We will continue to work alongside our state, federal and local law enforcement partners to protect children from these heinous crimes and hold offenders accountable.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, on June 8, 2021, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CECCU) agent conducted an undercover online investigation to identify individuals downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM, also called child pornography). That same day, task force agents identified two video files downloaded by Brown depicting CSAM involving prepubescent girls and adult males. Search warrants were executed at Brown’s residences in Byron, Georgia, on Nov. 4, 2021. Several devices were seized at the residence and underwent forensic examination. In total, agents found at least nine video files depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, many of whom were younger than 12 years old. Of note, one CSAM video file had a total run time of ten minutes, and the other CSAM video file was almost 24 minutes long.
Brown was convicted for receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography in the Middle District of Florida on July 24, 2017 (listed as Case No. 5:22-CR-27-001 in the Middle District of Georgia). Brown began his term of supervised release in that case on Nov. 25, 2020. Less than one year later, Brown was found to be in possession of child pornography in the Middle District of Georgia.
These cases were 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 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.
The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (GBI CEACCU) with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Daniels is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Puerto Rico Man Pleads Guilty for His Role in a Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine to New Hampshire through the United States Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A man living in Puerto Rico pleaded guilty today in federal court in Concord for his role in a conspiracy to traffic cocaine to New Hampshire through the United States Postal Service (USPS), Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Joshua Baez Core, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, namely, cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for June 9, 2025. The defendant was indicted on December 20, 2023, along with five other defendants. To date, two co-conspirators have been convicted.
According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant was involved in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that shipped cocaine from Puerto Rico to Manchester, New Hampshire. The defendant, based in Puerto Rico, would use fictitious sender information to send packages of cocaine through the mail to Manchester at the direction of his father, the leader of the DTO. The cocaine was often packaged in 500-gram or 1,000-gram bundles and hidden inside children’s games. After the defendant shipped each package, he would relay tracking information to his father, who would employ co-conspirators to track and retrieve the packages of cocaine for him at various addresses in Manchester. His father also sent the defendant suspected drug proceeds, in one instance sending him a parcel containing $11,000. Between September 2020 and December 2021, the DTO shipped over 5.6 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Manchester for redistribution.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case.
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Public Servants Plead Guilty to Covid-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Angelo Stephen, a Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Correctional Officer, and George Arestuche, a Miami-Dade County Aviation Department employee, have pled guilty to federal charges in separate federal cases for defrauding Covid-19 pandemic relief programs.
Stephen pled guilty this week before Chief U.S. District Judge Cecila M. Altonaga to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). He also admitted to wire fraud for his participation in two bank account takeover schemes.
Arestuche pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with his receipt of one EIDL and one EIDL advance. Senior U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck accepted Arestuche’s guilty plea this week.
Angelo Stephen
During his change of plea hearing, Stephen admitted that in an EIDL application he submitted to the Small Business Association (SBA), he falsely claimed to be an independent contractor and sole owner of a 10-employee business that did event planning and entertainment services. He also admitted that in this EIDL application, he falsely certified that for the applicable 12-month period, his business had gross revenues of approximately $62,018 and a cost of goods sold of $0. Stephen obtained from the SBA $20,000 in EIDL funds, to which he was not entitled.
Stephen also admitted at the change of plea hearing that he submitted false information in two PPP loan applications. In both applications (one submitted in April 2021, the second a month later), Stephen falsely claimed that he owned a business that grossed $106,554 in income in 2020, submitting a fake IRS Form 1040 Schedule C to support his fraudulent requests. Stephen received separate $20,833 PPP loans from two different SBA-approved lenders for the non-existent business.
Finally, at the change of plea, Stephen also admitted his role in two bank account takeover schemes. On March 30, 2023, after his first scheme, Stephen received a $20,000 wire transfer from the account of an unsuspecting victim in Virginia, and thereafter quickly withdrew all illegally obtained money through a series of cash withdrawals and through Zelle transfers to others. In the second takeover scheme, Stephen and his accomplices obtained new checks from the credit union account of a different unsuspecting victim. Stephen then used one of those checks to obtain $8,500 in cash that he was not entitled to.
Stephen is scheduled for sentencing on May 22, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. before Chief U.S. District Judge Altonaga in Miami, Florida, where he faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
George Arestuche
According to the facts admitted at his change of plea, George Arestuche and a co-conspirator devised a scheme to defraud the SBA by submitting a false and fraudulent application to allow Arestuche to fraudulently obtain an EIDL loan in exchange for Arestuche paying the co-conspirator a large fee.
To carry out this conspiracy, on July 9, 2020, Arestuche’s submitted to the SBA a false and fraudulent EIDL application on Arestuche’s behalf claiming that Arestuche was an independent contractor and the 100% owner of an “Automotive Repair” business operating under the legal and DBA name “george.” That EIDL application falsely certified that for the 12-month period prior to January 31, 2020, “george” had gross revenues of $600,000, a cost of goods sold of $184,000, and 10 employees. In reality, Arestuche was not an independent contractor and did not own any type of business. This EIDL application was supported by a fraudulent 2019 IRS Form 1040 and Schedule C in Arestuche’s name that falsely claimed that he had a “mechanic” business that had gross receipts of $725,000 and earned a net profit of $706,151. As a result of this false and fraudulent EIDL application, Arestuche obtained from the SBA $149,900 in EIDL proceeds and a $10,000 EIDL advance, and he subsequently paid his co-conspirator $17,275 for helping him fraudulently obtain this money from the SBA.
Arestuche is scheduled for sentencing on May 12, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. before Senior U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck in Miami, where he faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 5 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Andrew Hartwell of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General’s Fraud Detection Office (DOJ-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Eastern Region, Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (MDC-OIG) announced the guilty pleas.
DOJ-OIG and SBA-OIG investigated the Stephen case. SBA-OIG and the FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the MDC-OIG, investigated the Arestuche case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting both cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling forfeiture matters on the Stephen case while Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken is handling forfeiture matters on the Arestuche case.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case numbers 25-cr-20014 and 25-cr-20001.
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Portland Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing $34 Million from Former ClientRead the Press Release
A husband and wife from Portland, who together owned and operated a local chauffeur and limousine business, were sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for stealing $34 million dollars from two former clients.
Sergey Lebedenko, 54, and Galina Lebedenko, 49, were both sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. The sum of restitution they must pay to the victim will be determined at a later date.
According to court documents, the Lebedenkos owned and operated a Portland area chauffeur and limousine businesses that eventually became Astra Car Service, LLC. Sergey did the driving, and Galina handled the company’s books and finances.
The Lebedenkos met their victim in 2007 when Sergey was hired to drive the individual to the airport. The individual soon became a regular customer of the Lebedenkos. By 2018, Sergey was driving the individual almost daily in and around Portland, and Galina was performing other personal tasks for the victim and the victim’s partner including paying their bills, sorting their mail, and providing pet care. This expansive personal services arrangement between the Lebedenkos and their victim continued from approximately 2018 until 2023.
Despite the volume and frequency of paid services the Lebedenkos provided, they never had a written business agreement or contract. In 2013, Galina produced an invoice showing hourly rates of $90 for driving and $60 for other services. In about 2016, after nearly a decade of working together, the victim gave the Lebedenkos his American Express credit card information so they could directly charge the card for their services.
Other than the single invoice issued in 2013, the Lebedenkos never provided their victim with logs of their hours or information about how much they were charging for their services. For much of their work, only the Lebedenkos knew the amount of time they spent providing services. On rare occasions, Sergey was questioned by the victim about certain minimal charges and Sergey would repeatedly play up their longstanding, trusting relationship.
The Lebedenkos stole approximately $34 million over seven years. On a single day in 2023, the Lebedenkos charged their victim’s credit card 17 times for a total of $17,900 for picking up and delivering a prescription and meals.
The Lebedenkos used their ill-gotten gains to fund an extraordinarily extravagant lifestyle for themselves and others, purchasing 14 homes and properties, 7 vehicles, an ownership interest in a private jet, and countless luxury items including shoes, watches, wallets, jewelry, and gold bars. As part of their sentences, the court entered a Final Order of Forfeiture against assets the Lebedenkos purchased with proceeds of their fraud, including 14 real properties and 19 financial accounts, which are pending forfeiture and sale. The government intends to seek remission of forfeited assets to the victim.
On January 22, 2024, the Lebedenkos were together charged by federal criminal complaint with committing wire fraud and money laundering. Later, on February 21, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging the couple with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, and 34 individual counts of wire fraud.
On October 25, 2024, the Lebedenkos both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and wire fraud.
This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Meredith D.M. Bateman and Andrew T. Ho, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon. Forfeiture proceedings are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie C. de Villiers, also of the District of Oregon.
Plantersville Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – A Plantersville man was sentenced yesterday to over 10 years in prison for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Alonzo Gilleyen, 48, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to distribution of methamphetamine. Gilleyen was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Debra Brown on Wednesday to 151 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for drug trafficking. Gilleyen was sentenced as a career offender because of his two prior felony convictions for drug trafficking.
“The citizens of this district have every right to expect that repeat offenders, particularly those trafficking in dangerous narcotics, will be held to account for their conduct as was the case for this defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “I am extremely proud of the efforts of AUSAs Chad Doleac and Kim Hampton alongside our partners at DEA, MBN, and the North Mississippi Narcotics Unit to remove this drug dealer from our community.”
“As a career offender, this individual has shown a pattern of behavior that threatens the safety and well-being of our community,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw. “We will continue to pursue justice against those who perpetuate the cycle of drug abuse and crime, ensuring tour neighborhoods remain safe for all. Our efforts will not waver as we work to dismantle the networks that contribute to this ongoing issue.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the North Mississippi Narcotics Unit investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad M. Doleac and Kimberly Hampton prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Large-Scale Drug Trafficking and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 20 years of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of federal supervised release, on his drug trafficking and firearms convictions, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Dante Webb, 43.
“The seizure of more than 26,000 doses of illegal narcotics, eight firearms—including two ghost guns and several with extended magazines, and thousands of dollars in drug profits during the 2022 search of Dante Webb’s residence speaks to how dangerous a criminal Webb has been, through both his large-scale dealing and through his use of weapons in carrying out his crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti. “This sentence reflects the danger and serious nature of his conduct. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at all levels to identify and prosecute armed drug traffickers such as Webb in order to protect our communities.”
“Dante Webb is a dangerous man, peddling deadly drugs while heavily armed, including with a fully automatic firearm,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF's Philadelphia Field Division. “This case is another example of how our strong partnership with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and United States Attorney’s Office is getting violent criminals off the streets and making our communities that much safer.”
According to information presented to the Court, on June 3, 2022, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police responded to a Pittsburgh residence, from which, upon law enforcement’s arrival, Webb ran. Law enforcement learned that Webb stored both controlled substances and firearms there and obtained a search warrant for his residence. The subsequent search resulted in the seizure of digital scales, cellular phones, firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a safe, which contained a garbage bag of over 26,000 doses of packaged controlled substances, including mixtures of fluorofentanyl, heroin, and fentanyl. Officers also seized packaged cocaine and crack.
Law enforcement seized eight firearms from Webb’s residence, some of which were loaded with attached extended magazines. Two of the firearms were Polymer 80 pistols, or ghost guns, which are untraceable due to the lack of a serial number; one of these pistols was later determined by a forensic scientist to operate only as a fully automatic firearm. Many of the firearms were easily accessible from a duffel bag located under a bed and were recovered in close proximity to the safe containing the packaged controlled substances. Prior to the seizure, Webb was twice convicted of aggravated assault related to shootings in Allegheny County. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
On June 7, 2022, law enforcement located Webb in the Bloomfield area of Pittsburgh. When a detective attempted to arrest Webb, the defendant fled by running in and out of traffic. After falling while jumping a low wall, Webb was arrested. A search incident to arrest resulted in the seizure from Webb of approximately $6,000, a digital scale, an owe sheet, a flip phone, and packaged controlled substances. The glassine bags seized from Webb bore similar markings to the bags recovered from Webb’s safe on June 3, 2022. A search of one of Webb’s phones revealed numerous photographs of Webb posing with large amounts of cash and multiple firearms inside his residence.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Ranjan emphasized that fentanyl is a plague on the community and that drug dealers like Webb pose the greatest risk of harm because they use firearms. Judge Ranjan also stated that he did not sense that Webb had any genuine remorse for his crimes.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan J. McKenna and Justin E. Lewis prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Webb.
Philadelphia Resident Who Led Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Mikal Davis, 47, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to Counts One, Three, and Four of the Superseding Indictment.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Davis conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture of heroin, five kilograms or more of a mixture of cocaine, 400 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, and 28 grams or more of crack. Davis, who led the drug trafficking organization’s activity in Philadelphia and Johnstown, was one of the targets of a federal wiretap and was intercepted obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others. Accompanied by distributors below him, Davis frequently traveled between Philadelphia and Johnstown with drug shipments which were then stored and processed at “stash houses” throughout the Western District of Pennsylvania for distribution. During a meeting with a drug source in California for a resupply, Davis arranged for the drug parcels to be mailed to Johnstown for distribution. In the Philadelphia area, Davis met with drug sources and purchased over 2,000 grams of heroin and fentanyl and over 5,000 grams of cocaine from a source in New Jersey.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 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, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Davis. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Peoria Man Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Joshua Michael Williams, 43, was sentenced on March 5, 2025, to 135 months’ imprisonment for attempted enticement of a minor, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He also will be required to register as a sex offender.
At the sentencing hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley, the court was informed that in January and February 2024, Williams engaged in online chats with an individual he believed to be the stepfather of an 11-year-old female who was willing to let his stepdaughter be used for sex acts. Williams expressed an interest in meeting with the purported minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts and said that he had wanted to engage in sexual acts with another minor female in the past. Williams arranged to meet the daughter, and, when he arrived at the pre-arranged meeting place, he was arrested.
Williams pleaded guilty in October 2024 and has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest.
In sentencing Williams, Judge Hawley noted that the only good thing about what happened was that there was no minor, stating that there easily could have been an 11-year-old whose life would be altered by such conduct.
The statutory penalties for attempted enticement of a minor are ten years up to life imprisonment, followed by a term of supervised release ranging from five years to life.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, investigated the case.
The case against Williams was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Palmetto Man Arrested and Charged with Evading Tax Payments and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Terry Brunning was arrested and charged with evasion of the payment of taxes and four counts of filing false income tax returns. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the evasion count, and up to three years’ imprisonment for each count of filing of a false tax return.
According to the indictment, between 2005 and December 2019, Brunning evaded the payment of taxes due and owed by him for income he earned and failed to report and pay taxes on between 1998 and 2001. During the period between 2005 and 2018, aware of the tax assessment by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) against him for more than $2 million in taxes, penalties, and interest, Brunning continued to earn income from a new business. He used that income to pay for personal expenses and personal assets which he tried to conceal from the IRS. He also failed to make any substantial payment to the IRS for his earlier tax debt and failed to file income tax returns between 2007 and 2018.
After IRS-CI agents sought to interview Brunning in October 2018 in connection with their investigation, Brunning resumed the filing of income tax returns for a number of years, including tax years 2015 through 2018. The income tax returns which he filed for those years contained false reports related to the amounts of income that he had earned in each of those years, resulting in the underreporting of more than $490,000 in income for those four years.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Owner of Marketing Companies and DME Company Convicted for Role in $100 Million Scheme to Defraud Medicare and Other Insurers and to Violate the Anti-Kickback StatuteRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. A Florida man was convicted by a federal jury for his role in a durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme that caused millions of dollars in losses to Medicare and other insurance providers, United States Attorney John Giordano announced.
Following a month-long jury trial before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz, Raheel Naviwala, 36, of Coral Springs, Florida, was convicted on Feb. 28, 2025, of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, one count of health care fraud, conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, and three counts of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute. He was also acquitted of two counts of health care fraud.
“This Office is committed to prosecuting those like the defendant who seek to profit by defrauding and corrupting our nation’s medical systems,” United States Attorney John Giordano said. “When people siphon millions from Medicare to line their own pockets, regular citizens pay the price. This case demonstrates that serious consequences will follow for such conduct.”
“The scheme Naviwala and his co-conspirators created to steal money from the government was complex and expansive,” FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly said. “However, FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners have the expertise and grit to dig through mountains of data and find the fraudsters. We want this case to serve as a warning to anyone hoping to capitalize on hiding under the red tape - we are still here, and you will eventually get caught.”
“The defendant convicted in this case prioritized greed over the provision of appropriate health care services to patients, bilking the federal government for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of the federal health care system and hold accountable owners and providers engaging in fraud that targets its programs.”
“Investigating corrupt schemes that undermine the integrity of TRICARE, the healthcare system for military members and their families, is a top priority for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Mr. Naviwala’s illegal schemes put the TRICARE program and its beneficiaries at risk. We are committed to working with our partner agencies and the Department of Justice to pursue those individuals who selfishly place personal gain over the safety and care of TRICARE beneficiaries.”
“Schemes such as these compromise the integrity of VA’s programs and services and divert funds from our nation’s deserving veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraudsters and hold them accountable.”
According to the evidence at trial:
Naviwala and his coconspirators purchased lists of Medicare patients’ names, addresses, and phone numbers, and hired telemarketers to convince the patients to get DME (orthotic braces). These telemarketers pre-filled prescriptions and picked the highest-paying braces to bill to insurers. Naviwala then paid telemedicine doctors to sign the pre-filled prescriptions for braces, regardless of whether the patients needed or wanted braces. Generally, the telemedicine doctor did not even speak to the patients before signing the pre-filled prescriptions.
Naviwala then sold the signed prescriptions to DME supply companies that could bill Medicare, TRICARE, and other insurers for the braces. To conceal the fraud, Naviwala and his coconspirators signed sham contracts and used sham invoices that falsely represented that Naviwala was billing DME supply companies for marketing or consulting.
Naviwala also owned and operated a DME supply company that was used to bill Medicare, and which submitted claims to Medicare for up to nine braces for a single patient.
To further conceal his illegal conduct, Naviwala put multiple of his businesses in the names of nominee owners. The nominee owners generally performed no legitimate work for any company and were paid to hide Naviwala’s involvement.
Medicare and other insurers paid hundreds of millions of dollars to members of the conspiracy and paid at least approximately $100 million for DME associated with Naviwala’s companies. Naviwala personally pocketed more than $10 million in fraud proceeds.
Conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Health care fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. Conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison. Each count of illegal kickbacks is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. Each count is also punishable by a fine. Sentencing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 29, 2025, before Judge Farbiarz in Newark.
United States Attorney John Giordano credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark; HHS-OIG, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; DCIS, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty; and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri with the investigation leading to the conviction.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine K. Lou, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division, and Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel:
Jamie Hoxie Solano, Esq. New York, New York
Amy C. Brown, Esq. New York, New York
Bryan W. McCracken, Esq. New York, New York
Ifedapo Benjamin, Esq. New York, New York
North Country Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Hogansburg, New York, woman pled guilty today for her role in a deadly smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River.
According to court documents, Janet Terrance, age 45, conspired with five others to bring Indian and Romanian nationals into the United States for the purpose of private financial gain. Co-conspirators Dakota Montour, age 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, age 43, both of whom reside on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in New York, entered guilty pleas on January 23, 2025, and October 8, 2024, respectively
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon, of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, stated: “The defendant and her coconspirators — fueled by greed, indifference, and recklessness — smuggled aliens via vehicle and boat across the U.S.-Canada border in dangerous weather conditions. They endangered the lives of two small children and their parents for profit, resulting in the family’s tragic deaths. Dismantling transnational criminal organizations that smuggle people into and throughout the United States is a top priority for the Department of Justice.”
Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon said: “A family of four died because a smuggling organization put them in harm’s way for profit. Our top priority is the prosecution and dismantling of smuggling organizations. By securing our northern border, we aim to avoid more tragedies like this one.”
According to court documents, Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted to working with a human smuggling organization (HSO) on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (“the AMIR”) and in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, that smuggled aliens from mainland Cornwall, Ontario, to Cornwall Island, Ontario, and then into the Northern District of New York. According to court documents, the HSO routinely smuggled aliens from various countries into the United States. The HSO arranged for aliens to stay in local motels in Cornwall, Canada, before transporting the aliens to the AMIR to stage the aliens on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Members of the HSO would then transport the aliens by boat across the St. Lawrence River to later be driven into the Northern District of New York.
In late March 2023, the co-conspirators were employed to illegally transport a Romanian family of four from Cornwall, Canada, into the Northern District of New York for private financial gain. The Romanian family consisted of a mother, father, a one-year-old boy, and a two-year-old girl. Both Montour and Terrance admitted that they were hired to transport the Romanian family to the AMIR from mainland Cornwall, Canada.
Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on March 29, 2023 — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — yet the family of four was loaded into a small boat by another co-conspirator to cross the St. Lawrence River. The boat capsized, and the family died as a result.
HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “The tragic deaths of two innocent, unknowing toddlers and their parents underscores the devastating impacts of alien smuggling. Janet Terrance and her co-conspirators moved forward with this smuggling attempt despite the dangerous conditions and sheer illegality of the act, placing these victims in the situation that ultimately killed them. HSI Massena is committed to enforcing U.S. laws at our border to protect the safety and the security of our communities.”
Acting AMPS Chief Ranatiiostha Swamp stated: “The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service is dedicated to keeping our community safe. By working closely with Homeland Security on this investigation, we are enhancing efforts to combat human smuggling and cross-border illegal activity, ensuring the safety and security of our territory.”
Montour pled guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, alien smuggling for financial gain, and alien smuggling resulting in death. Montour faces the maximum term of life in prison.
Sharrow and Terrance each pled guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling. Additionally, Sharrow and Terrance each pled guilty to alien smuggling for financial gain. Each of those counts carries a mandatory minimum term of 5 years in prison and a maximum term of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt and Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.
HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, AMPS, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Surete Du Quebec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with foreign legal assistance requests.
The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
New York Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy on the Northern BorderRead the Press Release
A New York woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River.
According to court documents, Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, conspired with five others to bring Indian and Romanian nationals into the United States for private financial gain. Co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne-Mohawk, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, 2025, and Oct. 8, 2024, respectively.
“The defendant and her coconspirators — fueled by greed, indifference, and recklessness — smuggled aliens via vehicle and boat across the U.S.-Canada border in dangerous weather conditions,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They endangered the lives of two small children and their parents for profit, resulting in the family’s tragic deaths. Dismantling transnational criminal organizations that smuggle people into and throughout the United States is a top priority for the Department of Justice.”
“A family of four died because a smuggling organization put them in harm’s way for profit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel Hanlon for the Northern District of New York. “Our top priority is the prosecution and dismantling of smuggling organizations. By securing our northern border, we aim to avoid more tragedies like this one.”
According to court documents, Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow worked with a human smuggling organization (HSO) on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR) and in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, that smuggled aliens from mainland Cornwall to Cornwall Island, and then into northern New York. The HSO routinely smuggled aliens from various countries into the United States. The HSO arranged for aliens to stay in local motels in Cornwall before transporting the aliens to the AMIR to stage the aliens on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Members of the HSO would then transport the aliens by boat across the St. Lawrence River to later be driven into New York.
Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted in their plea agreements that in late March 2023, the co-conspirators were employed to illegally transport a Romanian family of four — mother, father, one-year-old boy, and two-year-old girl — from Cornwall into New York. The children were Canadian citizens. Both Montour and Terrance admitted that they were hired to transport the Romanian family to the AMIR from mainland Cornwall.
Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on March 29, 2023 — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — yet the family of four was loaded into a small boat by another co-conspirator to cross the St. Lawrence River. The boat capsized, and the family died as a result.
“The tragic deaths of two innocent, unknowing toddlers and their parents underscores the devastating impacts of alien smuggling,” said Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Buffalo. “Janet Terrance and her co-conspirators moved forward with this smuggling attempt despite the dangerous conditions and sheer illegality of the act, placing these victims in the situation that ultimately killed them. ICE HSI Massena is committed to enforcing U.S. laws at our border to protect the safety and the security of our communities.”
“The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service is dedicated to keeping our community safe,” said Acting AMPS Chief Ranatiiostha Swamp. “By working closely with Homeland Security on this investigation, we are enhancing efforts to combat human smuggling and cross-border illegal activity, ensuring the safety and security of our territory.”
Montour pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain, and three counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. Montour faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and alien smuggling for financial gain counts and a mandatory penalty of life in prison on the alien smuggling resulting in death counts.
Sharrow and Terrance pleaded guilty to two counts and one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, respectively, and each to four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy counts and two of the alien smuggling for financial gain counts and a mandatory minimum of five years and maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on two of the alien smuggling for financial gain counts.
A federal district court judge will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, AMPS, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with foreign legal assistance requests.
Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
New Hampshire Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Sell Stolen Government PropertyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to transport stolen property in interstate commerce and conspiring to sell stolen government property.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Christopher Hagan, 33, to 12 months plus one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also fined $10,000, ordered to forfeit $150,000, and will be required to refile his tax returns for five years. Hagan pleaded guilty on May 13, 2024.
According to court records, between October 2017 and September 2021, Hagan obtained stolen government items which he resold on online forums. One of Hagan’s coconspirators, Jonathan Chaisson, 34, of New Hampshire was employed by a national defense contractor based in New Hampshire and received used and/or broken Advance Target Pointer Illuminator Aiming Laser (ATPIAL) devices designated for military and law enforcement use. Chaisson stole or converted new and used parts and components to repair the ATPIALs and provided Hagan with the repaired devices to sell.
Hagan also conspired with Wade Walker, 45, and Michael Humphrey, 46, both of Texas, to steal and sell military equipment from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), an agency of the United States Department of Defense. Both Walker and Humphrey were employed by the DLA Red River Army Depot facility in Texarkana, Texas. On multiple dates in 2019 and in 2020, Humphrey transferred stolen government property to Walker for resale, and Walker provided the stolen property to Hagan for further resale. Through the investigation, agents determined that Hagan had at least one customer in China.
On July 24, 2023, Chaisson pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport stolen property in interstate commerce and was sentenced to probation for two years. On October 31, 2023, Humphrey pleaded guilty to conspiring to sell stolen government property and was sentenced to probation for two years. On January 8, 2024, Walker pleaded guilty to conspiring to sell stolen government property and was sentenced to probation for three years.
The United States Department of Commerce – Office of Export Enforcement and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
“That Mr. Hagan and his conspirators would exploit their connections to the defense industry to put their own financial gain ahead of the nation’s security is unconscionable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Craig M. Wolff. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office commends the remarkable interagency cooperation that underpinned this complex and important investigation.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General, is fully committed to protecting the integrity of the DoD supply chain,” said Patrick J. Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Profiting from the sale of stolen DoD property undermines the mission of the Defense Logistics Agency and negatively impacts our military members. This investigation demonstrates DCIS’ commitment to work with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to hold accountable those who harm the DoD.”
“By stealing sensitive military technology and selling it to China, Christopher Hagan along with those he conspired with, prioritized greed and personal gain over U.S. national security,” said Special Agent in Charge James Guanci, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office. “This case serves as a strong reminder that those who betray the trust of the American people will be held accountable.”
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New Bern Man Sentenced to over Five Years for Role in Craven County Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. –A New Bern man was sentenced Tuesday to 64 months in prison for his role in a Craven County drug trafficking organization (DTO). On November 21, 2024, Robert Niquan Bryant, age 26, pled guilty to the following two counts: conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine. Bryant is a validated member of the United Blood Nation street gang.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, in December 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), in conjunction with the Craven County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), the New Bern Police Department and other local law enforcement, initiated an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of DTO operating in Craven County. Bryant was identified as an individual who was distributing methamphetamine on behalf of the DTO. Two controlled purchases of methamphetamine were made from Bryant in March and April of 2024. In both instances, Bryant sold more than 100 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The ATF, the CCSO, and the New Bern Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Webb and Julie Childress 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. 4:24-cr-00046-BO-BM.
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