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6 March 2025
El Salvadorian National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jorge A. Guzman-Montano, age 52, of El Salvador, was indicted on March 5, 2025, by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Guzman-Montano was previously removed from the United States on April 21, 2017, through Lorado, Texas, and it is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country. The indictment also alleges that on February 12, 2025, Guzman-Montano was encountered in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Dukes is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Drug Supplier from New Hampshire Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Multi-State Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Hampshire man who supplied Lawrence-area drug dealers with large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston.
Cote Colby, 29, of Derry, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to six years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2023, Colby was indicted along with three other defendants in this drug trafficking conspiracy.
An investigation began in September 2022 into a drug trafficking organization distributing fentanyl, fentanyl pills, cocaine base and methamphetamine, including counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in the Merrimack Valley areas of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The investigation identified Colby as a significant drug distributor for the organization, making thousands of dollars per transaction. Over the course of the investigation, Colby distributed narcotics to several cooperating witnesses in numerous controlled purchases. In total, it is estimated that Colby is responsible for distributing approximately 422 grams of pure methamphetamine and 26 grams of fentanyl.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; Essex County Sheriff’s Department; Massachusetts Parole Board; and the Derry (N.H.), Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen and Salisbury Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
This operation 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. 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.
Dominican National Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Possessing 70 Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national living in Manchester, N.H. was sentenced today in federal court in Boston to possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
Miguel Angel Martinez Lugo, a/k/a “Jesus Manuel Encarnacion,” a/k/a “Jose Rosado Rabell,” 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to 14 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the sentence imposed. In December 2024, Martinez Lugo pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
On April 4, 2024, law enforcement observed a black Acura MDX with a New Hampshire license plate registered to Martinez Lugo under his alias, “Jesus Encarnacion,” and a Chevrolet pickup truck with an Ohio license plate in close proximity to one another that appeared to be travelling together. Law enforcement followed the two vehicles as they drove down a number of streets and then ultimately parked on a street in Salem, Mass. The two vehicles were parked in such a way that their trunks were visible and two males, one of which was identified as Martinez Lugo, transported a heavy-duty black plastic storage bin with a yellow lid from the pickup truck to the black Acura MDX. Two additional heavy duty black plastic storage bins were observed inside of the black Acura MDX.
When the Black Acura MDX passed the law enforcement vehicle, the driver, Martinez Lugo, made eye contact with the officer and then quickly parked and abandoned the vehicle. A search warrant was subsequently sought for the vehicle and 70 kilograms of cocaine was found inside the three plastic storage bins along with three cellular phones, among other things.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Chief Lucas J. Miller of the Salem (Mass.) Police Department; and Chief Peter Marr of the Manchester N.H. Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Dominican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in Methuen has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Florencio Antonio Nuñez Guerrero, 37, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Nuñez Guerrero is currently in state custody for unrelated charges and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the indictment, Nuñez Guerrero was deported from the United States on March 3, 2017, after serving a federal sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin. It is alleged that sometime after his March 2017 removal, Nuñez Guerrero illegally reentered the United States without permission.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is 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 Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Detroit Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Edward Keith Perkins, 31, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 19, 2024, Perkins shipped a box containing approximately 4.43 kilograms of methamphetamine from California to a Virginia Street address on the West Side of Charleston, West Virginia. On August 22, 2024, Perkins drove to the Virginia Street address. Law enforcement approached the vehicle Perkins was driving after a passenger in the vehicle retrieved the package from the porch of the residence and placed it in the vehicle’s trunk. Perkins fled the vehicle when the officers approached but was later apprehended. Perkins admitted that the package contained approximately 50 grams of fentanyl in addition to the 4.43 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Perkins has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions for assault, carjacking and carrying a concealed weapon.
“The investigation in this case revealed that the defendant distributed nearly 20 pounds of methamphetamine and over 100 grams of fentanyl that he shipped from California to West Virginia and Tennessee,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Today’s sentence is the result of this office’s commitment to work closely with our law enforcement partners and prosecute these cases to the fullest extent to keep our communities safe.”
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum and Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-158.
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Crowheart man sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexual abuse of a minorRead the Press Release
Quinlin James Hernandez, 32, of Crowheart, Wyoming, was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release for sexual abuse. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on March 5 in Casper.
According to court documents, on April 13, 2024, a 14-year-old minor victim who had been reported missing was located at the residence of Hernandez. She was able to send a text to her grandmother to come pick her up at that location. During her forensic interview, she stated that Hernandez and several minors picked her up April 10, 2023, without the knowledge of her guardians. Hernandez drove to a liquor store, where he bought alcohol and then drove the minors to his residence in Crowheart. At the residence, all the minors and the defendant drank the alcohol. Hernandez began flirting with and making sexual advances toward the minor victim. The minor victim was at Hernandez’s residence for approximately two and a half days, during which Hernandez forced himself on the minor victim, sexually abusing her twice. The victim underwent a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination and Hernandez’s seminal fluid and DNA were confirmed to be on the victim’s clothing. He was indicted on May 16, 2024.
When interviewed, Hernandez denied sexually abusing the minor victim. However, when he entered his plea of guilty on December 13, 2024, he admitted that he had sex with the minor victim when she was too drunk to either consent or decline to have sex with him.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the FBI investigated this crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry Jacobson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought about by Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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 locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet and to identify and rescue victims.
Case No. 24-CR-00087
California Man Sentenced to 11 ½ Years for Role in California-to-Maine Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A California man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and money laundering.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Alex Hanna, 31, to 138 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Hanna pleaded guilty on March 14, 2024.
According to court records, between May 2022 and March 2023, Hanna and others trafficked methamphetamine in Downeast Maine, receiving the drugs by mail from a source in California. Hanna coordinated drug shipments from the source and found coconspirators in Maine willing to receive the packages. He also sent the sales proceeds to the source via Walmart2Walmart, Cash App and Venmo, using coconspirators’ identifications and accounts to conceal his involvement in the transactions.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Ellsworth Police Department, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Holden Police Department, and Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
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California Man Charged with Cyberstalking, Making Harassing and Threatening Calls to Women in RI, MA, and Other StatesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A federal criminal complaint has been unsealed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island that charges a California man in an ongoing investigation into hundreds of obscene and threatening telephone calls made to women in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and elsewhere, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Arrested at his home in Anaheim on Wednesday, Justin Glauthier, 30, is charged with cyberstalking, interstate threats to injure, and making interstate obscene or harassing calls.
It is alleged that Glauthier repeatedly called and harassed women whose name, photograph, and other personal information, including information associated with their employment, he often gleaned from the Internet.
To date, at least nine women have been identified as receiving harassing and, in some instances, threatening calls that an FBI investigation attributes to Glauthier. It is alleged that in dozens of calls Glauthier made sexually explicit comments and, at times, threatened his victims if they did not stay on the phone with him and/or cooperate with him during the calls. In some instances, he claimed to know where his victims lived and/or worked and threatened to visit them unannounced at their homes or place of employment.
Glauthier was arrested by agents from the FBI’s Providence and Orange County, CA, Resident Agencies. He is expected to make an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Santa Ana, CA, on Thursday.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted in the District of Rhode Island by Assistant United States Attorney Denise M. Barton, with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Restrepo in the District of Central California.
The matter was investigated by the FBI Rhode Island resident agency, with significant assistance from the FBI Orange County, CA, resident agency, Lincoln, RI Police Department, and the Anaheim, CA, Police Department.
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criminal_complaint_and_affidavit.pdfBuffalo man sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Henry Ford, 37, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to time serve (approximately 11 months) and three years’ supervised release by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna M. Duncan, who handled the case, stated that in April 2024, a search warrant was executed on Ford’s person and at Ford’s Erb Street residence. Investigators recovered a loaded handgun from Ford’s pocket. Subsequent investigation revealed the handgun was reported stolen from Georgia in September 2019. During the search of Erb’s residence, investigators recovered a second firearm and ammunition. That firearm was reported stolen in the City of Buffalo in March 2024. In October 2008, Ford was convicted of a felony in Erie County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonso Wright.
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Broken Bow Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Lucas A. Wacker, 39, of Broken Bow, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 6, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for receipt and distribution of child pornography. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Wacker to 87 months’ imprisonment. Wacker was also ordered to pay $3,000 to go toward a fund established for child victims. There is no parole in the federal system. After Wacker’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
An investigator with the Nebraska State Patrol downloaded two files directly from a suspect IP address during a peer-to-peer (“P2P”) undercover operation in April of 2024. A subpoena was served for the IP address and the IP came back to Lucas Wacker. The files received from the IP included an already known child pornography file.
In May of 2024, a search warrant was executed for the search of Wacker’s home in Broken Bow. During a preview of Wacker’s phone, investigators found several video files depicting child pornography, including one of the videos which was part of the P2P investigation. Search history indicating searches for child pornography content were also located on the program.
Wacker was interviewed during the search, and he admitted to viewing and collecting child pornography. He also admitted to downloading child pornography and he informed investigators of the specific application and search terms that he would use. Wacker’s cellphone was extracted and reviewed. Investigators found 12 video files and 361 image files of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Bridgeport Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Vehicle Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that STEPHANIE PEREZ, 40, of Bridgeport, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 14 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for her participation in a multistate identity theft and vehicle theft scheme that defrauded dozens of individuals and businesses out of more than $1 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Perez was involved in a multistate identity theft scheme led by her husband, Tyshon Walker. Beginning in September 2020, Walker obtained personal information stolen from residents of Connecticut and other states and used it to apply for vehicle loans at dealerships in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Rhode Island for luxury and performance vehicles, motorcycles, an all-terrain vehicle, and a boat. Once the loan was approved by the dealership using the identity theft victim’s information, Walker would send “runners,” to pick up the vehicle utilizing a fictitious driver’s license that included the identity theft victim’s information and a photograph of the runner. The vehicle was then transported back to Connecticut for resale on Facebook Marketplace.
Perez helped Walker select coconspirators, including Ryan Testa, to be runners, provided them with payment to make trips to acquire vehicles, and picked up the vehicles from the coconspirators once they returned to Connecticut. Perez recruited and supervised Testa after two other runners involved in the scheme were arrested and charged with related offenses. Between March and May 2023, at the direction of Perez and Walker, Testa used stolen identities to acquire at least nine vehicles with a total value of more than $500,000.
Perez was arrested on April 10, 2024. On December 6, 2024, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.
Walker and Testa have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, the Hopkinton (R.I.) Police Department, the Westtown – East Goshen Regional (Pa.) Police Department, and the Washington Township (N.J.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Heather M. Cherry.
Brevard County Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Christopher Fitzgerald Spivey, Jr. (40, Melbourne) has pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of controlled substances. By virtue of Spivey’s prior serious violent felony conviction, he faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on four occasions between November 5 and December 10, 2024, Spivey distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine to a confidential source. In total, Spivey distributed over 55 grams of fentanyl and nearly 1,300 grams of pure methamphetamine. Prior to Spivey distributing these drugs, he had a felony conviction for a serious violent felony—aggravated assault upon a law enforcement officer—for which he received a 10-year sentence. Additionally, Spivey is on notice that the United States intends to forfeit $10,500, which represents the proceeds of the offenses.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
Billings man sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man who possessed and traded child pornography was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He was also ordered to pay $22,000 in special assessments to the United States
Nathan Allen Sayler, 48, pleaded guilty in April 2024 to possession of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in September 2020 law enforcement in Texas arrested an individual who was exchanging child pornography on social media with someone in Montana. His social media accounts were reviewed, and law enforcement learned after an extensive investigation that the person in Montana was Sayler. Because Sayler was a convicted sex offender, law enforcement conducted a probation search of his house and interviewed him. Sayler denied using the cell phone associated with the social media account trading child pornography, which was never found by the authorities. But Sayler later admitted to another witness that he was in possession of the phone during the search and discarded it after law enforcement left his residence. In January 2024, agents executed a search warrant on Sayler’s Gmail accounts and discovered images of child pornography on one of them.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Arizona Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Money LaunderRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Marcus Buffus Richardson, 25, formerly of Maricopa, Arizona, was sentenced on March 6, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for conspiracy to money launder. United States District Court Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Richardson to 72 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Richardson’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
In January 2023, Nebraska State Patrol investigators were informed by agents of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in Phoenix, Arizona, that a suspicious package was being shipped from Marcus Richardson in Phoenix to an individual in Lincoln. The package arrived in Lincoln and was immediately seized by DEA agents. A search warrant was obtained, and the package was found to contain 993 fake “M30” pills that contained fentanyl. The package was found to have been shipped by Richardson using an interstate packaging service, for the purpose of redistributing it in Nebraska. Richardson had sent at least two other packages to Nebraska in the preceding month that contained a total of approximately 500 similar pills. After the sales of the pills, the distributors would send money back to Richardson in Arizona. The money would be used to finance the acquisition of additional controlled substances to be sent to Nebraska for further distribution.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Active-Duty and Former U.S. Army Soldiers Arrested for Theft of Government Property and Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— Jian Zhao and Li Tian, active-duty U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, along with Ruoyu Duan, a former U.S. Army soldier, were arrested today following indictments by federal grand juries in the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington. Tian and Duan were charged in the District of Oregon for conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property. Zhao was charged in the Western District of Washington for conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to an individual not authorized to receive it, and also for bribery and theft of government property.
“The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China,” said Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi. “They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.”
“While bribery and corruption have thrived under China’s Communist Party, this behavior cannot be tolerated with our service members who are entrusted with sensitive military information, including national defense information,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI and our partners will continue to work to uncover attempts by those in China to steal sensitive U.S. military information and hold all accountable who play a role in betraying our national defense. The FBI would like to thank U.S. Army Counterintelligence for their close partnership during this investigation.”
“These arrests underscore the persistent and increasing foreign intelligence threat facing our Army and nation,” said Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General, Army Counterintelligence Command. “Along with the Department of Justice and FBI, Army Counterintelligence Command will continue to work tirelessly to hold those accountable who irresponsibly and selfishly abandon the Army values and choose personal gain over duty to our nation. We remind all members of the Army team to increase their vigilance and protect our Army by reporting suspicious activity.”
The indictment in the District of Oregon alleges that beginning on or about Nov. 28, 2021, and continuing to at least on or about Dec. 19, 2024, Duan and Tian along with others, known and unknown to the grand jury conspired with each other to surreptitiously gather sensitive military information related to the United States Army’s operational capabilities, including technical manuals and other sensitive information, and that Tian transmitted this information to Duan in return for money, in violation of his official duties as an active-duty U.S. Army officer. Specifically, Tian was tasked with gathering information related U.S. military weapon systems, including information related to the Bradley and Stryker U.S. Army fighting vehicles, and transmitting them to Duan.
The indictment in the Western District of Washington alleges that beginning in or about July 2024, and continuing to the date of the arrest, Jian Zhao, an active-duty U.S. Army Supply Sergeant, conspired with others known and unknown to the grand jury to obtain and transmit national defense information to individuals based in China. Zhao is further alleged to have committed bribery and theft of government property.
Specifically, Zhao was charged for his conspiracy to collect and transmit several classified hard drives, including hard drives marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET”, negotiating with individuals based in China for their sale, and agreeing to send the classified hard drives to the individuals in China. In exchange for the sale of the classified hard drives, Zhao received at least $10,000. Zhao is further alleged to have conspired to sell an encryption capable computer that was stolen from the U.S. Government, and sensitive U.S. military documents and information, including information related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), and information related to U.S. military readiness in the event of a conflict with the People’s Republic of China. Zhao is alleged to have violated his duties as a U.S. Army Soldier and public official to protect sensitive military information in exchange for money. In total, Zhao is alleged to have corruptly received and accepted payments totaling at least $15,000.
"The U.S. Attorney's Office thanks the FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command for their hard work on this investigation and commitment to protecting our national security,” said Acting U.S. Attorney William M. Narus for the District of Oregon.
"As former and current members of the U.S. Army, Ruoyu Duan and Li Tian betrayed the oath of military service they had taken,” said Douglas A. Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Portland Field Office. “Their actions caused significant risk and damage to U.S. National Security and violated the oath they took as military members to protect the American people."
“It is unconscionable that a person who wears the uniform of a U.S. Army soldier would betray our country and the trust of his fellow soldiers,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle Field Office. “These arrests should send a message to would-be spies that we and our partners have the will and the ability to find you, track you down, and hold you to account. Protecting the nation’s secrets, especially those necessary to preserve our military advantage and protect our troops, is one of the FBI’s top priorities.”
The cases were investigated by the FBI Portland and Seattle Field Offices and U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command, with assistance from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Seattle Field Office, CBP Office of Professional Responsibility, United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service. They are being prosecuted by Geoffrey A. Barrow and Katherine A. Rykken, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon, and Christopher Cook and Yifei Zheng, Trial Attorneys for the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Active-Duty and Former U.S. Army Soldiers Arrested for Theft of Government Property and Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
View the indictment for Jian Zhao.
Jian Zhao, and Li Tian, active-duty U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, along with Ruoyu Duan, a former U.S. Army soldier, were arrested today following indictments by federal grand juries in the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington. Tian and Duan were charged in the District of Oregon for conspiring to commit bribery and theft of government property. Zhao was charged in the Western District of Washington for conspiring to obtain and transmit national defense information to an individual not authorized to receive it, and also for bribery and theft of government property.
“The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China,” said Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi. “They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.”
“While bribery and corruption have thrived under China’s Communist Party, this behavior cannot be tolerated with our service members who are entrusted with sensitive military information, including national defense information,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI and our partners will continue to work to uncover attempts by those in China to steal sensitive U.S. military information and hold all accountable who play a role in betraying our national defense. The FBI would like to thank U.S. Army Counterintelligence for their close partnership during this investigation.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the FBI and U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command for their hard work on this investigation and commitment to protecting our national security,” said Acting U.S. Attorney William M. Narus for the District of Oregon.
“These arrests underscore the persistent and increasing foreign intelligence threat facing our Army and nation,” said Brig. Gen. Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General, Army Counterintelligence Command. “Along with the Department of Justice and FBI, Army Counterintelligence Command will continue to work tirelessly to hold those accountable who irresponsibly and selfishly abandon the Army values and choose personal gain over duty to our nation. We remind all members of the Army team to increase their vigilance and protect our Army by reporting suspicious activity.”
The indictment in the District of Oregon alleges that beginning on or about Nov. 28, 2021, and continuing to at least on or about Dec. 19, 2024, Duan and Tian along with others, known and unknown to the grand jury conspired with each other to surreptitiously gather sensitive military information related to the United States Army’s operational capabilities, including technical manuals and other sensitive information, and that Tian transmitted this information to Duan in return for money, in violation of his official duties as an active-duty U.S. Army officer. Specifically, Tian was tasked with gathering information related U.S. military weapon systems, including information related to the Bradley and Stryker U.S. Army fighting vehicles, and transmitting them to Duan.
The indictment in the Western District of Washington alleges that beginning in or about July 2024, and continuing to the date of the arrest, Jian Zhao, an active-duty U.S. Army Supply Sergeant, conspired with others known and unknown to the grand jury to obtain and transmit national defense information to individuals based in China. Zhao is further alleged to have committed bribery and theft of government property.
Specifically, Zhao was charged for his conspiracy to collect and transmit several classified hard drives, including hard drives marked “SECRET” and “TOP SECRET”, negotiating with individuals based in China for their sale, and agreeing to send the classified hard drives to the individuals in China. In exchange for the sale of the classified hard drives, Zhao received at least $10,000. Zhao is further alleged to have conspired to sell an encryption capable computer that was stolen from the U.S. Government, and sensitive U.S. military documents and information, including information related to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), and information related to U.S. military readiness in the event of a conflict with the People’s Republic of China. Zhao is alleged to have violated his duties as a U.S. Army Soldier and public official to protect sensitive military information in exchange for money. In total, Zhao is alleged to have corruptly received and accepted payments totaling at least $15,000.
The FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey Barrow and Katherine Rykken for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorneys Christopher Cook and Yifei Zheng of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
5 Charged in Alleged $3.3 Million Scam to Obtain COVID Jobless Benefits for Unqualified Individuals, Including Children and InmatesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Five defendants – including a California Highway Patrol (CHP) dispatcher and her convicted-felon husband – have been taken into federal custody on a 10-count indictment alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $3.3 million in COVID-19 government unemployment benefits using stolen identities and personal identifiable information, the Justice Department announced today.
The following defendants were charged by a federal grand jury with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud:
- Janet Clarise Gloria Theus, 44, of Lancaster;
- Diane Clarise Theus, 78, of Lancaster, Janet Theus’ mother;
- Dailen Spears, 24, of Carson;
- Erica Abson Robins, 57, of Compton, a CHP dispatcher; and
- Ronald Lee Robins, 62, of Compton, Erica Robins’ husband, who was serving a state prison sentence for first-degree burglary during the alleged scheme.
Janet Theus also is charged with four counts of bank fraud. Diane Theus and Erica Abson Robins each have been charged with two counts of bank fraud. Janet Theus, Diane Theus, Erica Abson Robins, and Ronald Lee Robins are charged with one count of unlawful use of unauthorized access devices.
Janet Theus and Diane Theus surrendered to federal authorities today and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Erica Abson Robins and Ronald Lee Robins were arrested Wednesday. Spears surrendered to federal authorities on Wednesday. All three of these defendants were arraigned and pleaded not guilty to all charges. An April 29 trial date was scheduled. Erica Robins and Spears were ordered released on $10,000 bond. A detention hearing was scheduled for March 11 for Ronald Robins, who remains in federal custody.
According to the indictment returned February 12 and unsealed today, the defendants from April 2020 to July 2022 executed a scheme to collect and share personal information, including names and Social Security numbers, from individuals to fraudulently receive COVID-19 unemployment cash benefits. After collecting this personal information, the defendants submitted fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment assistance applications, falsely claiming that the applicants had lost jobs because of the pandemic. Janet Theus, Diane Theus, and Erica Robins then withdrew cash at ATMs from the job-loss cash assistance accounts they conspired to create.
The indictment further alleges that, in total, defendants caused at least approximately 293 applications for unemployment benefits to be filed, resulting in payouts of approximately $3.3 million. Approximately 169 of the benefits applications the defendants caused to be filed were for children under the age of 18, approximately 106 of which were for children under the age of 10. The defendants also caused to be submitted at least 17 COVID-19 job-loss claims for individuals who were in fact incarcerated prisoners.
The indictment also alleges that Erica Robins used her position as a California Highway Patrol dispatcher to query a law enforcement database containing Social Security numbers and dates of birth regarding an inmate at the California Men’s Colony state prison in San Luis Obispo, which was then used to obtain COVID-19 job-loss cash benefits. At the time, Erica Robins’ husband, Ronald Robins, was an inmate at that same prison. While incarcerated, Robins collected Social Security numbers and dates of birth from other inmates, which Janet Theus and Diane Theus then used to withdraw COVID-19 job-loss cash benefits.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of all charges, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each bank fraud-related count. Janet Theus, Diane Theus, Erica Robins, and Ronald Robins would face up to 10 years in federal prison for unlawful use of unauthorized access devices.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly 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. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.
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.
A number of law enforcement agencies are providing significant support, including the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Secret Service; the California Employment Development Department; California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Diane B. Roldán and Matthew J. Tako of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting these cases.
25 Metropolitan Detention Center Inmates, Their Associates and a Former Correctional Officer — Charged in a Dozen Criminal Cases at the Federal Jail in BrooklynRead the Press Release
Today the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced criminal charges against 25 defendants in 12 separate cases relating to violence and contraband smuggling at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC-Brooklyn) in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. These include charges against 15 inmates for violent assaults against other inmates from May 2024 to the present; a former correctional officer for attempting to smuggle contraband into the facility on January 21, 2025; an inmate for orchestrating a contraband smuggling operation between April and June 2024; an inmate for smuggling ceramic scalpels into the facility on October 12, 2024; an inmate for possession of contraband and continuing to commit fraud while detained at MDC-Brooklyn; and an MS-13 gang associate for attempting to smuggle a large package of contraband, including 18 cellphones and marijuana, to other MS-13 gang members incarcerated at MDC-Brooklyn.
Previously, nine inmates at MDC-Brooklyn were charged by the Office in September 2024 for violence and contraband smuggling. In addition, the Office, in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (USAO-SDNY) and more than a dozen law enforcement partners, assisted in October 2024 with a week-long multi-agency operation aimed at detecting and seizing contraband from MDC-Brooklyn.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Leslie R. Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Kathleen Toomey, Associate Deputy Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons, announced the charges.
“The safety and security of our federal detention facilities is paramount,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “As alleged, in several separate charging instruments, inmates viciously attacked fellow detainees, a correctional officer betrayed his duty by attempting to smuggle drugs into the facility, several inmates orchestrated elaborate contraband smuggling operations and yet another inmate continued to engage in fraud schemes while detained. These actions undermine the order and security of MDC-Brooklyn and endanger everyone within its walls. My Office is working tirelessly to hold accountable those who commit violent acts or introduce contraband into the prison, whether they are inmates or staff. These charges serve as a warning to those who would engage in criminal conduct behind bars, and anyone else who facilitates those crimes: your conduct will be uncovered, and you will be held accountable.”
Mr. Durham thanked the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and the FBI New York Field Office for their investigative work in these cases, as well as the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General for their assistance.
“These 25 defendants, an array of inmates and a former correctional officer, allegedly committed numerous violent attacks against fellow inmates and orchestrated various schemes to smuggle contraband into the prison,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Backschies. “These cases reflect the alleged extreme disregard for adhering to the rules designed to protect the other inmates and correctional staff within the institution. The FBI will never tolerate any individual, regardless of their incarceration status, who engages in deviant behavior that threatens the safety and stability of our federal facilities.
“The Federal Bureau of Prisons would like to thank the FBI and the EDNY for their partnership and support to further prevent and prosecute violence and contraband in our facilities, through our unified efforts we are making our facilities safer for our employees and those in our custody,” stated Federal Bureau of Prisons Associate Deputy Director Toomey.
A summary of the cases follows:
U.S. v. Mike Josie
Mike Josie has been charged by indictment with assault in a federal detention facility in connection with his participation in an assault of another inmate at MDC-Brooklyn on May 26, 2024. As alleged, Josie brutally attacked another inmate in his housing unit who was sitting at a table in a common area of the unit. Josie approached the victim from behind and made several slashing motions towards the victim’s face. After the assault, the victim was taken to a nearby hospital to treat lacerations to his neck and face. If convicted, Josie faces up to10 years in prison. Josie is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl. Assistant United States Attorney Sean Fern is in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Daryl Campbell, Ian Diez, Jonathan Guerrero, Abel Mora and Mayovanex Rodriguez
Daryl Campbell, Ian Diez, Jonathan Guerrero, Abel Mora and Mayovanex Rodriguez are charged by complaint with conspiracy to smuggle contraband into MDC-Brooklyn. As alleged, between April and June 2024, Campbell used a contraband cell phone to conspire with others to smuggle contraband into MDC-Brooklyn. In several voice recordings found on the phone, Campbell explained his method of throwing a “line” out of a window of MDC-Brooklyn for a co-conspirator on the outside to “hook” or attach contraband, which could then be pulled back inside. On June 30, 2024, Diez, Guerrero, Mora, and Rodriguez attempted to execute Campbell’s scheme by pulling a rope through the window of the recreation room in their housing area. At the other end of that rope, correctional officers found what appeared to be suboxone, marijuana, a scalpel, a phone charger, lighters, and cigarettes. If convicted, the defendants face up to 10 years in prison. Assistant United States Attorneys Russell Noble and Elizabeth D’Antonio are in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Sean Smith, Rasheed Chapman and Antwan Mosley
Sean Smith, Rasheed Chapman and Antwan Mosley have been indicted by a grand jury for the June 2, 2024 assault of another inmate at MDC-Brooklyn. The defendants violently assaulted the victim, slashing him across the face and neck and causing serious lacerations. The victim was then chased through the housing unit and struck repeatedly by his assailants. If convicted, the defendants face up to 10 years in prison. Assistant United States Attorney Kamil Ammari is in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Adil Duran
Adil Duran has been charged in an indictment with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury and possessing contraband in prison. As captured on video surveillance footage, on July 11, 2024, Duran slashed another inmate in the face and neck with a sharpened weapon, causing serious lacerations that required sutures. If convicted, Duran faces up to 20 years in prison. Assistant United States Attorney Kate Mathews is in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Erik Steadman and Javaughn Horton
Erik Steadman and Javaughn Horton have been charged by complaint with assault in a federal detention facility for the September 5, 2024 assault of another inmate at MDC-Brooklyn. As alleged, Horton and Steadman approached another inmate in their unit and began punching him repeatedly in the face until he fell to the ground. The defendants continued punching and kicking the victim in the face, causing a significant laceration to his face. If convicted, the defendants face up to 10 years in prison. Assistant United States Attorney Molly Delaney is in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Angel Villafane
Angel Villafane, a member of the gang Valentine Avenue Crew, has been indicted for possession of 21 ceramic scalpels smuggled into MDC-Brooklyn on October 12, 2024. As alleged, while sitting in the visiting room at MDC-Brooklyn, Villafane removed a ball full of ceramic scalpels from a bag of Doritos chips and placed them in his shirt. Correctional officers later discovered the scalpels during a search. If convicted, the defendant faces up to five years in prison. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Margaret P. Mortimer is in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Juan Lopez and Jose Rivera
Juan Lopez and Jose Rivera have been indicted for assaulting another inmate and possessing contraband weapons. As alleged, on November 11, 2024, Lopez and Rivera slashed and stabbed another inmate in their housing unit. The victim was seated at a table when Rivera snuck up behind him and slashed him multiple times in the head and neck with a sharp object. As the victim ran to seek help, Lopez tried to prevent him from reaching the correctional officers’ station by swinging his own weapon, stabbing the victim in the arm. The victim suffered three lacerations to the back of his head, one laceration to his neck and a puncture wound to his forearm. If convicted, the defendants face up to 15 years in prison. Assistant United States Attorney Russell Noble is in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Tyquan Robinson
Tyquan Robinson has been charged in a five-count superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and possession of contraband in prison. Robinson was originally detained at MDC-Brooklyn for his alleged role in defrauding a court-appointed criminal defense attorney by obtaining a stolen $125,000 Treasury check issued to the attorney as payment for representing indigent defendants and stealing his identity. In October 2024, officers at the MDC performed a search of Robinson’s cell. Inside his locker, the officers discovered that Robinson had hidden a contraband cellphone inside of a box of Raisin Bran cereal. An examination of this contraband cellphone revealed that even while incarcerated at the MDC, Robinson was participating in a separate fraud scheme from his original charges by discussing stealing checks issued to others, opening multiple bank accounts, and exchanging third parties’ personally identifiable information. If convicted, Robinson faces up to 30 years in prison. Assistant United States Attorney James R. Simmons is in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Special Agent Anthony Cunder.
U.S. v. Jairon Ortega-Corea
Jairon Ortega-Corea, an MS-13 gang associate, was charged by indictment with attempting to provide contraband to inmates at MDC-Brooklyn. He was arrested on March 3, 2025 in Minnesota. The charges stem from the December 2, 2024 discovery, by MDC-Brooklyn employees, of a package on the fourth-floor roof of the jail containing 18 cellular telephones, approximately 345 grams of marijuana and one liter of drinking alcohol, among other items. The prior evening, a witness had observed the attempted smuggling of the package into MDC-Brooklyn, when it was pulled up by a rope dangled out of the window of an empty cell within the unit that houses MS-13 members. An investigation subsequently revealed that the defendant, who is related to a high-ranking MS-13 member housed at MDC-Brooklyn, purchased several of the contraband items at a local Walmart the day prior to the discovery. At the time of the purchase, Ortega-Corea was communicating with MS-13 inmates at MDC-Brooklyn who were using a different contraband phone. If convicted, Ortega-Corea faces up to 20 years in prison. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan E. Farrell, Paul G. Scotti and Justina L. Geraci are in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Najee Jackson
Najee Jackson, a former correctional officer at MDC-Brooklyn, has been indicted by a grand jury for attempting to smuggle contraband into the facility. On January 21, 2025, Jackson, who was employed as a correctional officer, arrived at MDC-Brooklyn to begin working a night shift. After making several failed attempts to clear the metal detector in the staff screening area, Jackson removed his Bureau of Prisons-issued protective vest, which was found to contain vacuum‑sealed bags of marijuana and cigarettes. Jackson resigned from the Bureau of Prisons two days later. If convicted, the defendant faces up to five years in prison. Assistant United States Attorneys Turner Buford and Russell Noble are in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Devone Thomas
Devone Thomas, who was previously charged with the June 7, 2024 killing of Uriel Whyte inside of the MDC Brooklyn, is now additionally charged by complaint with possession of a contraband weapon. On February 28, 2025, Thomas was transported to federal court in Brooklyn for a status conference in connection with his murder case. Upon his return to MDC-Brooklyn after the court appearance, a blade was found in Thomas’s groin area. If convicted, the defendant faces up to five years in prison. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth D’Antonio is in charge of the prosecution.
U.S. v. Brian Castro, Franklin Gillespie, Juan Lopez, Jowenky Nunez Jr., Hugo Rodriguez and Elvis Trejo
Brian Castro, Franklin Gillespie, Juan Lopez, Jowenky Nunez Jr., Hugo Rodriguez, and Elvis Trejo have been charged by complaint with assault in a federal detention facility for their roles in what became a unit-wide fight between inmates at MDC-Brooklyn. As alleged, on February 22, 2025, Castro, Lopez, Nunez, Rodriguez and Trejo, along with other as-yet uncharged individuals, approached another inmate in their unit, armed with weapons, and began chasing and stabbing him. The victim was stabbed 18 times and required hospitalization for his injuries. The brawl ultimately resulted in at least five inmates, including the victim, requiring transportation to a local hospital for further treatment. Gillespie, who was not a part of the initial group attacking the victim, joined the brawl after it began, and, also armed with a weapon, assaulted a fellow inmate in the course of the fight. The fight resulted in more than 20 inmates requiring medical assessments, and at least 10 inmates appeared to have wounds consistent with being stabbed or slashed. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Petraeus is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
The Office’s General Crimes Section is principally responsible for handling these cases, with substantial contributions from the Public Integrity Section, the Organized Crime and Gangs Section and the Office’s Long Island Criminal Section. In addition to the Assistant United States Attorneys and Special Agent listed above, Special Agent Danielle Williams, Law Enforcement Coordinator Specialist Herbert Martin and Paralegal Specialists Matias Burdman and Erin Payne have provided substantial support on these cases.
The charges in the indictments and complaints described above are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Defendants:
MIKE JOSIE
Age: 25E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-76 (FB)
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DARYL CAMPBELL
Age: 39IAN DIEZ
Age: 20JONATHAN GUERRERO
Age: 34ABEL MORA
Age: 23MAYOVANEX RODRIGUEZ
Age: 30E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-MJ-72
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SEAN SMITH
Age: 34RASHEED CHAPMAN
Age: 21ANTWAN MOSLEY
Age: 23E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-58
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ADIL DURAN
Age: 23E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-9 (ARR)
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ERIK STEADMAN
Age: 24JAVAUGHN HORTON
Age: 30E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-MJ-70
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ANGEL VILLAFANE
Age: 40E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-71 (HG)
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JUAN LOPEZ
Age: 26JOSE RIVERA
Age: 20E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-72 (CBA)
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TYQUAN ROBINSON
Age: 30E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-51 (AMD)
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JAIRON ORTEGA-COREA
Age: 23E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-83
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NAJEE JACKSON
Age: 32E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-67 (OEM)
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DEVONE THOMAS
Age: 25E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-360 (EK)
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BRIAN CASTRO
Age: 24FRANKLIN GILLESPIE
Age: 34JUAN LOPEZ
Age: 68JOWENKY NUNEZ JR.
Age: 22HUGO RODRIGUEZ
Age: 29ELVIS TREJO
Age: 24E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-MJ-73
5 March 2025
West Virginia Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A West Virginia man pleaded guilty today to one count of willful failure to pay over employment taxes on behalf of his business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dean E. Dawson operated RPC Group LLC, a Hurricane, West Virginia, real estate appraisal business. Dawson was responsible for withholding employment taxes from RPC Group’s employees and paying over those funds to the IRS. Between 2015 and 2022, however, Dawson willfully failed to pay over to the IRS the employment taxes withheld from his employees’ paychecks. He also used the RPC Group’s business accounts to pay for personal expenses, including personal credit cards and his wife’s home mortgage, and issued checks to his wife from RPC Group even though she was not an employee of the business. In addition, from 2018 to 2023, Dawson did not file personal tax returns or pay income taxes. In total, Dawson caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $250,000.
Dawson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Brian E. Flanagan and Rebecca A. Caruso of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan T. Storage for the Southern District of West Virginia are prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney Durham Launches the Eastern District of New York’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike ForceRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York John J. Durham announced today the creation and launch of the Eastern District of New York’s Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) Strike Force. Capitalizing on the Office’s preeminence in this area, the Strike Force will focus on investigating, prosecuting and dismantling cartels and TCOs, and their senior leadership by bringing charges that include terrorism, racketeering and operating a continuing criminal enterprise.
“I am establishing this Strike Force with immense pride in what this Office has already accomplished, as well as the knowledge that there is much more work to be done in the fight against TCOs,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Because of my Office’s significant experience and expertise in this area, we have a responsibility to our community and our country to dismantle these ruthless organizations from the top down in order to stop the violence, flow of drugs, and dangers they unleash in our District and across the nation.”
For more than two decades, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York has been a nationwide leader in prosecuting many of the most significant TCOs in the country and the world, including innovative indictments of the highest-ranking international leaders of the La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Sinaloa Cartel, Guadalajara Cartel, Juarez Cartel, H-2 Drug Cartel, Clan de Golfo and others. In addition, this Office has investigated and prosecuted numerous other TCOs that have a significant operating presence in our district, including the Trinitarios, 18th Street and, more recently, Tren de Aragua (TdA). Notably, United States Attorney Durham has been at the forefront of these prosecutions, leading and serving on the Attorney General’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force Subcommittee for MS-13 and directing Joint Task Force Vulcan, while other AUSAs in the Office have served on the subcommittees for Sinaloa, Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) Cartel, Hezbollah and Clan de Golfo.
Consistent with the Attorney General’s memorandum titled “TOTAL ELIMINATION OF CARTELS AND TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS” issued on February 5, 2025, which provided further guidance regarding President Trump’s January 20, 2025 Executive Order regarding TCOs such as TdA and MS-13, the Strike Force’s mission is as follows:
Investigating, prosecuting and dismantling cartels and TCOs, with a particular focus on their senior leadership and management, including without limitation: Mexican drug cartels such as the Sinaloa, H-2, Juarez, CJNG and Clan de Golfo cartels, and TCOs that have a significant operating presence in the District, such as MS-13, the Trinitarios, the 18th Street gang and TdA.
Disrupting the criminal activities of TCOs, particularly those operating in the United States and/or that impact United States victims at home or abroad, including TCOs engaged in criminal activity involving terrorism; racketeering; drug trafficking, particularly with respect to fentanyl and fentanyl precursors; violent crime; human trafficking and smuggling; corruption of foreign officials; money laundering; immigration crimes; and fraud and cybercrime schemes.
Identifying the sources and methods of illicit funds related to TCO financing and profits, and seizing and forfeiting bank accounts, digital assets, real property and other assets that are criminally derived, commingled with criminal proceeds, or otherwise involved in money laundering by or in support of TCOs.
Coordinating the investigative efforts of the Office’s federal law enforcement partners in the Eastern District and beyond, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, as well as High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA), state and local police departments and district attorneys’ offices.
Strengthening the Office’s partnerships and coordination with other Department of Justice components, including the National Security Division, Criminal Division, Joint Task Force Vulcan, Joint Task Force 10-7, Joint Task Force Alpha, OCDETF, MLARS, NDDS, OIA and other United States Attorney’s Offices.
The Chief of the International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section Francisco J. Navarro has been selected to serve as Director of the EDNY TCO Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan E. Farrell and Gabriel Park have been selected as Deputy Directors. In addition, the Strike Force will have at least one representative from each section of the Office’s Criminal Division to capitalize on existing experience, coordinate strategic focus and maximize resources to make an even more significant impact combatting TCOs. The Strike Force will also include OCDETF-designated AUSAs, Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) coordinators, as well as a designated representative from the Civil Division to ensure the Strike Force leverages civil remedies as appropriate. The Strike Force will also coordinate closely with the Office’s Immigration Enforcement Working Group.
Francisco J. Navarro
AUSA Navarro joined the Department in 2013 and the Office in 2018 after serving as an AUSA in the District of New Jersey. He has been in charge of INML since April 2023. He received his B.A. from Boston University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
AUSA Navarro has prosecuted several significant narcotics, national security and material support cases. He has also prosecuted significant white collar cases involving sanctions evasion, money laundering and the Bank Secrecy Act. For example, AUSA Navarro is part of the team prosecuting Rafael Caro Quintero for leading a continuing criminal enterprise, including his role in the kidnapping, torture and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. He is also leading the team prosecuting Ismael Zambada Garcia (aka “El Mayo”) for his founding and two-decade leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel—a continuing criminal enterprise—and one of the most violent and powerful drug cartels in the world. In United States v. Usuga David, et al., he led the team that obtained a 45-year prison sentence against Dairo Usuga David (aka “Otoniel”) who was the supreme leader of the Clan del Golfo and was considered the most dangerous narco-terrorist in Colombia since Pablo Escobar. AUSA Navarro also led the team that obtained the first indictments in the nation against Chinese chemical manufacturing companies and employees for importing fentanyl precursors into the United States and working with Mexican cartels to manufacture and distribute fentanyl in the United States. In addition, AUSA Navarro is also leading the prosecution of Mohammad Bazzi, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and financier for Hizballah, a foreign terrorist organization on sanctions evasion and money laundering charges. AUSA Navarro has been involved in multiple prosecutions of individuals and institutions for failing to follow United States laws regarding maintaining effective anti-money laundering programs, the prohibition on the provision of material support to designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, or other financial regulations.
Megan E. Farrell
AUSA Farrell joined the Office in 2018, and currently serves in the Office’s Long Island Criminal Section. She is one of the Office’s Human Trafficking Coordinators and previously served as an Acting Deputy Chief in the Office’s General Crimes Section. She received her B.A. from Boston College and her J.D. from St. John’s University.
AUSA Farrell has prosecuted significant organized crime, gang and sex trafficking cases during her time in the Office. In United States v. Canales-Rivera et al. and United States v. Arevalo-Chavez et al., she is part of the team prosecuting the highest-ranking members of MS-13’s international command and control structure, including the body known as the Ranfla Nacional, with charges that include conspiracy to provide and conceal material support to terrorists, conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to finance terrorism and narco-terrorism conspiracy. In United States v. Alexi Saenz et al., AUSA Farrell was part of a team that secured the convictions of two MS-13 defendants to racketeering and other charges in connection with eight murders. In United States v. Blanco et al., she was a member of the team that secured the convictions of three high-ranking MS-13 gang members to racketeering charges in connection with nine murders. In United States v. Escobar, AUSA Farrell was part of the team that secured a sentence of 50 years after the defendant was convicted on April 8, 2022, following a four-week trial, of racketeering, including predicate acts of murder, conspiracy to murder rival gang members, and obstruction of justice and murder in aid-of racketeering, in relation to the deaths of four young men who were hacked to death with machetes and other sharp objects by more than a dozen MS-13 members and associates after Escobar lured them to a local park in 2017. In United States v. Lampley-Reid, AUSA Farrell was part of the team leading to a Bloods gang member being sentenced to 23 years in prison for sex trafficking of minors. Additionally, AUSA Farrell is part of the team charging former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch and two other individuals with sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.
Gabriel Park
AUSA Park joined the Office in 2022 after serving in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He received his B.A. from Wake Forest University and his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and clerked for the Honorable Dora L. Irizarry. He currently serves in the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section.
AUSA Park has prosecuted significant violent organized crime and gang cases. In United States v. Yu, he was part of the prosecution team that convicted two defendants who were subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder-for-hire scheme of a perceived business rival, and in the related case United States v. Abreu, AUSA Park was on the prosecution team that convicted a third defendant for his role in the murder-for-hire scheme. In United States v. Thompson, AUSA Park was on the prosecution team that convicted a Long Island man who was later sentenced to 30 years in prison for drug trafficking, distribution of fentanyl that resulted in a death and illegal possession of firearms.
United States Arrests ISIS-K Attack Planner for Role in Killing of U.S. Military Service Members at Abbey Gate, AfghanistanRead the Press Release
Note: View the affidavit and complaint here.
On March 2, 2025, the United States charged Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), with providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B. Sharifullah has been arrested and is expected to appear in the Eastern District of Virginia on March 5, 2025.
“This evil ISIS-K terrorist orchestrated the brutal murder of 13 heroic service members,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under President Trump’s strong leadership on the world stage, this Department of Justice will ensure that terrorists like Mohammad Sharifullah have no safe haven, no second chances, and no worse enemy than the United States of America.”
“The lethal attack that killed 13 American service members and Afghan civilians during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was an act of terrorism,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “ISIS-K brazenly claimed responsibility for the carnage. Now thanks to the assistance of the FBI, Department of Justice, and the CIA, we have secured Sharifullah’s apprehension and transport to the U.S. to face American justice. The FBI will never forget the loss of these American heroes, we will continue to hunt down those who viciously murdered our warriors, we will find all responsible and bring them to justice.”
“The charges announced today carry an unmistakable message: the commitment of the United States to hold accountable all who facilitate and carry out acts of terror against us will never waver,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Our message to those who have been impacted by these horrific crimes is that you are not forgotten. We will continue to pursue justice no matter how long or how far it takes us.”
On Aug. 26, 2021, American and other Coalition military forces were conducting an evacuation operation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Abbey Gate was the main entry point for the operation. Thousands of civilians were at Abbey Gate for evacuation.
At approximately 5:36 p.m., ISIS-K member Abdul Rahman al-Logari detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. military service members and approximately 160 civilians.
During an interview with FBI Special Agents on March 2, 2025, after waiving his Miranda rights, Sharifullah admitted to helping prepare for the Abbey Gate attack, including scouting a route near the airport for an attacker. Sharifullah specifically checked for law enforcement and American or Taliban checkpoints; he then communicated to other ISIS-K members that he believed the route was clear and that the attacker would not be detected. Sharifullah also admitted to recognizing al-Logari as an ISIS-K operative he had previously known.
During his interview with the FBI, Sharifullah also admitted to supporting and conducting activities on behalf of ISIS-K in multiple other lethal attacks.
On June 20, 2016, a suicide bomber acting for ISIS-K detonated a bomb that killed over ten embassy guards and multiple civilians and wounded other soldiers guarding the Canadian embassy in Kabul. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. As alleged in the complaint, prior to the attack, Sharifullah conducted surveillance to prepare the suicide bomber and later transported the bomber to the attack area.
On March 22, 2024, a group of ISIS-K gunmen attacked Crocus City Hall near Moscow, Russia. The attack killed approximately 130 people and injured numerous others. Russian authorities arrested four gunmen in connection with the attack. During his interview with the FBI, Sharifullah admitted that, on behalf of ISIS-K, he had shared instructions on how to use AK-style rifles and other weapons to would-be attackers. Sharifullah also admitted to recognizing two of the four arrested gunmen as those he had previously instructed.
If convicted, Sharifullah faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Ben’Ary and Troy A. Edwards, Jr., for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Alicia Cook, Charles Kovats, and Ryan White for the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
The details described above are allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Justice Department Launches Investigation of University of California Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964Read the Press Release
The Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced that the Justice Department has opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the University of California (UC) under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The investigation will assess whether UC has engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, religion and national origin against its professors, staff and other employees by allowing an Antisemitic hostile work environment to exist on its campuses.
“This Department of Justice will always defend Jewish Americans, protect civil rights, and leverage our resources to eradicate institutional Antisemitism in our nation’s universities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“Our country has witnessed a disturbing rise of Antisemitism at educational institutions in California and nationwide,” said Acting Associate Attorney General and Department of Justice Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle. “The Department of Justice is committed to upholding Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and protecting Jewish Americans as we investigate this potential pattern of discrimination.”
Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell said, “Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks in Israel, there has been an outbreak of antisemitic incidents at leading institutions of higher education in America, including at my own alma mater at the UCLA campus of UC. The impact upon UC’s students has been the subject of considerable media attention and multiple federal investigations. But these campuses are also workplaces, and the Jewish faculty and staff employed there deserve a working environment free of antisemitic hostility and hate. The President, the Attorney General and this Task Force are committed to combatting antisemitism for all Jewish Americans.”
The employment discrimination investigation will be conducted pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and religion. Under Title VII, the Justice Department has the authority to initiate investigations against state and local government employers where it has reason to believe that a “pattern or practice” of employment discrimination exists.
Collaboration between the Justice Department and other federal agencies plays an important role in combating antisemitism in schools and college campuses. The Department coordinates with other federal agencies as part of the multi-agency Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism, as well as when sharing enforcement jurisdiction with other agencies. For state and local governments and related entities like public universities, the Department of Justice shares enforcement authority under Title VII with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC receives, investigates, and conciliates EEOC charges against state- and local-government employers, before referring those charges to the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice for potential litigation.
“The EEOC is committed to partnering with the Department of Justice to stamp out the scourge of anti-Semitism on campus workplaces,” said EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas.
If you have been discriminated against, you can file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division, at Contact the Civil Rights Division | Department of Justice (https://civilrights.justice.gov). If you work for an university or college and have experienced anti-Semitic harassment at work, you can file a charge with the EEOC, at How to File a Charge of Employment Discrimination | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (https://www.eeoc.gov/how-file-charge-employment-discrimination). Learn more about addressing anti-Semitism at work here: What To Do If You Face Antisemitism at Work.
President Trump’s Executive Order can be found here: Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism – The White House.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi Appoints Steven D. Weinhoeft as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of IllinoisRead the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi has appointed Steven D. Weinhoeft to serve as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Weinhoeft, returns to the role he held from 2018 to 2022, bringing decades of experience in federal law enforcement and complex litigation to the position.
“I am honored and excited to return to this role to serve the people of the Southern District of Illinois,” said Weinhoeft. “I look forward to working with Attorney General Bondi, our talented team, and our law enforcement partners to uphold the rule of law with integrity and resolve.”
Weinhoeft has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois since February 2008, holding multiple leadership roles, including United States Attorney (2018–2022), First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Supervisor of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and Dangerous Drugs Division.
Weinhoeft has built a career spanning nearly 29 years. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he spent more than a decade at the Sangamon County (Ill.) State’s Attorney’s Office, including serving as its First Assistant State’s Attorney and Chief of the Criminal Division. He has significant trial experience, and his expertise includes broad areas of state and federal law, including violent crime, multi-district and international drug conspiracies, public corruption, national security, and complex financial crimes. He has technical experience serving as the office’s criminal Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Coordinator. He also serves as the Digital Asset Coordinator with specialized expertise in cryptocurrency and blockchain issues.
The Southern District of Illinois covers 38 counties in southern Illinois and serves approximately 1.2 million people. The district has offices in East St. Louis, Benton, and Fairview Heights.
As U.S. Attorney, Weinhoeft will again serve as the chief federal law enforcement official representing the United States in all civil and criminal litigation. His appointment took effect on Feb. 28, 2025, and he was formally sworn into the position by Chief United States District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel at a ceremony Monday.
Three Wanted Defendants from Mexico Secured in ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jose Bibiano Cabrera-Cabrera, 37; Jesus Humberto Limon-Lopez, 43; and Jose Guadalupe Tapia-Quintero, 53; all of Mexico, appeared last week for their initial appearances after they were secured from Mexico on February 27, 2025.
The defendants taken into U.S. custody include leaders and managers of drug cartels recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel). These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence.
Tapia-Quintero is charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine with Intent to Import into the United States; Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine; Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Conspiracy to Commit Promotional Money Laundering; Conspiracy to Commit Concealment Money Laundering; and Aiding and Abetting. He is facing up to life imprisonment.
Limon-Lopez is charged with Continuing Criminal Enterprise; Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Distribution of Methamphetamine; Distribution of Fentanyl; Distribution of Heroin; Distribution of Cocaine; and Conspiracy to Unlawfully Export Firearms and Ammunition. He faces up to life imprisonment.
Cabrera-Cabrera is charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; and Conspiracy to Unlawfully Export Firearms and Ammunition. He faces up to life imprisonment.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
The OCDETF Arizona Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Arizona Army National Guard, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, and the Scottsdale Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by the United States Attorney Office for the District of Arizona.
CASE NUMBER: CR-13-00179-PHX-SRB
CR-21-01864-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-030_Cabrera-Cabrera# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Thibodaux Social Worker Sentenced to 30 Months for Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that JOHN CHRISTOPHER BARRILLEAUX (“BARRILLEAUX”), age 64, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, was sentenced on February 27, 2025 to 30 months in prison, after previously pleading guilty to healthcare fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347.
According to court documents, from 2008 through 2024, BARRILLEAUX submitted false claims to private insurance companies for millions of dollars of healthcare services that were not actually provided. To hide the fraud, BARRILLEAUX created fake patient notes and submitted them to the insurance companies to support his bills.
United States District Judge Barry Ashe sentenced BARRILLEAUX to 30 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. BARRILLEAUX was also ordered to pay $4,592,650 in restitution to the victim companies, as well as a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Acting U.S Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, of the Financial Crimes Unit and Health Care Fraud Coordinator, and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters, of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, are in charge of the prosecution.
Texas Man Sentenced to 200 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Elijah Shores, 30 years old, of Irving, Texas, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, after pleading guilty to distributing fentanyl, possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Shores was sentenced to 200 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Indiana State Police and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
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.
Stratford Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking FirearmsRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that STEFAN BAGLEY, JR., 23, of Stratford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 26, 2023, Bagley was shot and wounded while traveling in his vehicle in Bridgeport. Later that day, Bagley’s vehicle was used in another shooting incident in Bridgeport. An investigation revealed that, between October 2022 and October 2023, Bagley purchased more than 20 handguns from licensed firearm dealers and sold the guns to a network of customers, several of whom Bagley knew were prohibited by law from possessing firearms. Bagley typically scratched the serial numbers off of the firearms before providing them to his customers, making the guns more difficult to trace.
To date, law enforcement has recovered only five of the firearms that were purchased and trafficked by Bagley. One of the recovered firearms was used in a shooting in Stamford.
Bagley was arrested on December 18, 2023. On August 19, 2024, he pleaded guilty to firearm trafficking conspiracy.
Bagley, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on May 5.
This matter was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
St. Louis County Felon Who Triggered Standoff Sentenced to 40 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon who triggered a law enforcement standoff in St. Louis County to 40 months in prison.
Randy Wilkes, 43, pleaded guilty in November to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted being caught with a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol on Oct. 5, 2022, by the U.S. Marshals Service and St. Louis County police.
Deputy U.S. Marshals and police were at Wilkes’ home in the 10400 block of Gardo Court in Bellefontaine Neighbors to arrest him for outstanding felony warrants stemming from two violent domestic assaults, according to a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin. Wilkes refused officers’ commands to come to the door and instead hid in the basement, triggering a standoff that lasted more than two hours, the memo says. After escorting multiple children out of the house, law enforcement officers tried to safely locate Wilkes, using a K-9, a robot equipped with a camera and multiple nonlethal pepper balls and gas canisters to avoid approaching Wilkes in a way that would risk their safety, the memo says. Wilkes was arrested after officers forced entry into an exterior basement door.
After his release from prison, Wilkes will be on supervised release for three years.
The U.S. Marshals Service and St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Six Foreign Nationals Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of six indictments charging Cesar Antonio Geronimo-Morales (34, Guatemala), Calixto Gomez-Lopez (42, Guatemala), Fermin Diaz (37, El Salvador), Lenar Donaldo Martinez-Garay (32, Honduras), Lesman Yohan Lopez-Gamez (33, Honduras), and Juan Jose Resendiz-Gonzalez (47, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, each faces up to two years in federal prison.
According to court documents, all six individuals have been previously deported from the United States and were found present in Duval County. None have received the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security for the United States to apply for readmission to the United States.
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 Department of Homeland Security. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta.
Six Defendants Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy Related to 2022 Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking in Chittenden County and ElsewhereRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that last month the final defendants convicted in connection with a Chittenden County drug distribution conspiracy, were sentenced in United States District Court for the District of Vermont.
According to court records, from October 2022 through December 30, 2022, Christopher Purvis was the manager of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl in Burlington, and elsewhere around Chittenden County. The conspiracy used a residence belonging to Tyler Orvis in Milton, Vermont to store drug packaging materials. As part of the investigation into the operation, on December 6, 2022, in Jericho, Vermont, law enforcement seized fentanyl, cocaine, and a firearm from Russell Mitchell, Alexis Sutton, and Dorothy Wilde. Records also indicate Sierra Fuentes sold drugs and transported proceeds in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss imposed the following sentences, which were advised by the United States Sentencing Guidelines:
- Christopher Purvis – 72 months followed by 5 years of supervised release;
- Russell Mitchell – 54 months followed by 3 years of supervised release (later commuted to 20 months by executive order);
- Tyler Orvis – Time Served (approximately 24 months) followed by 6 years of supervised release;
- Dorothy Wilde – Time Served (approximately 8 months) followed by 3 years of supervised release; and
- Alexis Sutton – 6 months followed by 6 years of supervised release.
United States District Judge Mae D’Agostino imposed the following sentence, which was advised by the United States Sentencing Guidelines:
- Sierra Fuentes – Time Served (approximately 14 months) followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher thanked the DEA Burlington, Vermont Office, and acknowledged significant assistance from the Milton Police Department, the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department, the Morristown Police Department, the DEA Hartford, Connecticut Office, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Massachusetts State Police and the Massachusetts Bureau of Prisons.
Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Stendig handled the case for the Government. Mark Kaplan, Esq. represented Tyler Orvis, Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels represented Christopher Purvis, Richard Bothfeld, Esq. represented Alexis Sutton, John Mabie, Esq. represented Dorothy Wilde, and William A. Vasiliou, II, Esq. represented Sierra Fuentes.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Terrell Bell, age 27, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Bell was on parole in January 2024 when law enforcement searched his home in Schenectady and discovered nearly 1,800 fentanyl pills in his bedroom and over $90,000 throughout the home.
At sentencing scheduled for July 9, 2025, Bell faces a minimum term of 5 years and a maximum term of 40 years in prison, a maximum fine of $5 million, and a term of supervised release after imprisonment of between 4 years and life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Bell has also consented to the forfeiture of the currency seized from his home.
FBI investigated this case with the assistance of the Schenectady Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa is prosecuting this case.
Salem Man Faces Federal Charge for Illegally Possessing Molotov CocktailsRead the Press Release
A Salem, Oregon man was arraigned in federal court today for possessing Molotov cocktails while attempting to destroy property at a Salem car dealership.
Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegally possessing an unregistered destructive device.
According to court documents, on January 20, 2025, officers from the Salem Police Department responded to a report of an individual throwing Molotov cocktails at a local car dealership. Later, on February 19, 2025, officers returned to the same dealership after a report of damage from what appeared to be bullets fired into a building and vehicle.
Investigators soon linked Lansky to both incidents. Surveillance footage obtained from the car dealership appeared to show Lansky throwing Molotov cocktails that struck a dealership building and several vehicles, causing fires. Surveillance video from a patrol car captured a vehicle parked near the dealership while Lansky is alleged to have discharged multiple firearm rounds into a building and at least one vehicle. Investigators learned the vehicle was registered to Lansky and observed it at his residence.
Lansky was arrested Tuesday without incident in Salem and made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Salem Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Parakram Singh, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Repeat Gun Offender Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Aggravated Assault While ArmedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Traquon Demonte McCalip, 21, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 114 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a Canik T9SF Elite 9mm handgun and using it to shoot a victim in the middle of the day at a busy fast-food restaurant parking lot on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue NE.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean T. Ryan of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
McCalip pleaded guilty on August 23, 2024, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and to aggravated assault while armed. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered McCalip to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on March 20, 2024, McCalip approached an individual standing in a fast-food parking lot on the 3900-block of Minnesota Avenue NE, and claimed that he wanted to buy cigarettes from him. After discussing cigarette prices, McCalip attempted to take the individual’s bag. McCalip then drew his loaded, concealed handgun and shot the individual in the abdomen. As a struggle ensued between McCalip and the victim, McCalip spotted a marked police vehicle that had arrived on scene. McCalip took his firearm’s magazine that had fallen out of his gun, and fled in a vehicle that he had parked in the lot with his firearm’s magazine but left behind his firearm. Police chased McCalip and ultimately arrested him near 1805 Bladensburg Road NE. Officers recovered the firearm magazine and ammunition on the driver’s seat of the car McCalip was driving.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ethan Cantor of the Department of Justice.
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Reno Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Assaulting Federal Officer During ArrestRead the Press Release
RENO – A Reno resident was sentenced today by United States District Judge Miranda M. Du to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon during the execution of his arrest warrant.
According to evidence presented at trial, on February 16, 2022, Matthew John Nason, 39, fired a handgun in the direction of a Deputy United States Marshal while the Deputy was attempting to serve a valid arrest warrant for Nason and his girlfriend at Nason’s residence. Nason had an outstanding arrest warrant for drug and firearms violations out of the District of North Dakota. The 10-year sentence is to run consecutive to the sentence Nason received in the District of North Dakota.
In November 2024, following the three-day trial, a jury convicted Nason of assault of a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.
Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division, and Marshal Gary Schofield for the United States Marshals Service made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI, United States Marshals Service, and the Reno Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Rachow and Randy St. Clair prosecuted the case.
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Putnam County Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Dean E. Dawson, 65, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty today to one count of willful failure to pay over employment taxes on behalf of his business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dawson operated RPC Group LLC, a Hurricane, West Virginia, real estate appraisal business. Dawson was responsible for withholding employment taxes from RPC Group’s employees and paying over those funds to the IRS. Between 2015 and 2022, however, Dawson willfully failed to pay over to the IRS the employment taxes withheld from his employees’ paychecks. He also used the RPC Group’s business accounts to pay for personal expenses, including personal credit cards and his wife’s home mortgage, and issued checks to his wife from RPC Group even though she was not an employee of the business. In addition, from 2018 to 2023, Dawson did not file personal tax returns or pay income taxes. In total, Dawson caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $250,000.
Dawson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Dawson also owes restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement.
The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) is investigating the case.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Trial Attorneys Brian E. Flanagan and Rebecca A. Caruso of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan T. Storage for the Southern District of West Virginia are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-120.
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Prior Convicted Felon Who Led Distribution Network That Had Access to and Distributed Kilograms of Drugs During the Height of the COVD-19 Pandemic is Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Joseph Twilley, 65 years old, of Detroit, was sentenced to just over 13 years in prison. United States District Judge Laurie J. Michelson sentenced the Detroit-based leader for overseeing a drug trafficking network that distributed kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin; laundering his drug money; and possessing firearms despite being a convicted felon, announced Acting United States Attorney Julie Beck.
Beck was joined in the announcement by Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Administration, Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Charles E. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Detroit Field Division.
Twilley was able to obtain kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when drug prices skyrocketed as supplies dwindled. DEA and FBI’s investigation culminated in the seizure of 15 kilograms of cocaine shipped from California in a hidden compartment in a vehicle. Agents then searched Twilley’s residence and recovered heroin, fentanyl, multiple firearms, and bulk currency. IRS CI uncovered hundreds of thousands of dollars that Twilley laundered through various bank accounts for businesses he set up to hide his drug proceeds from law enforcement.
“Our office works collaboratively with our federal law enforcement partners to hold drug traffickers accountable for distributing opioids and other illegal drugs into our communities while profiting handsomely and trying to hide and launder their drug proceeds. We have to stop not only the drug trafficking, but we have to remove the financial incentive to truly take down an organization like Twilley’s,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beck.
“Illegal drug distribution operations like the one Mr. Twilley was overseeing, ravages the very foundation of our communities. Every time we take deadly drugs like fentanyl, heroin and cocaine off the streets, lives are saved. This investigation demonstrates the strength and continued commitment of our federal law enforcement partners here in Michigan,” said Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of DEA.
"The sentencing of Joseph Twilley sends a clear and powerful message: those who orchestrate the distribution of illegal drugs, engage in money laundering, and illegally possess firearms will be held fully accountable under the law," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office. "Through our collaboration with the DEA and IRS, we have successfully dismantled a significant drug trafficking network. The FBI remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to combat violent and white-collar crime, ensuring our communities' continued safety and security in Michigan."
“This sentencing signals an important victory for the American public. The role of IRS Criminal Investigations in narcotics investigations is to follow the money so we can financially disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations,” said Charles Miller, IRS Criminal Investigations, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office. “We are proud to work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners to hold criminals accountable and make our communities safer.”
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement (OCDETF) Southeast Regional Strike Force, an Initiative that 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. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrea Hutting and Rajesh Prasad prosecuted the case for the United States.
Orlando and Miami Women Sentenced for Conspiracy Involving Kilograms of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl and Tens of Thousands in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger today sentenced Mayerline Patricia Salcedo (31, Orlando) and Rachel Beth Cordero (31, Miami) to 12 and 6 years and 6 months in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in conspiring to distribute fentanyl and other drugs. The court also ordered Cordero to forfeit $3,689 in drug proceeds seized from her vehicle and Salcedo to forfeit $27,286 in drug proceeds and a firearm seized from her apartment. Cordero pleaded guilty on September 13, 2024, and Salcedo pleaded guilty on October 25, 2024.
According to court documents, on November 29, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) followed Cordero – a target of a Miami-based DEA investigation – as she drove for hours from her apartment in Miami to an apartment complex on Millenia Boulevard in Orlando. When Cordero arrived, she waited in her car as Salcedo delivered a bag containing drugs to her in her vehicle. When Cordero’s vehicle was later stopped, a search revealed numerous drugs, drug proceeds, a digital scale, and cutting agents, including a kilogram brick of fentanyl wrapped in red tape.
DEA agents then arrested Salcedo and executed a search warrant at her apartment, seizing nearly 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, 4 ½ kilograms of fentanyl analogs, fentanyl pills, and powdered fentanyl in the same wrapping.
In Salcedo’s apartment, the DEA also located $27,286, a money counter, and a ledger accounting for the profits of her and her conspirators’ business:
Salcedo regularly texted photos to conspirators of currency, drug proceeds, and accounting ledgers reflecting collections of $19,000, $36,000, $47,000, and similar amounts. After Cordero’s arrest, the DEA conducted a search warrant at her apartment in Miami and seized more fentanyl and a kilogram press, along with other drug distribution paraphernalia. In total, the DEA recovered nearly 6 kilograms of fentanyl and analogs and nearly 12 kilograms methamphetamine, among other drugs.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Okmulgee Couple Sentenced for Child Abuse and Child NeglectRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that John Ray Collins Jr., age 49, and Tambara Lorene Collins, age 38, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, appeared in United States District Court for sentencing.
John Ray Collins Jr. was sentenced to 240 months in prison for one count of Attempted Murder, and 360 months each on two counts of Child Abuse, and 360 months for one count of Child Neglect. The terms of imprisonment will run concurrently for a total of 30 years imprisonment, to be followed by a five year term of supervised release.
Tambara Lorene Collins, age 38, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 216 months in prison per count on two counts of Child Abuse, and 216 months in prison for one count of Child Neglect. The terms of imprisonment will run concurrently for a total of 18 years imprisonment, to be followed by a five year term of supervised release.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police.
On November 17, 2023, a federal jury convicted John Collins at trial of all counts. On October 24, 2023, Tambara Collins entered a guilty plea to two counts of child abuse and one count of child neglect.
According to investigators, between January 1, 2023, and June 12, 2023, John and Tambara Collins repeatedly abused and failed to protect two children in their care. The children sustained bruising and abrasions to the face, ears, back, legs, and feet. In mid-June, John Collins escalated his abuse, beating one of the children with a pipe. The child was then denied food, water, medical care, and sanitary living conditions. The child suffered head lacerations, internal bleeding, a broken arm, broken fingers, and traumatic skeletal muscle deterioration before rescuers were able to remove the children from the Collins residence.
The crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“The suffering these innocent children endured at the hands of two people who were supposed to love and care for them is horrific and unconscionable,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “The FBI is proud to have been part of the investigative team that helped put John and Tambara Collins behind prison bars where they undoubtedly belong.”
“The defendants subjected children in their care to unthinkable abuse and neglect, and I am thankful for the collaborative work of county, tribal, and federal investigators and federal prosecutors in securing convictions and significant sentences in this case,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. The defendants 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. Attorneys Caila M. Cleary and Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
Ohio Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Emariel Kanay Tyler, 20, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, for use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 29, 2023, Tyler traveled by rideshare from a Charleston apartment to a residence in Wyoming County with quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Tyler admitted that she used her cell phone to arrange the sale of the fentanyl to someone at the residence, discussing the meeting location and the prices to be charged for the fentanyl. Tyler exchanged the fentanyl for payment at the meeting location, but further admitted that she returned to Charleston with both the money and the fentanyl.
The rideshare dropped Tyler off at the Charleston apartment upon their return from Wyoming County. Tyler found that law enforcement officers were executing a search warrant at the apartment, where her boyfriend, Terric Zaire Williams, was staying. Officers saw the outline of a firearm in Tyler’s pants and a large amount of cash and a baggie of suspected drugs hanging out of the pockets of her jacket. Officers arrested Tyler.
Officers also seized three-quarters of a pound of methamphetamine from a dining room trash can and a living room closet during the search of the apartment. Williams, 25, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced on February 27, 2025, to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-186.
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Ohio Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Leonard Samiia, 32, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Samiia must register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about February 20, 2023, Samiia employed, used, persuaded, induced, and enticed a minor victim residing within the Southern District of West Virginia to send images of her nude vagina to him through the internet using an instant messaging service. Samiia also sent the images back to the minor victim using the messaging service.
Samiia admitted that he sent a series of messages to the minor victim, directing her to make specific poses and take specific actions for these images. Samiia further admitted that he threatened the minor victim with the images she sent him, including by messaging her “(h)ave fun with these pics being posted now,” “being posted all over Facebook google snapchat twitch and everywhere,” and “THEY WILL BE POSTED ON YOUR SCHOOL WEBSITE TOO.” In one message, Samiia threatened to travel to where the minor victim lived and physically harm her and her family.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Holly Wilson 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 Department of Justice. 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.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-18.
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Ninedee Gang Member Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Murder of Former Federal WitnessRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Quintin Green, also known as “Wild Child,” was sentenced by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to 35 years’ imprisonment for the murder of former federal witness Shatavia Walls in July 2020. Green, a member of the Ninedee Gang, a violent criminal enterprise operating out of the Louis H. Pink Houses in East New York, pleaded guilty in April 2024 to causing Walls’ death through use of firearms. Green also pleaded guilty to attempted Hobbs Act robbery for attempting to steal televisions from a Target store in Staten Island in November 2020 and was sentenced to a concurrent term of five years in prison.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Leslie R. Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“The calculated murder of Shatavia Walls by members and associates of the Ninedee Gang arose from a twisted desire to murder her in retaliation for her federal testimony and perceived disrespect of the gang,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Quintin Green shot an unarmed woman in cold blood to make a name for himself in the gang, but he should be called out for what he truly is, a cowardly killer. He deservedly will spend decades in a federal prison. I commend the FBI special agents, the NYPD detectives and the prosecutors in my Office who worked tirelessly to dismantle this gang, achieve justice for Ms. Walls and make the Pink Houses and the surrounding area in East New York a safer place for the law-abiding residents of that community.”
“Along with other Ninedee members, Quintin Green targeted and callously killed Shatavia Walls and then bragged across social media about his abhorrent crimes in an effort to bolster the gang’s dangerous reputation,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Backschies. “This premeditated ambush was an unjust retributive attack against a former government witness trying to protect her community from further gang violence. May today’s sentencing reflect the FBI’s continued refusal to tolerate any attempts to intimidate those who speak out against gang violence.”
“Today, we are bringing a cold-blooded murderer to justice,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Quintin Green and the Ninedee Gang terrorized their neighborhood, put children in danger, and viciously killed an unarmed woman. Let this serve as a clear message that we will go after violent gangs that break the law and cause widespread harm and fear. I thank the NYPD detectives and the prosecutors in this case for their tireless work to hold these perpetrators accountable.”
As set forth in [the government’s sentencing memorandum and other court filings], Green and other members of the Ninedee Gang targeted Walls for murder because she testified against a Ninedee Gang member in federal court in Brooklyn in 2019, had a confrontation with Ninedee Gang members who were setting fireworks off near children on July 4, 2020 and her affiliation with the rival “7” and “8” Pink House apartment buildings. For those reasons, she was considered by the gang to be a high-value target. The defendant became known as “Wild Child” due to his reputation for violence and, in order to earn status in the gang, boasted about his willingness to shoot rivals. He was one of two shooters who gunned Walls down on July 7, 2020.
Further, as proven at the trial of Green’s co-defendant, Ninedee Gang leader Maliek Miller, Ninedee Gang members were affiliated with the “5” and “6” Pink Houses apartment buildings and engaged in ongoing gang-related violence within and outside of the New York City Housing Authority complex. Ninedee Gang protected its turf through violence and sought to silence anyone who they perceived to be working with law enforcement.
The murder of Walls was coordinated by Ninedee Gang members, including Green. Prior to her court testimony, fliers had been posted around the Pink Houses stating, “Shatavia Been a Rat And She Still Ratting.”
On July 4, 2020, Walls and others were involved in a physical altercation with members of Ninedee for lighting fireworks around young children. Miller went to the scene of the altercation, called Walls a “snitch,” fought with her and fired a gunshot. Following the altercation, Miller planned with other Ninedee Gang members, including Green, to kill Walls.
On July 7, 2020, Walls was spotted by Green and his co-defendant Joe Santana. Green and Santana began shooting at her. Green then chased Walls down a path at the Pink Houses, continuing to shoot her. Walls suffered numerous gunshot wounds and died of her injuries 10 days later.
Co-defendant Shakur Bey destroyed the clothing that Green and Santana wore during the shooting by throwing the items down an incinerator chute. Co-defendant Kevin Wint, who was not present at the murder, rented a hotel room at a Best Western Hotel near John F. Kennedy International Airport to provide a place where Green and others could hide out overnight. In the days after the murder, Green and Wint posted to social media claiming credit to the Ninedee Gang for the killing.
Miller was convicted in June 2024 of murder in-aid of racketeering and faces a mandatory term of life in prison when he is sentenced. Santana and Fernandez pleaded guilty to their roles in the murder. Santana was sentenced to 22 years in prison and Fernandez is awaiting sentencing. Wint pleaded guilty in March 2023 and was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment. Bey pleaded guilty in December 2023 and was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. Ninedee leader Raquel Dunton is charged with acting as an accessory after-the-fact to Walls’ murder and obstruction of justice for assisting fellow gang members in concealing evidence of the crime. Dunton is also charged with trafficking cocaine and is awaiting trial.
In addition to the murder, Green pleaded guilty to attempting to commit a November 3, 2020 robbery of a Staten Island Target store. Green attempted to steal two flat- screen televisions and was stopped by a security guard. Green punched the security guard causing her to fall and attempted to flee with one of the two televisions. He was arrested by police after fleeing the scene.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily J. Dean, Margi Schierberl and Irisa Chen are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Elizabeth Reed and Intelligence Analysts Eungee Hwang and Ashley Hinkson.
The Defendant:
QUINTIN GREEN (also known as “Wild Child”)
Age: 24
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-331 (LDH)
Defendant Convicted at Trial:
MALIEK MILLER
Age: 31
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-331 (LDH)
Defendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:
JOE SANTANA (also known as “Baby Joe”)
Age: 20
Brooklyn, New YorkCHAYANNE FERNANDEZ (also known as “White Boy”)
Age: 24
Brooklyn, New YorkKEVIN WINT (also known as “Kev G”)
Age: 31
Brooklyn, New YorkSHAKUR BEY (also known as “Speedy”)
Age: 27
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-331 (LDH)
Defendant Awaiting Trial:
RAQUEL DUNTON (also known as “Rah”)
Age: 38
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-344 (LDH)
Nigerian Man Extradited to the United States to Face Computer Intrusion and Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Nigerian national living in Mexico has been extradited to the United States for his role in a scheme to break into Massachusetts tax preparation firms’ computer networks and to file fraudulent tax returns.
Matthew A. Akande, 36, was arrested in October 2024 at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom at the request of the United States and extradited to the United States on March 5, 2025. He appeared in federal court in Boston today. Akande was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2022 with one count of conspiracy to obtain unauthorized access to protected computers in furtherance of fraud and to commit theft of government money and money laundering; one count of wire fraud; four counts of unauthorized access to protected computers in furtherance of fraud; 13 counts of theft of government money; and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft.
Co-conspirator, Kehinde H. Oyetunji, 33, a Nigerian national living in North Dakota, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of conspiracy to obtain unauthorized access to protected computers in furtherance of fraud and to commit theft of government money and money laundering. Oyetunji’s sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
Between in or about June 2016 and June 2021, Akande, Oyetunji and others are alleged to have worked together to steal money from the United States government using taxpayers’ personally identifiable information (PII) to file fraudulent tax returns in the taxpayers’ names. In addition, between in or about February 2020, the scheme involved stealing taxpayers’ PII from Massachusetts tax preparation firms via phishing attacks and computer intrusions.
To carry out the scheme, Akande is alleged to have caused fraudulent phishing emails to be sent to five Massachusetts tax preparation firms. The emails purported to be from a prospective client seeking the tax preparation firms’ services but in truth were used to trick the firms into downloading remote access trojan malicious software (RAT malware), including malware known as Warzone RAT. Akande allegedly used the RAT malware to obtain the PII and prior year tax information of the tax preparation firms’ clients, which Akande then used to cause fraudulent tax returns to be filed seeking refunds. The tax returns directed that the fraudulent tax refunds be deposited in bank accounts allegedly opened by Oyetunji and others. Once the refunds were issued, Oyetunji and others withdrew the stolen money in cash in the United States and then transferred a portion to third parties in Mexico, allegedly at Akande’s direction, while keeping a portion for themselves. In total, Akande and his coconspirators are alleged to have filed more than 1,000 fraudulent tax returns seeking over $8.1 million in fraudulent tax refunds over approximately five years. They are alleged to have successfully obtained over $1.3 million in fraudulent tax refunds.
Federal authorities encourage all businesses that suspect they have been the target and/or victim of a cyberattack to file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. Taxpayers and tax preparation firms that suspect they have been the target and/or victim of a phishing attack can also forward phishing email(s) to [email protected].
The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of unauthorized access to protected computers in furtherance of fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of theft of government money provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs coordinated with authorities in the United Kingdom to secure the extradition of Akande. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nigerian Citizen Admits Guilt in Bank Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracies Causing More Than $1.7 Million in LossesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – David Daniyan, a/k/a “Bamikole Laniyan,” a/k/a “David Enfield,” a/k/a “Africa,” age 60, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty today in connection with his role in bank fraud and money laundering conspiracies led by Oluwaseun Adekoya, age 39, also a Nigerian citizen, of Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Daniyan pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and aggravated identity theft. Daniyan admitted that, working with Adekoya, he obtained the personal identifying information of people residing all over the United States and recruited lower-level conspirators to impersonate those people using fake driver’s licenses to fraudulently obtain cash, checks, and loans at their financial institutions and obtain merchandise using credit at retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue. Daniyan also admitted to conspiring with Adekoya and others to launder the proceeds of their bank fraud by, among other things, using fraudulently obtained funds to purchase additional fake driver’s licenses and depositing fraudulently obtained checks into accounts in the names of identity-theft victims that were controlled by coconspirators. Daniyan admitted that the bank fraud conspiracy netted over $1.7 million in fraud proceeds, and was perpetrated in the Northern District of New York and all over the country.
According to documents previously filed in the case, Daniyan, a citizen of Nigeria, has been living in the United States without authorization under numerous aliases since at least the 1990s when he was first investigated, charged, and convicted in another federal district under the stolen identity of a U.S. citizen.
The following defendants are charged as follows in the superseding indictment:
- Adekoya is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and nine counts of aggravated identity theft;
- Kani Bassie, age 36, of Brooklyn, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft;
- Davon Hunter, age 27, of Richmond, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft;
- Jermon Brooks, age 20, of Richmond, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft;
- Christian Quivers, age 20, of Richmond, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft; and
- Crystal Kurschner, age 44, of Brooklyn, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
As to these defendants, the charges in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. These remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The prosecution is the result of an ongoing investigation led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI-Albany, which began after the May 2022 arrest of Daniyan, Gaysha Kennedy, age 46, of Brooklyn, and Victor Barriera, age 64, of the Bronx, New York, by the Cohoes Police Department after the trio traveled to the Capital Region to commit bank fraud.
Adekoya, Daniyan, Kennedy, and Barriera were originally indicted, along with coconspirators Jerjuan Joyner, age 50, of Brooklyn, Akeem Balogun, age 56, of Brooklyn, Danielle Cappetti, age 46, of the Bronx, and Lesley Lucchese, age 53, of Brooklyn, in connection with the conspiracy in an indictment returned in December 2023.
Sherry Ozmore, Kennedy, Barriera, Joyner, Balogun, Cappetti, and Lucchese have pled guilty to bank fraud conspiracy.
At sentencing on July 10, 2025, Daniyan faces a maximum term of 30 years in prison for the bank fraud conspiracy, 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy, and a mandatory consecutive term of 2 years in prison for his conviction of aggravated identity theft; as well as an order of restitution of at least $1,776,705.43 and a term of supervised release of up to 5 years. Daniyan also agreed to forfeit nearly $100,000 in proceeds of the bank fraud conspiracy seized by federal authorities. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Following his term of imprisonment, Daniyan will be placed into immigration removal proceedings.
FBI Albany is investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in New York, Newark, Richmond and Resident Agencies in Westchester, New York; Brooklyn/Queens, New York; Garrett Mountain, New Jersey; and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Additional assistance was provided by other law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement & Removal Operations (New York Field Office & Albany sub-office); U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (Buffalo Field Office & St. Albans Resident Office); U.S. Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General; New York law enforcement agencies including the New York State Police; Cohoes PD; Colonie PD; Elmira PD; Corning PD; Plattsburgh PD; Florida law enforcement agencies including the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; the Pennsylvania State Police; Alabama law enforcement agencies including the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Gasden PD, and Rainbow City PD; Georgia law enforcement agencies including the Georgia State Patrol, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, and Morrow PD; Kansas law enforcement agencies including Lawrence PD and Overland Park PD; New Hampshire law enforcement agencies including Rochester PD, Manchester PD, and Amherst PD; the Delaware State Police; Maryland law enforcement agencies including the Maryland State Police, Harford County Sheriff’s Office and Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office; Wisconsin law enforcement agencies including Onalaska PD and Eau Claire PD; and Indiana law enforcement agencies including the Allen County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting this case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun Control Act ViolatonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that CHRISTOPHER PERTUIT (“PERTUIT”), age 50, of New Orleans, was sentenced after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
The Honorable Carl J. Barbier, U.S. District Court Judge, sentenced PERTUIT to 63 months imprisonment, three years supervised release and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
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.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Jersey Man Admits to Concealing Material Support and Resources to ISISRead the Press Release
Kyse S. Abushanab, 27, of Budd Lake, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to a one-count information charging him with concealing material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents, between in or around March 2021 and in or around January 2022, Abushanab compiled resources, including information pertaining to the manufacture and use of weapons of mass destruction, with the aim of providing members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS or the Islamic State), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and its supporters with a repository of information and resources to help carry out ISIS’s mission. This material included, among other things, videos and documents showing step-by-step instructions on how to make suicide belts or vests, detonators and timers, improvised bombs, and other explosives and incendiary devices. In an effort to evade detection by law enforcement, Abushanab took steps to conceal his efforts to assist ISIS by, among other things, using encrypted applications, untraceable email accounts, and a secured cloud storage space to gather and store information on how to make a variety of weapons of mass destruction.
The charge of concealment of provision of material support carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 24.
Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna for the District of New Jersey; Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Ryan White of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Gun While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ELBERT LLORRENS, 32, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 1, 2024, Llorrens possessed a loaded Smith & Wesson, model SD40 VE, .40 caliber pistol.
In March 2017, Llorrens was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 60 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for committing multiple carjackings and armed robberies, and he was on federal supervised release when he possessed the firearm.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Unlawful possession of a firearm carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Llorrens is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4.
Llorrens has been detained since March 1, 2024.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, and the West Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
Montgomery Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison Following Federal Drug and Gun ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the sentencing of a Montgomery, Alabama man following his convictions on federal drug and gun charges. On March 4, 2025, 23-year-old Arthur Varcea Colvin, received a sentence of 96 months in prison. Following his prison sentence, Colvin will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to his indictment and other court records, on February 1, 2023, officers with the Montgomery Police Department observed the driver of a vehicle commit a traffic violation and conducted a traffic stop. Occupants of the vehicle included Colvin in the front passenger’s seat, 28-year-old Le’Anthony Washington in the driver’s seat, and another passenger in the rear seat. Officers developed a suspicion that the vehicle contained illegal narcotics and requested the three occupants exit the vehicle. During a search, law enforcement found three firearms, including a .40 caliber handgun under the driver’s seat, an AR-15 pistol under the front passenger’s seat, and a 9mm handgun on the back floorboard. Investigators also found over 400 grams of marijuana in the trunk. In addition, officers found a handgun and a small amount of marijuana on Colvin’s person.
On October 28, 2024, Colvin pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Washington has a previous felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. In October of last year, Washington pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Washington received a sentence of 35 months in federal prison on January 31, 2025.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Michelle R. Turner prosecuted.
Mexican national sentenced for possession of child sexual assault materialRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 26-year-old citizen of Mexico has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Ezequiel Vallejo-Hernandez pleaded guilty Feb. 12, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered him to serve 78 months in federal prison. Vallejo-Hernandez was further ordered to pay $57,500 in restitution to various victims and will serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
On Sept. 16, 2023, Vallejo-Hernandez attempted to enter the United States through the Gateway International Port of Entry, at which time authorities referred him to secondary inspection. At that time, they noticed that Vallejo-Hernandez had a “lookout” placed on him based on a Cybertip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Law enforcement conducted a basic search of his cell phone which led to the discovery of child sexual assault material (CSAM) on the device.
“Since its founding, the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood (PSC) has allowed prosecutors and law enforcement to uncover and prosecute those that prey on children online. This case is a textbook example on how PSC is making the internet safer for children,” said Ganjei.
A forensic analysis resulted in the discovery of a total of 557 CSAM files within his MEGA application - a cloud-based storage application – on his phone.
Vallejo-Hernandez admitted to downloading the CSAM files to his cell phone and acknowledged it was a crime to be in possession of that material.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of PSC, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Mexican National with Vehicular Homicide Conviction in Federal Custody for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Mexican national was transferred into federal custody in Waco on criminal charges related to his alleged illegal re-entry.
According to court documents, Arturo Olalde-Velazquez, 40, was booked in the Falls County jail in December 2024 for driving while intoxicated, unlawful carrying a weapon, and possession of a controlled substance. Olalde-Velazquez had been previously removed in December 2019 after being convicted in Louisiana for a 2016 vehicular homicide.
Olalde-Velazquez is charged with one count of illegal re-entry. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Gloff is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican National in Custody Charged with Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Mexican national with multiple drug crimes after law enforcement seized illicit drugs, including fentanyl in the District of Utah.
Juana Gabriela Sancion Castaneda, 41, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was charged by complaint on February 19, 2025.
According to court documents, in January 2025, the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) began conducting a criminal investigation into Castaneda and other members of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large quantities of narcotics in the District of Utah. On February 18, 2025, agents executed a search warrant at Castaneda’s residence in Salt Lake County and seized approximately 867 grams (almost two pounds) of field-tested positive fentanyl, and 794 grams (about 1 and ¾ pounds) of field-tested positive heroin. The fentanyl seized was approximately 8,000 fentanyl pills. Castaneda was subsequently detained.
Castaneda is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. Her initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 10, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF), consisting of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, and the Davis Metro Narcotic Strike Force (DMNSF).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.