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13 February 2025
Orlando Man Sentenced to One Year and Six Months in Federal Prison for Possessing A MachinegunRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Jeremiah Cundiff (19, Orlando) to one year and six months in federal prison for possessing a machinegun. Cundiff pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024.
According to court documents, on October 23, 2023, law enforcement apprehended Cundiff, who had an active warrant for his arrest. During the apprehension, Cundiff fled and made a stealthy movement. At the area of Cundiff’s movement, a loaded firearm with a machinegun conversion device installed (pictured below) was recovered. Cundiff’s DNA was found on the firearm.
The type of machinegun conversion device in this case is commonly referred to as a “switch,” and is designed and intended, solely and exclusively, to convert a semiautomatic pistol into a machinegun, causing the pistol to fire more than one shot with the single pull of the trigger.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with valuable assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.
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.
Orange County man sentenced for federal firearms violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – An Orange, Texas, man has been sentenced for a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. today.
Alton Wayne Wallace, 31, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on February 13, 2025.
According to information presented in court, just before midnight on October 27, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a report of loitering behind a restaurant on 16th Street in Orange. When officers arrived, they found Wallace sitting on a gun in the passenger seat of the car that was described in the call. Another pistol was found on the floorboard in front of Wallace. Further investigation revealed that Wallace was previously convicted of carjacking in Beaumont. A federal grand jury indicted Wallace on May 1, 2024. Under federal law, convicted felons are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Orange Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
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Ontario Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Nearly 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Ricardo Rodriguez, 61, of Ontario, Oregon, was sentenced to 155 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, Rodriguez was a member of a drug trafficking organization operating out of eastern Oregon. Rodriguez supplied several of his co-conspirators with methamphetamine for redistribution in Idaho. The investigation revealed that Rodriguez was distributing approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine per week.
On January 24, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rodriguez’s residence. There, they found an unlawfully possessed .40 caliber firearm, several thousand dollars in U.S. currency, a bag with hundreds of fentanyl pills, and another with an ounce of methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Rodriguez to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
“This is another example of our law enforcement partners working together to ensure that drug traffickers are held accountable for distributing controlled substances in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Traffickers will not evade prosecution for dealing drugs here in Idaho simply because they live across state lines.”
“Methamphetamine traffickers like Mr. Rodriguez profit from the pain they cause selling poison to our neighbors,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “I am gratified that the DEA and our partners were able to stop the threat he posed to our communities and that he received this richly deserved accountability.”
“Teamwork is critical to stop drug trafficking groups. This case started in our community, but crossed many jurisdictional boundaries, to include the state line into Oregon,” said Nampa Police Sergeant Shane Huston. “If we didn’t have effective partnerships, we would not be as successful as we are in catching these career criminals. We’ll keep working hard and working together because we do not want this type of activity in Nampa.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nampa Police Department Special Investigations Unit, the Boise Police Department, the Meridian Police Department, and the Oregon High Desert Drug Task Force, which led to the charges and arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse prosecuted this case.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The High Desert Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach. They are supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Jose Israel Robledo, 45, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 13, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Robledo to 168 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Robledo is released from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On January 5, 2023, Robledo distributed approximately one pound of methamphetamine to a DEA Confidential Source (CS) at a local Burger King in Omaha. After Robledo sold the methamphetamine, he returned to his residence. Law enforcement followed him, and he was arrested. The CS purchased lab confirmed 449.2 grams of actual methamphetamine. Purity was 100%.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Ohio-based supplier of aircraft parts and three employees charged for illicit export scheme involving RussiaRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Flighttime Enterprises, Inc., an American subsidiary of a Russian aircraft parts supplier, along with three of its current and former employees, have been charged federally with crimes related to a scheme to illegally export aircraft parts and components from the United States to Russia and Russian airline companies without the required licenses from the Department of Commerce.
“We will not tolerate export violations or smuggling of items contrary to U.S. laws to any part of the world, Russia included,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “These illicit activities are extremely harmful to our country, regardless of the item that is smuggled. I am confident in the prosecution bringing accountability to the individuals named in the indictment on behalf of the people of the Southern District of Ohio – but even greater, on behalf of our nation.”
The three individuals charged include Daniela Friery, 43, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Loveland, Ohio; Pavil Iglin, 46, a citizen of Russia who currently resides in Florida pursuant to a non-immigrant visa; and Marat Aysin, 39, a legal permanent resident of the United States who currently resides in Florida.
According to the 11-count indictment unsealed today, the three defendants worked for Flighttime Enterprises, Inc., an aircraft equipment supplier with office locations near West Chester, Ohio, and Miami, Florida.
As alleged in the indictment, following Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Flighttime and the individual defendants knowingly and willfully violated and evaded export restrictions imposed on Russia to ship aviation parts to Russia and Russian end users, including airlines subject to Department of Commerce Temporary Denial Orders, by mislabeling shipments, providing false certifications, and using intermediary companies and countries to obscure the true end destination and end users. The indictment details four specific export transactions totaling more than $2 million.
For example, in June 2022, Flighttime employees allegedly negotiated the purchase of an auxiliary power unit from an American supplier for $395,000. The U.S. supplier initially expressed hesitation about the transaction due to the company’s connections to Russia. In connection with the purchase, Aysin falsely told the American supplier that the part would be used to replenish stock in West Chester. Through Aysin, Iglin allegedly signed and dated a Russia end-user certificate with the supplier falsely certifying that the part would not be exported to Russia. The part was thereafter illegally exported to Russia for a Russian aviation company without the required license.
The company and three defendants are each charged with one count of conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), and multiple counts of violating the ECRA, which are federal crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
They are also charged with conspiracy to commit smuggling, which carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison, and multiple counts of smuggling, which carry potential penalties of up to 10 years in prison.
Finally, they are each charged with one count of conspiring to launder monetary instruments, a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Jeffrey Levine, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, Office of Export Enforcement (BIS) announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case, along with Trial Attorneys Maria Fedor and Menno Goedman from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Ohio-Based Supplier of Aircraft Parts and Three Employees Charged for Illicit Export Scheme Involving RussiaRead the Press Release
Flighttime Enterprises Inc., an American subsidiary of a Russian aircraft parts supplier, along with three of its current and former employees, have been charged federally with crimes related to a scheme to illegally export aircraft parts and components from the United States to Russia and Russian airline companies without the required licenses from the Department of Commerce.
The three individuals charged include Daniela Friery, 43, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Loveland, Ohio; Pavil Iglin, 46, a citizen of Russia who currently resides in Florida pursuant to a non-immigrant visa; and Marat Aysin, 39, a legal permanent resident of the United States who currently resides in Florida.
According to the 11-count indictment unsealed today, the three defendants worked for Flighttime Enterprises Inc., an aircraft equipment supplier with office locations near West Chester, Ohio, and Miami.
As alleged in the indictment, following Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Flighttime and the individual defendants knowingly and willfully violated and evaded the export restrictions imposed on Russia to ship aviation parts to Russia and Russian end users, including airlines subject to Department of Commerce Temporary Denial Orders, by mislabeling shipments, providing false certifications, and using intermediary companies and countries to obscure the true end destination and end users. The indictment details four specific export transactions totaling more than $2 million.
For example, in June 2022, Flighttime employees allegedly negotiated the purchase of an auxiliary power unit from an American supplier for $395,000. The U.S. supplier initially expressed hesitation about the transaction due to the company’s connections to Russia. In connection with the purchase, Aysin falsely told the American supplier that the part would be used to replenish stock in West Chester. Through Aysin, Iglin allegedly signed and dated a Russia end-user certificate with the supplier falsely certifying that the part would not be exported to Russia. The part was thereafter illegally exported to Russia for a Russian aviation company without the required license.
The company and three defendants are each charged with one count of conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), and multiple counts of violating the ECRA, which are federal crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
They are also charged with conspiracy to commit smuggling, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and multiple counts of smuggling, which carry maximum penalties of 10 years in prison. Finally, they are each charged with one count of conspiring to launder monetary instruments, a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio; Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Levine of the Office of Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced the case.
The FBI and BIS are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy S. Mangan for the Southern District of Ohio is prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorneys Maria Fedor and Menno Goedman of 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.
Norcross Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Defrauding U.S. Postal ServiceRead the Press Release
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Gregory Rehberg pleaded guilty today to wire fraud for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the U.S. Postal Service based on false invoices.
“Rehberg concealed the use of subcontractors, made false statements, and provided false documents to overcharge the U.S. Postal Service for maintenance work he never performed,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our office is committed to prosecuting those who defraud the United States and its agencies for their personal gain at the expense of taxpayers. We will continue to investigate and identify those who exploit government contracts and hold those bad actors accountable.”
“We are pleased to have contributed to this investigation and applaud the exceptional work by the United States Attorney’s Office for protecting both U.S. Postal Service funds and the integrity of our repairs and maintenance program,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Cleevely of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “Special Agents of the USPS OIG will continue to aggressively investigate those who would engage in fraudulent activities designed to defraud the Postal Service.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: GLR Group LLC., operated by Gregory Rehberg, was contracted by EMCOR Facilities Services, Inc. to work on repairs and construction work at U.S. Postal Service locations in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Rehberg submitted false invoices to EMCOR for supposed services he had performed, when in fact, he subcontracted the work for lower rates than reported on the invoices he submitted.
Rehberg routinely marked up the price on his invoices, at times as much as forty percent. In total, Rehberg submitted nearly 900 invoices on behalf of GLR to EMCOR between 2019 and 2024, receiving approximately $2.9 million in payments, and overbilling by more than $730,000.
Sentencing for Gregory Rehberg, 55, of Atlanta, Georgia, is scheduled for May 15, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. before Chief United States District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorney Natasha Cooper is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
New Yorker Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison After Leading High-Speed Smuggling Pursuit and Injuring 11 MigrantsRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A New York man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy.
According to court documents, a Kendall County Sheriff’s Department deputy attempted a traffic stop on July 18, 2022, when the deputy observed Peter Diaz-Vasquez, 28, of Bronx, driving a pickup truck at 106 mph on I-10. Diaz-Vasquez led the deputy on a nine-mile pursuit, which included driving 110 mph through a 65 mph construction zone with numerous highway workers present. The pursuit ended when Diaz-Vasquez attempted to abruptly exit the highway, wove through traffic on the access road, and crashed over a curb into a fence. Six passengers fell out of the truck’s open bed as the truck rolled onto its side.
Diaz-Vasquez remained buckled in the driver’s seat until he was removed by law enforcement. He had been transporting 11 undocumented noncitizens at the time of the crash, two of whom were airlifted to a hospital after sustaining serious head injuries. Each of the migrants sustained serious bodily injury to their upper and lower bodies, including broken arms and legs, as well as head trauma. One suffered a severe spinal injury requiring endotracheal intubation and did not regain consciousness for 7-9 days. One of the smuggled migrants was a 17-year-old juvenile.
Diaz-Vasquez admitted that he traveled from New York by plane and rented a vehicle after being hired to pick up an unknown number of undocumented noncitizens in or near Uvalde. He said he would be paid $800 per person to transport them to a location at or near San Antonio or Austin.
“This case clearly highlights the extreme dangers posed by human smuggling,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “This defendant packed 11 passengers in his vehicle, endangering them, along with everyone on the road that day, with complete disregard for human safety. This sentence, sending Diaz-Vasquez to federal prison for 10 years, reflects the seriousness of this offense.”
Homeland Security Investigations and the Kendall County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Brown prosecuted the case.
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Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Deland Ray Sam, age 62, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 31 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Muskogee Police Department.
On September 26, 2024, Sam pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. According to investigators, on June 21, 2021, Sam attempted to elude law enforcement in a highspeed chase which ended near 6th and Hancock in Muskogee. Officers uncovered an empty pistol magazine in the vehicle which led them to search the intersection of Main and Hancock, where Sam had noticeably swerved during the pursuit. There officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber pistol. Sam had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Sam will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.
Monmouth County Man Charged with Aiming Beam of A Laser at Federal Law Enforcement AircraftRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Monmouth County man was charged with aiming the beam of a laser at an aircraft, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
James M. Pedone, 27, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with knowingly aiming the beam of a laser at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. Pedone had an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court on February 13, 2025.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On or about December 12, 2024, Pedone pointed the beam of a laser on three separate occasions, striking an aircraft operated by federal law enforcement personnel in or near the vicinity of Colts Neck, New Jersey, erroneously believing the aircraft to be a drone.
Knowingly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft in the special jurisdiction of the United States carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents and Joint Terrorism Task Force Officers of the FBI Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, as well as the Colts Neck Police Department, under the direction of Chief Daniel DeVito, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s National Security Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Michael Thomas, Esq.
pedone.complaint.pdfMissoula accountant admits defrauding clients; obstructing IRSRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Missoula accountant accused of defrauding clients by using their cash payments intended for income taxes for his own personal expenses admitted today to fraud and obstruction charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, William Arthur Clawson, 54, appeared for an arraignment on an information and pleaded guilty to wire fraud and to corrupt endeavor to obstruct and impede the administration of the internal revenue laws. Clawson faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the wire fraud charge and a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the corrupt endeavor charge.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 24. Clawson was released pending further proceedings.
A plea agreement filed in the case calls Clawson to pay full restitution to the victims of no less than $1,158,811.40.
The government alleged that from about 2016 to 2021, Clawson used his businesses, Quantum Business Solutions and Endeavor Financial Insights, to defraud clients. Clawson offered accounting and tax preparation services to clients in Montana, Washington and Oklahoma, who were engaged in the cash-intensive medical marijuana industry. Clawson promised to assess the taxes owned by his clients and receive cash payments from them that he would use to pay his fees and the taxes they owed. Instead, Clawson paid only a small portion of the taxes his clients owed and used the remainder of the money on his personal expenses and unrelated debts. Through Clawson’s actions, his clients unknowingly fell behind in paying the taxes they owed.
The government further alleged that between 2019 and 2020, one of Clawson’s clients came under IRS scrutiny because of unpaid taxes. An IRS revenue officer contacted the company as part of efforts to collect taxes owed. The company called Clawson, who was serving as its accountant. Clawson instructed the company not to communicate with the IRS officer and said he would take care of the reported issue. Clawson falsely told the IRS officer that the company had cash flow issues that were making it difficult for the company to pay its taxes. Clawson acted corruptly by making other false statements to the IRS officer on the company’s behalf that Clawson knew would impede the government’s tax collection efforts. Clawson did this to conceal his misappropriation of funds the company gave him to pay its taxes.
The U.S. Attorney’s office is prosecuting the case. The IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
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Minnesota Woman Sentenced to 84 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Kirsten M. Blackwell, 63 years old, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Blackwell was sentenced to 84 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,628,192.67 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, Blackwell conspired with others to defraud victims of millions of dollars and then laundered the fraud proceeds through various bank accounts she had created between 2019 and 2022. Through a variety of schemes, victim businesses and individuals were deceived into sending money to accounts under Blackwell’s control. After laundering the money through her accounts, Blackwell sent fraud proceeds to an overseas conspirator. In total, the conspirators attempted to steal over $5 million dollars, and Blackwell laundered well over $3 million dollars in fraud proceeds that had been obtained through business email compromise schemes, romance and military scams, as well as fraud against a government program.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.
Mexican national with prior drug trafficking conviction arrested for illegally reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Fayette County man was charged with illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony.
Pedro Marquez, 34, of Bloomingburg, Ohio, was arrested by federal agents today.
According to court documents, Marquez is from Mexico and was originally removed from the United States in 2009.
In 2011, Marquez was convicted of participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy and illegally reentering the United States and was sentenced to federal prison. Marquez had conspired with others in the Eastern District of Oklahoma to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Marquez transported, delivered and distributed the drugs on behalf of the conspiracy.
He was removed from the United States again in 2016 following his term of imprisonment.
Illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and subsequent deportation.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the arrest. Assistant United States Attorney David J. Twombly is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Mexican national and gang member sentenced for illegally re-entering the country for 14th timeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 32-year-old illegal alien and multiple-time felon has been ordered to prison after once again entering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.
Jose Estrada-Corpus pleaded guilty Dec. 5, 2024.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Estrada-Corpus to serve 54 months in federal prison.
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence Estrada-Corpus had been previously convicted of multiple felony convictions including assaulting a public servant and possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver. Estrada-Corpus was also previously removed on 13 different occasions and is a gang-member. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane noted Estrada-Corpus’s extensive criminal history and that Estrada-Corpus had previously received an lengthy sentence for the same offense. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.
“As the facts of this case demonstrate, the defendant has no respect for this nation’s laws,” said Ganjei. “His repeated disregard for our immigration laws has earned him a serious sentence. Hopefully this case will deter other aliens who might think that this country is not serious about defending its border.”
On Oct. 31, 2024, authorities arrested Estrada-Corpus as he attempted to illegally cross the Rio Grande River near Rio Grande City.
Estrada-Corpus was first removed in 2013 and had previously been convicted of immigration related offenses on six different occasions. Through the course of the investigation, Estrada-Corpus also admitted to being a member of the Paisas gang.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Israel Chaires-Villa, 22, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 6, 2024, Chaires-Villa drove to Cross Lanes, West Virginia, from Houston, Texas, with approximately 22 lbs. of methamphetamine in his possession that he intended to deliver to another person in Cross Lanes. Chaires-Villa was arrested as part of a joint investigation by federal and local law enforcement into a conspiracy that was responsible for delivering large quantities of methamphetamine to West Virginia and elsewhere from Houston.
Chaires-Villa is scheduled to be sentenced on June 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had previously put an administrative detainer on Chaires-Villa so that deportation proceedings can occur once Chaires-Villa serves the sentence imposed in this case.
The joint investigation also resulted in the indictment of German Francisco Diaz, also known as “Trulio,” 40, Braulio Villa-Chairez, also known as “Raul,” 31, and Silvester Barcenas, 23. The indictment alleges the three Mexican nationals conspired to distribute quantities of methamphetamine in the Charleston area from in or about March 2024 to in or about October 2024. Trial is scheduled for April 15, 2025. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which 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 Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-175.
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Mexican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Maico Miguel Perez (27, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Miguel Perez faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison.
According to court documents, Miguel Perez is a citizen and national of Mexico. He was previously removed from the United States on November 23, 2022. Miguel Perez was found voluntarily back in the United States on September 2, 2024, when he was arrested in Duval County on a local warrant. Miguel Perez has not 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 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.
Mexican Citizen sentenced to 78 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Luis Alberto Sanchez-Espinoza, 39 years old, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to distributing cocaine and illegal re-entry, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Sanchez-Espinoza was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on June 5, 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on I-94 and recovered cocaine from Sanchez-Espinoza’s vehicle. Sanchez-Espinoza had previously been removed from the United States on multiple occasions. His most recent removal occurred on March 23, 2022, after the completion of his prison sentence for a distribution of methamphetamine conviction out of the Western District of Virginia.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Indiana State Police. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth.
Mexican Citizen Admits Conspiring to Distribute Heroin and CocaineRead the Press Release
NEWARK, NJ. – A citizen of Mexico previously extradited to the United States today admitted to conspiring to distribute heroin and cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.
Norma Flores-Fernandez, a/k/a “Norma Camarillo,” 56, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to a Superseding Information charging conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Flores-Fernandez was part of a Guadalajara, Mexico-based drug trafficking organization that distributed kilogram quantities of narcotics, including heroin and cocaine, throughout the United States from in or around March 2018 through in or around December 2019. Flores-Fernandez acknowledged holding a leadership role in this conspiracy.
The charge to which Flores-Fernandez pleaded guilty carries a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison, a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentencing is scheduled for July 23, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Sheila G. Lyons in Chicago, Illinois and Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark; and special agents of the Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Lafonda Sutton-Burke in Chicago, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked special agents and task force officers with the DEA operating in Lima, Peru and Guadalajara, Mexico; Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago; and officials in Mexico for their assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest of Flores-Fernandez and her extradition to the United States.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Michael Rubas, Esq., Jersey City, NJ
flores-fernandez.superseding_information.pdfMescalero Man Charged with Assault by U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man faces federal charges for allegedly assaulting a woman and causing severe injuries.
According to the complaint, Myron Edward Blake, Jr., 39, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, allegedly assaulted Jane Doe, causing serious bodily injury. Jane Doe suffered severe head trauma and other injuries consistent with being struck by blunt objects.
Blake remains in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Blake faces up to 5 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. The United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
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Man receives 60+ years after committing series of armed robberies of Houston-area fast-food restaurantsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON –A 25-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Caleb Pickens guilty Nov. 8, 2024, following a four-day trial.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner has now ordered Pickens to serve 722 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the sentencing hearing, the court heard evidence of Pickens’ conduct while in jail and immediately after trial. Following the verdict, Pickens exhibited obstructive behavior by grabbing a full water bottle and slinging it at the prosecution table. He then threw the water bottle at the lead case agent. Pickens also fought with officers in the courtroom.
In handing down the sentence, the court noted Pickens’ abhorrent behavior, his lack of remorse, the court’s need to protect the public from him and his propensity for violence, as well as his violence towards officers while performing their duties. Judge Hittner said he believes Pickens to be a true danger to the public and recommended he be placed in a maximum security prison.
“Today’s sentence appropriately accounts for defendant’s violent nature and the seriousness of his offense,” said Ganjei. “Day after day, case by case, the Southern District of Texas and its law enforcements partners are striving to make Houston a safer place to live and work.”
In early January 2024, law enforcement began investigating a series of armed robberies at McDonalds and other fast-food restaurants and convenience stores which occurred during the month of January. This eventually led them to Pickens.
At trial, the jury heard Pickens had worn either a red Nike sweatshirt or a black hooded jacket while committing a series of armed robberies at McDonald’s locations. He also brandished a pistol. Occasionally, he had held the gun to victims’ heads, backs or stomachs and demanded money from the safe. In one incident at a local McDonald’s, he fired his pistol into a microwave oven.
During the robberies, Pickens would order the manager to hand over the money from the safe before exiting through the restaurant’s back door. He then fled the locations in a stolen black Chevrolet Tahoe that had a broken left rear window, used scissors to start the ignition and drove away.
Law enforcement located the vehicle and began conducting surveillance. On Jan. 23, 2024, the Chevy Tahoe arrived at a McDonald’s in Houston where Pickens again committed another armed robbery. Authorities arrested him on scene. At that time, he was wearing the same Nike sweatshirt and hooded jacket from previous robberies and was in possession of a pistol.
At trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury the government had not proved a robbery of McDonald’s affected interstate commerce. They did not believe those claims and found Pickens guilty as charged.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Houston Police Department’s Violent Crime Task Force and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jill Stotts and Brian Hrach are prosecuting the case.
Man Who Escaped Federal Prison Camp in Colorado, Evaded Capture for Five Years, Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Allen Todd May, age 60, was sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of escape, and one count of aggravated identity theft. May’s sentence is to be served consecutive to the approximately seven years he must serve on a sentence imposed in the Northern District of Texas, which he was serving when he escaped. May was also ordered to serve three years on supervised release after completion of his prison sentence and to pay $9,113,375.49 in restitution, and forfeit the fraud proceeds and assets he obtained during the scheme.
According to the plea agreement, between mid-2016 and December 2018, while serving a 20-year sentence at the Federal Prison Camp in Englewood, Colorado, May devised a scheme to falsely and fraudulently claim that he and entities controlled by him were entitled to oil and gas royalties that had not yet been claimed by the true owners. May was able to participate in this scheme through an unlawfully obtained iPhone he purchased from a fellow inmate at the Federal Prison Camp. Throughout the course of this scheme, May obtained more than $700,000 in royalties to which he was not entitled.
At the Federal Prison Camp, May worked as a facilities clerk where he drove vehicles on prison grounds. On December 21, 2018, May drove off the Federal Prison Camp Compound and eluded capture by federal law enforcement for nearly five years. While on the run, May engaged in the same fraudulent oil and gas royalties scheme and netted $8 million in funds to which he was not entitled and used these funds to support his extravagant lifestyle. He stole the identities of inmates serving long sentences, presented himself as those individuals, and conducted his fraud in their names.
The United States Marshals Service arrested May in August of 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he had been living under an alias.
“The people of Colorado and Florida are safer today because Allen Todd May is back behind bars,” said Acting United States Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “The Federal Government will not rest when it comes to pursuing fraudsters and fugitives.”
“This repeat offender demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law. While in federal prison, he orchestrated a $700,000 fraud scheme, audaciously escaped, and continued to victimize unsuspecting Americans while on the run for five years,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “Thanks to the tireless work of the U.S. Marshals Service, he was apprehended, and his criminal activities were stopped. The defendant's actions leave no doubt that he is a threat to society and deserves to remain incarcerated.”
“On behalf of the U.S. Marshals, I want to recognize and thank the anonymous tipster for the information they provided that directly led to the arrest of this unorthodox fugitive,” said District of Colorado U.S. Marshal Kirk Taylor. “I would also like to thank and recognize the incredible tenacity of the Deputy U.S. Marshals who pursued every lead over the years in the District of Colorado, culminating in the arrest in the Southern District of Florida. Their relentless pursuit of this fugitive and the coordination of the agencies involved is a true testament to the U.S. Marshals Service.”
United States District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico presided over the sentencing.
The United States Marshals Service and the FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Martha Paluch and Tonya S. Andrews handled the prosecution.
Man Illegally in United States Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Trafficking in MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle today sentenced Nicolas Garcia Hernandez (27, Shelbyville, TN) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Garcia Hernandez pleaded guilty on November 13, 2024.
According to court documents, Garcia Hernandez, who had illegally entered the United States from Mexico around 2020, made two trips from Tennessee to the Middle District of Florida to deliver methamphetamine. In December 2023, Garcia Hernandez delivered nearly three kilograms to an informant. In May 2024, he was on his was to make a delivery to the same informant when a trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol stopped his car on I-75 in Hillsborough County. After a police canine alerted to the vehicle, Garcia Hernandez fled on foot across I-75, requiring troopers to chase him into the median through oncoming traffic.
After safely apprehending Garcia Hernandez, troopers located 5.9 kilograms of methamphetamine in the vehicle and additional methamphetamine in Garcia Hernandez’s wallet. The court held Garcia Hernandez responsible for approximately 8.8 kilograms of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bradenton Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.
MS-13 member sentenced to 50 years in prison for his participation in three murdersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Salvadoran national and member of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) was sentenced today to 50 years in prison for conspiracy relating to his participation in the gang’s criminal enterprise, including three murders.
According to court documents, on Aug. 25, 2018, Henry Leonel Barrera Ayala, aka Cusuco, Centinela, and Lil Player, 26, Elmer De Jesus Alas Candray, 27, and other members of MS-13’s Uniones Locos Salvatrucha (ULS) clique met in New Bedford, Massachusetts, to murder an associate of MS-13’s Directos Locos Salvatrucha clique, identified in court records as K.A.C. MS-13 leadership in El Salvador had approved the murder because they believed K.A.C. had betrayed MS-13. That evening, they met K.A.C. at the residence of an MS-13 member in New Bedford. After the group ate dinner together, Barrera Ayala and several co-conspirators beat and strangled K.A.C. to death. The co-conspirators then dismembered K.A.C.’s body, placed his remains in trash bags, and buried the remains in a wooded area near New Bedford.
In June 2019, Barrera Ayala, Alas Candray, and other ULS members conspired to murder individuals who frequently gathered to drink in a wooded area in the clique’s perceived territory in Reston. On June 23, 2019, Barrera Ayala, Alas Candray and other ULS members armed themselves with a 9mm firearm, a .45 caliber firearm, and two machetes and traveled to the Hunters Woods area of Reston. The group murdered an individual, identified as J.L.G.M., shooting him and slashing him with a machete.
On Sept. 17, 2020, Barrera Ayala, Alas Candray, and others devised a plan to lure a young woman, identified as I.J.P.G., to Colts Neck Road in Reston under false pretenses and kill her because they believed she was associated with a rival gang and had disparaged MS-13 on social media. Barrera Ayala exchanged messages with I.J.P.G. via Snapchat, pretending to be a member of MS-13’s rival gang. Barrera Ayala and a co-conspirator later picked up I.J.P.G. from her home and drove her to Colts Neck Road, where Alas Candray and another MS-13 member were waiting for them. The four co-conspirators killed I.J.P.G. by taking turns shooting her, primarily in the face.
In addition to the murders, Barrera Ayala also conspired with his fellow MS-13 members to distribute marijuana and cocaine. On multiple occasions, Barrera Ayala sent drug profits to individuals in other states and in Central American countries via money transfer services to benefit the MS-13 enterprise.
On Sept. 18, 2024, Barrera Ayala pled guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. A federal jury convicted Alas Candray on Oct. 21, 2024, on charges relating to his participation in the gang’s criminal enterprise, including six murders and additional murder conspiracies. On Jan. 30, Alas Candray was sentenced to six concurrent life sentences.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Blanchard, Megan Braun, and Natasha Smalky prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-178.
Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 90 years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Vincent Watson, age 48, of Luzerne, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 90 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for production of child pornography.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, between October 23 and 24, 2021, Watson produced four videos and one still image of child pornography in Wilkes-Barre. The videos and image showed Watson having sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl, posing her in the nude for the camera, and giving her alcohol.
"Our hearts go out to the victim and the family for their harrowing ordeal. The sentence handed down to John Watson is a testament to the relentless efforts and dedication of the entire investigative team and we hope that it brings some comfort knowing that he cannot commit these crimes again,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens. “The collaboration between HSI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Plains Township Police Department, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and the Luzerne County Detective’s Office was instrumental in bringing Watson to justice. Our excellent relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania led to the conviction of an individual who presented a grave threat to public safety, specifically children.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Plains Township Police Department, Kingston Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police Computer Crime Lab, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny P. Roberts and Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Lottery Fraud Scheme Against Seniors Lands South Florida Man in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami man has been sentenced to 44 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $234,995 in victim restitution for participating in a nationwide lottery fraud scheme targeting seniors. The sentence comes after the defendant pleaded guilty in October 2024 to conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud and to criminal contempt for violating a court order.
From May 2020 to July 2022, Akiel Doman, 34, of North Miami Beach, Florida, and others repeatedly called victims throughout the United States and falsely told them that they had won millions of dollars and often, a car, in a lottery. The caller, falsely claiming to be a representative of the lottery company, told the victims that they needed to first pay fees or taxes to claim their winnings. Others working with Doman gave the victims specific instructions on how, and to whom, to send the purported fees or taxes. In connection with this scheme, the victims sent money, including direct deposits, to Doman’s bank accounts.
Doman also violated a consent decree entered by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida in 2019 prohibiting him from participating in lottery frauds. United States v. Doman, No. 18-cv-24731.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Inspector in Charge Steven L. Hodges of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, made this announcement.
USPIS Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertha R. Mitrani prosecuted it.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-60133.
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Lawton Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Machinegun Conversion DeviceRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – JEREMIAH ALEXANDER DEARING, 20, of Lawton, has pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On December 3, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Indictment against Dearing, charging him with being a drug user in possession of firearms and with unlawful possession of a machinegun. According to an affidavit filed in support of a criminal Complaint, on October 9, 2024, Dearing participated in a recorded video jail call with an inmate at the Grady County Jail. During that call, officers with the Lawton Police Department (LPD) observed Dearing display an AK47-style pistol and flash multiple gang signs. As Dearing’s age prohibited him from legally carrying a firearm under Oklahoma state law, LPD detectives sought and obtained a search warrant for his residence. Upon execution of the warrant, law enforcement discovered five firearms in Dearing’s bedroom, including a privately manufactured firearm that did not have a serial number. All of the firearms were chamber-loaded and equipped with high-capacity magazines. Officers also seized a machinegun conversion device (MCD). When installed, the MCD converts a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun. Law enforcement also recovered approximately 92 fentanyl pills from the residence.
Dearing pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025, and admitted he unlawfully possessed a machinegun. At sentencing, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lawton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case is also part of “Project Switch Off,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation of PSN. “Project Switch Off” targets illegal machinegun conversion devices to address the significant danger these illegal devices present and to remove them from our streets. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Katy Man Sentenced to Prison for Striking Border Patrol Agent with Vehicle and Fleeing During Smuggling AttemptRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Katy man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 18 months in prison for one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers or employees.
According to court documents, Kevin Dominguez, 26, drove a sedan to the U.S. Border Patrol immigration checkpoint, located on U.S. Highway 57 on Aug. 1, 2023. A USBP canine alerted the agents to the trunk, revealing an individual inside. Upon the USBP agent noticing the individual, Dominguez backed up and struck the agent with the vehicle before fleeing the checkpoint. A high-speed chase ensued and a USBP helicopter observed two occupants exit the vehicle into an open field. One of the individuals was located and confirmed to be an undocumented noncitizen from Honduras.
Dominguez was indicted in a two-count indictment on Sept. 13, 2023, and was arrested Sept. 14. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 24, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Kass prosecuted the case.
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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Withholding Information in Bankruptcy CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Eugene Wells, 73, of Marmet, pleaded guilty today to withholding records relating to the property or financial affairs of a debtor in bankruptcy from an officer of the court or a United States Trustee entitled to its possession.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2022, a Charleston business solely owned by Wells’ wife filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Wells helped with the business’ day-to-day management, including by overseeing many of its financial affairs, but was never an employee of the business. Wells admitted that he applied for and obtained five loans in the business’ name after the bankruptcy filing, from February 2023 through February 2024. Wells further admitted that he did not disclose the existence of the loans to the United States Trustee, who oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases in the Southern District of West Virginia.
On January 31, 2024, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court held a hearing on the U.S. Trustee’s motion to dismiss the business’ bankruptcy case. That day, the bankruptcy lawyer for the business informed the U.S. Trustee of the existence of one of the four loans that Wells had obtained by that time in the business’ name. Wells admitted that during the motion hearing, including while the bankruptcy judge questioned him under oath, he did not disclose the existence of the other three loans. Wells further admitted that the fifth loan, obtained on February 8, 2024, was not approved by the bankruptcy court or disclosed to the U.S. Trustee. On February 21, 2024, the bankruptcy court dismissed the business’ bankruptcy case.
A total of $68,000 was obtained in proceeds from the five loans and used for the business’ operations. The lender charged the business $9,700 in fees.
Wells is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-7.
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Justice Department Secures $360,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against New Mexico Property Manager and Apartment ComplexRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the owners and former property manager of a federally subsidized apartment complex in Albuquerque, New Mexico have agreed to pay $360,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that the former property manager sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
The department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico in March 2024, alleges that for more than a decade, property manager Ariel Solis Veleta (Solis) sexually harassed female tenants at St. Anthony Plaza Apartments, a Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance property with 160 units in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The suit alleges that Solis’s conduct included making unwelcome sexual comments to female tenants, touching female tenants without their consent, locking female tenants in his office to demand sex acts, and threatening to evict female tenants who did not give in to his sexual demands.
“A home should be a place of refuge, not fear,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kathleen P. Wolfe of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will hold property managers and landlords accountable when they target and exploit vulnerable tenants with sexual harassment.”
“Affordable housing should not come at the cost of tenant’s dignity and personal safety,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez for the District of New Mexico. “When property managers use their power over housing as a weapon to extort sexual favors from tenants, they exploit one fundamental right in order to violate another. This settlement will protect the sanctity of the home and the basic human rights of tenants, and was only possible because of these courageous women who came forward to tell their stories.”
“No low-income tenant should face the threat of being sexually harassed or abused by a property manager or others who control their housing,” said Acting Inspector General Stephen M. Begg of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). “We are grateful to the tenants who came forward to help put a stop to this violative behavior. This settlement demonstrates that the HUD Office of Inspector General will continue to vigorously investigate landlords and property managers who seek to sexually exploit their vulnerable tenants.”
The department’s lawsuit also names as defendants the owners and operators of St. Anthony Plaza Apartments, PacifiCap Properties Group LLC, St. Anthony Limited Partnership, PacifiCap Holdings XXXVIII LLC, and PacifiCap Management, Inc. The lawsuit alleges that these defendants are vicariously liable for the sexual harassment of their agent, Solis. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation that uncovered the evidence leading to the lawsuit.
Under the consent decree, which still must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, the defendants must pay $350,000 to tenants harmed by Solis’s harassment and a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States. The consent decree permanently bars Solis from contacting tenants harmed by his harassment, permanently bars Solis from managing residential rental properties, and mandates training and the adoption of policies and procedures to prevent future discrimination at residential rental properties owned or managed by defendants.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of sexual harassment by Ariel Solis or at St. Anthony Plaza Apartments may email [email protected] or call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at [email protected], or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 48 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $17.5 million for victims of such harassment.
Justice Department Announces Successful Conclusion of Agreement with Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office to Ensure Constitutional PolicingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced on Tuesday the successful conclusion of the United States’ agreement with the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) in Louisiana to end its pattern or practice of conducting arrests in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. After a thorough investigation, the United States found reasonable cause to believe that EPSO had unconstitutionally arrested and held people in jail without obtaining a warrant and without probable cause to believe the detained persons had committed a crime.
Under the 2018 agreement, EPSO made specific reforms to address the constitutional violations. EPSO developed policies, provided training, and improved adequate supervision to deputies to end the pattern or practice of unlawful seizures. EPSO also increased transparency by collecting and reporting data on its Fourth Amendment activities. Because EPSO has demonstrated full compliance with the agreement, the agreement is now terminated and the United States’ investigation is closed. The United States appreciates and acknowledges the effort and industry that EPSO committed to improve policing practices in Evangeline Parish.
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of federally-protected rights. The Act also allows the Justice Department to remedy such misconduct through civil litigation.
To read the original press release announcing the findings of the investigation, click here. To read the report of the investigation, click here. To read the original EPSO Settlement Agreement, click here. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Jury Convicts Norfolk Woman for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Causing an OverdoseRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Alexzandra Blanco, 24, of Norfolk, Nebraska, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in a jury trial that concluded on February 12, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher presided over the trial. The jury also found that Blanco must forfeit $4,200.00 in United States currency and a 2019 Dodge Ram truck to the United States as drug proceeds. Blanco faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison for the serious bodily injury charge and a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison for the drug conspiracy charge.
On March 17, 2023, Blanco and her boyfriend, co-defendant Tremain Monroe, were out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. After the bars closed, at approximately 2:00 a.m., several people gathered at an apartment in Norfolk. Blanco was involved in providing fentanyl to a victim who overdosed but was revived by Narcan. Law enforcement then purchased M-30 fentanyl pills from Monroe on three separate occasions in April 2023.
On May 3, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Monroe and Blanco’s residence. Law enforcement seized 221 fentanyl pills, drug paraphernalia, and more than 5 pounds of methamphetamine.
Co-defendant Tremain Monroe pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 210 months in prison.
Blanco will be sentenced on May 14, 2025, before Judge Buescher in Omaha.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
John Austin Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that John Austin, 30, a Michigan native who recently has resided in South Burlington, Vermont, pleaded not guilty yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington to a charge that he unlawfully possessed a pistol as a convicted felon. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle ordered that Austin be held without bail pending trial, which has not been scheduled. Austin is currently in the primary custody of the Vermont Department of Corrections awaiting trial on a 2023 aggravated assault charge stemming from a shootout in Burlington’s Old North End.
This past November, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment alleging that in April 2024, Austin possessed a semi-automatic pistol. Austin is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has multiple felony convictions in Michigan. According to court records, police officers in Burlington located a rental car that had been reported stolen. Inside, officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol that had Austin’s fingerprints on it.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charge in the indictment is merely an accusation, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty. If convicted, Austin faces up to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
This case was investigated by the Burlington and South Burlington Police Departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Austin is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
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.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 220 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – John Gierek, 35 years old, of Streamwood, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, after pleading guilty to two counts of Using an Interstate Commerce Facility in the Commission of a Murder-for-Hire, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Gierek was sentenced to 220 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between October 2023 and March 2024, Gierek, through a series of telephone calls, solicited an acquaintance to murder multiple individuals in exchange for a quantity of drugs and the partial forgiveness of a drug debt. Gierek also gave the acquaintance tape, pepper spray, and a taser to help carry out the murders.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Allen County Police Department, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and the Streamwood, Illinois Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
Interpol Washington and Canada Sign Historic Partnership to Combat Tren De AraguaRead the Press Release
Lyon, France — INTERPOL Washington Director Jeffrey A. Grimming and National Central Bureau Ottawa Director Marie-Josee Homsy have signed a historic Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) to strengthen cross-border law enforcement collaboration against Tren de Aragua (TdA), one of the world’s most dangerous transnational criminal organizations. Exploiting recent migration patterns, TdA has expanded its presence in North America and is now in cities and communities across both countries. This landmark agreement enhances the ability of INTERPOL Washington and NCB Ottawa to combat TdA through robust information sharing, coordinated law enforcement support, and strengthened border security efforts.
“Today, we have taken a great leap forward in our fight to eradicate TdA in the United States,” said Director Grimming. “By bringing our combined law enforcement resources to bear, the United States and Canada have ensured that TdA will find no safe harbor in either of our nations. Together, as partners, we will work in lockstep to disrupt and dismantle TdA and remove their violent criminal operatives from our communities.”
“Tackling Transnational Criminal Organizations like TdA requires transnational cooperation,” said Director Homsy. “These groups threaten security and stability across the Americas. This signing is an example of the strong collaboration that takes place between Canadian and American authorities every day – as well as the power and reach of INTERPOL capabilities. By working together, we can dismantle criminal networks, protect our communities, and reaffirm our commitment to the rule of law.”
According to the MOC, both countries have agreed to take concrete actions within the INTERPOL framework to improve police coordination, information sharing, and operational support against TdA in the United States and Canada. This includes enhancing the timely and secure exchange of criminal intelligence, operational data, and best practices regarding efforts against TdA; coordinating joint investigations and activities targeting TdA; and strengthening mechanisms to detect, prevent, and respond to illicit cross-border TdA activities.
This agreement was signed during Director Grimming’s participation in the INTERPOL Heads of National Central Bureaus Conference in Lyon, France. In addition to the signing, INTERPOL Washington engaged in high-level bilateral and multilateral meetings with key partners in the fight against TdA. Director Grimming also delivered a keynote presentation on U.S. efforts to dismantle TdA, sharing strategies and best practices with law enforcement leaders from over 140 countries.
Head of Commercial Real Estate Investment Firm Pleads Guilty in $62.8M Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A New York man pleaded guilty yesterday in the Northern District of Georgia for his role in a scheme to defraud investors in connection with two commercial real estate investments.
According to court documents, Elchonon “Elie” Schwartz, 46, of New York City, engaged in a scheme to defraud investors who sought to invest in commercial real estate through the crowdfunding commercial real estate investing website CrowdStreet Marketplace (CrowdStreet). Beginning May 2022, Schwartz solicited investments through CrowdStreet for a large commercial real estate complex in Atlanta and ultimately raised approximately $54 million from about 654 investors. Beginning in November 2022, Schwartz solicited investments again through CrowdStreet in connection with a mixed-use building in Miami Beach, Florida, and ultimately raised approximately $8.8 million from about 167 investors. In total, Schwartz raised approximately $62.8 million from investors through CrowdStreet.
As part of the investment solicitation process, Schwartz executed agreements that stated, in part, that the funds raised from CrowdStreet investors would be held in segregated bank accounts controlled by Schwartz. In the documentation provided to CrowdStreet investors, Schwartz represented that he would only use the investors’ money to fund the investment in each property and that he had a fiduciary duty to safeguard the funds and to prohibit commingling or use of the money that did not benefit each investment.
Contrary to these representations, however, Schwartz misappropriated and converted the CrowdStreet investor funds for his own use. Schwartz directed substantially all the CrowdStreet investor money into his personal bank, personal brokerage account, and accounts for unrelated commercial real estate investments he controlled. For example, Schwartz used the CrowdStreet investor funds to purchase luxury watches, to invest in stocks and options in his brokerage account, and to pay for payroll expenses for his unrelated commercial real estate businesses. Ultimately, in mid-July 2023, the two corporate entities that Schwartz had formed to receive funds from CrowdStreet investors both filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Schwartz pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Atlanta Field Office investigated the case. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Trial Attorney Matthew F. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Connors for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys David O’Neal and Christopher Huber for the Northern District of Georgia provided substantial assistance with the investigation and prosecution.
Haverhill Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Claim for Brazilian ResidentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill man has pleaded guilty to making false statements in connection with a Massachusetts Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claim he submitted in 2020 on behalf of a man who was living in Brazil at the time, and therefore ineligible to receive PUA benefits.
Julio Roncaly Morais, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of false statements before U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs who scheduled sentencing for May 28, 2025. In June 2024, Morias was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Morais filed a Massachusetts PUA claim on June 3, 2020, on behalf of a co-conspirator who was living in Brazil before and after the PUA claim was filed. In the PUA application, Morais certified under penalty of perjury that the co-conspirator was a resident of Massachusetts and was able and available to work in Massachusetts but was unable to due to the pandemic. As a result of this claim, the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance paid a total of $5,202 in benefits before suspending payments.
The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in charge for the Homeland Security Investigations New England Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Fraud Detection and National Security and the Woburn and Norwood Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Begg Lawrence, James D. Herbert and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Harrison County Doctor Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Harrison County doctor, Michael Gainey, 70, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, before U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove to the seven counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.
According to his plea agreement, Gainey practiced as a family medicine specialist in Harrison County. In that role, Gainey treated and prescribed controlled substances to a number of patients with whom he maintained personal relationships. Gainey knew and intended that the prescriptions he issued to these patients were outside the scope of legitimate medical practice, in part because of the ongoing relationships he maintained with these patients and because Gainey relaxed applicable prescribing standards for these patients. Gainey’s plea agreement lists seven patients that he had ongoing relationships with during the course of his conduct. For each of the patients, he wrote dozens of prescriptions for hydrocodone, oxycodone, gabapentin, and other controlled substances.
Paul C. McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Boone is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Gainey is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each of the seven counts and a fine of $1 million. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Guatemalan and Chinese Nationals Charged with Border-Related OffensesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Juan Carlos Jacinto-Ramos, a citizen of Guatemala, and Qing Zhu, of China, have been charged by criminal complaint accusing Jacinto-Ramos with bringing three Chinese nationals into the United States at a place other than an open port for entering the United States, and Zhu with entering the country illegally.
On February 10, 2025, the defendants appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Jacinto-Ramos be detained during the pendency of his prosecution. Judge Doyle also ordered that Zhu be detained during the pendency of his prosecution, and also because Zhu is a material witness against Jacinto-Ramos.
According to court records, during the early afternoon of February 9, United States Border Patrol agents observed fresh footprints in the snow indicating that one or more persons had recently travelled south across Ayers Hill Road, in Berkshire, Vermont, about a half mile from the U.S.-Canada border. Following the footprints, agents encountered Zhu (an adult male), and two other Chinese citizens, one an adult female, the other a 10-year-old child. All three were cold and wet, and appeared dehydrated. The area where they were located featured steep and heavily wooded terrain. The three were determined to be a family unit.
Agents also observed a fourth person running south from the location where they encountered the three Chinese nationals. Agents apprehended this individual, later confirmed to be Jacinto-Ramos, after following his footprints for about three hours in cold temperatures and deep snow. Jacinto-Ramos, Zhu, and the other two Chinese nationals were determined to have been in the United States illegally. Agents further determined that Jacinto-Ramos had guided Zhu and Zhu’s family across the border before abandoning them.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Jacinto-Ramos faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Zhu faces up to 6 months if convicted. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol agents involved in this matter.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Mathew Lasher. Jacinto-Ramos is represented by Jason Sawyer, Esq. Zhu is represented by Robert Behrens, Esq.
Georgia Man Sentenced for Distributing Meth and HeroinRead the Press Release
A man who distributed approximately 40 kilograms of methamphetamine and a kilogram of heroin was sentenced February 11, 2025, to more than 19 years in federal prison.
Manuel Tomas Gaspar, age 25, from Atlanta, Georgia, received the prison term after an August 30, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Information at the sentencing hearing showed that, between December 1, 2023, and February 14, 2024, Gaspar traveled between Georgia and Iowa transporting significant quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. In January 2024, Gaspar delivered 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of heroin to an individual in Cedar Rapids. On February 14, 2024, Gaspar was arrested after delivering an additional 20 kilograms of methamphetamine to the same individual in Cedar Rapids. During that time‑period, Gaspar carried a gun to protect large amounts of drug proceeds and he conducted international wire transfers to the Mexico‑based source of supply.
Gaspar was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Gaspar was sentenced to 236 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Gaspar is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑00029‑CJW.
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Georgetown Woman Sentenced to 18 Years for Lying to FBI During Brittanee Drexel InvestigationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Angel Cooper Vause, 57, of Georgetown, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators about her role in the 2009 kidnapping and murder of Brittanee Drexel.
According to evidence presented in court, Vause concealed the truth of what happened to Brittanee and her involvement for more than 13 years. Vause told investigators that Brittanee willingly joined her and Raymond Moody, that she left Moody and Brittanee at the Pole Yard Boat Landing near Georgetown, and that she did not take Brittanee’s cell phone with her, when in reality, she participated in Brittanee’s abduction and was complicit in her rape and murder. On the night of Brittanee’s disappearance in April 2009, Vause assisted Moody in luring the 17-year-old into their vehicle, promising her a ride to her hotel. Vause left Brittanee alone with Moody at the site of her rape and murder taking her cellphone, her only chance of survival, with her. The judge noted during the sentencing hearing that Vause was a “key participant in this tragedy, facilitating the kidnapping of a child.”
“For more than a decade, Brittanee’s loved ones were left to imagine the worst possible scenario in Brittanee’s disappearance while Vause withheld the truth,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “We hope Brittanee’s loved ones can now have both the closure and a measure of justice that comes with this sentence. May she rest in peace knowing that her mother Dawn was relentless in her pursuit of justice.”
“The FBI is committed to following the evidence to uncover the truth,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office. “This sentence underscores the gravity of lying during an investigation. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always investigate the facts and hold accountable anyone who distorts the truth to obstruct justice.”
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Vause to 216 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, the Myrtle Beach Police Department and the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case.
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Four Arrested for Harboring a Dozen Illegal Aliens in 2 El Paso HotelsRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – Four individuals were arrested in El Paso on criminal charges related to their alleged involvement in a human smuggling conspiracy.
According to court documents, agents from the Ysleta Border Patrol Station’s Disrupt Unit were conducting surveillance operations at an El Paso motel when they observed a vehicle outfitted with a temporary license plate. The vehicle had previously been observed at various other hotels known to be used for harboring undocumented noncitizens. Court documents allege that the driver of the vehicle entered the motel lobby briefly before returning to the vehicle and driving away.
Soon after, the agents allegedly observed three individuals cautiously departing from one of the motel rooms and entering a separate vehicle with a temporary license plate. The driver of the vehicle, Yair Alejandro Aguilar-Flores, allegedly admitted to being a Mexican national living in the United States illegally. The two individuals who accompanied him, Angel Eduardo Carrillo-Carrillo and Jorge Alfredo Lopez-Acevedo, were also arrested after the agents determined them to also be illegally present in the U.S. They also acknowledged that additional undocumented noncitizens were inside the motel room.
Upon investigation, the agents located seven more undocumented noncitizens, all of whom were placed under arrest. As agents were concluding their investigation, they noticed the driver of the first vehicle returning to the motel. He approached the room where the migrants had been arrested and knocked on the door. The individual, Jesus David Reyes-Villagran, allegedly admitted to the agents that the motel room was his and that he was returning from dropping off five other undocumented noncitizens at another El Paso hotel.
Aguilar-Flores, Carrillo-Carrillo, Lopez-Acevedo and Reyes-Villagran are charged with bringing in and transporting aliens. If convicted, they each face up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas the announcement.
The U.S. Border Patrol is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Wang 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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Four Admit Selling Machine Gun Conversion Devices, MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Four people have admitted selling methamphetamine or multiple machine gun conversion devices to an undercover federal agent.
Reginald Smith, 28, of Jennings, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of possession of one or more machine guns, one count of unlawfully dealing in firearms and one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
Three others have also admitted their roles in the case. Delance Bland Jr., 20, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of one or more machine guns. Kevin Burrow, 26, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base, one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine and two counts of distributing methamphetamine. Tamika Patterson, 45, of Jennings, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
After learning that Smith was selling machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) on Facebook, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service began an investigation. MCDs, also known as switches or auto sears, convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon.
On Dec. 5, 2023, an undercover ATF agent bought a Glock pistol and two Glock switches from Smith in St. Louis. On December 11, Smith sold another pistol to the agent and introduced him to his mother, Patterson, who said she could sell him meth. On December 13, the agent and Patterson met with Burrow, Patterson’s source of meth, and the agent bought 55.5 grams of the drug. Smith sold the agent a stolen pistol. Smith claimed he and Bland were the main dealers of MCDs in St. Louis, and that they ordered them 10 at a time from China.
The agent then purchased a total of 35 MCDs in a series of transactions.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15. The machine gun charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The unlawful dealing of a firearm charge carries a penalty of up to five years. The aiding and abetting the distribution of meth carries a penalty of up to 20 years.
Burrow is scheduled to be sentenced March 19, and Patterson’s sentencing is set for May 7. Bland was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Founder of Purported Artificial Intelligence-Driven Hedge Fund Pleads Guilty to Investment Adviser FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Mina Tadrus pled guilty at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York to committing investment adviser fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud investors in Tadrus Capital LLC, a hedge fund Tadrus founded and operated, of more than $5 million. Today’s proceeding took place before United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez. When sentenced, Tadrus faces up to five years in prison. Tadrus was charged in September 2023.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office (IRS-CI), announced the guilty plea.
“The defendant preyed on the Egyptian-American Coptic Christian community by falsely promising that his purported artificial intelligence-driven hedge fund would earn guaranteed annual returns of 30% or more, and taking advantage of their trust for his own personal gain,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “This Office has prioritized protecting and seeking justice for individual investors in our District and beyond.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s New York Regional Office for its assistance in this matter.
“The only thing more artificial than Tadrus’ AI-driven hedge fund was his sincerity. He sold a dream to trusting investors and instead of turning their money into profit, he swindled it for his own luxuries. Today’s plea and forfeiture agreements are just a small step forward for his victims to receive genuine justice,” said Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York.
According to court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, Tadrus marketed interests in Tadrus Capital LLC to investors based on false promises that he would employ artificial intelligence-driven trading strategies that would earn them guaranteed annual returns of 30% or more.
In reality, however, Tadrus did not use investor funds to engage in artificial intelligence-based trading as promised, nor did he engage in any trading activity. Instead, he used investor funds to pay employees, to purchase luxury gifts and expensive meals for himself, and to make Ponzi scheme-like payments to new victim investors.
If you were a Tadrus Capital LLC client and would like to file a complaint, please visit www.iC3.gov. Please reference “Tadrus Capital” or “Mina Tadrus” in your complaint.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney John O. Enright and Special Agent Martin Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Sarah Burn.
The Defendant:
MINA TADRUS
Age: 38
Tampa, FloridaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-393 (HG)
Founder and CEO of Non-Profit and Two Others Charged with Fraud, Bribery and Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Julio Medina, Christopher Dantzler and Weihong Hu with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, honest-services wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to violate the Travel Act and the use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of commercial bribery. This morning, Dantzler was arrested on Long Island, Hu in Manhattan and Medina in the Bronx. They will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrests and charges.
“The defendants’ brazen and illegal kickback scheme stole money from the City of New York that was intended to provide emergency housing and support services during the pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Shamefully, the defendants saw the pandemic as an opportunity to line their pockets with stacks of cash, finance a luxury vehicle, purchase homes and pay off personal debts. While New York City was trying to curb the spread of COVID-19, the defendants exploited a nonprofit organization to enrich themselves. My Office will relentlessly pursue those who steal public funds and deprive members of our community of crucial resources.”
DOI Commissioner Strauber stated: “As charged, these defendants, an Executive Director of a City-funded nonprofit and the principals of the nonprofit’s subcontractors, engaged in and concealed a bribery and kickback scheme, pocketing millions of dollars of funds intended to provide emergency housing and support services in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. I thank the Mayor’s Office of Risk Management and Compliance for the referral to DOI that prompted this investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI for their partnership and commitment to protect critical public resources.”
“These three defendants allegedly pocketed millions of dollars from public funds allocated for emergency housing during the pandemic,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “This alleged kickback scheme abused a program designed to provide a vulnerable population with healthier, unexposed lodging alternatives, to finance enhancements to the defendants’ lifestyles. The FBI will never tolerate any individual who twists public programs into a mechanism to sell services for personal profit.”
As alleged in the indictment, Medina founded and served as the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of a non-profit organization that, among other things, provided various reentry services to formerly incarcerated individuals (the “Organization”). In June 2020, the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice (MOCJ) contracted with the Organization to administer an emergency transitional housing program (the “Emergency Housing Program”), in partnership with local hotels and other businesses, to combat the spread of COVID-19 in New York City jails. The Organization subsequently entered into agreements with various hotels to operate as reentry hotels under the Emergency Housing Program. In total, between June 2020 and December 2023, the Organization received approximately $122 million in public funds from MOCJ to operate the Emergency Housing Program at these hotels.
Dantzler and Hu each operated or controlled businesses that received tens of millions of dollars in public funds from the Organization under the Emergency Housing Program. Dantzler’s company purported to provide security services at the reentry hotels but was not a licensed security company and did not, in fact, provide security services. Hu operated or controlled two hotels in Queens that operated as reentry hotels under the Emergency Housing Program and was a member of a repurposed catering company that provided food services to formerly incarcerated individuals residing at reentry hotels under the Emergency Housing Program.
Medina solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks from Dantzler and Hu in exchange for Medina providing business through the Organization to Dantzler’s and Hu’s respective businesses under the Emergency Housing Program. Among other bribes and kickbacks, Dantzler and Hu purchased Medina an approximately $1.3 million townhouse; Hu, through one of her businesses, financed a luxury vehicle for Medina valued at approximately $107,000; and Dantzler paid to purchase and renovate a house for Medina for approximately $750,000.
As depicted in the following photograph, during an in-person meeting in September 2020, Hu also provided Medina with a stack of wrapped U.S. currency in exchange for two checks from the Organization made out to Hu’s catering company, totaling more than $187,000.
In total, Dantzler and Hu provided Medina with at least $2.5 million in U.S. currency and in-kind benefits in exchange for Medina steering approximately $51 million in public funds from the Emergency Housing Program to Dantzler’s and Hu’s businesses. In turn, Dantzler’s security company received approximately $21 million in public funds from the Organization under the Emergency Housing Program, of which Dantzler personally retained approximately $9 million in public funds. Hu’s hotels received approximately $12 million in public funds from the Organization under the Emergency Housing Program, while her repurposed catering company received approximately $17 million in public funds.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith A. Arfa, Eric Silverberg and Sean M. Sherman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Kavya Kannan and Rebecca Roth.
The Defendants:
JULIO MEDINA
Age: 64
Clifton Park, New YorkCHRISTOPHER DANTZLER
Age: 49
Baldwin, New YorkWEIHONG HU
Age: 59
Manhattan, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-54 (RPK)
julio_medina_et_al._indictment.pdfFort Wayne Woman Sentenced to 36 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Lorraina M. Rakes, 24 years old, of Fort Wayne Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly Brady after pleading guilty to providing firearms to a person she knew was a convicted felon, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Rakes was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between April 9 and 26, 2024, Rakes sold or disposed of three firearms to an individual she knew was a convicted felon; a person who could not legally purchase or possess a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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.
Former prison official pleads guilty to taking bribes from an inmate with whom he had a sexual relationshipRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The former Assistant Director of James River Residential Reentry Facility (James River RRC) pled guilty today to taking bribes as a public official.
According to court documents, Marlon R. Jones, Jr., 44, of Portsmouth, had supervisory authority over an inmate, identified as L.C., who was released to home confinement in January 2021. From at least April 2021 through September 2022, Jones had a direct relationship with L.C. that quickly exceeded appropriate boundaries.
In addition to having sexual contact and exchanging sexual messages via telephone and text, L.C. paid Jones on several occasions for assistance with making violations disappear. This was discovered when another supervisor took over James River RRC and found that L.C. had had at least fourteen incidents, only three of which had been properly recorded.
Jones engaged in hundreds of exchanges with L.C., including messages that revealed that Jones both had sexual contact with L.C. and that L.C. paid Jones in exchange for helping L.C. avoid disciplinary consequences for violations.
Jones both received physical currency and electronic transfers from L.C. through his CashApp account. Between Sept. 24, 2021, and March 29, 2022, L.C. paid Jones a total of $650 over five CashApp transactions.
L.C. also referred other individuals to Jones, including his cousin.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7 and faces up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Timothy C. Edmiston, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Samuels and Julie Podlesni prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-3.
Former University Employee Charged with Selling Stolen Apple Products to Folsom ContactRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — An indictment was unsealed today charging Tung Pham, 59, of San Jose, with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Pham worked as a facilities and purchasing coordinator for the library of a public university in San Jose. In that position, Pham was entrusted with a university procurement card to purchase necessary items for the library. Pham, however, used the procurement card to purchase, among other things, Apple MacBooks and Apple iPads that he stole and sold to others for personal gain, including a co-conspirator who lived in Folsom. The individual in Folsom resold and shipped the stolen Apple products to buyers outside the State of California.
This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Pham faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charge is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former U.S. Postal Service employee in Billings admits stealing mailRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A former U.S. Postal Service employee admitted to a theft charge today after he was accused of stealing mail when he tried to sell $850 worth of sports cards to a Billings sports memorabilia business that had attempted to ship the cards to a different customer, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Zachary Louis Simpson, 37, pleaded guilty to theft of mail by employee. Simpson faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Simpson was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that between March 27, 2023 and April 3, 2024, Simpson was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and sorted packages at the mail facility in Billings. Simpson had access to and was entrusted with mail during his shifts at the sorting facility. While employed with the Postal Service, Simpson stole packages from the sorting facility and took them home. On March 12, 2024, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General was contacted regarding Simpson. A sports memorabilia business in Billings notified law enforcement that Simpson came into the store to sell $850 of sports cards. The company realized that it had recently attempted to ship those same cards to a different customer through the mail. An investigation determined that the packages containing these cards had transited the postal sorting facility in Billings on a date Simpson was working. Law enforcement conducted a trash pull at Simpson’s residence and found dozens of empty packages in his trash that were addressed to other people at different locations. Investigators executed a search warrant at Simpson’s residence and seized more than 100 additional empty packages that were not addressed to Simpson. Agents also recovered more than 10,000 sports trading cards and other memorabilia. The Postal Service contacted a number of the victims whose packages were found in Simpson’s possession. Many reported that their packages contained sports trading cards that never reached the intended destination.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, conducted the investigation.
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Former Student Doctor Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A former student doctor pleaded guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, Kevin Weiss, 28, admitted to producing an image of child sexual abuse material of a minor under age 18 by employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing that minor. Weiss also admitted he possessed other child sexual abuse material, including some showing very young children.
At sentencing, Weiss faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and not more than 50 years, followed by a minimum of 5 years and up to a term of life of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Jaymie L. Roybal and Meg Tomlinson are prosecuting 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 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.
Former Springville teacher going to prison for 10 years following child pornography convictionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Frank E. Noeson III, 47, of Holland, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison and 30 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that Noeson, who was then a 5th grade teacher at a local elementary school, engaged in sexual communications with a minor female (Victim) using Snapchat. The Victim was 16 years old when the communications began. During the communications, Noeson persuaded the Victim to create sexually explicit images and videos and send them to him. Noeson also engaged in sexual communications with another minor female victim, who was 15 years-old, using Snapchat. During these communications, the victim sent numerous images and videos of child pornography.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Buffalo Office Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the FBI Miami Field Office, and the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger.
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