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Thursday 4 June 2026
Mother in 13-Month-Old’s Death Arrested and ChargedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Valencia Duke, 25, of the District of Columbia, was arrested and charged Wednesday with first-degree felony murder and two counts of first-degree cruelty to children for the January 18 death of her thirteen-month-old daughter and near death of her thirteen-month-old son in Southeast, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Duke made her initial appearance June 4 before Superior Court Judge Heidi Hermann. Judge Hermann found probable cause that Duke committed the offenses and ordered her to be held without bond pending trial.
According to court documents, between January 14 and January 18, 2026, Duke left her two thirteen-month-old children alone in her residence. On January 18, 2026, officers responded to the 4700 block of Southern Avenue Southeast and located the female child deceased and decomposing and the male child dehydrated and malnourished. The male child was transported to the hospital where he stayed for several days. An autopsy was done on the female child where it was determined that her cause of death was dehydration.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being investigated by the Special Victims Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emma McArthur.
Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican National Arrested After Indictment for Methamphetamine and Heroin Trafficking and Money Laundering Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — An eight-count indictment was unsealed today charging Hugo Alberto Herrera Rodriguez, 41, a Mexican national residing unlawfully in California, with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, distributing methamphetamine and heroin, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
The indictment was returned on June 13, 2024, and was unsealed following Herrera Rodriguez’s arrest on Tuesday in Grass Valley.
According to court documents, between June 2019 and October 2019, Herrera Rodriguez was the Mexico-based leader and organizer of a drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine and heroin throughout northern California. Herrera Rodriguez conspired with others in Sacramento, San Joaquin, Placer, Nevada, and Stanislaus Counties to transfer the drug trafficking proceeds from the United States to Mexico in a manner designed to conceal the source and ownership of the money.
If convicted of the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, or the distribution of methamphetamine counts, Herrera Rogriguez faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million. For the distribution of heroin counts, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million for each of the counts and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. For the conspiracy to commit money laundering count, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. 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 charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Sacramento is composed of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, the Sacramento Area Intelligence and Narcotics Team (SAINT), the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Nevada City Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew De Moura are prosecuting the case.
Member of local drug trafficking organization sentenced to 10 years for distributing drugs in Homeland Security Task Force caseRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced today to 10.8 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to traffic deadly drugs to Alaska and into the Anchorage community.
According to court documents, Andrew Akulaw, 42, conspired with co-defendant, Rodney Godwin, 52, the leader of the drug trafficking organization. From April to December 2023, Godwin organized and operated a drug trafficking organization while under indictment for a separate drug trafficking crime. Godwin’s organization imported and distributed over 3.8 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1.6 kilograms of cocaine and 1.3 kilograms of heroin within Alaska.
Court documents detail that Akulaw’s role in the conspiracy was to receive large shipments of drugs in the mail and through air cargo, as well as collect outstanding drug proceeds. Law enforcement learned of Akulaw’s involvement in the drug trafficking organization on Sept. 5, 2023, when Akulaw got into a car accident. At the scene of the accident, first responders discovered a firearm in Akulaw’s pocket, a fanny pack with a large amount of drug proceeds, and an Arizona driver’s license for another individual. Law enforcement had to use a fingerprint scanner to identify Akulaw. In doing so, law enforcement learned that Akulaw had two active State of Alaska arrest warrants.
At the hospital after the accident, Akulaw directed his fanny pack be given to a co-conspirator. Officers seized the fanny pack and through a search warrant, found almost thirty thousand dollars.
Throughout the investigation, law enforcement attributed over 3.7 kilograms of drugs directly to Akulaw.
On May 23, 2024, Akulaw and seven co-defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in this matter. On Nov. 18, 2025, Akulaw pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and also pleaded guilty to a felon in possession of a firearm in a separate federal case.
“Mr. Akulaw has spent decades committing violent crimes and violating supervision, ultimately turning to distributing deadly drugs in his own community,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Poisonous drugs have no place in our state, and we will not stop fighting the threat illegal narcotics pose to Alaskan communities. Working with our law enforcement partners to find those who traffic them and dismantle their operations remains a top priority for my office and the U.S. Department of Justice.”
“Akulaw not only facilitated the flow of deadly drugs into and throughout Alaska, but also the collection and enforcement of drug debts to sustain its operations,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Thanks to the tenacious work by the investigative team, another dangerous member of this drug trafficking organization has been brought to justice. The FBI will continue working with our partners, at every level, to ensure drug traffickers are held accountable and removed from our streets.”
Co-defendants in this case include:
- Rodney Godwin, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a continue criminal enterprise on May 10, 2025, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Nov. 24, 2025, which will run consecutively to a previous 20-year federal drug trafficking sentence.
- Calvin Oktollik, 39, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on July 28, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2026.
- Miles Apatiki, 39, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy on Jan. 6, 2026, and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2026
- Jennifer Godwin, 41, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on July 11, 2025, and was sentenced to three years in prison on May 6, 2026.
- Reigna Archuleta, 40, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and one count of carrying firearms during a drug trafficking crime on Dec. 19, 2025, and will be sentenced at a later date.
- David Henry, 52, of Palmer, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on Dec. 4, 2025, and was sentenced to 6.6 years in prison on April 16, 2026.
- Page Peak, 27, of Sterling, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on July 30, 2025, and was sentenced to five years’ probation on March 3, 2026.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case as part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Anchorage Domicile, IRS Criminal Investigation, Alaska State Troopers and U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Beausang and Mandy Mackenzie prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region One comprises agents and officers from Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations – Seattle; the United States Attorney’s Office(s) for the Districts of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Eastern Washington, and Western Washington; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); CBP – Office of Field Operations; CBP – Air & Marine Operations; U.S. Border Patrol; U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Transportation Security Administration, Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.
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Maryland Man Indicted for Assaulting TSA Security Officers at Baltimore/Washington International AirportRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Charles County, Maryland, man faces indictment in connection with an attack on two federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at the Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Airport.
Cornelius Lionell Queen, 32, is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers and interfering with security screening personnel at the airport.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office; Jason Wimer, Acting Assistant Administrator for Investigations, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Colonel Joseph Scott, Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Police.
According to the indictment, on April 2, 2026, Queen forcibly assaulted two TSA lead transportation security officers at a security screening checkpoint at BWI Airport. Queen also interfered with the federal officers’ ability to perform their security duties. Additionally, according to surveillance video shown in court, prior to his alleged assault on the TSA officers, Queen also allegedly attacked a bystander and his two children. Queen also attempted to attack another bystander.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Queen faces a maximum of 18 years in federal prison for assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers and interfering with security screening personnel.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, TSA, and MDTA Police for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Ty Pittinger who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Maryland Man Convicted of Defrauding Private Jet Customers for $15MRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury delivered a verdict that is sending a Maryland man to prison stemming from a wire-fraud scam.
The jury found Patrick Britton-Harr, 43, of Annapolis, guilty of six counts of wire fraud in connection with a private-jet service scheme. Britton-Harr, who owned and operated a company that offered charter flights on private jets, defrauded customers by making false promises about how he planned to use their money.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty verdict with Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, Justice Department, Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Greg Thompson, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG).
“This conviction sends a strong message that if you scam and defraud others, we’re coming after you with the full weight of the law,” Hayes said. “We will always seek justice for victims. Through his greed and deceitful actions, Mr. Britton-Harr showed a total disregard for the law and others. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our law-enforcement partners, is committed to holding accountable individuals who prey on and take advantage of unsuspecting people.”
“Patrick Britton-Harr stole millions of dollars from his customers by lying to them about how he would use and protect their money,” Duva said. “He used his business as a front to fraudulently induce his clients to make down payments for services never provided. Meanwhile he bought yachts, expensive jewelry, and lined his own pockets. The prosecutors and agents who brought this case vindicated the victims. If you prey on, trick, and defraud people, you will be investigated and prosecuted.”
“This conviction holds Patrick Britton-Harr accountable for the lies he told and the millions of dollars he stole from customers to bankroll his extravagant lifestyle,” Paul said. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to protect victims from fraudsters and will go after anyone who takes advantage of investors for personal gain.”
“Consumers who invest in aviation services deserve honesty and transparency, not deception. Patrick Britton-Harr abused his customers’ trust by misrepresenting how their money would be used and then enriching himself at their expense,” Thompson said. “This verdict reflects the commitment of DOT-OIG and our law enforcement partners to holding accountable those who engage in fraud and threaten the integrity of the transportation industry.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Britton-Harr owned and controlled AeroVanti, Inc. and its affiliated entities. Through AeroVanti, a private air club offering members access to private jets, Britton-Harr set up a limited-time opportunity that invited “Top Gun” members to pay $150,000 upfront to help the company buy a plane in exchange for a block of discounted flight hours. He promised to use their money to purchase specific aircraft, and he pledged to protect their money by delivering the aircraft titles to escrow. The Top Gun members collectively paid approximately $15 million in upfront payments to purchase five aircraft.
But instead of buying the aircraft, Britton-Harr misappropriated members’ money for his own personal benefit. This included purchasing yachts and jewelry, paying for his living expenses, and renting a $10,000 per month home near Tampa, Florida. Evidence at trial further established that Britton-Harr then attempted to conceal his fraud by obtaining a $1.5 million loan to purchase one of the aircraft he already claimed that he purchased with Top Gun member funds by withholding material information from the lender to obtain the loan.
Britton-Harr faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison per count. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Additionally, in May 2025, a federal jury separately indicted Britton-Harr on multiple counts of health care fraud and one count of money laundering related to his participation in a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare for expensive respiratory tests. The health care fraud trial is slated for October 2026.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and DOT-OIG for their work in investigating these cases. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ari D. Evans and Fraud Section Attorney Ariel Glasner who prosecuted this federal case, along with Fraud Section Trial Attorney Tara Shinnick who provided significant assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Maryland Man Convicted of Defrauding Private Jet Customers for $15MRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the District of Maryland convicted a Maryland man yesterday who owned and operated a company which offered charter flights on private jets. He defrauded his victims of approximately $15 million by falsely promising to use their upfront $150,000 payments to help the company buy a plane in exchange for a block of discounted flight hours and a promise that their money would be protected.
“Patrick Britton-Harr stole millions of dollars from his customers by lying to them about how he would use and protect their money,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He used his business as a front to fraudulently induce his clients to make down payments for services never provided. Meanwhile, he bought yachts, expensive jewelry, and lined his own pockets. The prosecutors and agents who brought this case vindicated the victims. If you prey on, trick, and defraud people, you will be investigated and prosecuted.”
“This conviction sends a strong message that if you scam and defraud others, we’re coming after you with the full weight of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “We will always seek justice for victims. Through his greed and deceitful actions, Mr. Britton-Harr showed a total disregard for the law and others. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our law-enforcement partners, is committed to holding accountable individuals who prey on and take advantage of unsuspecting people.”
“This conviction holds Patrick Britton-Harr accountable for the lies he told and the millions of dollars he stole from customers to bankroll his extravagant lifestyle,” said Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to protect victims from fraudsters and will go after anyone who takes advantage of investors for personal gain.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Patrick Britton-Harr, 43, of Annapolis, Maryland, owned and controlled AeroVanti and its affiliated entities. AeroVanti was a private air club that offered members access to flights on private jets. Britton-Harr set up a “one-time membership opportunity” that invited “Top Gun” members to pay $150,000 upfront to help the company buy a plane in exchange for a block of discounted flight hours. Britton-Harr promised to use their money to purchase specific aircraft, and he promised to protect their money by delivering the titles of the aircraft to escrow.
The Top Gun members collectively paid approximately $15 million in upfront payments to purchase five aircraft. But instead of buying those aircraft, Britton-Harr misappropriated members’ money for his own personal benefit, including to purchase yachts and jewelry, to pay his living expenses, and to rent a $10,000 per month home near Tampa, Florida. The evidence at trial further established that Britton-Harr then attempted to conceal his fraud by obtaining a $1.5 million loan to purchase one of the aircraft he had already claimed to have purchased with Top Gun member funds by withholding material information from the lender to obtain the loan.
The jury convicted Britton-Harr of six counts of wire fraud. A sentencing date has not been set. Britton-Harr faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In May 2025, Britton-Harr was separately indicted with multiple counts of health care fraud and one count of money laundering related to his participation in a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare for expensive respiratory tests. He is scheduled to begin trial on that indictment in October 2026.
The FBI Baltimore Field Office and Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ariel Glasner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Evans for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. Fraud Section Trial Attorney Tara Shinnick provided significant assistance.
Maryland Man Admits to Trafficking Firearms into New JerseyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Maryland man admitted to the transportation of a stolen firearm in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.
“Trafficking illegal firearms poses a direct threat to the safety of our communities. Vargas admitted to selling firearms, including a handgun stolen out of Texas, for his own profit. This Office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who bring illegal weapons into New Jersey.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
Luiz Vargas, a/k/a, “El Biggie,” 26, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner to a one-count Information charging him with transportation of a stolen firearm.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Beginning in January 2025, law enforcement investigated Vargas for trafficking firearms into New Jersey from, among other places, Texas and Maryland. Using a confidential source acting at the direction and supervision of law enforcement, officers conducted four controlled purchases of firearms, which yielded a total of eight firearms: two semiautomatic rifles and six handguns. Two of the handguns were reported stolen out of Texas and Colorado, respectively, and the two semiautomatic rifles had no serial numbers or other identifiable markings on them. On at least one occasion, Vargas provided cocaine to the confidential source after being unable to follow through with a promised sale of firearms. Vargas has never held a federal license to deal or manufacture firearms.
The transportation of a stolen firearm charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for September 30, 2026.
United States Attorney Frazer credited special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark, under the direction of Acting Field Office Director Arthur J. Wilson Jr., the Howell Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police John Storrow, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy, the Asbury Park Police Department, under the direction of Police Director John B. Hayes, the Freehold Borough Police Department, under the Direction of Chief of Police Chris Colaner, the Lakewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Gregory H. Meyer, the Little Silver Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Paul Halpin, the Marlboro Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Peter Pezzullo, the Middletown Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police R. Craig Weber, the Monroe Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Griffin N. Banos, and the Wall Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Sean O’Halloran, for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
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Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana, Esq., Federal Public Defenders.
vargas.information.pdfManchester Man Indicted for Receiving and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material and for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Manchester Man Indicted for Receiving and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material and for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender
CONCORD – A Manchester man was indicted this week for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Michael McBride, age 53, was indicted by a federal Grand Jury on multiple counts of receiving and attempting to receive CSAM, as well as counts of CSAM possession and failure to register as a sex offender. He will appear in federal court in Concord on a later date.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, McBride was previously convicted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and state law for crimes related to aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and abusive sexual conduct involving a minor. Due to his prior federal conviction, McBride was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Thereafter, in September in October 2025, McBride received and possessed CSAM. During this time, from at least September 2023 and continuing until at least October 2025, McBride failed to register as a sex offender in the State of New Hampshire as required by SORNA.
The charging statutes provides a minimum sentence of 15 years for receipt and attempted receipt of CSAM and a minimum sentence of 10 years for possession of CSAM. The SORNA charge provides a maximum sentence of 10 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Department of Homeland Security and the United States Marshal’s Service are investigating this case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Brentwood and Kingston Police Departments and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S Attorney Matthew T. Hunter is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Man and Woman Sentenced for Child Neglect on Menominee Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that a man and woman were recently sentenced after convictions for child neglect on the Menominee Indian Reservation. On May 15, 2026, Louis Tucker (age 24) of Neopit, Wisconsin, was sentenced to three years in federal prison for child neglect, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1153(a) and Wisconsin Statutes §§ 948.21(2) and 948.21(3)(b)(1). Tucker entered a guilty plea on February 19, 2026. Following his term of imprisonment, Tucker will spend three years on supervised release.
On May 29, 2026, Nyomi L.D. Acosta (age 21) of Neopit was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for the same offense. Acosta entered her guilty plea to child neglect on February 26, 2026. Following her term of imprisonment, Acosta will also spend three years on supervised release.
According to court records, tribal social services and tribal law enforcement received a report of possible child abuse of a then 8-month-old child. The child suffered a burn, broken bones, and bruising to the head and body. Tucker and Acosta were responsible for the child’s welfare and did not seek medical attention for the child after the child was abused.
Senior United States District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense and the harm to the child. He also remarked that, while Tucker and Acosta had distinct rehabilitative needs, the offense deserved punishment and the sentence of each of them had to promote deterrence to others.
“It is heartbreaking that this very little child suffered so greatly due to neglect by people who were supposed to care for and protect them,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Schimel. “Acts that result in serious harm to a child deserve prison, and thankfully the court saw it that way.”
"Louis Tucker and Nyomi L.D. Acosta abused an innocent child causing significant bodily harm. Their actions were reprehensible, and these sentencings ensure they will be held to account," said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. "The FBI remains committed to working with our Tribal partners to combat violent crime on Tribal lands."
The Menominee Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier.
For further information contact:Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Man Who Stole Cedar Falls ATM and Led Officers on High-Speed Chase Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
A man who stole an ATM and then led officers on a high-speed chase for approximately 40 minutes pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
John Fitzgerald Bennett, age 56, from Gilbertville, Iowa, was convicted of one count of credit union larceny.
In a plea agreement, Bennett admitted that on May 3, 2025, he stole a pickup truck from a home in Waterloo. He then drove the truck to a parking lot in Cedar Falls. Bennett walked down the street and stole a forklift from a construction site. He drove the forklift to a credit union in Cedar Falls and attempted to use the forklift to lift an interactive teller machine off the ground. The machine tipped over and Bennett could not maneuver the forklift to successfully steal the machine. Bennett then drove the forklift further down the street to a second credit union. There, he successfully used the forklift to steal an ATM. Bennett drove the forklift with the ATM back to the parking lot where he had stashed the stolen pickup truck. Bennett used the forklift to move the ATM into the back of the pickup truck and drove away.
Law enforcement officers responded to alarms from both credit unions and found Bennett in the stolen pickup truck. Bennett fled and led officers on a high‑speed chase, including on Interstate 380, for approximately 40 minutes and a total of 46 miles. He reached speeds of 100 miles per hour in a 65 mile-per-hour zone. Ultimately, Bennett drove over multiple sets of “stop sticks,” which deflated most of the truck’s tires. Finally, the truck was so damaged that it stopped moving. When the truck stopped, the tires were gone and the tire rims and running boards were resting on the ground. The stolen ATM from the second credit union was in the back of the truck.
Bennett has a prior federal conviction for one count of credit union burglary and aiding and abetting, and one count of credit union larceny and aiding and abetting.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Bennett remains in custody of the United States Marshal. Bennett faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Cedar Falls Police Department, the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, the Waterloo Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2068.
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Madison Man Sentenced to Almost 8 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearms and Ammunition While on Federal SupervisionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Marvin Coates, 39, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 71 months in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. Coates pleaded guilty to this charge on March 18, 2026. Judge Peterson also sentenced Coats to an additional 24 months in federal prison for violating the terms of his supervised release.
On August 28, 2025, Madison police responded to a 911 call where the reporting party said that Coates had threatened an individual and followed that individual home. Police responded to the apartment complex and saw Coates getting into a car. Police stopped Coates and searched the surrounding area. Across the street, police found two firearms, a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun with nine rounds in the magazine and an SCCY 9mm handgun with an extended magazine holding 28 rounds. The firearms were wrapped in a t-shirt sitting on the rear wheel of a parked pickup truck.
Police obtained video surveillance from the apartment complex. The video showed Coates walking down the sidewalk toward his car carrying the t-shirt. As the Madison police squad car approached, Coates stopped near the rear of the pickup before crossing the street to head toward his car. The Wisconsin State Crime Lab later recovered Coates’s DNA on the firearms.
Coates is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior felony convictions including a 2020 federal conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon. In that case, Coates fired a handgun into the air during a disturbance. He was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was still on supervised release when he committed this offense.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson stressed that a goal of sentencing was to protect the community. Judge Peterson said that Coates failed to follow his rules of federal supervision, had a bad temper, was impulsive, and “demonstrated a resolute disrespect for every manifestation of the law.”
The charge against Coates was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF as well as state and local agents throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Justice Department Expands Admissions Investigations into 15 Additional Medical SchoolsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today that it opened fifteen new investigations into potential race discrimination in medical school admissions. The Division recently announced its findings that the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and Yale University both illegally used race in medical school admissions.
“Many of America’s top medical schools appear more concerned about the demographics of their incoming classes than training students to succeed in the profession,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Under this Justice Department, we will continue to protect American students from discriminatory and illegal preferences in admissions — especially in professions as critical as medicine, where quality of training should be the top priority.”
The Division opened the investigations to enforce compliance with federal law and ensure the students become doctors based on their merit, not their race. Each of the fifteen schools under investigation receives millions of dollars in federal taxpayer funding. The investigations will examine whether these medical schools follow Title VI of the Civil Rights Act as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College.
The Civil Rights Division has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigations.
Jury Convicts Springfield Man of Receiving Child Pornography and Using AI to Produce Obscene ImagesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo. man, who was caught with multiple images of child pornography and used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to produce obscene images of children, was convicted by a federal jury.
Jeremy Koppenhaver, 46, was found guilty on June 2, 2026, of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of production of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.
On June 22, 2024, the Springfield, Missouri Police Department responded to a coffee shop in downtown Springfield, after another customer reported that Koppenhaver, who was also at the coffee shop using their internet, was attempting to use AI to produce child pornography. The responding officers seized Koppenhaver’s laptop. Investigators conducted a forensic examination of the laptop and found multiple images of child pornography and multiple obscene images of children created by AI. All the images of child pornography depicted real children.
The computer data from the obscene images showed that Koppenhaver was using an AI image generation website to depict female celebrities as minors who were being subjected to sexual abuse. Investigators also located images in which Koppenhaver used photo editing software to edit nude images of Koppenhaver into photographs that depicted nude girls. Data on the computer also demonstrated that Koppenhaver had multiple web searches looking for child pornography.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the United States District Court in Springfield deliberated for approximately 50 minutes before returning guilty verdicts to United States District Court Judge Megan Blair Benton, ending a trial that began on June 1, 2026.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie L. Wan and Randall Eggert. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Springfield, Missouri Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Jury Convicts Armed Career Criminal of Multiple Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – A federal jury has found Anthony Joseph Brulewicz, a/k/a “Tony Montana” (54, Port Orange) guilty of four counts of distribution or possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of use, carry or possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Brulewicz was charged as an Armed Career Criminal and now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, up to 205 years, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 31, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Brulewicz was indicted on December 17, 2025
According to testimony or evidence presented at trial, Brulewicz sold a total of six firearms and approximately 30 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant over five law enforcement-controlled purchases. The firearms included three pistols, two shotguns and a rifle, all sold from the defendant’s residence. During one of the drug trafficking offenses, the defendant used, carried or possessed a firearm in furtherance of that crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Port Orange Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Alexa McNeff.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
June Federal Grand Jury 2026-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the June Federal Grand Jury 2026-A Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Elmer Jeovanni Argueta Alejo. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Argueta Alejo, 43, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Osborn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-216
James Casey Bell. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Bell, 29, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case.
26-CR-209Wilman Caballero Ramirez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Caballero Ramirez, 36, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in 2011, 2019, and 2020. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-206
Abel Guerra Morataya. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Guerra Morataya, 45, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in 2005, 2006, and 2015. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Kelly is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-217
James Dale Hall, Jr. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Hall, 41, of Tulsa, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from February 2026 through the date of the Indictment. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Osborn is prosecuting the case.
26-CR-219Socorro Magallanes Medrano; Marco Flores Sanchez. Distribution of Cocaine (Counts 1 through 6); Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute (Count 7); Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony (Counts 8 through 20). Magallanes Medrano, 58, and Flores Sanchez, 39, both Mexican nationals, are charged with knowingly distributing cocaine and possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. They are additionally charged with using a cellphone to discuss drug distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-210
Marty Lee Martin. Production of Child Pornography. Martin, 55, of Glenpool, is charged with using a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of child sexual abuse material. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-218
Enderbeth Jose Martinez. False Statement to Acquire a Firearm. Martinez, 31, a Venezuelan national, is charged with attempting to purchase a firearm and claiming that he was not an alien or unlawfully in the United States when he was unlawfully in the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Brasher is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-208
Ariel Gustavo Mejia Perez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Mejia Perez, 50, a Guatemalan national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in 2007 and 2012. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augusta Forster is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-207
Deoyonte Moore. Illegal Possession of a Machinegun; Possession of an Unregistered Weapon Made from a Rifle with an Overall Length of Less Than 26 Inches; Robbery in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm in Relation to a Crime of Violence (superseding). Moore, 24, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing a handgun fitted with a machinegun conversion device. He is charged with possessing an unregistered 9mm rifle modified to be less than 26 inches. Additionally, Moore is charged with taking property of value from the victim by force and possessing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-083
Geovanny Alexander Pineda Cubias. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes (superseding). Pineda Cubias, 25, an El Salvadoran national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. He knowingly possessed cocaine with intent to distribute and knowingly maintained a residence for drug distribution. Lastly, Pineda Cubias possessed firearms while trafficking drugs. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher and Stephen Flynn are prosecuting the case. 26-CR-075
Junction City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Junction City, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Trevor Alan Slocum-Lammers, 31, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in August 2023 a cloud storage account associated with Slocum-Lammers uploaded CSAM. On July 30, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant and interviewed Slocum-Lammers, who admitted to possessing CSAM.
On Sept. 19, 2024, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Slocum-Lammers with possession of child pornography. On Oct. 9, 2025, Slocum-Lammers pleaded guilty.
The FBI investigated this case in collaboration with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office and with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and Oregon State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jamestown man going to prison on meth chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ruben Medina, 20, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
On September 11, 2024, Medina was pulled over by a Jamestown Police officer because of an outstanding probation warrant. Initially, he refused to exit the vehicle but later complied and was taken into custody. A search of Medina recovered approximately 109 grams of methamphetamine. Previously, on June 25, 2024, a search warrant was executed at a Newland Avenue residence associated with Medina. Investigators seized cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, suboxone strips, $200 cash, a digital scale, and a firearm.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Buffalo comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Emergency Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Forster.
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Indiana Man Sentenced for Assaulting Two Minors on an AircraftRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Indiana man was sentenced on June 3 in U.S. District Court in Portland for assaulting two minor females who were passengers on an aircraft while it was in flight.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Aidan J. Carter, 27, to 30 days in jail to be followed by five years of probation involving strict conditions, including completing a sex offender evaluation and any recommended treatment. Carter pleaded guilty on December 10, 2025.
According to court records, in December 2024, Carter was a passenger on a crowded aircraft flying to Portland. After take-off, he touched the thigh of a then 17-year-old female passenger seated next to him without her consent. After the 17-year-old victim pushed his hand away, Carter repeatedly reached across the aisle to grab and squeeze the upper thigh of a then 16-year-old female passenger whom he awoke from her sleep. Carter also reached in the direction of the 16-year-old female’s genitals.
The FBI and the Portland Police Department investigated the case.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Illegal aliens from Mexico sentenced to prison for distributing counterfeit Adderall pills in Homeland Security Task Force caseRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two illegal aliens from Mexico have been sentenced to prison for distribution of methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in a counterfeit Adderall conspiracy investigated by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Washington, D.C., and HSTF Dallas.
According to court documents, Venancio Martinez Antero, 35, and Cesar Adan Rojo-Ortiz, 35, participated in a conspiracy that began at least as early as April 2019 and used darknet marketplaces to advertise and distribute counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine. Once orders were placed, co-conspirators sent customer names, shipping addresses, and drugs to redistributors such as Martinez Antero and Rojo-Ortiz who manufactured and packaged drugs for shipment and distribution nationwide.
Law enforcement seized over five kilograms of counterfeit Adderall pills (approximately 13,692 pills) associated with the conspiracy. Between September 2019 and July 2025, law enforcement made 47 controlled purchases from the conspirators’ darknet vendor accounts and accounts on encrypted messaging applications for up to 3,000 counterfeit Adderall pills at a time.
Law enforcement searched a garage that was controlled by Martinez Antero and Rojo-Ortiz and seized, among other items, $2,900, a blender, 2.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, an additional 12.5 kilograms of binding material, and an industrial pill press fitted with attachments to manufacture counterfeit Adderall pills.
USAO EDVAMartinez Antero was sentenced on May 21 to 11 years and three months in prison. Rojo-Ortiz was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather D. Call and Lauren E. Hahn prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the HSTF initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Washington is comprised of agents and officers from the FBI; HSI; ATF; DEA; the Diplomatic Security Service; USMS; the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Transportation Security Administration Federal Air Marshals Service; CBP; Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Washington Baltimore HIDTA. Prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney 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 Nos. 1:25-CR-331 (Rojo-Ortiz) and 1:25-CR-312 (Martinez Antero).
Illegal Alien Found with More Than a Kilogram of Cocaine and a Firearm Sentenced to Serve Nine Years in Federal Prison as Part of Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – RAMON ZUNIGA-MAGDELANO, 48, a Mexican alien residing in Oklahoma City illegally, has been sentenced to serve 108 months in federal prison for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, on December 19, 2024, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department conducted a traffic stop and arrested Zuniga-Magdelano on an outstanding warrant. During the arrest, officers recovered cocaine from Zuniga-Magdelano’s person and later executed a search warrant at his Oklahoma City residence. During the search, law enforcement recovered more than 1,100 grams of cocaine and a firearm.
On July 30, 2025, Zuniga-Magdelano was charged by superseding information with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Zuniga-Magdelano pleaded guilty on September 4, 2025, and admitted he was unlawfully present in the United States, possessed more than 500 grams of cocaine intended for distribution, and possessed a firearm despite his status as an illegal alien.
At a sentencing hearing on May 29, 2026, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Zuniga-Magdelano to serve 108 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Wyrick specifically noted a lack of respect for the law demonstrated by Mr. Zuniga, who illegally entered the country to sell drugs. Upon his release from prison, Zuniga-Magdelano will be deported.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth M. Bagwell prosecuted the case.
This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Oklahoma City comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the United States Marshals Service.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Illegal Alien Venezuelan Child Molester Charged with Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – On June 2, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging an illegal alien born in Venezuela, Francisco Javier Chacoa-Pineda, 50, with immigration fraud. The indictment alleges that Chacoa lied about his criminal history on his application to obtain Temporary Protected Status in the United States.
According to the indictment and previously issued court documents, Chacoa allegedly knowingly made materially false statements under penalty of perjury on his application to obtain Temporary Protected Status when he submitted it to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) on April 24, 2024. In response to the questions “Have you EVER been convicted of or have you EVER committed acts which constitute the essential elements of…[a] crime (other than a purely political offense)?” and “Have you EVER ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in any of the following:…[e]ngaging in any kind of sexual conduct or relations with any person who was being forced or threatened?” he answered “No.”
On November 18, 2024, in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Wake County, a grand jury returned two separate indictments against Chacoa. The first indictment charged him with three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child on January 1, 2024. The second indictment charged him with three counts of first-degree sexual exploitation against a minor on April 21, 2024. On March 18, 2026, a North Carolina State jury convicted Chacoa of one count of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child. The State Judge sentenced him to a term of imprisonment of up to 11.5 years in State prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Chacoa confessed to committing those crimes against a 13-year-old victim in January and April 2024.
If convicted, Chacoa faces a maximum penalty of more than 10 years in prison. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. ICE ERO officers are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing initiative designed to target child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtain immigration benefits. Additional information about ICE and DOJ’s partnership to aggressively combat benefit fraud is available at ICE.GOV/FalseHaven. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:26-cr-00099-FL-RN.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Leads to the Sentencing of Illegal Alien from Mexico Operating as Local Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization with Ties to CJNG CartelRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Elian Rene Fabian Valladolid, 26, an illegal alien from Mexico and leader of the local cell of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) with ties to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), was sentenced to 262 months in prison yesterday for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Valladolid will be removed from the United States after he completes his prison sentence.
“This case is one example of many that our emphasis on the cartels and their related drug-trafficking organizations is working,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We are infiltrating these organizations and toppling them from the top.”
“Drug trafficking organizations exploit vulnerabilities in our communities, placing dangerous narcotics on our streets and fueling crime that threatens the safety of families and neighborhoods,” said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina. “This investigation demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the Homeland Security Task Force and our law enforcement partners to identifying and dismantling criminal networks that unlawfully operate within our communities.”
At the sentencing hearing, the government argued for and received a sentencing enhancement for Valladolid’s leadership role within the drug trafficking organization (DTO).
According to filed documents and court proceedings, federal, state, and local law enforcement began an investigation into the drug smuggling and trafficking operations of a poly-drug DTO based in Mexico with ties to the CJNG cartel. The DTO was organized into local cells that coordinated the sale and distribution of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. Between 2022 and 2023, Valladolid was the leader of the DTO’s local cell, in charge of overseeing drug distribution activities and was involved in recruiting other members to work for the DTO.
During the investigation, law enforcement identified local stash houses used by members of the DTO to store drugs, including a storage unit. Law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant at one storage unit seizing several bags, luggage, and boxes that contained drugs and a variety of contraband. Investigators also recovered packaging materials consistent with drug distribution, four digital scales, a drug press, and a cutting agent used to “cut” drugs to increase the quantity of the drug product for resale. They also found kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl.
In total, the drug conspiracy involved 9.6 kilograms of “actual” methamphetamine; 5.9 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine; 2.7 kilograms of fentanyl; 1.9 kilograms of heroin; and 648.11 grams of cocaine.
Valladolid will remain in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) is an initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF CORE 23 (Charlotte) is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), United States Customers and Border Protection (CBP), United States ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the Naval Criminal investigative Service (NCIS), the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FIDC) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the North Carolina Insurance Bureau, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Raleigh Police Department, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the Nash Count Sheriff’s Office, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Halifax County Sheriff’s office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick Count Sheriff’s Office, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Nags Head Police Department, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS), the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the Kannapolis Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, the Gastonia Police Department, the Huntersville Police Department, the Cornelius Police Department, the Matthews Police Department, the Pineville Police Department, the Stallings Police Department, the Kings Mountain Police Department, the Greensville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) International Airport Police Department, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Anderson City Police Department, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston County Airport Police Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Summerville Police Department, the Greensboro Police Department, the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Alamance County Sheriff’s office, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office, the Eden Police Department, the Piedmont Triad Internal Airport Police Department, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of North and South Carolina.
Guam Prison Inmate Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking; Co-Conspirators Receive Federal SentencesRead the Press Release
Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that the following defendants were sentenced in the District Court of Guam:
Edward Glen Demapan, age 54, from Guam, was found guilty after a jury trial on November 19, 2025. He was sentenced on June 3, 2026, in the U.S. District Court of Guam to life imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute 50 or More Grams of Methamphetamine and Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1). The Court also imposed five years of supervised release and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.
Allan Dale Bernal, age 53, of Dededo, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 4, 2026, to 108 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1). He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Zerxes Jabidando Viva, age 47, of Dededo, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on March 10, 2026, to 63 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1). He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release, 100 hours of community service, and pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Liana Joelene Cabrera, age 43, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on April 2, 2026, to 180 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), and Unlawful Use of the Mail to Distribute the Proceeds of Drug Trafficking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1952(a)(1). She was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release, 100 hours of community service, and pay a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.
Federal court documents describe how Demapan—already serving a life sentence for aggravated murder in local court—built and directed a sophisticated methamphetamine trafficking network from inside the Guam Department of Corrections. Working with Texas‑based co‑conspirator Cabrera and multiple Guam‑based associates, Demapan coordinated the shipment of methamphetamine to Guam and the return of drug proceeds to Texas. As part of the investigation, federal law enforcement seized a mail parcel containing $80,160 in cash and several additional parcels containing over fourteen pounds of methamphetamine.
Investigators discovered that, while incarcerated, Demapan obtained cell phones, chargers, controlled substances, and drug paraphernalia. Outside the prison, he maintained a network of individuals and addresses to receive drug parcels and carry out his instructions. Testimony revealed that Demapan enforced his authority through intimidation; co‑conspirator Viva stated he feared for his own safety and that of his family.
Despite spending nearly 30 years in prison, Demapan continued to engage in criminal activity. Authorities recovered a substantial cache of contraband from his cell—evidence of long‑term illicit operations—and additional items even after he was moved to a more secure housing unit. The three intercepted drug parcels represent only a portion of the broader trafficking scheme involving Cabrera and other associates.
“This case ends Demapan’s lengthy history of drug trafficking,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Federal and territorial agencies are now working to transfer him off island to a federal facility, far away from our communities and his drug den at Guam DOC. We expect prisons to be drug free. Where reality is otherwise, we will take aggressive enforcement action.”
“This hardened drug criminal was intent on continuing a life of crime, even while behind bars. Despite prior convictions, Edward Demapan instinctively relapsed,” said, Anthony Chrysanthis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Guam. “With the help of co-conspirators, he managed to run a sophisticated drug trafficking operation from inside prison. But today’s sentencing should serve as a reminder that you can’t outsmart the justice system. You will be held accountable for your crimes, irrespective of location or jurisdiction.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service protects our communities by keeping illegal drugs out of the mail and bringing traffickers to justice,” said Stephen Sherwood, Postal Inspector in Charge of the San Francisco Division. “I want to thank the members of the Guam Interdictions Anti‑Narcotics Trafficking Task Force (GIANT TF)—including the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, the Guam Police Department, and the Guam Army National Guard Counterdrug Program. I also extend my appreciation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Guam and our federal law‑enforcement partners for their invaluable teamwork in this case.”
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration Guam Resident Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshals Service, and assistance from the Guam Police Department Special Investigations Section.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin K. Petersburg prosecuted these cases in the District of Guam.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Gregory M. Gilmore Is Sworn in as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of IllinoisRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Gregory M. Gilmore was sworn in as the United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois by United States Magistrate Judge Douglas J. Quivey on June 1, 2026, at the federal courthouse in Springfield, Illinois.
U.S. Attorney Gilmore was nominated by President Donald J. Trump on January 13, 2026, and confirmed by the United States Senate on May 18, 2026. President Trump signed Gilmore’s commission on May 27, 2026. Gilmore is the thirty-third U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. The first was William J. Allen in 1855; Allen served in what was then known as the Southern District prior to District reorganizations within Illinois.
“As a longtime federal prosecutor, it is my honor to serve as the United States Attorney for the Central District of Illinois,” Gilmore said. “Our Office’s mission is to do justice, ensure community safety, and safeguard the rights of victims. I consider myself fortunate to lead excellent attorneys and support staff across our District as we work with our law enforcement partners to achieve these goals, and I know I have benefited from observing and learning from those who led the Office before me. The Central District of Illinois is a wonderful place to live and work; we will always work to improve to better serve our fellow citizens.”
Gilmore previously served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, where he has worked since 1994. He has held various leadership positions in the Office, including First Assistant U.S. Attorney (2021 to 2025); Criminal Chief (2018 to 2021); Civil Chief (2013 to 2015); and Criminal Supervisor of the Springfield Division (2007 to 2010). As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Gilmore represented the government in a wide variety of criminal prosecutions and tried over 25 cases to jury verdict.
Prior to attending law school, Gilmore worked as a Certified Public Accountant at a big four accounting firm and for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Before joining the Office, Gilmore clerked for a state appellate court judge. Gilmore obtained his law degree from DePaul University where he was a member of the Law Review. He obtained his undergraduate degree from DePaul as well. Gilmore has lived in Central Illinois with his wife, Kelly, for more than thirty years, where they raised their three children.
Germantown man charged with illegally possessing firearm, destructive devicesRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Tony Houston, 40, of Germantown, has been arrested and charged federally with possessing unregistered firearms.
According to charging documents, in May 2026, Germantown police officers responded to the Windcliff Apartments because Houston allegedly threatened two individuals with a sawed-off shotgun. Subsequent investigation led investigators to obtain a search warrants for Houston’s residence.
On June 3, FBI agents and the FBI’s hostage rescue team executed the search warrants at Houston’s home and recovered a sawed-off shotgun, as well as at least eight apparent destructive devices, including pipe bombs. Houston was not registered to possess the short-barreled shotgun or the destructive devices.
Houston appeared in federal court in Dayton today.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division and Germantown Police Chief Matt Burns announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Rob Painter is representing the United States in this case. The Dayton Police Department's bomb squad and FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force are also coordinating on the investigation.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Fraud Division Announces Federal–State Partnership in Ohio to Prosecute FraudRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced unprecedented federal and state cooperation in Ohio in the fight against fraud, including partnerships and a data sharing agreement to enhance the detection and prosecution of fraud; federal and state charges against 9 defendants for their alleged participation in over $42 million in fraud; orders of detention this week for three defendants, with two additional defendants pending extradition in connection with an additional $15 million in fraud; and the creation of the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list. The charges announced today involve numerous types of fraud, including health care fraud, government program fraud, and consumer fraud schemes.
“Ohio is leading the charge in the fight against fraud, and some states should take notice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Working closely with Ohio officials, the Department of Justice dismantled a sophisticated Medicaid fraud scheme that exploited taxpayers to fund exotic cars and lavish lifestyles. By holding these fraudsters accountable and partnering with the FBI on a robust Most Wanted fraudster list, we are pursuing fraud more aggressively than ever. No fraud scheme is beyond our reach.”
“The Fraud Division is building a replicable model to combat the full range of fraudsters that are preying on Americans across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s Fraud Division. “Whether its health care, emergency relief funds, or consumer frauds, fraudsters go where the money flows, and with our enhanced data analytics tools, dedicated prosecutors, and federal and state partners, the days of oversight lagging and accountability lacking are now over.”
“As the cases announced today demonstrate, my Office will aggressively prosecute all forms of fraud by leveraging strong relationships with our federal and state partners,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Dominick S. Gerace II. “In establishing the Southern District of Ohio Fraud Task Force, we have now reinforced those partnerships by formalizing our processes and injecting an even greater sense of urgency into our efforts to hold fraudsters accountable for pilfering taxpayer resources.”
“The days of deception are over. As the stewards of your tax dollars, if we find evidence of willful and deliberate abuse of government programs, we will investigate and prosecute those individuals responsible to the full extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer, for the Northern District of Ohio. “We also commit to protecting our elderly who are so often targeted by conniving and scheming fraud rings who use scams that are deliberately designed to drain them of their life savings. With the full resources of this federal and state partnership, we are determined to rein in rampant fraud and bring criminals to justice.”
“Today’s takedown of multiple healthcare companies and four individuals who allegedly robbed taxpayer funded Medicaid is the latest victory in the Trump administration’s total war on fraudsters,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Together with our interagency partners we seized 7 bank accounts worth $600,000 and 14 vehicles worth millions - all of which allegedly came as direct proceeds from robbing value community healthcare resources from Americans who needed it - many of which were Medicaid enrolled children. Furthermore, today we are launching the Vice President’s historic initiative of the “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list, representing some of the alleged worst of the worst who stole millions in taxpayer money - allowing federal law enforcement to mobilize the full weight of law enforcement to bring these individuals and more to justice. I want to thank Vice President Vance for his leadership of this task force, our interagency partners for their relentless work, and most importantly thank President Trump for showing America that fraud won’t be tolerated in this country any longer.”
“These cases demonstrate that the days of fraudsters hiding behind shell companies, complex billing schemes, and other silos are coming to an end,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “By bringing together federal and state law enforcement, advanced data analytics, and unprecedented information sharing, we are building a national fraud-fighting model that identifies bad actors faster, protects taxpayer dollars, and safeguards the integrity of programs millions of Americans rely upon.”
Building a National Model of Federal-State Cooperation
In connection with these fraud enforcement actions, the Fraud Division, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Ohio Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and other partners announced the inaugural Fraud Division–State Partnership Roundtable in Ohio and the following innovative steps to enhance federal–state cooperation to detect, investigate, and prosecute fraud:
- The Fraud Division and the Ohio Secretary of State announced a data sharing agreement that provides the Fraud Division access to corporate registrant data held by the State of Ohio. Among other things, such data will be used in proactive data analysis to quickly identify ownership links between clinics, labs, and billing entities that fraudsters use to obscure control over health care fraud and other fraud schemes.
- The Ohio Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Ohio Auditor’s Office has served as a model for state and federal partnerships, and has reaffirmed its commitment to continue to (1) cross-designate or detail prosecutors to the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Strike Forces and U.S. Attorney’s Offices, as they did in prosecuting one of the cases announced today, (2) deconflict with federal partners on new Medicaid fraud investigations monthly to ensure state-federal coordination, and/or (3) participate in national initiatives in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are working with Ohio to identify Medicaid fraud and refer any appropriate criminal matters to the Fraud Division through CMS’s participation in the Health Care Fraud Data Fusion Center.
These steps demonstrate how state and federal partners can work together to strengthen fraud detection, share information, and accelerate enforcement efforts nationwide. The inaugural Fraud Division–State Partnership Roundtable included, alongside the top leadership of the Department of Justice and federal law-enforcement and public health agencies, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, Ohio Auditor Keith Faber, and Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson. The Department encourages every state across the country to partner with the Fraud Division on similar efforts.
Behavioral Health Fraud
In the Southern District of Ohio, four defendants were charged in connection with an over $30 million behavioral health scheme. Two defendants owned and operated behavioral health services organizations that claimed to provide therapeutic behavioral services and psychotherapy to children and young adults attending summer camps, church groups and recreational programs. As alleged, the defendants conspired to submit false and fraudulent claims for services that were medically unnecessary and not provided as represented. After one company failed to renew its credentialing with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and was no longer able to submit claims for mental health services to Medicaid, the defendants then allegedly conspired with a co-defendant to continue submitting the fraudulent claims through a different entity. In connection with these charges, the Department seized three bank accounts with $469K in funds and 14 vehicles worth $800K, including six Mercedes Benz, a Bentley, a BMW, a Jaguar, a Maserati, two Land Rovers, a GMC, and a McLaren.
The case is being investigated by HHS-OIG, the FBI, and Ohio’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth F. Affeldt and Justin Sheridan and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Walter and Jonathan Metzler from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Office are prosecuting the case.
In Butler County Common Pleas Court, Robert Haley, 63, of Cincinnati, was charged by indictment with an over $12 million scheme to fraudulently bill Medicaid for therapeutic behavioral services that were not actually provided to children in Butler County after-school programs. The case is being prosecuted by Ohio’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in Butler County Common Pleas Court.
Government Program Fraud
In the Southern District of Ohio, four defendants were charged in a conspiracy scheme to defraud the government out of more than $1.4 million in Covid-19 relief funds. The defendants allegedly submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of businesses, including health care providers, and applications for forgiveness to the Small Business Administration (SBA), prompting the SBA and its lenders to approve the loans and ultimately forgive the entire amount of each loan. Defendants allegedly provided false information on their PPP loan applications, claiming their businesses generated more than $100,000 in gross income for the 2019 tax year, submitted a fraudulent 1040 Schedule C with their applications, and misused the proceeds on personal expenses.
The case was investigated by SBA-OIG and VA-OIG. Assistant United States Attorney Liz McCormick and Special Assistant United States Attorney Dwight Keller are prosecuting the case.
Consumer Fraud
In the Northern District of Ohio, Jamal Abubakari, aka Jamal Abubakar, aka Arrangement, 22, of Accra, Ghana; Kamal Abubakari, aka Kamal Abubakar, aka Lancaster, 22, of Accra, Ghana; and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, aka Amanda Joy Glum, aka Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman, 53 were ordered detained this week in connection with an over $15 million romance scam that defrauded over 130 victims across the United States. Frederick Kumi, aka Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, aka Abu Trica, 31, of Swedru, Ghana; and Daniel Yussif, aka Denteni, aka Slab, 31, of Accra, Ghana, are awaiting extradition.
According to allegations in the three indictments, from about July 2024 to April 2026, the defendants targeted older Americans on dating websites and social media platforms to engage in romance fraud schemes. They employed advanced techniques including artificial intelligence-driven video platforms to engage victims under fictitious female personas. After being misled by false stories, the victims sent money via wire transfer to financial accounts controlled by conspiracy members, which were further transferred to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere. The operation involved search and arrest operations in Ghana – assets seized are estimated to amount to over $3 million and include a Lamborghini, Tesla Cybertruck, Mercedes Benz, and BMW.
This investigation highlights the successful collaboration between numerous international and national partners, including the Ghana Attorney General’s Office; Economic Organized Crime Office (EOCO); Ghana Police Service (GPS); Ghana Cyber Security Authority; Ghana Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC); Ghana Financial Intelligence Centre; Ghana Immigration Service; Ghana National Intelligence Bureau; DEA’s Sensitive Investigations Unit; Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs; U.S. Department of State; FBI Washington Field Office; and FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra. The Department of Justice remains committed to dismantling complex international cyber fraud networks and protecting U.S. citizens from financial exploitation. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian McDonough and Elliot Morrison of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
FBI Most Wanted Fraudsters List
To enhance the fight against health care fraud, program fraud, and other fraud schemes, the FBI today announced the “Most Wanted Fraudsters” program to publicize fugitive fraudsters. The FBI recognizes the need for public assistance in tracking fugitives. Apprehensions off of the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive” have been the result of citizen recognition of “Ten Most Wanted Fugitive” publicity. The FBI, Department of Justice, and other law enforcement partners are committed to using every means available to apprehend the Most Wanted Fraudsters.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four L.A.-Based MS-13 Members Found Guilty of Committing Three Grisly Murders in the Angeles National ForestRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Four members of Mara Salvatrucha, a violent street gang and terrorist organization known as MS-13, were found guilty by a jury today of brutally murdering three victims in the Angeles National Forest, including one victim who had his heart carved out of his chest and his body dismembered then tossed down a canyon.
The following defendants, all of whom remain in federal custody, were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy and violent crimes in aid of racketeering – murder:
- Angel Amadeo Guzman, 31, of Panorama City;
- Fernando Garcia Parada, 28, of Panorama City;
- Edgard Velasquez, 43, of Reseda; and
- Jose Jonathan Castillo, 34, of Koreatown.
According to evidence presented at a 17-day trial, MS-13 Los Angeles is a violent criminal street gang that operates through subsets known as “cliques,” including the Fulton clique in the San Fernando Valley and the Francis clique around MacArthur Park. The gang derives income from drug trafficking, extorting legal and illegal businesses, committing robberies, and via other illicit means.
The gang implemented rules that require its members to use murder and extreme violence to rise within its ranks.
From March 2017 to June 2017, the defendants committed three murders on behalf of MS-13. In March 2017, one victim was accused of painting the graffiti of a rival gang. Velasquez authorized the victim’s murder. Guzman, Garcia, and others later abducted the victim, strangled him, and drove him to the Angeles National Forest, where they and several co-conspirators attacked the victim with machetes. Later, they dismembered the victim, carving out his heart and throwing his body parts into a canyon.
In April 2017, Guzman and co-conspirators killed another victim, who had fled El Salvador without MS-13’s permission when it had been investigating the victim for cooperating with law enforcement. One conspirator used the Facebook account of a teenage girl to catfish the victim, who was lured to the Angeles National Forest and then killed.
Finally, in June 2017, Castillo, Garcia, and co-conspirators murdered another victim, an MS-13 associate who was accused of overstating his position in the gang. The victim was taken to the Angeles National Forest, where he was stabbed and hacked to death.
United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld, Jr., scheduled October 20 sentencing hearings for these defendants, all of whom will face one or more mandatory sentences of life in federal prison.
Federal prosecutors have secured more than 30 convictions in this case.
In November 2025, five MS-13 members were convicted of committing six murders to advance their standing in the gang. Their sentencing hearings are scheduled to occur in the coming months.
The FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office investigated this matter.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Siddall of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, and Assistant United States Attorneys Jason C. Pang of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, and William Larsen and Suria M. Bahadue of the Criminal Appeals Section are prosecuting this case.
Former Mercer County Pharmacist Sentenced to 120 Months’ Imprisonment After Convictions for Illegally Distributing Oxycodone from Trenton PharmacyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A former Mercer County pharmacist was sentenced yesterday for her role in a conspiracy to distribute and dispense outside the course of professional practice large quantities of Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, from a pharmacy formerly located in Trenton, New Jersey, United States Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Florence Ndubizu, 66, of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, was convicted on January 22, 2025 following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court on two counts of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense Schedule II controlled substances, including oxycodone, between 2014 and 2017 and maintaining a premises for the illegal distribution of controlled substances. Judge Quraishi imposed the 120-month sentence on June 2, 2026 in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial:
Between 2014 and 2017, Ndubizu was the co-owner and pharmacist-in-charge of Healthcare Pharmacy in Trenton. She and her employee conspirators, acting at her direction, filled fraudulent prescriptions outside the usual course of professional practice, knowing that the drugs would not be used for a legitimate medical purpose, but instead would be illegally diverted, including to street-level drug dealers. Ndubizu, operating a single-location pharmacy, purchased and distributed millions of dosage units of oxycodone, including over 800,000 pills in 2014; over 900,000 pills in 2015; over 800,000 pills in 2016; and over 200,000 pills in 2017, the year that the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) suspended the pharmacy’s registration.
Ndubizu diverted oxycodone pills and then evaded state and federal reporting requirements by manipulating the pharmacy’s records. The DEA conducted an audit of Healthcare Pharmacy’s inventory and found that between April 2015 and August 2017 alone, Ndubizu and Healthcare Pharmacy diverted more than 64,000 oxycodone containing pills.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Ndubizu to three years of supervised release following Ndubizu’s term of imprisonment and ordered a fine of $350,000.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents, diversion investigators, and task force officers of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James; special agents of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; officers of the Trenton Police Department, under the supervision of Director Steve Wilson, members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, and members of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Andrew B. Johns, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
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Defense counsel: Shrey Sharma, Esq., of Oberheiden P.C.
Final Defendant Sentenced in $3 Million Bank Fraud Conspiracy InvestigationRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – The final defendant tied to a larger FBI investigation into a $3 million bank fraud conspiracy targeting a Morris Bank branch in Gray, Georgia, was sentenced to prison for his role in cashing checks in violation of the federal Bank Secrecy Act.
James Kevin Meyers, 57, of Gray, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in prison on June 4, after he pleaded guilty to one count of causing the filing of false currency transaction reports on Feb. 18.
In two related cases, Ronnie Atkinson, 57, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to serve a total of 84 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Feb. 5, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft on May 12, 2025. Atkinson was also ordered to pay a total of $3,357,073.21 in restitution.
Alan Childs, 60, of Gray, Georgia, was sentenced to serve twelve months and one day in prison on Sept. 17, 2025, and was ordered to pay $3,094,200.98 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on April 12, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell presided over the cases. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This case makes clear that we will identify and hold accountable every individual involved in a fraud scheme,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop financial crimes and protect the public’s trust.”
“Financial crimes like this undermine trust in our banking system and harm everyday people across our communities,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “Whether someone is committing fraud directly or helping conceal it, we will continue holding every participant accountable for abusing positions of trust and enabling million-dollar schemes.”
According to court documents and statements made in court in the related cases, Atkinson obtained his first loan for his timber-harvesting business with Morris Bank in March 2018, which was handled by Childs, the bank’s Market President; all subsequent loans were handled by Childs. By June 2019, Atkinson reached the maximum $500,000 loan threshold, and Childs was not allowed to make additional loans to Atkinson without higher approval. Also, Atkinson’s loans were downgraded to substandard, indicating they displayed a well-defined weakness that could jeopardize collection.
Beginning in August 2019 and continuing through May 2022, Atkinson had relatives and friends appear as borrowers on loans intended for his benefit, which Childs knew were for Atkinson's benefit, and which exceeded his $500,000 limit without proper approval. In loans involving the purchase of goods, Atkinson included many fraudulent bills of sale. In addition, Atkinson instructed some of the so-called reported sellers of the goods to just cash the loan checks instead and give the money to him or one of his relatives.
As it relates to Meyers’ case, Atkinson brought several Morris Bank loan and cashier’s checks to Mr. Kevin’s Check Cashing in Macon, a money services business managed by Meyers. As a domestic financial institution, Meyers’ company was required to comply with the Bank Secrecy Act regulations and reporting requirements, including filing Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) for transactions exceeding $10,000. Atkinson cashed the loan checks several times without the listed payee present, each for more than $10,000. The CTR should have listed the person who presented the check and left with the cash as Atkinson. Instead, the CTRs listed the payees of the check, although they were not present and did not collect the cash. Meyers would either personally cash these checks for Atkinson or direct his employees to cash them and file the CTRs with the listed payees’ names, even though Atkinson cashed the checks.
As a result of the conspiracy, Morris Bank issued 57 loans to and for the benefit of Atkinson, with a total loss of between $1.5 million and $3.5 million. As part of the larger investigation, agents found that five of the Morris Bank loan checks were cashed illegally under Meyer’s direction for $166,788, $117,409, $93,338, $126,743, and $280,013.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard prosecuted the case for the Government.
Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Dismantle San Angelo Drug Trafficking Ring – 48 Arrested as Part of “Operation Concho Valley Shakedown”Read the Press Release
Forty-eight alleged drug traffickers and violators from San Angelo and the surrounding areas have been arrested as part of an 18-month-long narcotics operation, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould at a press conference in San Angelo, Texas today.
“This message should send a loud and clear message to drug dealers in the Concho Valley. We are coming for you,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This operation is proof of concept for state, local, and federal agents coming together to dismantle an alleged drug trafficking network. As U.S. Attorney, I will put more time, attention, and resources into ensuring that the Concho Valley is safe.”
“Operation Concho Valley was a decisive, collaborative effort. By combining resources and expertise, we dismantled this drug trafficking organization and removed a dangerous presence that had cast a shadow over West Texas communities. These drugs fuel addiction, breed violence, and destroy families. The network we targeted was importing large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and lethal fentanyl — substances that threaten public safety and the quality of life for residents,” said DEA San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Miguel Madrigal.
Twenty-four of the alleged drug dealers were federally indicted on May 13, 2026, and were arrested following a large-scale drug bust in San Angelo last week. Another 24 alleged violators were charged by local district attorneys on felony and misdemeanor offenses related to the operation.
Those charged in three separate federal indictments include:- Oscar Leonel Casillas Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Cedrick Jerrod Jones, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- George Henry Walker, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Marcus Maurice Parker, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Miguel Angel Hernandez Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Shunte Gregory Ray, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine
- Tasha Diane Rose, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Juan Carlos Sanchez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm
- Audry Michelle Allen, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Carlos Gregory Lopez Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Amanda Marlene Burney, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Michael Todd Holleman, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Daniel Arizola, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Alissa Johnn Catrett, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Jeannetta Antonetta James, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Brian Matthew Epperson, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Brandon Chappell, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Bannon Dalhart Roe, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Marcella Sanchez Hererra, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Roy Gene Nichols Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Ray Enriquez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Rebecca Salcedo Leon, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Eric Hernandez, distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
- Armando Meza, distribution and possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine
Those charged by the 51st District Attorney, Allison Palmer, and the 119th District Attorney, John H. Best, include 16 additional state felony cases and 9 misdemeanor cases, alleging various drug offenses, evading arrest offenses, and other violations.
The operation involved over 30 agents, officers, and deputies from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Antonio Field Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Angelo Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, the San Angelo Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshal’s Office, the U.S. Customs & Border Patrol – Air & Marine Operations – San Angelo, and the Abilene Police Department.
Over the course of the operation, agents seized over 35 kilograms of methamphetamine, 303 grams of cocaine, and 10 firearms.
“Operation Concho Valley Shakedown” was a San Angelo-area first: a comprehensive narcotics investigation that involved seven separate local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and the combined efforts of federal and state prosecutors. The collaboration by the agencies was evident in the attached video taken during the takedown that occurred on May 28, 2026.
If convicted, some defendants face a sentence of up to life in federal prison.
This HSTF investigation was conducted by agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s San Antonio Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Angelo Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, the San Angelo Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshal’s Service, U.S. Customs & Border Patrol – Air & Marine Operations – San Angelo, and the Abilene Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the Abilene Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“Operation Concho Valley Shakedown” is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Urbana Woman for Pandemic Era Unemployment Benefit FraudRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A federal grand jury indicted an Urbana woman, Titianna Ammons, of the 1100 block of North Busey Avenue, on three counts of wire fraud for allegedly defrauding the U.S. Department of Labor and Illinois Department of Employment Security from October of 2020 to October of 2021.
The indictment alleges that Ammons applied for and received unemployment insurance benefits from around October 24, 2020, until around September 10, 2021. Beginning in January of 2021, Ammons’s unemployment insurance benefits included approximately $300 extra per week in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefits that were authorized and paid in connection with the presidentially declared major disaster and emergency proclamation concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment alleges that, during the time Ammons was receiving unemployment insurance benefits, she worked for and received money from various entities, including as an elected District 11 representative on the Champaign County Board. Nonetheless, Ammons falsely certified to the Illinois Department of Employment Security that she did not work and did not receive any wages while receiving benefits. As a result, she received unemployment insurance benefits to which she was not entitled, according to the indictment.
Ammons was served with a summons to appear in federal court in Urbana for arraignment on June 11, 2026. If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for each of the alleged crimes charged are a maximum of thirty years of imprisonment, a maximum five-year term of supervised release, a maximum $1 million fine, and restitution.
Agencies participating in the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene Miller is representing the government in the prosecution.
Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Eugene Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Enticing a Minor OnlineRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Eugene, Oregon, man was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison Wednesday for enticing a minor and the father of another minor to send sexually explicit images, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Gino J. Hinojos-Castle, 34, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison and 5 years supervised release. He was ordered to pay restitution to the victims depicted in child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that agents learned he had exchanged with others online.
“The exploitation of children is among the most reprehensible crimes we prosecute,” said U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford. “Today’s 12-year sentence reflects the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct and the lasting harm these offenses inflict on victims. Our office, together with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who exploit children, and to ensuring that offenders are held fully accountable under federal law.”
According to court documents, on August 12, 2024, and October 14, 2024, Hinojos-Castle used the social media platform Kik to chat with a minor and a father of another minor where he requested sexually explicit images of the minors. From June 2024 through July 2025, Hinojos-Castle sent CSAM to users on Kik and also sent several messages describing past instances in which he said he had sexually abused minors in a Eugene park.
On July 24, 2025, pursuant to a search warrant, agents seized Hinojos-Castle’s cellphone upon his arrival at the Eugene airport from an out of state trip. Agents found CSAM-related chat applications and CSAM, which he had traveled with from the state of Wyoming.
On September 18, 2025, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a six-count indictment charging Castle with attempted enticement of a minor, attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and transportation, distribution, and receipt of child pornography.
On January 28, 2026, Hinojos-Castle pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor.
The FBI investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Dover Man Indicted for Possession of Child Sex Abuse Materials and Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
Dover Man Indicted for Possession of Child Sex Abuse Materials and Child Exploitation
CONCORD – A Dover man was indicted this week for possession of child sex abuse materials (CSAM) and child exploitation, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Syrus McCauley, age 24, was indicted by a federal Grand Jury on one count of possession of and access with intent to view child pornography and two counts of child exploitation. He will appear in federal court in Concord on a later date.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, McCauley communicated with minor victims online via Snapchat and other platforms and persuaded them to create and send him CSAM on multiple occasions.
The charging statutes provides a sentence of up to 10 years for possession of CSAM and a minimum sentence of 15 years for child exploitation. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Special Assistant U.S Attorney Heather Anderson is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Dealers in Fentanyl Deal in Death—Bronx Man Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl That Caused the Deaths of Three VictimsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Task Force Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Christopher Roberts, and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging ELVIN VILA with drug-trafficking crimes that led to three fatal overdoses. VILA was arrested and will be presented tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Stein.
“As a result of more than a million tragedies, we all have learned a simple and deeply disturbing truth: if you deal in fentanyl, you deal in death,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As alleged, Elvin Vila sold fentanyl that killed three people, and he kept dealing even after his customers died from overdoses. He now faces justice. The women and men of the SDNY, the DEA, the NYPD, and all our tri-state area law enforcement partners are committed to holding dealers in death accountable.”
“Today’s arrest of Elvin Vila reflects the DEA’s unwavering commitment to target those individuals responsible for pushing fentanyl into our communities and the devasting harm it causes,” said DEA New York Task Force Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Roberts. “Mr. Vila’s drug trafficking activities not only allegedly claimed the lives of three individuals; they also left a trail of grief and heartbreak for the families and loved ones now forced to mourn their loss. Every life matters, and it is the DEA’s mission to hold accountable those responsible for taking them. The victims and their families deserve justice, and together with our law enforcement partners, we will work tirelessly to ensure they receive it.”
“This defendant made a business out of selling deadly fentanyl, and his actions contributed to the fatal overdoses of three people,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “He put profit over people’s lives again and again. Thanks to the tireless work of the NYPD detectives and our partners at the DEA and U.S. Attorney’s Office, he is finally out of this deadly business for good.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint and in materials submitted to the Court:
On dozens of occasions between 2023 and 2026, VILA was the leader of a drug-trafficking conspiracy whereby he drove from the Bronx to other locations to sell fentanyl to his customers. VILA’s drugs caused at least three overdose deaths: (i) the death of a 57-year-old man (“Victim-1”) on or about April 16, 2025, in Stamford, Connecticut; (ii) the death of a 32-year-old woman (“Victim-2”) on or about April 25, 2025, in Port Chester, New York; and (iii) the death of a 69-year-old man (“Victim-3”) on or about January 21, 2026, in Port Chester, New York.
In the month leading up to Victim-1’s death, VILA drove to sell narcotics to Victim-1 on at least 10 occasions. Several days after the last meeting, VILA sent Victim-1 several text messages asking if Victim-1 was “good” or “ok.” Despite Victim-1 not responding, because Victim-1 had overdosed and died, VILA continued selling deadly fentanyl, ultimately resulting in two additional fatal drug overdoses.
Approximately one day after his last unanswered text message to Victim-1, VILA delivered narcotics to Victim-3, who shared them with Victim-2. Approximately a week later, Victim-2 died of an overdose from the drugs that VILA distributed.
Following Victim-2’s death, VILA continued to make deliveries of narcotics to Victim-3, including on or about January 9, 2026. On January 21, 2026, Victim-3 died of an overdose from the drugs that VILA distributed.
On June 4, 2026, members of law enforcement searched Vila’s house in the Bronx pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant. Among other things, the search revealed suspected narcotic powders; narcotics mixing and stamping equipment; numerous glassine envelopes for individual packaging; and a safe containing a gun, cash, and a ski mask. Photographs of some of the items recovered during the search warrant are shown below.
Suspected Narcotics and Glassine Envelopes
Stamping and Mixing Equipment
Gun, Cash, and Ski Mask
* * *
VILA, 50, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and three counts of distribution of narcotics resulting in death, all of which carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA and the NYPD. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Port Chester Police Department, the Stamford Police Department, and the New York State Police for their invaluable assistance in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Getzel Berger is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
^
As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Dayton man pleads guilty to illegally possessing machinegunRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A defendant who was arrested as part of the Dayton downtown violent crime reduction initiative pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to illegally possessing a machinegun.
Rondell Coleman, 18, of Dayton, was indicted in February after Dayton police officers encountered Coleman during a domestic violence incident. Coleman admitted to carrying a stolen pistol with a machinegun conversion device in his pants. The pistol was loaded with ammunition and had a high-capacity magazine.
Coleman faces up to 10 years in prison. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Dayton Police Chief Eric Henderson announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Christina E. Mahy is representing the United States in this case.
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Coos County Oregon Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Coos County, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for distributing thousands of images and videos of the sexual exploitation of minors, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Ryan Scott Groce, 41, was sentenced to 98 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
“Today's sentence sends a clear message: those who exploit children will face significant consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford. “Protecting children and pursuing justice for victims remain among the highest priorities of this office, and we will continue to use every available resource to combat child exploitation and abuse.”
“The volume of files distributed by Mr. Groce is staggering,” said HSI Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “The number of victims—many of whom remain unidentified—is deeply troubling. HSI remains committed to leading the global fight against child exploitation and will continue to investigate crimes targeting our most vulnerable population – our children.”
According to court documents, from November 15, 2023, through November 11, 2024, Groce distributed at least 15,000 files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. Investigators searched Groce’s cell phone and found file-sharing software actively downloading and uploading CSAM. Groce’s cell phone also contained over 1000 videos of CSAM.
On Aug. 21, 2025, Groce was charged by information with one count of distribution of child pornography. On Sept. 12, 2025, Groce pleaded guilty.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sweet prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children is encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Columbia Men Sentenced to Federal Prison After Breaking into Cars, Stealing Guns During ConcertRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Damion Walker, 25, and Malcolm Price, 38, both of Columbia have been sentenced to federal prison for being felons in possession of firearms.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Nov. 18, 2022, Price and Walker were present on the campus of the University of South Carolina during a concert at the Colonial Life Arena. An officer with the University of South Carolina Police Department (USCPD) patrolled the area near the arena and saw Walker and Price near a vehicle with a broken window. The officer entered the parking lot to investigate, and Price and Walker left the parking lot with Price driving. USCPD officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and found Price and Walker in possession of four firearms, a window punch tool, and various personal effects stolen from multiple vehicles. Further investigation by USCPD found that Price, Walker, and a co-conspirator traveled to various parking lots around the Colonial Life Arena, broke into multiple vehicles, and stole firearms and other personal items belonging to attendees of the concert.
Price had prior convictions for strong arm robbery and domestic violence 2nd degree. Walker had prior convictions for failure to stop for a blue light and multiple convictions for breaking into motor vehicles and grand larceny of $10,000 or more. These convictions prevented them both from possessing firearms under federal law.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Damion Walker to 27 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Judge Lydon sentenced Malcolm Price to 70 months imprisonment to be followed by a two-year term of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives., the University of South Carolina Police Department, and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall prosecuted the case.###
Cleveland, Oklahoma, Man Charged with Threatening to Assault and Murder a United States Senator and His FamilyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, an indictment was unsealed charging a Cleveland, Oklahoma, man with eight counts related to threatening to assault and murder a Senator and his family.
David Glen Shuck, 63, is charged with three counts of Threatening to Assault and Murder a Member of Congress with Intent to Impede, Intimidate, Interfere, and Retaliate; three counts of Interstate Communication with a Threat to Injure; and two counts of Threatening to Assault and Murder an Immediate Family of a Member of Congress with Intent to Impede, Intimidate, Interfere, and Retaliate.
Court documents show that Shuck called a United States Senator on three separate occasions in March 2026. Shuck is charged with allegedly attempting to interfere and retaliate against a Senator by threatening to kill him and his family members.
The United States Capitol Police and the FBI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Michel and Stephane Ihler are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a
court of law.This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard.
Clairton Resident Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 216 months in prison, to be followed by 12 years of supervised release, on his convictions of production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Joseph Primiero, 28, on June 3, 2026.
According to information presented to the Court, on or about January 24, 2022, Primiero produced images and a video of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and then produced an image and videos of another minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct on or about June 27, 2022. Further, on or about May 22, 2024, Primiero possessed images and videos of other prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Allegheny County Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Primero.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chicago man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to sexually exploiting a 14-year-old minor victim from Massachusetts.
Joshua Rogers, 31, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Sept. 29, 2026. Roger was arrested in December 2025 in Chicago.
According to the charging documents, in July 2025, local law enforcement were notified of an individual purporting to be a 17-year-old boy named ‘John’ –later identified as Rogers – engaging in sexually explicit communications with a 14-year-old female minor victim on Snapchat. A review of cell phone data revealed numerous communications from Rogers in which he coerced the minor to engage in sexually explicit acts – many of which he demanded be documented by photo or video. In his communications, Rogers also discussed kidnapping the minor or the minor running away.
The charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy) provides for a sentence of no less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Chief Jennifer Paster of the Brookline Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Chicago Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
California Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material and Coercing and Enticing a MinorRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Rigoberto Rios Gallardo (33, Los Angeles, California) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge William F. Jung to 30 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Rios Gallardo pleaded guilty on March 2, 2026.
According to court documents, Rios Gallardo initially met the 12-year-old victim on TikTok and began communicating with the victim on other internet-based applications including Telegram, Discord and Signal. On three dates in August and September 2024, Rios Gallardo used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual images. Between August 2024 and December 2024, Rios Gallardo knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced the victim to engage in sexual activity.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Port Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Buffalo man pleads guilty to machinegun chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jeremy Hinman, 26, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession and transfer of a machinegun, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
On April 27, 2023, an individual working with law enforcement met with Hinman to purchase a firearm and a “Glock switch,” also known as a machine gun conversion device. Hinman gave the individual a Glock 43x handgun and a conversion device in exchange for $1,400. Hinman explained the operation of the conversion device, specifically stating which actions would make a firearm operate in a semiautomatic versus automatic manner.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 1, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
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Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Stephen D. Nicholas, 31, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 24, 2024, Nicholas sold a substance containing 20.94 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Oak Hill, West Virginia, in exchange for $1,200. As part of his guilty plea, Nicholas admitted to conducting the transaction. Nicholas further admitted to selling a 27.91-gram mixture of fentanyl and heroin in exchange for $1,200 in Oak Hill on April 29, 2024, 10.87 grams of fentanyl in exchange for $600 in Fayetteville on May 2, 2024, and 10.93 grams of fentanyl in exchange for $600 in Fayetteville on May 7, 2024. All three transactions were with a confidential informant.
Nicholas also admitted that he intended to distribute 24.544 grams of fentanyl and 97.04 grams of cocaine seized by law enforcement while executing a search warrant on May 9, 2024, at a residence Nicholas was associated with in Oak Hill. Officers also seized four firearms, assorted ammunition including three loaded AR-15 magazines, and $2,484 including $600 in prerecorded buy money from the controlled purchases during the search.
Nicholas is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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. 2:26-cr-33.
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Austin Woman Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Theft of More Than $1.7 Million from a Federally Funded Non-Profit OrganizationRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Star Rana Jackson, who was employed for more than ten years at the American Indian Center of Arkansas (AICA) and for a period of time served as the Executive Director before her termination, will spend the next 48 months in federal prison for wire fraud. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, by United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr.
On January 14, 2026, an Information was filed with the federal district court charging Jackson, 50, of Austin, with one count of wire fraud. Jackson pleaded guilty that same day to the charge in the Information. Judge Marshall also sentenced Jackson to three years’ supervised release and ordered Jackson to pay $1,788,858.99 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.
The AICA is a non-profit organization entirely funded by federal grants from the Department of Labor, Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Human Services. The AICA provides services to indigenous people living in Arkansas, as well as others in need. After having been employed by AICA for several years, Jackson was appointed executive director in October 2022 before being terminated in May 2025. While serving as Executive Director, Jackson was the sole person with access to the federal payment management system and who completed withdrawals for grants that were awarded to AICA.
An investigation revealed that during her tenure as Executive Director of AICA, Jackson completed a withdrawal of funds on approximately June 24, 2024, from the Department of Education grant in the amount of $30,000. The grant funds were deposited into an account opened by Jackson and without the knowledge of AICA’s Board of Directors. On or about June 27, 2024, Jackson completed another withdrawal of funds from a Department of Health and Human Services grant in the amount of $40,000. Those grant funds were deposited into a non-active AICA account that Jackson still had access to, along with grant funds from the Department of Education in the amount of $15,000 on or about July 1, 2024. Through the investigation, it was determined that Jackson used an online payment platform to send a payment of $10,000 to a separate financial institution using a bank account that was in the name of Jackson and her husband.
Jackson made several withdrawals of grant funds over a period of three months while serving as Executive Director and completed approximately 180 deposits directly from AICA accounts for her own personal use. The investigation also revealed Jackson purchased cashier’s checks with AICA funds to make unauthorized purchases and used AICA funds to pay for unauthorized subscription streaming services. Jackson embezzled over $1.7 million of the grant funds.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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American citizen pleads guilty to working as an agent for the PRCRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Thomas Weir Pauken II, 50, an American citizen who lived and worked in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), pled guilty today to acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United States.
According to court documents, from at least 2019 until February 2026, Pauken worked at the direction and control of people he knew worked for the PRC, including a person he met in 2017 identified as “Cathy.” Cathy provided Pauken with taskings, including meeting with potential intelligence assets, providing them with devices such as a laptop and cellphone to communicate with Cathy, providing taskings for the assets on what information was required, and providing Cathy with reports from the assets.
Pauken received at least $100,000 for his work with Cathy. Cathy also paid for Pauken to travel several times between 2019 through 2025 from China to meet with individuals in the United States who could provide Pauken, and ultimately Cathy and the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), with information.
Pauken worked for two other people in China whom he met in 2017 and knew as “Richard” and “William.” They told Pauken that reports he wrote for them went to Japan, but Pauken believed they worked for the PRC government.
Pauken also sold reports to a group of Chinese individuals from Wuhan who sought information about technology and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Wuhan clients wanted Pauken to find an expert to help them engage in cyber espionage.
Pauken is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 1 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Philadelphia Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin R. Tisdale the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Elis Ross of the Counterintelligence & Export Control Section of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
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. 1:26-cr-103.
American Citizen Pleads Guilty to Working as an Agent for the People's Republic of ChinaRead the Press Release
Thomas Weir Pauken II, 50, an American citizen who lived and worked in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), pleaded guilty today to acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United States.
“In effect, Pauken admitted to being part of a conspiracy to obtain sensitive information from the U.S. government for the PRC,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “His actions are a betrayal of this Nation and pose an unacceptable risk to our national security. NSD remains committed to safeguarding information essential to our national security, including through appropriate prosecution.”
“By his own admission, not only did Thomas Pauken attempt to infiltrate U.S. political circles at the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security, but he gathered intelligence on his American targets and reported it back to his Chinese intelligence handlers,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “This case illustrates the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party will go to undermine our democratic institutions and degrade our political freedoms, but it also demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to defend the homeland from threats to our national security. Let this plea serve as a clear warning: If you attempt to help a foreign adversary as an unregistered agent in the U.S., the FBI will find you and bring you to justice.”
According to court documents, from at least 2019 until February 2026, Pauken worked at the direction and control of people he knew worked for the PRC, including a person he met in 2017 identified as “Cathy.” Cathy provided Pauken with taskings, including meeting with potential intelligence assets, providing them with devices such as a laptop and cellphone to communicate with Cathy, providing taskings for the assets on what information was required, and providing Cathy with reports from the assets.
Pauken received at least $100,000 for his work with Cathy. Cathy also paid for Pauken to travel several times between 2019 through 2025 from China to meet with individuals in the United States who could provide Pauken, and ultimately Cathy and the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), with information.
Pauken worked for two other people in China whom he met in 2017 and knew as “Richard” and “William.” They told Pauken that reports he wrote for them went to Japan, but Pauken believed they worked for the PRC government.
Pauken also sold reports to a group of Chinese individuals from Wuhan who sought information about technology and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Wuhan clients wanted Pauken to find an expert to help them engage in cyber espionage.
Pauken is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 1 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Philadelphia Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Trial Attorney Eli Ross of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Note: The Assistant Attorney General's quote has been updated from the previous version
Agency Village Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a man from Agency Village, South Dakota, convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. The sentencing took place June 1, 2026.
Canaan Renville, 27, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Renville was indicted for of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death by a federal grand jury in May 2025. He pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025.
On October 9, 2024, law enforcement responded to a residence in Sisseton, where they found a deceased male victim in the living room of his apartment. Near the victim’s body was a small piece of aluminum foil with trace amounts of fentanyl powder. An autopsy confirmed the victim’s cause of death as fentanyl toxicity. A search of the victim’s cell phone revealed a series of messages between him and Renville indicating that the victim had been purchasing fentanyl from Renville. The messages showed that the victim had purchased fentanyl from Renville only hours before his death. Investigators executed a search warrant on Renville’s residence and found both fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder. Renville admitted selling the fentanyl powder to the victim that resulted in the overdose and death.
“At the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, we depend on strong partnerships to confront the fentanyl crisis,” said Deputy Associate Director Tom Atkinson. “The significant sentence in this case reflects the deadly harm caused by fentanyl and highlights our outstanding partnerships with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribe.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the FBI, the Sisseton Police Department, and the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribal Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Renville was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Addiction Recovery Care Founder Indicted for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY- The founder and owner of Addiction Recovery Care, LLC (ARC), Timmy G. Robinson, Jr., 50, was indicted on Thursday for one count of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering.
The indictment alleges that in July 2025, Robinson caused ARC to enter into a sales agreement wherein the buyer made a $2.7 million advance payment in exchange for ARC’s rights to an anticipated tax refund from the IRS called an Employee Retention Credit (ERC). This ERC was calculated based on ARC’s payroll information for the first quarter of 2021. In September 2025, Robinson caused ARC to assign its rights to another ERC, based on the second quarter of 2021 payroll, to the same buyer. According to the indictment, in November 2025, notwithstanding these prior sales and assignments, Robinson caused ARC to sell the very same assets – its first and second quarter 2021 ERCs – to a second buyer. Robinson falsely represented that the assets were available to purchase and, in an electronically signed sales agreement transmitted via interstate wire, falsely represented that the assets had not previously been sold or encumbered. As a result, the second buyer paid ARC a $4.7 million advance payment for the ERCs on November 12, 2025. This conduct is alleged to constitute wire fraud. Robinson then engaged in significant monetary transactions with these proceeds, which are alleged to constitute money laundering. According to the indictment, when the IRS issued the ERC payments to ARC in December 2025, Robinson directed ARC not to repay either buyer.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Detroit Field Division; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the indictment.
The investigation was conducted by the IRS-Criminal Investigations and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A date for Robinson appear in court has not yet been scheduled. Robinson faces up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charge and 10 years in prison on each of the money laundering charges.
Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial where the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Aberdeen Woman Sentenced for Child Sexual Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – An Aberdeen, Maryland, woman learned her fate in federal court, today, for committing child sexual exploitation crimes.
U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Ashley Graybeal, 27, to 17 ½ years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for sex trafficking a child, sexually exploiting a child, and distributing child sexual abuse material. Graybeal pled guilty to the charges in February 2026.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office; Alison M. Healey, Harford County State's Attorney; and Sheriff Jeff Gahler, Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
According to court documents, in January 2025, Graybeal began using her Kik account to contact other Kik users. She offered other Kik users sexually explicit images of two minor victims, or to perform sex acts with the two children via livestream, in exchange for money.
Graybeal then sent sexually explicit images of the two children to other Kik users and received payment for those images through an online banking app. The images were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children through their Cybertipline, in February 2025, and law enforcement acted quickly to intervene and recover the two children.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn and Reema Sood who prosecuted this federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Abbeville Man Who Fled to Mexico Convicted on Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Today, United States Attorney Thomas Govan announced the conviction of an Abbeville, Alabama, man on federal methamphetamine and firearms charges.
On June 2, 2026, a federal jury convicted 42-year-old Cassime Dion Lingo of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and receipt of a firearm while under indictment for a 2017 felony drug offense in Houston County, Alabama.
“The defendant’s decision to flee to Mexico delayed justice, but it did not prevent it,” said U.S. Attorney Govan. “I commend the United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners for their diligence in locating the defendant, securing his return to the United States, and ensuring that he was held accountable for his crimes.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Lingo’s residence in April 2021. During the search, officers recovered more than 100 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms, and additional controlled substances, including cocaine, MDMA tablets, and marijuana.
Following his arrest on state charges, Lingo was released on bond and fled to Mexico. After a federal indictment was returned, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) worked with law enforcement partners to locate Lingo in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2022. In 2025, Mexican authorities deported Lingo to the United States, where he was taken into USMS custody.
Following a two-day trial in Dothan, Alabama, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all three counts charged in the indictment. Lingo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, consisting of a 10-year mandatory minimum term for the methamphetamine offense and a consecutive 5-year mandatory minimum term for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine Lingo’s sentence after considering the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alabama Drug Task Force, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Eufaula Police Department, and the Abbeville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Levi and John J. Geer III are prosecuting the case.