Eastern District of California

FRESNO, Calif. — Abreiana Rogers, 29, of Los Angeles, made an initial appearance in federal court in Fresno Thursday for charges stemming from her participation in a year-long bank fraud scheme that sought to defraud credit unions of nearly $1 million, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

Five co-defendants in the scheme made their initial appearances in November 2024: Fresno residents Nyric Hinton, 26; Zion Brewer, 39; Zorian Temple, 23; Davonntae Barfield, 30; and Harry Cooper Neal, 29.

All six defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Rogers was also charged with four counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Hinton was charged with one count of bank fraud. Temple and Barfield were also each charged with two counts of bank fraud.

According to court documents, between April 2022 and Jan. 31, 2023, the defendants used Facebook and Facebook Messenger to recruit bank account holders, promising these account holders a cut of any fraudulent funds deposited into their accounts. The defendants then used those individuals’ bank accounts to deposit stolen and fraudulent checks. Brewer, a U.S. Postal Service employee, assisted by stealing mail containing checks and other financial information, and by providing that information to his co-conspirators.

The defendants and others would then rapidly deplete the fraudulently deposited funds from the account holders’ accounts using electronic transfers and cash withdrawals. The defendants then shared the proceeds among themselves and other co-conspirators. To circumvent financial institutions’ fraud protection systems, the defendants shared information about known weaknesses in the financial institutions’ fraud protection systems. To conceal the fraud, the defendants instructed account holders to claim that their accounts had been compromised if contacted by the financial institutions about the fraudulent deposits.

The defendants are alleged to have attempted at least $1 million in fraudulent transactions with financial institutions, fraudulently used over 100 bank accounts, and obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars from the financial institutions.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Spivak is prosecuting the case.

The case is set for a status conference on June 4, 2025.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and for any count of bank fraud. Rogers also faces a two-year mandatory consecutive prison sentence for aggravated identity theft if convicted. 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — Zachary J. Lipman MD, of Chico, has paid $290,000 to the United States and Michael Woo-Ming MD, of Murrieta, has agreed to pay $85,000 to the United States to resolve allegations arising from a fraud scheme that caused the submission of hundreds of false claims to Medicare, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced today.

Both settlements relate to a fraud scheme orchestrated by Riverside County chiropractor Kevin Brown, in which Brown used various companies he owned to seek and receive reimbursement from Medicare for surgically implanted neurostimulators at multiple locations within and beyond California, even though the companies did not perform surgery or implant neurostimulators. In a prior settlement with the United States, Brown stipulated that he and his companies instead taped a disposable “electroacupuncture” device called “Stivax” to their patients’ ears. Stivax devices do not require surgical implantation and are not reimbursable by Medicare. The United States alleges that this scheme violated the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute.

With respect to the settlement with Dr. Lipman announced today, the United States had alleged that Lipman solicited and received unlawful kickbacks from Brown in return for Lipman referring his patients to Brown for the furnishing of Stivax devices paid for by Medicare. The settlement with Dr. Woo-Ming resolves allegations that his companies Revive Medical of San Diego, which Woo-Ming co-owned with Brown, and Medical Wellness Group submitted false claims to Medicare for surgically implanted neurostimulators.

“These physicians took part in a fraud scheme at the expense of hardworking taxpayers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “My office is committed to working with our partners to address fraud schemes like these that divert funds from important federal health care programs like Medicare.”

“Improper financial arrangements can compromise medical judgment, adversely influencing the medical decision-making process,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of federal health care programs and those served by those programs.”

The investigation was conducted with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emilia P.E. Morris handled the case for the United States.

The settlement agreements can be found here:

FRESNO, Calif. — On Feb. 27, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Sergio Zacarias Lopez, 57, a Mexican citizen residing in Fresno, charging him with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The indictment was unsealed following his arrest today.

According to court documents, between January 2016 and June 2023, Zacarias Lopez abused his position as the accounting supervisor and controller to defraud a family-run Fresno fruit wholesaler. Zacarias Lopez would write multiple company checks payable to “cash” and then deposit them into his own personal bank account through local ATMs. He signed the fraudulent checks using the signatures of other employees with signatory authority, including one of the founders of the company. Through this scheme, Zacarias Lopez embezzled more than $1 million before he was eventually detected by one of the banks and terminated by the company. To secure his accounting role in the first place, Zacarias Lopez stole a valid social security number and used that along with other falsified employment documents to conceal his lack of legal status. The indictment also states that Zacarias Lopez was previously removed from the United States in 2000 and has not been permitted to return to the United States.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin Lee is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of bank fraud, Zacarias Lopez faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. If convicted of aggravated identity theft or illegal re-entry of a removed alien, he faces a penalty of two years in prison. 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.

FRESNO, Calif. — Carlos Jordan Lopez, 29, of Fresno, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 10 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute approximately 107 pounds of fentanyl and approximately 39 pounds of cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 8, 2023, Lopez was stopped for a traffic infraction while driving northbound on Interstate 5 near Shields Avenue in Fresno County. A subsequent search of the trunk revealed a spare tire loaded with 28 packages containing approximately 485,000 fentanyl pills. Officers also located a bag that contained 18 “bricks” of cocaine powder.

This case was the product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol, the California High Impact Investigation Team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Gilio and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Lewis prosecuted the case. 

FRESNO, Calif. — Antonio Sorondo Jr., 52, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 12 years and seven months in prison for conspiring to traffic methamphetamine and cocaine as well as illegally possessing firearms, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, in January and February 2022, Sorondo conspired with others to possess and distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. On Feb. 1, 2022, when law enforcement officers tried to contact Sorondo, he fled and tossed a firearm over a chain-link fence. The officers apprehended Sorondo and then recovered the abandoned, loaded firearm. Two weeks later, a police officer arrested Sorondo in possession of another two firearms and about 100 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Sorondo is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony convictions.

This case is the product of an investigation by FORT, a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On March 13, 2025, a federal grand jury returned four separate indictments against Brown Brotherhood Gang Members Leo Alphonzo Alonso-Medina, 32, of Vallejo; Jeremiah I’amafana Salanoa, 22, of Vallejo; Doroteo Suastegui, 47, of Vallejo; and Carlos Osvaldo Higuera-Aldana, 22, of Dixon, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, the Brown Brotherhood gang is a subset of the Sureño gang and has been a frequent target of investigations of the Vallejo Police Department and the Solano County Violent Crime Task Force. The primary criminal activities of this gang have included murder, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, burglary, and stolen vehicles. The current investigation began in February 2024 and led to searches and arrests on Feb. 27, 2025. FBI agents and task force officers arrested these four members of the Brown Brotherhood gang on that day for federal drug trafficking and firearms charges.

The indictment against Leo Alphonzo Alonso-Medina charges counts of distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine, unlawful dealing in firearms, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, Alonso-Medina faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.

The indictment against Jeremiah I’amafana Salanoa charges three counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, Salanoa faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.

The indictment against Doroteo Suastegui charges counts of distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and unlawful dealing in firearms. If convicted, Suastegui faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. 

Finally, the indictment against Carlos Osvaldo Higuera-Aldana charges three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, Higuera-Aldana faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.

These cases are the product of investigations by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fairfield Police Department, the Vacaville Police Department, the Vallejo Police Department, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, and the Solano County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt, R. Alex Cárdenas, and Adrian Kinsella are prosecuting these four federal cases.

Any sentence imposed 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 3-count superseding indictment today against three defendants, charging them with a drug trafficking conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. 

Alfredo Alvarez Sanchez, 37, and Raul Munoz Navarro, 54, both of Mexico, were arrested on December 11, 2024, during a coordinated law enforcement operation.  Inosencio Cruz, 35, of Visalia, was arrested on March 11, 2025.  

According to court documents, coordinated searches conducted on May 17, 2023, led to the seizure of nearly 1,000 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 14 firearms. The operation involved the search of five properties in Tulare, Earlimart, and Corcoran. During the searches, law enforcement discovered and dismantled two active methamphetamine conversion laboratories. These labs contained numerous 55-gallon drums filled with liquid methamphetamine in various stages of conversion to crystal methamphetamine.

In addition to the seizures described above, law enforcement conducted a series of enforcement actions resulting in the seizure of significant quantities of methamphetamine, firearms, and other contraband destined for distribution in California’s Central Valley and beyond, including:

Nov. 30, 2023: 150 pounds of methamphetamine seized.

• Feb. 24, 2024: 200 pounds of methamphetamine confiscated.
• March 20, 2024: 25 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 pounds of marijuana seized.

Additionally, law enforcement recovered 11 firearms from an individual who attempted to conceal them following the seizure of methamphetamine on March 20, 2024.

Nov. 30, 2023 seizure of 150 pounds of methamphetamine.

Feb. 24, 2024 seizure of 200 pounds of methamphetamine.

March 20, 2024, seizure of 25 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 pounds of marijuana.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Task Force (SAINT), Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team (Cal-MMET), Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Major Crimes Task Force, Fresno Police Department, Clovis Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Tulare County Tactical-High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit (TNT-HIDTA), U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement-ERO. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the charges, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million. 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Jesus Valdez Castaneda, 28, of San Bernardino; Carlos German Fierro, 29, of Caruthers; and Alejandro Soto Mares, 43, of Mexico, charging them with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. 

According to court documents, the defendants conspired with other individuals to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl. The men arranged to sell 150,000 fentanyl pills in a strip mall parking lot in Madera on Feb. 21, 2025. Castaneda and Soto Mares arrived first and met with a co-conspirator who had agreed to buy the pills. After agreeing on price, Fierro and two other co-conspirators arrived with the pills in a second car. 

Before completing the deal, the men went into a nearby Panda Express restaurant to order food. Nearby officers then converged on the men and arrested them. Officers seized 150,000 pills and two firearms.

Fentanyl pills and firearms seized on Feb. 21, 2025 in Madera

This case is the product of an investigation by the High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), which is composed of personnel from the California Department of Justice, Fresno Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Arin C. Heinz and Cody S. Chapple are prosecuting the case.

All defendants were detained and are in custody awaiting trial. If convicted, each defendant faces a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years and maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine for the drug charge. Fierro faces an additional minimum statutory penalty of five years for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — William Carl Jackson, 36, pleaded guilty to robbing a postal carrier while armed with a dangerous weapon, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. 

According to court documents, Jackson robbed postal carriers on July 11, 2024, and July 31, 2024.  During in each robbery, he brandished a fake pistol at the victim and then ordered the victim to turn over his postal keys.  After taking the victim’s keys, he then fled from the scene on a bicycle. 

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Elliot C. Wong is prosecuting the case.

Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13, 2025.  He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 25 years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000.  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.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Yasmin Charisse Millett, 22, pleaded guilty today to one count of bank robbery, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. 

According to court documents, from June 2023 through September 2024, Millett and coconspirators committed at least 10 bank note robberies across a string of California cities, including Sacramento, Vallejo, Suisun City, Benicia, Concord, and Antioch. As part of the conspiracy, Millett would recruit and instruct others to enter banks or credit unions with sunglasses, a purse, and a threatening demand note. Generally, the demand notes would instruct the bank employees to provide money or “I will kill everyone in here.”

On July 17, 2023, Millett and two coconspirators used a stolen white Audi A7 with dark tinted windows to commit a bank robbery at a credit union located in Suisun City. Millett provided one of the coconspirators with instructions on how to commit the robbery. Millett waited in the vehicle while the coconspirator entered the bank and handed the threatening demand note to the credit union employee. The note demanded money and threatened to shoot the employee if the employee did not comply with the demand.  After reading the note, the credit union employee gave the coconspirator money. After the coconspirator received money from the credit union employee, she returned to the waiting getaway vehicle.  Millett and the coconspirators each took a portion of the stolen money. 

The next day, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the stolen white Audi A7. Millett was the driver of the stolen car. During the traffic stop, law enforcement found bait money on Millett from the bank robbery that occurred the day prior in Suisun City, California.  Law enforcement also found a crumpled post-it demand note on the driver’s seat that stated, “Don’t Make eye contact Don’t look suspicious Don’t Push emergency Button Put smile on your face or I will shoot.”

Charges remain pending against codefendants Dontae Jones Jr., 20, residing in Northern California with no fixed address, and JoMya Mauriyne Futch, 21, of Richmond. Those charges are only allegations, and Jones and Futch are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of an investigation by FBI field offices in San Francisco and Sacramento, with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department, Vacaville Police Department, Suisun City Police Department, Vallejo Police Department, Antioch Police Department, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Benicia Police Department, Concord Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Hayward Police Department, and Fremont Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitnee Goins is prosecuting the case.

Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley is scheduled to sentence Millett on June 26, 2025. Millett faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sean Arthur Robinson, 38, of Stockton, was sentenced Tuesday by Senior United States District Judge John A. Mendez to serve two years in prison followed three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers recovered a Glock 27 semiautomatic firearm and a loaded high-capacity magazine inside a vehicle while serving a search warrant at Robinson’s residence in Stockton in September 2022. The firearm had previously been reported stolen from Sacramento. On the same day in September 2022, law enforcement officers also recovered two Glock switches inside a separate residence associated with Robinson in Fairfield. Robinson is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions for elder abuse and for carrying a loaded firearm in public.

Law enforcement’s investigation into Robinson began at least as early as May 2021, when surveillance footage captured him engaging in a violent shootout at the Grand Hyatt Hotel near San Francisco International Airport. During this incident, Robinson and a compatriot attempted to carjack at least two other vehicles. Following the shootout, law enforcement officers seized a black duffel bag that surveillance footage captured Robinson carrying just before the firefight began, and that contained three illegal firearms.

This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from the San Francisco Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Lee and Sam Stefanki prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alex Altoh, 64, of Roseville, was sentenced Tuesday to three years and ten months in prison for money laundering conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.  Altoh was also ordered to pay  $1,478,068.99 in restitution.

According to court documents, between January 2021 and November 2021, Altoh and his co-defendant Oumar Sidibe, 31, were involved in a conspiracy to launder the proceeds from two large business email compromise schemes, in which two corporate victims were tricked into making payments to bank accounts controlled by Altoh and another person, rather than to the intended beneficiaries of the payments.  Altoh, Sidibe, and others then quickly withdrew a large portion of the funds by way of check deposits, which effectively transferred the funds, concealed their unlawful nature, and prevented them from being clawed back. 

For instance, on October 26, 2021, an employee of a victim company was tricked into wiring approximately $3.5 million to Altoh’s account at Wells Fargo. That same day, in a span of less than two hours, Altoh withdrew money from the Wells Fargo account by depositing five checks in five separate transactions at multiple bank branches in the Sacramento area.  One transaction included a check for $248,000 that Altoh wrote to himself and deposited into his own Chase bank account.  In that one day, Altoh successfully withdrew approximately $1.1 million of the funds out of his Wells Fargo account, which was never recovered. Law enforcement traced Altoh and Sidibe to almost $3.9 million in laundered fraud proceeds. 

Sidibe is yet to be apprehended. The charges against Sibide are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise N. Yasinow and Matthew Thuesen prosecuted the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Cedar Sky Montgomery, of Calaveras County, pleaded guilty today to three counts of interstate communication of threats of violence, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, Montgomery used a cellphone and the internet to make threats to multiple different victims. In one instance, he threatened to kill a victim and have the victim “watch members of your family hanging from trees while your famil[y’]s Houses Burn to ground … .” On another occasion, Montgomery sent text and multimedia messages that threatened to kill a second victim and that victim’s brother, specifically threatening to “kill as many members of your family as I can find!”  Montgomery also told the second victim that he would cut the victim’s fingers and hands “off your physical body.”  With a third victim, Montgomery sent threatening voicemail messages saying, “the bomb maker is going to kill everybody in your [expletive] family, I’m going to burn your property down, I’m going to slit your [expletive] throat and I’m going to kill everybody in your family.”   

Additionally, from late November 2023 through early January 2024, Montgomery used his mobile phone to repeatedly call and send hundreds of unwanted text and multimedia messages to a fourth victim’s mobile phone.  Montgomery sent obscene cartoons and photos and told the victim he was trying to find the victim and threatening to kill the victim’s romantic partner.  Montgomery similarly sent hundreds of unwanted messages to a victim, along with angry voicemails and images of a man’s throat being sliced by a sharp blade, combined with claims that Montgomery would find the victim and cut the victim into pieces. 

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Ripon Resident Agency of the Sacramento Field Office, the Los Angeles Field Office, and the Washington Field Office, with assistance from the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian T. Kinsella and Christina McCall are prosecuting the case.

Montgomery is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on June 9, 2025. He faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 per count of conviction, and the parties agree to recommend a total sentence of 30 months in prison. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Euan David MacGregor, formerly known as David Joseph Bean, 54, of Iowa City, Iowa, was sentenced by Senior Judge John A. Mendez to 41 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for defrauding his former employer out of over $3.2 million, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. In addition, MacGregor was ordered to pay $3,217,456.41 in restitution to his victim.

According to court documents, between approximately November 2014 to January 2020, Euan MacGregor, then known as David Bean, used his position as a Chief Administrative Officer to execute a scheme to defraud his employer. 

According to court documents, MacGregor defrauded his former employer in two ways. First, he diverted at least 122 checks made payable to his employer to bank accounts that he controlled. MacGregor did this by creating a shell corporation that had a business name similar to the name of his employer and depositing the checks into bank accounts that he opened in the name of the shell corporation. MacGregor then presented false financial information to the company’s president and shareholders, causing them to believe they had received the monies he diverted. In addition, MacGregor falsely represented to his employer that he was outsourcing his employer’s bookkeeping work to a third party, a company named Essential Business Services. In reality, Essential Business Services was another shell company that MacGregor created and controlled. MacGregor’s false representations caused his employer to pay Essential Business Services thousands of dollars each month for bookkeeping services that it did not perform. MacGregor used the money he fraudulently obtained to pay for personal expenses for him and his family, including mortgage payments, the payment of credit cards, educational expenses, travel, and the purchase or lease of vehicles.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Isaias Aroldo Contreras, 26, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. 

According to court documents, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Contreras’s Folsom residence in January 2023.  During the search, law enforcement seized 992 fentanyl-laced pills that were made to look like oxycodone “M-30” pills, a loaded Glock 9mm pistol, over $31,000 in cash drug proceeds, a money counter, and numerous items of custom diamond jewelry including a Rolex watch with full-cut diamonds.  On Contreras’s seized cell phone, law enforcement found messages from at least March 2020 through December 2022, between Contreras and drug suppliers and customers regarding the purchase and sale of counterfeit M-30 pills (in quantities ranging from hundreds of pills to thousands of pills) and cocaine in kilogram quantities.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Task Force (SAINT). Assistant United States Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

Contreras is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge William B. Shubb on May 27, 2025. Contreras faces a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will 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.  As part of his plea agreement, Contreras also agreed to forfeit to the government $31,154 in cash and numerous items of seized jewelry that was seized from his residence.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. – Daniel Vincent Salazar, Jr., 29, of Modesto was sentenced today to 45 years in prison for his convictions on five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.  After serving his prison sentence, Salazar will be subject to a 25-year term of supervised release during which his access to minors, electronic devices, and the internet will be restricted.  He will also be required to register as sex offender.

According to court documents, Salazar used Instagram and Snapchat accounts on dates between December 2018 and January 2020 to contact minor females and coerce them into creating and sending to him images of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The females Salazar targeted were typically 12 to 14 years old. If victims refused to cooperate with Salazar’s demands, he threatened to send explicit images that he had already received to classmates and family members of victims. When one victim expressed suicidal thoughts in their chats, Salazar made comments such as “[t]hat’s on you. Not my fault,” and “[t]he cops can’t do nothing trust me.” Salazar has been in custody since his arrest on January 20, 2020. 

The investigation was conducted by Patterson Police Services, the Los Banos and San Jose Police Departments, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Division of Adult Parole Operations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

FRESNO, Calif. – Peter Yang, 34, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor today, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on dates between November 2021 and March 2022, Yang communicated with a 15-year-old victim in Missouri on the gaming platform Among Us, and then through Discord and FaceTime calls.  Yang coerced the victim into creating and then transmitting sexually explicit images to Yang.  Yang also discussed traveling from California to Missouri to meet the victim in person at a motel near the victim’s residence.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Christian County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office and the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa is prosecuting the case.

Yang faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for sexual exploitation of a minor when he is sentenced on July 14, 2025.  Any sentence, however, will 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.

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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

FRESNO, Calif. — Robert Lawrence Hunt, 40, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to being a convicted felon in possession of a destructive device and manufacturing a destructive device, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, between July 4 and 5, 2022, Hunt constructed a destructive device containing metal screws and explosives, which was likely to cause injury if detonated. The device was found at a community pool in a residential neighborhood. The defendant was residing at a home closest to the pool. Hunt, a convicted felon, was previously convicted in Kern County Superior Court of two robberies and a burglary and is prohibited from possessing or manufacturing firearms, including destructive or explosive devices.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

Hunt, who has been detained pretrial since September 2024 as a danger to the community, is scheduled for sentencing on July 14, 2025. For being a felon in possession of a destructive device, Hunt faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 for and manufacturing a destructive device. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment Thursday against Jeffrey Caldwell, 36, of Vallejo, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, Caldwell was arrested after a standoff with the Vallejo Police Department SWAT Team. The arresting officers found that Caldwell was in possession of a privately manufactured firearm and accompanying ammunition. Caldwell is prohibited from possessing ammunition due to more than ten prior felony convictions in California and Arizona, including for assault, burglary, and stalking. This case was the product of an investigation by the Vallejo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Charles Campbell is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Caldwell faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

FRESNO, Calif. — Brett Curtis Hair, 22, of Bakersfield, was arrested today for aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. 

According to the indictment, on Sept. 11, 2024, Hair aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter (Air One).

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), laser exposure can result in visual impairment and therefore poses a serious hazard to the safe operation of an aircraft. In 2024, the FAA received 12,840 reports of laser strikes from pilots. 

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Hair faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charge is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jose Manuel Ontiveros Verdugo, 39, of Stockton, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to possess and distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, between July 2019 and December 2019, Verdugo conspired with his co-defendants and others to distribute methamphetamine both in Stockton and throughout the country. During the investigation, an undercover source bought a total of 11 pounds of methamphetamine and a half pound of heroin from this drug trafficking organization. Law enforcement interdicted the group’s shipments of 50 pounds of methamphetamine destined for Nebraska, as well as a 21‑pound shipment destined for Pennsylvania.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, San Joaquin County Probation, the Stockton Police Department, and the Tracy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

Charges are pending against co-defendants Jorge Omar Arredondo Garcia, 46, of Lodi; Gregorio Ontiveros Verdugo, 41, of Morada; Alberto Navarro Zapata, 50, of Stockton; and Wilfredo Reyes, 48, of Manteca. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Verdugo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on June 16, 2025. Verdugo faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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 case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

FRESNO, Calif. — Mark Garcia, 25, of Lamont, was sentenced today to two years in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, in March 2021, Garcia and co-defendant Jorge Calderon-Campos, 44, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, received 26 pounds of methamphetamine from co-defendant Alberto Gomez-Santiago, 39, a Mexican national. Law enforcement officers later seized the drugs from Garcia’s vehicle during a traffic stop.

According to court documents, this drug transaction was one of many involving Calderon-Campos, who was the target of a federal wiretap investigation that resulted in the seizure of more than 86 pounds of methamphetamine and one kilogram of heroin. The wiretap investigation also uncovered an illegal cockfighting enterprise involving Calderon-Campos, who was charged in a second indictment with violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

Garcia was prosecuted for the 26-pound methamphetamine transaction in state court but was sentenced to only four days in jail. Both Gomez and Calderon-Campos pleaded guilty to federal drug charges and were sentenced to four years and nine months and eight years and one month in prison, respectively. Calderon-Campos was also sentenced to five years in prison for the animal fighting venture.

This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Kern County Sheriff's Office, the Kern County Probation Department, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

FRESNO, Calif. — Kenneth Gould, 68, formerly of Clovis, pleaded guilty to bank larceny for stealing more than $800,000 from a bank, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced today.

According to court records, Gould was a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and operated a payroll services company in Clovis. From October 2017 through March 2018, he initiated several fraudulent electronic payments from one of his clients’ accounts to his payroll company’s account at the bank. Gould then withdrew the money in cashier’s checks while the payments were pending. After the bank had credited the fraudulent payments to the payroll company’s account for a short period of time, it realized there were insufficient funds to cover the payments, denied the payments, and attempted to recover its money, but it was too late. Approximately $830,000 of the credited funds was already gone. Gould gave the funds to the client from whose account he initiated the fraudulent payments because he had loaned that individual money and was hopeful that the individual would pay him back. Instead, the client gambled the money away.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.

Gould is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on June 2, 2025. Gould faces maximum statutory penalties of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Louis Donald Mendonsa, 62, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 24 years and four months in prison for his role in operating four websites dedicated to sharing images of child sexual abuse.

Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California, Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Tatum King made the announcement.

According to court documents, Mendonsa assisted with managing and maintaining four different websites that operated on the dark web from at least December 2021 until his arrest November 2022. Each of these websites were dedicated to advertising, distributing, and exchanging images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. One of the websites allowed members to post images and videos of children as young as infants and toddlers. While using the internet at a local coffee shop, Mendonsa advertised and distributed child sexual abuse images over these websites and assisted others with running the websites. His electronic devices were found to contain images of child sexual abuse images, approximately 6,500 of which depicted identified victims of his conduct.

Mendonsa pleaded guilty in April 2024 to seven counts of distribution and one count of possession of child pornography.

This case was the product of an investigation by HSI with assistance by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Sauvageau and Christina McCall for the Eastern District of California and CEOS Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

A California man was sentenced today to 24 years and four months in prison for his role in operating four websites dedicated to sharing images of child sexual abuse.

According to court documents, Louis Donald Mendonsa, 62, of Sacramento, assisted with managing and maintaining four different websites that operated on the dark web from at least December 2021 until his arrest November 2022. Each of these websites were dedicated to advertising, distributing, and exchanging images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. One of the websites allowed members to post images and videos of children as young as infants and toddlers. While using the internet at a local coffee shop, Mendonsa advertised and distributed child sexual abuse images over these websites and assisted others with running the websites. When searched by law enforcement, his electronic devices were found to contain images of child sexual abuse, approximately 6,500 of which depicted identified victims of his conduct.

Mendonsa pleaded guilty in April 2024 to seven counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California, and Special Agent in Charge Tatum King of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco made the announcement.

HSI San Francisco investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).

CEOS Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Sauvageau and Christina McCall for the Eastern District of California prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two Vallejo Public Safety Partnership (PSP) investigations have resulted in arrests and federal charges for eight individuals for various gun and drug offenses. The PSP investigations are a part of a larger collaborative effort to address violent crime in the city of Vallejo. Making this announcement are Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith, Chief Jason Ta of the Vallejo Police Department, Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani.

“The application process to join the U.S. Department of Justice’s Public Safety Partnership Program is competitive, and the United States Attorney’s Office is proud of the Vallejo Police Department’s selection as a participant,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. “This program is focused on maximizing scarce resources to increase Vallejo’s ability to fight violent crime, especially crime related to gang activity involving gun violence and drug trafficking. Our office is honored to partner with Vallejo through this unique initiative to provide focused, data-driven, and evidence-based resources and expertise to promote public safety in this city. The prosecutions announced today show our commitment to that partnership, as we bring federal resources to bear in the fight make Vallejo safer for all its residents.”

“Every community member deserves to feel safe and secure in their home,” stated Vallejo Police Chief Jason Ta. “We are overcoming our resource limitations through law enforcement and community partnerships. We must work together as a team to make Vallejo safer.”

“Today’s announcement is yet another example of the FBI’s commitment to collaborative investigations, leveraging the skills and talents of local, state, and federal partners to disrupt violent criminal networks that threaten the success and safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Drug and weapons trafficking conducted by criminal networks exploits and slowly erodes communities unless law enforcement and the public stand together against it. Every family should have the opportunity to live, work, and thrive in a safe, crime-free community and the FBI remains firmly committed to disrupt and dismantle gangs and criminal networks that endanger neighborhoods and threaten the potential of all citizens.”

“ATF is proud to be a part of a collective effort to prevent and reduce violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “The city of Vallejo is a safer community today because of programs like the National Public Safety Partnership or PSP. This investigation serves as a great example of the effectiveness of this program. ATF continues to stay focused on the commitment that we made to the communities we serve, and we hope to continue to have more investigations like this one.”

Super 8

According to court documents, since July 2024 until the present, the ATF’s Oakland Field Office has been investigating members of a loosely affiliated group that was illegally selling dangerous, high-powered weapons in Vallejo using a Super 8 motel on Solano Avenue as the hub of their criminal activity. On Feb. 20, 2025, ATF arrested four Vallejo residents charged with federal firearms offenses. Zuryess Anthony Roberts, 24, was charged with possession and transfer of a machine gun. Taezon Laurece Sanderson, 23, was charged with being felon in possession of a firearm. Divaya James Talley, 18, was charged with transfer and possession of a machine gun. Anderson Thurston, 66, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Brown Brotherhood (BBH)

According to court documents, the Brown Brotherhood gang is a subset of the Sureño gang and has been a frequent target of investigations of the Vallejo Police Department and the Solano County Violent Crime Task Force. The primary criminal activities of this gang have included murder, robbery, extortion, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, burglary, and stolen vehicles. The current investigation began in February 2024 through today’s arrests and takedown. FBI arrested four people today on federal drug trafficking and firearms charges.

Leo Alonso-Medina, 32, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Carlos Higuera-Aldana, 23, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Jeremiah Salanoa, 22, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Doroteo Suastegui, 47, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

These cases are the product of investigations by the ATF, the FBI, the Vallejo Police Department, and the Solano County Violent Crime Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt, R. Alex Cardenas, Nicole Vanek, Douglas Harman, Charles Campbell, and Adrian Kinsella are prosecuting the eight federal cases arising out of this collaborative PSP effort.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Rochelle Pasley, 34, of Citrus Heights, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, between June and December 2020, Pasley and Deshawn Oshaea Campbell, 36, of Citrus Heights, conspired to defraud by filing fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) seeking Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits under the CARES Act. During the conspiracy, the defendants obtained the identifying information of other individuals and used their identities to submit dozens of fraudulent claims. The claims represented, among other things, that the claimants had recently lost employment or were unable to find employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These claims were fraudulent because, for instance, many of the individuals whose identities were used did not reside in California and were thus ineligible for benefits from EDD.

In the applications, the defendants used mailing addresses that were under their control, or under the control of their family and friends. EDD approved more than 50 of the fraudulent claims and authorized Bank of America to mail out EDD debit cards containing benefits. The defendants then obtained these debit cards and used them to withdraw the benefits at ATMs throughout California and to make direct purchases, all for their own benefit. The scheme resulted in EDD paying out over $1 million.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the EDD – Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Delaney and Justin Lee are prosecuting the case.

Pasley is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on June 26, 2025. Pasley faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conspiracy and mail fraud, and a mandatory, consecutive two-year prison term for aggravated identity theft. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

Charges are pending against Campbell. Those charges are only allegations, and Campbell presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — Andrew Adler, 31, of Greenwich, Connecticut, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud when he defrauded investors out of $20 million in loans made to the failed Fresno-based, start-up company Bitwise Industries, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court records, between December 2022 and May 2023, Adler and his business partner, David Hardcastle, 61, of Fresno, gave Bitwise approximately $20 million in hard money loans through their special purpose entity Startop Investments LLC. Adler and Hardcastle used a syndicate of investors to fund the loans. In order to mislead the investors, Adler and Hardcastle altered the original loan documents to make it appear as though Bitwise was obligated to pay significantly less interest on the loans than was true. They also forged the signature of Bitwise’s Co-CEO, Jake Soberal, on the altered documents. This made the loans appear less risky and, therefore, more appealing to the investors.

Adler and Hardcastle received tens of thousands of dollars in origination fees for the loans and stood to make millions more in secret profits from the higher, undisclosed interest rates had the loans been fully repaid. Bitwise, however, did not repay the loans before collapsing, and the investors in the loans lost nearly all of their money. On Feb. 3, 2025, Hardcastle was arrested and arraigned on an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.

This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph D. Barton and Cody S. Chapple are prosecuting the case.

Adler is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on June 2, 2025. Adler faces maximum statutory penalties of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge. If convicted, Hardcastle faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for each of the substantive wire fraud charges. Sentences are 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.

Hardcastle is charged in a separate indictment and those charges remain pending. Those charges are only allegations, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — Paul New, 57, of Fresno, was sentenced today to three years in prison for conspiracy to destroy property and malicious destruction by means of an explosive device, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, between November 2022 and February 2023, New committed a series of pipe-bombings on unoccupied vehicles and property in Fresno. The bombings damaged vehicles belonging to two auto-related businesses on Clinton Avenue. On Feb. 19, 2023, a bomb heavily damaged a vehicle used by a home health care business on Fallbrook Avenue.

On October 9, 2024, co-defendant Scott Eric Anderson was sentenced to three years in prison.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G. Tierney prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Lakota Tehya Wakley, 21, of Clovis, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, between Nov. 18, 2024, and Dec. 9, 2024, Wakley conspired with Austin Lloyd Kerns, 53, of Fresno, and others to distribute fentanyl. The investigation began after a fentanyl‑overdose death in Fresno. On Nov. 23, 2024, Wakley connected the overdose victim with Kerns to buy fentanyl pills. Over the next 48 hours, the victim bought fentanyl pills multiple times from Kerns and died soon after of a fentanyl overdose. Wakley received fees for connecting the victim with Kerns.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team (FORT), a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Fresno and Clovis Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin Lee and Arin C. Heinz are prosecuting the case.

Charges are pending against Kerns. He is scheduled for a status conference on March 26, 2025, before Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe. The charges are only allegations; Kerns is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Wakley is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff on June 23, 2025. Wakley faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.), a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Jordan Anthony Hughes, 24, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to production of child sexual abuse materials, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, in September 2022, Hughes knowingly used a child under the age of 12 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct, in Sacramento. Hughes committed hands-on violations of the minor victim and took videos and pictures of that abuse. Hughes’ abuse of the child dated back to at least 2017. In addition, Hughes used the internet to convince other underage victims to send him images and videos depicting themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Hughes did this in part by posing as an underage male himself. Hughes also distributed images of child sexual abuse conduct, often under the guise of helping or teaching his victims how to perform certain sexual acts. At the time of his arrest, Hughes possessed voluminous child sexual abuse materials.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, which includes the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department as well as Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny is prosecuting the case.

Hughes is in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on July 10, 2025. Hughes faces a mandatory statutory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment last week against Akash Kumar Singh, 48, of Sacramento, charging him with four counts of bank fraud and three counts of money laundering, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The indictment was unsealed following Singh’s arrest today.

According to court documents, Singh fraudulently obtained more than $3 million in Paycheck Protection Program loan funds intended to help small businesses maintain payroll and operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Singh obtained at least two PPP loans for a Sacramento software development company he purported to lead called Kryptoblocks. Singh falsely claimed that Kryptoblocks generated millions of dollars in revenue and paid millions of dollars in employee wages in 2019 and 2020. In reality, Kryptoblocks generated little to no revenues and employed no individuals in the United States during this time.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Singh faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million or of twice the amount of criminally derived property involved in each money laundering count. 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 effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging David Garcia, 32, of Fresno, with being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on Jan. 23, 2025, law enforcement officers located a vehicle suspected in several recent catalytic converter thefts. When they attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver, Garcia, sped off across an apartment complex lawn before leading officers on a high-speed chase in which he drove the wrong way on the road, collided with another vehicle, and ran multiple red lights and stop signs. In an attempt to escape officers, Garcia tried to drive through a fence into Scandinavian Middle School but his vehicle was disabled. Garcia is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions in Fresno County.

According to court documents, officers found a loaded Glock 22 handgun with an extended magazine in Garcia’s vehicle. The handgun and vehicle were both reported stolen.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Garcia faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Andrew Scott, 38, of Fair Oaks, was sentenced Tuesday by Senior U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 33 months in prison for fraud in connection with a medical device sales scheme, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. In addition, Scott was ordered to pay $376,044 in restitution to his victims.

According to court documents, between June 2018 and June 2022, Scott devised a scheme to defraud investors in his company, Trusted Medical Partnership. Scott told investors that either he or Trusted Medical Partnership received purchase orders from health care providers for medical devices but lacked the capital to fulfill the orders. Scott solicited and obtained loans from these investors, and, in exchange, promised them substantial returns in a relatively short time with zero risk.

In reality, Scott’s representations to these prospective investors were false because Scott did not have purchase orders from health care providers. To some of his victims, Scott sent purchase orders that he had doctored or fabricated in order to convince them to lend money. The health care providers listed on these purported purchase orders confirmed that the orders were fake altogether or altered to reflect inflated amounts or other false information. Trusted Medical Partnership was not a legitimate business — while incorporated in the State of California, it conducted no legitimate business transactions, paid no taxes, submitted no wage or employment-related records, and was suspended in December 2021 before Scott solicited investments on its behalf from some of his victims.

Scott’s victims lent him money on the basis of his false statements, including the fraudulent purchase orders, but received little to no returns on their investments. Instead, Scott spent the money on gambling at several local casinos (sometimes the same day he received the victims’ money), personal expenses, or payments to other, prior investors in order to keep the scheme running. Collectively, Scott defrauded at least 16 victims of almost $470,000.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv M. Sharma prosecuted the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Feb. 13, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Ricardo Gutierrez, 27, of Red Bluff, of charging him with two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The indictment was unsealed following Gutierrez’ arrest.

According to court documents, in April 2024, Gutierrez used four children to create at least two videos of the children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Additionally, between November 2023 and July 2024, Gutierrez distributed several videos and images of prepubescent children, including infants, involved in sexually explicit conduct to others.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitnee Goins is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of sexual exploitation of a child, Gutierrez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, restitution, and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of distribution of visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, Gutierrez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, restitution, and a fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

FRESNO, Calif. — Following a four-week trial before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston, three members of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang were found guilty of racketeering activity that included murder, drug trafficking, fraud, and robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. 

A federal jury found California State Prison inmate John Stinson, 70, guilty of one count of conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity.

The jury found California State Prison inmate Francis Clement, 58, guilty of conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and five counts of murder in aid of racketeering for the murders of Allan Roshanski, Ruslan Megomedgadzhiev, Michael Brizendine, James Yagle, and Ronnie Ennis.

The jury found California State Prison inmate Kenneth Johnson, 63, guilty of conspiracy to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity and two counts of murder in aid of racketeering for the murders of Allan Roshanski and Ruslan Megomedgadzhiev.

According to court documents and evidence produced at trial, between 2015 and 2023, AB members and associates engaged in racketeering activity, committing multiple acts involving murder, conspiracies to murder, fraud, robbery, and drug trafficking crimes. Using smuggled-in cellphones, Stinson, Johnson, and Clement directed various criminal acts while controlling the membership of the AB. Stinson was a leader of the AB and had significant authority over the enterprise, including resolving disputes among members and approving the murder of current or former members. Johnson and Clement ordered murders of individuals in the Los Angeles area of California.

Additional individuals charged in the case and still pending trial include the following:

• Jayson Weaver, 47, scheduled for trial in April 2026.
• Waylon Pitchford, 47, scheduled for trial in April 2026.
• Andrew Collins, 42, scheduled for trial in April 2026.
• Evan Perkins, 38, scheduled for trial at a pending date.
• Justin Gray, 39, scheduled for trial in September 2025.

The charges against the remaining defendants are only allegations, and those individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was the product of an extensive long-term investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Office of Correctional Safety (CDCR), United States Marshals Service, Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, Pomona Police Department, Torrance Police Department, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Sheriff Department, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, and Kern County District Attorney’s Office, the California Department of Justice and California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Clovis Police Department, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Stokman and James Conolly and Department of Justice attorney Jared Engelking are prosecuting the case.

Stinson, Clement, and Johnson are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Thurston on May 19, 2025. Defendants Johnson and Clement face mandatory life sentences based upon their convictions for murder in aid of racketeering. Defendant Stinson faces a maximum sentence of life in prison based upon his RICO conspiracy conviction.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

Note: View the settlement agreement here. 

Health Net Federal Services Inc. (HNFS) of Rancho Cordova, California and its corporate parent, St. Louis-based Centene Corporation, have agreed to pay $11,253,400 to resolve claims that HNFS falsely certified compliance with cybersecurity requirements in a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to administer the Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) TRICARE health benefits program for servicemembers and their families. In 2016, Centene acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Health Net Inc., HNFS’s corporate parent, and assumed the liabilities of HNFS.

“Companies that hold sensitive government information, including sensitive information of the nation’s servicemembers and their families, must meet their contractual obligations to protect it,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to pursue knowing violations of cybersecurity requirements by federal contractors and grantees to protect Americans’ privacy and economic and national security.”

“Safeguarding sensitive government information, particularly when it relates to the health and well-being of millions of service members and their families, is of paramount importance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “When HNFS failed to uphold its cybersecurity obligations, it didn’t just breach its contract with the government, it breached its duty to the people who sacrifice so much in defense of our nation.”

“This settlement reflects the significance of protecting TRICARE, and the service members and their families who depend on the health care program, from risks of exploitation,” said Cyber Field Office Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General. “DCIS will not be deterred from investigating contractors that fail to comply with federal cybersecurity requirements and risk exposing protected information vulnerable to criminal hackers. The U.S. taxpayers who fund these government contracts expect no less.”

The settlement resolves allegations that, between 2015 and 2018, HNFS failed to meet certain cybersecurity controls and falsely certified compliance with them in annual reports to DHA that were required under its contract to administer the TRICARE program. The United States alleged that HNFS failed to timely scan for known vulnerabilities and to remedy security flaws on its networks and systems, in accordance with its System Security Plan and the response times HNFS had established. Furthermore, the United States alleged HNFS ignored reports from third-party security auditors and its internal audit department of cybersecurity risks on HNFS’ networks and systems related to asset management; access controls; configuration settings; firewalls; end-of-life hardware and software in use; patch management (i.e., installing critical security updates released by vendors to counter known threats); vulnerability scanning; and password policies.

The Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California handled the matter, with assistance from DoD’s Office of Inspector General, including the DCIS, Cyber Field Office Western Region and the Inspector General’s Office of Audits, Cyberspace Operations Directorate, and DoD’s Defense Contract Management Agency, Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center.

Trial Attorneys Christopher Wilson, Laura Hill, and Jonathan Thrope of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Tennyson for the Eastern District of California represented the United States in this matter.

The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Health Net Federal Services Inc. (HNFS) of Rancho Cordova and its corporate parent, Centene Corporation, have agreed to pay $11,253,400 to resolve claims that HNFS falsely certified compliance with federal contractor cybersecurity requirements, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The cybersecurity requirements were contained in a contract between HNFS and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to administer the Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) health insurance program TRICARE for servicemembers and their families.

“Safeguarding sensitive government information, particularly when it relates to the health and well-being of millions of service members and their families, is of paramount importance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “When HNFS failed to uphold its cybersecurity obligations, it didn’t just breach its contract with the government, it breached its duty to the people who sacrifice so much in defense of our nation.”

“As TRICARE’s managed healthcare services contractor, DoD entrusted HNFS with safeguarding the sensitive information of the nation’s servicemembers and their families,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to pursue federal contractors that place such data at risk by failing to meet material cybersecurity requirements in their contracts.”

“This settlement reflects the significance of protecting TRICARE, and the service members and their families who depend on the health care program, from risks of exploitation,” said Cyber Field Office Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General. “DCIS will not be deterred from investigating contractors that fail to comply with federal cybersecurity requirements and risk exposing protected information vulnerable to criminal hackers. The U.S. taxpayers who fund these government contracts expect no less.”

The settlement resolves allegations that, between 2015 and 2018, HNFS failed to meet certain cybersecurity controls and falsely certified compliance with them in annual reports to DHA that were required under its contract. The United States alleged that HNFS failed to timely scan for known vulnerabilities and to remedy security flaws on its networks and systems, in accordance with its System Security Plan and the response times HNFS had established. Furthermore, the United States alleged HNFS ignored reports from third-party security auditors and its internal audit department of cybersecurity risks on HNFS’s networks and systems related to asset management; access controls; configuration settings; firewalls; end-of-life hardware and software in use; patch management (i.e., installing critical security updates released by vendors to counter known threats); vulnerability scanning; and password policies. Nonetheless, the United States alleged, HNFS annually certified to DHA that it complied with controls that it violated and, for all of these reasons, its claims for payment were false.

The government’s pursuit of this matter is part of its ongoing efforts to hold accountable entities or individuals that put sensitive information at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents. Information on how to report cyberfraud can be found here.

The United States was represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Tennyson, along with Christopher Wilson, Laura Hill, and Jonathan Thrope of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, with assistance from DoD’s Office of Inspector General, including the DCIS, Cyber Field Office Western Region, the Inspector General’s Office of Audits, Cyberspace Operations Directorate, and DoD’s Defense Contract Management Agency, Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center.

The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

https://justice.gov/usao-edca/media/1389341/dl?inline

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alberto Gonzalez Salgado, 45, of Sacramento, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to 13 years and one month in prison and ordered to forfeit $100,000 to the government for drug trafficking and firearms crimes, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, in 2019 and 2020, Salgado trafficked fentanyl pills, heroin, marijuana, and firearms. On multiple occasions Salgado sold heroin and fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills and illegal short-barreled rifles to a confidential source. Salgado also maintained a stash house in Sacramento where he grew over 100 marijuana plants and also kept a firearm to protect his drug trafficking operation. When law enforcement attempted to stop Salgado’s vehicle to arrest him on the way to a fentanyl pill deal in October 2020, Salgado fled, leading law enforcement on a high-speed vehicle chase on public roadways that lasted over an hour and a half and endangered law enforcement officers and the public.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Task Force, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Pedro Cerna Arias, 62, a Mexican national residing in Milpitas, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to five years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on April 9, 2020, Cerna Arias sold approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine to an undercover officer in Milpitas, in a deal that was initially negotiated between the undercover officer and a Mexico-based drug trafficker. On Oct. 8, 2021, law enforcement searched Cerna Arias’s residence and found about a kilogram of methamphetamine, a bucket with methamphetamine residue, drug ledgers, drug packaging material, and $6,165 in cash. Cerna Arias admitted to law enforcement that the methamphetamine was his and that he distributed methamphetamine in pound quantities.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), with assistance from Customs and Border Protection, the California Highway Patrol, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.

Co-defendant Jose Moreno Albestrain was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Dec. 19, 2024, by Judge Calabretta for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Daryl Vinson, 65, of Fresno, charging him with assault and abusive sexual contact on a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on July 23, 2024, Vinson assaulted the minor at the Veterans Affairs Central California Health Care System in Fresno by touching her breast, pressing his mouth on her mouth and inserting his tongue in her mouth. Vinson is not employed at the facility.

If you have information related to this case or believe you may be a victim, please submit a tip online or call 1-800-488-8244.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs Police and Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arin C. Heinz is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Vinson faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — An indictment was unsealed today charging Jesus Magana Mellin, aka “Compadre,” 34, of Merced, with possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, between October and November of 2022, Magana Mellin conspired with others to traffic substantial amounts of controlled substances in California and elsewhere. After a joint federal, state, and local investigation, law enforcement officers executed search warrants on two storage units connected to Magana Mellin’s drug trafficking ring. Inside the storage units, officers found 160 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, 158 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 14 kilograms of heroin, 7 kilograms of cocaine, and 40 grams of fentanyl pills. Three of Magana Mellin’s associates—Vanessa Arauza, Pedro Duarte Sanchez, and Luis Higuera Lopez—have been charged and convicted in the case.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Merced Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET). Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Magana Mellin faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charge is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Tabitha Leigh Markle, 53, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft in a scheme to defraud the unemployment insurance benefit program during the COVID-19 pandemic, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, between April 2020 and January 2021, Markle defrauded the California Employment Development Department (EDD) and the United States out of unemployment insurance benefits. Markle collected personally identifiable information (PII) including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and other information, and submitted fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to EDD. Markle and her associates caused the UI debit cards to be mailed to addresses she listed in the fraudulent applications. They used the cards that were issued in the names of the supposed beneficiaries to withdraw cash from ATMs throughout California. Markle and her associates often appeared in ATM surveillance photos taking out large amounts of cash from the cards. Markle and her criminal associates obtained approximately $2,599,038 from the fraud.

Markle also used the means of identification of various victims, including N.T., who was a resident of Oakland. Without N.T.’s knowledge or permission, Markle filed a false unemployment insurance application with California EDD using N.T.’s true name and other identifying information, but using a false email address, phone number and mailing address. Markle’s associates withdrew thousands of dollars of unemployment insurance benefits from the card issued to N.T.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, California EDD – Investigation Division, and the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina McCall is prosecuting the case.

Markle is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on May 13, 2025. Markle faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine (or twice the amount of the loss) for mail fraud, plus supervised release of up to five years. She also faces a mandatory two-year consecutive prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for aggravated identity theft. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — An indictment was unsealed today charging Tung Pham, 59, of San Jose, with conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, Pham worked as a facilities and purchasing coordinator for the library of a public university in San Jose. In that position, Pham was entrusted with a university procurement card to purchase necessary items for the library. Pham, however, used the procurement card to purchase, among other things, Apple MacBooks and Apple iPads that he stole and sold to others for personal gain, including a co-conspirator who lived in Folsom. The individual in Folsom resold and shipped the stolen Apple products to buyers outside the State of California.

This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Pham faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charge is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — Dario Mata-Manzo, 33, a Mexican national residing in Fresno, was sentenced today to eight years and eight months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, in June 2022, Mata-Manzo negotiated the sale of crystal methamphetamine for $1,200 per pound and subsequently delivered 8 pounds of the drug to undercover officers in Fresno. Court documents indicate that Mata-Manzo was connected to an interstate poly-drug trafficking organization.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA), which consists of personnel from the California Department of Justice, Fresno Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Aaron Michael Correia, 38, of San Joaquin County, was sentenced today to five years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, during a traffic stop, Correia was found to be in possession of a loaded .22 Ruger revolver and a box of .22 caliber ammunition. Correia is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has multiple state felony convictions, including 2017 and 2021 convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm in San Joaquin County.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Manteca Police Department, the Stockton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Edgar Castro, 40, of Marysville, was arrested today, charged by complaint with assaulting a federal employee, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 9, 2024, Castro struck a United States Postal Service employee in the head and neck area while the employee was operating his postal delivery truck at a red stop light in Marysville. Castro had pulled alongside the postal vehicle and shouted, “What … are you looking at?”

Castro exited his vehicle and approached the driver’s side of the postal truck. He reached through the open window and struck the employee. In the process of being struck in the head and neck area by Castro, the employee’s badge and lanyard were thrown into the street. When the postal service employee attempted to retrieve his badge from the street, Castro struck the Postal Service employee in the face causing a fractured nose.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Castro faces a maximum statutory penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — Jesse Torres-Alonso, 35, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 28, 2023, Torres struck a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter (Air One) 12 times with a dangerously bright green laser beam. The laser strikes interfered with the pilot’s ability to see and avoid other aircraft and effectively monitor the aircraft instrument panel. Law enforcement officers were able to locate and seize the laser device, which bore a prominent warning label, stating, “DANGER,” and warned against shining the light in the eyes.

In the year that Torres committed this offense, the Federal Aviation Administration received 13,304 reports of laser strikes from pilots, marking a 41% increase over the 9,457 reported during 2022 and setting a record for the growing hazard.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

Torres is scheduled for sentencing on May 20, 2025, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Torres faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

FRESNO, Calif. — Jose Angel Beltran-Chaidez, 69, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to two years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute heroin, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, in January 2022, at the direction of his brother Antonio Beltran-Chaidez, 55, also a Mexican national, Beltran delivered more than 2 pounds of heroin to Jorge Calderon-Campos, 44, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, for distribution. However, when Calderon-Campos was unable to sell the drug, Beltran retrieved it from Calderon-Campos and was in possession of the heroin when stopped by a CHP officer for a traffic violation.

Calderon-Campos and Antonio Beltran-Chaidez previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to eight years and one month in prison and three years and 10 months in prison, respectively.

This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Kern County Probation Department, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 15-count indictment Thursday against Sacramento residents Kevin Antonio Parker, 38; John Kevin Parker, 45; Veronica Brooks, 42; Xavier Surita, 36; Raymundo Escobar, 27; Marcelino Escobar, 23; and Devon Nelson, 33, charging them with various drug trafficking and firearms offenses, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

A second related indictment Thursday charged Sacramento resident Maurice Collins, 34, with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, in November 2023, law enforcement began investigating two high-ranking Oak Park Bloods gang members. Over the course of the investigation, Kevin Parker and his associates sold fentanyl powder, fentanyl pills, more than 15 pounds of methamphetamine, and 12 firearms, including privately manufactured firearms and a firearm equipped with a machine gun conversion device. Kevin Parker was charged with multiple drug offenses involving methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful dealing in firearms, and the possession and transfer of a machine gun. John Parker, Brooks, Raymundo Escobar, Marcelino Escobar, and Nelson were charged with various drug conspiracy and distribution offenses, and Raymundo Escobar was additionally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

During the investigation, law enforcement officers made multiple purchases of methamphetamine and guns at Sacramento stash houses. On Jan. 28, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at one such stash house and found Collins residing there and in possession of a firearm. Collins is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions.

These cases are the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Special Services Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily G. Sauvageau and Nicole Vanek are prosecuting the cases.

If convicted, the defendants in the first indictment each face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million. Collins faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.