Eastern District of California

Citrus Heights residents Deshawn Oshaea Campbell, 38, and Rochelle Pasley, 35, were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to seven years and three months and five years and five months respectively and ordered to pay $1,157,000 in restitution, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, between June 2020 and December 2020, Campbell and Pasley 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.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been committed to combatting fraud that abuses the provisions of the CARES Act,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sanchez. “We will continue to prosecute fraud arising out of the pandemic and bring offenders to justice.”

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 more than $1 million.

“These defendants stole from our nation’s unemployment insurance program by fraudulently filing for UI benefits in the names of individuals who were not entitled to such benefits. They took advantage of the UI program at a time when so many deserving American workers were suffering from pandemic-related economic challenges. The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General remains committed to combating UI fraud and holding individuals accountable for their fraudulent schemes. I would like to acknowledge the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the California Employment Development Department-Investigations Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California in this collaborative investigative effort,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent-in-Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

In addition to the mail fraud scheme, Campbell pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony.

This case was 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 prosecuted the case.

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.

A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Matthew Henry Jacober, 43, of Bakersfield, charging him with being a felon in possession of explosives and ammunition and manufacturing methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, Jacober possessed and improperly stored 50 pounds of dynamite and 25 rounds of shotgun shells. He was also in the process of manufacturing crystal methamphetamine at his residence in a remote area of Bakersfield. Jacober had previously been convicted in Kern County Superior Court of making a destructive device without a permit, a felony. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing explosives and ammunition.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kern County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad, and the Kern County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the drug offense, Jacober faces a mandatory minimum prison term of five years in prison and a maximum term of 40 years, along with a $5 million fine. If convicted of being a felon in possession of explosives, he faces a 10-year prison term and, if convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition, he faces a 15-year prison sentence. Both of these offenses also carry 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 Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Walter Garcia-Ruiz, 37, of Stockton, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 12 years and seven months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, between May 2019 and December 2020, Garcia-Ruiz joined a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine with Jesus Horacio Ramirez Hernandez, 37; of El Monte, and Stockton residents Fernando Aldama Tinoco, 51; Geovany Espinoza Norzagaray, 36; and Neftali Castillo Montes, 44. During this conspiracy, Montes sold an FBI confidential source more than 14 pounds of methamphetamine. Surveillance, wiretaps, and additional investigation uncovered Garcia-Ruiz, Norzagaray, Tinoco, and Hernandez as higher-level distributors. Garcia-Ruiz personally supplied at least 10.9 pounds of this methamphetamine. A search of a storage unit controlled by Tinoco resulted in the seizure of 33 pounds of methamphetamine, 7 pounds of cocaine, and 2 pounds of counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl.

This case is the product of an investigation by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Customs and Borders Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tracy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

Montes was sentenced on April 15, 2025, to five years in prison for his role in this conspiracy. Hernandez pleaded guilty for his role on June 24, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Mueller on Oct. 21, 2025. Hernandez 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.

Charges are pending against co-defendants Tinoco and Espinoza. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendants Tinoco and Espinoza also face 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.

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.

Jose Manuel Ontiveros Verdugo, 40, of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 16 years in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and Jorge Omar Arredondo-Garcia, 47, of Lodi, pleaded guilty today to the same offense, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, between July 2019 and December 2019, Verdugo and Arredondo-Garcia conspired with their 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 Gregorio Ontiveros Verdugo, 42, of Morada; Alberto Navarro Zapata, 39, of Stockton; and Wilfredo Reyes, 50, of Manteca. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Arredondo-Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Nov. 24, 2025. Arredondo Garcia 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. — Miguel Obed Romero Reyes, 26, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kirk Sherriff to three years and five months in prison for trafficking large amounts of fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, Romero Reyes was pulled over by law enforcement officers while driving north on Interstate 5 in Fresno County. Deputies searched his vehicle and discovered a large duffel bag containing 48 pounds (21.8 kilograms) of blue counterfeit M-30 pills in 20 separate 1-gallon Ziploc bags. In total, Romero Reyes was transporting over 200,000 fentanyl pills in his car. Romero Reyes had picked up the pills in Arizona and was transporting them to Washington state for distribution.

21.8 Kilograms of Fentanyl Pills Seized from Romero Reyes’s Vehicle

This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.

FRESNO, Calif. — Matthew Dane Billingsley, 39, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud in a scheme that defrauded individual lenders and financial institutions out of $30 million, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, between June 2018 and February 2023, Billingsley made false representations about having a brokerage account with millions of dollars in assets to serve as collateral for loans. Billingsley gave fabricated brokerage account statements to obtain more than $30 million in loans from individual lenders and financial institutions. The brokerage account statements were false because the brokerage account did not exist. Billingsley also misrepresented to individual lenders and financial institutions the intended use of the loan funds and instead used the money to pay down previous loans and for his personal benefit.

To obtain one of the loans, Billingsley used a Fresno restaurant owner’s name and signature on a profit-sharing agreement that Billingsley created and forged. Billingsley presented the false and fraudulent profit-sharing agreement to a financial institution to obtain a loan.

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

Billingsley is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Nov. 10, 2025. Billingsley faces a maximum 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.

Alejandra Susana Castillo, 34, of Tracy, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to five years in prison for illegal firearms trafficking, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, between Aug. 22, 2023, and Aug. 27, 2024, Castillo and a co‑conspirator trafficked firearms by purchasing them in Nevada and selling them on the black market in California. Because Castillo’s co-conspirator is a convicted felon and was not able to purchase the firearms himself, he entered into a criminal partnership with Castillo to purchase the firearms for him. In general, the two obtained firearms by traveling together to firearms dealers in Nevada, where the co-conspirator would enter the stores first, identify the firearms he wanted to Castillo via text message or other communications, and then exit the store. Castillo, who was not prohibited person at the time, would then enter the store and purchase the firearms, pretending they were for her. Once Castillo had the firearms, the two would then travel back to California, where they would unlawfully sell them to people who could not lawfully purchase firearms.

On July 27, 2024, Castillo’s co-conspirator led a law enforcement officer on a high-speed chase, which was ultimately ended because of public safety concerns. Two days later, another law enforcement officer observed the car involved in the chase parked at a gas station. The officer detained Castillo, who was then using the car. During a search of the vehicle, the officer discovered a semi-automatic rifle in the trunk, along with three extended magazines.

In total, more than 30 firearms were traced to this conspiracy. At least four of these firearms have since been recovered in connection with suspected firearm-related crimes. One such firearm, for example, was recovered by the California Highway Patrol in the possession of a felon in Vallejo on July 25, 2024, only three days after Castillo purchased the firearm in Nevada.

Castillo was ordered report to prison on Nov. 1, 2025. Her co-conspirator is currently in federal custody for a related case.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Highway Patrol, the Pleasanton Police Department, the Reno Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.

A federal grand jury returned an 11-count indictment against Luis Eduardo Torres-Hernandez, 39, residing in Sacramento, charging him with 10 counts of transferring false identification documents, and one count of illegally reentering the United States after being previously removed, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, between September and December 2024, Torres-Hernandez sold multiple sets of false identification documents to undercover agents. The documents included Permanent Resident (green) cards and Social Security cards that, while appearing to be issued by and under the authority of the United States, were instead false documents produced without lawful authority.

According to the indictment, on Aug. 29, 2014, Torres-Hernandez was deported from the United States after a previous conviction for transferring false identification documents in the Eastern District of California.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv M. Sharma is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Torres-Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each false documents count and 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the illegal reentry 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.

William James Fitzgerald, 25, of Folsom, pleaded guilty today to one count of sexual exploitation of a child, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, between Oct. 15, 2020, and May 4, 2022, Fitzgerald used a minor child he met on Snapchat to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her for the purpose of creating photographs and video recordings. Fitzgerald coerced and persuaded the minor child into creating multiple sexually explicit depictions at least four times by offering and later sending Amazon gift cards ranging in value from $20 to $30.

Additionally, between Feb. 9, 2021, and Feb. 20, 2021, Fitzgerald used a minor child he met on Snapchat to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her for the purpose of creating photographs and video recordings.

Finally, Fitzgerald knowingly possessed more than 1,000 files depicting the sexual abuse of children on his phone and iPad. The files included images of children engaged in sexual activity with adults and other children and adults sexually abusing toddlers.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Folsom Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitnee Goins is prosecuting the case.

Fitzgerald is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins on Nov. 7, 2025. Fitzgerald faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison with a lifetime of supervised release, restitution 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.

A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Joseph Allen Davis, 19, of Sacramento, with being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, police officers began investigating Joseph Allen Davis after determining that he was a shooter at the April 12, 2025, shooting at Rainbow City Park in Davis, California, where three people were injured by gunfire. Law enforcement officers conducted a search of Joseph Allen Davis’s apartment and seized a short-barrel AR-15-style pistol. Davis is prohibited from possessing any firearms and ammunition because he has previously been convicted of a felon gun possession offense.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Davis Police Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, and the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Davis 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 Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood.

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.

Shaminderjit Singh Sandhu, 51, of Tracy, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, Sandhu conspired with Jagninder Singh Boparai, 49, of Manteca, and Ramesh Kumar Birla Jr., 47, of Dublin, to murder Victim 2. In February 2023, Boparai, Sandhu, and Birla repeatedly met with a person they believed to be a hitman at a Starbucks in Manteca. Unbeknownst to Singh and his co-defendants throughout their interactions, the hitman was a confidential informant working for the FBI. On Feb. 17, 2024, Boparai told the supposed hitman that the first job involved the assault of Victim 1, and once he proved his trustworthiness, he would be given another job. The following day, Boparai met the confidential informant again and offered to pay $6,000 for the assault of Victim 1. In March 2023, in the presence of Birla and another individual, Boparai met with the confidential informant, and Boparai gave the confidential informant $1,000 as a down payment for the assault. After more time had passed, the confidential informant showed Boparai a staged photo of Victim l lying on the ground covered in bruises, dirt, and blood to indicate the assault had occurred. Boparai said he liked the photo and told the confidential informant that he had two other “jobs,” one of which involved robbing a business, and the other involved making a person “disappear.”

According to court documents, in March 2023, Boparai met with the confidential informant to pay the confidential informant $10,000 as a down payment for the murder of Victim 2. Sandhu provided Victim 2’s address, and Boparai instructed the confidential informant that Victim 2 must disappear without any evidence remaining. Boparai then made two calls to Birla asking for Victim 2’s Facebook profile. Boparai subsequently received a Facebook profile picture of Victim 2, which he showed to the confidential informant. On March 24, 2023, Sandhu and Birla met with the confidential informant in a parking lot in Manteca. Sandhu and Birla claimed that Boparai was out of town, but Boparai was observed by surveillance remaining in a car in the same parking lot. Sandhu and Birla instructed the confidential informant to kill Victim 2 and take Victim 2’s remains to Mexico in a suitcase.

All three defendants were arrested on March 31, 2023, and are currently in federal custody.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Highway Patrol, the Ceres Police Department, the Dublin Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lathrop Police Department, the Modesto Police Department, the San Joaquin County Probation Office, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, the Stockton Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, the Turlock Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian T. Kinsella and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case.

Sandhu is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. Sandhu faces a maximum statutory penalty 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.

Boparai pleaded guilty for his role in the offense on Jan. 23, 2025, and is pending sentencing on Aug. 7, 2025. He faces the same penalties as Sandhu.

Birla is scheduled for a further status conference on Oct. 23, 2025. If convicted, he faces the same penalties as Sandhu and Boparai. As to Birla, the charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

FRESNO, Calif. — A member of an ATM robbery crew has been arrested and charged with bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery arising from a string of robberies from banks and ATMs throughout California, Oregon, and Washington, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, Diego Ananias Arellano Diaz, aka Fabio Cristian Hernandez, was arrested July 29, 2025, in Newport Beach for his participation in a conspiracy to break into and steal money from financial institutions between May and October 2024. To avoid detection, the crew rented short-term vacation properties near their intended targets and used cars rented on the black market. Conspirators identified ATMs in vulnerable locations and then, using construction-crew disguises, blowtorches, cellphone jammers, and other sophisticated tactics, broke into the ATMs and stole their cash. More than 29 banks and credit unions were targeted during the period of the conspiracy, with more than $4 million in cash taken.

On Oct. 31, 2024, a grand jury returned an indictment charging 11 defendants with conspiracy to commit bank robbery and bank robbery. Arellano was separately charged by complaint as “John Doe 2” on Oct. 21, 2024, and again as Diego Arellano once his true name was learned on May 14, 2025.

According to the San Ramon Police Department, Arellano was identified as the one of the suspects responsible for a bombing and burglary of an ATM in a Target in San Ramon that occurred on July 20, 2025. Court records reflect that Arellano is also charged in the Los Angeles Superior Court with assault with a deadly weapon under an alias, Fabio Hernandez.

Arellano is presently in state custody and is expected to make his appearance in federal court following state proceedings.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the police departments of the cities of Burbank, Citrus Heights, Clovis, Elk Grove, Fresno, Garden Grove, Modesto, Newport Beach, Rocklin, Roseville, Sacramento, and San Ramon, and the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office, and the Seattle Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California also received assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Oregon, the Central District of California, and the Western District of Washington. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Veneman-Hughes and Justin J. Gilio are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendant face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for bank robbery and five years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank robbery. 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.

A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Jashanpreet Singh, 26, of Lodi, charging him with unlawful dealing of firearms; unlawful possession of a machine gun; and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, Singh was the founder of the “Punjabi Devils” Motorcycle Club, a Stockton based outlaw motorcycle gang (OMG) associated with the Hells Angels. On June 6, 2025, Singh attempted to sell several weapons to an undercover officer, including a short-barreled rifle, three other assault weapons, three machine gun conversion devices, and a revolver. A subsequent search of Singh’s residence resulted in the discovery of additional firearms, including a machine gun, another machine gun conversion device, and a silencer.

Firearms (including machine guns and a short-barreled rifle), firearms parts (including a silencer and high-capacity drum magazines) and other items seized from Singh’s vehicle and residence on June 6, 2025

Officers also discovered a single “pineapple”-style capped and fused hand grenade, as well as what law enforcement believed was a military electronic capped “claymore” mine. The Explosives Ordinance Detail of the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department bomb team destroyed these items at the scene.

Singh was initially facing state charges in San Joaquin County related to these offenses. On July 21, 2025, he failed to appear at a court appearance and the state court issued a bench warrant for his arrest. On July 23, 2025, the FBI received an alert from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection that Singh had booked a ticket to India and was scheduled to depart from the San Francisco International Airport on July 26, 2025. On that date, officers located and arrested Singh at the airport before he could flee. Singh remains in federal custody.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Enforcement and Removal Operations; Homeland Security Investigations; the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office; the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office Explosive Ordinance Detail; the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit; the Stockton Police Department; and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Cárdenas and Adrian Kinsella are prosecuting the case.

If convicted of unlawful dealing in firearms, Singh faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of possession and transfer of a machine gun, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and if convicted of unlawful possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 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 Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

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. — Defense contractor Aero Turbine Inc., of Stockton, and private equity company Gallant Capital Partners LLC, of Los Angeles, have agreed to pay $1.75 million to resolve their liability under the False Claims Act for knowingly failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements in an Aero Turbine contract with the Department of the Air Force. In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that Aero Turbine and Gallant took significant steps entitling them to credit for cooperating with the government.

“Government contractors must follow required cybersecurity standards to protect sensitive defense information,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When defense contractors fail to comply with cybersecurity requirements, they can mitigate the consequences by making timely self-disclosures, cooperating with investigations, and taking prompt remedial measures.”

“Every defense contractor must provide adequate security to safeguard covered defense information,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez. “We commend Aero Turbine and Gallant for disclosing the issue and promptly cooperating to address it. We encourage others to follow their example of self-reporting to resolve violations.”

“Protecting the integrity of the Department of Defense (DoD) procurement processes is a top priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” said Director Kelly Mayo of DCIS. “Failing to comply with DoD contract specifications and cybersecurity requirements puts DoD information and programs at risk of exploitation. DCIS will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to investigate allegations of false claims on DoD contracts.”

“This case serves as a reminder that cybersecurity transcends mission sets. Ensuring companies adhere to robust cybersecurity safeguards is integral to maintaining the Air Force’s operational edge against adversaries,” said Special Agent in Charge Caroline Galinis of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Procurement Fraud Detachment 1. “AFOSI’s Procurement Fraud team, alongside investigative partner agencies and the Department of Justice, played a critical role in protecting U.S. national security interests.”

The settlement resolves the liability of Aero Turbine and Gallant under the False Claims Act for knowingly submitting or causing others to submit false or fraudulent claims for payment on a Department of the Air Force contract, which were allegedly false or fraudulent because they had not complied with the contract’s cybersecurity requirements. From January 2018 to February 2020, Aero Turbine allegedly failed to implement certain cybersecurity controls in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171 that, if not implemented, could lead to significant exploitation of the system or exfiltration of sensitive defense information.

In addition, from June to July 2019, Aero Turbine and Gallant allegedly failed to control the flow of, and limit unauthorized access to, sensitive defense information by providing a software company based in Egypt with files containing such information, even though the software company and its foreign citizen personnel were not authorized to receive sensitive defense information under the Air Force contract. After learning of the issues, Aero Turbine and Gallant provided the government with multiple written self-disclosures, cooperated with the government’s investigation of the issues, and took prompt remedial action.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, DCIS, AFOSI, and the Air Force Materiel Command Law Office Procurement Fraud Division. The matter was handled by Fraud Section attorneys Robin Overby and Christopher Terranova and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Thiess.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Note: Read the Settlement here.

Defense contractor Aero Turbine Inc., of Stockton, California, and private equity company Gallant Capital Partners LLC, of Los Angeles, have agreed to pay $1.75 million to resolve their liability under the False Claims Act for knowingly failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements in an Aero Turbine contract with the Department of the Air Force. In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that Aero Turbine and Gallant took significant steps entitling them to credit for cooperating with the government.

“Government contractors must follow required cybersecurity standards to protect sensitive defense information,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When defense contractors fail to comply with cybersecurity requirements, they can mitigate the consequences by making timely self-disclosures, cooperating with investigations, and taking prompt remedial measures.”

“Every defense contractor must provide adequate security to safeguard covered defense information,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez for the Eastern District of California. “We commend Aero Turbine and Gallant for disclosing the issue and promptly cooperating to address it. We encourage others to follow their example of self-reporting to resolve violations.”

“Protecting the integrity of the Department of Defense (DoD) procurement processes is a top priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” said Director Kelly Mayo of DCIS. “Failing to comply with DoD contract specifications and cybersecurity requirements puts DoD information and programs at risk of exploitation. DCIS will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to investigate allegations of false claims on DoD contracts.”

“This case serves as a reminder that cybersecurity transcends mission sets. Ensuring companies adhere to robust cybersecurity safeguards is integral to maintaining the Air Force’s operational edge against adversaries,” said Special Agent in Charge Caroline Galinis of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Procurement Fraud Detachment 1. “AFOSI’s Procurement Fraud team, alongside investigative partner agencies and the Department of Justice, played a critical role in protecting U.S. national security interests.”

The settlement resolves the liability of Aero Turbine and Gallant under the False Claims Act for knowingly submitting or causing others to submit false or fraudulent claims for payment on a Department of the Air Force contract, which were allegedly false or fraudulent because they had not complied with the contract’s cybersecurity requirements. From January 2018 to February 2020, Aero Turbine allegedly failed to implement certain cybersecurity controls in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171 that, if not implemented, could lead to significant exploitation of the system or exfiltration of sensitive defense information.

In addition, from June to July 2019, Aero Turbine and Gallant allegedly failed to control the flow of, and limit unauthorized access to, sensitive defense information by providing a software company based in Egypt with files containing such information, even though the software company and its foreign citizen personnel were not authorized to receive sensitive defense information under the Air Force contract. After learning of the issues, Aero Turbine and Gallant provided the government with multiple written self-disclosures, cooperated with the government’s investigation of the issues, and took prompt remedial action.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, DCIS, AFOSI, and the Air Force Materiel Command Law Office Procurement Fraud Division. The matter was handled by Fraud Section attorneys Robin Overby and Christopher Terranova and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Thiess.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Note: Read the Settlement here.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Darren Mitchell, 35, of Vallejo, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to 15 years in prison for possessing methamphetamine and firearms, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to evidence presented at a five-day jury trial, Mitchell negotiated a transaction for 1,000 methamphetamine pills with a buyer who testified at trial. Federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Mitchell’s Vallejo residence a few days later. At the residence, agents encountered two infants who lived there and recovered methamphetamine-laced pills and an industrial pill pressing machine. Hidden inside the residence’s dishwasher, agents recovered a loaded AR-15 assault-style rifle and a loaded Smith & Wesson pistol with an obliterated serial number:

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron Desmond and Sam Stefanki prosecuted the case.

Jose Luis Aguilar Saucedo, 26, of Sacramento, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to seven years and six months in prison for fentanyl distribution, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, Aguilar Saucedo distributed hundreds of fentanyl pills that were made to look like prescription “M-30” oxycodone pills to a DEA confidential source on three separate occasions in March, April, and August 2020.

Fifteen co-defendants have pleaded guilty, and 11 have previously been sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 19 months to 27 years. Luis Lopez Zamora is scheduled to be sentenced in August 2025, Leonardo Flores Beltran and Sandro Escobedo are scheduled to be sentenced in October 2025, and Erika Gabriela Zamora Rojo is scheduled to be sentenced in December 2025.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force (NET 5), the California Highway Patrol, the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, the Yuba City Police Department, and the West Sacramento Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Mexican authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Luis Lopez Zamora to the United States from Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting 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 about OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

Dominic Davis, 40, and Sharitia Wright, 61, both of Sacramento, were sentenced today to federal prison for conspiring to file false claims, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced. Davis received a sentence of three years and four months in prison, and Wright received a sentence of one year and three months in prison.

According to court documents, between March 2019 and April 2022, Davis and Wright caused at least nine fraudulent income-tax returns to be filed with the IRS claiming more than $2 million of income tax refunds.

The returns were filed in the names of Davis, Wright, and family members and listed wages that the taxpayers had not received. They often listed the taxpayers’ employer as one of the various LLCs created by Davis, Wright, and their family members. Many of the returns also falsely claimed charitable contributions that were not actually made. Davis prepared and filed the false tax returns. Wright provided him information and contacted the IRS to check on the status of the refunds claimed in the false tax returns.

Davis and Wright were ordered to pay restitution for the fraudulent income tax refunds that they received.

This case was the product of an investigation by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg prosecuted the case.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A criminal complaint was filed today charging Jose Manuel Castillo Jr., 31, of Sacramento, with depredation of government property, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, on July 17, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) conducted an operation at a Sacramento-area Home Depot store. During the operation, Castillo refused numerous commands to move away from law enforcement’s position and shouted obscenities at CBP agents as the agents were transferring arrested aliens to a van for transportation to immigration custody.

Castillo was seen walking towards the SUV from the rear passenger side, and agents near the vehicle’s driver’s side heard a pop and a loud hissing noise. Castillo was seen walking away from the vehicle, and agents noticed the rear passenger side tire was punctured and completely flat. 

After being ordered to stop by law enforcement Castillo turned and ran away. After a short chase, agents caught Castillo and later searched him. In Castillo’s pants pocket, law enforcement found a folding pocketknife with a blade consistent with the width of the hole in the SUV’s tire. 

Castillo is not in custody and will appear for an initial hearing at a date and time chosen by the Court.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

If convicted, Castillo 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.

Kelo White, 44, of Fresno, was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison for illegally distributing oxycodone and hydrocodone pills, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court records, from 2014 through 2018, White and Donald Ray Pierre, 56, of Fresno, obtained more than 450,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills based on fraudulent prescriptions that were filled by their co-conspirator, Ifeanyi Vincent Ntukogu, 49, of Fresno, who was a pharmacist in Madera. White was responsible for more than 250,000 of those pills. The fraudulent prescriptions were purportedly from more than 10 different doctors whose signatures had been forged.

White and Pierre had Ntukogu review each prescription before he filled it to make sure that government regulators would not deem it suspicious. For example, Ntukogu reviewed and rejected prescriptions that were supposedly written by certain doctors or that were written for individuals who were having prescriptions filled at other pharmacies because he believed those prescriptions may raise red flags. White and Pierre paid Ntukogu in cash, and then they sold the pills for a significant profit.

Ntukogu was sentenced on Nov. 25, 2024, to seven years and three months in prison. Pierre was sentenced on July 21, 2020, to nine years and four months in prison.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the California Department of Health Care Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antonio Pataca and Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.

The case was investigated under the DOJ’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case was also part of the DOJ’s Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, which is 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.

Political Solutions, LLC, has agreed to pay the United States $556,924 in damages and penalties to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) by receiving a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

Congress created the PPP in March 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to provide emergency relief to small businesses experiencing economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many small businesses were eligible for these loans, some were not, including those primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities.

In April 2020, Political Solutions, a lobbying firm, applied for and received a PPP loan for $216,000. Political Solutions applied for and received forgiveness of the loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in January 2021. This settlement resolves allegations that Political Solutions knowingly made false statements in certifying the business’s eligibility for a PPP loan. As part of the settlement, Political Solutions agreed to pay $456,924 in damages under the FCA and $100,000 in civil penalties under FIRREA.

“The Paycheck Protection Program was a vital resource for struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sanchez. “This Office will continue to investigate businesses who took advantage of these funds at the expense of the public.”

SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis stated, “The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies, such as the Small Business Administration working in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to pursue a fair recovery of pandemic relief funds.”

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Fuentes.

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

On July 17, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a sealed indictment charging Nicholas M. Retana, 67, of Madera, with one count of embezzling money from a program that received federal funding, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

On Monday the indictment was unsealed and Retana was arraigned.

According to court documents, Retana was the founder and executive director of a kindergarten through 8th grade charter school in Madera County until early 2020. As executive director, Retana used school funds on improper personal expenses for himself, his family, and associates. He concealed the misused funds by mislabeling the expenses in school accounting records and misrepresenting the expenses when asked. For example, Retana purchased new Ford F-150 Raptor pickup trucks for his two sons using school funds. He also had a personal relationship with a self-proclaimed sex worker turned relationship coach whom he paid $12,000 using school funds.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Spivak and Cody S. Chapple are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Retana faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 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.

Jayson Fernandez Butay, 30, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to 25 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material and possessing child sexual abuse material, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced. Judge Shubb also ordered Butay to pay $118,278 to his victims in restitution.

According to court documents, in April 2019, Butay used Snapchat to correspond with a 15‑year-old girl living in Finland. Butay lied about his identity and convinced her to send him naked images of herself. Once he received these images, Butay threatened to disclose them to his victim’s family and friends unless she sent him sexually explicit videos. In this way, Butay obtained at least one additional sexually explicit video from the victim. Butay also produced child sexual abuse material depicting additional minor victims, including at least one 9-year-old girl who remains unidentified, using common internet applications.

Law enforcement agents subsequently executed federal search warrants at Butay’s residence in Sacramento. Agents seized hundreds of images and videos from Butay’s digital devices that depicted the sexual exploitation of children, including infants.

“This investigation highlights the serious threat sextortionists pose to children who use popular messaging and social media apps,” said FBI Sacramento Field Office Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Online anonymity combined with the natural inexperience of youth creates a dangerous environment that parents must better understand and monitor. The FBI works closely with our law enforcement partners to identify and bring these predators to justice. We urge anyone who has been targeted or victimized to come forward. You are not alone — we will help you.”

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting 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 exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Northern District of Oklahoma to leading a multi-state operation that stole thousands of catalytic converters from private vehicles and sold them on a secondary market for millions of dollars, based on the value of the precious metals that the converters contain. 

Navin Khanna, 41, of Holmdel, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen goods in interstate commerce and five counts of money laundering regarding his participation in the stolen goods scheme.

“The defendant made $600 million and financed his ostentatious lifestyle by buying and selling stolen goods,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates our commitment to taking the profit out of crime. Sophisticated criminal schemes may afford you luxury cars and homes in the short term but will cost you a federal felony conviction in the long term.”

“Khanna’s theft ring took advantage of hard-working citizens in the Northern District of Oklahoma by stealing catalytic converters, rendering the vehicle unusable,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “I would like to thank the Tulsa Police Department and our law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts in bringing this senseless crime to justice.”

According to court documents and statements made in court, Khanna admitted to being the owner and operator of New Jersey-based D.G. Auto Parts, a criminal enterprise that bought and sold auto parts across the country. From May 2020 through October 2022, Khanna conspired with others to purchase and transport large quantities of stolen catalytic converters from Oklahoma, Texas, and other states to New Jersey. Khanna admitted to receiving more than $600 million by reselling the stolen catalytic converters to a metal refinery that extracted the precious metals.

In response to a drastic increase in catalytic converter thefts throughout Tulsa in 2020, the Tulsa Police Department initiated an investigation that soon uncovered a national criminal enterprise. During the investigation, search warrants were executed in Oklahoma, Texas, California, New Jersey and New York. Khanna was indicted by federal grand juries in the Northern District of Oklahoma and the Eastern District of California. Over twenty individuals throughout the country have been charged for their role in the conspiracy. Khanna’s 13 co-defendants in the Northern District of Oklahoma have pleaded guilty for their participation in the criminal scheme and are awaiting sentencing.

As part of his plea agreement, Khanna agreed to forfeit almost $4 million in cash, 11 luxury vehicles — including a Lamborghini, two Mercedes AMGs, two Ferraris, a McLaren, a Porsche, a Ford F650 Truck, and a BMW M3 — real estate properties, high-end jewelry, gold bars, and over 200 pallets of catalytic converters, all seized by law enforcement during the execution of search warrants at Khanna’s properties. Khanna’s co-defendants have agreed to forfeit more than $3.2 million, including more than $250,000 from multiple bank accounts; two lots of land located in Oklahoma, cars, and stolen catalytic converters seized during the investigation.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma has agreed that Khanna’s sentencing will be transferred to the Eastern District of California, where he awaits further prosecution for related crimes.

Khanna faces a maximum penalty of 168 to 210 months in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the investigation. IRS-Criminal Investigations, the Tulsa Police Department, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyandotte Nation Police Department contributed to the investigation.

Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reagan Reininger and David Nasar for the Northern District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría for the Eastern District of California assisted in the prosecution of the case and is prosecuting Khanna and others there.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). 

TULSA, Okla. – The leader of a national catalytic converter theft ring pleaded guilty today in federal court and admitted to selling the stolen converters for more than $600 million, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.   

Navin Khanna, 31, Holmdel, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy and five counts of Engaging in Monetary Transactions in Property Derived from Specified Unlawful Activity.

“Khanna’s theft ring took advantage of hard-working citizens in the Northern District of Oklahoma by stealing catalytic converters, rendering the vehicle unusable,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I would like to thank the Tulsa Police Department, and our law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts in bringing this senseless crime to justice.”

“Across the United States thousands of people have had the catalytic converters cut off their parked cars because they contain valuable precious metals,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “Unable to extract the metals themselves, thieves sell the stolen parts to middlemen like the defendant and his co-conspirators, who use special equipment to crack the catalytic converters open. In the aggregate the value of the stolen goods is worth enormous amounts ─ here more than $600 million.”

Khanna admitted to being the owner and operator of D.G. Auto Parts, a criminal enterprise that bought and sold auto parts across the country. From May 2020 through October 2022, Khanna conspired with others to purchase and transport large quantities of stolen catalytic converters from Oklahoma, Texas, and other states to New Jersey. Khanna admitted to receiving more than $600 million in reselling the stolen catalytic converters to a metal refinery that extracted the precious metals.

Khanna further agreed to forfeit more than $3 million in cash, over $800,000 from various checking accounts, several luxury vehicles, his interest in several real estate properties, high-end jewelry, gold bars, and over 200 pallets of catalytic converters seized during the execution of a warrant.

In response to a drastic increase in catalytic converter thefts throughout Tulsa in 2020, the Tulsa Police Department initiated an investigation that soon uncovered a national criminal enterprise. During the investigation, search warrants were executed in Oklahoma, Texas, California, New Jersey, and New York. Federal grand juries in the Northern District of Oklahoma and the Eastern District of California indicted Khanna. Over twenty individuals throughout the country have been charged for their role in the conspiracy.

Khanna’s co-defendants in the Northern District of Oklahoma have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing to the following:

• Tyler James Curtis, 26, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. He agreed to forfeit over $3 million and multiple vehicles;
• Adam Sharkey, 26, of West Islip, New York, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy and agreed to forfeit nearly $1.2 million;
• Robert Gary Sharkey, 57, of Babylon, New York, pleaded guilty to Misprision of a Felony and agreed to forfeit his interest in more than $1.2 million in currency seized by law enforcement;
• Benjamin Robert Mansour, 24, of Bixby, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering;
• Reiss Nicole Biby, 24, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to Misprision of a Felony and agreed to forfeit her interest in more than $1.1 million and seized catalytic converters;
• Martynas Macerauskas, 28, of Leila Lake, Texas, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy and agreed to forfeit nearly $2.2 million;
• Kristina McKay Macerauskas, 21, of Leila Lake, Texas, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy and agreed to forfeit nearly $1.1 million;
• Parker Star Weavel, 25, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to Receiving Stolen Property in Indian Country;
• Shane Allen Minnick, 26, of Haskell, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy and agreed to forfeit $500,000;
• Ryan David LaRue 29, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy;
• Brian Pate Thomas, 25, of Choteau, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy; and
• Michael Anthony Rhoden, 26, of Keifer, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma has agreed that Khanna’s sentencing will be transferred to the Eastern District of California, where he awaits further prosecution for related crimes.

Homeland Security Investigations, the IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Tulsa Police Department, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyandotte Nation Police Department led or contributed to the lengthy investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar and Reagan Reininger lead the Northern District of Oklahoma’s prosecution with assistance from the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section’s Trial Attorney Cesar Rivera-Giraud and Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría of the Eastern District of California.

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.

Jaime Ornelas, 27, formerly of Modesto, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to three years and one month in prison and ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution for conspiracy to commit mail fraud arising from fraudulently submitted unemployment insurance benefits, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

On June 6, 2025, Jaime Ornelas’s mother and co-defendant Misty Ornelas, 48, of Turlock, was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

According to court documents, beginning in June 2020, Jaime Ornelas and Misty Ornelas operated a scheme to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance benefit claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Jaime Ornelas, who was then-incarcerated at the High Desert State Prison in Lassen County, provided Misty Ornelas personally identifiable information of fellow inmates. Misty Ornelas then used that information to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance benefit applications to EDD. The submitted applications misrepresented the eligibility of the inmates, including that they had last worked within the prior few months and had become unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fraudulent claims were worth more than $150,000.

This case was the product of an investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation and EDD. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chan Hee Chu and Denise N. Yasinow prosecuted the case.

This case is part of the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force, which is one of the interagency COVID-19 fraud strike forces established by the United States 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, and egregious pandemic relief fraud. The strike force uses prosecutor-led, and data analyst-driven, teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief money.

A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging James Cargill, 44, of Vacaville, with two counts of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, Cargill was arrested in January 2025 for possessing more than 500 grams of a substance or mixture containing methamphetamine and a loaded semi-automatic pistol. Cargill is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to his prior felony convictions for burglary, evading police officers, and possession of a firearm. After being released from custody, Cargill was arrested again in May 2025 for possessing methamphetamine and another loaded semi-automatic pistol.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Vacaville Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Campbell is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Cargill faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, 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 charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Robert Jordan, 52, of Stockton, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, Jordan was pulled over by law enforcement officers for driving without license plates on his vehicle. When the officers conducted a records check on Jordan, they found that both his California Driver License and his vehicle’s registration were expired. During a later search of the vehicle, officers found a loaded revolver in the center console. Jordan is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his prior felony convictions for attempted murder and transporting a controlled substance.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Stockton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt and Charles Campbell are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Jordan 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.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Rueben Paul Phill, 41, of Tracy, charging him with illegal firearms trafficking and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, between Aug. 22, 2023, and Aug. 27, 2024, Phill trafficked firearms with Alejandra Susana Castillo, 34, of Tracy, by purchasing them in Nevada and selling them on the black market in California.

On July 27, 2024, Phill led a law enforcement officer on a high-speed chase in excess of 100 miles per hour. The officer ultimately ended the pursuit for public safety concerns. Two days later, another officer observed the car parked at a gas station. The officer detained Castillo, who was then using the car. During a search of the vehicle, the officer discovered a semi-automatic rifle in the trunk, along with three extended magazines.

In total, more than 30 firearms were traced to this conspiracy. At least three of these firearms have been recovered in connection with suspected firearm-related crimes. One such firearm, for example, was recovered in the possession of a felon in Vallejo on July 25, 2024, only three days after Castillo purchased the firearm in Nevada on July 22, 2024.

Castillo pleaded guilty to illegal firearms trafficking on Jan. 31, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 1, 2025.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Highway Patrol, the Pleasanton Police Department, the Reno Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Phill faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each 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; Phill 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.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Rosario Zamora Rojo, 41, of Sacramento, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to nine years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, Rosario Zamora Rojo was a source of supply to a drug trafficking organization that was responsible for importing tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone “M-30” pills from Mexico and distributing them in northern California and elsewhere between May 2019 and January 2021. In November 2020, Zamora Rojo supplied a pound of methamphetamine to one of the organization’s leaders, co-defendant Jose Lopez-Zamora, which law enforcement later seized from one of the organization’s distributors. After supplying this methamphetamine, Zamora Rojo moved to Mexico. In December 2020, Zamora Rojo supplied thousands of fentanyl-laced M-30 pills to the organization and also gave the organization access to his storage unit in Sacramento to store the pills. Law enforcement later searched Zamora Rojo’s storage unit and seized more than 13,000 fentanyl M-30 pills, methamphetamine, heroin, and six firearms.

Fourteen other co-defendants have pleaded guilty, and ten have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 19 months to 27 years. Jose Aguilar Saucedo is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2025, and Luis Lopez Zamora and Sandro Escobedo are scheduled to be sentenced in August 2025. Leonardo Flores Beltran is scheduled to be sentenced in October 2025, and Erika Gabriela Zamora Rojo is scheduled to be sentenced in December 2025.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force (NET 5), the California Highway Patrol, the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, the Yuba City Police Department, and the West Sacramento Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Mexican authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Luis Lopez Zamora to the United States from Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting 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.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Christian Banuelos, 30, of Los Banos, charging him with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to court documents, between July 8, 2022, and Nov. 15, 2023, Banuelos used a minor to create a visual depiction of the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Between Dec. 9, 2019, and Aug. 22, 2024, Banuelos received and distributed child pornography.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Los Banos Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Banuelos faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 30 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine for each count of sexual exploitation of a minor. If convicted of receipt and distribution of child pornography, Banuelos faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, and up to 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.

After a one‑day trial, a jury found Kyle Travis Colton, 37, of Citrus Heights, guilty Tuesday of one count of receiving child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.

According to evidence presented at trial and in court documents, during a search of Colton’s home law enforcement recovered his laptop, which contained copious images and videos depicting the graphic sexual abuse of young children. The jury heard evidence that between July 2022 and December 2023, Colton downloaded these depictions of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The material was saved on Colton’s computer desktop and in his downloads folder, and he had user-created bookmarks linking to known child pornography websites.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Whitnee Goins and Shea J. Kenny are prosecuting the case.

Colton is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Oct. 27, 2025. Colton faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence 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.

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.

Victor Cruz, 40, who was a tax return preparer in Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to helping Miguel Martinez, a Mexican national who was in the United States illegally, submit fraudulent individual federal income tax returns that claimed $25 million in refunds, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court records, from November 2019 through June 2023, Martinez led a scheme to file thousands of fraudulent tax returns that claimed millions of dollars in refunds and Cruz helped him carry out the scheme. Martinez used stolen identities to create fake businesses and report phony wage and withholding information for the businesses to the IRS. Martinez then submitted hundreds of individual income tax returns to the IRS in the names of individuals whose identities he had stolen, claiming that those individuals worked for the fake businesses and were owed tax refunds based on the phony wage and withholding information that had been reported. Cruz prepared and filed more than 500 of the fraudulent tax returns, which claimed more than $3 million in refunds. Cruz received thousands of dollars in fees from Martinez in exchange for his services.

The IRS actually paid out $2.3 million of the $25 million in refunds that was claimed by the fraudulent tax returns.

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

Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 17, 2025. He faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $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.

Martinez pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in federal prison.

Gilbert Ramirez, 27, of Sacramento was sentenced Thursday by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Troy L. Nunley to 16 years and three months in prison for participating in a conspiracy to distribute, and possessing with intent to distribute, fentanyl and methamphetamine; distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine; and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, from April through July 2022, Ramirez and his co-defendant, Michael Valentino Lovato, 36, of Sacramento, sold large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Sacramento County.

On Oct. 24, 2024, Lovato was sentenced 19 years and 10 months in prison.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin F. Scott 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.

This prosecution is also 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.

Jason Raysean Broadbent, 38, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting federal officers with a deadly weapon, possession of methamphetamine near a school with intent to distribute, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of an unregistered destructive device, and possession of an unregistered, short-barreled machine gun, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on Nov. 19, 2015, federal agents went to Broadbent’s girlfriend’s residence in Sacramento to serve a search warrant. After the agents knocked and announced their presence and no one came to the door to answer, they forced entry and began filing into the living room shouting “police” and “search warrant.” Within seconds, Broadbent fired shots through a bedroom wall at the agents in the living room, narrowly missing them. Broadbent then fled out a back door of the residence, climbed up onto a fence in the backyard, and pointed his Glock semi-automatic pistol at another ATF agent on the perimeter, who then shot Broadbent several times. Broadbent was transported to the hospital where he was treated for and recovered from his injuries.

In the bedroom from which Broadbent fired at the agents, law enforcement found almost two pounds of methamphetamine, a revolver, and a small safe that contained a semi-automatic pistol and a pipe bomb. Broadbent possessed the methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to others, within 1,000 feet of Christian Brothers High School. Broadbent also knowingly possessed the firearms and the pipe bomb. Broadbent was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had multiple prior felony convictions.

Law enforcement also served a search warrant at Broadbent’s Sacramento residence that same day. In Broadbent’s bedroom, law enforcement found approximately 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine, a loaded pistol in the same backpack as the methamphetamine, and two unserialized (ghost gun) AR-15 style short-barreled machine gun rifles. Each rifle had a 9-inch barrel, and a conversion device called a “lightning link” to convert them into fully automatic machine guns.

This case is the product of an investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, the Woodland Police Department, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Spencer, Justin Lee, and Nicole Vanek are prosecuting the case.

Broadbent is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on Oct. 23, 2025. Broadbent faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $20 million fine. The plea agreement contemplates a sentence of 50 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 was a 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.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Joel Alejandro Morantes Leal, 25, of San Cristobal, Venezuela, and Endis Daniel Gonzalez Ortega, 22, of Venezuela, charging them in a conspiracy to steal cash from ATMs in the Counties of Merced and Tulare and in six other western states, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

Morantes was additionally charged with one count of bank robbery, one count of accessing a protected computer in furtherance of fraud, and three counts of attempting to access a protected computer in furtherance of fraud.

According to court documents, between April 1, 2025, and May 29, 2025, Morantes and Gonzalez engaged in an ATM “jackpotting” conspiracy, where they stole money from ATMs at targeted banks and credit unions around the Western United States by infecting the ATMs with malware and causing them to dispense money without a valid transaction. They worked with others and targeted ATMs in California, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Nebraska, Utah, and Washington. The defendants and their co-conspirators jackpotted or attempted to jackpot more than 30 ATMs and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in U.S. Currency.  In one incident alone, in April 2025 at a credit union in Merced County, they stole approximately $94,800 in cash. The investigation is ongoing.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Larimer County (Colorado) Sheriff’s Office and the Eugene (Oregon) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Spivak and Arelis M. Clemente are prosecuting the case.

If convicted of conspiracy, Morantes and Gonzalez face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of bank robbery, Morantes faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of accessing or attempting to access a protected computer in furtherance of fraud, Morantes faces and a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Jordan Anthony Hughes, 25, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to 30 years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release for producing 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 was 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 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. 

Yasmin Charisse Millett, 22, of Oakland was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to two years and four months in prison for bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, from June 2023 through September 2024, Millett and co‑conspirators committed at least 10 bank 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 co-conspirators used a stolen white Audi A7 with dark, tinted windows to commit a bank robbery at a credit union in Suisun City. Millett provided one of the co-conspirators with instructions on how to commit the robbery. Millett waited in the vehicle while the co-conspirator 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 handed over the money, and the co-conspirator returned to the waiting getaway vehicle. Millett and the co-conspirators each took a portion of the stolen money.

The next day, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of the stolen white Audi A7 that Millett was driving. The officer found bait money on Millett from the bank robbery that had occurred the previous day in Suisun City. The officer also found a crumpled 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.”

Co-defendants Dontae Jones Jr., 20, residing in Northern California with no fixed address, and JoMya Mauriyne Futch, 21, of Richmond both pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery on April 17, 2025, and are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7, 2025.

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.

Two members of a Sacramento-based drug trafficking organization were sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd for fentanyl trafficking and related crimes, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

Jose Guadalupe Lopez-Zamora, 30, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, three counts of distribution of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of conspiracy to launder money.

Joaquin Alberto Sotelo Valdez, 28, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

According to court documents, Lopez-Zamora was the leader of the organization that was responsible for importing tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone “M-30” pills from Mexico and distributing them in northern California and elsewhere between May 2019 and January 2021. The group also distributed cocaine and methamphetamine.

Fourteen other co-defendants have pleaded guilty, and eight have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 19 months to over 10 years. Rosario Zamora Rojo and Jose Aguilar Saucedo are scheduled to be sentenced in July 2025. Luis Lopez Zamora, Leonardo Flores Beltran, Erika Gabriela Zamora Rojo, and Sandro Escobedo are scheduled to be sentenced in August 2025.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force (NET 5), the California Highway Patrol, the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, the Yuba City Police Department, and the West Sacramento Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Mexican authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Luis Lopez Zamora to the United States from Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting 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 about OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

Richard Clifton Turner, 62, of Placerville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 16 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, agents executed a federal search warrant at Turner’s residence in Placerville. During the authorized search, agents located over 40 pounds of methamphetamine. Agents also located six firearms, including one previously reported as stolen. Turner is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has five prior felony convictions, including a conviction for vehicle theft and drug trafficking offenses.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.

This case was a 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.

Richard Charles Thomas Jr., 42, of Merced was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 15 years and eight months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 25, 2020, when a law enforcement officer attempted stop Thomas for a traffic violation, he accelerated and engaged in a high-speed chase through residential streets of Merced. During the chase, he reached speeds of 100 miles per hour, drove on the wrong side of the road, sped past stop signs, and tossed a bag out his car’s window.

Law enforcement officers eventually caught Thomas after he abandoned his still-moving car and fled on foot. They also recovered the bag, which contained several thousand dollars in cash and nearly 2 pounds of methamphetamine with 99% purity.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Merced Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly A. Sanchez and Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.

Cedar Sky Montgomery, 45, of Calaveras County, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 30 months in prison for 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 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 cellphone to repeatedly call and send hundreds of unwanted text and multimedia messages to a fourth victim’s cellphone. 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 was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Stockton, Los Angeles and the Washington Field Office, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.

On June 26, 2025, Gonzalo Hernandez, 37, of Oakdale, was charged in an indictment with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The indictment was unsealed following Hernandez’s arrest.

According to court documents, between Aug. 2, 2021, and Nov. 13, 2023, Hernandez produced images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, in March 2024, Hernandez persuaded a second minor to produce images of that minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oakdale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Hernandez faces a minimum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison on each count, 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 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.

Noah Lamb, 24, was charged with an eight-count indictment for conspiracy, three counts of soliciting the murder of federal officials, three counts of doxing federal officials, and one count of threatening communications in connection with his work on a hit list of “high value targets” for assassination.

“The defendant collaborated with members of the online Terrorgram Collective to create a list of targets for assassination,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. “Individuals on the list were targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, including federal officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law.”

“Transnational criminal networks that promote extremist ideology and seek to commit targeted assassinations and cause terror obviously have no place in our society,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “These criminal charges reflect the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to using the full force of the law to disrupt and prosecute those who use hate-driven violence to threaten public safety and national security.”

“The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to aggressively pursuing those who engage in hate-fueled conspiracies and terrorist threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will use every tool available to protect the civil rights of all Americans and ensure justice for those targeted by such heinous acts.”

“The FBI stands vigilant, protecting our homeland against individuals who seek to use violence to target the American people, our democracy, and the freedoms we stand for,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “These charges send a clear message of zero tolerance to anyone who advocates the use of violence to promote their ideology.”

According to the indictment, which was unsealed today, Lamb was a member of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group that operates on the digital messaging platform Telegram, where it promotes racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism. Members of the Terrorgram Collective believe the white race is superior; that society is irreparably corrupt and cannot be saved by political action; and that violence and terrorism are necessary to ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government and the rise of a white ethnostate.

The indictment alleges that Lamb conspired with other members of the Terrorgram Collective to create and disseminate a hit list of “high-value targets” for assassination that includes federal, state, and local officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-governmental organizations, targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

The FBI Sacramento Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Abendroth, Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher Perras and Trial Attorney Samuel A. Kuhn of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Lamb faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy, a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count of solicitation of murder of a federal official, a maximum of five years in prison for each count of doxing a federal official and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of conviction. 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.

The Justice Department announced today that Noah Lamb, 24, was charged in the Eastern District of California in an eight-count indictment for conspiracy, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and other offenses in connection with his work on a hit list of “high value targets” for assassination.

“Transnational criminal networks that promote extremist ideology and seek to commit targeted assassinations and cause terror obviously have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “These criminal charges reflect the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to using the full force of the law to disrupt and prosecute those who use hate-driven violence to threaten public safety and national security.”

“The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is committed to aggressively pursuing those who engage in hate-fueled conspiracies and terrorist threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will use every tool available to protect the civil rights of all Americans and ensure justice for those targeted by such heinous acts.”

“The defendant collaborated with members of the online Terrorgram Collective to create a list of targets for assassination,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith for the Eastern District of California. “Individuals on the list were targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity, including federal officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly with our partners in law enforcement and in the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who commit such violations of federal criminal law.”

“The FBI stands vigilant, protecting our homeland against individuals who seek to use violence to target the American people, our democracy, and the freedoms we stand for,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “These charges send a clear message of zero tolerance to anyone who advocates the use of violence to promote their ideology.”

According to the indictment, which was unsealed today, Lamb was a member of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group that operates on the digital messaging platform Telegram, where it promotes racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism. Members of the Terrorgram Collective believe the white race is superior; that society is irreparably corrupt and cannot be saved by political action; and that violence and terrorism are necessary to ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government and the rise of a white ethnostate.

The indictment alleges that Lamb conspired with other members of the Terrorgram Collective to create and disseminate a hit list of “high-value targets” for assassination that includes U.S. federal, state, and local officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-governmental organizations, targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

The indictment charges Lamb with a total of eight federal crimes, including one count of conspiracy, three counts of soliciting the murder of federal officials, three counts of doxing federal officials, and one count of threatening communications. If convicted, Lamb faces a maximum penalty of 85 years in prison.

The FBI Sacramento Field Office in investigating the case.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

Elmer Yusay Ngo, 29, of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 50 years of supervised release for child exploitation, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court records, Ngo utilized social media to sexually exploit female minors nationwide. This sexual exploitation included attempting to coerce, entice, and persuade the minors to produce child pornography of themselves at Ngo’s direction. Ngo persistently sought out minor females and engaged in similar patterns of behavior, which included befriending the minor on social media, obtaining at least one nude or partially nude image of the minor, using that image as leverage to demand the minors engage in video calls while nude, and ordering the minors to perform various sexual acts on themselves while on video. Ngo would keep his end of the video call blacked out so that the minors could not see his face.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internet Against Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from state and local police departments nationwide. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin F. Scott 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.

Mark Sigl, 63, of Antelope, pleaded guilty today to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, in March 2024, Sigl communicated with an individual he believed to be the father of a 10-year-old girl, but who was in fact an undercover officer. Sigl communicated his desire to perform sex acts on the child and planned to meet the undercover officer and child at a designated site to do so. When Sigl came to the designated site, he was arrested by law enforcement officers. Several sex items were recovered from his vehicle parked outside.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and the Sacramento Valley High Tech Crimes Taskforce. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zulkar Khan is prosecuting the case.

Sigl is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Oct. 7, 2025. Sigl faces a maximum statutory penalty of life 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.

Isaias Aroldo Contreras, 26, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to five years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, on Jan. 5, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Contreras’s residence and seized 992 fentanyl-laced pills that were made to look like oxycodone “M-30” pills, a loaded Glock 9 mm pistol, $31,154 in cash, a money counter, and numerous items of custom diamond jewelry, including a Rolex watch with full-cut diamonds. On Contreras’s seized cellphone, 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.

Contreras was also ordered to forfeit to the government $31,154 in cash and numerous items of seized jewelry, valued at over $50,000, that was seized from his residence.

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 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 about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

Royce Newcomb, 62, of Fresno, was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison for wire fraud and money laundering charges in a long-running fraud scheme where he stole $4.2 million from investors, lenders, and the federal government, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

“Fraud schemes like this one are devastating to the victims, and prosecuting the perpetrators is one of our highest priorities,” Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith said. “Our office will continue to work closely with the FBI to root out fraudsters who steal from private victims and from the federal government.”

“Royce Newcomb’s greed and disregard for the law while on supervised release adds salt to his victims’ financial wounds and serves as a cautionary tale for would-be investors,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “He lured his victims into the scheme with slick marketing and false promises to ensure investors trusted him and would be unlikely to question his claims. The FBI encourages all investors to research individuals and companies prior to making a financial commitment. We also encourage anyone who feels they may have invested in a fraud scheme to report their concerns promptly.”

According to court documents, from 2017 through 2022, Newcomb owned Strategic Innovations, which was a technology startup company that purported to make smart home and business products meant to stop package theft, prevent weather damage to packages, and make it easier for emergency responders and delivery services to find homes and businesses. Newcomb developed prototypes of his products and received local and national media attention for them. For example, Time Magazine included his eLiT Address Box & Security System, which used mobile networks to pinpoint home and business locations, on its Best Inventions of 2021 list.

Newcomb made several false representations to his investors to deceive and cheat them out of their money. The false representations included that he had been awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation and that he would use the investors’ money to further develop and bring his products to market. That was not true. Instead, Newcomb used the money to pay for gambling, a Mercedes and Jaguar, and a mansion. He also used the money to pay for refunds to other investors who wanted out, and to pay for new, unrelated projects without the investors’ authorization.

During this period, Newcomb also received a fraudulent COVID-19 loan for more than $70,000 from the Small Business Administration and fraudulent loans for more than $190,000 from private lenders. He lied about Strategic Innovations having hundreds of thousands and even millions in revenue to get these loans.

Newcomb was previously convicted federally in 2011 for running a real estate fraud scheme in Sacramento. He was sentenced to more than five years in prison for that offense, and he was on federal supervised release for that offense when he committed the offenses charged in this case.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Jeffrey Spivak prosecuted the case.

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.

On June 26, 2025, upwards of 550 federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel executed 54 search warrants in the Fresno County city of Huron, and surrounding communities. Throughout the investigation, law enforcement seized firearms, ammunition, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. Eighty‑nine criminal street gang members and associates were arrested and charged with crimes in federal and state court.

The complaint, unsealed today, charges 38 members and associates of the Huron Dog Life, Coalinga Dog Life, and San Joaquin Ruthless Perro cliques of the Bulldog street gang with various drug and firearms trafficking offenses.

Announcing the results of Operation Shock Collar today are Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, FBI Special Agent in Charge Siddhartha Patel, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, and California Highway Patrol Captain (MAGEC Commander) Jon Staricka.

“Today’s announcement reflects our Office’s commitment to using every available resource in close coordination with our law enforcement partners to address the root causes of crime and hold gang members and their associates accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “Criminal street gangs inflict real harm on our communities by trafficking deadly drugs and firearms that destroy lives and neighborhoods. I commend the outstanding work of our agents and law enforcement partners in disrupting these criminal networks and safeguarding our communities.”

“The charges reflect the brazen violence and drug trafficking that have threatened the safety and stability of the greater Fresno area, particularly in rural communities like Huron and Coalinga,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “Yesterday’s operation was the culmination of months of collaborative work to disrupt gang-driven violence and the flow of drugs and firearms into Central Valley neighborhoods. This case highlights the power of strong partnerships at every level of law enforcement, all united in the mission to dismantle violent gangs and protect the communities we serve.”

Fresno County Sheriff Zanoni said, “The collective work done by all law enforcement agencies in this operation will undoubtedly improve the safety and overall quality of life for residents in Fresno County, particularly those living in our smaller rural communities.”

“This operation is a powerful example of what can be achieved when law enforcement agencies at every level work together with a shared mission: to protect our communities from violent criminal street gangs,” said Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp. “We are determined to send a clear and unwavering message to even the most rural parts of our county—no matter where you are, gang violence and drug trafficking will not be tolerated. I commend the extraordinary efforts of all the agencies involved in this operation.”

According to the criminal complaint, in February 2024, investigators began an investigation into the Bulldog criminal street gang operating in Fresno County with a specific focus on the ongoing criminal activities of Bulldog cliques in Huron, Coalinga, and San Joaquin. The complaint alleges an extensive criminal conspiracy in which Bulldog members and associates — some of whom were inmates in California prisons and the Fresno County Jail — orchestrated various crimes, including drug and firearms trafficking. On several occasions, members of the drug trafficking conspiracy attempted to smuggle drugs hidden inside their bodies into jails or through holes they punctured in the walls. They used contraband phones to coordinate these smuggling attempts with other gang members and associates.

Narcotics packaged for smuggling within bodily cavities

Narcotics packaged for smuggling through holes in jail walls

Photo depicting hole in jail walls

Photo depicting hole in jail wall

This case is the product of an investigation led by the FBI, the Fresno County Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the California Department of Justice Special Operations Unit, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Police Departments of Fresno, Kingsburg, Coalinga, Kerman, Firebaugh, Lemoore, Parlier, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Kings County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Veneman-Hughes, Luke Baty, and Antonio Pataca are prosecuting 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 about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to combat illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This operation is part of Summer Heat, the FBI’s nationwide initiative targeting violent crime during the summer months. As part of this effort, the FBI has launched a multi-pronged offensive to crush violent crime. By surging resources alongside state and local partners, executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, and dismantling violent gangs nationwide, we are aggressively restoring safety in our communities across the country.

The defendants charged in the criminal complaint unsealed today are:

Ignacio Sanchez, aka “Giddy,” 44, of Salinas Valley State Prison, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Ray Pinon, aka “Lil Ray,” 46, of Huron, is charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Benny Gonzales, aka “Huero,” 51, of Huron, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Ramona Felisciano, 45, of Huron, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Jennifer Escobedo, 42, of Huron, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Armando Alfaro, aka “Whisper,” 49, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Luis Amaro Aguilar, 31, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Carly Balboa, 24, of Hanford, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Timothy Chenot, aka “Lil Whisper,” 34, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Barbara Diaz, 55, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Susanna Garcia, 38, of Huron, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Axel Guevara, aka “Action,” 18, of Coalinga, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Carlos Guillen, aka “C-Dog,” 23, of Huron, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to traffic in firearms.

Gilberto Hernandez, 27, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Anthony Jeff, aka “Envy,” 46, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Victoria Lima, 44, of Clovis, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Angel Solorio Lopez, aka “Ronzo,” 18, of Coalinga, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Ricardo Lopez, aka “R-Dog,” 27, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Damien Murphy, 30, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Bridgett Murphy, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Ricardo Nunez, 22, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Laura Plascencia, aka “LP,” 46, of Huron, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Gracie Pulido, 38, of Lemoore, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Daniel Loubet Romero, aka “Topo,” 44, of Huron, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Debbie Sanchez, 60, of Hanford, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Naul Sandoval, 23, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Angel Soto Rios, 42, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Rodrigo Ruvalcaba, aka “Regal,” 40, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Victor Tamayo, 47, of Fresno, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Louis Bonilla, 41, of Coalinga, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Crystal Martinez, 38, of Coalinga, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Hemir Alonso Fevela Velazquez, 32, of Huron, is charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Herman Vierra Jr., 41, of Fresno, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Servando Ayala, 30, of Coalinga, is charged with conspiracy to deal firearms without a license.

Jose Licea, aka “T-Bird,” 35, of Huron, is charged with conspiracy to deal firearms without a license.

Alexander Vasquez, aka “A-Dog,” 21, of Huron, is charged with conspiracy to deal firearms without a license and conspiracy to traffic in firearms.

Brian Fornes, 22, of Huron, is charged with conspiracy to deal firearms without a license and conspiracy to traffic in firearms.

Jesus Quesada, aka “Rojo,” 50, of Hanford, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

If convicted, the defendants face a range of sentences from 10 years to life 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.