Western District of North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury in Charlotte returned a guilty verdict today against Marvin Qualls, 42, of Spencer, N.C., for sex trafficking a 16-year-old female victim, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Qualls was convicted of conspiracy to sex traffic a minor and sex trafficking of a minor. Qualls’s co-defendant, Out Ekong, 22, previously pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a minor. 

“Those who prey on vulnerable teenagers deserve to be in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “I am proud of the prosecutors in my office who worked night-and-day to make sure Qualls and Ekong’s days of preying on children are over.”

“This guilty verdict reflects the strength of the FBI’s partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office who together worked tirelessly on this case. Combating the trafficking of children requires a unified response, and we will continue to identify victims, pursue offenders, and ensure that those who exploit the most vulnerable are brought to justice,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge. 

According to filed documents, evidence presented at trial, and witness testimony, between December 2023 and January 2024, Qualls and Ekong engaged in a conspiracy to sex traffic a 16-year-old victim, who had run away from home. Trial evidence established that Qualls met the minor at work, and soon after began to sex traffic the victim with Ekong, knowing she was underage. In trafficking the victim, the two men posted advertisements of the minor on commercial sex websites, set prices and arranged the minor victim’s sexual encounters with customers, booked hotels rooms where the encounters took place, and acted as security while the victim engaged in commercial sex transactions. Qualls and Ekong traveled with the victim across North and South Carolina for her to engage in commercial sex transactions, and the two men kept the money the victim earned from these commercial sexual encounters. 

Both Qualls and Ekong will both remain in federal custody until they are sentenced at a later date. The conspiracy to conspiracy to sex traffic a minor carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The charge of sex trafficking of a minor carries a minimum term of 10 years and a maximum term of life in prison. 

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI’s Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Spaugh and Timothy Sielaff are prosecuting the case. 

If you are the victim of human trafficking or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, please call the FBI, local law enforcement, or the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888.  NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year related to potential trafficking victims, suspicious behaviors, and/or locations where trafficking is suspected to occur. To submit a tip to the NHTRC online please visit https://humantraffickinghotline.org/report-trafficking. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Daquan Devonte Jeter, 34, of Charlotte, and a previously convicted felon, was sentenced yesterday to 78 months in prison for possessing a sawed-off shotgun, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

“This defendant’s violent conduct endangered multiple victims, including a young child,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Those who illegally possess firearms and use them to terrorize others should expect to face significant federal prison time.”

According to court records, on March 23, 2025, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) received a 911 call for service at approximately 1 a.m. about a potential assault involving Jeter and a firearm. Officers responding to the scene met a woman who had visible injuries to her mouth. The victim told officers that Jeter had fired a shotgun. Jeter was not on scene, but officers recovered several live shotgun shells from the ground. The victim also told law enforcement that Jeter had struck her in the mouth with the firearm. 

Court documents show that approximately an hour and a half after the Charlotte 911 call, the Mint Hill Police Department received a call reporting that an SUV was stopped in the middle of the road.  Responding officers found Jeter behind the wheel of the SUV, with the vehicle still running and in drive. Jeter was unconscious in the driver’s seat holding the firearm in his hands. A toddler was also in the back seat of the SUV. Jeter was arrested and taken to a nearby hospital. While at the hospital, Jeter was combative and threatened to sexually assault family members of the arresting officers upon his release from custody.

In September 2025, Jeter pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, CMPD, and the Mint Hill Police Department investigated the case. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jacquese Dominique Warren, 36, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine and illegally possessing firearms, including rifles with high-capacity magazines, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

“Law enforcement in Charlotte has been clear: we are not going to let hotels be turned into havens of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “If you use a hotel room to traffic drugs or guns, your next room will be a federal prison cell.”

According to filed documents and court proceedings, in October 2024, law enforcement began an investigation into Warren after learning he was selling narcotics from his hotel room. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted multiple controlled drug buys from Warren. On at least two occasions, an individual cooperating with law enforcement purchased methamphetamine and firearms from Warren, including two rifles fitted with 30-round high-capacity magazines, as well as boxes of ammunition. 

Court records show that, on February 8, 2025, Warren was involved in a shootout outside of the hotel where he was staying. Law enforcement responding to the scene obtained and executed a search warrant for Warren’s room. During the search, law enforcement seized an AR pistol and a revolver reported stolen, quantities of cocaine base, MDMA, and several boxes of ammunition. 

In September 2025, Warren pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and distribution of methamphetamine. He is currently in federal custody pending placement with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The ATF and CMPD investigated the case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Wiseman was in charge of the prosecution. 

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.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) has resulted in the conviction and sentencing of an illegal alien from Mexico who distributed hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine for a drug trafficking organization supplied by the Sinaloa Cartel, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Anselmo Nava-Sanchez, 32, was sentenced to 188 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. After serving his prison sentence, Nava-Sanchez will be removed from the United States. 

“The Sinaloa Cartel depends on drug trafficking organizations operating inside our country to distribute deadly drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “This one illegal alien defendant trafficked almost 800 pounds of drugs for the organization.  For that, he will serve almost 16 years in an American prison before being deported.”

According to filed documents and court proceedings, law enforcement identified Nava-Sanchez as a drug distributor for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) supplied by the Sinaloa Cartel. Over the course of the investigation, Nava-Sanchez was involved in the importation, manufacture, and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine. In August 2023, law enforcement intercepted Nava-Sanchez’s vehicle on his way from Georgia to North Carolina to make an arranged drug delivery. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement seized two large trash bags containing plastic bins with nearly 10 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Law enforcement also searched Nava-Sanchez’s residence where they found multiple coolers filled with more than 85 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine, plastic tubs containing nearly 90 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, drug ledgers, digital scales, and items indicating that Nava-Sanchez was using his residence as a meth lab to convert liquid meth into crystal meth. Law enforcement also located a Buick SUV at the residence that had built-in trap compartments commonly used to avoid detection by law enforcement when transporting large quantities of drugs. 

In total, during the investigation, Nava-Sanchez was responsible for trafficking more than 360 kilograms of methamphetamine for the DTO. 

Nava-Sanchez will remain in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility. 

This was an investigation led by the HSTF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

HSTF is an initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF CORE 23 (Charlotte) is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), United States Customers and Border Protection (CBP), United States ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the Naval Criminal investigative Service (NCIS), the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FIDC) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the North Carolina Insurance Bureau, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Raleigh Police Department, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the Nash Count Sheriff’s Office, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Halifax County Sheriff’s office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick Count Sheriff’s Office, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Nags Head Police Department, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS), the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the Kannapolis Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, the Gastonia Police Department, the Huntersville Police Department, the Cornelius Police Department, the Matthews Police Department, the Pineville Police Department, the Stallings Police Department, the Kings Mountain Police Department, the Greensville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) International Airport Police Department, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Anderson City Police Department, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston County Airport Police Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Summerville Police Department, the Greensboro Police Department, the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Alamance County Sheriff’s office, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office, the Eden Police Department, the Piedmont Triad Internal Airport Police Department, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of North and South Carolina.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jason Lottman, 43, of Charlotte, and former owner of Champagne Manor, a popular wedding venue in Monroe, North Carolina, appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to wire fraud for defrauding customers and investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

“In North Carolina, we don’t mess with brides,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Weddings are once-in-a-lifetime events where individuals spend significant savings, and we will be vigilant to ensure they are not defrauded while they plan their special day.”

According to court documents and today’s plea hearing, from October 2023 through January 2025, Lottman orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million from customers and investors connected to Champaign Manor. As part of the scheme, Lottman solicited investments in Champagne Manor by promising ownership interests, guaranteed returns, or other financial incentives while making false statements to secure the investment money. In addition, Lottman marketed all-inclusive wedding packages to customers interested in using his venue, that required customers to pay upfront for vendors such as caterers, photographers, florists, DJs, and hair and makeup artists, representing that Lottman would pay those vendors directly or reimburse customers who chose to use their own vendors. Then, Lottman failed to pay those vendors, leaving customers to pay out-of-pocket for services they had already paid for through Lottman.

In mid-2024, Champagne Manor defaulted on its mortgage and foreclosure proceedings began. Even though Lottman knew the venue was in severe financial distress and would ultimately cease operations, he continued to solicit payments from customers and investors, while concealing the venue’s dire financial condition. 

To induce victims to part with their money, Lottman made numerous false representations, including claiming that Champagne Manor was acquiring a glass ballroom that would serve as collateral for certain investment programs. In reality, the ballroom was never purchased. Lottman also offered customers investment-style programs and promotional discounts that promised future repayments or refunds that he knew he could not fulfil. In furtherance of the scheme, Lottman falsely represented to victims that they would receive payments by certain dates. When he missed making the payments, Lottman repeatedly misrepresented the reasons for the delayed payments. 

The statutory maximum penalty for the wire fraud charge is 20 years in prison. Lottman’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been set. 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited the FBI for the investigation of the case. 

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Romanian brothers illegally in the United States appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to orchestrating a fraud scheme involving Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) benefits affecting victims across multiple states, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The case is part of the Department of Justice’s effort to combat fraud through the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

Marian Ovidiu Dumitru, 37, and Catalin Dumitru, 39, both Romanian citizens residing unlawfully in various places throughout the United States, each pleaded guilty to wire fraud.   

“These individuals came to the United States illegally and preyed on some of our most vulnerable citizens—those receiving SNAP benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “They stole benefits from those who actually need them and then resold products bought with those benefits for their own profit. We will use the full force of the federal government to hold accountable those who exploit taxpayer funded programs and victimize citizens on government assistance.” 

According to court records, between July 2024 and August 2025, the defendants were members of an identity theft ring that defrauded the SNAP programs in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other states of more than $760,000. The defendants and their co-conspirators used skimming devices at ATMs, fuel pumps, and other locations, to steal the data from electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards used to distribute SNAP benefits. The stolen information was then loaded onto counterfeit bank cards, gift cards, and other access devices which the defendants then used at large membership warehouse clubs to buy thousands of dollars’ worth of bulk items including coffee, candy, energy drinks, and baby formula. For example, the defendants used counterfeit cards loaded with stolen information from SNAP EBT cards issued in Massachusetts and New Jersey to purchase over $15,600 in coffee, candy and other items from a warehouse club in Gastonia, North Carolina, and over $19,000 from another warehouse club in Pineville, North Carolina. The defendants then transported, resold, or intended to resell the items purchased with counterfeit cards. According to court records, the defendants’ scheme victimized more than 10 individuals, causing some substantial hardship. 

Court documents show that Catalin Dumitru and Marian Ovidiu Dumitru were also found to be in possession of 15 or more counterfeit and unauthorized bank cards with magnetic strips cloned with stolen SNAP EBT account information, as well as blank cards with magnetic strips. 

The defendants pleaded guilty to wire fraud. They each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been set. 

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and their state and local partners for their work on the investigation.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kinlaw of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. 

Two Romanian brothers illegally in the United States appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to orchestrating a fraud scheme involving Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) benefits affecting victims across multiple states, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The case is part of the Department of Justice’s effort to combat fraud through the National Fraud Enforcement Division.

Marian Ovidiu Dumitru, 37, and Catalin Dumitru, 39, both Romanian citizens residing unlawfully in various places throughout the United States, each pleaded guilty to wire fraud.  

“The Fraud Division will not tolerate anyone who steals from public benefits programs designed to support Americans in need,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “If you attempt to defraud these programs, we will come after you with the full force of federal law. We are committed to safeguarding America’s tax dollars and the programs they are meant to support.”

“These individuals came to the United States illegally and preyed on some of our most vulnerable citizens—those receiving SNAP benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “They stole benefits from those who actually need them and then resold products bought with those benefits for their own profit. We will use the full force of the federal government to hold accountable those who exploit taxpayer funded programs and victimize citizens on government assistance.”

According to court records, between July 2024 and August 2025, the defendants were members of an identity theft ring that defrauded the SNAP programs in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other states of more than $760,000. The defendants and their co-conspirators used skimming devices at ATMs, fuel pumps, and other locations, to steal the data from electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards used to distribute SNAP benefits. The stolen information was then loaded onto counterfeit bank cards, gift cards, and other access devices which the defendants then used at large membership warehouse clubs to buy thousands of dollars’ worth of bulk items including coffee, candy, energy drinks, and baby formula. For example, the defendants used counterfeit cards loaded with stolen information from SNAP EBT cards issued in Massachusetts and New Jersey to purchase over $15,600 in coffee, candy and other items from a warehouse club in Gastonia, North Carolina, and over $19,000 from another warehouse club in Pineville, North Carolina. The defendants then transported, resold, or intended to resell the items purchased with counterfeit cards. According to court records, the defendants’ scheme victimized more than 10 individuals, causing some substantial hardship.

Court documents show that Catalin Dumitru and Marian Ovidiu Dumitru were also found to be in possession of 15 or more counterfeit and unauthorized bank cards with magnetic strips cloned with stolen SNAP EBT account information, as well as blank cards with magnetic strips. 

The defendants pleaded guilty to wire fraud. They each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been set.

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and their state and local partners for their work on the investigation.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kinlaw of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Statesville men are facing federal charges for allegedly running a multi-state commercial dog breeding operation that bred pit bulls that were advertised and sold for illegal dog fighting, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

The federal indictment was unsealed yesterday, charging Juelz Christopher Daniels, 19, and Reginald Lionel Goodson, Jr., 55, with one count of conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act. Daniels is also charged with three counts charging the possession, training, and sale of fighting dogs, and eight counts of violating the Animal Welfare Act, related primarily to his possession, training, and sale of fighting dogs, and advertising fighting dogs for sale on Facebook. Daniels and Goodson were arrested last Thursday. Law enforcement also executed search warrants at three residences, where they rescued and seized 25 pit bull-type dogs, including puppies, as well as other items, tools, and paraphernalia associated with breeding and training animals for dog fighting.

“It’s unbelievable people still engage in dog fighting activities,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “We are here to protect innocent animals from the abuse and suffering that comes with dog fighting.”

“When the FBI investigates illegal dog‑fighting operations, we’re not just stopping cruelty, we are disrupting violent criminal networks that harm both people and animals,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge.

According to allegations in the indictment, from January 2021 to May 2026, Daniels and Goodson maintained properties where they bred, housed, and trained pit bull-type dogs intended for dog fights. They also used fighting training equipment and paraphernalia in their operations, including treadmills, bite sticks, heavy metal chains, animal hides, and “spring poles” or “flirt poles”—all to increase the animals’ strength and stamina. The defendants also allegedly trained and conditioned the pit bull-type dogs to fight in dog fights, and evaluated their dogs’ strengths, capabilities, aptitudes and willingness or inclination to fight.

According to allegations in the indictment, Daniels and Goodson operated one or more dog kennels, including “Hoodwoods Kennels,” for the purpose of raising pit bull-type dogs for dog fighting. It is further alleged that the defendants selectively bred pit bull-type dogs to display particular traits desirable for dog fighting, including aggressiveness and propensity to fight other dogs, often referred to as “gameness,” or a willingness to continue fighting another dog despite traumatic or mortal injury, among others. 

The indictment further alleges that Daniels routinely posted advertisements for various pit bull-type dogs that he and Goodson bred and sold on multiple Facebook Groups dedicated to illegal dog fighting and to various individuals via Facebook Messenger. In the advertisements, Daniels allegedly touted the fighting bloodlines of the dogs, at times posting or providing links to the dogs’ pedigrees and bloodlines claiming the dogs were the offspring of dog fighting champions, a “champion” being a dog that has won three or more dog fights. Daniels and Goodson also frequently posted and shared pictures of pit bull-type dogs consistent with various methods of training dogs for dog fighting. 

The defendants allegedly marketed and advertised on Facebook the dogs they bred and trained for dog fighting and communicated with others about the dogs’ victories, bloodlines, and training, as well as discussed details about the price, purchase, transfer, and delivery of the dogs to interested buyers. For example, in November 2025, Daniels allegedly posted a link in a Facebook Group to a pedigree alongside a picture of a black-colored young pit bull-type dog tethered in a chain spot captioned “[y]ou will hear about him soon.” The pedigree listed the dog’s breeder and owner as “Hoodwoods.” The pedigree included notations identifying some members of the advertised dog’s bloodline as “2XW,” “POR” and “ROM.” The notation of “XW” on a pedigree indicated the dog was a winner (in this instance, a two-time winner). A dog that produced multiple offspring that went on to be champions was bestowed the prestigious “Register of Merit” (ROM) or “Producer of Record” (POR) title and drove the sales and pricing of fighting dogs. 

Both defendants are in federal custody. If convicted, Daniels and Goodson each face a sentence of up to five years in prison for the charge of conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act, and Daniels faces a sentence of up to five years in prison for each count of possession and commerce of fighting dogs and for each count of advertising fighting animals through interstate commerce. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

The charges against the defendants are allegations, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson credited the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hickory Police Department for their investigation and assistance in this case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Armstrong of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. 

To report animal fighting crimes, please contact your local law enforcement or the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General complaint hotline at 1-800-424-9121 or online at https://usdaoig.oversight.gov/hotline.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The owner of a gold store in Hickory, N.C., appeared in federal court today to face charges for allegedly selling stolen property, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A grand jury in Charlotte returned a criminal indictment last week, charging Marty Christopher McDaniel, 65, of Hickory, and Kenny Price, 44, of Conover, N.C., with conspiracy to transport stolen property. 

According to allegations in the indictment, from 2020 to 2024, McDaniel and Price conspired with each other and others to sell and transport stolen retail products through The Gold King, a business owned by McDaniel. The indictment alleges that the defendants purchased retail products from boosters, knowing that the products were stolen. A “booster” is a person who steals goods and merchandise from retail stores and sells them to a “fence.” McDaniel and Price operated as fences, paying the boosters a fraction of the retail value for the stolen goods. 

The indictment further alleges that the defendants resold the stolen items through McDaniel’s various e-commerce stores on eBay, Mercari, and Whatnot. Many of the retail products sold on the e-commerce storefronts included products stolen by the boosters from national retail stores, such as The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, Best Buy, and others. The defendants sold the stolen items at a discounted price to customers throughout the United States and several foreign countries, earning more than $580,000 from the sales.

McDaniel’s had his initial appearance today in federal court. McDaniel and Price are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property which, if convicted, carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

The charges against the defendants are allegations, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson credited the FBI and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for the investigation of the case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, United States Attorney Russ Ferguson announced that Ronnie Lorenzo Robinson, Jr., 56, of Charlotte, is charged with health care fraud, making false statements relating to health care matters, and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud Medicaid by submitting claims for psychotherapy services that were never provided to Medicaid recipients. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown announced today. 

As alleged in the indictment, Robinson, the beneficial owner of a company called The Fisher of Men Project, LLC, obtained the personal identifying information of medical professionals and Medicaid recipients, then used that information to submit to Medicaid approximately $735,000 in false reimbursement claims for psychotherapy services, without the knowledge, authorization, or approval of those medical professionals or the Medicaid recipients. Robinson’s company received approximately $440,000 as payment from Medicaid as a result of the fraudulent reimbursement claims. As further alleged, Robinson concealed his ownership of the company because he had previously been excluded from Medicaid and instead held out another individual as the owner of the company. 

“Part of the reason healthcare costs are out of control is because of fraud like this,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Every dollar spent on healthcare should go toward healthcare—not lining the pockets of criminals. We will work night and day to uncover fraud like this and recover the money that is needlessly being paid in both taxes and healthcare costs.”

“Healthcare fraud schemes drain taxpayer-funded government programs designed to help those in need and raise healthcare costs for all Americans. The FBI and our partners work diligently to hold criminals accountable who defraud the government and to protect the integrity of the programs for those who truly need them,” said FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis.

“I’m grateful for the state and federal partnerships that help us find fraud and prosecute criminals,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “Our Medicaid Investigations Division is one of the best in the country, and we’re going to protect taxpayer dollars so they can go where they’re intended – to taxpayers’ health care.” 

* * *

The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Ferguson are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.   

Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: 

• Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.

The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.

Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina worked with the FBI, and the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division to investigate and prosecute the case filed during the Takedown. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Armstrong and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Fleisch of the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case. 

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. 

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Franklin Flores-Penas, 48, of Honduras, was sentenced yesterday to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry by an alien, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Flores-Penas will be removed from the United States after he completes his prison sentence. 

According to court records and the sentencing hearing on October 26, 2025, Flores-Penas was arrested in Buncombe County. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that the defendant had illegally reentered into the United Sates four times after he had been deported. Court records show that on January 16, 2004, Flores-Penas was convicted of a felony drug offense in Los Angeles, California, and on February 25, 2004, he was ordered to be deported back to Honduras. Subsequently, Flores-Penas was removed from the United States three more times, in 2008, 2015 and 2018. Each time the defendant was removed, he illegally reentered the United States voluntarily without gaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reenter. 

In announcing the sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger noted Flores-Penas’s disregard for the law and his many previous reentries after deportation. 

Flores-Penas remains in federal custody and will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. 

Homeland Security Investigations and the Buncombe County Sherrif’s Office investigated the case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –  A Huntersville man was sentenced seven years in prison yesterday for transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jonathan Robert Davlin, 49, was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.   

According to court records, in 2022, law enforcement received information that an individual later identified as Davlin was uploading CSAM on a cloud-based server. During the investigation, law enforcement seized cell phones and other electronics that belonged to Davlin. A forensic analysis of those items revealed that Davlin possessed 797 videos and 861 images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including significant quantities of videos depicting bestiality involving minors and infant/toddlers. 

Davlin pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography on January 6, 2026. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited the FBI and the Huntersville Police Department for the investigation of the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Cervantes with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

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

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A South Carolina man is facing a hate crime charge for allegedly intentionally defacing multiple buildings within a Charlotte complex used by the Jewish community for religious worship, education, and community activities, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Dalton Ray Mullis, 24, of Indian Land, was arrested on Thursday on a criminal complaint and appeared in court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler.

“Posting nazi and lynching symbols on the Jewish Community Center is pure hate and it’s disgusting,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “This is America, which was founded on the free exercise of religion and people ought to be free to worship without being threatened.”

“The individual arrested yesterday is alleged to have distributed threatening materials at community institutions in an attempt to create fear or intimidate individuals based on their religious beliefs.  These acts undermine public safety and violate federal law. The right to gather, learn, and worship are fundamental in our country and the FBI will continue to work resolutely with our partners to ensure that all members of the public are free to do so without fear.” said FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis. 

“This arrest reflects the strong partnership between the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our shared commitment that those who commit hate crimes in our jurisdiction are held accountable,” said CMPD Chief of Police Estella D. Patterson. “CMPD works tirelessly to keep our community safe, and that includes protecting every person’s right to worship without fear. Acts that target or threaten our houses of worship and cultural institutions have no place in Charlotte. We will not tolerate intimidation of any kind, and we will continue to stand with law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and security of our community.”

According to allegations contained in the affidavit filed with criminal complaint, in the evening of January 19, 2026, an individual later identified as Mullis traveled to the Jewish Community Center (JCC) located within the Foundation of Shalom Park (Shalom Park) complex in Charlotte. Shalom Park also includes the Charlotte Jewish Day School (CJDS), the Holocaust Memorial, and other facilities occupied by multiple organizations that operate Jewish religious, cultural, and educational programs. It is alleged that Mullis defaced multiple buildings on the property including CJDS, the Holocaust Memorial, and an employee building, by affixing threatening, antisemitic flyers. The flyers depicted a noose, a swastika, and a Totenkopf or “death’s head,” which is historically associated with the German Nazi party and SS. It is further alleged that surveillance cameras on the property captured Mullis spraying one of the entrances to the CJDS with what appears to be an adhesive spray and placing the antisemitic flyer onto the door.  

Charging documents also allege that between January and April 2026, Mullis posted antisemitic messages and imagery on multiple social media sites through accounts he owned and operated, including the following post: 

Antisemitic Social Media Message Allegedly Posted by Mullis

Mullis remains in federal custody. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The ultimate sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI Charlotte’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case and thanked the FBI in Columbia, the Lancaster County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, for their invaluable assistance. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dallas Kaplan with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte and Trial Attorneys Taylor Payne and Thomas Cilla with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case. 

The charges against Mullis are allegations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. –  Today, Jordan Marquis Cantrell, 32, of Sherrills Ford, N.C., was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

According to information in filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, from 2023 to 2025, Cantrell was distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in Burke and McDowell Counties. During the investigation, investigators determined that Cantrell supplied kilogram quantities of methamphetamine to a network of local drug distributors for further distribution into the community. Law enforcement utilized an individual cooperating with law enforcement to conduct multiple drug buys with Cantrell. Court records show that, in total, Cantrell was accountable for distributing over 71 kilograms of methamphetamine, and that he used his residence to store and sell drugs. 

Cantrell previously pleaded guilty to the charges, conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, on June 23, 2025. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, the Hickory Police Department, and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. –  An armed drug trafficker was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for distributing methamphetamine, possessing a machegun, and other offenses, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. William Chase Pate, 39, of Morganton, N.C., was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after he completes his 20-year prison term. 

“This case is a classic example of how drug dealing and firearm violence go hand-in-hand,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson, “and we will use federal charges to take violent drug dealers off the street.”

According to filed court documents, from 2023 to 2024, Pate was involved in a conspiracy involving the distribution of methamphetamine in Burke and Catawba Counties. During the investigation, Pate sold methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement at least 12 times. On December 12, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Pate’s residence, seizing over 472 grams of methamphetamine, a rifle, a handgun loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition, two digital scales, clear plastic baggies with residue, and firearm accessories. Law enforcement interviewed Pate who said he would frequently travel to Georgia to purchase methamphetamine from his supplier, and that he would pick up between two and five kilograms of methamphetamine a time. Investigators also found two videos on Patel’s seized phone, depicting the defendant firing a firearm that had been converted to a machinegun with a conversion device commonly known as a “Glock switch.” Pate has a prior felony conviction for manslaughter, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. 

On December 17, 2025, Pate pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a machinegun, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, the Morganton Department of Public Safety, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Hickory Police Department, and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – James Tyler Lynch, 23, of Asheville, was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release last Thursday, for assault with intent to commit murder and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence stemming from a shooting incident that occurred on the Blue Ridge Parkway, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

 “The Blue Ridge Parkway is a treasured place where families should feel safe,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “The federal government has a special interest in the safety of our national lands, and this 20-year sentence makes clear that violence will not be tolerated. I very much appreciate the National Park Service for all they do, but particularly for keeping our national lands as the peaceful sanctuary they should be.” 

“The National Park Service’s Investigative Services Branch has a dedicated team of special agents who partner closely with the Department of Justice, working tirelessly to protect victims and ensure justice is served. America’s National Parks are some of the most extraordinary and pristine places in the country, but crimes can still occur. This sentencing reflects our agents’ unwavering commitment to pursuing justice when they do,” said Neil Gardner, Chief of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, National Park Service.

According to court documents and court proceedings, on May 29, 2024, Lynch met the victim at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Asheville. Lynch brought with him a loaded Kahr Arms, Model P380, .380 caliber pistol which he had concealed from the victim. After a brief conversation, Lynch told the victim they would give the victim a ride. Lynch instructed the driver of the vehicle to drive to Blue Ridge Parkway, while Lynch and the victim rode as passengers. Near milepost 399 along the Parkway, Lynch told the driver to pull off the roadway onto a dirt pullout, where Lynch told the victim to get out of the car. As the victim was walking away Lynch fired at least six shots seriously injuring the victim. After shooting the victim, Lynch and the driver fled the scene.

Court documents show that rangers responded to reports of a gunshot victim lying in the roadway. When they arrived, rangers found the victim who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his torso, hand, and pelvis. The victim was taken to the hospital and treated for permanent and life-threatening bodily injuries he sustained as a result of the shooting. Special Agents with the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch investigated the case that ultimately led to Lynch’s arrest. 

Lynch will remain in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Elian Rene Fabian Valladolid, 26, an illegal alien from Mexico and leader of the local cell of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) with ties to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), was sentenced to 262 months in prison yesterday for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Valladolid will be removed from the United States after he completes his prison sentence. 

“This case is one example of many that our emphasis on the cartels and their related drug-trafficking organizations is working,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “We are infiltrating these organizations and toppling them from the top.”

“Drug trafficking organizations exploit vulnerabilities in our communities, placing dangerous narcotics on our streets and fueling crime that threatens the safety of families and neighborhoods,” said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina. “This investigation demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the Homeland Security Task Force and our law enforcement partners to identifying and dismantling criminal networks that unlawfully operate within our communities.”

At the sentencing hearing, the government argued for and received a sentencing enhancement for Valladolid’s leadership role within the drug trafficking organization (DTO). 

According to filed documents and court proceedings, federal, state, and local law enforcement began an investigation into the drug smuggling and trafficking operations of a poly-drug DTO based in Mexico with ties to the CJNG cartel. The DTO was organized into local cells that coordinated the sale and distribution of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. Between 2022 and 2023, Valladolid was the leader of the DTO’s local cell, in charge of overseeing drug distribution activities and was involved in recruiting other members to work for the DTO.

During the investigation, law enforcement identified local stash houses used by members of the DTO to store drugs, including a storage unit. Law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant at one storage unit seizing several bags, luggage, and boxes that contained drugs and a variety of contraband. Investigators also recovered packaging materials consistent with drug distribution, four digital scales, a drug press, and a cutting agent used to “cut” drugs to increase the quantity of the drug product for resale. They also found kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl. 

In total, the drug conspiracy involved 9.6 kilograms of “actual” methamphetamine; 5.9 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine; 2.7 kilograms of fentanyl; 1.9 kilograms of heroin; and 648.11 grams of cocaine.

Valladolid will remain in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) is an initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF CORE 23 (Charlotte) is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), United States Customers and Border Protection (CBP), United States ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the Naval Criminal investigative Service (NCIS), the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FIDC) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the North Carolina Insurance Bureau, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Raleigh Police Department, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the Nash Count Sheriff’s Office, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Halifax County Sheriff’s office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick Count Sheriff’s Office, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Nags Head Police Department, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS), the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the Kannapolis Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, the Gastonia Police Department, the Huntersville Police Department, the Cornelius Police Department, the Matthews Police Department, the Pineville Police Department, the Stallings Police Department, the Kings Mountain Police Department, the Greensville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) International Airport Police Department, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Anderson City Police Department, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston County Airport Police Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Summerville Police Department, the Greensboro Police Department, the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Alamance County Sheriff’s office, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office, the Eden Police Department, the Piedmont Triad Internal Airport Police Department, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of North and South Carolina.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today the results of Operation Spring Cleaning, a coordinated three-month multi-jurisdictional enforcement surge that resulted in 56 defendants charged federally, over 254 kilograms of drugs seized including more than 22 kilograms of fentanyl, 110 illegal firearms recovered, and 157 fugitives apprehended on state and federal charges throughout the region. 

The operation targeted violent offenders, drug traffickers, armed felons, and fugitives responsible for spreading deadly drugs, driving gun violence, and increasing crime across district and state lines. 

“We usually see increased violent crime and drug crimes during the summer – this operation was meant to get ahead of that and get the worst offenders off the streets before they can recruit others to their life of street crime this summer,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We all know criminals don’t respect district or state lines, and that is why this coordinated effort involved multiple agencies in North and South Carolina. We wanted to make clear you cannot commit a crime in North Carolina and escape across the state line to avoid getting caught.”

Federal agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force (USMS CRFTF) worked in coordination with state and local law enforcement in North Carolina and South Carolina to identify, investigate, and apprehend individuals trafficking fentanyl and other dangerous drugs, illegally possessing firearms, and committing violent crimes impacting communities throughout the region. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also coordinated closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina, which participated in the surge and brought additional federal cases in South Carolina.

“Partnerships are force multipliers,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division which overseas North and South Carolina.  “Results from these investigations underscore the importance of intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement efforts in combating violent crime and drug trafficking. Today’s outcome is a testament to what can be achieved when agencies unite toward a common goal. Together, we removed dangerous narcotics and illegal firearms from the streets while bringing wanted fugitives into custody.” 

“It takes a multi-faceted, multi-agency approach to successfully fight violent crime,” said Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF in North and South Carolina. “Through resource and intelligence sharing, investigative capabilities, and an unwavering commitment to uphold the law, ATF and our law enforcement partners are identifying dangerous offenders, disrupting criminal organizations, and making our communities safer.”

“People willing to commit violent crimes don’t care about city and county lines. These partnerships allow us to extend our reach, share intelligence in real time, and target threats at every level. There is no revolving door or parole in the federal justice system, instead there are real consequences for violent repeat offenders. The FBI will do everything we can to support our federal, state, and local partners to hold violent criminals accountable,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge. 

“HSI will use every tool and resource at our disposal to dismantle criminal networks and protect the people we serve. Whether it’s drug traffickers, violent offenders, or fugitives, crime has no safe haven in North or South Carolina. If you bring crime to our communities, we will bring the full strength of our partnerships to your door,” said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina. “We are grateful for the dedication and teamwork of our federal, state, and local partners—together, we are making our communities safer and stronger.”

“The success of this unique operation is a direct result of outstanding interagency cooperation,” stated Jamaal Thompson, Commander of the United States Marshals Service Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force. “By working alongside our federal, state, and local partners, we were able to arrest some of the most dangerous individuals in our community safely and effectively. Through collaborative efforts such as Operation Spring Cleaning, and with a shared commitment to public safety, our communities are safer.”

“Operation Spring Cleaning highlights the power of collaboration among local, state, and federal law enforcement partners,” said CMPD Chief Estella D. Patterson. “Many of the cases announced today began with CMPD officers making contacts at the street level and identifying criminal activity in our neighborhoods. I am proud of our officers, who continue to be the boots on the ground and are often the first link in investigations that lead to the removal of illegal firearms, drug traffickers, and violent offenders from our community. Together, we are making Charlotte safer.”

Operation Spring Cleaning led to significant enforcement results: 

Federal defendants charged in connection with the enforcement surge face charges for drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, armed robbery, and other violent offenses.   

Operation Spring Cleaning is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office ongoing violent crime reduction strategy focused on partnering with law enforcement agencies at all levels to dismantle drug networks, reduce the number of illegal guns and gun trafficking in the region, combat gun-induced violence, and identify and prosecute violent offenders who drive criminal activity across district and state lines through intelligence sharing and coordination among law enforcement agencies. 

The operation also supports the Justice Department’s broader efforts 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.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the federal, state, and local agencies that participated in the operation, including: South Carolina U.S. Attorney Brian Stirling, the DEA, ATF, FBI, HSI, USMS CRFTF, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the Anson County Sheriff’s Office, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the York County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, the Asheville Police Department, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, the Gastonia Police Department, the Hickory Police Department, and the Rock Hill Police Department in South Carolina. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina is in charge of the federal prosecutions in North Carolina. 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A previously convicted felon who illegally possessed 15 firearms and more than 1,600 fentanyl pills, over 800 grams of methamphetamine, and cocaine was sentenced to 22 years in prison today, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. John Anthony Barreiro, 44, of Murphy, North Carolina, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release. 

“Drug trafficking and illegal firearms and violence go hand-in-hand—and this case is proof,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “It is vitally important that we remove lethal drugs and illegal firearms from our community, and in this case we did both by securing a 22-year sentence.”

According to court documents and court proceedings, on December 4, 2023, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Barreiro’s vehicle in Murphy. Rather than heed the officer’s blue lights, Barreiro fled, and a vehicle pursuit ensued. Court documents show that while fleeing from officers, Barreiro threw a Glock 9mm pistol out of the passenger side window of the car. Later, Barreiro also threw a bag containing over 300 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl tablets, fentanyl powder, and cocaine out of the passenger side window. Both the firearm and drugs were later recovered by law enforcement.

After tossing the firearm and the drugs out of the vehicle, Barreiro pulled over and was arrested. In the vehicle and on his person, Barreiro had additional clear baggies with suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Barreiro also had $7,840 in cash, marijuana, a loaded Glock 30-round capacity magazine, and a bag containing multiple loose rounds of 9mm ammunition in the vehicle.

Later the same day, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a home in Murphy where Barreiro was known to reside. Law enforcement seized 14 firearms, 1,450 fentanyl tablets, fentanyl powder, cocaine, and almost 500 grams of methamphetamine. Barreiro has prior convictions that prohibited him from possessing firearms. 

On September 26, 2024, Barreiro pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He remains in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Annabelle Chambers prosecuted the case.  Ms. Chambers is a state prosecutor with the 43rd Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Ashley Welch to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville. Ms. Chambers is sworn in to practice in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position reflects the partnership between the 43rd Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA position helps ensure the effective and vigorous prosecution of federal court cases that impact the counties within the 43rd Prosecutorial District.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Five individuals are facing federal drug trafficking and firearms charges following a joint investigation by the FBI and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department into alleged narcotics activity at The Garden Inn & Suites (Garden Inn) in Charlotte’s Sugar Creek corridor, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Four of the federally charged defendants were arrested during an early morning law enforcement operation, along with five additional individuals facing related state drug and firearms charges, bringing the total number of arrests to nine. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action seeking the forfeiture of the Garden Inn, alleging the property was a site of – and facilitated – significant illegal drug trafficking.

Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. 

“Let this be a message to hotel and business owners who knowingly put profits above the safety of the community,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “My office will not hesitate to seize properties that serve as hubs of crime.”

“The FBI is reducing violent crime and making our communities safer across the country, including at home in Charlotte,” said Special Agent in Charge Davis. “This federal investigation and arrest operation is a direct result of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, a force multiplier putting federal, state, and local agencies side by side, sharing intelligence in real time, and combining resources to target drug traffickers and gangs. Criminals can no longer hide behind jurisdictional lines to escape justice.” 

“This hotel property has functioned as a stronghold for illicit activity, operating as a distribution hub for illegal firearms and narcotics,” said Chief Patterson. “The data tells a stark, undeniable story: in 2025, CMPD officers responded to over 240 calls for service at this single location—a staggering, nearly 20% increase compared to the year prior. I am incredibly proud of the investigative work performed by CMPD detectives and officers, as well as our federal partners. When local, state, and federal agencies align their power, we do not just disrupt criminal enterprises—we dismantle them.”

This morning, multiple law enforcement teams led by FBI agents and CMPD officers executed arrest warrants and search warrants at The Garden Inn located at 4904 Reagan Drive in Charlotte, following a six-month investigation into the distribution of fentanyl and other controlled substances in and around the hotel. Through surveillance, undercover work, controlled drug buys, and other investigative techniques, investigators charged five individuals with federal drug and gun offenses. During the investigation, law enforcement also seized fentanyl, cocaine base, and other narcotics as well as illegal firearms. 

Firearms and Narcotics Seized During the Investigation

Criminal indictments against the five individuals were filed last week and unsealed today. Four of those charged were arrested this morning. They are: 

• Justin Lamont Day, 29, is charged with distribution of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon. 
• Michael Boatwright, 37, of Charlotte, is charged with two counts of distribution of fentanyl.
• Marcus Logan, 39, of Gastonia, N.C., is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. 
• Naquan Smith, 43, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. 

A fifth individual charged via a federal criminal indictment with fentanyl distribution, cocaine base distribution, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person has not been arrested yet.   

According to allegations contained in the indictments and the civil forfeiture complaint, the hotel operated as a hub for drug trafficking activity. Boatwright, Day, and others were allegedly renting rooms on the property and using the rooms and other areas in and around the hotel to store and distribute drugs. It is further alleged that other individuals, including Smith, facilitated drug trafficking and other criminal activity at the hotel. 

Court documents further allege that law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of narcotics and firearms from four members of the hotel’s security team, including Logan, the head of security. The forfeiture complaint further alleges the hotel security team often had extensive criminal records and/or were previously documented gang members, who used their security jobs at the Garden Inn as cover for dealing drugs there—with some even wearing the security uniform during the drug deals. 

Court documents further allege the hotel’s owner was warned about the drug use and drug trafficking on the property, yet failed to take meaningful action to stop the criminal activity despite repeated law enforcement interventions and hundreds of calls for service. Additionally, the hotel’s owner was allegedly warned of law enforcement concerns that employing security known to sell narcotics would increase the likelihood of drug use and sales on the property.  

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case, and thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Probation Office, the North Carolina Adult Department of Corrections, the Gastonia Police Department, and the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office, for their assistance with the arrests. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution. 

The charges and allegations contained in the filed documents are allegations only. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

These cases are 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.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A registered sex offender was sentenced to 25 years in prison today for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Justin Trey Yeats, 41, of Charlotte, was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release, to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison, and to pay $6,000 in restitution. 

Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Estella Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. 

According to court records, in April 2023, CMPD received information that an individual later identified as Yeats had distributed CSAM online. CMPD officers conducted an interview of Yeats who admitted to producing CSAM of a prepubescent female victim. Yeats also admitted to sharing the CSAM with people he met in sex-related chatrooms online, such as Reddit. Court documents further show that Yeats molested second minor victim and distributed images of that second minor victim wrapped in a towel just after exiting the shower. At the time of the offense, Yeats was a registered sex offender for a 2010 conviction of Indecency with a Child by Contact in Texas. 

Yeats is in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI and CMPD their investigation of the case. 

Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

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

Greg Lindberg, 56, of Tampa, Florida, and the founder and chairman of Eli Global LLC and owner of Global Bankers Insurance Group (GBIG) was sentenced today to a combined 12 years in prison for his role in a bribery conspiracy and multibillion-dollar fraud conspiracy that bankrupted multiple insurance companies with thousands of unpaid policyholder victims. 

According to court documents and evidence presented in court, from at least 2016 through at least 2019, Lindberg conspired with others to defraud various insurance companies, other third parties and hundreds of thousands of insurance policyholders. Lindberg and others conspired to deceive the North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) and other regulators, evaded regulatory requirements meant to protect policyholders, concealed the true financial condition of his companies and improperly used insurance company funds for his personal benefit. Lindberg and his co-conspirators caused companies he controlled in North Carolina, Bermuda, Malta, and elsewhere to invest more than $2 billion in loans and other securities with his own affiliated companies and laundered the proceeds of the scheme. Lindberg directed the scheme and personally benefitted from the fraud in part by “forgiving” more than $125 million in loans to himself from the insurance companies that he controlled. Lindberg used his ill-gotten gains to fund a lavish lifestyle, buying private jets, mansions and a 200-foot luxury yacht.

To carry out these conspiracies, Lindberg and others engaged in circular transactions among Lindberg’s web of entities using insurance company funds and misled or omitted material information from regulators, various ratings agencies, insurance companies and ultimately policyholders, regarding these transactions. 

As Lindberg’s fraud and money laundering conspiracies were beginning to unravel, from April 2017 to August 2018, Lindberg and others engaged in a bribery scheme for the purpose of causing the Commissioner of Insurance of the NCDOI to take official action favorable to Lindberg’s company, GBIG. Lindberg and others gave the Commissioner millions of dollars in campaign contributions and other things of value in exchange for the removal of NCDOI’s Senior Deputy Commissioner, who was responsible for overseeing the regulation and the periodic examination of GBIG. 

As a result of Lindberg’s conduct, his insurance companies, third-party entities and policyholders suffered substantial financial hardship, and multiple of his insurance companies have been placed in rehabilitation and liquidation. To date, thousands of individual policyholders and other victims are collectively still owed more than $1 billion. A special master was appointed by the court in the fraud case to assist with the restitution process and distribution of funds to victims. A separate restitution hearing will be set at a later date. 

In November 2024, Lindberg pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States and conspiracy to commit money laundering. In May 2024, Lindberg was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.  

The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated both cases.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina; and Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.

Trial Attorney Lyndie Freeman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Ryan for the Western District of North Carolina prosecuted the fraud case. Trial Attorney William Gullotta of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington for the Western District of North Carolina prosecuted the bribery case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An illegal alien from Mexico is facing federal drug and gun charges following an investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Bryan Hernandez-Rendon, 30, is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to allegations in the indictment and the criminal complaint, on December 16, 2023, officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hernandez-Rendon for a traffic violation. During the stop, Hernandez-Rendon told the officers that he did not have a driver’s license and that there was a firearm in the vehicle. The officers searched the vehicle and recovered a KAHR Arms CW40 pistol and a clear bag containing 427.1 grams of methamphetamine from the passenger side floorboard.

Hernandez-Rendon appeared in court today and he will remain in federal custody. If convicted, Hernandez-Rendon faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for the drug charge and a mandatory minimum term of five years consecutive to any other sentence imposed and a maximum of life in prison on the gun offense. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William Wiseman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.

The charges against the defendant are allegations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) is an initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF CORE 23 (Charlotte) is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), United States Customers and Border Protection (CBP), United States ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the Naval Criminal investigative Service (NCIS), the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FIDC) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the North Carolina Insurance Bureau, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Raleigh Police Department, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the Nash Count Sheriff’s Office, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Halifax County Sheriff’s office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick Count Sheriff’s Office, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Nags Head Police Department, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS), the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the Kannapolis Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, the Gastonia Police Department, the Huntersville Police Department, the Cornelius Police Department, the Matthews Police Department, the Pineville Police Department, the Stallings Police Department, the Kings Mountain Police Department, the Greensville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) International Airport Police Department, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Anderson City Police Department, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston County Airport Police Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Summerville Police Department, the Greensboro Police Department, the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Alamance County Sheriff’s office, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office, the Eden Police Department, the Piedmont Triad Internal Airport Police Department, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of North and South Carolina.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –  A Charlotte woman was sentenced yesterday to 262 months in prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Aisha Khan, 40, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan, was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release.

“It is unfathomable to me how someone can do things like this to a child,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “I am proud of my office for standing up for defenseless children who cannot stand up for themselves.”

According to court records, in 2023, HSI began an investigation into Khan after discovering evidence the defendant had produced CSAM of a minor female. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that, between October and December 2021, Khan had produced multiple images and videos depicting a prepubescent minor victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct. After producing the CSAM, Khan distributed it to another individual.

On February 25, 2025, Khan pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. She is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited Homeland Security Investigations in Charlotte and Wilmington for their investigation of the case, and thanked the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Agency in Wilmington, and the Jacksonville Police Department for their assistance.

Assistant United States Attorneys Nick J. Miller and Sara Kinlaw of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –  A recidivist sex offender previously convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child has been sentenced to seventeen-and-a-half years in prison for receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Registered sex offender James Patrick McGraw, 62, of Wadesboro, N.C., a was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release.

“We have a duty to the community to protect children from child predators, and it is one of our highest priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “I have no patience for repeat child predators who have had a chance at rehabilitation and instead return to child exploitation.  We will seek significant sentences in those cases.”

According to information in filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, the Wadesboro Police Department (WPD) received information that an individual, later identified as McGraw, was accessing and uploading material to his cloud storage that contained CSAM. In May 2022, McGraw was interviewed by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation regarding using the TOR network on the dark web and his phone to access CSAM. McGraw admitted to accessing CSAM and being sexually interested in girls as young as 8 years old. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at McGraw’s apartment, where they seized a laptop and an external hard drive. A forensic examination of the seized items revealed a number of CSAM files, some of which depicted infants and toddlers and children under the age of 12 being sexually abused, as well as bestiality and S&M content.

On July 2, 2025, McGraw pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography and possession and access with intent to view child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and a minor who had not attained age 12. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations, NC SBI, and the Wadesboro Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today that VSoft Corporation (VSoft), a banking and payment solutions provider located in Atlanta, Georgia, has agreed to pay $2,291,927.07 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by providing false information to obtain a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which it was not eligible.

This settlement resolves allegations that VSoft misrepresented that it was a small business with less than 300 employees on its application for a second round PPP loan of $1,259,732.00—when instead, VSoft was part of an international corporation with multiple locations worldwide, totaling well over the 300-employee limit for second round PPP loans.

This matter arose from a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. GHGH2, Inc. v. Vsoft Technologies Corporation; Case No. 3:24-cv-999 (W.D.N.C.).

The government’s investigation was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Johnson.

Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to prison yesterday for illegally possessing a firearm fitted with a machinegun conversion device commonly known as a “Glock switch,” announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Shyheem Jaqun DuPont, 24, was ordered to serve 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

“Glock switches turn a regular gun into a machine gun.  They can turn a violent act into a catastrophic act in mere seconds,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “We save lives by aggressively prosecuting individuals who possess and use these illegal conversion devices.”

According to court documents and court proceedings, on February 21, 2024, CMPD officers initiated a traffic stop of DuPont’s vehicle as it parked in a parking lot. DuPont, who was in the driver’s seat, was the registered owner of the vehicle and had multiple outstanding felony arrest warrants. Court records show that DuPont reversed his car into the marked police vehicle, striking it. DuPont then drove forward before reversing again and striking the marked police vehicle a second time. As CMPD officers approached DuPont’s vehicle, they observed a firearm on the defendant’s lap. One of the officers removed the firearm, a black Glock, Model 19, 9mm semiautomatic firearm, with a 31-round capacity magazine, and a Glock switch. Elsewhere in the vehicle, the officers found a black Glock, Model 20, 10mm semiautomatic firearm, a black Springfield, Model XD-M, 10mm semi-automatic firearm, a 9mm 50-round capacity drum magazine, a Del-Ton Model DTI 15, 5.56mm semiautomatic pistol, marijuana, and a digital scale.

On April 11, 2025, DuPont pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

The ATF and CMPD investigated the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William Wiseman with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Kyle Andrew Edwards, 59, of Alexander, N.C., appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to a “doxxing” charge for posting online the home address of a United States Supreme Court Justice with the intent to threaten, intimidate, or incite a crime of violence against the Justice, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

“Doxxing” is the act of gathering, by licit and illicit means, and posting on the internet personal identifying information (PII), such as a home address, and other sensitive information of an individual without the person’s knowledge and consent.

Edwards pleaded guilty to knowingly making public restricted personal information, that being the home address of a Supreme Court Justice, with the intent to threaten, intimidate, and incite violence against the person or a member of the person’s family, and knowing that the restricted personal information would be used to threaten, intimidate, and facilitate the commission of a crime of violence against the Supreme Court Justice or a family member.

“Doxxing is dangerous. It exposes officials to all sorts of people that may cause harm, and that harm may be even worse than the doxxer expected or intended,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “That is why we take it seriously. Threatening or harming federal officials is not the way to change policy.  If you want to change policy, get involved and go vote.”

According to information contained in documents filed as part of Edwards’ plea and the plea hearing, from April through June 2026, Edwards frequently used an online social media account that was publicly accessible to post comments critical of certain United States Supreme Court Justices. Many of the posts were threatening in nature or were responses to threatening comments made by other users. For example, on June 27, 2025, Edwards posted that the Supreme Court “must be destroyed.” Two days later, on June 29, Edwards posted that a certain Supreme Court Justice should “buy Kevlar robes.”

According to court documents, on April 8, 2025, Edwards used his social media account to post the correct home address of a United States Supreme Court Justice. On the same day, Edwards posted partial or historical information about the neighborhoods or former home addresses of two other United States Supreme Court Justices. On the day Edwards publicly disclosed the Justice’s home address, he made several threatening posts toward other Justices. For example, Edwards posted that a different Justice’s home address was unavailable online “to prevent people from assassinating him.” Edwards also posted that Justices should “think again” if they thought that “their families are safe.” Edwards also encouraged others to “start dragging the SC out by their robes,” and to turn the Justices “into charcoal.” Court documents show that Edwards posted these comments publicly on his own social media account and within conversations in which some other posters were also making similar threats.

Edwards was released on bond following the guilty plea. The statutory maximum penalty for the doxxing charge is five years in prison. Edwards’ sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been set.

This case was investigated by the Supreme Court of the United States Police - Protective Intelligence Unit.

* * *

In a separate case, on April 23, 2026, Wyatt Austin Salus, 26, of Cullowhee, N.C., was sentenced to three years of probation, after pleading guilty to making interstate threats to kill and injure United States Senator Thom Tillis. According to court records, on March 17, 2025, Salus called Senator Tillis’s office and left a message threatening to injure and kill Senator Tillis.

The FBI investigated Salus’s case with assistance from the United States Capitol Police.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is in charge of the prosecutions.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A previously convicted felon on federal supervised release was sentenced to prison again yesterday for illegally possessing a firearm, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. William Sedrick Rollerson, 58, of Charlotte, was sentenced to a total of 108 months in prison; 60 months in prison for violating supervised release conditions, followed by an additional and consecutive term of 48 months in prison for the new illegal possession of a firearm offense, which will all be followed by two years of supervised release.

“Supervised release exists to rehabilitate those who have served time in prison, help them reintegrate into society, and to keep a close eye on them to ensure they do not return to their life of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “It appears Mr. Rollerson very quickly returned to his life of crime, and he will therefore serve a sentence for his crime and an additional sentence for violating the conditions of his supervised release.”

According to court documents and court proceedings, Rollerson was on federal supervised release following completion of a lengthy prison term for a prior conviction in the Western District of North Carolina. Among the conditions of his supervised release, Rollerson had regular appointments at the federal probation office and was subject to drug testing. On April 24, 2025, Rollerson drove to the federal courthouse in Charlotte to meet with a federal probation officer. During the meeting, Rollerson was told he had tested positive for cocaine use. Rollerson denied using cocaine and offered various explanations about the positive drug test. Court records show that probation officers searched Rollerson’s vehicle, where they found a Taurus .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with eight rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber. A set of digital scales, baggies, an unknown gray powdery substance, and an additional .40 caliber magazine were also found in Rollerson’s vehicle.

On September 18, 2025, Rollerson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

The U.S. Probation Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Romanian national appeared in court today to face bank fraud charges for his role in a “vishing” scheme, following his extradition from Romania, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

On November 14, 2017, a federal grand jury in Charlotte returned a criminal indictment charging Gavril Sandu, 53, with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. Sandu was arrested in Romania on January 9, 2026. He was extradited to the United States on April 30, 2026.

“Greed crosses borders, but so does our relentless pursuit of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Scams originating outside of our country are out of control. Wherever scammers operate – here or abroad – we will use every tool available to bring them to justice.”

“Today’s digital age provides greater opportunity to steal your identity and your money. That unfortunate reality has allowed cyber criminals to use and exploit stolen information for their own profit. The FBI remains committed to holding international cyber fraudsters accountable and ensuring there is no place they can hide, and justice has no timeline,” said Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.

According to allegations in the indictment, Sandu was part of a conspiracy that carried out an extensive “vishing” bank fraud scheme. “Vishing” or “voice phishing,” is a form of criminal cyber fraud that uses seemingly legitimate phone calls or voicemails to trick victims into revealing sensitive personal, financial, or login information. Cyber criminals then use this information to gain unauthorized access to victims’ financial accounts to steal funds and carry out fraudulent transactions.

According to the indictment, from May 2009 to October 2010, Sandu and his co-conspirators executed the scheme by hacking into small businesses’ Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) systems and then deploying a script to contact financial institution customers and to defraud them in providing their personal debit card and PIN numbers.

The indictment alleges that Sandu assisted in the conspiracy by obtaining victims’ debit card numbers and PINs from his co-conspirators, which he then used to make magnetic stripe cards with the victims’ fraudulently obtained debit card numbers. Sandu also allegedly operated as a money mule, traveling to ATMs to withdraw money and funds from the banks and credit union accounts of the victims of the scheme. Sandu then allegedly provided his co-conspirators with a percentage of the fraudulently obtained victims’ money and kept a portion for himself.

Sandu was placed in federal custody after the hearing. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI in Charlotte led the investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI's Bucharest Law Enforcement Attaché Office, and Romanian authorities provided significant assistance in securing Sandu’s arrest and extradition.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –Okaya Shinnichi Corporation of America (Okaya), a steel tubing manufacturer located in Charlotte, has agreed to pay $1,196,421.68 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by providing false information to obtain a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which it was not eligible, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today.

This settlement resolves allegations that Okaya misrepresented that it was a small business with less than 300 employees among all affiliates on its application for a second round PPP loan of $478,568.67. Instead, the lawsuit alleged, Okaya was the jointly held U.S. subsidiary of two Japanese corporations, and had multiple affiliates worldwide, totaling well over the 300-employee limit for second round PPP loans.

This matter arose from a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is captioned U.S. ex rel. Verity Investigations, LLC v. Okaya Shinnichi Corporation of America; W.D.N.C. Case No. 3:25-cv-232.

The government’s investigation was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Johnson.

Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.   

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Salisbury, N.C., man was sentenced yesterday for distributing methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Kenta Montrice Wright, 44, was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

According to court records, law enforcement began an investigation into Wright for distributing methamphetamine in the Charlotte area. Between March and July 2025, Wright sold methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement twice. On July 21, 2025, Wright was arrested at his home in Salisbury. Following his arrest, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home and vehicle, where they found more methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, two firearms, one of which was stolen, various calibers of ammunition, and other firearms accessories. During the conspiracy, Wright was responsible for the distributing more than 640 grams of methamphetamine.

Wright is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gastonia Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte was in charge of the prosecution.

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.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced that a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation has resulted in lengthy prison sentences for two Mexican nationals for trafficking illicit drugs into Charlotte and elsewhere. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that the defendants were members of a drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.

Leonardo Sandoval-Ocampo, 26, of Mexico, who is illegally present in the United States, was sentenced to 150 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, and distribution of methamphetamine. Gerardo Agustin Salinas-Isais, 43, who was a non-citizen legally residing in the United States, was sentenced to 135 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Both defendants will also be removed from the United States after they complete their respective prison sentences.

“We talk about cartels all the time – this case is an example of how real the threat is,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “This case shows that cartels like Sinaloa are in our communities.  The Homeland Security Task Force is dedicated to the complete elimination of cartels like Sinaloa, and this case is an important step in achieving that goal. These defendants will now spend more than a decade in federal prison and then be removed from the country.”

According to filed documents and court proceedings, from November 2022 through May 2023, Sandoval-Ocampo and Salinas-Isais were members of Mexico-based drug trafficking organization. During that time, Sandoval-Ocampo was a drug distributor for the organization, responsible for delivering multi-kilogram quantities of illicit drugs, including methamphetamine, for further distribution locally. Over the course of the investigation, Sandoval-Ocampo made or coordinated multiple drug deliveries to investigators working in an undercover capacity. Upon his arrest, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Sandoval-Ocampo’s residence in Lexington, N.C., where they seized methamphetamine, marijuana, and firearms, including a rifle and two semi-automatic pistols. The residence of an individual Sandoval-Ocampo directed to make deliveries was also searched, resulting in the seizure of 1.8 kilograms of pills pressed with fentanyl. Based on his part in the conspiracy, Sandoval-Ocampo was held accountable for more than four kilograms of methamphetamine.

Salinas-Isais worked for the organization as a local distributor. In April 2023, Salinas-Isais distributed approximately 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine to an undercover agent. In May 2023, law enforcement stopped Salinas-Isais’s vehicle while he was traveling from Atlanta into Western North Carolina. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found a bag containing nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine and 355 grams of cocaine that Salinas-Isais possessed with the intent to distribute to others.

Sandoval-Ocampo and Salinas-Isais will remain in federal custody until they are transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

This was an investigation led by the HSTF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) is an initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF CORE 23 (Charlotte) is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), United States Customers and Border Protection (CBP), United States ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the Naval Criminal investigative Service (NCIS), the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FIDC) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the North Carolina Insurance Bureau, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Raleigh Police Department, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the Nash Count Sheriff’s Office, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Halifax County Sheriff’s office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick Count Sheriff’s Office, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Nags Head Police Department, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS), the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the Kannapolis Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, the Gastonia Police Department, the Huntersville Police Department, the Cornelius Police Department, the Matthews Police Department, the Pineville Police Department, the Stallings Police Department, the Kings Mountain Police Department, the Greensville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) International Airport Police Department, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Anderson City Police Department, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston County Airport Police Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Summerville Police Department, the Greensboro Police Department, the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Alamance County Sheriff’s office, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office, the Eden Police Department, the Piedmont Triad Internal Airport Police Department, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of North and South Carolina.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A husband and wife from New Mexico appeared in federal court in Asheville today and pleaded guilty to smuggling counterfeit Native American jewelry made in Vietnam and selling it to customers in the United States as authentic, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Kiem Thanh Huynh, 60, and My Ngoc Truong, 61, pleaded guilty to misrepresentation of Indian goods in an amount greater than $1,000, in violation of the federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act, and smuggling.

Meridith Stanton, Director of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board of the U.S. Department of the Interior, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

“Those who profit by passing off counterfeit goods as authentic Native American items are not just deceiving buyers, they are exploiting culture and taking income from Native American artists and their communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Protecting the integrity of Native American art and heritage is vital to persevering Indian cultural traditions and economic opportunity. My office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement counterparts to investigate these cases and hold accountable anyone who seeks to profit from counterfeit Indian items.” 

“The Indian Arts and Crafts Board administers and enforces the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, a truth-in-marketing law,” said Director Stanton. “The Act is intended to rid the American Indian and Alaska Native (Indian) art and crafts marketplace of counterfeits in order to protect the economic livelihoods and cultural heritage of Indian artists and artisans and their Tribes, as well as consumers.  Authentic Indian art and craftwork is a critically important tool for the passage of cultural traditions, traditional knowledge, and artistic skills from one generation to the next. Huynh and Truong’s importation in bulk of counterfeit Indian jewelry from Vietnam and subsequent wholesale of the jewelry as Navajo made is an affront to Indian cultures, economies, artists, and artisans of the Indian Tribes resident in North Carolina, and Indians nationwide. Due to the outstanding work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Indian Arts and Crafts Act Investigative Unit, the perpetrators are being held accountable, and the message is clear. For those selling counterfeit Indian art it is important to know that wherever you are we will diligently work to find you and hold you accountable.”

“By smuggling and falsely marketing imported goods as authentic Native American handicrafts, Hyunh and Truong undermined the livelihoods and cultural traditions of Native American artists and took advantage of customers,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. “The Indian Arts and Crafts Act exists to protect Native artists, their work, and the generations of tradition behind it. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proud to work with the Department of Justice and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board to investigate these violations, and today’s guilty plea reflects our commitment to protecting consumers, standing with tribal communities, and holding accountable those who exploit Native artists and this market for profit.”

According to filed documents and the plea hearing, Huynh and Truong co-owned MT Jewelry MFG., Inc. (MT Jewelry) located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The business, marketed to wholesale customers, claimed on its website that it specialized “in creating unique and handmade southwestern jewelry.” Huynh and Truong traveled to trade shows throughout the United States, including in Western North Carolina, where they sold their merchandise as authentic Native American jewelry.

According to plea documents, much of the jewelry sold by the defendants was not Indian produced or the product of an Indian tribe. Between December 2023 and July 2024, law enforcement intercepted six shipments from Vietnam that were destined for MT Jewelry. The shipments contained jewelry, including pendants, bracelets and rings, made in Vietnam to resemble Native American-style jewelry. The jewelry was adorned with unique stones and/or fish or wildlife products and were marked with inscriptions and other hallmarks commonly used by artists to authenticate their handicrafts. As importers of jewelry, Huynh and Truong failed to mark the items with country-of-origin or other commercially feasible markers to indicate they were imported before selling them.

In pleading guilty, the defendants admitted that, on two occasions, Huynh and Truong attended GLW Shows in Western North Carolina where they sold counterfeit jewelry contained in shipments intercepted by investigators. Huynh and Truong falsely claimed that the jewelry was made by Native American artists at their shop in Albuquerque and that their workers were Navajo. As Huynh and Truong admitted in court, the defendants knew the jewelry they were selling was made in Vietnam by non-Indians and that they falsely sold these items as authentic Native American handicraft.

Huynh and Truong will remain out of custody pending sentencing. At sentencing they face a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison for the Indian Arts and Crafts Act violation and up to 20 years for the smuggling charge. They have agreed to forfeit $341,967.98, constituting the proceeds of their crimes.  

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Indian Arts and Crafts Act Investigative Unit for the investigation of this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Each April, the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). This year, NCVRW will be observed April 19-25, 2026.

To commemorate NCVRW, the U.S. Attorneys’ Office for the Western District of North Carolina hosted a symposium in Charlotte this week, focused on promoting resilience for service providers and victim advocates, and on strengthening collaboration, sharing resources, and building partnerships among professionals who serve crime victims.

NCVRW began in 1981 to honor crime victims, promote victims’ rights, and recognize those who work with and advocate on behalf of crime victims. The observance also highlights policies, programs, and partnerships that support victims on their path to healing and recovery. This year’s NCVRW theme is “Listen, Act, Advocate.”

“Our victims and their families motivate everything we do,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “While our cases often make the news, a lot of what we do is connecting victims to services. No one expects to be the victim of a crime; no one plans for it – victims often don’t know where to turn. In gratitude to the service providers we so often rely upon, this year we focused on them – people who spend so much time caring for others, they forget to care for themselves.”

U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Unit Personnel with U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson 

 Victim Service Providers and Advocates with Area Organizations 

More than 50 victim advocates, health care professionals, legal services providers, mental health practitioners, non-profit organizations, and members of the faith community attended the symposium. Participants engaged in discussions on trauma-informed care and ways to enhance coordinated responses to better serve victims of crime.

“When we invest in those who serve crime victims, we strengthen the safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “A coordinated, victim-centered response, not only helps us restore justice for victims of crime but also builds trust and improves a holistic response to crime.”

Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Assistance Program can be found here. 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A previously convicted federal drug trafficker was sentenced to 18 years in prison today for trafficking kilogram quantities of methamphetamine throughout Burke and Caldwell Counties, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jeremy Donovan Dula, 38, of Hampton, Georgia, who previously lived in Caldwell County, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release.

On October 22, 2025, Dula pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

“Dula introduced an incredible amount of drugs into our community. Drug traffickers who bring dangerous drugs into the Western District should know this: you will be identified and prosecuted. We will not allow our communities to be turned into drug markets for poison peddlers,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson.

According to court documents, beginning in October 2023, investigators received information that Dula was trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and was using an apartment in Lenoir, North Carolina, as a stash house and to conduct drug sales. During the investigation, Dula sold methamphetamine multiple times to individuals cooperating with law enforcement.

Court records also show that, on November 6, 2023, an undercover agent posing as a drug courier for Dula transported four kilograms of methamphetamine from Georgia to Burke County in a box placed by Dula in the trunk of the undercover agent’s vehicle, while Dula followed closely in a separate car. When Dula and the undercover arrived in Burke County, investigators conducted a traffic stop on Dula. Investigators then met with the undercover agent and took possession of the methamphetamine. Inside the box, investigators found four plastic bags containing 3.821 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and one plastic bag containing 28.55 grams of fentanyl.

Investigators also executed a search warrant at Dula’s apartment in Lenoir, where they seized a digital scale, multiple plastic bags containing 766.8 grams of pure methamphetamine, and $4,260 in U.S. currency. Over the course of the investigation, Dula was held responsible for trafficking at least 12 kilograms of methamphetamine.

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lenoir Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville was in charge of the prosecution. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced that a convicted felon on supervised release was sentenced to prison yesterday for illegal gun possession.

Dequan Keontez Chambers, 32, was sentenced to a total of 47 months in prison – 35 months for the firearm offense and a consecutive 12 months for violating his supervised release. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

On August 28, 2025, Chambers pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.

“This was Chambers’ third criminal conviction involving firearms – and he committed this one while still on supervised release for the last one,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “Everyone deserves a second chance, but not a third – we will seek lengthy prison sentences for repeat offenders like Chambers.”

According to court documents, on July 4, 2026, at approximately 12:50 a.m., law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Chambers’ vehicle. During the traffic stop, the officers determined that Chambers was on federal supervised release for a prior conviction and had multiple outstanding state and federal arrest warrants. The officers ordered Chambers to exit the vehicle, but Chambers refused to comply. One of the officers observed that Chambers was armed. While one officer was holding onto Chambers’ arm, another officer removed a loaded .40 caliber pistol from the defendant’s waistband. The firearm was loaded with nine rounds of ammunition with one live round in the chamber. Chambers also had eight rounds of ammunition in his front pocket.

After a tussle with one of the officers, Chambers was placed under arrest. While Chambers was in custody he slipped his handcuffs to the front twice, before shattering the window of the police vehicle transporting him to jail.

Chambers is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. In 2016, Chambers was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a stolen firearm, and theft of a firearm. Chambers also has a 2013 state conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon, among several other state convictions.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Biscoe Police Department for their investigation of the case, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina for their invaluable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.                                                              

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Two Asheville methamphetamine traffickers were sentenced to prison today, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jennifer Fox, 45, of Asheville, was ordered to serve 139 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Michael Isaac Robinson, 47, also of Asheville, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

According to court documents and evidence presented at Fox’s trial, beginning in July 2022, law enforcement began investigating Fox and Robinson’s drug trafficking activities in and around Asheville. Investigators learned that the defendants supplied methamphetamine to a network of local distributors. The investigation revealed that Fox and Robinson were selling methamphetamine out of Fox’s Asheville residence and elsewhere. According to trial evidence and witness testimony, the defendants trafficked kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, selling at least one pound of methamphetamine every couple of weeks, and maintained a premise for the purpose of trafficking and storing controlled substances.

Evidence further established that Fox and Robinson possessed 412 grams of actual methamphetamine and approximately 180 grams of marijuana stored in a hidden compartment in Fox’s house. During the investigation, law enforcement also found $26,211 in U.S. currency inside a safe in Fox’s residence.

On April 9, 2025, Robinson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On August 5, 2025, a federal jury found Fox guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Both defendants are in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for their investigation of the case, and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office for its assistance.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Annabelle Chambers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case. Ms. Chambers is a state prosecutor with the 43rd Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Ashley Welch to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville. Ms. Chambers is sworn in to practice in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position reflects the partnership between the 43rd Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA position helps ensure the effective and vigorous prosecution of federal court cases that impact the counties within the 43rd Prosecutorial District.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Mexican nationals, one of whom was in the United States illegally, were sentenced to prison today for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. During the investigation, law enforcement found evidence of a connection between the leader of the drug conspiracy with Jalisco New Generation Cartel, also known as CJNG.

Jesus Miguel Angel Gutierrez-Lopez, 53, who was illegally present in the United States, was ordered to serve 70 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release. Lorenzo Lemus-Orozco, 42, who was legally residing in the United States, was sentenced to 140 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Both Gutierrez-Lopez and Lemus-Orozco will also be removed from the United States after they complete their respective prison sentences.

“Prosecuting drug traffickers – particularly those that are illegally in the United States and connected to foreign cartels – is a key priority of my office,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “This is one of many such cases in this focused effort.”

According to court records, from February 2024 to February 2025, Lemus-Orozco and Gutierrez-Lopez conspired to distribute kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in Catawba, Caldwell, and Watauga Counties and elsewhere. Lemus-Orozco was the leader of the local drug trafficking organization. Investigators conducted at least five controlled purchases of methamphetamine from the defendants.

As a part of law enforcement’s ongoing effort to interdict drug distributors, on December 5, 2024, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol conducted a stop of Gutierrez-Lopez’s truck in Caldwell County. Law enforcement seized almost half a kilogram of methamphetamine from inside Gutierrez-Lopez’s truck and arrested Gutierrez-Lopez.

After Gutierrez-Lopez’s arrest, Lemus-Orozco left the United States, traveling to Michoacan, Mexico. Michoacan, Mexico is an area that is often associated with Mexican drug cartel activity.

Lemus-Orozco returned to the United States in January 2025. Shortly after his return, law enforcement arrested Lemus-Orozco and searched his trailer in Hickory, North Carolina. In the trailer, law enforcement found approximately 99 grams of methamphetamine, approximately $2,000 in cash, and three firearms. Law enforcement also seized another $1,373 from the defendant’s person. In addition to the drugs, guns, and money found inside Lemus-Orozco’s trailer, police found clothing bearing CJNG branding.

Lemus-Orozco and Gutierrez-Lopez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Gutierrez-Lopez also pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. Additionally, Lemus-Orozco pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine.

Both defendants are in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to prison today for his role in a scheme involving stolen checks, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Tyrell DeShaun Pace, 32, was sentenced to 35 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. On August 29, Pace pleaded guilty to three counts of financial institution fraud.

Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees North Carolina, joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

“Too many checks are getting stolen from the mail,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “We continue to aggressively prosecute these cases and appreciate the work our law enforcement partners are doing to put an end to this crime.”

According to filed court documents, beginning in April 2022, Pace engaged in a financial fraud scheme by obtaining stolen checks, including checks stolen from the U.S. Postal Service. After he obtained the stolen checks, Pace used text messages, phone calls, and social media platforms to advertise the stolen checks, and to lure people to buy the stolen checks. For example, on September 2, 2022, Pace wrote on social media “I got the keys to the streets,” and with that post displayed a photograph showing ATM cards and stolen checks.

Pace also used the stolen checks to engage in fraudulent conduct that would generate large amounts of money. Court records show that Pace altered, forged, and counterfeited checks by, among other means, changing the payable amounts and the names of payees. Pace then deposited the altered checks at various banks and quickly withdrew the funds before the financial institutions could detect the fraud. The total face value of checks associated with the conspiracy was more than $646,600.

Pace will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked USPIS for their investigation and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their substantial assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenny Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A convicted felon who fired a gun into an occupied apartment was sentenced today for illegally possessing a firearm, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Robert Dale Emerson Jr., 37, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 105 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On June 20, 2025, Emerson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.

Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

“Firing a gun into an apartment complex where families and children live shows a complete disregard for life and the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “This thoughtless act could have killed someone going about their life at home. Those who terrorize innocent people in their homes will face federal charges, and the Court’s sentence today demonstrates they will pay the price.”

“Today’s sentence is yet another example of the outstanding partnerships that keep our community safe,” said Chief Patterson. “Working alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the ATF, CMPD remains committed to ensuring that individuals who endanger our residents with violent and reckless actions are held fully accountable. We will continue to pursue every available resource and every collaborative effort to protect our neighborhoods and uphold justice.”

According to court documents, on the evening of June 22, 2023, Emerson fired between five and six rounds into an occupied apartment complex from his vehicle. At the time of the shooting, a family, including a child as young as a year old, lived at the apartment. No one was physically harmed as a result of the shooting. Once on the scene, CMPD officers retrieved a shell casing from the road outside of the home.

Months later, in the early morning of November 5, 2023, CMPD officers found Emerson asleep in the driver’s seat of his vehicle. Emerson’s vehicle matched the description of the vehicle driven by the perpetrator of the June shooting. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and recovered a loaded Canik TP9SF semi-automatic pistol affixed to the defendant’s right hip, loaded with an 18-round magazine and a round in the chamber. Officers also located a dual magazine pouch with two loaded magazines, each containing 18 rounds of 9mm ammunition, on the defendant’s left hip. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement found a loaded handgun magazine, additional rounds of ammunition, and body armor.

CMPD’s Crime Laboratory compared the shell casing collected during the June shooting against the firearm seized from Emerson. A firearm examiner determined Emerson’s pistol fired the shell casing.

Emerson has multiple prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Asheville has indicted Christian Michael Hall, 49, of Drexel, N.C., on charges of defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by falsely claiming his property was damaged by Tropical Storm Helene when in fact he did not have an interest in the affected property, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

“Every dollar of federal assistance is needed to repair my district after the destruction caused by Tropical Storm Helene,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “Those committing fraud and wasting those valuable dollars will not be tolerated.”

On September 27, 2024, Tropical Storm Helene struck the Western District of North Carolina, causing massive devastation, including extensive property damage and loss of life. On September 28, 2025, a major disaster declaration was issued for areas impacted by Tropical Storm Helene, and federal agencies were able to provide relief to affected individuals and entities through financial assistance for property repairs and other disaster-related needs. FEMA made financial assistance and benefits available to individuals and families affected by the storm. Eligible individuals, including renters and property owners, who lost the use of their residences could qualify for FEMA benefits. Specifically, impacted individuals could receive assistance for relief for home repair, personal property damage, transportation, medical expenses, and housing assistance, among other benefits.

The indictment alleges that, on or about September 30, 2024, Hall filed an application for disaster assistance with FEMA seeking benefits for a residence in Valdese, North Carolina, that had sustained damage from Tropical Storm Helene. According to allegations in the indictment, Hall falsely asserted that the impacted property was his primary residence, even though he did not own, rent, reside, or work in that residence. As a result of his fraudulent application, Hall obtained approximately $20,932.14 in FEMA benefits to which he was not entitled. 

Hall is charged with fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The charges against Hall are allegations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General and FEMA’s Fraud Investigations and Inspections Division for their investigation of the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina is committed to protecting federal disaster relief programs from waste, fraud and abuse. To report suspected disaster-related fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 1-866-720-5721, or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today that a repeat felon was sentenced to prison for almost 22 years for illegal gun possession and using a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activities.

Terence Gerod McBride, 39, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 262 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On June 20, 2025, McBride pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. 

Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

“McBride is in his thirties now, but he will be in his sixties when he is released from federal prison,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “Armed, repeat offenders are being held accountable and serving real time in the federal system.  Taking these crimes seriously and removing dangerous people and their weapons from our streets will save countless lives.”

According to court documents, on June 15, 2023, around 6:30 p.m., CMPD officers attempted to stop an SUV being driven by McBride, but the defendant refused to stop. As officers followed McBride, the defendant discarded a backpack onto a residential street containing a Glock, model 33, .357 caliber semi-automatic pistol, 17.31 grams of cocaine, and over $20,000 in cash. Six days after the attempted traffic stop, CMPD officers arrested McBride in the driveway of a residence near where the defendant had discarded the backpack containing the firearm. When McBride was arrested, he had a South Carolina ID bearing McBride’s picture but another name. He also had $13,994 in cash on his person. McBride was released on state bond following his arrest.

According to court records, McBride later became a suspect in a homicide stemming from a March 17, 2024, shooting in Charlotte. Warrants were issued for McBride’s arrest. McBride was located in New York on August 16, 2024. The defendant was in the front seat passenger of a car that ran a red light. During the subsequent traffic stop, law enforcement recovered two firearms and an amount of cocaine base. McBride was again in possession of fraudulent identification.

McBride is in federal custody. He will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to prison today for his role in a scheme involving stolen checks, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Desmond Aldo McKelvey, 44, was sentenced to 54 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On June 13, 2025, McKelvey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, and Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees North Carolina, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

“Mr. McKelvey had plenty of opportunities to realize what he was doing was wrong – he stole checks, created false identification documents, and opened bank accounts in someone else’s name,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “This crime is heavy burden on both its victims and our financial system, and we will work hard to prosecute and prevent it.”

“The defendant schemed to steal checks, used phony identification, and then redirected the money for personal use,” said Special Agent in Charge Eakins. “IRS-CI will continue its investigative efforts working alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protect the integrity of our nation’s tax administration system and the American taxpayers.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service values our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina who helped bring this investigation to a successful conclusion,” Inspector in Charge Hopkins. “The events of today serve as yet another example of the unending dedication of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners to halt the devastating effects of identity theft.”

According to court filings, from June to September 2023, McKelvey and his co-conspirators defrauded financial institutions through a scheme involving stolen checks, including U.S. Treasury checks. McKelvey and others obtained the stolen checks online or through other means, and then used fictitious identification in the names of the victims to whom the checks were payable to open bank accounts. McKelvey then deposited the stolen checks and withdrew the funds before the financial institutions could detect the fraud. The total face value of checks associated with the conspiracy exceeded $900,000.

McKelvey will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended IRS-CI and USPIS for their investigation and thanked the Huntersville Police Department for its substantial assistance.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case. 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A Candler, N.C., man was sentenced to prison yesterday for distributing thousands of files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) via a peer-to-peer network, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Jake Ben Paul Lohr, 48, was sentenced to 126 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Upon release from custody, Lohr will be required to register with the Sex Offender Registry Board in any state or jurisdiction where he works or resides.

“Each time an image depicting the sexual abuse of a child is shared, that child is revictimized all over again,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson.  “For those who continue to distribute thousands of files like Lohr, we have no choice but to remove them from the community to stop them from causing further harm to victims who have already suffered too much.”

According to filed court documents and court proceedings, detectives were conducting an online investigation on the BitTorrent peer-to-peer network for offenders sharing CSAM. Peer-to-peer, or P2P, is a type of decentralized network where computers can connect directly and share files. Between December 2023 and January 2024, law enforcement successfully completed three downloads of files containing thousands of images and videos containing CSAM, that Lohr was making available for others to download.

On February 28, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence. Multiple electronic devices were seized and forensically analyzed. The forensic analysis revealed that Lohr possessed the equivalent of 571,950 images depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as infants. Some of the CSAM material maintained and distributed also portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or other depictions of violence. 

Lohr remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked HSI, the Waynesville Police Department, and the Boone Police Department for their investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Benjamin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Dominican national extradited from the Dominican Republic to face child sexual exploitation charges appeared in federal court today, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

“Hinojosa is accused of exploiting children and then fleeing the United States to evade prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “We will not give up on those that flee; we will track down and prosecute those who prey on our children, wherever they go.”

“Roberto Severino Hinojosa was indicted in the Western District of North Carolina, nearly a decade ago and fled the U.S., likely believing he had escaped the reach of the FBI and the Department of Justice. He was proven wrong when he was apprehended and handcuffed in the Dominican Republic. By leveraging the strength of our law enforcement partners in this country and around the world, there is no place to hide for those who prey on children,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge.

On February 22, 2017, a federal grand jury in Charlotte returned a five-count indictment charging Roberto Severino Hinojosa, 29, a Dominican national who was a lawful permanent resident at the time of his offense, with one count of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), one count of transportation of CSAM, and three counts of receipt of CSAM.

After being interviewed by the FBI, Hinojosa fled the United States. With the assistance of the FBI Law Enforcement Attaché in the Dominican Republic and Dominican Law Enforcement, Hinojosa was located in the Dominican Republic and subsequently arrested on Jan. 30 by Dominican authorities at the request of the United States. On March 25, 2026, Dominican authorities extradited Hinojosa from the Dominican Republic. On March 26, 2026, Hinojosa appeared in federal court in Charlotte for his initial appearance. Today, Hinojosa had his arraignment and detention hearing and was ordered detained pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

According to allegations in the indictment, between May and June 2015, Hinojosa engaged in the sexual exploitation of children by possessing, transporting, and receiving child sexual abuse material, some of which involved prepubescent minors that had not yet attained 12 years of age.

If convicted, Hinojosa faces a statutory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of receipt and transportation of CSAM, and up to 20 years in prison for possession of CSAM. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The investigation was led by the FBI in Charlotte with assistance from the Union County Sheriff’s Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI LEGAT, and Dominican authorities provided significant assistance in securing Hinojosa’s arrest and extradition.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Charlotte men were sentenced to prison today for their involvement in a multi-state stolen vehicle conspiracy involving millions of dollars in high-end vehicles and trafficking large quantities of marijuana, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

Andre Lamar Sumner, 43, was sentenced to 70 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Erren Woodson, 40, was ordered to serve 51 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Sumner and Woodson previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, possession of a stolen vehicle, and possession with intent to distribute kilogram quantities of marijuana.

“Sumner and Woodson were criminals from head to toe – driving around in expensive stolen vehicles, engaging in fraud, and dealing drugs with piles of guns and ammunition,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Thanks to the work of law enforcement, all of this crime is over, and Sumner and Woodson will be in federal prison.”

“These defendants boldly participated in this luxury car theft ring across at least 10 states and took extra steps to conceal their crimes. Despite their efforts, they could not deter the dedicated law enforcement professionals at the FBI and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department who meticulously traced and tracked their crime spree and brought them to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Reid. 

“Today’s sentencings continue to underscore the power of strong partnerships and our shared commitment to protecting this community,” said Chief Patterson. “The specialized work of our SCARLET Detectives was instrumental in dismantling this network and holding these individuals accountable. This case is a clear example of how coordinated work between local and federal agencies disrupts organized criminal networks, prevents violence and ensures that those who endanger our neighborhoods are held fully accountable. CMPD will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to stop violent crime before it occurs and safeguard the people of our great city!”

According to filed documents and statements made in court, the FBI and CMPD’s Stolen Car And Recovery Law Enforcement Team (SCARLET) determined that Sumner and Woodson were involved  in a high-end stolen vehicle ring involving luxury cars and trucks from car dealerships, rental car companies, and private individuals across the United States, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Missouri.

Sumner operated as a “fence” in the conspiracy who sold stolen vehicles to Woodson and others. A fence is someone who acts as the middleman and finds or deals with buyers for stolen property. Sumner sought to fence high-end stolen vehicles such as luxury models made by BMW, Land Rover, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls-Royce, as well as trucks and other expensive models from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and RAM.

According to court records, Sumner sold the stolen cars to buyers at prices significantly below their fair market value. To avoid detection and maximize resale value, Sumner conspired with others to alter the stolen vehicles’ original Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and fraudulently register them with various state motor vehicle agencies. As court documents show, during the conspiracy, Sumner possessed or had personal knowledge of at least 31 stolen vehicles estimated to be worth more than $2 million.

Sumner also kept some of the vehicles for personal use. On or about September 13, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Sumner’s residence in Charlotte, where they located four stolen vehicles outside his residence: a 2020 Ford Explorer that was stolen in New Jersey in December 2022; a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk stolen in New Jersey in January 2023; a 2021 GMC Yukon Denali stolen in South Carolina in January 2023; and a 2021 RAM TRX that was stolen in Pennsylvania in January 2023. All four vehicles displayed fraudulent VINs. 

U.S. v. Sumner et al. – Stolen 2021 GMC Yukon Denali recovered from Sumner’s residence on September 13, 2023

During the car theft conspiracy, Sumner was also involved in drug trafficking, which helped fund the purchase of stolen vehicles. During the execution of the search warrant at Sumner’s residence, law enforcement located approximately 71 pounds of marijuana. Officers located additional evidence of narcotics trafficking at Sumner’s residence, including: approximately two pounds of psilocybin/psilocin mushrooms; three firearms (a Palmetto State AR-15, a Cobra .380 pistol, and a Ruger P-series handgun, each with loaded magazines); approximately $118,619 in U.S. currency; as well as narcotics packaging, money counters, a vacuum sealer, and digital scales.   

U.S. v. Sumner et al. - AR-15 firearm recovered from Sumner’s residence on September 13, 2023

According to court documents, Woodson was also an armed drug trafficker who possessed expensive stolen cars. On multiple occasions, Woodson received or purchased stolen vehicles from Sumner, knowing they were stolen. Woodson regularly communicated with Sumner to discuss the available inventory of stolen vehicles and prices for the stolen cars.

During the conspiracy, Woodson received or was otherwise aware of at least eight stolen vehicles, including: a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette; a 2021 Dodge Durango; a 2018 Ford F150; a 2022 GMC Yukon; a 2023; GMC Yukon; a 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee Wagoneer; a 2016 Mercedes-Benz C300; and a 2022 RAM TRX. Six of these vehicles were located by investigators, displaying altered VINs, and were in Woodson’s possession or in the possession of other individuals affiliated with Woodson.

On December 20, 2023, law enforcement recovered a stolen 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray from the residence of an individual associated with Woodson. 

U.S. v. Sumner et al - 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray seized on December 20, 2023

As with Sumner, Woodson was also involved in narcotics trafficking during the conspiracy, which helped fund the purchase of stolen vehicles. On December 20, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Woodson’s residence in Charlotte, where they seized approximately 86 pounds of packaged marijuana and approximately 7.6 pounds of packaged psilocybin/psilocin mushrooms, intended for distribution. Law enforcement also seized nine firearms, including: rifles, shotguns, pistols, and a revolver, $586,000 in U.S. currency and two stolen vehicles: a 2018 Ford F150 and a 2021 Dodge Durango. 

U.S. v. Sumner et al. - Various firearms seized from Woodson’s residence on December 20, 2023

U.S. v. Sumner et al. – Stacks of cash seized from Woodson’s residence on December 20, 2023

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI and CMPD’s SCARLET unit for their investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are in charge of the prosecutions. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Massachusetts man arrested at Charlotte Douglas International Airport was sentenced to 15 years in prison today for transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of HSI in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

Jossue Ovidio Tejada, 31, of Nantucket, was ordered to serve 15 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Tejada was also ordered to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison and to pay $79,300 in restitution.

“If you possess child sexual abuse material, you will be caught,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “My office is dedicated to protecting children, and we seek long sentences for those who harm and exploit them.”

According to court records, on March 1, 2024, Tejada flew into Charlotte on an international flight from the Dominican Republic. During an inspection at Passport Control, a Customs and Border Patrol Officer conducted a border search of Tejada’s phone. Upon opening one of the messaging apps on the phone, the officer discovered message threads related to CSAM. Court records show that Tejada’s phone was submitted for a forensic examination. The analysis of the phone revealed it contained 4,162 files of CSAM, 7,500 identified as child erotica, 52 files depicting S&M of minors, 418 files depicting sexual abuse of infants or toddlers, 24 files depicting bestiality with minors, and 1,550 files depicting CSAM of children under the age of 12. In addition, court records indicate that Tejada actively chatted with others to solicit, pay for, and distribute CSAM.

In sentencing Tejada, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell said, “This is about as serious an offense as it gets. . . . What is depicted in those videos actually happened.”

Tejada remains in custody pending placement at a federal facility by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked HSI for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced that five previously convicted felons were sentenced to prison today for illegal possession of firearms. The cases are part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office ongoing efforts under Operation Take Back America to identify and prosecute repeat offenders that violate federal firearms laws.

“Those who continually engage in crime using firearms are going to find themselves in the federal system,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “It is illegal for felons to possess a firearm, and my office uses that statute to remove repeat offenders from the streets and reduce violence in our community.”

“ATF collaborates with our law enforcement partners to identify those that blatantly ignore our laws and threaten our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “We are proud to be part of a focused effort on stopping gun violence and removing these dangerous individuals from our streets.”

“Addressing violent crime requires every partner at the table, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is committed to working side‑by‑side with our federal counterparts to keep our communities safe,” said Chief of Police Estella D. Patterson. “When repeat offenders continue to carry guns and endanger the public, we will act decisively. These cases show what strong collaboration can accomplish, identifying the drivers of violence, removing illegal firearms from our streets and holding those who break the law fully accountable.”

The five defendants previously pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and today were sentenced as follows:                     

Timothy Demetrius Williams, 35, of Mooresville, N.C., was sentenced to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On August 15, 2024, officers with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) observed Williams in possession of a firearm. The officers found a Glock, Model 43X, 9mm semi-automatic pistol in Williams’ jacket pocket, loaded with 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition and a round in the chamber. During the investigation, it was determined that the firearm had been reported stolen. Williams, who has a prior felony conviction in Florida, also pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm.

Luther Joseph Weathers, 28, was ordered to serve 57 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. On June 12, 2024, CMPD officers were dispatched to a residence after reports of an individual in a parked vehicle in the driveway. Upon arrival, the officers observed Weathers seated in the front passenger seat, asleep in the vehicle. The officers opened the door of the vehicle and placed Weathers under arrest. During the arrest, Weathers told the officers he had a firearm in his front right jacket pocket. Officers removed a loaded Taurus Magnum .357, firearm and ammunition. Weathers has multiple prior convictions including robbery with a dangerous weapon. During the investigation, it was determined that the firearm had been reported stolen.

Damiyus Diamonte Fowler, 28, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 52 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On February 9, 2025, CMPD officers found a Glock with an extended magazine holding up to 30 rounds during a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Fowler was a passenger. Fowler tried to run after the officers located the firearm in a backpack. The officers caught up with Fowler, and he was taken into custody. At the time, Fowler was on supervised release for a prior federal conviction for illegal possession of a firearm, and the judge sentenced him to an additional 12 months in prison.

Jamil Omire Ali, 32, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 45 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On February 22, 2025, CMPD officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in Charlotte. Ali was seated in the passenger seat. Upon exiting the vehicle, officers observed that Ali was carrying a firearm in his waistband. The officers attempted to place Ali under arrest, but Ali resisted. He was ultimately detained. Ali had several outstanding arrest warrants for assault and weapons-related charges at the time of his arrest. The firearm Ali possessed was a Smith & Wesson, M&P Shield, .40 caliber, pistol, loaded with a live round in the chamber and four additional rounds in the magazine. Ali has prior felony drug and firearm convictions.

Dwayne Furlow Chaney, 40, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On January 31, 2025, CMPD officers responded to the Transit Center in Charlotte in reference to an individual observed selling narcotics. The responding officers searched Chaney and found several grams of narcotics on his person, as well as a Smith & Wesson MP40 .40 caliber pistol containing six rounds of ammunition. Chaney was taken into custody. During the investigation, it was determined that the firearm was stolen. Chaney has a prior conviction for felony possession of a firearm and other offenses.

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of these cases. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecutions.

These sentencings are 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).

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Mexican national illegally present in the United States was sentenced to prison today for trafficking kilogram quantities of fentanyl and heroin, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of HSI in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

Luis Fernando Huerta Ayon, 27, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Ayon will also be removed from the United States after he completes his prison sentence.

“Eliminating fentanyl is a top priority of my office,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Fentanyl is a poison that has taken too many lives, and we are working hard to put a stop to it.”

According to filed documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, in early December 2024, law enforcement began an investigation into Huerta for suspected fentanyl trafficking. Investigators conducted at least two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Huerta, tracked his vehicle, and surveilled the defendant. After building their investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Huerta’s residence in Charlotte.

Investigators’ extensive efforts led to the seizure of over a kilogram of fentanyl, over a hundred grams of deadly fentanyl analogue, and nearly a kilogram of heroin. Additionally, inside Huerta’s residence, agents found a drug ledger, a digital scale, bulk cash, a vacuum sealing machine, and multiple cellular phones. Some of the fentanyl recovered was already packaged for street-level sales.

On November 20, 2025, Huerta pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals pending placement at a federal facility by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked HSI for their investigation of the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.