Western District of North Carolina

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A previously convicted sex offender who served as the administrator of an online chatroom dedicated to sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) was sentenced to 188 months in prison today for distributing child pornography, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Nicholas Tyler Banks, 24, of Burnsville, N.C., was ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release, to register as a sex offender, and to pay $26,000 in restitution.

Chief Daniel Duckworth of the Boone Police Department joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, beginning in September 2023, a Boone Police Department detective was conducting an undercover investigation into the sexual exploitation of children online. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Banks was using a commonly available chat application to share images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children in a chatroom dedicated to sharing CSAM. All the files shared by Banks were made available for all users of the chatroom to view, download, and further distribute. The CSAM files depicted prepubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct with adults and some of the videos depicted sadomasochistic conduct. The investigation further revealed that Banks served as the administrator of the chat group, and in that role, he was in charge of adding new members to the group.

In January 2024, a search warrant was executed at Banks’s residence. Several electronic devices were seized and forensically examined. In total, investigators found that Banks possessed the equivalent (when taking videos into account) of more than 47,700 CSAM images. Investigators also determined that Banks continued to collect and share additional CSAM even after the search warrant was executed.

Banks was previously convicted of the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in Sullivan County, in Tennessee, and as a result of that conviction he was a registered sex offender.

On January 27, 2025, Banks pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography with a qualifying prior conviction. 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 commended the Boone Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Alexis Solheim 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 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. –Trysten Anthony Cullon, 26, of South Carolina, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez and pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking for a scheme targeting a vulnerable victim and his immediate family members using extortive and threatening text messages, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Previously, on April 10, 2025, Jade Ashlynn Stone, 25, of South Carolina, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking.

James C. Barnacle, Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to the indictment, filed plea documents, and the court hearings, from September 5 to September 8, 2024, the defendants conspired to engage in a cyberstalking conspiracy that targeted a victim identified in court documents as C.T. C.T. had an intellectual disability and was classified as Educable Mentally Disabled. Because of his disability, C.T. was extensively supported by his immediate family and did not live on his own. C.T. was also employed at a fast-food restaurant chain in Charlotte.

As Cullon and Stone admitted in court, they used a stolen phone to send C.T.’s family members multiple harassing and intimidating text messages demanding money and threatened to provide derogatory and embarrassing information to C.T.’s employer unless they were paid, including salacious claims that C.T. was a pervert, that he harassed girls, and that he paid girls for sexual pictures. As a result of the substantial emotional distress caused by the extortive and threatening text messages sent by the defendants, C.T. died by suicide.

Cullon and Stone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit cyberstalking which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Cullon and Stone are both in custody. A sentencing date has not been set.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI for the investigation of this case and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for its substantial assistance.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Charlotte charging Xana Dayanae Dove, a former Gastonia police officer, with straw purchasing a firearm, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Dove, 28, of Charlotte, was arrested on Thursday, and was released on bond following her initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler.

James C. Barnacle, Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to allegations in the indictment, on May 25, 2023, Dove knowingly made a false and fictitious written statement to Shooters Express, a licensed firearms dealer in Belmont, North Carolina, in connection with the acquisition of a Springfield Hellcat Pro, 9mm pistol. The indictment alleges that Dove falsely stated on ATF’s Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 that she was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm when the defendant knew this statement was false and fictitious.

Dove is charged with making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and causing a false report during a firearm purchase. If convicted, Dove faces a combined maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence imposed 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.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI and ATF for their work on the investigation, and thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction’s Community Supervision, and the Gastonia Police Department for their assistance with Dove’s apprehension.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. –Ronald Lee Peak, 45, of Hendersonville, N.C., was sentenced today to 188 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

According to court records and court proceedings, law enforcement learned that Peak was distributing firearms and methamphetamine in and around Asheville and Hendersonville. Investigators used a confidential informant (CI) to purchase firearms and methamphetamine from Peak at least two times between July and August 2022. The first time Peak sold the CI a 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number in Hendersonville, and later, sold 36.82 grams of methamphetamine in Asheville. The second time Peak sold the CI 27.175 grams of methamphetamine and a .32 caliber pistol.

Peak pleaded guilty on August 16, 2024, to distribution of methamphetamine. Court records indicate Peak has prior state convictions and as a result he qualified for an increased sentence as a career offender. Peak will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons after he completes his state prison sentence.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Buncombe Country Sheriff’s Office, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled 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. 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. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed separate criminal charges against 18 defendants as part of Operation Take Back America, for violations that include straw purchasing of firearms, bank robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, illegal reentry, and failure to notify a change of address.

The 18 defendants charged last week and the alleged offenses include:

Walter Adonai Rivera Chinchilla, 24, of Charlotte, and Fausto Odalis Reyes Guevara, 27, of Honduras, are charged via a superseding indictment of conspiracy to provide a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Guevara is also charged with possession of a firearm by a person unlawfully in the United States. According to the superseding indictment, on October 12, 2024, Guevara messaged Chinchilla that Guevara needed a “17” and a white Beretta for a good price. Two days later, Chinchilla allegedly purchased a Beretta 92FS pistol from Guns Too, a licensed firearms dealer located in Caldwell County. When he purchased the firearm from Guns Too, Chinchilla allegedly lied on the forms, falsely attesting that he was the actual buyer of the firearm when he was in fact buying it for Guevara. The indictment further alleges that on the same day Chinchilla purchased a second firearm, a Glock 45 pistol, from Foothills Jewelry & Loan, a licensed firearms dealer in Catawba County. It is further alleged that Chinchilla lied again on the forms falsely attesting that he was the actual buyer of the firearm when he knew he was buying it for Guevara. Chinchilla is also facing additional charges including trafficking in firearms, making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, and dealing in firearms without a license.

Jose Francisco Meraz-Villatoro, 31, of Mexico, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien and illegal reentry by an alien. It is alleged that Meraz-Villatoro unlawfully possessed two firearms: a Glock 43 9mm handgun and a Girsan Regard MC 9mm handgun. Meraz-Villatoro was previously deported from the United States three times: in September 2013, in July 2014, and again in November 2022.

Carlos Sarmiento-Ochoa, 20, of Honduras, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien and illegal reentry by an alien. It is alleged in the indictment that Sarmiento-Ochoa unlawfully possessed a Glock 23, 40 caliber handgun, and that he was previously deported from the United States in May 2018 and again in October 2019.

Gial Obed Rodas-Hernandez, 20, of Honduras, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien and illegal reentry by an alien. The indictment alleges that Rodas-Hernandez unlawfully possessed a Taurus PT709 handgun, 9mm, and that he was previously deported from the United States in February 2021.

Jose Alberto Velazquez-Trejo, 41, of Mexico, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien and illegal reentry by an alien. The indictment alleges that Velazquez-Trejo unlawfully possessed a Sig Sauer P226 handgun. Velazquez-Trejo was also previously deported from the United States in May 2008.

Norman Enrique Lopez-Santamaria, 42, of Honduras, is charged with illegally reentering into the United States and failure to notify of a change of address. Lopez-Santamaria was previously deported from the United States four times: in October 2002, in July 2009, in August 2010, and again in May 2014.

Rogelio Hernandez-Flores, 50, of Mexico, is charged with illegally reentering the United States and failure to notify of a change of address. Hernandez-Flores was previously deported from the United States three times: in August 1997, July 2003, and again in November 2007.

Luis Zamora-Cruz, 47, of Mexico, is charged with illegally reentering the United States and failure to notify of a change of address. Zamora-Cruz was previously deported from the United States in July 2010 and again in May 2017.

Christian Emanuel Valladares-Sierra, 25, of Honduras, is charged with illegally reentering the United States and failure to notify of a change of address. Valladares-Sierra was previously deported from the United States in September 2018.

Josue Oveniel Martinez-Avalo, 31, of Honduras, is charged with illegally reentering into the United States and failure to notify of a change of address. Martinez-Avalo was previously deported from the United States in June 2014.

Luis Alfredo Navarrete Pastrana, 32, of Mexico, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States. Pastrana was previously deported from the United States in October 2021.

Bryan Flowers, 53, of Hickory, N.C., is charged with bank robbery. According to the indictment, on April 17, 2025, Flowers allegedly robbed the Peoples Bank located in Lincolnton, N.C., by force, violence, and intimidation.

Dwayne Furlow Chaney, 40, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. Chaney allegedly illegally possessed a Smith & Wesson M&P, .40 caliber pistol, and did so knowing he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a prior criminal conviction.

Marshall Demetrius Rice, 45, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that Rice illegally possessed a Smith & Wesson, model SD9VE, 9mm pistol, and did so knowing he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a prior criminal conviction.

Damiyus Diamonte Fowler, 28, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. Fowler allegedly illegally possessed a Glock 19, Gen 5 9mm caliber pistol, and did so knowing he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a prior criminal conviction.

Aaron Deondre Conway, 41, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that Conway illegally possessed a Walther, Model PPK/S .380 caliber pistol, and did so knowing he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a prior criminal conviction.

Jamil Omire Ali, 31, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. Ali allegedly illegally possessed a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, .40 caliber pistol, and did so knowing he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a prior criminal conviction.

Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from 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).

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

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Removal Operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for their investigations that led to the charges. U.S. Attorney Ferguson also commended the local law enforcement agencies that assisted in the investigation and apprehension of the defendants.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys with the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the cases. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today that federal charges were filed against Jon Patrick Kubler, 52, of Redondo Beach, California, for allegedly orchestrating a $4 million investment scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims.

James C. Barnacle, Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to allegations in the criminal indictment, from December 2017 to April 2023, Kubler defrauded about 30 investors out of more than $4 million through an investment fraud scheme.

Despite not being licensed as an investment adviser, Kubler allegedly provided investment planning and management services to victims who were unsophisticated investors, elderly, and the beneficiaries of settlements or life insurance proceeds. Throughout the scheme, Kubler allegedly made false and fraudulent representations to victims, concealed and omitted material facts, and told deceptive half-truths to induce victims to invest in commercial real estate through companies he owned and operated, including Aksarben Evolution, LLC and Green Saddle, LLC.

To further the scheme and to convince investors their investments were profitable, Kubler allegedly made Ponzi-style payments to victims, using new investors’ money to pay existing investors, purporting the pay-outs were the result of successful investing and not funds from new victims Kubler had solicited. It is further alleged that Kubler used a portion of the investors’ money to pay for personal expenses and to make cash withdrawals, among others.

According to allegations in the indictment, in 2022, a victim investor received a letter from U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding its investigation into alleged securities fraud by Kubler. In an effort to conceal the scheme and that he was being investigated by the SEC, Kubler misled the victim by telling her that she did not need to respond to the SEC and that it was normal to receive a letter from the SEC after receiving a large settlement from a third party, as the victim had.

Kubler is charged with securities fraud and transactional money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the securities fraud offense and 10 years for the transactional money laundering offense. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI in Charlotte for its investigation of the case.

In addition to the criminal charges, in September 2023, the SEC announced that it obtained a temporary asset freeze, restraining order, and other emergency relief in the U.S. District court in the District of Nebraska against Kubler and several of the entities under his control, for allegedly engaging in a multi-year Ponzi scheme that misappropriated and misused investors’ funds. A final judgment was entered on January 22, 2025, in which Kubler agreed to be permanently enjoined from violating the securities laws and to pay disgorgement and civil penalties.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings are in charge of the prosecution.

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. – A federal grand jury in Charlotte has returned a criminal indictment charging Tiawana Brown, 53, and her daughters, Tijema Brown, 30, and Antionette Rouse, 33, all of Charlotte, with wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with fraudulent applications filed to falsely obtain COVID pandemic relief funds, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

James C. Barnacle, Jr., Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to allegations in the indictment, between April 2020 and September 2021, the defendants conspired to execute a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and obtain COVID pandemic relief funds for their purported businesses, through the submission of loan applications that contained false information or false documentation. It is alleged that the false documentation generally included fake and fraudulent tax forms, among other misrepresentations. It is further alleged that the defendants submitted false statements to obtain forgiveness of the PPP loans. In total, the defendants allegedly submitted at least 15 applications for EIDL or PPP funds and falsely obtained at least $124,165 in connection with their scheme to defraud.

The indictment also alleges that the EIDL and PPP funds were deposited into bank accounts controlled by the defendants. Instead of using the pandemic relief funds to pay for qualifying expenses as purported in the loan applications, the defendants allegedly used the proceeds on personal expenses, including allegedly approximately $15,000 on a personal birthday party for Tiawana Brown.

The defendants are charged with wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud. If convicted, they face maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each offense charged in the indictment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI in Charlotte for their work on the investigation.

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

Since the inception of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted 35 defendants. The Office’s enforcement efforts in regard to COVID fraud also include actions to impose monetary judgments and collect assets to recoup some of what was wrongfully taken from taxpayer funds. These actions include criminal and civil forfeiture, criminal restitution, and civil False Claims Act cases. To-date, in dozens of COVID fraud cases, the Western District has already obtained almost $18 million in judgments or settlements and collected over $5.5 million in assets.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Steven Andiloro, 53, of Mooresville, N.C., was sentenced today to 45 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for orchestrating a $6.1 million investment fraud scheme and fraudulently obtaining over $2.6 million in COVID relief funds, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell also ordered Andiloro to pay $5,341.155 in restitution the victims of his fraud.

Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Acting Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, and Amelaka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to documents filed in the case and the sentencing hearing, from 2018 to 2021, Andiloro operated an investment fraud scheme where he induced victims to invest in businesses, both real and fictitious, by making false representations about where and how the investors’ money would be invested. For example, some of Andiloro’s victims were told their money would be invested into his car service business, while others believed they were investing into a non-existent marijuana dispensary business. Contrary to representations made to victims, Andiloro did not invest the money as promised. Instead, he used the funds to pay for personal expenses and to operate a Ponzi scheme, where he used money from new investors to pay earlier investors purporting that the returns were the result of profitable investments.

In addition to the investment scheme, Andiloro also engaged in COVID fraud. Court records show that, from April 2020 to March 2021, Andiloro obtained funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) by submitting fraudulent applications for disaster relief loans intended for businesses that suffered economic hardship due to the pandemic. To obtain the PPP funds, Andiloro submitted applications that contained false financial information about his businesses, including fake employment data and inflated revenues, costs, and payroll expenses. Andiloro received more than $2.6 million in disaster relief funds, which he used to fund his personal lifestyle and to make payments in furtherance of the investment scheme.

Andiloro remains released on bond. He 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 the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, and the SBA-OIG for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Graham Billings and Katherine Armstrong with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A previously-convicted child predator was sentenced to 192 months in prison today for distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Justin Matthew Adkins, 40, of Marion, North Carolina, was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.

According to records, Adkins was convicted of Second-Degree Exploitation of a Minor in Buncombe County and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. Adkins was released from state custody in April 2023, and was placed on post-release supervision until 2028. On November 7, 2023, officers with the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, deputies with the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, and deputy marshals with the U.S. Marshals Service conducted a probation search at Adkins’ home. During the search, law enforcement reviewed Adkins’s electronic devices for compliance with his post-release conditions and found that the defendant possessed CSAM. Law enforcement also seized narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

Court records show that a computer forensic analyst with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) analyzed Adkins’s electronic devices and located thousands of CSAM images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of prepubescent children. The analysis also revealed that Adkins had distributed CSAM to other individuals online.

On December 18, 2024, Adkins pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. 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 commended HSI in Greenville, the U.S. Marshals Service, the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Alexis Solheim 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 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.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Zachery Micah Rice, a 35-year-old Asheville man, was sentenced today to 342 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking ring that distributed many kilograms of fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs in Asheville and surrounding areas, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term, Rice was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

According to records filed in the case, from 2021 to 2023, Rice was a major distributor methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties. He obtained the drugs from a supplier in Atlanta and transported them back to Western North Carolina for further distribution through a local network of traffickers and dealers. During one trip, law enforcement stopped and searched Rice’s vehicle, seizing over 11.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, a .40 caliber pistol modified to fully automatic with a machinegun conversion device known as a “Glock switch,” and more than $32,683 in cash. Investigators later executed search warrants at stash houses and a storage unit used by Rice, recovering kilogram quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine, multiple firearms, including high-capacity magazines ammunition, digital scales, drug paraphernalia used for drug distribution, and more than $27,470.

Rice pleaded guilty on October 18, 2024, to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a machinegun.

Rice remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending placement by the federal Bureau of Prisons.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina,  the Asheville Police Department, the Waynesville Police Department, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, the Swain County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Franklin Carlos Fair, 55, of Arden, N.C., was sentenced today to 134 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

According to documents filed with the court and proceedings, in July 2023, law enforcement learned that Fair, who had prior state convictions for drug trafficking, was distributing kilogram amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Buncombe County. During a November 7, 2023, traffic stop in Anderson, South Carolina, deputies stopped Fair as he traveled from Atlanta to Western North Carolina. Deputies found nearly $3,800 in cash in Fair’s pockets. They also recovered a heat-sealed package and a plastic bag that contained more than 255 grams of fentanyl, which Fair had tossed out the car window before he was stopped.

According to court documents, on April 17, 2024, an individual cooperating with law enforcement arranged to buy from Fair $4,400 worth of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Fair was arrested when he arrived at the agreed location to make the drug sale. After Fair was taken into custody, law enforcement searched his vehicle and recovered more than a half a kilogram of methamphetamine and over 20 grams of fentanyl.

On October 23, 2024, Fair pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, and Waynesville Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled 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. 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 man who used a privately made and unregistered firearm, commonly known as a “ghost gun,” to carjack a vehicle on a college campus was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison for a firearms offense, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Mark Jordan Williams, 37, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following the completion of his prison term.

Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to court documents and court proceedings, on March 23, 2023, an individual identified as L.C. was sitting in a Jeep Wrangler, parked on the campus of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Court records show that Williams approached the vehicle, pointed a handgun at L.C. and ordered L.C. out of the car. Williams then took L.C.’s phone, got into the Jeep, and drove away. Williams was located and arrested later that evening while inside the Jeep. When Williams was arrested, a .40 caliber Polymer 80 handgun was recovered from inside the vehicle as well. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Williams has multiple prior criminal convictions and he prohibited from possessing a firearm.

On January 9, 2025, Williams pleaded guilty to possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. 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 investigated the case and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dujuan Marquise McNeil, 39, of Charlotte, was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm after he assaulted two U.S. Postal Service mail carriers on the same day, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees Charlotte, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

“My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those that threaten or harm our postal workers,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson.  “Postal workers are hard-working Americans that are vital to our way of life and essential to our system of commerce.”

“A core mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to provide a safe environment for Postal employees and the American public. Illegal weapons threaten the safety of all our communities,” said Inspector in Charge Hopkins. “We extend our utmost appreciation to our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina for supporting our mission and bringing this investigation to a successful conclusion.”

According to court records, on June 1, 2023, McNeil, used firearms to threaten two U.S. Postal Service mail carriers. In both instances, McNeil used his vehicle to block a mail truck, before threatening the carrier inside with his guns. McNeil believed someone with the post office stole an unidentified item from his package. McNeil also went to a local post-office complain about the alleged theft. Clerks at that office reported that McNeil stated he would kill whichever carrier was responsible for the alleged theft.

During the investigation, law enforcement determined the McNeil had multiple prior criminal convictions, including Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Discharge of a Weapon into Occupied Property, and Domestic Violence Protective Order Violation, and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

On June 14, 2023, a federal search warrant was executed at McNeil’s residence, where law enforcement found and seized multiple firearms, including: three 9mm semi-automatic pistols (one fitted with an extended magazine); a Polymer 80 9mm semi-automatic pistol (commonly referred to as a “ghost gun”) with an extended magazine; an AR15 semi-automatic rifle; multiple magazines; and nearly 300 rounds of ammunition.

On October 30, 2024, McNeil pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended USPIS for their work in this investigation and thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their assistance. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dontavis Romario Truesdale, 28, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for financial institution fraud, after he stole $1.9 million in business checks from the post office where he worked, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to court records, from November 2022 to April 2023, Truesdale worked as a processing clerk at the Ballantyne Post Office in Charlotte. Court records show that Truesdale used his position and access to steal hundreds of checks of businesses that maintained post office boxes at that location. Truesdale then sold the stolen checks to other co-conspirators who committed bank fraud. Over the course of the scheme, Truesdale stole more than 200 checks with a total face value of over $1.9 million.

Following the sentencing hearing, Truesdale was released on bond. He 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 USPS-OIG, USPIS and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Smith with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Alicia England, 32, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez and pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for orchestrating a scheme involving fraudulent deed transfers and sales of properties in North Carolina and elsewhere, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to filed plea documents and today’s court hearing, from October 2022 to August 2024, England engaged in a wire fraud scheme involving, among other things, the filing of bogus deeds for residential real estate in North Carolina and other states, and the misuse of property owners’ personal identifying information (PII). As part of the scheme, England caused bogus deeds to be filed for certain properties, and then sold, and attempted to sell, those properties to third parties. England’s fraudulent scheme involved at least 19 properties worth over $1.4 million.

As England admitted in court today, the defendant stole the identities of various living and deceased individuals and used those identities and PII to open bank accounts, file fraudulent deeds, and enter into real estate sales for properties she did not actually own. For example, England utilized falsified trust documents in the name of VGR, a deceased individual. England admitted to causing the electronic filing of fraudulent quitclaim deeds purporting to transfer multiple real estate parcels from identity theft victims to the VGR Trust. After the fraudulent quitclaim deeds were filed, England advertised those properties for sale, including through online marketplaces, like Facebook Marketplace. England then negotiated the sales of the properties with interested buyers and arranged for the proceeds of the sales to be wired to bank accounts she controlled, including accounts in her own name, the VGR Trust, and in the names of other identity theft victims.

England pleaded guilty to wire fraud which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed. England was released on bond following the plea hearing. A sentencing date has not been set.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the U.S. Secret Service for the investigation of this case and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for its assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Johnathan Trent Thomas, 27, of Linwood, North Carolina, appeared in federal court today on charges of making threats of violence against federal law enforcement officers, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Thomas was arrested Friday, May 16, and remains in custody pending a detention hearing.   

Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to allegations in the criminal complaint and the affidavit unsealed today in court, on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at approximately 12:00 p.m., a caller, later identified as Thomas, contacted the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) and threatened to kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and CMPD officers if immigration enforcement actions did not stop. During a second telephone call with a CMPD officer, Thomas allegedly warned that he was coming to Charlotte with armor piercing ammunition, night vision devices, and body armor to kill law enforcement officers and threatened to “shoot them all” if he observed anyone making arrests. Thomas allegedly was referencing arrests made previously by ICE federal agents on Albemarle Road in Charlotte.

The affidavit further alleges that Thomas stated that if a police officer pointed a gun at him, he was just going to open fire. Thomas also allegedly said that he would “Swiss cheese” the officers if they were doing the same thing they did before, meaning making arrests. Thomas allegedly made additional threats to law enforcement, including that he had Tannerite (an explosive) all around his house if the police came, and referenced April 29, 2024, which is the date that four law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in Charlotte, warning that he “could do a whole lot better than that.” 

The filed affidavit also alleges that Thomas has an extensive history of threatening law enforcement, to include the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and CMPD, and on previous occasions had followed CMPD officers in marked patrol cars while they were attempting to fulfill their official duties.

On Friday, HSI agents also executed a search warrant at Thomas’s residence, where they seized three rifles and a handgun.  

Thomas is charged with threatening to assault or murder federal law enforcement officers which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended HSI for the investigation of the case and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of North Carolina, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In observance of National Police Week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement and pays tribute to the officers who have fallen in the line of duty. National Police Week is observed Sunday, May 11, through Saturday, May 17, 2025.

“During National Police Week, we honor and remember the brave men and women in law enforcement who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Their courage, dedication, and selfless service in the face of danger will never be forgotten,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Law enforcement is too often criticized and does not receive enough credit for their work and sacrifice. We stand with the entire law enforcement community and express our deep gratitude for all of our officers’ commitment to justice and their tireless efforts to protect us with courage, honor, and distinction.”

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.  

In observance of National Police Week and in remembrance of North Carolina’s fallen law enforcement officers, U.S. Attorney Ferguson delivered the keynote address at the 40th Annual Peace Officers’ Memorial Day Ceremony in Concord and participated in Mecklenburg County’s Peace Officers’ Memorial Service in Charlotte.

The names of more than 345 officers killed in the line of duty who have been added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will be read on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at the 37th Annual Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C. To view a livestream of this event, visit https://nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2025/candlelight-vigil/. To learn more about National Police Week and the virtual candlelight vigil, please visit www.policeweek.org. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –  A recidivist sex offender was sentenced to 120 months in prison yesterday for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Registered sex offender Ricky Grover Aaron, 62, of Charlotte, a was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and pay restitution to his victims.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, the FBI was conducting an undercover online investigation to identify individuals sharing CSAM using peer-to-peer file sharing networks. Investigators determined that Aaron was utilizing a BitTorrent application to make CSAM available for others, and on multiple occasions, were able to download CSAM files from one or more of Aaron’s electronic devices.

In November 2022, a search warrant was executed at Aaron’s residence. Several electronic devices were seized and forensically examined. In total, investigators found that Aaron possessed the equivalent (when taking videos into account) of more than 300,000 CSAM images that depicted, among other things, minors including infants, toddlers, and children under the age of 12, being sexually abused and exploited, having violence inflicted upon them, appearing in bondage, and otherwise subjected to sado-masochistic conduct.

At the sentencing hearing, the Court also heard that Aaron failed to register as a sex offender in Mecklenburg County after he moved to North Carolina, as he was required to do because he had two convictions prior to this one, a federal conviction for receipt and possession of CSAM, and a state conviction for false imprisonment and aggravated exploitation of a minor in Tennessee.  Under the provisions of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) convicted sex offenders are required to register with the Sex Offender Registry Board in any state or jurisdiction where they work or reside.

On October 29, 2024, Aaron pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor or 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 commended the FBI for their investigation of the case.

Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Armstrong 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.

Operation Restore Justice

This week, the FBI in North Carolina announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, following a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrest of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The enforcement action was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

Among those arrested as part of Operation Restore Justice was a former Charlotte resident, Terrell Shawn Anderson, 30, who is charged in the Western District of North Carolina with distributing child sexual abuse material and possession of child sexual abuse material. Anderson was arrested in Atlanta and faces at least five years in federal prison and up to twenty years on each distribution count and up to twenty years on the possession count.

“We will aggressively prosecute these cases, as we do all cases against those who seek to exploit and abuse children,” said Russ Ferguson in the joint announcement made with the FBI. “The individuals charged and arrested in this operation are accused of engaging in conduct that harms children and perpetuates their abuse. I commend the FBI in North Carolina and the entire law enforcement community for their ongoing efforts to identify these perpetrators and bring them to justice so they cannot hurt another child.”

You can find additional information about the national Operation Restore Justice initiative here.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Montavius Hancock, 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States (mail theft and unlawful possession of a USPS arrow key) and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  Hancock pleaded guilty to these offenses on August 21, 2024.

Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees North Carolina, Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), which overseas Charlotte, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, on January 13, 2024, Hancock was observed stealing U.S. mail from a business park in Charlotte using an “arrow key,” which is a master key used by the U.S. Postal Service. CMPD officers responded to the scene and attempted to stop Hancock’s vehicle as he fled the area. After Hancock was taken into custody, CMPD officers searched his vehicle where they recovered stolen mail from several locations around Charlotte. The face value of the checks contained within the stolen mail was over $400,000.

Hancock was also sentenced today for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after he was charged under a separate criminal indictment. Court records show that on December 22, 2023, CMPD officers arrested Hancock for possessing a Smith and Wesson, model M&P Shield EZ, 9 mm pistol with an obliterated serial number. Hancock has previous felony convictions, including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the USPIS, USPS-OIG and CMPD for their investigation and recognized the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for its invaluable assistance with the firearm investigation.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kinlaw with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution.

To report suspected mail theft, and other mail-related crimes, tips, or incidents go to https://mailtheft.uspis.gov/ or call USPIS at 1-877-876-2455. Call 911 to report an active crime in progress.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Steven Osbey, of Kernersville, N.C., has agreed to entry of a consent judgment against him in the amount of $4,711,159.00 in favor of the United States and State of North Carolina (the Governments), subject to a separate agreement regarding his participation in the Governments’ ability to pay process. The judgment represents repayment to the government for allegations that Reign & Inspirations, LLC (R&I), a clinic co-owned by Osbey and Aljihad Shabazz, charged Medicaid for physician home visits that never occurred.

More specifically, the Governments alleged Osbey and Shabazz conspired to carry out an extensive health care fraud scheme wherein they submitted or caused to be submitted claims to NC Medicaid for in-home physician visits with patients that simply never occurred—in all, billing more than 30,000 hours of these purported physician visits and sometimes billing as if the physician provided over 100 in-home visits in a single day, purportedly lasting an hour each (an obvious physical impossibility).

This investigation was conducted in parallel between the civil and criminal divisions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Shabazz pleaded guilty to criminal healthcare fraud conspiracy and money laundering charges and was sentenced to 52 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release.

The civil settlement obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Department of Justice and the FBI field offices in Charlotte, with assistance from the Medicaid Investigations Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. AUSAs Caroline McLean and Seth Johnson were responsible for the civil investigation.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

Two Chinese nationals and a California man, all members of a prolific Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO), pleaded guilty yesterday to money laundering charges involving drug trafficking proceeds.

According to court documents, Maoxuan Xia, 29, of China, Shao Neng Lin, 58, of Baldwin Park, California, and Zhou Yu, 42, of China, were members of the CMLO that laundered over $92 million in illicit funds, including proceeds from the importation and distribution of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico. Xia was one of the most active members of the Organization, traveling throughout the United States to collect drug trafficking proceeds from U.S.-based drug traffickers and deposit those illicit funds, using both real and fake identities, into shell company bank accounts registered by other members of the CMLO, such as Lin and Yu.

Xia and Yu each pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and one count of monetary transactions involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Lin pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, two counts of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and two counts of monetary transactions involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Pursuant to his plea agreement, Xia admitted that he was personally responsible for laundering more than $30 million of illicit funds, including drug trafficking proceeds, in less than two years. Xia further admitted that he knew funds laundered in the conspiracy included drug trafficking proceeds or funds intended to promote drug trafficking. Pursuant to their respective plea agreements, Lin and Yu both admitted that they each received, through the shell company bank accounts that they created and operated for the CMLO, approximately $20 million in illicit funds, including drug trafficking proceeds. Lin and Yu both admitted that the total amount of illicit funds laundered in the conspiracy for which they had actual knowledge and involvement was approximately $40 million.

The defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and money laundering counts and a maximum of 10 years in prison on each of the monetary transactions counts. A federal district court judge will determine their respective sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division, and Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.

The DEA Charlotte District Office and the IRS-CI Charlotte Field Office are investigating the case.

Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Mingda Hang, Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth, and Trial Attorney Jayce Born of the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alfredo De La Rosa and Seth Johnson for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, 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 and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Chinese nationals and a California man, all members of a prolific Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO), have pleaded guilty to money laundering charges involving drug trafficking proceeds, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Atlanta Division, and Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

According to court documents, Maoxuan Xia, 29, of China, Shao Neng Lin, 58, of Baldwin Park, California, and Zhou Yu, 42, of China, were members of the CMLO that laundered over $92 million in illicit funds, including proceeds from the importation and distribution of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico. Xia was one of the most active members of the Organization, traveling throughout the United States to collect drug trafficking proceeds from U.S.-based drug traffickers and deposit those illicit funds, using both real and fake identities, into shell company bank accounts registered by other members of the CMLO, such as Lin and Yu.

Xia and Yu each pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and one count of monetary transactions involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Lin pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, two counts of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and two counts of monetary transactions involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Pursuant to his plea agreement, Xia admitted that he was personally responsible for laundering more than $30 million of illicit funds, including drug trafficking proceeds, in less than two years. Xia further admitted that he knew funds laundered in the conspiracy included drug trafficking proceeds or funds intended to promote drug trafficking. Pursuant to their respective plea agreements, Lin and Yu both admitted that they each received, through the shell company bank accounts that they created and operated for the CMLO, approximately $20 million in illicit funds, including drug trafficking proceeds. Lin and Yu both admitted that the total amount of illicit funds laundered in the conspiracy for which they had actual knowledge and involvement was approximately $40 million.

“Let this case be a warning to foreign money launderers and drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We will work day and night to dismantle criminal operations that exploit our robust financial system to fund criminal networks, fuel addiction in our communities, and spread violence in our streets.”

“DEA strives every day to keep the American public safe from criminal organizations who threaten our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chung. “This case demonstrates our ability to leverage every tool to attack and dismantle dangerous drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.” 

“IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to going after money laundering networks attempting to move cash made from the sale of drugs in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Eakins. “Our special agents will continue to use their financial expertise to follow the money trail while working alongside partner agencies to stop those who profit from drug sales in the United States.”

The defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and money laundering counts and a maximum of 10 years in prison on each of the monetary transactions counts. A federal district court judge will determine their respective sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The DEA and IRS-CI are investigating the case.

Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Mingda Hang and Trial Attorney Jayce Born of the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alfredo De La Rosa and Seth Johnson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Kelly Woodrow Ross, 64, of Waynesville, N.C., was sentenced today to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

According to court documents and court proceedings, in November 2023, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office learned that Ross was distributing methamphetamine in the area. At the time, Ross was on federal supervised release for a prior federal drug conviction. Court records show that during the investigation into Ross’s drug distribution activities, law enforcement utilized confidential human sources to purchase more than 5.5 grams of methamphetamine from Ross. On November 28, 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Ross’s residence. During the search, investigators seized methamphetamine, digital scales, and drug paraphernalia from Ross’s residence.

On September 20, 2024, Ross pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He 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 the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to prison today for his role in a multi-million dollar bank fraud scheme, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bruce Howard Marko, 66, was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1.5 million. Marko pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.

Marko’s three co-defendants, Kotto Yaphet Paul, 50, of Waxhaw, N.C., Latoya Tamieka Ford, 50, of Covington, Georgia, and Love Norman, 50, of West Palm Beach, Florida, have each pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bank fraud conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. Paul also pleaded guilty to money laundering.

According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, beginning in 2018, Marko conspired with Peebles, Paul and Ford to orchestrate a fraudulent loan scheme that defrauded at least 17 federally insured financial institutions of more than $17 million. Marko participated directly in at least five of these fraudulent loans totaling over $2.8 million. To execute the scheme, Marko and his co-defendants submitted loan applications to financial institutions that contained fraudulent information, including false employment and income information, false tax returns, and misrepresentations regarding the applicants’ assets, liabilities, and the intended use the loan proceeds. Based on the fraudulent loan applications, Marko and his co-defendants secured at least 42 loans from the victim financial institutions. Contrary to information provided on the loan applications about the purposes of the loans, the defendants used the loan proceeds to purchase real estate, cover unrelated business expenses, make investments, make payments toward earlier loans, and pay for personal expenditures. Court documents show that the defendants defaulted on most of the loans, causing substantial losses to the victim financial institutions that issued the loans.

Four additional defendants were previously convicted of bank fraud conspiracy for their involvement in the scheme. Amrish D. Patel was sentenced to 15 months in prison, Dwight A. Peebles, Jr. was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Denise Woodard was ordered to serve 36 months in prison, and Derrick L. Harrison, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. The defendants were also ordered to pay restitution ranging from $620,000 to more than $3.1 million.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited the Office of the Inspector General of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Charlotte, and the Charlotte Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation, for the investigation of this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gast with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today that in April the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged 11 defendants with criminal charges related to firearms offenses and immigration-related violations as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime.

The defendants facing federal firearms charges are:

Steven Tyler Philbeck, 33, of Lincolnton, N.C., is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and distribution of methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that Philbeck distributed methamphetamine in Catawba County in February 2025, and illegally possessed a Glock 19 Gen4, 9mm handgun in furtherance of the drug trafficking activities.

Naquan Damerius Blakeney, 24, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that Blakeney illegally possessed a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol, and did so knowing he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a prior criminal conviction.

Justin Lloyd Coleman, 33, of Huntersville, N.C., is charged with two counts of possession of a machinegun and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that Coleman illegally possessed one more machineguns, a pistol, and a rifle. Coleman has prior felony convictions, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Kiren Nashawn Heath, 21, of Monroe, N.C., is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that Pressley possessed a Walther, model P99, 9mm pistol frame with a Smith & Wesson, model SW99, 9mm pistol slide, and did so knowing he was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Daquan Devonte Jeter, 33, of Charlotte, was indicted for the unlawful possession of a firearm. Jeter is alleged to have unlawfully possessed what is commonly known as a “sawed-off” shotgun, knowing he had prior felony convictions.

Norris Lashane Myers, 47, of Lenoir, N.C., is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that Myers possessed a Taurus PT92AF, 9mm handgun, knowing he was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Nathaniel Desean Nicholes, 25, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that Nicholes, knowing that he had previously been convicted of multiple state felony charges for Breaking and Entering, unlawfully possessed a Glock, model 19, 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol.

The defendants charged with immigration-related violations are:

Jose Guadalupe Cervantes Nava, 52, of Mexico, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States. Nava was previously deported from the United States four times in two months: on April 13, 2018, on April 20, 2018, on May 3, 2018, and again on May 20, 2018.

Remedios Arroyo Beltran, 51, of Mexico, is charged with illegally reentering into the United States. Beltran was previously deported from the United States three times: on April 22, 2019, on July 7, 2019, and again on July 12, 2019.

Erik Antonio Lopez-Hernandez, 21, of Honduras, is charged with illegally reentering into the United States. Lopez-Hernandez was previously deported from the United States in July 2023. He was arrested on February 22, 2025, by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, after the defendant allegedly attempted to flee and evade arrest for a traffic violation.

Darwin Gonzalez Navarijo, 40, of Guatemala, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States. Navarijo was previously deported from the United States three times: in June 2009, in November 2010, and again in June 2017.

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

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Emergency Removal Operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for their investigations that led to the charges. U.S. Attorney Ferguson also commended the local law enforcement agencies that assisted in the investigation and apprehension of the defendants, to include the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, the Hickory Police Department, and the Huntersville Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys with the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the cases. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –Daniel Joseph Broadway, 53, of Charlotte, appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to possessing AI-generated images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to plea documents and today’s court hearing, on December 12, 2023, CMPD officers executed a search warrant at Broadway’s Charlotte residence. From the residence, officers seized nine electronic devices that were later forensically analyzed and found to contain images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material. Some of the images and videos in Broadway’s possession had been AI-generated and some had not. A forensic analysis of the devices revealed that Broadway possessed 8,661 images and two videos of non-AI CSAM. Broadway also possessed 20,292 images and videos of AI-generated CSAM. Many of the non-AI and AI-generated CSAM depicted prepubescent minors that were nude or partially clothed, lasciviously displaying their genitals or engaging in sexual intercourse with adults.

Broadway pleaded guilty to possession and access with intent to view child pornography involving prepubescent minors and possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children, each of which carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Broadway was remanded into custody following his guilty plea. A sentencing date has not been set.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked FBI and CMPD for their investigation which led to the guilty plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes of 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. – Antoine Johnson, 49, and Kimberly Maddox, 44, formerly of Huntersville, N.C., currently residing in Georgia, were sentenced today for fraudulently obtaining approximately $2 million in bank loans and COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Johnson was ordered to serve 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Maddox was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with six months of home confinement, followed by three years of supervised release. The couple was also ordered to pay restitution in $3,037,868.10.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to court documents and today’s court hearings, the defendants owned and operated Pick Up and Go Moving International, Inc. and affiliated businesses (collectively, PUGMI). Johnson was the president of PUGMI and Maddox the vice president. Court documents show that, between 2018 and 2023, the defendants fraudulently applied for and obtained multiple lines of credit, bank loans, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program loans on behalf of their businesses. Johnson and Maddox applied for loans totaling more than $3.4 million. To secure the loans, the defendants lied on more than 35 loan applications about PUGMI’s income, gross revenues, expenses, and number of employees, and submitted fabricated supporting documents that included fraudulent tax returns and fictitious financial statements. Court documents show that at the time the couple engaged in the fraudulent loan schemes, Johnson was on federal supervised release after he was convicted and sentenced to prison for mortgage fraud.

Johnson and Maddox previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution. They will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

The FBI handled the investigation.

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

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Three members of the La Mara Salvatrucha gang (known as MS-13) were sentenced in federal court today for engaging in violent criminal conduct, including murder, in support of the criminal organization, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

Christian Alejandro Garcia Santa Cruz, a/k/a “Crimen,” 32, of El Salvador, and Aderly Jose Veliz-Ronquillo, a/k/a “Chanchin,” 30, of Guatemala, were each sentenced to 35 years in prison for using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death for the 2022 murder of W.G.M. in front of a Charlotte nightclub. Luis Fernando Guardardo Moreno, a/k/a “Fantasma” and “Scrappy,” 24, of El Salvador, was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for racketeering (RICO) conspiracy.

Two additional MS-13 members who held leadership roles within the gang, Fredy Mauricio Buruca, a/k/a “Piranha,” “Machete,” and “Insoportable,” 27, and Santos Guillermo Ramirez Mancia, a/k/a “Azazel,” “Timido,” and “Johnny,” 33, both of El Salvador, have pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. Buruca has also pleaded guilty to kidnapping a minor. A sixth MS-13 member charged in this case, Juan Francisco Sanchez Estrada, a/k/a “Nene” and “Turbo,” 31, of El Salvador, has pleaded guilty to RICO conspiracy and will be sentenced at a later date in the Middle District of North Carolina, following a consolidation of federal cases against him in each district.

“MS-13 is one of the most violent and dangerous criminal gangs operating in the United States.  MS-13 members use murder, robbery, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and extortion to support this criminal enterprise and tighten its grip on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “But we are fighting back. This case has dismantled the local MS-13 clique, and we’re not done. Our goal is not just to prosecute violent gangs, but to eliminate them completely.”

“Today’s prison sentences should make it clear to MS-13 members and their associates, violence and senseless murder will not be tolerated in North Carolina. The FBI and our partners will use every tool available to disrupt and dismantle violent criminal terrorist organizations and bring offenders to justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge DeWitt.

According to filed court documents and court proceedings, the defendants were leaders and members of the MS-13 sub-unit, or clique, known as the Hollywood Locos Salvatrucha Clique (the HLS clique), which operated in and around the Western District of North Carolina and other areas in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. From at least December 2018 and continuing through November 2022, as members of the HLS clique, the defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity that consisted of multiple acts and threats involving murder, kidnapping, extortion, robbery, and drug trafficking.

The investigation into the gang’s criminal activity revealed that these criminal acts were sanctioned by MS-13 leadership and were committed to promote a climate a fear and intimidation within the gang; to maintain the gang’s control and to expand its territory; to enforce discipline within the gang and punish any acts of disrespect; to intimidate witnesses and discourage cooperation with law enforcement; and to retaliate against rivals, or “chavalas.”

Participation in criminal activity was also intended to increase respect and ranking of members within the gang and to open the door to promotion to a leadership position. Accordingly, Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo committed murder in aid of racketeering for the purpose of maintaining and increasing their position in the MS-13 enterprise.

According to court documents, on November 6, 2022, Santa Cruz, Mancia, and Veliz-Ronquillo were at a nightclub in Charlotte. Over the course of the evening, Santa Cruz, Mancia, and Veliz-Ronquillo got into an argument with several men at the parking lot of the nightclub. During the argument, Mancia identified himself as MS-13 to the other men. At some point, W.G.M. and Mancia shoved each other. Ronquillo then shot W.G.M. once and Santa-Cruz shot the victim three times, causing the victim to sustain fatal gunshot wounds. At today’s sentencing hearing, the government contended that through their involvement in W.G.M.’s murder, Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo demonstrated their full commitment to further the goals of MS-13 and to advance their reputation within the gang.

The defendants will remain in federal custody until they are 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 commended the FBI, HSI, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case, and thanked the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, the Kannapolis Police Department, the Monroe Police Department, the Prince William County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office, and the Annapolis (Maryland) Police Department for their invaluable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik Lindahl and David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Joseph Lee Barnes, 35, of Wilmington, N.C. was sentenced to 151 months in prison today for distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Upon his release from prison, Barnes will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. also ordered Barnes to pay $89,000 in restitution.

Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, in February 2024, Barnes was in a private chatroom on an encrypted messaging platform that is dedicated to the exchange of CSAM and discussions of the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Barnes shared with the chatroom three files that contained CSAM. An undercover agent monitoring the chatroom also received those files. The undercover agent then began to chat one-on-one with Barnes. During their communications, the undercover agent claimed to be an adult with access to a child. Barnes expressed an interest in engaging in illicit sexual acts with the child and arranged to meet with the undercover agent and have sex with the child. Barnes also told the undercover agent that he had previously sexually abused children in the United States and overseas.

According to court documents, the undercover agent and Barnes continued to communicate via text messages and online over the next few weeks, and Barnes continued to send the undercover agent additional CSAM. On March 14, 2024, Barnes traveled from Wilmington to Western North Carolina for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. Law enforcement arrested Barnes at the pre-arranged meeting location. Law enforcement also seized Barnes’s phone and tablet and discovered child pornography images and videos on it. On the same day, HSI agents in Wilmington executed a search warrant at Barnes’s apartment, seizing additional electronic devices and two external hard drives. A forensic analysis of the items seized revealed that Barnes maintained an extensive library of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.

On October 30, 2024, Barnes pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. 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 commended HSI for their investigation of the case and thanked the USMS Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force

and the Waynesville Police Department for their invaluable assistance.

Assistant United States Attorney Alexis Solheim 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 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.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 Bobby Gerald Duncan (“Duncan”) and DE & E Foods, Inc. d/b/a Hillbilly’s Barbeque and Steaks (“Hillbilly’s BBQ”) have agreed to pay $1,530,682.26 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly obtaining $762,903 in pandemic relief funds, and then misusing those funds for Duncan’s own personal gain. The settlement further resolves allegations that Duncan and Hillbilly’s BBQ knowingly made false statements to obtain the relief funds, as well as obtain loan forgiveness of the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) portion of the funds.

The United States civil complaint alleged that Duncan, through his restaurant Hillbilly’s BBQ, obtained the relief funds through an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) and two PPP loans. Rather than using the funds for authorized purposes, including for payroll and other business-related expenses, Duncan misappropriated the funds for his own benefit, specifically to purchase a separate FedEx business with Duncan’s longtime friend.

Duncan did so by first transferring $100,000 of the relief funds from a Hillbilly’s BBQ corporate account to a personal account entitled “Vacation Account,” and then adding his friend as an account holder to artificially boost the friend's credit score for a separate SBA loan intended for the FedEx business purchase. When that failed, Duncan used the pandemic relief funds to buy the FedEx business outright for $750,000, by writing two large checks for its purchase directly from the Hillbilly’s BBQ business account (one for $400,000 and another for $350,000).

“Pandemic relief funds were meant to provide a financial lifeline to small businesses struggling to stay afloat during the unprecedented COVID crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Where those funds were misused, we will pursue their return as part of our ongoing effort to curb waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer money.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Johnson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of this case.

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jordan Nathaniel Hedden, 32, was sentenced today to 121 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for the 2023 kidnapping of an elderly victim, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Hedden’s co-conspirator, Stephanie Miranda Neace, 32, of Blairsville, Georgia, is currently awaiting sentencing, after a federal jury last week convicted her of kidnapping.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to filed documents, court proceedings, and trial evidence presented at Neace’s trial, on November 30, 2023, the victim, a 71-year-old female, was driving from Georgia to North Carolina, when she saw the defendants walking. The victim offered the defendants a ride because it was cold outside. The defendants accepted the ride, and soon after they entered North Carolina, Hedden instructed the victim to drive to his car. When they arrived at the location, a car was not there. Hedden then ordered the victim to stop the vehicle, and when the victim refused, Hedden forced the victim to stop the car and get in the back seat. Hedden then took over driving.

According to court records, the victim began to cry and Hedden yelled at her and told her to shut up. Hedden appeared to be high and agitated and became paranoid that the victim had a tracking device. At one point, Hedden stopped the vehicle, and he and Neace searched the car and the victim herself for tracking devices. Then, they took the victim’s phone and disabled it. Hedden also demanded money from the victim, but the victim only had $2. Fearing for her safety, the victim told the defendants to take her to an ATM and the defendants agreed. During the drive into Tennessee, Hedden made the victim promise that she would not identify them to the police.

During the drive to the ATM, the victim convinced Hedden to let her withdraw money from a gas station ATM instead of a bank. The victim also told Hedden that she would give the defendants the money if they let her stay behind safely at the gas station. When they arrived at the gas station, the victim took her purse and her car key fob. She told Hedden to turn off the car so the headlights could not be seen from the people inside the gas station, and Hedden complied. As the victim and Hedden were walking toward the gas station, the victim began to run to the door and scream for help. Hedden ran back to the car, attempted to use it to flee but was unable to start the car without the key fob. Hedden and Neace then fled on foot and escaped into the woods but were apprehended days later.

On November 13, 2024, Hedden pleaded guilty to kidnapping and aiding and abetting. 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 the FBI for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Gast and Alexis Solheim of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville are in charge of the prosecution.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. sentenced Brandon Tyler Buchanan to 30 years in prison for second degree murder, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Buchanan, 33, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term and to pay $888,500 in restitution to the victim’s estate.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Carla Neadeau of the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court records and court proceedings, on November 11, 2022, CIPD officers responded to a 911 call following reports of a shooting. When the officers arrived, Buchanan admitted to shooting someone. CIPD officers discovered the body of the victim, Kobe Toineeta, a short distance away behind a row of trees, who had sustained five gunshot wounds. Court documents show that a Smith & Wesson, Model M&P, .9mm handgun was later found in Buchanan’s apartment. Laboratory testing confirmed that it was the firearm Buchanan used to shoot and kill the victim.

On May 31, 2024, Buchanan pleaded guilty to second degree murder and remains 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 the Cherokee Indian Police Department for their investigation of the case.

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury in Asheville returned a guilty verdict late yesterday against Stephanie Miranda Neace, 32, of Blairsville, Georgia, for the 2023 kidnapping and robbery of an elderly victim, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Neace’s co-defendant, Jordan Nathaniel Hedden, 31, of Murphy, N.C., pleaded guilty to kidnapping and will be sentenced on April 14.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

“This was a frightening crime against an elderly victim who was just trying to help out of the kindness of her heart,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson.  “People who commit crimes like this affect how we treat one another, and we are committed to bringing them to justice.”

According to court documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, on November 30, 2023, the victim, a 71-year-old female, was driving from Georgia to North Carolina, when she saw the defendants walking. The victim offered the defendants a ride because it was cold outside. The defendants accepted the ride, and soon after they entered North Carolina, Hedden instructed the victim to drive to his car. When they arrived at the location, a car was not there. Hedden then ordered the victim to stop the vehicle, and when the victim refused, Hedden forced the victim to stop the car and get in the back seat. Hedden then took over driving.

According to evidence presented at trial, the victim began to cry and Hedden yelled at her and told her to shut up. Trial evidence showed that Hedden appeared to be high and agitated and became paranoid that the victim had a tracking device. At one point, Hedden stopped the vehicle, and he and Neace searched the car and the victim herself for tracking devices. Then, they took the victim’s phone and disabled it. Hedden also demanded money from the victim, but the victim only had $2. Fearing for her safety, the victim told the defendants to take her to an ATM and the defendants agreed. During the drive into Tennessee, Hedden made the victim promise that she would not identify them to the police.

During the drive to the ATM, the victim convinced Hedden to let her withdraw money from a gas station ATM instead of a bank. The victim also told Hedden that she would give the defendants the money if they let her stay behind safely at the gas station. When they arrived at the gas station, the victim took her purse and her car key fob. She told Hedden to turn off the car so the headlights could not be seen from the people inside the gas station, and Hedden complied. As the victim and Hedden were walking toward the gas station, the victim began to run to the door and scream for help. Hedden ran back to the car, attempted to use it to flee but was unable to start the car without the key fob. Hedden and Neace then fled on foot and escaped into the woods but were apprehended days later.

Neace was convicted of kidnapping which carries a maximum prison sentence of up to life imprisonment. On November 13, 2024, Hedden pleaded guilty to kidnapping. Both Hedden and Neace are currently in custody awaiting sentencing.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Gast and Alexis Solheim of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville are prosecuting the case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C – In April, the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). This year’s observance takes place April 6-12, 2025.

NCVRW began in 1981 to honor crime victims, promote victims’ rights, and recognize those who work with and advocate on behalf of victims of crime. It also serves to promote policies and programs that help victims of crime. This year’s NCVRW theme, “Connecting < KINSHIP > Healing,” recognizes that shared humanity should be at the center of supporting all survivors and victims of crime.

To commemorate NCVRW, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina hosted a ceremony in Raleigh, to promote community engagement, raise awareness, and support and honor crime victims. The ceremony featured music by “The 100 Men in Black Ensemble” and remarks by victim advocates and survivors. The program also included a remembrance ceremony for crime victims and an award ceremony to recognize individuals for their superior service and work with victims and survivors. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Randall Galyon (MDNC), U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson (WDNC), and Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar (EDNC) attended today’s NCVRW Ceremony in Raleigh 

“We wish there were no victims of crime, and eliminating crime is our goal and motivation.  During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we reaffirm our commitment to that goal, and to crime victims, survivors, and their families,” said Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. “My Office will continue to work closely with our community partners, advocates, and law enforcement to uphold victims’ rights, and to ensure that victims’ voices are heard not just this week, but every day of the year.”

“Each year during National Crime Victims’ Week, we recognize people whose physical, financial, and emotional well-being has been shattered by crime, and those who work to support them. By reflecting upon and honoring victims, victim advocates, and law enforcement professionals, we renew our commitment to seeking justice and giving hope to victims and their families,” said Randall Galyon, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. “Throughout the coming year, we will continue to bring our very best efforts to this work, protecting the fundamental human rights to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’”

“Today we honor the victims of crimes and celebrate those who work to restore hope in the face of loss and tragedy,” said Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “We greatly appreciate the sacrifices that our law enforcement partners and victim advocates make to serve, creating the community necessary to build the healing victims deserve.”

For additional information about this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and how to assist crime victims in your community, please visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov.

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Ernest D. Pheasant, Sr., 47, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), was sentenced to life in prison today for the 2013 murder of Marie Walkingstick Pheasant, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

“For over a decade, Marie’s family has endured the pain of losing their loved one without justice. Today, that changed,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Ernest Pheasant will pay for his heinous crime by spending the rest of his life behind bars. While nothing can undo the family’s loss, I hope this sentence brings them a measure of justice. My Office remains committed to pursuing cases involving missing or murdered indigenous persons no matter how much time has passed.”

“While nothing can undo the pain caused by this tragic crime, we hope that this sentence helps to provide closure to the family and friends of Marie Walkingstick Pheasant,” said Marcelino Toersbijns, Chief of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU). “This case is emblematic of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Crisis impacting tribal communities across the country and highlights the importance of the MMU’s mission of analyzing and solving missing, murdered and human trafficking cases involving American Indians and Alaska Natives.”

According to filed documents and information presented in court, on December 29, 2013, the body of Marie Walkingstick Pheasant was discovered inside a burned-out vehicle parked near Big Cove Road within the Qualla Boundary in the Western District of North Carolina. Investigators determined that the vehicle had been intentionally set on fire. An autopsy revealed that Marie died from stab wounds to the neck and abdomen. DNA retrieved from a baseball cap found near the vehicle was linked to the defendant, who was Marie’s estranged husband.

On April 7, 2022, following a review of unsolved homicides in the region, the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit opened a full interagency investigation into the case. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Pheasant killed Marie at their home, then transferred her body to the car, drove it to Big Cove Road, and set it on fire. On August 16, 2024, Pheasant pleaded guilty to first degree murder for killing Marie willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation.

The MMU began as the Cold Case task force, part of Operation Lady Justice, a multi-agency effort established by President Trump’s administration in 2019 to enhance the operation of the criminal justice system and address the staggering number of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Natives in tribal communities.

Today’s sentence is the result of the joint investigation conducted by the MMU, the FBI in North Carolina, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, and the EBCI Office of the Tribal Prosecutor.

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

Operation Not Forgotten

On Tuesday, the Justice Department announced a surge in FBI resources across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons. As part of Operation Not Forgotten, 60 FBI personnel will be sent to Field Offices to support investigations of Indian Country violent crimes. The FBI will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit and will use the latest forensic evidence processing tools to solve cases and hold perpetrators accountable. U.S. Attorney’s Offices will aggressively prosecute case referrals.

“Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.

“Violent crime continues to disproportionately impact communities in Indian Country,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Dedicating additional resources to reduce violent criminal activity in Tribal communities and solve cases of missing or murdered indigenous persons sends a clear message: No victim will be forgotten, and no crime will go unpunished.”

Scott Davis, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Interior, exercising the delegated authority of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, said, “We appreciate the partnership of the Department of Justice and the FBI in addressing these crimes. This announcement reinforces our commitment to Indian Country and our dedication to collaborating with federal, state, and tribal agencies to ensure justice for American Indian and Alaska Native victims while holding offenders accountable.”

Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization.  At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.

Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.  This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints.

Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people.  The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Asheville has returned multiple indictments, charging several individuals with criminal charges that include unlawful firearm possession, straw purchasing of firearms, and trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

“Protecting our communities from drugs and guns is one of the Justice Department’s core missions,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Through Operation Take Back America we are stepping up our efforts to remove illegal firearms from our communities, eliminate drugs in our neighborhoods, and make sure our streets are safer for everyone.”

Bryan Austin Herron, 23, of Marshall, N.C., was indicted for the unlawful possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that, on August 5, 2024, Herron unlawfully possessed a RugerEC9S 9mm handgun knowing he had prior felony convictions, including attempt to traffic methamphetamine.

John Quentin London, 39, of Hendersonville, N.C., is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and unlawful possession of two firearms: a Smith and Wesson, model 649, .38 caliber revolver, and a Smith and Wesson, model SD9, 9mm pistol.

Jason Mills, 46, of Hendersonville, is charged with multiple counts of distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that Mills trafficked fentanyl and methamphetamine in Henderson and Buncombe Counties between January and February 2024.

Christopher O’Brien Moore, 30, of Shelby, North Carolina, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges that, on June 6, 2024, Moore, knowing that he had previously been convicted of a federal racketeering conspiracy and multiple state felonies, unlawfully possessed a Glock, model 22, .40 caliber pistol and ammunition.

Dontavis Raheem Pressley, 36, of Shelby, N.C., is charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that, on August 13, 2024, Pressley possessed a Glock model 43, 9mm caliber pistol, knowing he was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Tia Marche Ray, 33, of Asheville, is charged with five counts of straw purchasing firearms. The indictment alleges that between July 12, 2020, and August 3, 2022, Ray acquired six firearms from multiple dealers in Buncombe County, by making false statements in connection with the acquisition of the firearms, falsely representing that she was the actual buyer of the firearms.

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

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office; the Burke County Sheriff’s Office; the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office; the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office; and the Asheville Police Department for their respective investigations that led to the charges.

The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.

The indictments 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Dequan Tyrie Paton, 33, of Asheville, was sentenced to 262 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release today for methamphetamine trafficking, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Chief Michael Lamb of the Asheville Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, between September and November 2023, Payton distributed approximately 156 grams of methamphetamine and 3.5 grams of fentanyl in the Asheville area. During the investigation, Payton sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine at least three times to a confidential informant working with the ATF and almost 4 grams of fentanyl to that same informant. On April 9, 2024, Asheville Police Department located and attempted to arrest Payton on federal charges. Payton took off running. While running from the officers, Payton tossed a bag from his pocket containing approximately 11 grams of cocaine.

On August 19, 2024, Payton pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine. Court records indicate Payton has multiple state convictions in North Carolina for drug distribution. Because of these prior criminal convictions, Payton qualified for an increased sentence as a career offender.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the ATF, the DEA, and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Annabelle M. Chambers with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case. Ms. Chambers is a state prosecutor with the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Ashley Welch to serve as SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.  Ms. Chambers is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of 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. – Olumide Olorunfunmi, 39, a Nigerian national, appeared in federal court in Charlotte today and pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy for laundering millions in criminal proceeds linked to romance scams and business email compromise schemes, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  According to documents filed with the court and today’s plea hearing, the scheme caused more than 125 victims to transfer over $4.5 million of proceeds stemming from illegal activities.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

Two of Olorunfunmi’s co-conspirators, both Nigerian nationals, have also pleaded guilty to federal charges and are awaiting sentencing. Specifically, Samson Amos, 53, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Emmanuel Unuigbe, 42, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.

As Olorunfunmi admitted in court today, from 2020 through 2023, Olorunfunmi conspired with Amos, Unuigbe, and others to launder the criminal proceeds of various illegal activities, including romance scams that typically targeted elderly victims, and business email compromise schemes (BECs). Court records show that the victims of the schemes were directed to transfer funds into domestic and international bank accounts controlled by Olorunfunmi and his co-conspirators. Upon receiving the fraud proceeds, Olorunfunmi and his co-conspirators transferred the funds to other bank accounts, in the U.S. and overseas.

Olorunfunmi, Amos and Unuigbe profited by keeping a portion of the criminal proceeds obtained through the schemes. They also profited by agreeing to “pay” for the domestic deposits received by others by transferring Nigerian Naira from accounts the co-conspirators controlled in Nigeria to other accounts in Nigeria, based upon a “black market” exchange rate for United States Dollars to Naira.

The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.

Business Email Compromise Schemes

BEC schemes, also referred to as “cyber-enabled financial fraud,” are sophisticated scams that often target individuals, employees, or businesses involved in financial transactions or that regularly perform wire transfer payments. Fraudsters are usually part of larger criminal networks

operating in the United States and abroad. There are many variations of BEC schemes. Generally, the schemes involve perpetrators gaining unauthorized access to legitimate email accounts or creating email accounts that closely resemble those of individuals or employees associated with the targeted businesses or involved in business transactions with the victim businesses. The scammers then use the compromised or fake email accounts to send false wiring instructions to the targeted businesses or individuals, to dupe the victims into sending money to bank accounts controlled by perpetrators of the scheme. Generally, the money is quickly transferred to other accounts in the United States or overseas. More information on BEC schemes can be found here.

Romance Scams

In romance scams, fraudsters use a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The fraudsters then use the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. The fraudsters want to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear themselves to the victim, and gain trust. Fraudsters may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person, but that will never happen. Eventually, they will ask for money. The fraudsters who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring, and believable, and are present on most dating and social media sites. They also claim to be in the building or construction industry and/or are engaged in projects outside the U.S. That makes it easier to avoid meeting in person and more plausible when they ask for money for a medical emergency or unexpected legal fees. More information on romance scams can be found here.

If you have been the victim of an online scam or know someone who has been victimized, it is important to report it to law enforcement. Please visit ic3.gov, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), to file a complaint. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Kristin Turney, 54, of Catawba, South Carolina, was sentenced today to 51 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for embezzling more than $1.7 million from her employer, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Turney was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,754,204.13.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

“Turney was a trusted employee that pilfered money from an unsuspecting employer,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Her conduct was not a lapse in judgement; it was a prolonged and deliberate pattern of deceptive behavior that nearly destroyed a small business. Today’s sentence is a reminder that embezzlement is not a shortcut to riches, but a path to federal prison.”

According to court documents, from 2016 to 2023, Turney executed a scheme to defraud her employer, a small, family-owned business, by embezzling more than $1.7 million. Turney was in charge of the company’s financial matters, including bank accounts, payroll, accounts payables and receivables, and tax filings. During the scheme, Turney misused her access and control over the company’s bank accounts and books and records to write herself company checks, which she then deposited into bank accounts she controlled. Turney made over 1,000 unauthorized bank deposits to herself totaling over $1.7 million. Court documents show that Turney covered up the fraud by making false accounting entries in the company’s books and records. She also provided fraudulent information to the company’s tax return preparer and lied to the company’s owner and employees. As a result of Turney’s embezzlement scheme, the company continues to be impacted by the defendant’s theft.

On November 8, 2024, Turney pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She will be ordered to report the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.

The case was investigated by the FBI.

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Leopold Rob Finley, 45, of Candler, N.C. was sentenced today to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possessing ammunition loaded in a “ghost gun,” announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. At the time, Finley was on supervised release for a federal drug conviction.

Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Michael Lamb of the Asheville Police Department (APD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

According to filed documents and court proceedings, on December 20, 2022, Finley’s vehicle was stopped by APD officers for a traffic violation. During a search of the vehicle, a “ghost gun” was recovered from Finley’s car. A “ghost gun” is an untraceable firearm with no serial number that is assembled by components purchased separately or as part of a kit. The ghost gun was loaded with 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition. When Finley was arrested, he was on federal supervised release for a prior drug conviction, specifically distribution of heroin and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and marijuana.

Finley 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 the ATF and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jermond Santa Lowery, Jr., 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced in federal court today to seven years in prison for brandishing an AR-15 rifle during the robbery of a Waffle House, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

According to information in filed documents and court proceedings, on October 31, 2023, Lowery entered a Waffle House in Charlotte, where he brandished an AR-15 rifle. As the employees began to flee through the back door, Lowery shouted at the employees to get back and open the cash register, threatening to kill them. Court documents show that Lowery removed the cash register from the restaurant and fled the scene. CMPD officers arrested Lowery the next day.

On September 26, 2024, Lowery pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He remains in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The investigation was handled by the FBI and CMPD.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today that as part of Operation Take Back America, six illegal aliens were indicted in March for federal offenses above-and-beyond simply being in the country illegally such as firearms violations and reentering the country illegally after removal.

The six defendants facing federal criminal charges are:

Santo Antonio Barradas-Leon, a/k/a Santos Antonio Leon-Barredas, 36, of Mexico, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States by an aggravated felon. Barradas-Leon was previously removed from the United States in April 2009 and again in March 2020. Barradas-Leon was arrested on March 9, 2025, by the Union County Sheriff’s Office.

Ruben Duran-Mercado, a/k/a Ruben Mercado Duran, 26, of Mexico, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States by an aggravated felon. Duran-Mercado was previously removed from the United States in August 2024. Duran-Mercado was arrested on February 8, 2025, by the Union County Sheriff’s Office.

Deyvi Carlos Perez Morales, a/k/a Carlos Perez Morales, 32, of Mexico, is charged with illegally reentering into the United States. Morales was previously removed from the United States three times: in July 2010, in September 2011, and again in July 2017. He was arrested on February 8, 2025, by the Marshville Police Department.

Jairo Ernesto Perry Santos, 40, of Honduras, is charged with illegally reentering into the United States. Santos was previously removed from the United States in August 2016. An arrest warrant has been issued against the defendant.

Eusebio Fuentes-Soto, a/k/a Eusebio Sotos, Edgar Perez-Berillos, or Edgar Perez, 27, of Mexico, is charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien. Fuentes-Soto was previously removed from the United States in 2018. An arrest warrant has been issued against the defendant.

Raul Bello Rojas, 43, of Mexico, is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and illegal reentry into the United States. Rojas is currently in federal custody.

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

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Emergency Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for their investigations that led to the charges. U.S. Attorney Ferguson also commended the local law enforcement agencies that assisted in the apprehension of the defendants, to include the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the Marshville Police Department, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys with the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the cases.

The 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. – Julian Jared Gill, 34, of Charlotte, was sentenced late Friday to 111 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for gun possession and assaulting two Deputy U.S. Marshals, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

U.S. Attorney Ferguson is joined in making the announcement by Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Terry J. Burgin, United States Marshal of the United States Marshals Service for the Western District of North Carolina (USMS), and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).

According to filed court documents and information presented at Gill’s plea and sentencing hearings, Gill was arrested in 2022 by CMPD’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team and found to be in possession of a loaded Glock pistol with a high-capacity magazine. Gill is prohibited from possessing firearms, and, in an effort to conceal the firearm, he hid it in the toilet tank of his hotel room before surrendering to police.

Gill was indicted in federal court, and while in custody and appearing in court in 2023 for possession of that firearm, Gill became upset in court at a judge’s ruling. Once out of the courtroom and in the holding cell blocks of the courthouse, Gill assaulted two Deputy U.S. Marshals and refused to comply with lawful instructions.

On February 28, 2024, Gill pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and felony assault, resist and impede a federal officer. The defendant has multiple criminal convictions dating back to 2007. At the sentencing hearing, District Court Judge Michael F. Urbanski sentenced Gill to 70 months in prison for the firearm conviction and 41 months in prison for the assault on law enforcement officials and ordered the sentences to be served consecutively for a total sentence of 111 months.

“Attacks on our law enforcement officers cannot be tolerated, and I hope the extra time sentenced is a warning to others,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson.

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Raul Bello Rojas, 43, a previously convicted illegal alien from Mexico, appeared in court today to face federal charges for kilogram-level cocaine trafficking, unlawful gun possession, and illegal reentry, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

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. 

According to allegations in charging documents, court filings, and court proceedings, Rojas knowingly and intentionally possessed and intended to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. It is also alleged that Rojas illegally possessed a 9mm handgun and a .380 caliber handgun, in furtherance of his drug trafficking. It is further alleged that Rojas is an illegal alien previously removed from the United States on multiple occasions. In addition to the criminal charges, the indictment notifies Rojas that the United States intends to forfeit more than $64,000 in United States currency seized during the execution of a search warrant.

Rojas is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which, based on the bulk quantities Rojas possessed, carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, up to a sentence of life in prison; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence and a statutory penalty of life in prison; possession of a firearm by an illegal alien which carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years; and illegal reentry, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Upon conviction, a federal district court judge will determine the defendant’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Rojas had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler. He has been in federal custody since he was arrested on February 28, 2025.

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.

HSI and CMPD investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Bozin with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today that Amy Elizabeth Curry, 48, Waynesville, N.C., was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for embezzling at least $1.5 million from a senior assisted living facility. In addition to the prison term imposed, Curry was ordered to pay the facility $1,469,407.24 in restitution.

Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, and Sheriff William Wilke of the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to court records and proceedings, Curry worked as an office manager and bookkeeper at Silver Bluff, LLC (Silver Bluff), a senior living and care facility in Canton, N.C. As part of her duties, Curry had access to and control over Silver Bluff’s bank accounts and accounting records. From December 2022 to April 2023, Curry made at least 154 unauthorized bank transfers totaling over $1.5 million from the facility’s bank accounts to bank accounts controlled by Curry and her then-boyfriend, J.C. To avoid detection, Curry deleted the wire transfer history from Senior Bluff’s bank accounts and altered the notification settings to prevent Silver Bluff employees and management from receiving alerts. Curry also made handwritten notes on Senior Bluff’s bank statements, falsely noting that the fraudulent transfers were for payroll. Court records show that Curry used the embezzled funds to pay for personal expenses, including to purchase a pick-up truck. Curry and J.C. also spent over $700,000 of the embezzled funds gambling at casinos.

On December 11, 2023, Curry pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Curry will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving her sentence upon designation of a federal facility.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI and the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Trevaris Devar Kennedy, 21, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a machinegun, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on December 22, 2023, an officer with the Statesville Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle with an expired registration tag. Kennedy was a passenger in the vehicle. When the officer activated his blue lights, the driver of the vehicle sped away. Later, the vehicle came to a stop and the driver attempted to flee on foot. While the officer was attempting to apprehend the driver, two firearms were thrown from the vehicle’s passenger window into a wooded area at the side of the road. Later, officers searched the area and recovered two firearms: a Glock, Model 19, 9mm, and a stolen Glock, Model 26, 9mm. Both firearms had extended magazines and were modified with “Glock switches,” devices capable of converting conventional firearms into fully automatic weapons. A total of 55 rounds of 9mm ammunition was also recovered.

On January 5, 2024, law enforcement arrested Kennedy and seized his cell phone. Law enforcement forensically analyzed Kennedy’s cell phone and found videos and photos of the defendant holding various firearms, many of which were fitted with Glock switches. They also found messages and other communications indicating that Kennedy was selling Glock switches on social media. When Kennedy was arrested, he was on probation for prior criminal convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.  

Kennedy 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Statesville Police Department with the investigation that led to Kennedy’s conviction.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kinlaw of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.  

Stills and photos saved on the defendant’s phone showing him in possession of firearms & Glock switches

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Tyrone Eugene Sitton a/k/a “Dirty,” 46, of Asheville, was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release today for fentanyl trafficking and gun charges, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, Sheriff Quentin Miller of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, and Chief Michael Lamb of the Asheville Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, between November and December 2022, Sitton distributed 30.1 grams of fentanyl in the Asheville area. During the investigation, Sitton sold fentanyl at least three times to a confidential informant working with the ATF. In addition to selling fentanyl, on December 28, 2022, Sitton sold the informant three firearms: a shotgun, a rifle, and a pistol.

On July 29, 2024, Sitton pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Court records indicate Sitton has multiple state convictions in North Carolina for drug distribution. Because of these prior criminal convictions, Sitton qualified for an increased sentence as a career offender.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the ATF, the DEA, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case.

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jaden Isaiah Garay, 25, of Weaverville, N.C. was sentenced today to 24 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for carjacking and discharging a firearm that caused serious bodily injury to a U.S. Postal Carrier, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to prison term imposed, Garay was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $640,582.81 to the victim and $73,868.14 to the Office of Worker’s Compensation Program.

Jessica Wagner, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees Charlotte; R.E. “Chip” Hawley, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NC SBI); Colonel Freddy L. Johnson, Jr., Commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol; Sheriff Buddy Harwood of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office; Sheriff Banks Hinceman of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office; Sheriff Ricky T. Buchanan of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office; Chief Chad Wilson of the Mars Hill Police Department; and Chief Allen Lawrence of the Marion Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

“Garay’s violent crime spree was a blatant disregard for the law and human life,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “His rampage put innocent lives at risk and ended with the near-fatal shooting of a postal worker simply doing her job. Today’s sentence holds Garay accountable for his reckless crimes. I commend the law enforcement agencies involved in Garay’s apprehension. Together, we will work to protect those who serve our communities.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail, and most importantly, providing a safe environment for Postal employees and the communities they serve,” said Acting Inspector in Charge Wagner. “We fully commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by all the law enforcement agencies involved, which resulted in bringing this individual to justice.”

According to court documents and court proceedings, Garay stole a loaded semiautomatic handgun and several loaded ammunition magazines from his relatives’ home following an argument with them. Court records show that, at approximately 11:50 a.m., while Garay was driving his car on interstate I-26 near Mars Hill, the defendant used the stolen gun to fire a shot into a passing vehicle with an underage passenger inside. The bullet shattered the front passenger window and was lodged in the vehicle; fortunately, it did not hit the occupants. The bullet was later recovered by law enforcement and matched the stolen ammunition.

Following the shooting incident, Garay drove into the town of Mars Hill, where he abandoned his vehicle, taking the stolen firearm with him. Garay then walked through a residential neighborhood, breaking and entering into a home while the homeowner was inside. Garay encountered the homeowner, threatened to shoot her dog, and ordered her to get on her knees. The homeowner refused to do so and told Garay that if he was going to shoot her, he would have to do it while she was standing. Garay then went to the garage, where he tried to start one of the vehicles. He was unsuccessful, so he left the residence and continued walking through the neighborhood.

According to court records, as Garay was walking around the neighborhood, he encountered T.R., a rural postal carrier for the United States Postal Service who was delivering mail to a residential mailbox in her Jeep Wrangler. Garay approached T.R., told her he needed her car, and pointed the handgun at T.R. The victim attempted to comply with Garay’s demand but had to pull forward slightly to exit the vehicle because her door was blocked by a mailbox. Garay then shot T.R. in the face, and T.R. fell out of her vehicle and to the ground. Garay got in the victim’s vehicle and drove off, leaving T.R. laying on the ground with a serious gunshot wound to her head.

According to filed court documents, sometime later, Garay drove T.R.’s stolen vehicle onto I-40, where he was spotted by law enforcement. Police officers began a pursuit of the vehicle with lights and sirens activated. Garay refused to stop and instead fled at a high rate of speed. Officers deployed “stop sticks” on the interstate, but Garay did not stop even after he drove over the stop sticks. Garay eventually exited the interstate, and continued to elude officers, driving three miles further on backroads. He eventually came to a dead end where he abandoned the victim’s Jeep and fled on foot into a wooded area, still armed with the stolen firearm. Dozens of law enforcement officers searched for Garay, who spent the night hiding in the woods. Early the next morning, Garay was taken into custody and the stolen firearm was recovered.

T.R. sustained life-threatening injuries from the gunshot wound. Some of the victim’s injuries are permanent and she faces a lengthy recovery.

On April 15, 2024, Garay pleaded guilty to carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Garay 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 commended the USPIS, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the North Carolina Department of Correction K9 Team, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, Burke County EMS, Burke County Emergency Management, and Burke County Communications Center, the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, the Morganton Department of Public Safety, the Marion Police Department, and the Mars Hill Police Department for their investigation of the case and for their invaluable assistance in apprehending Garay. U.S. Attorney Ferguson also thanked Madison County District Attorney Seth Banks for his Office’s assistance and coordination with the federal investigation.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Russ Ferguson was sworn in today as United States Attorney for the 

Western District of North Carolina (WDNC). Appointed by Attorney General Pamela Bondi on March 3, 2025, Mr. Ferguson took the oath of office administered by United States District Judge Frank D. Whitney.

“It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina,” said Mr. Ferguson. “I am fortunate to be coming into a well-regarded office with some of the best lawyers in North Carolina. I am ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work for the people of my home state. I thank Attorney General Bondi for trusting me to lead this office, and I pledge to serve with utmost integrity and dedication.”

As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Ferguson serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Western District, responsible for representing the United States in all civil and criminal litigations. Mr. Ferguson leads an office of nearly 100 federal prosecutors and support personnel, serving 32 counties across western North Carolina, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the largest Native American community in the eastern United States.

U.S. Attorney Ferguson brings 16 years of significant legal experience to his new role. He began his legal career as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, where he tried 28 cases to verdict. Before his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Ferguson was a partner at the international law firm of Womble Bond Dickinson, where he led the firm’s complex litigation group and handled complex civil and criminal cases. Mr. Ferguson’s work included representing clients in high-profile and complex criminal and civil trials, as well as in international arbitrations before a number of world arbitral bodies.

U.S. Attorney Ferguson has held leadership roles with the Mecklenburg County Bar, which honored him with an award for Best Individual Attorney for his pro bono service. He has been named to Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, North Carolina Business Elite, and received the Charlotte Business Journal’s Forty Under Forty Award. Mr. Ferguson has also served as a speaker and panelist for local and national events and has published numerous articles on topics related to civil and criminal law.

Mr. Ferguson also serves on the Board of NourishUp, Charlotte’s food pantry and meals on wheels organization.

U.S. Attorney Ferguson received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and earned his law degree and a masters of law from Georgetown University Law Center. After law school, U.S. Attorney Ferguson clerked for the Honorable Frank D. Whitney in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Acting U.S. Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron announced today that Bikramjit Ahluwalia, 39, a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates living in Dubai, was extradited from Spain and will appear in federal court in Charlotte later today. Ahluwalia, also known as “Biku,” “Internetteam5000,” “Don Bonsa,” and “Bobby,” is charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to damage a protected computer, and wire fraud for his alleged role in an extensive “tech support fraud scheme.”

Generally, a tech support fraud scheme causes malicious pop-ups to appear on unsuspecting users’ computers, warning their devices have been infiltrated by a virus or another serious computer issue, convincing users to purchase unnecessary repair services or technical support using a telephone number or a link on the victims’ computer screens.

According to allegations in the indictment, Ahluwalia and his co-defendant, Andrew Brolese, owned Digital Marketing Support Services (DMSS), a Seychelles-based company that published and sold malicious pop-ups as a means of generating customer traffic for overseas call centers from victims of their tech support scheme. From April 2016 to March 2021, Ahluwalia and Brolese and their conspirators targeted victims throughout the United States, some of whom were 55 and older. It is alleged that the victims targeted in the scheme experienced computer pop-ups that mimicked fatal system-error screens, also known as “blue screens of death,” malicious pop-ups suggesting malware had been installed on their computers, or urgent warnings for technical issues related to the victims’ services, software, or devices. The indictment alleges that victims targeted by the malicious pop-ups were then instructed to call a number to receive technical services to help resolve their issues. As alleged in the indictment, the various overseas call centers, upon receipt of the victim call traffic, would use the misrepresentations in the pop-ups, false diagnoses of computer issues, and other deceptive sales techniques to trick the victims into paying hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars to the call centers to receive unnecessary technical support for the non-existent computer issues.

The indictment alleges that Ahluwalia and Brolese conspired with others to sell incoming calls from targeted victims seeking purported tech support to companies around the world, including to an individual who owned companies in the Western District of North Carolina. It is further alleged that Ahluwalia and Brolese received over $31.2 million in illicit payments from the tech support scheme, through wire transfers made to DMSS’s bank accounts located overseas.

Ahluwalia is expected to appear for his initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler in Charlotte at 10:15 a.m.

Ahluwalia’s charges for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The maximum sentence for money laundering is 20 years in prison, and for the charge of conspiracy to damage a protected computer is 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 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 Nashville Cyber Task Force which comprises the Knoxville Office of the FBI and the Knoxville Police Department. We thank the government of Spain for their substantial assistance arresting and extraditing Ahluwalia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the extradition of Ahluwalia from Spain.

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