Western District of North Carolina

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Logan Pierce Plowucha, 21, of Leicester, North Carolina, was sentenced to nine years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release today for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Plowucha was also ordered to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison. 

According to filed court documents, in August 2025, Plowucha began communicating with an undercover HSI agent in an online chatroom dedicated to the exchange of CSAM and discussions of the sexual exploitation of children. Between August and September 2025, during his communications with the HSI agent, Plowucha used an encrypted messaging app to distribute CSAM to the undercover agent, including videos depicting prepubescent minors being sexually abused, including infants and bestiality. In September 2025, Plowucha met with an HSI undercover agent. During the meeting the undercover agent observed that Plowucha had CSAM files on his cellphone and online. Plowucha was arrested on the same day. During an interview with law enforcement, Plowucha admitted that he had been sending CSAM to the undercover agent. A forensic examination of the defendant’s phone revealed that Plowucha had more than 1,400 CSAM videos and images. 

Plowucha remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. 

In making the announcement U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson commended the HSI Greenville Office, the U.S. Marshals Service Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Waynesville Police Department for their work on this case. 

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man charged with selling fentanyl, methamphetamine, firearms, and a “Glock switch,” appeared in federal court today, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Last week, a federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment against Abdul Abdullah, 42. Abdullah had his initial appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark T. Odulio following his arrest on Wednesday. 

“Firearms and drug trafficking are a dangerous combination, and we have seen the deadly effects when the two are put together,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “We are working to save lives by removing fatal drugs from our streets and taking guns from those who peddle them.”

“When traffickers move fentanyl and methamphetamine while arming themselves with guns and conversion switches, they endanger every neighborhood they touch,” said Mark M. Zito, special agent in Charge of HSI Carolinas. “HSI Carolinas will keep working with our partners to disrupt the criminal networks and individuals who traffic deadly drugs and weapons in the Carolinas.”

According to allegations in the indictment, from September 2025 to June 2026, Abdullah distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charlotte area. It is further alleged that, on at least two occasions, Abdullah possessed an illegal firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. The indictment also alleges that, in September 2025, Abdullah sold a gold-colored machinegun conversion device, commonly known as a “Glock switch” or “switch,” which is a device that transforms a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic machinegun.

Abdullah is in federal custody. He is charged with six counts of distribution of fentanyl, two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of transfer of a machinegun. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any imposed sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

Homeland Security Investigations and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department led the investigation. 

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two illegal aliens from Mexico with alleged ties to a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) have been indicted after an investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) led to the seizure of nearly 60 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Martin Eduardo Hernandez Nunez, 36, and Juan Carlos Mojarro Sanchez, 38, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine; distribution of crystal methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl; and possession with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine. 

“We are laser focused on identifying transnational criminal organizations and their operatives who smuggle deadly drugs into our communities, fueling addiction and violence,” said U.S Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We are going after these organizations at every level to stop their drugs from reaching our streets.” 

“Drug trafficking organizations don’t care who they hurt. They push dangerous drugs into our neighborhoods, fuel crime, and put lives at risk,” said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Carolinas. “In this case, the Homeland Security Task Force took nearly 60 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, fentanyl, a gun, and alleged drug money out of circulation. HSI and our partners will keep going after these networks and the people who bring this poison into North Carolina.”

According to allegations in charging documents, Hernandez Nunez and Mojarro Sanchez had ties to a Mexico-based transnational criminal organization responsible for distributing significant quantities of methamphetamine in the Charlotte area. In May 2026, investigators recovered from the defendants’ residence nearly 30 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and two kilograms of fentanyl, and an additional four kilograms of crystal methamphetamine through controlled drug buys with the defendants. Investigators also seized from the residence a firearm, vacuum sealers, a money counter, drug ledgers, digital scales, and a large kilo press commonly used for repackaging narcotics. Law enforcement also executed a search warrant at a storage unit used by the defendants, seizing an additional 30 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. Investigators also seized more than $66,000 in alleged drug proceeds over the course of the investigation. 

Hernandez Nunez and Mojarro Sanchez are in federal custody. If convicted, they face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any imposed sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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

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

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

Prosecution is being led by the Offices of the U.S. Attorneys for the Districts of North and South Carolina.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Charlotte has returned a criminal indictment charging Sha Bahadur Ghaley, 42, a naturalized citizen from Bhutan, with naturalization fraud, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

“It is a proud day for most people when they become a naturalized citizen of this great country,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Those who commit fraud to cheat their way into American citizenship take that opportunity from someone else. That is a federal crime, and we will hold them accountable.” 

“Naturalization fraud threatens the integrity of our immigration system and the trust placed in those who seek U.S. citizenship lawfully,” said Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Atlanta Field Office Director LaDeon Francis. “Through initiatives such as Operation False Haven, ERO will continue working with our federal partners to identify fraud, support criminal prosecutions, and uphold the rule of law.” 

According to allegations in the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Ghaley committed sexual crimes against a child in Charlotte. He later pleaded guilty to three counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with a Child as a result of those actions. The indictment alleges that, after committing those crimes, Ghaley obtained his U.S. citizenship fraudulently by lying during the naturalization process about having committed a crime or offense for which he had not been arrested (at that time) and failed to admit that, prior to applying for citizenship, he had knowingly committed sexual acts with a child. 

According to the indictment, on December 4, 2017, Ghaley submitted an application for naturalization to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). The indictment alleges that Ghaley lied on the citizenship application form by responding “No” to questions like “Were you ever involved in any way with … [f]orcing, or trying to force someone to have any kind of sexual contact or relations?” and “Have you ever committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” Ghaley signed the form under penalty of perjury, and certified that his answers were true and correct. On January 10, 2018, Ghaley appeared at the CIS office in Charlotte for a naturalization interview. During the interview, Ghaley swore under oath that his responses on the naturalization application were true and that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested. Ghaley was then granted U.S. citizenship in July 2018.

In February 2024, Ghaley pleaded guilty to three counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with Children in state court. As part of that conviction, Ghaley was sentenced to serve between 32 and 58 months in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender for 30 years. Immigration officials were not aware of his criminal actions until after he had gone through the naturalization process. 

Ghaley is currently in state custody and will be ordered to appear in federal court in Charlotte. The maximum penalty for naturalization fraud is 10 years in prison. 

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

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Division for their investigation of the case and credited Operation False Haven, which led to the charges against Ghaley. False Haven is an ongoing ERO initiative purpose-built to identify individuals who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.

Civil Denaturalization Actions

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also filed civil denaturalization actions against three individuals for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act and unlawfully and fraudulently becoming naturalized citizens of the United States. The civil complaints were filed between June and August 2026. 

“For the first time, the United States is comparing fingerprints to identify people who changed their identity to fraudulently obtain citizenship—sometimes decades ago and sometimes after being ordered deported,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “These people take the place of honest people who deserve to be citizens of this great country, and we will continue to work to identify them and file actions to have a court of law denaturalize them.”

“Under the Trump administration, individuals who unlawfully obtain U.S. citizenship will face serious consequences,” said USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow. “Through strong interagency partnerships, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is helping ensure that those who violate the law are held responsible.”

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. 

U.S. v. Benjamin Hernandez – The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil complaint in August against Benjamin Hernandez, a/k/a Luis Elder Alvarado, a Honduran national residing in the Charlotte area, for allegedly committing immigration fraud in his naturalization proceedings. The complaint alleges that Hernandez illegally entered the United States using the alias Lius Elder Alvarado and was subsequently ordered removed in 1999. Hernandez later used the name Bejamin Hernandez in separate immigration proceedings, eventually becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen through marriage to a U.S. citizen in 2008. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Hernandez’s naturalization because he illegally procured naturalization while he was subject to an outstanding order of removal under the name Luis Elder Alvarado when he applied for adjustment of status; misrepresented his identity and immigration history; committed unlawful acts that adversely reflected on his moral character; and procured his naturalization through willful misrepresentation and concealment of material facts. (3:26-cv-683) 

U.S. v. Han Xiong Chen – A civil complaint was filed in June against Chen, a Chinese national residing in Asheville, seeking his denaturalization for allegedly committing immigration fraud in his naturalization proceedings. It is alleged that Chen illegally entered the United States in 1996, and, after submitting a fraudulent Chinese passport, he was deported six months later. Chen then entered the United States illegally in 1999, using a different date of birth. Chen later obtained permanent resident status and naturalization, continuing to rely on false statements in written applications and during interviews. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Chen’s naturalization because he procured his naturalized citizenship illegally since he was not a lawfully admitted permanent resident; he procured immigration benefits, permanent residence, and naturalization through fraud and willful misrepresentation; he sought admission into the United States less than 10 years after departing while subject to a final order of removal; he committed unlawful acts that were crimes of moral turpitude and gave false testimony which rendered him ineligible for naturalization. (1:26-cv-189) 

U.S. v. Kevin Yun-Sang Kim – A civil complaint was filed in June against Kim, a Korean national residing in Charlotte, seeking his denaturalization for allegedly committing immigration fraud in his naturalization proceedings. It is alleged that Kim illegally entered the United States and was ordered removed in 1996. The order allowed Kim to voluntarily depart the United States and included an alternate order of deportation to Korea. Kim agreed to depart voluntarily but failed to do so, which transformed his voluntary departure order into a deportation order. The complaint alleges that the deportation order rendered him ineligible for legal status, yet Kim concealed the outstanding deportation order during his naturalization proceedings. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Kim’s naturalization because he was not a lawful permanent resident when he procured his naturalization; he was not a lawfully admitted permanent resident and not eligible to receive an immigrant visa at the time he filed for a status adjustment; he committed fraud or willfully misrepresented material facts when he sought this status adjustment; he procured immigration benefits, permanent residence, and naturalization through fraud and willful misrepresentation; he gave false testimony and committed unlawful acts that adversely reflected on his moral character; a final deportation order remained in effect when he applied for naturalization; and he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (3:26-cv-434)

These cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Litigation Division, with assistance from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The claims made in the complaints are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Guy Anthony Wachob, 64, of Leicester, North Carolina, was sentenced to nine years in prison today for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Wachob was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. 

“There’s a price to pay for convicted sex offenders who exploit children, and that price is prison,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We have a responsibility to protect children from those who seek to harm them, and we take that responsibility seriously. My office will continue seek lengthy sentences for repeat offenders who pose a threat to children.” 

“Wachob is a convicted sex offender who distributed horrific child sexual abuse material,” said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Carolinas. “HSI Carolinas and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue these offenders relentlessly and do everything within our authority to protect children from further harm.”

According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, in 2017, Wachob was convicted of Sexual Battery and Assault on a Female. As a result of that conviction, he was required to register as a sex offender. In August 2024, Wachob accessed a chatroom dedicated to the exchange of CSAM and began communicating with an undercover HSI agent. Between August and September 2024, during his communications with the HSI agent, Wachob discussed his sexual interest in young children. Wachob also used an encrypted messaging app to distribute CSAM to the undercover agent, including videos that depicted prepubescent minors being sexually abused. 

On September 10, 2024, HSI agents, Franklin Police Department officers, and Macon County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Wachob. During an interview with law enforcement, Wachob admitted that he had been sending CSAM to the undercover agent.

Wachob remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. 

In making the announcement U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson commended the HSI Greenville Office, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Franklin Police Department for their work on this case. 

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

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the 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. – Today, Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Peggy Lee Cantrell, 41, of Marion, North Carolina, to three years in prison followed by four years of supervised release for defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following Hurricane Helene, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Cantrell was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $30,631.59 to FEMA. 

“In the wake of Hurricane Helene, disaster relief was essential for rebuilding our community.  Every dollar of that money should have gone to those that needed it. Instead, Cantrell stole that taxpayer money —and committed her fraud while she was in jail,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We will continue to root out fraud and prosecute those who exploit federal programs, because every dollar taken through fraud is a dollar that cannot help our communities recover.”

According to court records, on or about February 22, 2025, Cantrell filed an application for disaster assistance with FEMA for a dwelling she claimed was located at 193 Beaver Creek Road in Marion, and that she falsely claimed was destroyed by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. In the application, Cantrell asserted that she rented the property and that the damaged dwelling was her primary residence. On or about February 27, 2025, Cantrell falsely amended her FEMA application’s residential status from renter to owner of the damaged dwelling. Then, on February 28, 2025, Cantrell falsely represented to a FEMA inspector that she owned the residential trailer that was destroyed, but not the land where the trailer was placed. Contrary to her claims, Cantrell never lived at, rented, or owned a residence or structure at that location, and no dwelling existed at that location at the time the storm struck the area. At the time Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina, Cantrell was an inmate with the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections and outside the effects of the storm.

Court records show that, in March 2025, Cantrell submitted a handwritten letter to FEMA attesting that the information she had provided was “true and correct,” falsely claiming that she had purchased the dwelling for $8,500 and that she had lived there for 25 years. She also falsely attested that all of her important personal documents “got washed away by Hurricane Helene.”  The same month, FEMA paid Cantrell’s false claim and wired her $30,631.59 

In October 2025, Cantrell pleaded guilty to fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits. She is currently in federal custody after her bond was revoked for drug use. She will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. 

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gast of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Grant Cole Harden, 29, was sentenced to nine years in prison yesterday followed by two years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

According to court documents, Harden has prior felony convictions, including Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon, and is thus prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. On December 22, 2024, Harden entered an arcade in Charlotte. Upon entering the location, Harden brandished a firearm and disarmed a security guard. Harden then engaged in a shootout with another individual in the arcade and was struck by gunfire. He exited the arcade and was arrested by law enforcement. Law enforcement recovered a Glock 22 Gen 5, .40 caliber pistol that Harden illegally possessed and used at the arcade. 

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said, “One convicted felon. One illegal firearm. That’s all it takes to put multiple lives at risk. That’s why my office continues to identify dangerous criminals that threaten our communities and take their cases federal to get them off the streets.” 

“Harden’s sentence demonstrates the FBI’s continued commitment to working with our law‑enforcement partners to confront violent offenders and remove illegally possessed firearms from our communities,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge. “When individuals choose to endanger the public through armed violence, we will take decisive action to hold them accountable.”

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

This investigation was led by the FBI and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani Ford of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Matthew Olando Allen, 35, of Gastonia, N.C., was sentenced today to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for selling fentanyl and firearms, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

According to court records and proceedings, law enforcement initiated an investigation into Allen for distributing fentanyl in and around Cleveland County. Between February and April 2024, Allen sold fentanyl-laced pills to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. During one drug transaction, Allen sold the confidential informant 14 fentanyl pills and a Bryco Arms Jennings firearm. In April 2024, Shelby Police Department officers stopped Allen’s vehicle for a traffic violation. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement recovered from Allen a Canik 9mm pistol. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement found a Ruger SR22 firearm and more fentanyl pills. 

In February 2026, Allen pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. e i 

This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Shelby Police Department. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Gast of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Bryan Tromon Green, 35, of Gastonia, N.C., was sentenced to 151 months in prison today followed by four years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl-laced pills and selling firearms in Gaston County, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Green’s co-conspirator, Jarvis Sentell Lynn, 38, also of Gastonia, was previously sentenced to 110 months in prison and three years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine.

“When repeat felons like this spread deadly drugs and illegal guns on our streets, we will take those cases federal to put an end to it,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson 

“The combination of drug dealing and illegal firearm possession is a recipe for violence and tragedy,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “Taking back firearms from prohibited individuals and stopping the flow of drugs into our communities is a priority for ATF and all of our law enforcement partners.” 

According to court documents, law enforcement determined that Green and Lynn, both multiple-time convicted felons, were selling drugs and firearms in Gaston County. Between March 2024 and April 2024, Green sold fentanyl pills multiple times to a confidential informant working with law enforcement. During the investigation, the confidential informant also purchased two firearms from Green: a Walther, Model PK380, .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol and an American Tactical Imports, Model Omni Hybrid, 5.56 caliber semi-automatic rifle. 

Court documents show that, from March to May 2024, law enforcement also set up multiple controlled drug purchases with Lynn at his residence in Gastonia for pills pressed with fentanyl. During one of the controlled purchases, law enforcement also bought a Ruger, Model P89DC 9 mm semi-automatic pistol from Lynn. On May 16, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Lynn’s residence, seizing firearms, ammunition, and drugs. Specifically, law enforcement located and seized a Taurus, Model G3C, 9mm semi-automatic pistol; Point Blank body armor; a Smith & Wesson, Model SD9VE, 9mm semi-automatic pistol; an SKS style rifle; an extended rifle magazine containing 32 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition; a Hi-Point, Model C9, 9mm semiautomatic pistol; additional magazines and 9mm rounds of ammunition; plastic baggies used for drug distribution; digital scales; marijuana; and cocaine. 

Green and Lynn both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and distribution of fentanyl. They are in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility. 

This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gaston County Police Department. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Christopher Donte McLean, 37, of Concord, N.C., was sentenced to 78 months in prison today followed by three years of supervised release for armed bank robbery, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, on March 26, 2025, McLean entered the branch of Fifth Third Bank located at 2822 South Boulevard in Charlotte. McLean was wearing a hat and a surgical mask. McLean first posed as a customer and inquired about opening a business account. A little while later, McLean pulled out a black handgun, pointed it at bank employees, and demanded $30,000 in U.S. currency. A bank employee gave McLean the cash. Court records show that during the investigation, investigators were able to determine that McLean was the bank robber.

Then on April 17, 2025, McLean entered the Truist Bank branch at 2222 South Blvd and passed a note to the bank teller demanding $40,000. McLean warned the teller that if anyone activated the silent alarm he would shoot. As the teller went to withdraw the cash, the teller hit the alarm and McLean fled the scene. McLean was arrested the following day. 

In March 2026, McLean pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery. At the sentencing hearing, McLean was also ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to Fifth Third Bank and $5,000 to a victim. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility. 

This investigation was led by the FBI and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina today announced criminal prosecutions as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) targeting fraud in the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). 

From June 12 to September 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants, reaching approximately $245 million dollars in intended loss to American taxpayers. 

“The point of pandemic relief funds was to keep businesses afloat and people employed during the COVID pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “As you can see from this extraordinary coordination among law enforcement agencies to identify and hold these fraudsters accountable, we will stop at nothing to protect taxpayer dollars.”   

“Pandemic loan relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns—not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications— but they will now be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” 

“This summer surge shows what is possible when dedicated public servants across the country work together with a single purpose,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Our mission is clear: protect taxpayer funds, safeguard the integrity of federal relief programs, and deliver justice to those who exploited them. We will remain steadfast every day—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners—to identify fraud, pursue those responsible, and restore confidence in the programs meant to help American small businesses thrive.” 

“Today’s announcement represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent PPP and COVID EIDL activity. In partnership with Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we’re putting fraudsters on notice: the federal government will no longer turn a blind eye to those who stole from taxpayers and exploited programs designed to sustain small businesses during the pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With demand letters going out to suspected fraudsters, we’re also sending a clear message that they must repay their debts or face Treasury collections and possible federal law enforcement. Under this Administration, the free ride is over. We are restoring accountability, recovering taxpayer dollars, and protecting SBA programs for the legitimate small businesses they were created to serve.” 

“Operation No Doze brings a focused and coordinated approach to pursuing fraud in SBA’s pandemic relief programs,” said SBA Inspector General William Kirk. “By concentrating our investigative resources and working closely with SBA and our law enforcement partners, we are strengthening our ability to identify fraud, recover taxpayer funds, and hold accountable those who exploited programs created to help small businesses in a time of extraordinary need. This initiative makes clear that the passage of time does not diminish our commitment to accountability.” 

In Western North Carolina, U.S. Attorney Ferguson announced that the following defendants have pleaded guilty or have been sentenced for PPP and other pandemic-related fraud: 

U.S. vs. Robert Dailey – Dailey, 54, of Charlotte and a former resident of Fort Mill, South Carolina, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering for defrauding the SBA and SBA-approved lenders of more than $4.6 million in PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) funds. From 2020 to 2023, Dailey submitted materially false and fraudulent loan applications on behalf of himself and other businesses. Dailey owned and controlled RemeDy Financial Services, LLC (RemeDy Financial), as well as Roma Capital LLC (Roma Capital). Roma Capital served as an agent and consultant to assist clients in obtaining relief funds. As part of the scheme, Dailey obtained almost $2 million in fraudulently obtained relief funds by submitting PPP and EIDL loan applications and supporting documentation for RemeDy Financial and other businesses that he had a personal association with that contained materially false statements and misrepresentations. In addition, Dailey received loan preparation fees for submitting fraudulent PPP loan and EIDL applications and supporting documents on behalf of other clients. This resulted in at least $2.7 million in fraudulently obtained relief funds to be disbursed to Dailey’s clients.

U.S. v. Glynn Hubbard, Jr. – Hubbard, Jr., 49, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering for obtaining more than $1.2 million in fraudulent COVID-19 relief funds for himself and his customers. From March to August 2020, Hubbard, Jr. submitted fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications to the SBA and SBA-approved lenders, seeking to obtain relief funds for himself and for his customers’ businesses. To obtain the relief funds, Hubbard, Jr. falsified the loan applications and supporting documentation by including false financial information, fake employment data, and fraudulent tax returns. Of the $1.2 million in relief funds disbursed as a result of the scheme, Hubbard, Jr. received more than $570,000 for himself, and over $660,000 was disbursed to his customers. Hubbard, Jr. promoted the fraudulent scheme through personal referrals and in social media posts where he advertised that he was a PPP loan/EIDL consultant. Hubbard, Jr. received improper loan preparer fees for his consulting services totaling more than $150,000. 

U.S. vs. Marquise Highsmith and Tatiana Vazquez - A couple formerly living in Midland, N.C., has been sentenced to prison for stealing millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds by defrauding the SBA and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy affecting a financial institution and conspiracy to defraud the government. Marquise Highsmith, 42, was sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $2,329,497.94 in restitution. Tatiana Vazquez, 39, was ordered to serve 18 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release and to pay $1,379,425.28 in restitution. From May 2020 to January 2022, Highsmith and Vazquez submitted multiple fraudulent applications to financial institutions and to the SBA to obtain PPP and EIDL loans for several purported businesses that they or other co-conspirators controlled. These applications contained fraudulent information related to the businesses’ tax filings, number of employees, and other fabricated financial information. As a result, Highsmith and Vazquez personally received hundreds of thousands of dollars in relief funds. After receiving the funds, the defendants filed loan forgiveness applications that also contained misrepresentations, and as a result some of the loans were subsequently forgiven. In addition, from July 2022 to February 2023, Highsmith and Vazquez engaged in a separate but related conspiracy to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds through other federal programs administered by the IRS, including the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) program and the Sick Leave and Family Leave Credit (SFLC) program. The defendants and their coconspirators defrauded the IRS by preparing and filing fraudulent forms that falsely millions of dollars in tax credits and other corresponding tax refunds. As a result, the defendants and their coconspirators improperly received more than $1 million in relief funds. (Ryan/Bozin)

U.S. vs. Richard Metz – Metz, 59, of Charlotte, was ordered to pay $520,832 in restitution and sentenced to 14 months of probation with 12 months to be served in home detention, after pleading guilty to wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining $520,832 in pandemic relief funds. According to court records, in August 2021, Metz submitted a PPP loan application that contained materially false and fraudulent representations regarding his purported business’s revenues and other information. Metz obtained $20,832 in PPP funds as a result of the fraudulent application. In addition, in September 2020, Metz and another individual submitted a fraudulent EIDL loan application for another company that contained fraudulent information. Based on the false financial information and fraudulent loan application, Metz obtained $500,000 in EIDL funds. 

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited the agencies that investigated the cases, including the SBA, SBA-OIG, IRS-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caryn Finley, William Bozin, Daniel Ryan, and Graham Billings. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An armed felon was sentenced to prison yesterday for possessing multiple firearms and for violating the terms of his supervised release stemming from a prior federal conviction, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Rex Allen Hawkins, 55, of Traphill, N.C. was ordered to serve 20 months in prison for the firearms offense, and an additional 12 months in prison for the supervised release violation, for a total active sentence of 32 months in prison. Hawkins was also ordered to serve three years of court supervision after he is released from prison. 

According to court records, Hawkins was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute, possess with intent to distribute, and to manufacture methamphetamine. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to serve a term of supervision upon completion of his prison sentence. Between 2021 and 2023, the court revoked Hawkins’s supervision twice for violating conditions of supervised release. According to court records, Hawkins began his most recent term of supervision in May 2024.

According to court documents, in September 2024, U.S. Probation officers conducted a warrantless search of Hawkins’s residence in Traphill, N.C., pursuant to the standard conditions of the court-ordered supervision. During the search, probation officers found multiple firearms inside residence, including a Marlin, Model 25MN, .22 WMR bolt action rifle; a Rossi, Model S201220RS, Youth Matched Pair firearm with interchangeable .22LR barrel and 20-gauge shotgun barrel; a firearm lower receiver; and multiple live rounds of various calibers of ammunition. Probation officers also found hydrocodone pills, well as small amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the residence. 

In February 2026, Hawkins pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility. 

This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Probation Office. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Gleason of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An armed drug distributor who sold methamphetamine and fentanyl in Catawba County was sentenced to 141 months in prison yesterday, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Steven Tyler Philbeck, 35, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release. 

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, in January 2025, law enforcement began conducting an investigation into Philbeck for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in Catawba County. Between January and February 2025, an individual cooperating with law enforcement purchased fentanyl and methamphetamine from Philbeck on multiple occasions. Most of the drug buys took place at or near a hotel in Hickory, North Carolina, and during most of those encounters Philbeck was armed. 

On February 26, 2025, law enforcement conducted surveillance at a hotel where Philbeck was staying and observed him carrying bags from a hotel room to his vehicle. Philbeck then traveled to a storage unit in Hickory. Law enforcement made contact with Philbeck and searched his vehicle, where they found 43 grams of methamphetamine, a Glock pistol, a magazine loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition, and a 12-gauge shotgun. Philbeck also had more than $9,350 in cash.

From Philbeck’s storage unit and hotel room, law enforcement seized a loaded Glock firearm, large amounts of drug paraphernalia, small bags commonly used to package narcotics for distribution, and small bags containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. 

In July 2025, Philbeck pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility. 

This investigation was led by the Hickory Police Department as part of the Catawba Valley Crime Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Lindahl of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury in Charlotte returned a guilty verdict today against William Stanley, 25, and Heather Morrow, 45, both of Charlotte, for impeding and disrupting the performance of official duties of government employees; failure to comply with the lawful direction of an authorized individual; and obstructing the entrance on a federal property. Morrow was also found guilty of assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with federal officers performing their official duties. Stanley was found not guilty of that offense. U.S. District Court Judge Matthew E. Orso presided over the trial. 

According to court documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, on November 16, 2025, Morrow and Stanley, aiding and abetting one another, willfully entered federal property, specifically, the grounds of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO) building in Charlotte. Trial evidence established that, while there, Stanley and Morrow engaged in disorderly conduct and other actions that unreasonably obstructed the usual use of the building’s entrances and parking lots. For example, according to evidence presented at trial and witness testimony, Stanley, Morrow, and three other individuals placed cones on the entrance driveway to the federal property and formed a human chain, blocking ERO Deportation Officers from entering in their official vehicles. In addition, Morrow’s vehicle was parked in the exit lane, blocking vehicles from exiting the federal property. 

U.S. v. Stanley and Morrow – On Nov. 16, 2025, the defendants and others placed cones blocking the entrance to the federal property. 

U.S. v. Stanley and Morrow – On Nov. 16, 2025, Morrow’s vehicle was used to block the exit lane of the federal property  

Trial evidence further established that Stanley and Morrow’s conduct impeded and disrupted ERO Deportation Officers in the performance of their official duties and the defendants failed to comply with the lawful direction of ERO Deportation Officers. According to trial evidence, Stanley stood in front of the government-issued vehicle of an ERO Deportation Officer, blocking the officer from entering the property. Stanley then placed his hands on the hood of the ERO Deportation Officer’s vehicle to stop the officer from entering. While the ERO Deportation Officer was attempting to arrest Stanley, Morrow grabbed the officer by the shoulder, interfering with the officer’s attempt to take Stanley into custody, thereby forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, and intimidating the ERO Deportation Officer while he was engaged in the performance of their official duties, with such acts constituting simple assault. 

U.S. v. Stanley and Morrow – On Nov. 16, 2025, Stanley attempted to stop an ERO Deportation Officer’s government-issued vehicle from entering the federal property 

U.S. v. Stanley and Morrow – On Nov. 16, 2025, Morrow assaulted, resisted, opposed, impeded, and intimidated the ERO Deportation Officer while he was engaged attesting to place Stanley in custody. 

The defendants were released on bond. A sentencing date has not been set. 

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Smith and Caryn Finley prosecuted the case

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced a man with a prior child sex offense conviction to 40 years in prison yesterday for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Christopher James Porter, 33, was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. 

“Mr. Porter went to extraordinary lengths to take advantage of a minor and avoid being caught. After soliciting explicit photos and videos, he traveled across the country, took her from her home and destroyed the minor’s phone, engaged in sexual relations with her, and created photos and videos of his sexual abuse.  He will now spend 40 years in federal prison—longer than he has been alive,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.

“Porter targeted, groomed, and violated a child for his own sexual gratification. While it is difficult to understand how anyone could do this, it is the stark reality of the danger lurking online every day. We must talk to our children to prevent them from being victimized by disgusting predators like Porter,” said Reid Davis the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge.

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, Porter began to communicate online with a 16-yer-old victim in May 2023. During their communications, and after the victim disclosed her age, Porter asked the minor to make and send him sexually explicit videos and photos, which the minor shared. Over the course of their communications, Porter discussed visiting the minor in Western North Carolina. At the time, Porter was in Colorado. 

In October 2023, the minor left her home and met Porter, who was waiting nearby in his vehicle.  Once the minor was in the car, Porter instructed her to delete her social media application from her phone. Porter drove west and near the Tennessee border, he destroyed minor’s cell phone and threw it into a dumpster. In Tennessee, Porter got a hotel room, engaged in sexual activity with the minor, and made child pornography videos of her. Over the next few days, Porter and the minor continued to travel west and stopped at rest stops and parking lots to sleep along the way. Porter continued to engage in sexual activity with the minor in his car. 

On October 25, 2023, officers with the Kirkwood Missouri Police Department observed Porter’s vehicle parked in a parking lot. The officers approached the vehicle, made contact with Porter, and determined that he was a registered sex offender. The police also discovered that the minor who was with him in the vehicle had been reported as missing. Officers arrested Porter and seized his phone. A forensic analysis of the phone revealed that Porter had produced sexually explicit videos and images involving the minor. In an interview with law enforcement, Porter admitted that he had met the minor online and he had travelled to North Carolina from Colorado to pick her up. He further admitted that he had engaged in sexual activity with the minor. 

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

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI in Charlotte, the Monroe Police Department, Kirkwood Missouri Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani Ford of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department announced today that Honeywell Aerospace Inc. has agreed to pay $2,042,518 to resolve allegations that it is liable under the False Claims Act for failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements in a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. Honeywell Aerospace, a corporation headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, provides aerospace products and solutions to government and commercial customers. Prior to June 29, 2026, when Honeywell Aerospace became a standalone public company, it was a business segment of Honeywell International Inc., of Charlotte, North Carolina. 

 “Government contractors that obtain defense information in administering their contracts must follow required cybersecurity standards,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate potential violations of these cybersecurity requirements to protect this critical information.”

“Cybersecurity requirements and standards for federal contractors are in place for a reason: to protect government systems and prevent unauthorized access to government data,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “Companies that seek and profit off of government contracts have an obligation to ensure sensitive data is protected.”

The settlement resolves allegations that from April 2020 through December 2023, a business unit of Honeywell International Inc. submitted false claims for payment by failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements specified in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171, with respect to one of Honeywell’s networks, as required by the contract and regulation.

The allegations resolved by this settlement arose from a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act under which private citizens can sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, Rachel Tenney, a former employee of Honeywell, to receive $375,823 as her share of the settlement.   

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Department of Justice Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.   

The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Greg Pearson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly Snow for the Western District of North Carolina. 

The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Rachel Tenney v. Honeywell International Inc., Civil Action No. 3:22-cv-129 (W.D.N.C.). 

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

The Justice Department announced today that Honeywell Aerospace Inc. has agreed to pay $2,042,518 to resolve allegations that it is liable under the False Claims Act for failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements in a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. Honeywell Aerospace, a corporation headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, provides aerospace products and solutions to government and commercial customers. Prior to June 29, when Honeywell Aerospace became a standalone public company, it was a business segment of Honeywell International Inc., of Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Government contractors that obtain defense information in administering their contracts must follow required cybersecurity standards,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate potential violations of these cybersecurity requirements to protect this critical information.”

“Cybersecurity requirements and standards for federal contractors are in place for a reason: to protect government systems and prevent unauthorized access to government data,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “Companies that seek and profit off of government contracts have an obligation to ensure sensitive data is protected.”

The settlement resolves allegations that from April 2020 through December 2023, a business unit of Honeywell International Inc. submitted false claims for payment by failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements specified in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171, with respect to one of Honeywell’s networks, as required by the contract and regulation.

The allegations resolved by this settlement arose from a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act under which private citizens can sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, Rachel Tenney, a former employee of Honeywell, to receive $375,823 as her share of the settlement.   

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Department of Justice Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.   

The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Greg Pearson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly Snow for the Western District of North Carolina. 

The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Rachel Tenney v. Honeywell International Inc., Civil Action No. 3:22-cv-129 (W.D.N.C.). 

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Ricketta Ann Twitty, 35, of Bostic, N.C. was sentenced to 10 years in prison yesterday for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl after she was caught with nearly 600 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Twitty was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after completing her prison sentence. 

“I have spent the last week going around the district educating people that a single counterfeit pill can contain a lethal dose of fentanyl.  Such education is important, but we also are aggressively prosecuting people like Ms. Twitty who peddle such pills in the community,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “Ms. Twitty unnecessarily put a lot of lives at risk, at times distributing 2,000 pills per day.”

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, officers with the Forest City Police Department responded to a call for service at a Walmart involving Twitty. Officers located Twitty, near a vehicle where she was arrested. The officers then searched Twitty’s vehicle and seized $7,297 in cash and more than 590 counterfeit pills in a prescription bottle. The counterfeit pills were imprinted with “T/189,” a marker for the prescription drug Oxycodone Hydrochloride. The seized counterfeit pills were determined to contain fentanyl. During the investigation, Twitty told the investigators that she received the counterfeit pills from suppliers based in Charlotte, and that she distributed approximately 2,000 fentanyl pills a day during a two to three-week period. 

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

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

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal jury in Charlotte returned a guilty verdict yesterday against Marcus Jamal Shankle, 36, of Charlotte, for illegally possessing a firearm, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Matthew E. Orso presided over the two-day trial. 

According to trial evidence, in October 2024, officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) were investigating Shankle for illegal firearm possession. Shankle had prior federal convictions for distribution of cocaine base and for violating the terms of his supervised release. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. On October 3, 2024, CMPD officers approached Shankle as he was exiting a restaurant in Charlotte. Shankle was walking to his vehicle when he saw the officers approaching. He walked toward his front passenger side door, then attempted to draw a handgun from his waistband. The officers were able to disarm Shankle, but then Shankle grabbed a second firearm hidden in his waistband. The officers attempted to remove this second firearm from Shankle’s grip. Shankle was shot in the course of Shankle’s armed struggle with the officers. Shankle had been in possession of a Ruger, Model P94, 40 caliber semiautomatic pistol and a stolen Keltec, Model P3AT, .380 caliber semiautomatic pistol.

The jury found Shankle guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He faces a statutory sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set. 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case. 

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Crystal Sherrell Jackson, 40, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for submitting fraudulent bills to the North Carolina Medicaid Program (NC Medicaid) for psychotherapy services and urine drug testing that were never provided, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jackson was also ordered to pay $1,623,983.08 in restitution. 

“Medicaid fraud is a crime on all of us – it steals taxpayer money, makes healthcare more expensive, and compromises the integrity of our entire healthcare system,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “In addition, it is a nightmare for those whose identities are stolen. We are grateful for the teamwork essential to combatting this widespread fraud.” 

“The only acceptable level of Medicaid fraud is zero, and we’re going to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute fraud at every instance,” said North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “I’m grateful to U.S. Attorney Freguson and his team for their partnership in prosecuting this fraudster and winning back Medicaid dollars for taxpayers.” 

According to court documents and court proceedings, Jackson was a North Carolina-licensed clinical addiction specialist-associate and NC Medicaid enrolled provider who owned and operated a company called Jackson Consulting and Services, LLC (JCS). JCS held itself out as a mental health agency, clinical laboratory, and consulting business.  Jackson also enrolled JCS with NC Medicaid so that both she and the company could bill NC Medicaid for those services they purportedly provided to eligible NC Medicaid recipients. However, between 2020 and 2024, Jackson and JCS submitted over $1.9 million in sham claims for payment to NC Medicaid for drug testing and psychotherapy services that were either never performed at all or for which they were already paid.

To carry out the scheme, Jackson obtained licensure under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), which enabled Jackson to bill NC Medicaid for the highest allowable reimbursement rates for drug testing, by submitting false documents. Jackson then

filed fraudulent claims for expensive urine drug testing, and psychotherapy services, using the personal information of NC Medicaid recipients, including their names, addresses, dates of birth, and unique NC Medicaid recipient numbers. Jackson obtained the personally identifiable information of these Medicaid recipients in a variety of ways, including from having a prior or unrelated treatment relationship, and from associates. In most cases, the NC Medicaid recipients did not know their information was used by Jackson and JCS to submit fraudulent claims for reimbursement, did not authorize the filing of fraudulent claims on their behalf, and never received the services for which Jackson and JCS billed the NC Medicaid Program. Jackson targeted a vulnerable Medicaid population, and her victims included more than a dozen children, incarcerated individuals, and even submitted bogus bills for services she claimed she performed for Medicaid recipients who were deceased at the time the services were purportedly rendered. 

As Jackson previously admitted in court, she also engaged in transactional money laundering by spending the proceeds of her unlawful scheme. 

In announcing Jackson’s sentence, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell said, it is “an assault on society for benefits programs to be defrauded,” and stressed the importance of general deterrence. 

Jackson pleaded guilty in March 2026 to healthcare fraud and transactional money laundering. She is currently 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 in Charlotte, the North Carolina Attorney General’s Medicaid Investigations Division, and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their investigative work in this case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Armstrong, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Fleisch, with the North Carolina Medicaid Division, prosecuted the case.

If you suspect Medicare or Medicaid fraud, please report it by phone at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477), or via email at HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov.

To report Medicaid fraud in North Carolina, call the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division at 919-881-2320 or fill out an online complaint form.

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

ARLOTTE, N.C. — A Chinese national was sentenced today in the Western District of North Carolina by U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez to 15 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $25 million for his role in a Chinese money laundering organization (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.

“Chinese money laundering networks have become a key enabler to the Mexican cartels,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The organization eliminated by this prosecution alone laundered more than $90 million in less than two years. This emerging and enormous threat to the United States has only become more complex. As part of our mission to totally eliminate cartels, the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners will investigate and prosecute all facets of cartel activity, including those groups that launder and return the money to them so that they can traffic more poison in our country and throughout the world.”

“We are working hard to attack cartels on all fronts,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “That means attacking the money laundering networks that fuel the cartels and hide their money, making it harder to prosecute them. This is an important step in eliminating cartels — a key priority in my office.”

“Today’s sentence reinforces an important principle, criminal organizations cannot operate without access to their profits,” said Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division. “Those who knowingly assist in concealing and legitimizing drug trafficking proceeds become an integral part of the criminal enterprise. This case demonstrates the continued commitment of the Homeland Security Task Force and our law enforcement partners to attacking these organizations at every level and holding accountable those who facilitate their operations.”

According to court documents, Jianfei Lu, 31, of China, was a prolific courier of the CMLO. He collected drug trafficking proceeds from U.S.-based drug traffickers and deposited the money, using both real and fake identities, into shell company bank accounts registered by other members of the CMLO. As a courier, Lu personally picked up and deposited more than $20 million of illicit bulk cash. Lu also served as a manager for the CMLO: he coordinated directly with U.S.-based drug traffickers and dispatched other couriers to conduct bulk cash pickups and deposits. In addition, Lu procured fake driver’s licenses for the couriers, which were used to deposit illicit funds at major U.S. banks. 
 

Approximately $670,000 of U.S. currency and 12 firearms seized from a Designated Terrorist Organization that used the CMLO for money laundering services.

In July 2025, Lu 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 transaction involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. In connection to his guilty plea, Lu admitted that he had actual knowledge and involvement in laundering between $25 million and $65 million in illicit funds, and that he knew the laundered funds  included drug trafficking proceeds.

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

Trial Attorneys Mingda Hang, Jayce Born, and Kenneth Kaplan of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Miller and Seth Johnson for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.

MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

A Chinese national was sentenced today in the Western District of North Carolina by U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez to 15 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $25 million for his role in a Chinese money laundering organization (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.

“Chinese money laundering networks have become a key enabler to the Mexican cartels,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The organization eliminated by this prosecution alone laundered more than $90 million in less than two years. This emerging and enormous threat to the United States has only become more complex. As part of our mission to totally eliminate cartels, the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners will investigate and prosecute all facets of cartel activity, including those groups that launder and return the money to them so that they can traffic more poison in our country and throughout the world.”

“We are working hard to attack cartels on all fronts,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. “That means attacking the money laundering networks that fuel the cartels and hide their money, making it harder to prosecute them. This is an important step in eliminating cartels — a key priority in my office.”

“Today’s sentence reinforces an important principle, criminal organizations cannot operate without access to their profits,” said Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division. “Those who knowingly assist in concealing and legitimizing drug trafficking proceeds become an integral part of the criminal enterprise. This case demonstrates the continued commitment of the Homeland Security Task Force and our law enforcement partners to attacking these organizations at every level and holding accountable those who facilitate their operations.”

According to court documents, Jianfei Lu, 31, of China, was a prolific courier of the CMLO. He collected drug trafficking proceeds from U.S.-based drug traffickers and deposited the money, using both real and fake identities, into shell company bank accounts registered by other members of the CMLO. As a courier, Lu personally picked up and deposited more than $20 million of illicit bulk cash. Lu also served as a manager for the CMLO: he coordinated directly with U.S.-based drug traffickers and dispatched other couriers to conduct bulk cash pickups and deposits. In addition, Lu procured fake driver’s licenses for the couriers, which were used to deposit illicit funds at major U.S. banks. 

In July 2025, Lu 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 transaction involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. In connection to his guilty plea, Lu admitted that he had actual knowledge and involvement in laundering between $25 million and $65 million in illicit funds, and that he knew the laundered funds  included drug trafficking proceeds.

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

Trial Attorneys Mingda Hang, Jayce Born, and Kenneth Kaplan of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Miller and Seth Johnson for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.

MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Unit investigates and prosecutes the top command and control elements of international drug cartels, drug trafficking organizations and related transnational criminal organizations.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ronald Dale Lynn, 58, formerly of Gaston County, was sentenced to 30 months in prison today for interstate transportation of stolen property, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Lynn was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release. 

According to filed documents, from 2019 to 2025, Lynn operated a fencing scheme in which he purchased stolen and fraudulently obtained retail merchandise and resold it for a profit through online marketplaces, including eBay, Amazon, and Walmart Marketplace, to customers in the United States and abroad. 

In the retail theft scheme, Lynn operated as a “fence,” a person who knowingly receives stolen or fraudulently obtained goods from “boosters” for resale at a profit. Boosters are individuals who steal or fraudulently obtain retail merchandise and sell it to a fence. 

Lynn operated his fencing scheme, in part, from a physical storefront in a commercial strip mall on Wilkinson Boulevard in Charlotte. The storefront had no signage and was not open to the public. Instead, it served primarily as a drop-off and processing location for stolen merchandise. Court records show that much of the merchandise Lynn sold online consisted of new or near-new health and beauty products, including proprietary beauty products sold exclusively by national retail brands. The products were sold at prices significantly below those charged by legitimate retailers. 

In January 2025, the U.S. Secret Service executed a search warrant on Lynn’s storefront and other locations, seizing stolen or fraudulently obtained merchandise with an estimated value of approximately $414,056. The total losses attributable to Lynn as part of the fencing scheme are between $1.5 and $3.5 million. 

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Costa Rican national was sentenced to 20 years in prison today for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl following a Homeland Security Task Force investigation, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  In addition to the prison terms imposed, Ronald Corrales-Arrieta, 48, was also sentenced to five years of supervised release after he is released from prison. 

According to court documents and proceedings, Corrales-Arrieta operated a car repair business in Hickory, North Carolina. Corrales-Arrieta used his business to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl.  Law enforcement became aware of the defendant’s drug distribution organization on April 15, 2023, after Hickory Police Department officers found a missing man deceased inside Corrales-Arrieta’s business surrounded by hundreds of grams of fentanyl. 

After finding the decedent in Corrales-Arrieta’s business, investigators used a confidential informant (CI) to purchase drugs from Corrales-Arrieta’s drug trafficking organization on several occasions.  Corrales-Arrieta made many of the drug sales himself and used Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States to facilitate other sales. Corrales-Arrieta even coordinated some drug sales from Costa Rica.

Investigators arrested Corrales-Arrieta on October 18, 2024. Following his arrest, agents searched Corrales-Arrieta’s business, finding two firearms: a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle and a Taurus 9mm Handgun.

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

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Department of Homeland Security and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ahead of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day on Friday, August 21, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is raising awareness about the dangers of illicit fentanyl and inviting the public to join “A Conversation on Fentanyl: Awareness, Prevention, and Public Health.” U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson will host the Facebook Live discussion on Tuesday, August 18, at 10 a.m. ET, focusing on prevention, enforcement, treatment, and recovery.

U.S. Attorney Ferguson will be joined by Eric Conaway, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Charlotte Division, Atrium Health emergency room physician Dr. Cory Hines, and treatment and recovery expert Mackie Johnson, Executive Director of MCJ Counseling Services. 

National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is observed annually on August 21 and brings together families, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, educators, community organizations, and others to increase education about the dangers of illicit fentanyl.

Illicit fentanyl remains one of the most dangerous drug threats facing our communities. Fentanyl is extremely potent, and even a small amount can be potentially lethal. Fentanyl is often mixed into other illicit drugs and pressed into counterfeit pills made to resemble legitimate prescription medicines.

“Some of the heaviest days I have as U.S. Attorney are meeting families who have lost a loved one to a fentanyl overdose,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “This drug has devastated families across Western North Carolina. National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is a time to remember those we have lost to an overdose, educate people about the dangers of counterfeit pills and other illicit drugs, and support those seeking treatment and recovery. The fentanyl crisis cannot be solved by any one agency or organization. We all have a role to play, from law enforcement and healthcare professionals, to parents, educators, and families. My office will continue pursuing cartels, drug trafficking organizations, and distributors who bring this poison into our communities, while working with our partners to promote prevention, education, treatment, and recovery. Awareness and support can save lives.”
 

“National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day reminds us that protecting our communities starts with prevention,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “We must protect lives by raising awareness of the dangers of fentanyl, prevent tragedy through education and informed decision-making, and support families with the resources they need to have these important conversations. Together, we can save lives and work toward a Fentanyl Free America.”

Identifying and dismantling drug trafficking networks remains a top enforcement priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners. Federal prosecutors regularly handle cases involving traffickers responsible for distributing fentanyl and other illicit drugs. 

• On August 13, 2026, a repeat federal drug trafficker and his girlfriend were sentenced for distributing fentanyl. 
• On August 13, 2026, a North Carolina physician was sentenced for conspiring to allow his DEA registration number to be used for thousands of unlawful buprenorphine prescriptions. 
• On August 12, 2026, an illegal alien and affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel was sentenced for trafficking more than 133,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. 
• On August 5, 2026, two illegal aliens from Honduras were sentenced for fentanyl trafficking. 
• On July 21, 2026, a convicted felon on probation was sentenced for distributing guns and drugs, including fentanyl.
• On June 4, 2026, a Mexican national with ties to the CJNG Cartel was sentenced for distributing fentanyl and other illicit drugs. 

For more information about the dangers of illicit fentanyl and resources available to families and communities, visit the DEA’s fentanyl awareness webpage.

Contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for help with treatment referral and information for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit the online treatment locator.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina physician has been sentenced to prison for conspiring to allow his Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number to be used for thousands of unlawful buprenorphine prescriptions, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell ordered Henry Ronald Emery, Jr., 54, of Waxhaw, N.C., to serve six months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. The sentencing hearing was held on Thursday, August 13, 2026.

“To end the opioid epidemic, we have to address the problem on all fronts, and that includes physicians who abuse their responsibility prescribing controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Physicians play a significant role in treating patients struggling with substance use disorder and the vast majority take that responsibility very seriously. However, those who abandon that responsibility, compromise patient care, and fuel the unlawful distribution of addictive drugs will be held accountable.” 

According to filed documents, from September 2018 through 2022, Emery was a licensed physician in North Carolina with a family medicine practice in Weddington, N.C. He was also employed by Church Ekklasia Sozo (CES), a non-profit corporation operating as an online medical provider. CES purported to offer a legitimate opioid addiction treatment program that provided care through telemedicine. In order to obtain a prescription through CES, patients were required to fill out a short questionnaire on the organization’s website. Generally, a member of the CES administrative staff then reached out to the patient, obtained payment for the prescription, and used a medical prescriber’s DEA registration number to issue the prescription. Emery allowed administrative personnel at CES to use his DEA registration number to issue over 25,000 prescriptions of buprenorphine to patients in multiple states. Generally, Emery did not have any personal interaction with a CES patient before a buprenorphine prescription was issued in his name by CES administrative personnel. 

Emery received payments totaling $452,830 from CES during the conspiracy. A forfeiture money judgment was ordered in this amount by Judge Bell at sentencing. 

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

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Two fentanyl and methamphetamine traffickers were sentenced to prison yesterday, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Jason Mills, 47, of Hendersonville, N.C., was sentenced to 135 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Mills pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Mills was on federal probation for a federal cocaine trafficking conviction in Florida when he reoffended. His 10-year sentence will run at the expiration of his federal probation sentence for violating his probation. 

Stephanie Hope Lindsey, 40, of East Flat Rock, N.C., was ordered to serve 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Lindsey pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl.

“Fentanyl is a highly addictive and deadly drug, and today’s sentences reflect our commitment to protecting lives and combating this scourge across communities in the western district,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. 

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, law enforcement initiated an investigation into Mills for supplying fentanyl and methamphetamine in Henderson and Buncombe Counties. His girlfriend, Lindsey, was also involved in Mills’s drug trafficking activities. Between January and February 2024, Mills and Lindsey were involved in multiple drug transactions, selling fentanyl and methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. At times, Lindsey executed the drug transactions coordinated by Mills. Other times, Mills sold the drugs while Lindsey drove him to the agreed locations. Mills also handled some of the drug transactions on his own. 

On February 12, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at Mills’s residence in Asheville, seizing 86.38 grams of fentanyl, 87 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and $2,000 in U.S. currency. On the same day, law enforcement also searched Mills’s vehicle, where they found two magnetic boxes in the engine compartment containing 69 multi-colored pills containing methamphetamine, and two baggies that contained fentanyl and methamphetamine. 

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

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case.

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

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A previously convicted felon was sentenced to prison yesterday for distributing fentanyl, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Sadiq Mafia Devoe Jones, 24, of Asheville, was sentenced to 135 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Jones’s 10-year sentence will run at the expiration of his federal probation sentence for violating his probation. 

“Shortly after Jones was released from federal prison he returned to a life of crime and drug dealing,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Fentanyl kills, and we are committed to eliminating this deadly drug that ravages communities and destroys families.” 

According to court documents and proceedings, in August 2025, law enforcement learned that Jones was part of a drug ring that distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine, and firearms in Buncombe County. Law enforcement also learned that Jones was on federal supervised release for a prior conviction for illegally possessing a firearm. On multiple occasions during the investigation, an undercover agent purchased over 139 grams of fentanyl and over 26 grams of methamphetamine from Jones or other individuals working for Jones. During at least one drug transaction, Jones used a juvenile to sell fentanyl to the undercover agent.

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

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

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Nathaniel Willard Byrd, 38, a youth coach from Hudson, N.C., was sentenced to 121 months in prison today for receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Byrd will serve 30 years of supervised release. 

“Of all people who should not be fueling the trade of videos depicting the torture of children, a youth coach should be at the top of the list,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “We will be vigilant to prosecute those that harm our children, particularly those we entrust with their care.”

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, law enforcement determined that an internet user, later identified as Byrd, was storing CSAM to a cloud-based account. Some of the CSAM included videos depicting children between two and 12 years old engaged in sex acts, including the torture of an 18-month-old child. On October 30, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Byrd’s residence and seized his cellphone. During an interview with investigators, Byrd admitted that he downloaded CSAM. A forensic review of the cellphone revealed that the phone contained the BitTorrent app, a peer-to-peer file-sharing application, and that Byrd possessed more than 1,300 files depicting the sexual abuse of children, 278 of which were videos. Some of the CSAM had been downloaded using the BitTorrent app. 

In December 2025, Byrd pleaded guilty to receiving CSAM. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility.

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Boone Police Department, and the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Paris Alonzo Lewis-Bynum, 21, a previously convicted felon from Charlotte, was sentenced to nine years in prison today for illegally possessing a firearm and using a firearm to further drug trafficking activities, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

According to court records, Lewis-Bynum was convicted in 2023 for speeding to elude arrest. As a result of that conviction, he is not permitted to possess a firearm. Court records show that on December 2024, at approximately 3:50 p.m., a shootout occurred near the intersection of W.T. Harris Blvd. and Albemarle Rd. in Charlotte. A school bus full of students was struck multiple times by projectiles from the shooting. Investigators determined that Lewis-Bynum was involved in the shootout, and he was arrested on December 16, 2024. In addition to illegally possessing the firearm, law enforcement determined that Lewis-Bynum was involved in drug trafficking activities in the area. 

“Lewis-Bynum is the type of repeat offender that my office prioritizes for federal prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “It is a miracle that none of the children on the school bus were seriously hurt or killed during the shooting. We will not stand idly by when people put our children in danger.” 

Lewis-Bynum is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility.

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their work on this case. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to prison today for carrying out an extensive cyber extortion scheme against a D.C.-based international technology company, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Cameron Curry, 27, was ordered to serve 24 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release. In March 2026, a federal jury convicted Curry of six counts of transmitting or willfully causing interstate communications with the intent to extort a victim company. 

According to filed documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, Curry was contracted to work as a data analyst for approximately six months with the victim company. In that capacity, Curry had access to the victim company’s data files and other personnel and corporate information. Trial evidence established that Curry misused his position to access the victim company’s personnel and other sensitive corporate records, which he then used to carry out the cyber extortion scheme. Curry hatched his extortion scheme after he learned that his contract was not going to be renewed and that he would no longer be employed by the company.

According to evidence presented at trial, from December 11, 2023, to January 24, 2024, Curry, identifying himself online as “Loot,” sent over 60 email messages to company employees and executives, threatening to disclose sensitive information unless he was paid $2.5 million dollars in cryptocurrency. Trial evidence further established that the email messages contained threats to disclose sensitive corporate information and employee data, including employees’ personally identifiable information (PII), as well as threats to harm the reputation of the victim company by reporting a breach of its information and publishing the information publicly if the victim company failed to pay him via cryptocurrency. 

On January 24, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at Curry’s residence, seizing various electronic devices. A forensic analysis of the evidence revealed that Curry was committing the extortion scheme under the “Loot” alias. 

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which conducted the investigation, and the FBI Charlotte Field Office, which provided significant assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Lucas of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia prosecuted the case. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison today for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including material depicting prepubescent children under 12 years of age, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez sentenced Terrell Shawn Anderson, 31, of Charlotte, to 15 years in prison followed by 30 years of supervised release. Judge Rodriguez also ordered Anderson to pay $3,000 in restitution, $5,000 in special assessments pursuant to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, and $15,000 in special assessments pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018. 

“Social media helps people stay connected, but it can also become a place where children are victimized,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We will remain vigilant in prosecuting these cases, but we also hope this case serves as a cautionary tale for parents to monitor their children’s social media use.”

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, law enforcement received multiple cybertips that an individual, later identified as Anderson, was using at least 13 Snapchat accounts and other social media platforms to distribute videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of minors, including children under 12 years old. In October 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Anderson’s residence, seizing two cellphones and other evidence. During an interview with law enforcement, Anderson admitted that he possessed CSAM. He further admitted that the multiple Snapchat accounts belonged to him and that he was using them to obtain and distribute CSAM with others, including individuals he believed to be minors and adults. According to Anderson, he estimated talking with 45 minor females and getting some of them to create nude images of themselves. A forensic review of the seized cellphones revealed that Anderson had at least 697 videos and 2,183 images of CSAM, including 29 videos and 7 images depicting sadistic or masochistic conduct depicting children. 

In sentencing Anderson, Judge Rodriguez said, this is a “very serious crime,” it is “not a victimless crime,” and deterrence of others is an important factor in issuing this sentence. 

Anderson pleaded guilty to distribution of CSAM and possession and access with intent to view CSAM that involved a prepubescent minor and a minor who had not yet attained 12 years of age. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility.

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their work on this case. 

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Omar Antonio Jaramillo-Meza, 24, an illegal alien from Mexico with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for trafficking more than 133,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Following his prison sentence, Jaramillo-Meza will be deported. 

“As an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel, Jaramillo-Meza coordinated the trafficking of thousands of fentanyl pills and other deadly drugs across the border and into western North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Transnational criminal organizations that fuel the devastation caused by fentanyl may operate beyond our borders, but their deadly consequences are felt in our communities. That is why we will not stop at the border to put an end to the fentanyl epidemic.” 

“This seizure of more than 100,000 fentanyl pills demonstrates what can be accomplished when law enforcement agencies work together with a shared mission,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “We are disrupting the supply of illicit fentanyl and holding those responsible accountable. We will continue working tirelessly toward a Fentanyl Free America.”

According to court documents and court proceedings, a DEA confidential source (CS) was introduced to “El Moro,” who was affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel and later identified as Jaramillo-Meza, and had access to large quantities of narcotics, including fentanyl. During the investigation, the CS used a messaging app to arrange multiple drug buys with Jaramillo-Meza. In April 2022, law enforcement seized 3,000 pills that Jaramillo-Meza had sent to the CS. The pills were marked with “M-30,” a marking used on prescription oxycodone pills. An analysis by the DEA laboratory confirmed the seized pills contained fentanyl.  

During a subsequent meeting between the CS and Jaramillo-Meza, the defendant discussed future fentanyl shipments to the CS and explained that he had drugs sent by plane from Colombia to Mexico. In February 2023, Jaramillo-Meza sent a message to the CS, letting him know that fentanyl pills were in a package on the way to Charlotte and provided a tracking number. Investigators intercepted the package and seized 80,000 blue “M-30” pills that contained fentanyl. In June 2023, law enforcement also intercepted another drug delivery arranged by Jaramillo-Meza, seizing approximately 20,000 fentanyl pills in Cleveland County. In addition, investigators determined that Jaramillo-Meza supervised a network of couriers that arranged drug deliveries throughout the United States, including a delivery of 30,000 fentanyl seized by law enforcement in New York City. Court documents show that Jaramillo-Meza was responsible for trafficking more than 15 kilograms of fentanyl pills during the investigation. 

In September 2024, Jaramillo-Meza pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly and intentionally distributing fentanyl and one count of knowingly and intentionally distributing fentanyl and cocaine. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility. 

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the DEA for its work investigating the case. 

Erik Lindahl with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A previously convicted felon was sentenced to prison today for illegally possessing multiple firearms, including a machinegun, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Justin Lloyd Coleman, 44, of Huntersville, N.C., was ordered to serve 80 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. 

“Coleman knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms, yet he armed himself with multiple guns, including a machinegun,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Keeping firearms out of the hands of those who should not have them in the first place is important for the safety of our communities, and we will prosecute them at the federal level.”  

According to court records, in December 2024, law enforcement learned that Coleman illegally possessed various firearms and suspected destructive devices. Court records show that Coleman had previously served time in prison for a state firearm conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms. Law enforcement searched a residence associated with Coleman where they located four AR-style rifles that Coleman had hidden in the attic. Law enforcement arrested Coleman and searched his apartment, where they found multiple firearms, including a short-barreled rifle with a high-capacity magazine, machineguns, firearm components, ammunition, five destructive devices (improvised grenades), and components to build destructive devices.

Coleman pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun in November 2025. He is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility.

In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Huntersville Police Department and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for their work on this case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani Ford of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Tidarian Williams, 32, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 42 months in prison and two years of supervised release for unlawful possession of a USPS arrow key and theft of mail matter, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  Williams pleaded guilty to these offenses on October 24, 2025. 

“Stealing mail causes financial strain and stress on a large number of victims and my office is committed to aggressively prosecuting it,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Williams not only stole mail from all over the city, he fled, hit a federal officer, and nearly struck an innocent pedestrian. His brazen conduct and disregard for the law put lives at risk just so he could enrich himself by stealing mail.”

“This sentencing holds Williams accountable for his actions and sends a clear message that mail theft and the unlawful use of USPS arrow keys will not be tolerated,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division for the Postal Inspection Service. “The Postal Inspection Service remains committed to protecting the safety and security of our personnel and the mail, and we will continue working alongside our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who victimize postal customers. “

According to court documents, between October 2024 and May 2025, Williams used arrow keys, which are master keys used by the U.S. Postal Service, to unlawfully access cluster mailboxes and steal mail in and around Charlotte. Williams specifically sought after pieces of mail that contained checks, credit cards, or other financial instruments, which he then used to enrich himself or sell to others. During his crime spree, Williams became increasingly brazen, as he transitioned from breaking into outdoor mailboxes at night to walking into businesses and residential buildings in the middle of the day and breaking into cluster mailboxes located in the lobbies. 

U.S. v. Williams – Video Stills Capturing the Defendant Stealing Mail

Court documents show that Williams’ thefts victimized businesses and residents across the Charlotte area, and at least one property targeted by Williams hired a guard to physically monitor its mailroom. The total loss associated with Williams’s scheme is approximately $963,000 and involved at least 10 victims. 

Court documents show that Williams used stolen credit cards and other financial instruments to purchase luxury goods, jewelry, and other items. In addition, Williams sold or offered to sell to other individuals the “keys to the city,” meaning arrow keys, as well as stolen checks.

U.S. v. Williams – Williams’s Custom Diamond Necklace in the Shape of a U.S. Postal Service Arrow Key (Top); Williams Posing with Custom Arrow Key Necklace (Middle) and Outside a Post Office (Bottom) 

According to court records, in April 2025, law enforcement responded to a mail theft in progress. When postal inspectors arrived on the scene, they observed Williams driving away in his vehicle. The postal inspectors blocked Williams’s vehicle and attempted to stop him, but when a postal inspector exited his car to approach the defendant, Williams fled by driving on the sidewalk, striking the postal inspector with his vehicle and causing him to sustain minor injuries. Williams then drove recklessly at high rate of speed and nearly struck a pedestrian. 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Office of the Inspector General, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case. 

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

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Richard Sevear Greene, 58, of Franklin, N.C., was sentenced to 20 years in prison yesterday for distributing and attempting to distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Greene was also ordered to register as a sex offender and serve a lifetime term of supervised release after his release from prison.

According to court documents and the court proceedings, Greene was previously convicted in North Carolina state court of Third Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and was required to register as a sex offender. In February 2025, while Greene was a registered sex offender, he used a messaging application to communicate with individuals in a public group on the application whose members were known to be interested in the sexual exploitation of minors. 

An investigator working with the FBI in an undercover capacity began communicating with Greene. Over the course of their communications, Greene sent the undercover investigator videos depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. On March 27, 2025, the FBI arrested Greene. During an interview, Greene admitted to possessing CSAM and to sending CSAM through the messaging application to others. He also admitted to being the administrator or owner of several chat groups on the messaging application that were dedicated to the sexual exploitation of minors.

In imposing Greene’s sentence, Judge Reidinger noted that in reoffending, Greene had “doubled down” and not only returned to the same criminal conduct that he had previously been convicted of, but had engaged in even more serious and harmful behaviors, and that Greene’s conduct clearly shows that he is a danger to the community and has not been deterred by prior convictions and sentences.

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

The investigation was led by the FBI with assistance from the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, United States Forest Service, and the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction - Division of Community Supervision. 

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

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A prior federal drug trafficker was sentenced to prison yesterday for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout Burke and Catawba Counties, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Rodney Justin Crisp, 38, of Morganton, N.C., was sentenced to 14 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. On January 5, 2026, Crisp pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine.  

According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, in June 2024, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation into Crisp for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in Burke and Catawba Counties. Investigators developed a confidential source who began purchasing methamphetamine and fentanyl from Crisp. Prior to each controlled purchase, the confidential source communicated with Crisp to arrange the transaction, then travelled to various locations in Burke and Catawba Counties to purchase the drugs. During the investigation, the confidential source engaged in multiple controlled drug transactions with Crisp. 

On October 13, 2025, deputies with the Burke County Sheriff’s Office encountered Crisp and two passengers in a vehicle. Deputies executed a federal arrest warrant. A search of the vehicle uncovered numerous small, empty clear plastic baggies in and around the driver’s seat and center console, as well as a leather bag on the rear center floorboard. Inside the bag, deputies located drug paraphernalia and a smaller purple bag containing methamphetamine. 

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

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

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Olver Anacleto Amador-Calderon, 24, and Alexander Josue Viatoro-Arita, 22, both illegal aliens from Honduras, were sentenced to prison yesterday for trafficking fentanyl, following an investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Amador-Calderon was ordered to serve 14 years in prison, and Viatoro-Arita was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Following the completion of their prison sentences, both defendants will be deported. The defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. 

“These defendants entered our country illegally and fueled the distribution of deadly fentanyl while armed with stolen firearms. They will serve time in an American prison before they are deported, and we will continue our fight to completely eliminate fentanyl from our community,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.

According to filed court documents and court proceedings, in January 2025, Viatoro-Arita sold 24.99 grams of fentanyl to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. Later the same day, investigators arrived at the hotel where the defendants were staying. Investigators searched the hotel room, where they recovered more than 330 grams of fentanyl, approximately $33,000 in cash, and two ledgers documenting drug sales. The ledgers documented approximately $159,400 in drug transactions between December 2024 and January 2025, totaling 11.665 kilograms of fentanyl and just under 3.3 kilograms of methamphetamine. In addition, investigators recovered firearms concealed in the defendants’ waistbands. Amador-Calderon possessed a .380 caliber Titan pistol, and Viatoro-Arita possessed a stolen 9mm Taurus pistol with a partially obliterated serial number. 

The defendants are currently in federal custody. They will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility. 

The investigation was handled by the FBI, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, and the Gastonia Police Department.

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Anil Dabydeen, 41, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing the stolen firearm he used to shoot at vehicles on I-485, injuring two people, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

“We will use federal statutes to charge federal crimes when individuals act recklessly with firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “No one driving on the highway should be in fear they are going to be shot by a passerby.  My office is diligently working to remove felons illegally possessing handguns from our streets and send them to prison where they cannot harm innocent people.” 

“Taking violent and dangerous individuals off our streets is a critical effort that ATF is proud to be a part of,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “We continue to work with our law enforcement partners to apprehend those that pose the biggest threat to our public safety.”

“Violent acts like this have no place in our city, and this case shows what can be accomplished when strong partnerships work together to protect the community. Our officers, federal partners, and prosecutors moved quickly and decisively to hold this offender accountable,” said Chief of Police Estella D. Patterson. “CMPD remains firmly committed to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF and all of our public safety partners to address violent crime, remove dangerous individuals from our streets and ensure the safety of everyone who lives, works, and travels in Charlotte.”

According to court documents and the court hearing, on January 8, 2025, at 3:49 p.m., officers with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) were dispatched to I-485 at the South Tryon Street exit after receiving several 911 calls reporting a male operating a white Honda sedan on the highway shooting at passing vehicles. CMPD officers arrived on the scene and located two victims who had been shot. The victims told the officers that they were traveling south on I-485 when their vehicle was struck by gunfire. Both victims were transported to the hospital, and one required surgery because of the injuries sustained. While on the scene, the officers reviewed a video recorded by a witness. The video showed a white sedan stopped on the side of the highway, and an individual, later identified as Dabydeen, walking around the vehicle, brandishing a firearm and pointing it at passing vehicles. Dabydeen had shot the victims’ car three times. 

While the officers were investigating the incident, they observed a white Honda sedan driving in their direction at a high rate of speed. The vehicle swerved onto the grassy area on the right shoulder of the highway, passing close by the officers. The officers recognized the vehicle as the one observed during the shooting and began to pursue it while the driver fled. Eventually, Dabydeen stopped the vehicle, and he was taken into custody. Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded Taurus Model G3c, 9mm pistol affixed with a loaded extended magazine. The firearm had been reported stolen. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Dabydeen has a prior felony conviction for Attempted Murder in New York, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. 

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

The ATF and CMPD led the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution.  

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina woman is facing federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a scheme that defrauded the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) of millions of dollars, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

A federal grand jury in Charlotte returned an indictment charging Linda Faye Hough, 64, of Rockingham, N.C., with one count of mail fraud and six counts of making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims to a federal program in connection with more than $9 million in DFAP applications. 

“Regardless of the program, hard-earned taxpayer dollars should be spent where Congress intended, not to personally benefit those who exploit the system,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “My office is committed to rooting out fraud, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and preserving the integrity of federal assistance programs.”

 “A program designed to remedy wrongdoing instead turned into another vector for criminals to defraud the taxpayer. The USDA Office of Inspector General is committed to ensuring taxpayer money is wisely spent. Those who steal from the public can expect to be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said USDA Inspector General John Walk.

“When a federal program is defrauded, every taxpayer becomes a victim and those deserving of assistance are essentially robbed of much needed financial help. Fighting fraud is one of the highest priorities in the FBI. We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to take down anyone who unlawfully obtains federal assistance to use in their personal piggy banks," said Reid Davis, the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge. 

The DFAP (or Program) was established by the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, which appropriated $2.2 billion in federal funding, to compensate farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. To be eligible to receive funding, applicants were required to submit documentation to prove eligibility, including that they owned or leased farmland; that they participated in or attempted to participate in a USDA farm loan program; that they experienced discrimination by USDA employees; and that they suffered financial losses. Individual DFAP awards were capped at $500,000 per applicant. 

According to allegations in the indictment, from January 2024 to August 2024, Hough allegedly orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently obtain funds from the DFAP, both for herself and for others. As a promoter of the scheme, the indictment alleges that Hough submitted fraudulent DFAP applications for herself and others that contained false information that falsely made the applicants appear eligible for a DFAP award. In some instances, Hough solicited and received  kickback payments from applicants, after they received DFAP awards. 

As are result of the fraudulent applications, it is alleged that Hough caused approximately $9 million in fraudulently obtained DFAP funds to be disbursed to her and other applicants. 

Hough had her initial appearance in federal court today. If convicted, Hough faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for the mail fraud offense, and five years in prison for each count of filing false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The USDA Office of Inspector General and the FBI handled the investigation with the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Financial Crimes. 

Special Assistant U.S. Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. 

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

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jason Nathaniel Speier, 43, of Arden, N.C., was sentenced today to 135 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for a scheme to defraud customers who purchased log cabin kits, announced U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Speier was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,426,072.25.

Speier pleaded guilty to wire fraud on October 25, 2025. During the scheme Speier defrauded at least 24 customers and received more than $2.5 million in customer payments. 

According to court documents, from 2022 through 2023, Speier was the owner and president of K.I. Enterprises, Inc., doing business as “Kabens,” an unlicensed company that claimed to build log cabin homes in Western North Carolina. Court filings show that Speier executed a scheme to defraud customers by falsely representing that his business was capable of building European-sourced log cabin kits into turnkey residences. Contrary to those claims, Speier did not have a legitimate source of supply for the purported log cabin kits. 

Court records show that Speier falsely assured customers that he had built many cabins for satisfied customers and that he could provide references and favorable reviews. To solicit new clients, Speier developed an extensive online marketing and social media presence, advertising “complete log cabin home packages” at “affordable prices.” His advertisements also falsely promised “fast construction” and “unlimited customization.” To boost sales, Speier built a sales team and directed them to make numerous sales to customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. He also falsely claimed that customers’ down payments would be used to purchase log cabin kits and complete construction in a timely manner. 

According to court filings, Speier continued his fraudulent conduct even after the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors launched an investigation following multiple customer complaints. Despite the investigation, Speier incorporated a new business called “Big Timber Log Homes” and continued soliciting new customers to build turnkey cabins, even though Speier had not successfully completed a single project. 

At today’s sentencing hearing, one of Speier’s victims stated in court that their loss was just “a drop in the chum bucket of Jason Speier’s endless exploitation of others.”

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

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville was in charge of the prosecution. 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Carlos Alonso Hernandez Urbina, 38, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States, is facing multiple charges for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and for possessing CSAM involving prepubescent minors, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

“Child sexual abuse material involving prepubescent minors is disgusting,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “Those that come to this country illegally to engage in such conduct will serve time in federal prison before being deported.”

According to allegations in the indictment, from May to June 2026, in Mecklenburg County, Urbina knowingly distributed CSAM on multiple occasions to five individuals. It is further alleged that from 2024 to 2026, Urbina did knowingly possess and accessed with intent to view CSAM that involved a prepubescent minor and a minor that had not yet attained 12 years of age. 

If Urbina is convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years prison for each of the five counts of distribution of CSAM in the indictment, and up to 20 years in prison for the charge of possession and access with intent to view CSAM involving a prepubescent minor. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI in Charlotte investigated the case. 

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

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

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. – An illegal alien from Mexico is facing multiple child sexual exploitation charges and a firearms offense, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

A federal grand jury returned a criminal indictment, charging Francisco Rosales Ortiz, 41, with 10 counts of production of CSAM, possession and access with intent to view CSAM, and unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien. 

According to allegations in the indictment, between June 2025 and March 2026, in Gaston County, Ortiz attempted to, and did, use a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct multiple times for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the sexual abuse. It is further alleged that during that time, Ortiz also knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The indictment also alleges that Ortiz illegally possessed three firearms, two pistols and a rifle, while being an alien unlawfully and illegally in the United States. 

“We are not going to stand by while illegal aliens come to our country and exploit our children,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “There are plenty of people in line to legally come to the United States. They should not be forced to the back of the line for someone like Ortiz, who is charged with sexually abusing a child and illegally possessing firearms.”

“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting our communities from those who seek to exploit the most vulnerable among us—our children. HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice individuals who commit these heinous crimes,” said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Carolinas. “We will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that offenders are held accountable and that our neighborhoods remain safe places for children to grow and thrive.”

If convicted, Ortiz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 325 years in prison, which includes 30 years in prison for each count of production of CSAM; up to 10 years in prison for possession and access with intent to view CSAM; and a maximum of 15 years in prison for the firearms offense. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Homeland Security Investigations handled the investigation. 

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

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

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. – Terry Detroit Page, 54, of Pineville, N.C., was sentenced today to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  

According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, law enforcement initiated an investigation into Page for drug trafficking in and around Charlotte. Using a confidential informant, law enforcement conducted multiple drug buys with Page of methamphetamine and fentanyl. In January 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Page’s residence. During search of the residence, law enforcement seized narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and two firearms, including a rifle. Page has a prior criminal conviction, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms. 

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

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. 

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

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Kuron Christopher Grant, 23, of Asheville, was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm in Asheville, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Grant’s 10-year sentence will run at the expiration of his North Carolina sentence for violating his state probation.

“I have no patience for those that are given a second chance and return to a life of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We cannot give people unlimited chances when it comes to selling drugs and guns—a dangerous combination.  Mr. Grant will have another decade in federal prison to think about that.” 

According to filed documents and court proceedings, while Grant was on probation for 2024 state convictions of carrying a concealed gun, common law robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, law enforcement initiated an investigation into Grant for suspected drug trafficking in Buncombe County. Court records show that, between August and September 2025, on six occasions, Grant sold fentanyl and methamphetamine to law enforcement, as well as firearms, including a stolen AR rifle. On November 4, 2025, law enforcement arrested Grant and found in his backpack a short, barreled rifle fitted with an extended magazine. In total, according to court records, Grant was responsible for distributing more than 119 grams of pure methamphetamine and more than 181 grams of fentanyl and had illegally possessed three firearms. 

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

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Asheville Police Department, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. 

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A convicted drug trafficker on probation was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert James Salyards, 52, of Claremont, N.C., was ordered to serve five years of supervised release after he completes the prison term. 

“Career criminals like Salyards are fueling addiction and ruining communities,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “By removing him from the streets, we have, as he admitted, put an end to at least 50 drugs sales every week.”

According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, Salyards was on state parole for a drug conviction. On February 25, 2025, officers with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office stopped Salyards’ vehicle for driving at excessive speed. During the stop, the officers observed a glass meth pipe at the front console. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, the officers found in the center console a clear plastic bag containing 111 grams of methamphetamine. They also located an eye glass case containing a plastic bag with 3.7 grams of methamphetamine. On the driver’s seat of the vehicle there was a bag containing another clear plastic bag with 26 grams of methamphetamine. During the investigation, Salyards admitted to selling methamphetamine, and that he made approximately 50 drug sales per week. 

Due to Salyards’ multiple prior convictions, including Possession With Intent to Manufacture, Sell, or Distribute Methamphetamine, he was sentenced as a career criminal.

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

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

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

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A North Carolina woman was ordered to serve a year and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release for her willful failure to account for and pay over almost $1 million in employment taxes on behalf of her business, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

According to court documents and statements made in court, Brenda Wymer owned and operated Haven Home Care, Inc. (HHC), a North Wilkesboro, North Carolina company that provided home healthcare services. Wymer exercised control over HHC’s business and financial affairs and was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from HHC’s employees and paying over those funds to the IRS. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government because, among other things, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.

Between 2015 and 2024, Wymer caused HHC to withhold taxes from her employees’ paychecks but did not file tax returns accounting for these withholdings and did not pay this money to the IRS. Instead, she kept those tax funds for herself and her business.

Wymer pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to account for and pay over trust fund taxes. In total, Wymer caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $973,000.

In addition to her prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew E. Orso for the Western District of North Carolina ordered Wymer to pay $973,727.04 in restitution to the United States.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Tennessee woman was sentenced to prison today for filing bogus deeds for residential real estate in North Carolina and other states and misusing the owners’ personal identifying information (PII), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

Alicia, England, 33, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was ordered to serve 75 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay more than $300,000 as restitution. 

“Filing fake deeds and stealing identities can wreak havoc on a victim’s life,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “England left a trail of victims forced to deal with the aftermath of her crimes—for that, she will pay the price.” 

According to court documents and court proceedings, from October 2022 to August 2024, England engaged in a wire fraud scheme by filing fake deeds for residential real estate located in North Carolina and elsewhere. To carry out the scheme, England stole the identity of several victims, alive and deceased, and used their PII to open bank accounts, file fraudulent deeds, and enter into real estate sales for properties she did not actually own. In some cases, she also forged the signatures of notaries, while in others she used fake identifications. She then sold or attempted to sell the properties to third parties through various platforms, including Facebook Marketplace. 

In total, the scheme involved at least 19 properties, including four properties in the Charlotte area, worth more than $1.4 million. Court documents show that England’s fraudulent scheme caused victims significant emotional distress and financial hardship.

England pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. She is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility. 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked United States Secret Service for the investigation of the case. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The fifth member and leader of an organized auto theft ring that stole more than 100 high-end vehicles worth millions of dollars from dealerships located across the United States was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison yesterday, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Hosea Fernandez Hampton, 27, of Charlotte, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term. 

Hampton previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

“This was a sophisticated car-stealing operation by professional criminals across multiple states,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Hampton now has years behind bars to contemplate whether a life of crime is worth the loss of his freedom.”

Hampton’s four co-defendants also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and were previously sentenced as follows:

• Dewanne Lamar White was sentenced to 108 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. White also pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen motor vehicle. 
• Kevin Ja’Coryen James Fields was sentenced to 96 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Fields also pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle. 
• Reginald Eugene Hill was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. 
• Garyka Vaughn Bost was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison followed by two years of supervised release. 

According to court documents and court proceedings, from 2021 to 2023, Hampton and his co-defendants engaged in a conspiracy to steal luxury vehicles worth millions of dollars from dealerships in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Arizona. To maximize profits from the thefts, Hampton and his co-defendants targeted luxury vehicles made by Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Land Rover, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz, as well as other expensive models from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and other manufacturers. 

Court documents show that Hampton was one of the leaders of the auto theft scheme, frequently organizing the thefts, identifying target dealerships, recruiting drivers to transport the stolen vehicles and later paying the drivers for their services. According to court records, during Hampton’s time in the conspiracy, conspirators stole at least 82 vehicles worth nearly $5.9 million. 

Generally, Hampton and the co-defendants visited dealerships posing as customers interested in purchasing vehicles. After pretending to test drive or inspect the vehicles, the defendants would swap the vehicles’ key fobs with similar ones and later use the stolen key fobs to steal the vehicles. Other times, they employed methods like “smash-and-grab” thefts, where they would break into dealerships and locate keys to the high-end models, or break open lockboxes containing keys to luxury vehicles and then drive the vehicles off the lot. On several occasions, the defendants and other co-conspirators stole multiple vehicles simultaneously, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses.

U.S. v. White et al.: Hampton (right) with co-defendants Reginald Hill (left) and DeWanne White (bottom) at a car dealership in Panama City, Florida, where multiple thefts occurred as part of the auto theft scheme. 

According to court documents and the sentencing hearings, once the stolen vehicles were taken off the dealership lots, the defendants avoided law enforcement detection by removing the GPS navigation and tracking systems from the stolen vehicles, attaching fictitious dealer tags or stolen license plates on the vehicles, and replacing the vehicles’ authentic Vehicle Identification Numbers, among other things. The stolen vehicles were then transported back to Charlotte where they were sold locally at prices well below market value. 

Hampton also frequently possessed and later sold many of the vehicles stolen in the scheme. Adding to the seriousness of the offense, Hampton and his coconspirators drove vehicles recklessly, including by fleeing from law enforcement at high speeds, and possessed firearms. During the scheme, Hampton was stopped in Flagler, Florida, driving a blue 2018 BMW M5 that was stolen from a car dealership in Wilmington, North Carolina. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement located various key fobs and a Glock 19X firearm under the driver’s seat. 

U.S. v. White et al. – Picture of the Glock firearm and various vehicle key fobs located in the stolen BMW that Hampton was driving in Florida.

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

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case and recognized the contributions of the York County in South Carolina Sheriff’s Office and many other state and local law enforcement partners that assisted with the investigation. 

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Darwin Alberto Corea Calderon, 34, a Honduran national, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in carrying out a refund scheme and conspiracy that defrauded The Home Depot stores in North and South Carolina of nearly half a million dollars, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. 

“Those who defraud retailers make prices higher for all of us,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.  “Corea’s crimes were born out of greed, not necessity.  This was a calculated scheme that he repeated over and over, and would continue to repeat, until federal law enforcement brought it to an end.”

According to court records, from 2022 to 2025, Corea conspired to conduct an extensive refund scheme against The Home Depot that caused the retailer to issue hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent refunds. Corea targeted more than a dozen Home Depot stores in the region, including stores in Charlotte, Cornelius, Gastonia, Kannapolis, Matthews, and Statesville, as well as stores in Rock Hill and Spartanburg, South Carolina. In total, the scheme defrauded Home Depot of more than $464,000. In addition to the refund scheme, Corea also committed theft by engaging in a skip-scanning scheme, in which he purposely failed to scan products at Home Depot’s self-checkout registers and walked out with them. 

U.S. v. Corea - Corea at the Home Depot in Cornelius, North Carolina on June 14, 2023.

At today’s sentencing hearing, the government also presented evidence of Corea’s 2024 state felony larceny conviction in Cabarrus County for stealing power tools, a vacuum, and a microwave from Lowe’s Home Improvement. 

Corea previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals until he is transferred to a federal facility upon placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. After serving his prison sentence, Corea will be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation of the case and thanked The Home Depot for its invaluable assistance throughout the investigation. 

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