Northern District of Ohio

CLEVELAND – A Lorain County man has been charged by criminal complaint with receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit activity, and possession of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).

According to the criminal complaint and underlying affidavit, Michael Neville, 46, of Elyria, Ohio, was engaging in sexually explicit communications with an undercover agent purporting to be the father of a 9-year-old girl using a social media messaging application. The conversations centered around the defendant’s sexual interest in children. During the investigation, federal agents found that Neville’s electronic device contained CSAM of pre-pubescent children, and that he had sent CSAM material involving the sadistic abuse of an infant.

If convicted Neville faces up to 20 years in prison for receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit activity, and up to 20 years in prison for possession of child pornography.

This case is being investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Kane for the Northern District of Ohio.

Anyone with knowledge and information about this matter, please call the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at 216-698-3151.

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

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A Mahoning County man who was prohibited from possessing a firearm has been sentenced to prison after police officers found him unresponsive in his vehicle with a loaded gun.

Jermaine C. Bunn, 49, of Youngstown, was sentenced to 150 months (12.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after a federal jury found him guilty in May of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. His previous convictions include assault in 1997 and possession of cocaine in 2010 and 2021. Bunn was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Oct. 25, 2024, Youngstown police officers responded to a 911 call about a driver reportedly passed out in a vehicle. When officers arrived on scene, they found the car running and the defendant asleep at the wheel in the driver’s seat. An officer noticed a black handgun was sitting near the door handle. Officers also noted that there was an alcoholic beverage in the cup holder. The firearm possessed by Bunn was a loaded Springfield Armory Model XDE-9, 9 mm, semi-automatic pistol.  As a felon, Bunn is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Youngstown Field Office, the Mahoning Valley Violent Crime Task Force, and the Youngstown Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yasmine Makridis and Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.

AKRON, Ohio – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio today announced the unsealing of 17 federal indictments charging more than 30 people allegedly involved in connection with firearms offenses and illegal drug violations. Ten additional defendants will face state charges.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from numerous federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, led the investigation and apprehension of defendants in a series of coordinated arrests that concluded this morning. One federal defendant remains at large.

The law enforcement initiative was conducted over a 60-day period and focused on Akron’s most violent areas. During the investigation, law enforcement seized 32 pistols, one revolver, six rifles, two suppressors, and one machinegun conversion device. Illegal substances seized included 417.6 grams of powdered cocaine, 376 grams of cocaine base (crack), 94 grams of heroin, 4663.4 grams of methamphetamine, 443.5 grams of marijuana, and 134.6 grams of fentanyl.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio; Acting Special Agent in Charge John G. Smerglia for the ATF Columbus Field Division; and Chief Brian J. Harding of the Akron Police Department.

The charges filed today coincide with the ATF announcement of a new Akron Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC). The CGIC will serve as an intelligence hub and coordination center for local, state and federal response to crimes involving firearms. CGICs use cutting-edge forensic science and evidence to support the investigation and prosecution of violent criminals.

These returned indictments are separate and not related. All defendants are from Akron unless otherwise noted:

Case Number (CN) 5:25CR430

• Robert Hazel, 40, of Tallmadge, is charged with Engaging in the Business of Manufacturing and Dealing Firearms without a License and Possession of Unregistered Firearms.

CN 5:25CR431

• Charles Klein, 49, of Tallmadge, is charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine.

CN 5:25CR432:

• Michael Czerpak, 45, and Jennifer Schaeffer, 37, are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine.

CN 5:25CR433:

• David Felix, 33, is charged with Distribution of Cocaine.

CN 5:25CR434

• Gary Robinson, 26, is charged with Distribution of Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Trafficking in Firearms.
• Walter Hicks, 23, is charged with Trafficking in Firearms.
• Alonzo Brewer, 22, Lily Palmer, 23, Madison Schreckengost, 23, and Diamond Taylor, 25, are all charged with making False Statements during Purchase of Firearms and Straw Purchase of a Firearm.

CN 5:25CR435

• Terrance Bivens-Boyd, 19, is charged with Distribution of Cocaine, Trafficking in Firearms, Illegal Possession of a Machinegun, and making False Statements During Purchase of a Firearm.
• Elijah Hawkins, 28, is charged with Trafficking in Firearms.
• Ellis Bloodworth II, 25, is charged with making False Statements During Purchase of Firearm and Straw Purchase of Firearm.

CN 5:25CR436

• Anthony Maurice Mims, 32, is charged with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm; previous convictions include burglary in 2012; and domestic violence in 2020.

CN 5:25CR440

• Davante Neal, 31, and Larry Vaughan, 67, are both charged with Distribution of Cocaine.

CN 5:25CR441

• Jaelyn Barnhart, 26, and Traci Howard, 26, are both charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.

CN 5:25CR442

• Devontae Simmons, 32, is charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

CN 5:25CR443

• Brandon Travis, 38, is charged with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; prior convictions for involuntary manslaughter in 2008; and robbery in 2022. He is also charged with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and Distribution of Methamphetamine.

CN 5:25CR448

• Antonio Guice, 42, and Wathen Milliner, 40, are both charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Troy Miller, 54, Guice, and Milliner are all charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine.

CN 5:25CR456

• Devant’tair Brown, 25, and Davone Smith, 33, are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Distribution of Cocaine.

CN 5:25CR458

• Dazzmond Lenoir-Pratt, 24, and Darren Tibbets, 31, are both charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl and Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl.

CN 5:25CR459

• Jermaine Baker, 42, is charged with Distribution of Cocaine.

CN 5:25CR460

• Teon Brown, 22, of Medina, and Jaylyn Blackmon, 20, are both charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine.

CN 5:25CR473

• Damon McKinney, 53, of Shaker Heights, is charged with Distribution of Fentanyl and Methamphetamine.

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigations leading to the indictments were conducted by the ATF Columbus Division’s Cleveland Field Office, Akron Police Department, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Barberton Police Department, University of Akron Police Department, and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter E. Daly, Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel, Yasmine Makridis, Margaret A. Sweeney, Stephanie A. Wojtasik, Brett S. Hammond, Brenna L. Fasko and Joseph H. Walsh for the Northern District of Ohio, with valuable assistance from the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office.

The assistance of the U.S. Marshals is also acknowledged for providing related support for this crime reduction initiative.

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

###

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A third Trumbull County man has been charged in connection with a convenience store shooting Aug. 3, in Warren, Ohio, that left one person dead.

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Sean King, 37, with being a felon in possession of ammunition. He was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (crack), fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and heroin; and distribution of heroin and fentanyl in 2022.

The grand jury also returned indictments for two individuals previously charged via criminal complaint in connection to the Aug. 3 shooting:

• Jumal Ellis Rowe, 32, charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; he was previously convicted of trafficking cocaine in 2013 and possession of cocaine in 2020.
• Rayjon Ray McElroy, 25, charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person; he was previously convicted of domestic violence in 2022.

All defendants are from Warren, Ohio.

According to court documents, on Aug. 3, the Warren Police Department and the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunshots and of an individual who was shot at a Convenient Food Mart in Warren. Investigators reviewing the store’s surveillance footage found that around 5 a.m., several individuals were loitering and playing a dice game on the walkway just outside the main door. A fight broke out shortly thereafter and then escalated into a mass shooting incident in the parking lot between multiple individuals. One individual was later pronounced dead and another injured as a result.

If convicted, the defendants face up to 15 years in federal prison. Each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Youngstown Field Office, Warren Police Department, and the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yasmine Makridis and Kevin E. Bringman for the Northern District of Ohio.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal grand jury has returned indictments charging three individuals with allegedly residing in the United States without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission, in violation of Title 8 U.S. Code 1326, illegal reentry of a removed alien.

These individuals are charged in separate cases and not related:

• Gabriel Raymundo-Bernal, 28, a citizen of Guatemala, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion, with the most recent being April 4, 2019. On Aug. 25, 2025, he was found in Wood County, Bowling Green, Ohio.
• Hitai Perez-Jeronimo, 27, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion, with the most recent being July 29, 2016. On Aug. 7, 2025, the defendant was found in Putnam County, Ottawa, Ohio.
• Rosendo Gomez-Santiz, 35, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion, with the most recent being July 16, 2017. On Aug. 24, 2025, he was found in Williams County, Stryker, Ohio.

The investigations leading to these indictments were conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak.

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

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

TOLEDO, Ohio – The last of eight defendants who participated in a vast transnational money laundering conspiracy, that robbed victims in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana of their life savings, has been sentenced to prison.

Victims in Ohio resided in Lima (Allen County), Sunbury (Delaware County), Goshen (Clermont County), and Zanesville (Muskingum County).

Kishan Vinayak Patel, 26, an Indian national, was sentenced today to 46 months (3.8 years) in prison after a federal jury convicted him of participating in a large-scale money laundering conspiracy that sought to promote an international fraud scheme. Co-defendant Pranay Kumar Mamidi, 27, also of India, was found guilty of money laundering conspiracy by a federal jury and previously sentenced to 60 (5 years) months in prison. Patel and Mamidi, along with six other defendants in the case, were also ordered to pay nearly $4 million in restitution, both joint and severally.

The following defendants, all Indian nationals, were previously sentenced after pleading guilty to money laundering charges:

• Dileep Kumar Sakineni, age 26, 72 months (6 years) in prison;
• Balaji Rakesh Mulpuri, age 26, 27 months (2.25 years) in prison;
• Avi Jitendrakumar Patel, age 22, 33 months (2.75 years) in prison;
• Sai Hruthik Thodeti, age 25, 24 months (2 years) in prison; and
• Srinivas Ravi Valluru, age 31, 60 months (5 years) in prison.

In addition, Hiren Jagdishbhai Patel, age 33, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 39 months (3.25 years) in prison after also pleading guilty to money laundering charges.

“These individuals stopped at nothing to purposely confuse their victims and used scare tactics to bully and coerce them into unknowingly handing over their life savings. This coordinated effort to steal from hardworking Americans is over,” said United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “To those who take advantage of others—and then launder their money on behalf of transnational criminal organizations—know that your callous actions will have consequences. We thank our partners with FBI Cleveland who conducted the investigation as their role was vital in bringing these individuals to justice.”

“Targeting victims and knowingly siphoning their life savings is reprehensible,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The FBI is focused on defending the homeland and protecting the American public from conniving criminals, such as Kishan Patel and his associates, who preyed on their victims through coercion and scare tactics. The FBI will continue to aggressively identify and investigate those who engage in money laundering schemes, whether domestically or globally, with an intent to harm Americans.”  

According to court documents, from about May to November 2023, the defendants engaged in a multi-layered plan to launder proceeds derived from a fraud scheme known as a “phantom hacker” scam. The scam typically involves a fraudster contacting a victim and falsely claiming that the victim’s legitimate bank or company account has been compromised. Then, the victim is contacted by another person claiming to be a law enforcement agent who informs them that their accounts are facing imminent seizure due to purported involvement in criminal activity. In some cases, the victim is threatened with arrest. After the victim is sufficiently misled by the fake agent, he or she is then manipulated into transferring their savings for the supposed purpose of keeping the funds safe. In reality, and unbeknownst to the victim, they transferred their funds to members of a money laundering conspiracy to distribute and enrich other members of the scheme.

In one common example, elderly victims are informed of supposed suspicious activity on their Amazon account and are then contacted by someone pretending to be an Amazon employee. Next, the victim is contacted by another person who claims to be from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and informs the victim that their identity was stolen. The victim is then transferred to another individual who claims to be a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agent. The fake DEA special agent claims that the account in question is being investigated for facilitating drug offenses or for the production of child pornography, and as a result, that the victim will be arrested. Fearing arrest or seizure, the victim follows the scammer’s instructions to withdraw savings from their bank account and convert the funds into cash or gold bars, so that the agent can keep the funds safe on the victim’s behalf. The victim is further instructed to give a purported law enforcement official cash and/or gold bars at either the victim’s home, or a designated drop-off point, such as a gas station or fast-food restaurant. After the drop, the victim is then sent a receipt which appears to be from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Members of the money laundering scheme then distribute the cash and/or gold bars to scheme participants.

According to court documents, the defendants in this case served as money launderers for other co-conspirators throughout the world who participated in phantom hacker schemes operating out of India. The U.S.-based money laundering infrastructure allowed funds illegally taken from victims to be distributed throughout the world. Investigators estimate that the total amount of money laundered is in the tens of millions of dollars.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Melching and Dexter L. Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio.

The investigation and prosecution of this case is in response to the Elder Justice Initiative Program originating from the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 (EAPPA). The mission of the EAPPA and Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and scams that target the nation’s elderly population.

If you suspect fraudulent conduct involving an older adult, please contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov to report it.

CLEVELAND – A Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to prison for robbing a confidential informant who was working with a federal agency in a firearms’ investigation.

Carl P. Lewis, 28, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after pleading guilty in May to the following charges:

• Robbery of Mail, Money or other Property of the United States
• Using or Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm; previous convictions for robbery in 2016.

Lewis was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents, in October 2024, a confidential informant with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) was exchanging text messages with Lewis about the sale of several firearms. The two men agreed to meet at a pre-determined location to conduct the transaction. When the informant arrived, Lewis met with him and demanded $2,500 cash to purchase the firearms. The informant asked to see the firearms before handing over the money. Lewis then retrieved the firearms from inside the home but became agitated and threated the informant with violence. As the two men began to struggle for control of the firearms, a second male from inside the residence emerged and pointed a pistol with an attached laser beam at the informant. Lewis forcibly took the $2,500 cash from the victim against his will. The incident was recorded on video. Lewis was later arrested on a federal criminal complaint and found in possession of a rifle and two pistols.

This case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly L. Galvin.

CLEVELAND – An Alexandria, Virginia woman has been sentenced to prison after admitting that she drove more than 300 miles across state lines to meet with a 31-year-old man whom she shot and killed at a national park in Northern Ohio.

Chelsea Perkins, 35, was sentenced to 270 months (22.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. after pleading guilty in May to murder in the second degree and using or carrying and discharging a firearm during, and in relation to, a crime of violence on federal property. She was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. Restitution is to be determined at a later date.

Court documents show that in March 2021, Perkins drove her husband’s Smart car from Virginia to Ohio to meet with the victim, Matthew Dunmire, whom she knew. After she picked him up, they spent the night at a vacation rental home. On the morning of March 6, Perkins drove Dunmire to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Valley View, Ohio. They hiked past a cemetery, across deep ravines, and off-trail into a wooded area. While on those federal park grounds, Perkins used a loaded firearm she brought with her and shot Dunmire in the back of the head, killing him. She then left the scene and drove to Michigan to get a tattoo of a noose on her forearm before driving back to Virginia.

During the investigation, evidence linked Perkins to the shooting. Federal agents executed a search warrant at her home in Virginia and found three 9mm pistols, including one inside a woman’s purse that also contained Perkins’ photo identification. The firearm later tested positive for Perkins’ DNA. Investigators also found a deleted note on Perkins’ cellphone that appeared to be a fake suicide note purportedly written by Dunmire that Perkins created around the time that Dunmire’s body was found.  Dunmire’s body was found by hikers several days after the shooting.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, National Park Service Investigative Branch, Valley View Police Department, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park Police Department.

The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Zarzycki, Margaret A. Kane, and Adam J. Joines for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A Summit County man has been sentenced to prison for receiving and distributing sexually explicit photos of children through a social media platform.

Adam Kline, 23, of Mogadore, Ohio, has been sentenced to 144 months (12 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan after pleading guilty in May to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to possession of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Kline was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release after imprisonment, pay $23,000 in special assessments, and pay $3,000 in restitution to one identified victim.

According to court documents, from on or about Jan. 9-May 21, 2024, Kline, knowingly distributed computer files that contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. At least one image involved a prepubescent minor who had not yet attained 12 years of age.

Federal agents discovered several accounts on a popular social media platform that were associated with Kline, where he was distributing child pornography. Investigators determined that approximately 675 sadistic and masochistic CSAM images were in Kline’s possession.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Akron Field Office.

The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country and 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to prison for taking part in a drug conspiracy that distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout Northeast Ohio.

Davion Shepherd, 31, was sentenced to 167 months (approximately 14 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko after pleading guilty to the following charges:

• One count of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
• Three counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance

Shepherd was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment.

According to court documents, from about Jan. 3-Feb 16, 2023, Shepherd and others intentionally conspired to distribute 10 grams or more of a mixture containing fluorofentanyl, a Schedule I controlled substance and 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. Among the items that federal agents seized during a search warrant execution in Shepherd’s residence were 608.95 grams of a fentanyl analogue and 34.13 grams of methamphetamine.

Co-defendant Jerome A. Brown, 31, of Twinsburg, Ohio, pleaded guilty to his lesser role in the conspiracy and was sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Task Force and the FBI Cleveland Division.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian for the Northern District of Ohio.

AKRON, Ohio – A fourth defendant in a drug conspiracy case has been sentenced to prison for his role as being a supplier of methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout Summit County.

Ernest Shropshire, 38, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 121 months (approximately 10 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after pleading guilty in January to the following charges as outlined in the indictment:

• Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl
• Distribution of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl
• Distribution of Fentanyl

Shropshire was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. 

According to court documents, from about April 1 through Aug. 28, 2023, Shropshire served as a supplier of methamphetamine and fentanyl to Calvin Roberts, 42. Shropshire would place the illicit drugs in a garbage can in the backyard of his house and then tell Roberts, and other buyers, where to retrieve them. In turn, Roberts would sell drugs to his neighbor, Andrew Corbin, 36, who lived only a short distance away from him. During the investigation, agents learned that the two neighbors would regularly sell the drugs—supplied by Shropshire—out of their homes. Using a network of co-conspirators, the methamphetamine and fentanyl supply was further distributed to customers in and around the Summit County area.

Roberts, Corbin, and Phillip August, age 57, all of Akron, were previously sentenced after pleading guilty to their roles in the drug conspiracy.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to prison for receiving and distributing sexually explicit photos of children while he was out on parole for an unrelated offense.

Christopher Galaszewski, 27, of Cleveland, has been sentenced to 184 months (approximately 15 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty in May to distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to possession of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Galaszewski was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release after imprisonment and to pay $10,000 in Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA) assessments. After imprisonment, he will be required to register as a sex offender pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to court documents, from on or about June 23 to July 6, 2023, Galaszewski, while out on parole for an unrelated offense, knowingly distributed computer files that contained visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. At least one image involved a prepubescent minor who had not yet attained 12 years of age.

During the investigation, federal agents received a report that the defendant was sharing CSAM files through a popular social media platform. While on a check-in call with his parole officer, he indicated that he suspected that his email account had been hacked because it contained child pornography. The following day, Galaszewski’s parole officer seized his cellphone and laptop as permitted under the terms of parole. During the execution of a federal search warrant of defendant’s digital devices and online accounts, investigators found that they contained nearly 200 images and videos of CSAM.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Margaret A. Kane.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country and 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND – A Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a drug conspiracy to sell fentanyl, methamphetamine and crack cocaine throughout the Greater Cleveland region.

Murray Foster, 39, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after pleading guilty in April to the following charges:

• Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
• Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance

Foster was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment. 

According to court documents, from about April 1 to July 12, 2023, Foster and a co-conspirator intentionally conspired to distribute 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, 400 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl, 500 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine, and 500 grams or more of a mixture containing cocaine base (crack).

Among the items that federal agents seized during a search warrant execution of several residences related to the conspiracy were more than 500 fentanyl pills, five pounds of methamphetamine, one kilogram of fentanyl analogues, one kilogram of cocaine, 28 grams of crack cocaine, five handguns, a rifle, a shotgun, more than $19,000 in cash, and a motorcycle. Miscellaneous packaging, drug paraphernalia, and cutting agents were also seized.

Co-defendant Deion Thompson, 29, of Cleveland, Ohio, pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy in July and is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 5, 2026.

This case was investigated by the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Task Force and the FBI Cleveland Division.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian for the Northern District of Ohio.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – A Mahoning County man has been sentenced to prison for his role in selling controlled substances including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, throughout the Youngstown-area region.

Rayshawn Hall, 24, of Youngstown, Ohio, was sentenced to 276 months (23 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko after pleading guilty in April to the following charges as outlined in the indictment:

• One count of Distribution of Fentanyl
• Three counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine
• One count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
• One count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
• One count of Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
• One count of Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

Hall was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. The sentence was imposed by Judge Boyko Sept. 3, 2025.

According to court documents, from about Aug. 11 to Oct. 17, 2023, investigators conducted multiple controlled drug buys from Hall that included fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Upon obtaining a search warrant for his residence, agents seized more than $56,000 in cash and other items consistent with illegal drug activity. Federal agents also discovered a box with a FedEx shipping label from Spring Valley, California, in a black Chrysler vehicle that was located on the premises. The box was suspected to contain controlled substances. A forensic laboratory analysis later confirmed that the box contained 9,810.8 grams (Approximately 21 pounds) of 90.4% pure methamphetamine, and 989.7 grams (approximately two pounds) of fentanyl. In total, at least 90,000 kilograms of converted drug weight were attributable to Hall’s actions.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Mahoning County Law Enforcement Task Force.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – An Akron man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for leading and conspiring with others to traffic methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other illegal substances throughout Northeast Ohio.

Terrance D.N. McCormick, aka TNasty, 41, of Akron, was sentenced to 420 months (35 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty in May to the following charges as outlined in the indictment:

• Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl.
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; previous convictions for aggravated burglary in 2003; domestic violence in 2009 and 2013; and aggravated trafficking in drugs in 2018.
• Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.

McCormick was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment and to forfeit $8,560 in cash, a Rolex watch, a Chevrolet Corvette, and all firearms seized by federal agents. 

According to court documents, McCormick was the leader of an Akron-area drug trafficking organization dealing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in 2023-2024. He admitted to his involvement with several co-conspirators to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to customers throughout Northeast Ohio. The conspiracy maintained and used residences and commercial buildings in Akron to store and distribute controlled substances. Members of the conspiracy also allegedly possessed firearms to further their drug enterprise and protect their illegal inventory.

Investigators recovered methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and three loaded firearms during the execution of federal search warrants at McCormick’s homes in 2023 and 2024. 

This wiretap case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Cleveland Field Office.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter E. Daly for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A Summit County man has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for manufacturing firearms and machine gun conversion devices from his home using a 3D printer and selling them through a popular social media platform.

Alexander Beattie, 34, of Barberton, Ohio, was sentenced to 210 months (17.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after pleading guilty in May to the following charges:

• Engaging in the Business of Dealing Firearms Without a License
• Engaging in the Business of Manufacturing and Dealing Firearms Without a License
• Manufacturing a Firearm Without a License
• Felon in Possession of Ammunition; previous convictions for burglary in 2011 and domestic violence in 2018.
• Possession of Child Pornography

Beattie was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and to pay $54,500 in restitution and $5,000 in Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA) assessments. The sentence was imposed by Judge Adams Aug. 28, 2025.

According to court documents, from about Feb. 1 – Nov. 4, 2024, Beattie used a 3D printer to manufacture illegal firearms, parts, and suppressors in his house. These firearms without serial numbers, are untraceable, and typically manufactured at home, are known as “ghost guns.”  “Ghost guns” are unable to be tracked or traced since they do not have serial numbers or other record of being manufactured or sold. Beattie used a popular social media platform to market his manufacturing services and find paying customers by sharing photos and videos that highlighted the quality of his illegal products.

During the investigation, agents also found that Beattie’s electronic devices contained child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), that included children who were under the age of 12.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toni Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to prison on drug conspiracy-related charges for trafficking fentanyl throughout Northeast Ohio.

Andree L. Padgett, 35, of Euclid, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty in April to the following charges:

• Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances
• Distribution of A Controlled Substance
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm; previous convictions for drug trafficking in 2016 and 2023

Padgett was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment. The sentence was imposed by Judge Polster on Aug. 28, 2025.

According to court documents, from about June 27 to about July 13, 2023, Padgett, along with two other co-conspirators, knowingly participated in selling illegal substances containing fentanyl throughout Northeast Ohio.

In total, the members of this conspiracy sold over 300 grams of fentanyl. Additionally, on two separate occasions, Padgett sold a total of six firearms along with the fentanyl.

Because of the defendant’s significant criminal history, he was designated a career offender.

Co-defendant Ambray N. Underwood, 27, of Cleveland, was previously sentenced to 108 months (nine years) in prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Co-defendant Tashaun N. Bell, 24, of Maple Heights, was previously sentenced to 46 months (3.8 years) in prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Both co-defendants pleaded guilty to their respective roles in the conspiracy.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian S. Deckert and Matthew W. Shepherd for the Northern District of Ohio.

AKRON, Ohio – A federal grand jury has returned indictments charging eight individuals with immigration and identity theft-related violations.

According to court documents, the defendants were found Aug. 6 at a manufacturing facility in Canton. Four of the defendants were previously removed from the U.S. but were found in Ohio without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission.

The defendants and their charges are:

Marcial Ajanel-Alvarez, 46, of Guatemala:

• Illegal Reentry of Removed Alien, 8 U.S.C. § 1326; previous removal from the United States Dec. 27, 2011.

Emilio Alvarez-Perez, 31, of Guatemala:

• Illegal Reentry of Removed Alien, 8 U.S.C. § 1326; previous removal from the United States Sept. 4, 2013.
• False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment, Title 18 U.S.C. 1015(e).
• Misuse of Social Security number, Title 42 U.S.C. 408(a)(7)(B).
• Aggravated Identity Theft, Title 18 U.S.C.1028A(a)(1).

Justo-Amaya Calles, 55, of El Salvador:

• Illegal Reentry of Removed Alien, 8 U.S.C. § 1326; previous removal from the U.S. Dec. 3, 2012.
• False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment, Title 18 U.S.C. 1015(e).
• Misuse of Social Security number, Title 42 U.S.C. 408(a)(7)(B).
• Aggravated Identity Theft, Title 18 U.S.C.1028A(a)(1).

Domingo Calel-Herrera, 34, of Guatemala:

• False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment 18 U.S.C.§1015(e).
• Unlawful Use of Identification Documents 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a).
• Misuse of Social Security Number 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B).
• Aggravated Identify Theft 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1).

Juan De Leon Hernandez, 33, of Guatemala:

• False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment 18 U.S.C.§1015(e).
• Misuse of Social Security Number 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B).
• Aggravated Identify Theft 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1).

Pedro De Leon Hernandez, 21, of Guatemala:

• False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment, 18 U.S.C.§1015(e).
• Unlawful Use of Identification Documents, 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a).
• Misuse of Social Security Number, 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B).
• Aggravated Identify Theft, 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1).

Diego Perez-Ajanez, 37, of Guatemala:

• Illegal Reentry of Removed Alien, 8 U.S.C. § 1326; previously removed May 19, 2013.
• False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment, 18 U.S.C.§1015(e).
• Misuse of Social Security Number, 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B).
• Aggravated Identify Theft, U.S.C. 18 § 1028A(a)(1).

Victor Ramos-Santis, 44, of Guatemala:

• False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment, 18 U.S.C.§1015(e).
• Misuse of Social Security Number, 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B).
• Aggravated Identify Theft, U.S.C. 18 § 1028A(a)(1).

The investigations leading to the indictments in these cases were conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

The prosecution on these cases is being led by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Rolph for the Northern District of Ohio.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

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

TOLEDO, Ohio – A Mexican national residing in Pandora, Ohio, who admitted to using a social security number that belongs to an inmate at a Texas prison as his own, has been sentenced.

Julio Juarez Garcia, 32, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after he pleaded guilty in July to misuse of a social security number in violation of Title 42 United States Code 408(a)(7)(B).

According to court documents and testimony before Judge Zouhary, on Feb. 28, the defendant attempted to file taxes for the 2023 tax year with a fiscal officer for the Village of Pandora. He filled out tax forms and presented a W-2 document issued by his employer, where he had been employed since 2020. Law enforcement subsequently discovered that Garcia had submitted false information. During the investigation, it was learned that the defendant was using a social security number that was not his, but rather, it was a number assigned to an inmate who is serving a prison sentence at the Three Rivers Federal Correctional Institution in Live Oak, Texas. Garcia later admitted to investigators that the social security number was not his and that he was in the country illegally and was a citizen of Mexico. He is currently being held in federal custody pending removal from the United States.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, United States Border Patrol, and the Village of Pandora Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dexter L. Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio has filed a civil complaint in forfeiture against cryptocurrency suspected of being fraudulently obtained as part of an investment scam. A victim in Trumbull County and his sister lost more than $1 million of their savings in the scheme.

On Aug. 27, 2025, the United States filed a civil complaint in forfeiture against a total of 325,060 Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency, valued at approximately $325,060. USDT are digital tokens that are circulated through the internet and tied to, or “tethered,” to a fiat currency such as the U.S. dollar. The USDT amount in the complaint is valued at $325,060 at a 1:1 ratio to the dollar.

According to court documents, on, or, about Nov. 24, 2024, an elderly male victim in Bristolville, Ohio, filed a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. The fraud began when he received a text from an unknown number looking for someone named “Zach.” The victim responded and eventually became friendly with the person, who unbeknownst to him, was a scammer. The scammer suggested that they start communicating through the Telegram platform where she went by the username “Shaw Goddess.” The scammer established trust with the victim by painting herself as a successful investor and encouraged the victim to also invest in cryptocurrencies.

At the scammer’s direction, the victim opened a new account with Crypto.com, a virtual currency exchange. Eventually, Crypto.com limited the amount of cryptocurrency that the victim could purchase. To get around that limit, the scammer instructed the victim to open a second account through another virtual currency exchange, Strike.com. The victim wired more than $1 million of his own money to the cryptocurrency accounts. The scammer then instructed the victim to transfer his cryptocurrency assets purchased through Crypto.com and Strike.com to a fake investment platform. The victim also convinced his sister to make investments of more than $600,000.

When the victim tried to withdraw some of his alleged gains from the fake investment platform, he was told that his funds were locked up and could not be withdrawn. Around that same time, his sister also tried to withdraw funds but was told that a 10% tax must be paid upfront. That concerned the victim as he generally knew how taxation worked, and this was inconsistent with his understanding. It was after these two incidents when the victim realized that he was the target of a fraud scheme.

Many virtual currencies publicly record all their transactions on what is known as a “blockchain.”  The blockchain is essentially a distributed public ledger, run by the decentralized network of computers, containing an immutable and historical record of every transaction utilizing that blockchain’s technology. The blockchain records every virtual currency address that has ever received virtual currency. It also maintains records of every transaction and all known balances for each virtual currency address.

Through several steps of “blockchain analysis,” federal investigators traced approximately $200,000 of the funds stolen from the victim to a cryptocurrency address on the Tron blockchain. As part of their forensic analysis, they determined that the stolen cryptocurrency was converted to Tether (USDT).

On Dec. 31, 2024, the USDT tokens at the subject cryptocurrency address were frozen by Tether Limited, Inc. At the time of the freeze, the cryptocurrency address had a balance of 325,060 USDT (valued at approximately $325,060). Thereafter, pursuant to a federal seizure warrant issued on March 20, 2025, the 325,060 USDT tokens were transferred by Tether Limited, Inc., to a U.S. law enforcement-controlled virtual currency wallet.

By the complaint in forfeiture filed Aug. 27, 2025, the United States seeks to forfeit the 325,060 USDT in cryptocurrency. In the complaint, the United States alleges that the additional cryptocurrency funds contained in the address, in excess of the victims’ traceable losses, are also subject to forfeiture as the proceeds of other fraudulent activities and are alleged to be involved in money laundering violations.

The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only. The United States must prove the claims by a preponderance of evidence.

If successful in this forfeiture action, the United States would seek to return the stolen funds to the victims.

The FBI Cleveland Division is actively investigating this case and related cryptocurrency fraud schemes perpetrated on victims throughout the United States. Assistant United States Attorney James L. Morford is leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report fraudulent conduct involving older adults, contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov to submit a report. 

Click here to view the complaint:

CLEVELAND – A dual American and Nigerian citizen has been sentenced to prison for creating and leading a scheme that bilked more than $4.2 million from federal loan and grant programs that were intended to assist small businesses with economic hardship they suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joseph Oloyede, 62, who holds both U.S. and Nigerian citizenship and resides in Medina, Ohio, was sentenced to 56 months (4 and ⅔ years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko on Aug. 26, after he pleaded guilty in April to the following charges:

• One count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
• Three counts of Engaging in Monetary Transactions in Criminally Derived Property
• Two counts of Making and Subscribing a False Tax Return

Oloyede was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $4,408,543.38 in restitution. He also forfeited his Medina home on Foote Road, which he had acquired with proceeds of the scheme, and an additional $96,006.89 in fraud proceeds investigators had seized.

Court documents show that from about April 2020 to February 2022, Oloyede and his co-conspirator, Edward Oluwasanmi, 62, of Willoughby, conspired to submit fraudulent applications for loans that were made available through the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Among these were the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which aided small businesses that suffered financial hardship as a result of the pandemic with loans and grants.

During the investigation, agents found that Oloyede operated as a tax preparer and owned five businesses and one nonprofit. His co-defendant—and tax client—Oluwasanmi, owned an additional three business entities; all were incorporated in Ohio. Both defendants used their businesses to submit loan applications using false information. They obtained approximately $1.2 million in SBA funds for Oluwasanmi’s entities and $1.7 million for Oloyede’s entities.

In addition, Oloyede submitted fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications in the names of some of his clients and their businesses. In exchange, Oloyede would receive 15-20% of their loans as the fee, or kickback, for obtaining the loans for them, without reporting this income to the IRS on his own tax returns. Investigators learned that the defendant used funds obtained from these loans to acquire land and build a home and purchase a luxury vehicle. In total, Oloyede caused the SBA to approve 38 fraudulent applications, amounting to $4,213,378 in disbursed loans and advances.

According to information presented to Judge Boyko, Oloyede is a naturalized U.S. citizen who also holds a position as the monarch, or traditional ruler, of the Nigerian city of Ipetumodu.

In July 2024, Oluwasanmi was sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release, pay a $15,000 fine, and pay more than $1.2 million in restitution. Oluwasanmi also forfeited much of the proceeds he received from the scheme, including a commercial property on Green Road in South Euclid that he acquired with fraud proceeds, and more than $600,000 he had transferred to financial accounts.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation-Office of the Inspector General, as part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Fraud Task Force; FBI Cleveland Division; and IRS-Criminal Investigations.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward D. Brydle and James L. Morford for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – A previously convicted violent felon has been sentenced to prison after he flaunted videos of his firearms stash and shooting practice on a popular social media platform.

Reggie Jordan, 37, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after a federal jury found him guilty of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition in July 2023. Jordan was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. The sentence was imposed by Judge Adams Aug. 19.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on March 18, 2022, the defendant posted a video to Instagram in which five firearms are seen on a table. A shooting target from a popular firing range in Cuyahoga County is also seen within the video’s frame. Sergeant Marlon Wills, of the Cleveland Division of Police and the Safe Streets Task Force, observed the video and was aware of Jordan’s criminal history which prohibited him from possessing firearms. Details in the indictment outline Jordan’s previous convictions including aggravated robbery in 2008; trafficking in drugs and drug possession in 2014; and possession of drugs and trafficking in drugs in 2019.

During the investigation, clear security camera footage of Jordan at the shooting range was obtained. In it, the defendant is observed firing several firearms and wearing distinctive red clothing. He is also seen filming the video that he later posted on Instagram and carrying a backpack stuffed with firearms.

During a search warrant execution of Jordan’s residence, investigators seized six firearms—including the five seen in the Instagram video— and two large-capacity magazines. One firearm was discovered to be stolen. Firearms seized included an Interarms Pioneer Arms Sporter, Model AK-47, 7.62x39 mm caliber rifle; Alex Pro Firearms, multicaliber rifle; four pistols; and ammunition.

The distinctive red clothing that Jordan was seen wearing in the video and the backpack he was carrying were also found. Agents also recovered marijuana, two cellphones, a drug scale, a drug press and a blender with fentanyl residue, and $3,620 in cash from Jordan’s apartment. 

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, and the Cleveland Division of Police Safe Streets Gang Task Force.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph P. Dangelo and Peter E. Daly for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND - A Chinese national who inflicted severe damage to the computer network systems of a global corporation where he was formerly employed has been sentenced to prison.

Davis Lu, 55, a citizen of China residing in Houston and authorized to legally work in the U.S., was sentenced to 48 months (four years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker Aug. 21. A federal jury convicted Lu in March of intentionally damaging protected computers for his role in creating destructive computer code that he deployed on his former employer’s network. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. Restitution is to be determined at a later date.

“The defendant breached his employer’s trust by using his access and technical knowledge to sabotage company networks, wreaking havoc and causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses for a U.S. company,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “However, the defendant’s technical savvy and subterfuge did not save him from the consequences of his actions. The Criminal Division is committed to identifying and prosecuting those who attack U.S. companies, whether from within or without, to hold them responsible for their actions.”   

“The extreme chaos caused by just one person who used his creative mind and technical talents to thwart his employer’s business operations was not only disruptive – it was criminal. Those who weaponize their knowledge to inflict damage will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We would like to acknowledge and thank the FBI Cleveland Division for their incredible expertise in investigating computer crimes to bring criminals like Mr. Lu to justice.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Lu was employed as a software developer for the victim company headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, from November 2007 to October 2019. In 2018, Lu began to sabotage his employer’s systems after a corporate realignment reduced his responsibilities and system access. By Aug. 4, 2019, he introduced malicious code that caused system crashes and prevented user logins. Specifically, he created what are known as “infinite loops,” that resulted in server crashes or hangs, making it unavailable to users. Lu also created code to delete coworker profiles, and implemented a “kill switch” that would lock out all users if his name was removed from the company’s directory.

On Sept. 9, 2019, the kill switch was triggered when Lu was terminated from the company and his computer credentials were disabled. With the “kill switch” activated, thousands of company users were impacted globally. Lu named his kill switch code “IsDLEnabledinAD”, which was an abbreviation for “Is Davis Lu enabled in Active Directory.”

Investigators learned that the defendant named another malware program “Hakai,” a Japanese word meaning “destruction,” and “HunShui,” a Chinese word meaning “sleep” or “lethargy.” Additionally, on the day he was directed to turn in his company laptop, Lu deleted encrypted data and ran a command that made the data unrecoverable by forensic software. His internet search history revealed he had researched methods to escalate privileges, hide processes, and rapidly delete files, indicating an intent to obstruct efforts of his co-workers to resolve the system disruptions. Lu’s employer suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses as a result of his actions.

"The FBI works relentlessly every day to ensure that cyber actors who deploy malicious code and harm American businesses face the consequences of their actions,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “I am proud of the FBI cyber team’s work which led to this sentencing and hope it sends a strong message to others who may consider engaging in similar unlawful activities. This case also underscores the importance of identifying insider threats early and highlights the need for proactive engagement with your local FBI field office to mitigate risks and prevent further harm.”

The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division.

“Davis Lu was intent on inflicting widescale damage to his employer with reckless disregard,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The FBI is committed to protecting businesses from cyber intrusions and crippling threats to their companies, not only from unknown attackers, but also when the criminal is a once-trusted employee whose skill and intellect was used for malicious purposes. We will continue to defend the homeland and its American businesses to identify and investigate cyber criminals who seek to harm companies, and we will bring them to justice.”

Senior Counsel Candina S. Heath of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), and Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. Riedl and Brian S. Deckert for the Northern District of Ohio, prosecuted the case.

The Department of Justice’s CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds. 

A Chinese national was sentenced today to four years in prison and three years of supervised release for writing and deploying malicious code on his then-employer’s network. 

“The defendant breached his employer’s trust by using his access and technical knowledge to sabotage company networks, wreaking havoc and causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses for a U.S. company,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “However, the defendant’s technical savvy and subterfuge did not save him from the consequences of his actions. The Criminal Division is committed to identifying and prosecuting those who attack U.S. companies, whether from within or without, to hold them responsible for their actions.”  

"The FBI works relentlessly every day to ensure that cyber actors who deploy malicious code and harm American businesses face the consequences of their actions,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “I am proud of the FBI cyber team’s work which led to today’s sentencing and hope it sends a strong message to others who may consider engaging in similar unlawful activities. This case also underscores the importance of identifying insider threats early and highlights the need for proactive engagement with your local FBI field office to mitigate risks and prevent further harm.”

In March, a jury convicted Davis Lu, 55, legally residing in Houston, of causing intentional damage to protected computers. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Lu was employed as a software developer for the victim company headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, from November 2007 to October 2019. Following a 2018 corporate realignment that reduced his responsibilities and system access, Lu began sabotaging his employer’s systems. By Aug. 4, 2019, he introduced malicious code that caused system crashes and prevented user logins. Specifically, he created “infinite loops” (in this case, code designed to exhaust Java threads by repeatedly creating new threads without proper termination, resulting in server crashes or hangs), deleted coworker profile files, and implemented a “kill switch” that would lock out all users if his credentials in the company’s active directory were disabled. The “kill switch” code — which Lu named “IsDLEnabledinAD”, abbreviating “Is Davis Lu enabled in Active Directory” — was automatically activated when he was placed on leave and asked to surrender his laptop on Sept. 9, 2019, and impacted thousands of company users globally.

Additionally, on the day he was directed to turn in his company laptop, Lu deleted encrypted data. His internet search history revealed he had researched methods to escalate privileges, hide processes, and rapidly delete files, indicating an intent to obstruct the efforts of his co-workers to resolve the system disruptions. Lu’s employer suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses as a result of his actions.

The FBI Cleveland Field Office investigated the case.

Senior Counsel Candina S. Heath of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Riedl and Brian S. Deckert for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.

CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds. 

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Two Trumbull County men have been arrested on a federal criminal complaint for allegedly committing firearms violations in connection with a convenience store shooting Aug. 3, in Warren, Ohio, that left one person dead.

The individuals facing federal charges are:

• Jumal Ellis Rowe, 32, charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm; previous convictions for trafficking and possession of cocaine.
• Rayjon Ray Mcelroy, 25, charged with possession of ammunition by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Both men are from Warren.

According to the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, on Aug. 3 the Warren Police Department and the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for service in reference to multiple gunshots and reports of an individual suffering from gunshot wounds at a Convenient Food Mart in Warren. Investigators reviewing footage from the store’s video surveillance found that around 5 a.m., several individuals were loitering and playing a dice game on the walkway just outside the main door. A fight broke out shortly thereafter and eventually escalated into a mass shooting incident in the parking lot between multiple individuals. One individual was later pronounced dead and another injured as a result.

Officials with the Warren Police Department were able to identify Rowe and Mcelroy from the store’s surveillance video. Investigators observed Mcelroy in possession of a Kel-Tec Sub 2000, 5.7 caliber folding firearm when the fight broke out. Rowe was also observed in the store’s surveillance video in possession of a firearm that investigators identified as a Glock, Model 23Gen4, .40 caliber, semi-automatic pistol. In the video, Rowe was seen between two parked vehicles, shooting at others.

If convicted, each defendant faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio; Acting Special Agent in Charge John Smerglia of the ATF Cleveland Field Office; and Warren Police Chief Eric J. Merkel made the announcement.

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Youngstown Satellite Office, Warren Police Department, and the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.

A criminal complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information should contact the Warren Police Department at 330-841-2658. 

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – An Akron man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to trafficking controlled substances.

Justin A. Corn, 30, was sentenced to 140 months (more than 11 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Benita Y. Pearson after he pleaded guilty in April to the following charges in an indictment:

• One count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• One count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
• One count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Corn was also ordered to serve six years of supervised release after imprisonment and to forfeit $4,740 seized by federal agents. The sentence was imposed by Judge Pearson Aug. 12, 2025.

According to court documents, Corn led Akron police officers on a high-speed chase as they attempted a traffic stop. After hitting speeds of up to 80 mph in a residential neighborhood, the defendant crashed into three civilian vehicles before crashing his own car onto the sidewalk and then fled the scene on foot. Officers conducting a probable cause search of Corn’s vehicle recovered 397.3 grams of methamphetamine, 322.87 grams of fentanyl, and 31.61 grams of cocaine. 

During the investigation, authorities discovered that Corn had five prior drug trafficking convictions. Because of the defendant’s significant criminal history, Judge Pearson designated him as a career offender.

This case was investigated by the DEA Detroit Division’s Akron Field Office and the Akron Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter E. Daly for the Northern District of Ohio.

National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is observed this month, Thursday Aug. 21, 2025. For more information about this and other resources, visit dea.gov/fentanylawareness.

CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to nearly 17 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of trafficking fentanyl and illegally possessing firearms.

Richard Woodard, aka RJ, 46, was sentenced to 202 months (approximately 16.8 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after a federal jury convicted him in April for the following charges as outlined in the superseding indictment:

• Two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
• Two counts of Distribution of Fentanyl.
• One count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; previous conviction for aggravated robbery in 1997.
• One count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

Woodard was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment and to forfeit $13,776 and all firearms seized by federal agents. The sentence was imposed by Judge Barker Aug. 13, 2025.

“This significant sentence protects the public from Mr. Woodard and should deter others from peddling fentanyl to vulnerable populations. Criminals who blatantly and repeatedly disregard the law will face consequences—and years—behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District Ohio. “Our office commends the diligent work of investigators on the FBI Task Force, the Cleveland Division of Police, and our other local law enforcement partners for their dedication to making sure Cleveland’s streets are safer.”

According to court documents, on Aug. 7, 2020, law enforcement was investigating a drug overdose death that occurred July 28, 2020. The investigation led to a suspect identified as Woodard. As agents conducted surveillance on the defendant, they observed several behaviors consistent with drug activity. Woodard was followed to a gas station where he parked the Mercedes SUV he was driving and left the motor running while he went inside the business. As he headed back out to his vehicle, Woodard was arrested for the drug transaction activity that had occurred earlier. Agents unlocked the vehicle’s door to shut off the motor and found plastic bags containing suspected drugs, a digital scale, and two cellphones. During a subsequent search warrant execution of Woodard’s residence, agents seized $13,776 in U.S. currency, two 9mm pistols, two .22LR caliber rifles, and miscellaneous ammunition.

“The FBI continues to focus on crushing violent crime and that includes finding and investigating career criminals who seek to poison our communities by pushing illicit and dangerous drugs into our neighborhoods,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The FBI, together with its local, state, and federal partners, will continue to fight crime by sharing resources, manpower, and intelligence that ultimately disrupts and dismantles traffickers in Northern Ohio. Today’s sentence serves as a reminder, if you are engaged in drug trafficking, we will find you, we will identify you, and we will bring you to justice.”

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division’s FBI Task Force and the Cleveland Division of Police.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Margaret A. Sweeney and Vasile C. Katsaros for the Northern District of Ohio.

National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is observed this month, Thursday Aug. 21, 2025. For more information about this and other resources, visit dea.gov/fentanylawareness.

CLEVELAND – A Portage County, Ohio, man has been sentenced to prison for receiving and distributing sexually explicit photos of children.

Daniel Alan Robertson, Age 47, of Ravenna, has been sentenced to 121 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles Esque Fleming, after pleading guilty in May to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and to possession of child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Robertson was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and to pay $117,500 in restitution and $10,000 in Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA) assessments.

According to court documents, from about March 1 to Dec. 4, 2024, Robertson used peer-to-peer file sharing programs to download and distribute sexually explicit photos and videos of children, including prepubescent females. During a federal search warrant execution in December 2024, agents seized a computer, two laptops, and several digital storage devices from the defendant’s residence. The investigation revealed that electronic devices were found to contain images and videos of CSAM—including several of children who were under the age of 12—as well as sadistic and violent materials. The visuals were submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for further review and to identify victimized children. More than 20 victims were identified.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol-Office of Investigative Services Computer Crimes Unit.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country and 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CLEVELAND - A Jamaican national who intended to distribute controlled substances that were shipped from California to Ohio through a global logistics company, and was residing in the U.S. illegally, has been sentenced to prison.

O’Shane Christopher Smith, 35, a citizen of Jamaica, was sentenced to 100 months (more than eight years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after pleading guilty to drug conspiracies, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and illegal reentry following deportation. As a term of his supervised release after imprisonment, Smith was also ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, for deportation as provided by law.

According to court records, on Jan. 20, 2023, federal investigators intercepted a suspicious package that was mailed from a United Parcel Service (UPS) store in Inglewood, California. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators found 5,323 grams (approximately 11 pounds) of methamphetamine packed inside the parcel. Agents proceeded to conduct a controlled delivery to the address as listed. After the package was delivered to a home in Cleveland, a person identified as Smith, arrived at the address, retrieved the UPS parcel and departed in a Jeep vehicle. Shortly thereafter, Ohio Highway State Patrol officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle Smith was driving, at which time he accelerated in an attempt to elude them. Smith then crashed the Jeep into a small tree, quickly fled the vehicle, and began to run through neighborhood yards. He was apprehended by officers after a short foot chase. The defendant later admitted that a man had offered him $1,000, with $500 being paid initially and $500 later, to retrieve and deliver the UPS parcel with the drugs to him. Smith also admitted to illegally entering the U.S. from Mexico near San Diego, California, the previous year without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission. The defendant was previously removed from the United States for illegal reentry in March 2021.

The case was investigated by the DEA Detroit Division’s Cleveland Field Office, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James P. Lewis and Elizabeth Crook for the Northern District of Ohio.

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

CLEVELAND – A six-count, 59-page indictment has been unsealed charging six defendants for allegedly operating an interstate drug conspiracy that smuggled large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and other controlled substances from California to Ohio. The indictment was unsealed Aug. 12.

According to the indictment, from about February 2023 to April 2024, Genaro Villa, 38, of San Diego, California, supplied bulk quantities of drugs from California to members of the conspiracy in Ohio. Terrance Gainer, 28, Anthony Clark, 30, and Darquan Dixon, 26, all of Akron, and Allura Ward, 24, of Mansfield, are charged with having a role in transporting controlled substances to Ohio. The indictment further charges Najiyah Martin, 46, of Los Angeles, California, with facilitating kilogram-quantity drug deals involving Villa, Clark, and Gainer.

During the investigation, federal agents discovered that contraband was smuggled in checked baggage on airline flights or in packages mailed through the U.S. Post Office. Methamphetamine and cocaine were discovered to be routinely mailed from locations in Los Angeles and San Diego and shipped to several Ohio cities including Akron, Barberton, Mansfield, and Columbus. Co-conspirators also smuggled drugs in suitcases on commercial flights and then drove to an apartment Gainer maintained in Columbus to drop off the drug shipments for further distribution. Gainer also recruited couriers to help smuggle drugs and cash between California and Ohio.

Once the drugs were transported to Ohio, Gainer, Clark, Dixon, and Ward sold them to customers throughout the state. Additionally, Ward purchased a pill press machine and more than 55 pounds of pill-binding powder, had them shipped to her home in Mansfield, and then used them to press illicit pills.

The indictment also outlines various activities in connection with the conspiracy. In one instance, Clark texted Villa a photo of large stacks of rubber-banded cash that he intended to use as payment for the drugs. Villa also possessed a video showing a person filling a plastic storage container with large bags of white crystalline drugs. In another instance, Clark contacted Martin about a kilogram brick of cocaine that was short by 90 grams. Martin then sent him a photo showing a brick of cocaine stamped with the marking “1000” on a digital scale that displayed a weight of 32.1 ounces, or approximately 910 grams, which is 90 grams short of a kilogram.

Another instance detailed in the indictment took place in April 2024, when Gainer asked Dixon to “drop off some cash in Cali,” meaning, to smuggle cash to their drug supplier in California. On April 20, 2024, Dixon traveled from Ohio to California for the purpose of purchasing drugs, and on April 25, 2024, he flew back to Ohio with bulk cocaine and methamphetamine hidden in his suitcase. Ward picked up Dixon and the suitcase at the airport in Cincinnati and then proceeded to drive to Columbus to meet Gainer. However, the Ohio State Highway Patrol stopped Ward and Dixon on a traffic violation before they reached their destination. During a probable cause search of the vehicle, officers recovered more than 17 pounds of methamphetamine (about 8.8 kilograms), two pounds of cocaine (about 1 kilogram), and a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol. 

In total, federal investigators seized more than 33 pounds (15 kilograms) of methamphetamine and more than two pounds of (1 kilogram) of cocaine that were smuggled from California to Ohio in mail parcels or on airline flights. Investigators also seized multiple firearms that were connected to the drug operation.

If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA Detroit Division’s Cleveland Field Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Cleveland Office, with assistance from the Cleveland MetroParks Police, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the Wayne County MEDWAY Drug Enforcement Agency, the Cleveland Heights Police Department, the Columbus Division of Police, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Lewis for the Northern District of Ohio.

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

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of robbing an ATM by terrorizing a service technician at gunpoint in broad daylight.

Joel Alonte Travis, 21, was sentenced to 144 months (12 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after a federal jury found him guilty in April of armed bank robbery and using and carrying a firearm during, and in relation to, a crime of violence. Travis was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $112,440 in restitution. Judge Nugent imposed the sentence Aug. 14.

According to court documents, on Oct. 16, 2024, just before noon, a technician was on official duty servicing a freestanding drive-thru ATM at a Chase Bank is South Euclid, Ohio, when two masked men jumped out of a Hyundai Sonata and ambushed him. One of the masked men grabbed the victim and pressed a gun to the back of his head. Under threat of violent force, the robbers then demanded that the tech remove the cassettes which contained cash to refill the ATM. In all, five cassettes with approximately $112,440 worth of cash were stolen by the perpetrators who then quickly fled the scene in the vehicle.

Officers conducting the investigation learned that Travis was on probation for an unrelated crime and was on electronic monitoring at the time of the offense. They were able link him to the time and place of the bank robbery using location data and other information. During a search warrant execution of the defendant’s apartment, three firearms were recovered, including a pistol that looked similar to the one seen on the bank’s surveillance video. Investigators also found photos of Travis depicting himself holding large sums of fanned out money which he posted on social media.

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Cleveland Heights Police Department, and South Euclid Police Department. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle M. Baeppler and Kristen Rolph for the Northern District of Ohio.

TOLEDO, Ohio – The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced immigration enforcement actions in the Northern District of Ohio. These are separate cases and not related.

Edin Oneil Carrillos-Rodriguez, 36, a citizen of Honduras, has been charged with one count of illegal reentry in violation of Title 8 U.S. Code (USC) 1326. He was previously removed from the United States on at least two occasions with the most recent being Dec. 11, 2014. On July 25, 2025, he was found in Vickery, Ohio, without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission. This case was investigated by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford.

Additionally, Vicente Lopez-Gomez, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States Oct. 3, 2016. Lopez-Gomez remains detained pending deportation from the United States. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Al-Sorghali.

Aurelio Mariscal-Chavez, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States Feb. 3, 2016.  Mariscal-Chavez remains detained pending deportation from the United States. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Tangeman.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to trafficking fentanyl and illegally possessing firearms.

Gerald M. Cook Jr., 38, was sentenced to 248 months (over 20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after he pleaded guilty in March to the following charges in an indictment:

• One count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm; previous convictions for drug trafficking in 2018, 2014, and 2011.
• Three counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances.
• One count of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.

Cook was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment and to forfeit all firearms seized by federal agents. The sentence was imposed by Judge Barker Aug. 6, 2025.

“We have no tolerance for dangerous drug traffickers who make illegal profits by harming others. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will persist in our goal to end fentanyl’s grip on so many of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District Ohio. “I would especially like to commend the efforts of the DEA, the Willoughby Police Department and our other local partners for their hard work and dedication to protecting the public.”

According to court documents, on Aug. 16, 2020, Willoughby Police Officers observed a black Porsche Cayenne run a red light and then pull into the parking lot of a nearby hotel. The driver of the Porsche, later identified as Cook, got out of the vehicle and walked into the hotel’s lobby. Officers who were in pursuit of the vehicle followed it to the parking lot. As they looked through the window of Cook’s parked Porsche, they observed a loaded Taurus PT 1911 pistol in the center console area in plain view. Cook was prohibited from possessing firearms based on prior felony convictions for drug trafficking.

In September 2020, as part of a separate investigation, detectives with the Suburban Police Anti-Crime Network (SPAN) received information that a drug dealer nicknamed “JR” was selling fentanyl from a house in Euclid, Ohio. SPAN detectives subsequently identified “JR” as Cook, who had multiple outstanding arrest warrants. SPAN detectives then conducted two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Cook at the house. On Oct. 2, 2020, SPAN detectives and investigators with the Cleveland DEA executed a search warrant at Cook’s residence, resulting in the seizure of more than 100 grams of fentanyl analogue mixtures, two handguns, ammunition, and various tools of the drug trade, including digital scales and mixing materials. 

“Mr. Cook’s days of distributing poison in our communities has come to an end. This sentence will further protect our community and should serve as a warning to anyone willing to cash-in on suffering for profit,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton for the DEA Detroit Division. “Partnerships, such as with Willoughby PD and SPAN, are crucial in our efforts to keep communities safe from drugs.”

This case was investigated by the DEA Detroit Division's Cleveland Field Office, the Willoughby Police Department, and the Suburban Police Anti-Crime Network (SPAN). SPAN is a law enforcement partnership whose members include the Lyndhurst, Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village, Richmond Heights, and Highland Heights Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James P. Lewis and Kevin E. Bringman for the Northern District of Ohio.

National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day is observed later this month on Thursday Aug. 21, 2025. For more information about this and other resources, visit dea.gov/fentanylawareness.

TOLEDO, Ohio - An Ohio man has been sentenced to prison after he pleaded guilty to using a popular social media platform to trade firearms, which he was prohibited to possess, for other items of value.

Dannie Wireman, 44, of Edon, in Williams County, Ohio, was sentenced to 77 months in prison (more than six years) by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp after he pleaded guilty in March to being a felon in possession of a firearm and receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Knepp imposed the sentence July 30, 2025.

According to court documents, Wireman was previously convicted in Indiana on burglary charges in 2009. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from buying or possessing firearms. During the investigation, agents learned that Wireman was active on the Facebook social media platform and was conducting transactions involving firearms. His activity included communicating with other platform users willing to trade items. In one instance, he asked users in a Facebook group if anyone had a beagle hunting dog they would part with in exchange for a shotgun. In others instances, he bartered for a snowmobile and a racecar. To showcase his extensive inventory and spark interest from others looking to acquire firearms, Wireman would post several photographs of the items lined up across a bed. On March 6, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Wireman’s residence where federal agents seized 22 long guns, including a sawed-off shotgun, and assorted ammunition.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Toledo Field Office, the Williams County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dexter L. Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio.

TOLEDO, Ohio – A former executive director of a nonprofit organization has been sentenced to prison for embezzling funds which she then used to gamble at a local casino.

Sabina Serratos, 55, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick after pleading guilty in March to two counts of program fraud. She was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $534,539.98 in restitution. Judge Helmick imposed the sentence July 28, 2025.

According to court documents, she used her role at a nonprofit agency to use its funds for her personal benefit. Serratos served as the executive director of Adelante, Inc., a local nonprofit agency which provided resources and assistance to the Hispanic community in the Toledo area. As the director, she was provided access to the nonprofit’s bank accounts which were used to receive funding from federal grant awards.

From July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2021, Serratos withdrew nearly $400,000 in cash from the Hollywood Casino in Toledo for her personal benefit.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Toledo Field Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report fraud, visit justice.gov/action-center/report-crime-or-submit-complaint.

AKRON, Ohio - An Ohio man has been sentenced to prison after he pleaded guilty to several drug trafficking charges and for illegal possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Alonzo M. Strickland, 52, of Akron, was sentenced to 120 months in prison (10 years) by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after he pleaded guilty in April to the following charges as outlined in an indictment filed in February:

• One count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
• One count of maintaining a drug premise.
• One count of being a felon in possession of a firearm; previous conviction for drug trafficking in 2006.
• One count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking offenses.

He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Adams imposed the sentence July 31, 2025.

According to court documents, on Jan. 29, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Strickland’s residence in Akron. Federal agents recovered digital scales and multiple bags of cocaine totaling more than two pounds (922.99 grams). Eight loaded firearms were also found in multiple locations throughout Strickland’s residence along with ammunition. Firearms included:

• Savage Axis, .223 caliber rifle
• DPMS A-15, .223 caliber rifle
• Anderson Manufacturing AM-15, .556 caliber rifle
• Kimber 1911, .45 caliber pistol
• Kel-Tec, P50, .57 caliber pistol
• Ruger, P90DC, .45 caliber pistol
• SCCY, CPX-2, 9mm pistol
• Kimber, K65, .357 caliber pistol

This case was investigated by the FBI Akron Field Office.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio will join their law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities in National Night Out events in Cleveland and across the region.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.

National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.

Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.

For more information, visit https://natw.org/.

Scheduled Events:

1. City of Cleveland’s National Night Out

       Tuesday, Aug. 5, 4-8 p.m.

       Steelyard Commons, 3447 Steelyard Dr., Cleveland OH

1. Lake County-Painesville’s National Night Out

   Tuesday, Aug. 5, 6-8 p.m.

   Veteran’s Park, 56 S. Park Place, Painesville, OH

2. Shaker Heights National Night Out

   Tuesday, Aug. 5, 6-8 p.m.

   3441 Tuttle Td, Shaker Heights, OH

3. City of Toledo’s National Night Out

       Tuesday, Aug. 5, 3-7 p.m.

       Glass City Metropark, 1505 Front St., Toledo OH

CLEVELAND and AKRON, Ohio – The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced enforcement actions for Title 18 violations involving exploitation and abuse of children and child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). These cases are separate and not related. U.S. District Court Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan imposed the sentences.

Jordan Dodd, 24, of Jefferson, Ohio, was sentenced to 600 months (50 years) in prison and a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan. In February, Dodd pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and conspiracy to produce child pornography. Judge Brennan imposed the sentence July 24. Court documents show that in April 2024 while Dodd was incarcerated on an unrelated matter, he began an online relationship with an adult female. He conspired with her to take sexually explicit photographs of an infant she had in her care and send those photographs to him while he was still incarcerated.  In a separate investigation which began in September 2023, Dodd was found to have possessed digital devices with images that contained CSAM, with at least one image involving a prepubescent minor under the age of 12.

Michael Monroe James, 28, of Clinton, Ohio, was sentenced to 151 months in prison (more than 12 years) after he pleaded guilty in March to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography. He was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $7,500 in restitution. Judge Brennan imposed the sentence July 21. Court documents show that in June 2024, James was engaging in sexually explicit and violent communications with an undercover agent purporting to be a pregnant 11-year-old girl using the Whisper social media app. During a search of James’ electronic devices, investigators found more than 700 files of CSAM involving infants or of a sadistic nature. The defendant was also found to have created artificial intelligence-generated nude photos of other minors.

The FBI Cleveland Division conducted the investigations for both cases.

Each case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.

These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country and 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.

To report child sexual abuse, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

AKRON, Ohio – A criminal illegal alien from Mexico who supplied Cleveland-area drug traffickers with more than 100 pounds of cocaine has been sentenced to prison.

Dionicio Galindo-Salinas, age 49, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 235 months (more than 19 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after pleading guilty in April to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Judge Adams imposed the sentence July 28, 2025.

According to court records, Galindo-Salinas is a Mexican national who had previously been removed from the United States. Another co-conspirator Earl King, age 45, of Cleveland, regularly traveled more than 1,600 miles to the US-Mexico border to purchase bulk quantities of cocaine from Galindo-Salinas. After purchasing the cocaine, King would ship it to the Cleveland area through a UPS-Staples store in Brownsville, Texas. Investigators discovered records indicating that King had been making these longs treks from Cleveland to Brownsville since approximately 2020, and that King had purchased at least 47 kilograms (more than 100 pounds) of cocaine from Galindo-Salinas during the conspiracy. According to testimony from the lead federal investigator, the estimated street value of 47 kilograms of cocaine in the Cleveland area would have been more than $2 million during the timeframe of the conspiracy.

“Anyone who thinks they can use Northern Ohio as a marketplace to peddle illegal drugs on behalf of transnational criminal organizations will face consequences,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We are fully committed to protecting the public by aggressively enforcing federal laws to keep our communities safe.”

“ICE HSI will continue to investigate, disrupt and dismantle cross border drug trafficking organizations that seek to poison our communities,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “I’m proud of the agents, prosecutors and law enforcement partners who relentlessly pursued justice in this case in order to safeguard the communities where they live and work.”

Galindo-Salinas is the fourth defendant to be convicted and sentenced in the investigation. Earl King was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy. Co-conspirator Curtis Anderson, who was involved in obtaining the cocaine and reselling it in the Cleveland area, was previously sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted by a jury at trial. A third co-conspirator, Donnell Gochett, age 42, of Cleveland, who provided King with addresses in Cleveland where the cocaine parcels could be shipped, was previously sentenced to 100 months (over eight years) in prison after pleading guilty.   

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the DEA Cleveland Field Office and the Cleveland Division of Police.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James P. Lewis and Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced immigration enforcement actions in the Northern District of Ohio. These are separate cases and not related.

Francisco Gonzalez-Lopez, 35, a citizen of Guatemala, has been charged with one count of illegal reentry. He has one previous removal from the United States on Nov. 15, 2017. On June 12, 2025, he was found in Poland Township, Ohio, without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Rolph.

Jaime Ortega-Urquidi, 63, a citizen of Mexico, has been charged with one count of illegal reentry. He has previously been removed from the United States with the most recent being Oct. 10, 2017. He was again found in the country on May 28, 2025, in Lorain, Ohio without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security to be readmitted. He was also charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, investigators discovered that Urquidi had nearly five pounds of cocaine in his possession. Additionally, the defendant is charged with an enhanced penalty for a prior serious drug felony conviction in 2014. This case was investigated by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station, FBI Cleveland Division, and the Lorain Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Lewis is prosecuting the case.

Additionally, Edil A. Martinez-Padilla, 38, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge David A. Ruiz after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States twice with the last being April 24, 2013. Martinez-Padilla remains detained pending deportation from the United States. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ICE-HSI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter E. Daly.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

CLEVELAND – A Cleveland woman who conspired with an elected public official to defraud local nonprofits has been sentenced.

Sinera Unique Jones, aka Sinera McCoy, 46, has been sentenced to three years of probation with two months of home detention by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko, after pleading guilty in April to conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud by acting in concert with a public official to defraud multiple community stakeholders. Additionally, she was ordered to pay $143,598.47 in restitution.

According to court documents, from about December 2018 to June 2021, Sinera Jones conspired with former Cleveland city councilman for Ward 7, Basheer Jones, 40, with whom she was in a romantic relationship, to persuade local nonprofits to enter into arrangements from which the two could financially benefit. Basheer Jones sought and obtained funds from the nonprofits under the guise of working on projects to redevelop Ward 7.

The scheme involved convincing nonprofits to make payments toward projects they believed were for Ward 7 revitalization projects. But instead, the money went into bank accounts that Sinera Jones controlled which, at Basheer Jones’s direction, she then diverted to herself, to Basheer Jones, and to others.

The two took steps to ensure that their personal connection was not discovered and used various methods to obtain money from the organizations. In one scheme, a nonprofit hired Sinera Jones as a consultant for community outreach on the recommendation of Basheer Jones. She submitted invoices to the nonprofit despite doing little work and was subsequently paid through her consulting business—all while concealing her personal relationship to the councilman.

In another scheme, Basheer Jones represented to a nonprofit that he was assisting with the acquisition of a distressed piece of property from the original owner.  At the same time, Basheer Jones arranged for the owner to sell Sinera Jones the property for only $1 with the promise to the seller that she would pay the $40,500 city demolition bill.  Sinera Jones, who put the property in the name of a business entity when she made the purchase, immediately re-sold the property to the nonprofit for $45,000 without paying the demolition bill or disclosing it or disclosing her ties to Basheer Jones. In all, Sinera and Basheer Jones were able to defraud various nonprofits out of more than $140,000.

On April 1, 2025, Basheer Jones was sentenced to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $143,598.47 in restitution.

This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS – Criminal Investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Barnhill and Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report fraud, visit justice.gov/action-center/report-crime-or-submit-complaint.

CLEVELAND - U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer made the following statement regarding the death of Lorain Police Officer Phillip Wagner.

"With sorrowful hearts, we offer our sincerest condolences to the family of Officer Phillip Wagner, his friends, and his fellow officers with the Lorain Police Department. Officer Wagner’s tragic loss is a painful reminder of the dangers our law enforcement officers face in service to keep our communities safe. There are no words to express the depths of pain in losing such a young life to a senseless act of violence. We have lost a protector of our community who dedicated his career to ensuring that others can live in safety. We will forever be grateful to Officer Wagner for his bravery and sacrifice in service of others.

We also ask everyone to continue to keep Officers Peter Gale and Brent Payne in their thoughts and prayers as they recover not only physically from this brutal attack, but also from the immense pain of losing their friend and colleague."

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CLEVELAND – David M. Toepfer, of Warren, has taken the oath of office to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. Mr. Toepfer is now the top-ranking federal law enforcement official for the district representing the United States in all federal and civil litigation.

Mr. Toepfer was sworn in by Chief U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi at the U.S. Courthouse in Akron following the July 23 appointment by U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. Mr. Toepfer was appointed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546, which provides that “the Attorney General may appoint a United States Attorney for the district in which the office of the United States Attorney is vacant.”

In July, President Donald J. Trump nominated Mr. Toepfer to the position and his nomination remains pending in the United States Senate.

“It is the honor of a lifetime to serve the people of Northern Ohio in this role. Our office will continue working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to protect the public by aggressively enforcing the laws of the United States,” said United States Attorney Toepfer. “I am thankful for the trust President Trump and Attorney General Bondi have placed in me, and for the support of Senators Moreno and Husted as the confirmation process proceeds through the Senate.”

Mr. Toepfer is responsible for a district covering the 40 northern-most counties in the state of Ohio, home to nearly six million people. The U.S. Attorney’s Office operates from its main headquarters in Cleveland, with additional branches in Akron, Toledo, and Youngstown. Mr. Toepfer will lead a staff of nearly 200 attorneys and support personnel.

A career prosecutor of nearly three decades, Mr. Toepfer joined the Northern District of Ohio in 2008 as an Assistant United States Attorney based in the Youngstown office. He has served in a variety of leadership roles with the office, and most recently served as branch chief for both Youngstown and Akron. In this role, he supervised branch attorneys and served as a liaison between federal and local law enforcement agencies to review and prepare cases for federal prosecution. In his 17 years with the office, he has prosecuted a wide range of federal criminal cases such as bank robbery, firearms offenses, fraud, narcotics, and export-controlled technology. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he served for nine years as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Trumbull County, Ohio, conducting jury trials in common pleas court for all felonies including death penalty cases, murder, and violent offenses, and coordinating investigations involving numerous local police agencies. He also served two years as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Portage County where he conducted felony and misdemeanor trials in juvenile and municipal courts. Mr. Toepfer has dedicated his career to focusing on the prosecution of the most violent offenders, dismantling interstate drug trafficking organizations, and enforcing federal immigration laws.

The Warren native has also been the recipient of numerous awards. Most notably, in 2010 he was nationally recognized with the Director’s Award from the Department of Justice for leading the Violence and Gun Reduction Interdiction Program in Youngstown and Warren, Ohio. The program was a federal, state, and local initiative that successfully targeted violent offenders who illegally used and possessed firearms.

Mr. Toepfer is a magna cum laude graduate from Youngstown State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree, majoring in accounting. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Akron School of Law.

Mr. Toepfer’s appointment marks the first time in more than 117 years that a Youngstown-area lawyer will serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

For more information about the district, visit justice.gov/usao-ndoh.

TOLEDO, Ohio – The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced that federal grand juries in the Northern District of Ohio have returned indictments charging three Mexican nationals with violating Title 8 U.S. Code (USC) 1326, illegal reentry. Additionally, one defendant was charged with using fraudulent documents. These are separate cases and not related.

Raul Samano-Fuerte, 49, has been charged with one count of illegal reentry. He has been previously removed from the United States four times with the most recent being March 10, 2009. On June 23, 2025, he was found in Norwalk, Ohio, without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission.

Gonzalo Diaz-Resendiz, 29, has been charged with one count of illegal reentry. He has been previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being Sept. 6, 2013. On June 30, 2025, he was found in Ottawa, Ohio, without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission.

Cesar Ramirez-Velazquez, aka Cesar Ramirez-Rincon, 44, has been charged with one count of illegal reentry. He has two previous removals from the United States with the most recent being June 7, 2009. He was again found in the country on March 19, 2024, in Norwalk, Ohio without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security to be readmitted. He was also charged with two counts of possession of a fraudulent identification document for possessing a fraudulent permanent resident card and a fraudulent Social Security card in violation of Title 18 USC 1546 (a). Additionally, the defendant is charged with misuse of a Social Security Number, in violation of Title 42, USC 408 (a)(7)(B).

The investigations preceding the indictments were conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ava Rotell Dustin is leading the prosecution.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  Each defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations.

These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

CLEVELAND – A popular former podcaster was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for orchestrating a real estate Ponzi scheme that took in over $7.3 million from at least 63 victims from across the United States, involving a wide range of income levels and ages.

According to court documents, from October 2017 to March 2022, Matthew Motil, 45, of North Olmsted, was a licensed real estate agent in Ohio who owned and operated several companies. He devised a scheme to defraud investors by using his podcast and other marketing tools to position himself as an expert in the field. Branding himself as the “Cash Flow King,” Motil produced and hosted programs which he promoted through social media and his websites. He also authored a book, “Man on Fire,” to further his credibility with investors. Using a combination of marketing tactics, he solicited prospective investors to invest their money with him and his real estate companies as a lucrative way to generate passive income. Motil provided the victim investors with promissory notes he said were secured by mortgages on properties located throughout Northeast Ohio. Unbeknownst to them, he used the same properties over and over to obtain money from one victim after another, each time providing them with a promissory note purportedly secured by a mortgage. Each victim believed that they were the sole mortgage holder of the investment property and that they would be able to recover their investment through foreclosure if Motil failed to make the payments he promised.

Motil deflected mortgage questions from investors by saying that there were long processing times. As he convinced more people to invest with him, he used those new funds to pay earlier investors to keep the scheme going.

“These victims were deceived and manipulated into handing over their hard-earned money to a shameless and selfish individual for his own benefit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio.  “Our office will take action to prosecute anyone who preys on the trusting nature of others.” 

Motil also used the victim investors’ money to fund his lifestyle. He funded personal expenses such as leasing a large home on Lake Erie and securing courtside seats to Cleveland Cavaliers home games. He also used the funds to pay his credit cards and financially sustain his fitness businesses.

“The 63 victims of this investment/Ponzi scheme are at the forefront of our work, and this conviction reflects our steadfast commitment to justice on their behalf,” said U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Blaine M. Forschen for the Cleveland Field Office. “Together with our federal, state, and local partners on the Secret Service Money Laundering Task Force, we will continue to protect our communities from those who exploit trust and inflict financial harm.”

Motil pleaded guilty to securities fraud and wire fraud on Sept. 5, 2024. U.S. District Court Judge Donald C. Nugent imposed the sentence July 18, 2025. Motil was also sentenced to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $5,085,247.08 in restitution.

The investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service Money Laundering Task Force* with significant assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and the former Major Crime Task Force hosted by the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department.  The Office of the United States Trustee for Region 9 – Cleveland, Ohio, also significantly contributed to the case.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erica D. Barnhill for the Northern District of Ohio.

*The United Secret Service Task Force consists of the following agencies: Social Security-OIG, US Postal-OIG, US Postal Inspection Service, USDA-OIG, HUD-OIG, FBI, TIGTA-OIG, IRS-CI, Ohio BCI, Westlake PD, Parma PD, Amherst PD, North Olmsted PD, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, Ohio Investigative Unit, Lorain County Sheriff’s Department, Stark County Prosecutor’s Office, Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office, Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office, Ohio Casino Commission, Richfield PD and North Ridgeville PD.

CLEVELAND – The last of three defendants involved in a 2021 carjacking and kidnapping was sentenced this week. Anton Woodley, 22, Cashaun Woodley, 24, and Lavontay Johnson, 23, all of Cleveland, each previously pleaded guilty to carjacking after they used firearms to drive an individual around the city so they could steal his money and take his motor vehicle by force.

Court documents show that on Dec. 12, 2021, a male victim visiting downtown Cleveland met two women who suggested they visit a nearby apartment building. After arriving, one of the women contacted the defendants to tell them about the man she had just met. She then worked out a plan to help them rob him. The Woodley brothers and Johnson traveled to the apartment and waited outside for the male victim to exit the building. When the victim appeared and walked out to his vehicle, the Woodley brothers and Johnson ambushed him at gunpoint. They pressed a pistol up against the back of his head and ordered him into the backseat of his car. The defendants abducted the victim and entered the car, with the Woodley brothers flanking the victim with guns while Johnson drove away.

With a gun pressed into his side, the defendants demanded money from the victim. They forced him to transfer several hundred dollars out of his accounts and disclose his financial information on his cellphone. After some time driving around the east side of Cleveland, they released the victim on East 80th Street and then sped away in his vehicle.

The victim’s car was recovered later that month when Garfield Heights police chased Johnson. As he fled the stolen vehicle on foot, officers found a Glock 23, 40 caliber pistol in Johnson’s flight path.

U.S. District Court Judge Pamela A. Barker imposed the following sentences:

• Anton Woodley was sentenced July 15, 2025, to 78 months (6.5 years) in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
• Lavontay Johnson was sentenced March 13, 2025, to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
• Cashaun Woodley was sentenced Dec. 19, 2024, to 100 months (8.3 years) in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. 

Each defendant was ordered to pay $1,240 in restitution. This investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, Cleveland Division of Police, and the Garfield Heights Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Joines prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – James P. Jackson, age 39, of Niles, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to using his role as an employee at a state prison to smuggle illicit substances and other prohibited items to an inmate at the facility.

According to court documents, Jackson was employed by the Trumbull Correctional Institution (TCI) in Leavittsburg, from 2022 through 2024. He served as a corrections officer and later, as a general maintenance worker, where he regularly came into contact with inmates. His work duties and responsibilities allowed him full access to non-public areas including prison cells.

Allegations in court documents show that Jackson was in communication with the wife of a TCI inmate. After some time spent exchanging text messages and keeping in touch by phone, the two agreed to meet. On Feb. 1, 2024, they met and she handed him two large, wrapped packages for him to deliver to her husband who was serving a sentence inside the facility. In return, Jackson accepted an initial bribe of $1,000 from her and was promised an additional $1,000 after the contraband was successfully delivered to the intended recipient. The next day, Jackson attempted to take the packages into TCI but was intercepted by law enforcement before entering.

The investigation revealed that the packages Jackson received−and attempted to smuggle into the prison−contained 97.67 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, 207.63 grams of synthetic cannabinoid, 32.85 grams of phencyclidine (aka PCP or angel dust), various other drugs, a cellphone, and SIM cards.

On July 15, 2025, Jackson pleaded guilty after being charged by information for Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right for accepting money to smuggle two packages into TCI using his capacity as an employee of the facility. He faces a maximum of up to 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is yet to be scheduled.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Trumbull Correctional Institutions-Office of Investigations, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol-Office of Criminal Investigations Prison Drug Unit and Investigative Services for the Warren District.

Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea S. Rice and Rebecca C. Lutzko prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.

CLEVELAND – Jarad Paster, 32, of Berea, Ohio, has been sentenced to 175 months (14.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Patricia A. Gaughan after he pleaded guilty to dealing drugs that caused the fatalities of three people in one day. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Gaughan imposed the sentence July 8.

Paster was charged in a superseding indictment in June 2024 with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and distribution of controlled substances that resulted in death. The charges also included enhanced penalties for causing death resulting from the use of controlled substances. He pleaded guilty in December 2024.

According to court documents, from April 1-15, 2023, the defendant along with co-conspirator, Matthew Jarrell, 44, of Lakewood, Ohio, knowingly conspired to sell illegal drugs, in particular cocaine and fentanyl which are Schedule II controlled substances, and para-fluorofentanyl, a Schedule I controlled substance.

On April 15, 2023, three individuals ingested and overdosed on a controlled substance, namely cocaine and fentanyl. Investigators found that these deaths occurred as a result of drugs the victims received from Paster and Jarrell.

On Jan. 30, 2025, Jarrell was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty in July 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and distribution of controlled substances that resulted in death.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Cleveland District Office, the FBI Cleveland Task Force in partnership with the Cleveland Division of Police, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. 

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Crook.

According to the DEA, fentanyl is extremely lethal even in small amounts. To learn more about the DEA’s “One Pill Can Kill” awareness campaign, visit dea.gov/onepill.

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CLEVELAND – Mohammed Ahmad, 38, of Avon, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to submitting orders for patients in connection with a durable medical equipment (DME) scheme that caused Medicare to be unnecessarily billed for thousands of dollars. Medicare is a federal health care benefit program that provides items and services mainly to people who are age 65 and older.

According to court documents, Ahmad has been a licensed physician in Ohio since 2014 and worked as a contractor for Florida-based Lifeline Recruiting Inc. to provide telemedicine services. Lifeline Recruiting purchased “leads” of Medicare beneficiaries and used call center services to find and target individuals who were eligible to receive orthotic braces and other DME. Lifeline provided pre-completed orders for Ahmad to review and sign to authorize treatment with DME as medically necessary, even though he did not personally examine patients or conduct the tests that his orders indicated he had performed.

From November 2018 to May 2019, medical orders that Ahmad signed caused approximately $267,402 in false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare, of which approximately $126,643 was paid.

On July 9, 2025, Ahmad pleaded guilty after being charged by information for making false statements related to health care matters in connection with the DME telemedicine scheme. He faces a maximum of up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is yet to be scheduled.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General.

Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea S. Rice and Erica D. Barnhill prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.

This case is part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The Takedown is part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that brought criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers. For more information, visit: justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/2025-national-health-care-fraud-takedown.

The owner of Lifeline Recruiting, Alicia Hiller, pleaded guilty in March to charges related to the scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 5, 2025, in the Southern District of Florida.

To report health care fraud and abuse, call 1-800-HHS-TIPS (8477).

TOLEDO, Ohio – Marcus Gaines, 34, of Toledo, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to his role in a drug trafficking scheme that used the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to distribute controlled substances.

According to court documents, USPS received a package in June 2024 which postal inspectors suspected of containing narcotics. A federal search warrant was obtained to open the parcel and resulted in the seizure of two suspicious substances. A forensic laboratory later performed a chemical analysis which confirmed the substances to be approximately 2.2 pounds of powder cocaine, and 1 pound of heroin mixed with fentanyl.

According to the original complaint and underlying affidavit, Gaines was employed by USPS as a letter carrier at the time the package in question was seized. Investigators found that the intended delivery address for the parcel containing the narcotics was on his assigned mail delivery route. Investigators repackaged the seized parcel with a sham substance and placed it back into the mail stream. Gaines collected the parcel, and it was transported along his delivery route with other U.S. mail and packages. The defendant then drove to a parking lot along his route and met with a co-conspirator where an exchange occurred.

During the investigation, federal agents learned that the co-conspirator paid Gaines $500 for each package he delivered which contained narcotics. Each delivery occurred at a location selected by the co-conspirator which fell within the delivery route traveled by Gaines during his shift. When Gaines identified parcels labeled with fictitious names addressed to locations along his route, he knew to deliver those packages to the co-conspirator rather than the listed address.

On July 10, 2025, Gaines pleaded guilty to the following charges:

• 1 Count - Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
• 2 Counts - Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance

He faces a maximum of up to 20 years in prison and up to $1 million in fines. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 30, 2025. The co-conspirator also faces charges related to the drug trafficking scheme.

This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.

USPIS is the law enforcement branch of the United States Postal Service. To report mail theft or other crimes committed through, or towards, the United States Postal Service, call the USPIS at 1-877-876-2455 or visit uspis.gov/report.