Southern District of Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Lancaster man pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving child pornography.

Carson A. Bigham, 24, was originally arrested on federal charges in May 2025. In a bill of information filed in January 2026, Bigham is charged with receipt of child pornography.

According to court documents, law enforcement received two separate Cybertips from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) related to a Columbus man who was subsequently charged with federal child pornography crimes in March 2025, including exploitation of a minor. One report was from Kik messenger regarding the distribution of 13 child pornography files. The second report was from Sniffies LLC, a map-based hookup application for gay, bisexual and bicurious men.

As part of their investigation, devices were seized from the Columbus man. Law enforcement’s forensic review of the devices revealed conversations between the Columbus man and Bigham. The conversations between the two men were sexual in nature and included discussions about engaging in sex with minors. Between August 2024 and May 2025, Bigham received child pornography, including files that depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sex acts with adults.

Law enforcement officers learned that Bigham was at the time employed as a Columbus firefighter and photographs of Bigham match those sent to the Columbus man during their conversations.

Receiving child pornography is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; other members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force; and officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Columbus Airport Group and Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

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

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DAYTON, Ohio – Dylan Hiner, 19, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to illegally receiving a firearm or ammunition while under indictment for another felony crime. 

According to court documents, Hiner was attending a Halloween party on Nov. 1, 2025, at the University of Dayton. While at the party, Hiner participated in a shootout. The defendant fired multiple rounds of ammunition into the air.

The Dayton Police Department and University of Dayton Police Department arrived on scene and discovered multiple rounds of ammunition and observed home surveillance footage.

Hiner was arrested and charged federally on Nov. 10, 2025. At the time, he was under indictment in Montgomery County for allegedly carrying a concealed weapon and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle.

Illegally receiving a firearm or ammunition while under indictment for a felony crime is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal and University of Dayton Police Chief Steve Durian announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline H. Gentry. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.

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

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Mexican national who opened fire in a local taco restaurant parking lot was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 27 months in prison. 

Abel Velasquez-Avecedo, 30, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to illegally possessing a firearm as an illegal alien and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.

According to court documents, on April 11, 2025, Velasquez-Avecedo and another individual had an argument at Taco Nice restaurant in Columbus. The defendant fired multiple shots from a vehicle while driving near the restaurant.

Local law enforcement authorities found Velasquez-Avecedo to be in possession of a pistol as well as 44 small baggies of cocaine and five small baggies of methamphetamine.

The defendant has a prior conviction for assault and two prior convictions for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The assault conviction was originally charged as aggravated burglary, kidnapping, rape and assault. At the time of this offense, Velasquez-Avecedo had absconded from probation supervision for the violent offense.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Geraghty is representing the United States in this case.

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

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted Terrance Colvin, 39, of Columbus, Ohio, with six counts of drug and gun crimes related to 28 kilograms of drugs found stashed in hidden compartments of a vehicle being hauled from California to Polaris Fashion Place.

The verdict was announced today following a trial that began on Jan. 28 before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Colvin faces at least 15 years and up to life in prison.

According to court documents and trial testimony, in May 2024, local HSI agents were notified by HSI Albuquerque that the New Mexico State Police stopped a commercial car hauler. One of the vehicles was to be delivered to Polaris Fashion Place in Delaware County. That vehicle had two hidden compartments and inside, investigators discovered 21 kilograms of methamphetamine and seven kilograms of cocaine.

Federal and local law enforcement officials arranged for the controlled delivery of the vehicle to the Polaris mall parking lot.

Colvin took an Uber to Polaris Fashion Place to retrieve the vehicle upon delivery and drove the vehicle to his apartment in the 801 Polaris Apartments. Colvin parked the vehicle in a private parking garage next to a 2015 Cadillac Escalade and accessed the hidden compartments to transfer the narcotics, which law enforcement had primarily replaced with sham narcotics, into a duffel bag before being apprehended by law enforcement.

In a subsequent search of Colvin’s apartment, agents discovered and seized additional bulk amounts of narcotics, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. They also seized three loaded firearms.

As a previously convicted felon, Colvin is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. His criminal history includes arrests and convictions for various narcotics and weapons-related charges, kidnapping, receiving stolen property, driving under the influence, obstructing justice and disorderly conduct.

Colvin was originally indicted in June 2024.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and officials with the Delaware County Drug Task Force announced today’s verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to misappropriating money that she was managing on behalf of four United States military veterans.

Ishwanzya Rivers, 46, was charged federally and arrested in August 2025.

According to court documents, Rivers stole more than $135,000 from one elderly, dying veteran who lived at the VA hospital in Cincinnati. Rivers admitted she misappropriated the victim’s money at least 45 times from June 2021 through November 2022.

Rivers stole smaller amounts of money from three other elderly or infirm veterans totaling more than $23,000.

The defendant used the money for shopping, restaurants and to travel to New Orleans, Montego Bay, Cancun, London, Panama, Zurich, Vienna and Maldives.

Misappropriating funds as a fiduciary is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland.

The case is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Central Field Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – A former teacher at a Catholic school who was fired 25 years ago for hands-on sex offenses to students was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 84 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography.

Martin Bayhan, 58, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty to the instant offense in July 2025.

In 1999, while working as a teacher at a Catholic school in Pittsburgh, Bayhan molested two teen boy students. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor crimes and received probation.

According to court documents, Bayhan’s Kik, SnapChat and Telegram accounts were all flagged for uploading child sexual abuse material. Agents executed a search warrant at Bayhan’s home and discovered child pornography on his cell phone and a thumb drive. In total, investigators located 36 videos and 300 images of child pornography.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.

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DAYTON, Ohio – A Dayton man was sentenced in federal court here today to 240 months in prison for committing 12 separate armed robberies at businesses throughout southwest Ohio.

In December 2024, Timothy Farr, 44, brandished a firearm at local gas stations, convenience stores and drive thru stores, demanding cash and cigarettes.

During the robberies, Farr often wore a dark jacket, pants and shoes, as well as gray two-tone style gloves and a black balaclava mask covering part of his face. In some instances, Farr also wore an N-95 style mask. He brandished a black firearm.

As the crime spree progressed, the defendant became more aggressive with his verbal commands to store clerk victims and his use of the firearm.

Law enforcement was able to identify a vehicle of interest using the Flock Safety Camera System and identified a 2011 red Ford Taurus linked to armed robbery locations.

When Dayton police officers initiated a traffic stop of the red Taurus on Dec. 16, 2024, Farr was in the front passenger seat wearing the outfit described in the armed robberies, had an N-95 style mask on the floorboard and gray two-tone gloves in his pocket. Farr also had a 9mm pistol in his waistband.

Farr admitted to committing armed robberies on:

• Dec. 3, 2024, at Sunoco gas station on Wayne Avenue in Dayton,
• Dec. 4, 2024, at Marathon gas station on Linden Avenue in Riverside,
• Dec. 6, 2024, at Ray’s Xenia Avenue Market on Xenia Avenue in Dayton,
• Dec. 7, 2024, at Free Pike Drive-Thru on Free Pike in Dayton,
• Dec. 8, 2024, at Sunoco gas station on Selma Road in Springfield,
• Dec. 8, 2024, at Family Dollar on Salem Avenue in Trotwood,
• Dec. 10, 2024, at Mini Mart on N. Main Street in Dayton,
• Dec. 11, 2024, at Marathon gas station on E. Fifth Street in Dayton,
• Dec. 12, 2024, at White Oak Deli on Cheviot Road in Green Township,
• Dec. 14, 2024, at Family Dollar on West Main Street in Springfield,
• Dec. 15, 2024, at Sammy’s Drive-thru store on Woodman Drive in Riverside, and
• Dec. 15, 2024, at United Dairy Farmers on Vine Street in Cincinnati.

The defendant was charged federally in December 2024 and pleaded guilty in October 2025.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliott; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal; Green Township Police Chief James Vetter; Cincinnati Police Interim Chief Adam Hennie; Trotwood Police Chief Erik Wilson; and Riverside Police Acting Chief Angela Jackson announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders and Christina E. Mahy are representing the United States in this case.

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

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DAYTON, Ohio – A Sycamore Township man who admitted to tying up and repeatedly raping a woman in 1989 was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to the statutory maximum 180 months in prison for making false statements about the rapes to federal agents.

Frederick Louis Tanzer, 67, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to three counts of the false‑statements crime.

“Before admitting that he was the man who committed these horrific rapes in 1989, Tanzer lied to the FBI. His DNA confirmed his guilt, and evidence points to Tanzer being a serial rapist,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “Tanzer poses a grave risk to the public and deserves to be in prison not only for his lies but also for the despicable attack he was trying to cover up.”

“The strong investigative work by the Cincinnati Police Department and the FBI led to Frederick Tanzer’s identification and his admission of his heinous crimes,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie. “I commend the investigators who never gave up in their pursuit of justice for the victim.”  

According to court documents, on Aug. 1, 1989, Tanzer broke into the home of Dana Beatty (then Dana Sandbo) in Cincinnati and repeatedly raped her over the course of five and a half hours. Tanzer, masked and dressed from head to toe in black Lycra, held a knife to the victim’s throat, dragged her into her bedroom, blindfolded her with surgical tape, bound her hands and feet to her bed frame, and then repeatedly, and with extreme violence, raped her vaginally, anally and orally. 

The case remained unsolved for nearly 35 years. In 2024, the FBI, working with the Cincinnati Police Department, confirmed that DNA taken from Tanzer’s coffee cup matched the semen left by the man who attacked Dana Beatty in 1989.

When approached about the rapes, the defendant made several distinct and materially false statements to a federal agent and a Cincinnati Police Department detective, including denying having seen or interacted with the victim on the date of the attack.

The statute of limitations for the crimes committed during the 1989 attack expired in approximately 1995. 

Tanzer was arrested in December 2024 and has remained in custody since.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Division; and Cincinnati Interim Police Chief Adam Hennie announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. The IRS-Criminal Investigation Cincinnati Field Office assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Rossi and Julie D. Garcia are representing the United States in this case.

While the United States Attorney’s Office typically does not identify crime victims, Dana Beatty is identified here by name at her request.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Luis Cabrales-Guerra, 32, was indicted in U.S. District Court here for allegedly conspiring to distribute fentanyl and for illegally reentering the United States following his previous federal conviction for an aggravated drug felony. 

According to charging documents, between January and September 2025, Cabrales-Guerra participated in a narcotics conspiracy involving 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of para-fluorofentanyl. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the defendant’s Columbus apartment and discovered more than a kilogram of narcotics.

Court documents detail that Cabrales-Guerra was previously removed from the United States to Mexico multiple times in 2010 and 2011. In 2016, Cabrales-Guerra was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute heroin in the District of Minnesota. He was again removed from the United States to Mexico in 2019 after serving his sentence in that case. 

Cabrales-Guerra’s prior federal conviction for conspiring to distribute heroin is an aggravated felony, which increases his potential penalty in this case to up to 20 years in prison.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and officials with the Central Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Sheila G. Lafferty is representing the United States in this case.

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

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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A North Carolina man pleaded guilty yesterday to crimes based on his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

According to court documents, Robert Craig, of Charlotte, conspired with others to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos” which depicted acts of sadistic violence against baby and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera. Craig signed a statement of facts saying he shared a video in which a monkey was mutilated, and other videos shared by the conspirators also depicted mutilation as well as sodomization of monkeys.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Doug Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

CINCINNATI – A Guatemalan man who was twice convicted in Warren County of sex crimes involving minors pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to illegally reentering the United States.  

Cincinnati Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) agents learned of a warrant from Guatemala for the arrest of William Noe Cuellar Montufa for homicide.

Cuellar Montufa, 39, was illegally residing in Cincinnati and was arrested in Colerain Township, Ohio, on Oct. 29. 

“This defendant illegally reentered the country after being deported following his convictions for sex crimes and is now wanted for murder in Guatemala,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “The identification, apprehension, and prosecution of criminal illegal aliens like Cuellar Montufa is essential to protect our communities, and my office will continue aggressively to pursue these cases.”

Court documents detail that U.S. Border Patrol intelligence agents alerted the Cincinnati HSTF to Cuellar Montufa’s potential presence in the area and described vehicles possibly associated with the defendant. Further investigation by the HSTF agents led them to surveil Cuellar Montufa’s residence, where one of the associated vehicles was located. He was subsequently apprehended.

The defendant was convicted in Warren County in January 2006 for attempted unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and in September 2007 for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Cuellar Montufa was deported in 2008 following his terms of incarceration.

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

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jared Murphey, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the guilty plea entered on Jan. 21 before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Danielle E. Margeaux is representing the United States in this case.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man has been charged federally for allegedly threatening on social media to kill federal immigration agents. 

Justin Mesael Novoa, 21, is charged with making threatening interstate communications, including threats to assault or murder a federal law enforcement officer.

According to charging documents, HSI received information in December 2025 regarding threats to ICE employees on the social media platform X. Investigation revealed that, in June 2025, Novoa allegedly posted: “they should blast every ice agent they find.”

Later, in November 2025, Novoa allegedly posted “can’t wait to shoot these p***y ice agents and r******d maga maggots.”

Federal agents executed a search warrant at Novoa’s residence in December 2025 and seized multiple firearms, including two rifles, two shotguns and one handgun, as well as ammunition. Novoa also possessed two helmets and body armor.

Threatening to kill a federal officer is a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Making threatening interstate communications carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Prichard is representing the United States in this case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Troy Patterson, 55, of Beverly Hills, California, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 250 months in prison for shipping more than 90 kilograms of methamphetamine from southern California to Columbus for redistribution.

In February 2025, a jury trial commenced in the case against Patterson. Shortly after the jury was selected, Patterson pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Court documents detail that he was responsible for nearly 14 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 77 kilograms of narcotics mixtures containing methamphetamine. Between December 2020 and April 2023, Patterson shipped or instructed others to ship at least 150 parcels containing kilogram quantities of narcotics to central Ohio.

Patterson is a repeat federal and local offender who has several convictions for violent crimes, including domestic violence and aggravated burglary. He was released from state prison just five months before this instant drug conspiracy began. Patterson has two prior federal drug trafficking convictions in 1991 and 2005 for which he served 168 months and 21 months in prison.

Four co-defendants were also convicted and received prison sentences ranging from approximately three years to approximately 16 years in prison.

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

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; and officials with the Ohio HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area); announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Pakiz and Jennifer Rausch are representing the United States in this case.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A man arrested on Jan. 9 who allegedly had multiple loaded guns near the John Glenn Columbus International Airport has now been charged with a federal firearms crime as well.

William T. Griffith III, 40, of Delaware, Ohio, is charged by federal criminal complaint with illegally possessing ammunition as a convicted felon.

According to charging documents, on Jan. 9, local law enforcement responded to a 911 call at approximately 4am regarding Griffith trespassing in a construction area at the airport. Law enforcement officers located four firearms, including an AK-style rifle, shortened shotgun and two handguns, as well as several rounds of ammunition.

At the time of Griffith’s arrest, he was dressed in military-style fatigue trousers. Body armor with ceramic plates and a ballistic helmet with night vision were also located nearby.

In 2011, Griffith was convicted of kidnapping. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Griffith appeared in federal court in Columbus today and his case was unsealed at that time.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Damoun Delaviz is representing the United States in this case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Daniel H. Rodriguez-Andrade, 52, of Mexico, was sentenced in U.S. District Court here to 120 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin and for illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of a felony.

According to court documents, Rodriguez-Andrade has been deported from the United States on four previous occasions.

In July 2024, law enforcement officials encountered Rodriguez-Andrade in Pataskala, Ohio. The defendant possessed nearly two and a half kilograms of black tar heroin that he intended to sell for profit in Central Ohio. Rodriguez-Andrade attempted to sell the bulk heroin for $80,000 but was apprehended by law enforcement.

Rodriguez-Andrade was charged by federal criminal complaint in August 2024 and pleaded guilty in July 2025.

At the time of his instant offense, the defendant was on supervised release for a federal conviction in Arizona. The Court also sentenced him to 16 months in prison for violating his supervised release, with 12 months of that sentence to be served consecutively to the 120-month sentence imposed.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Matthew Stentz, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp announced the sentence imposed on Jan. 14 by U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorney Sheila G. Lafferty is representing the United States in this case.

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

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CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has indicted two Israeli real estate investment entrepreneurs, their company, and two other co-conspirators for allegedly double-pledging properties to obtain multiple loans and for conspiring to conceal information from lenders and investors.

Those charged include the business Vision & Beyond Group LLC (V&B), its co-owners Stanislav Grinberg and Peter Gizunterman, and real estate closing and title company employees Keya Hamilton and Kelly West.

According to the indictment, Grinberg and Gizunterman formed the real estate business V&B in approximately 2019 to purchase 100 multi-unit apartments and family properties, including in the greater Cincinnati area, for renovation and rental income.

Grinberg and Gizunterman, with the help of Hamilton and West, then allegedly obtained refinancing for the properties but did not use the funds to pay off the existing loans and mortgages. The defendants also allegedly falsified financial documents, altered closing documents and removed mortgages from title commitments.

For example, in December 2022, the indictment details that Grinberg and Gizunterman received two loans totaling more than $36 million for approximately 60 multi-family properties in the Cincinnati area that were owned by the defendants. The closing of the two loans was supposed to pay off 30 specific prior mortgages.

It is alleged that 20 of the prior mortgages worth $17.2 million were not paid off at closing. Instead, more than $273,000 was allegedly paid directly to Hamilton; nearly $7 million was paid to a title company controlled by Hamilton and used by V&B; more than $6.2 million was paid directly to V&B’s account and approximately $2.7 million was paid to another bank.

The co-conspirators allegedly engaged in a similar scheme in 2023 involving four apartment complexes in Lexington, Kentucky, involving loans totaling $24.6 million.

The defendants are each charged with conspiring to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, making false statements and money laundering. Grinberg was originally charged by criminal complaint in March 2025.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Korey Brinkman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigations; and Shawn Rice, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General; announced the charges. Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Timothy S. Mangan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Painter are representing the United States in this case.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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CINCINNATI – The man who allegedly vandalized Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home has now been indicted by a federal grand jury on several charges related to the incident.

The three-count indictment charges William D. DeFoor, 26, with damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.

DeFoor was originally charged by criminal complaint on Jan. 5. The U.S. District Court has ordered that the defendant remain in custody pending trial.

According to court documents, around midnight, United States Secret Service (USSS) agents observed DeFoor running along the front fence of the protected residence. DeFoor allegedly breached the property line at the driveway and attempted to break the driver’s side window of an unmarked federal law enforcement vehicle blocking the driveway entrance. DeFoor was armed with a hammer.

DeFoor allegedly refused law enforcement commands to stop and drop the weapon. Charging documents state DeFoor ignored all commands and began to use the hammer to break glass windows across the front of the protected residence. DeFoor’s hammer strikes also caused damage to the enhanced security assets on each window owned by the United States government and valued at more than $28,000.

The defendant allegedly attempted to flee on foot and was detained by USSS agents and Cincinnati police officers.

Causing more than $1,000 in damage to United States property and engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds are each federal crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Rees, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, and Cincinnati Police Acting Chief Adam Hennie announced the charges. Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy and Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Timothy S. Mangan are representing the United States in this case.

An indictment contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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CINCINNATI – A Loveland, Ohio, man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 262 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for sexually exploiting an 11-year-old.

Jonathan Travis Mackey, 46, of Loveland, exploited a child victim in person while employed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). As part of his guilty plea in August 2025, Mackey immediately resigned from the FDIC.

According to his court documents, in May 2024, Mackey sexually exploited an 11-year-old and created photos of the abuse. For example, the defendant created a digital photo that depicted Mackey directly engaged in sexual conduct with the victim.

Mackey was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025. 

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Matthew Stentz, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Jason J. Scalzo, Special Agent in Charge of the FDIC Office of Inspector General Electronic Crimes Unit; and officials with the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle J. Healey and Danielle E. Margeaux are representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced today that the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the 40-year prison sentence imposed against a Cincinnati man convicted at trial of sex trafficking and exploiting two teenagers.

Following a six-day jury trial, Kelly Richards, 44, was found guilty on all five counts of sex trafficking minors, sexually exploiting children and illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Richards was sentenced in October 2024 to 480 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release.

Richards drugged, raped, abused, photographed and sold two teenage girls. He held them for days in a one-bedroom apartment the appeals court called “a house of horrors.” Richards provided the minors with cocaine before sexually assaulting them and forcing them to have sex with other men.

On appeal, Richards challenged his convictions and argued that his sentence was substantively unreasonable. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the convictions and sentence, noting his “horrific crimes against multiple victims” and failure to show “a scintilla of remorse for his actions.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis J. Zouhary represented the United States on appeal. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle J. Healey and was investigated by the FBI and other members of the FBI’s Anti-Trafficking Task Force.

# # #

A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and 100 hours of community service in connection with his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against animals.

Garrett Fitzgerald, of Scituate, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to conspiring to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.”

According to court documents, Fitzgerald conspired with Ronald Bedra, Robert Berndt, and others to direct and send money to individuals in Indonesia, via encrypted chat, to create videos depicting violent torture of baby and adult monkeys. The conspirators then distributed the sadistic videos to each other and online. Berndt was sentenced last month to 38 months in prison. Bedra was previously sentenced to 54 months in prison.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Doug Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

CINCINNATI – Yan Lin, 41, of California, appeared in federal court in Cincinnati today on charges of conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars derived from drug trafficking proceeds. 

According to the indictment unsealed today, between March 2022 and October 2024, Mexico-based drug traffickers hired Lin to return tens of millions of dollars in profits from the sale of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine in cities throughout the United States to Mexico.

Lin allegedly arranged for his co-conspirators to deliver bulk cash to others who bought electronics that were shipped to co-conspirators in Hong Kong, China and elsewhere. After confirmation of receipt of the bulk cash, Mexico-based drug traffickers would receive their payment in Mexico, minus a commission, via a “mirror transaction.” One ledger, which recorded just a portion of Lin’s money contracts in 2024, totaled approximately $27.4 million in bulk cash delivered across the United States.

“As alleged in the indictment, the defendant laundered tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds from the United States through China, enabling a continuous flow of dangerous drugs into our country from Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dismantling Chinese money laundering networks that support drug trafficking organizations is critical to achieve the mission of total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations. Working with our federal and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and prosecute the financial networks that fuel and profit from the illegal drug trade.”

“Without money launderers, drug cartels are stuck with dirty money they can’t use,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “These profiteers help facilitate the distribution of deadly drugs into our communities and will be held accountable as if they trafficked the drugs themselves.”

“By targeting those who facilitate the movement of illicit proceeds, we are attacking the lifeblood of drug trafficking operations and protecting Americans,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Stentz. “Homeland Security Investigations remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks who illegally use our nation’s financial infrastructure to funnel drugs into our communities.”

“Laundering drug trafficking money helps the cartels reap enormous profits while Americans are harmed by their dangerous drugs,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie. “Money laundering is a serious crime that the FBI and our partners will continue to investigate as we work to disrupt the flow of drugs and dismantle the dangerous cartels.”

Yan Lin is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering, which is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

This case is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations Cincinnati Office, the IRS-Criminal Investigation Cincinnati Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, including the New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, Tulsa and Atlanta offices, FBI Cincinnati, and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit. DEA’s Special Operations Division also aided the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Dornette for the Southern District of Ohio, Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Mingda Hang and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, are prosecuting the case.

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

# # #

Yan Lin, 41, of California, made an initial appearance today in Cincinnati on charges of conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars derived from drug trafficking proceeds.

According to the indictment unsealed today, between March 2022 and October 2024, Mexico-based drug traffickers hired Lin to return tens of millions of dollars in profits from the sale of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine in cities throughout the United States to Mexico. Lin arranged for his co-conspirators to deliver bulk cash to others who bought electronics that were shipped to co-conspirators in Hong Kong, China, and elsewhere. After confirmation of receipt of the bulk cash, Mexico-based drug traffickers would receive their payment in Mexico, minus a commission, via a “mirror transaction.” One ledger, which recorded just a portion of Lin’s money contracts in 2024, totaled approximately $27.4 million in bulk cash delivered across the United States.

“As alleged in the indictment, the defendant laundered tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds from the United States through China, enabling a continuous flow of dangerous drugs into our country from Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dismantling Chinese money laundering networks that support drug trafficking organizations is critical to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations. The Criminal Division will relentlessly pursue the illicit financial networks that fuel and profit from these dangerous organizations.”

“Without money launderers, drug cartels are stuck with dirty money they can’t use,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “These profiteers help facilitate the distribution of deadly drugs into our communities and will be held accountable as if they trafficked the drugs themselves.”

“By targeting those who facilitate the movement of illicit proceeds, we are attacking the lifeblood of drug trafficking operations and protecting Americans,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Stentz of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office. “HSI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle criminal networks who illegally use our nation’s financial infrastructure to funnel drugs into our communities.”

“The laundering of illegal drug profits is as important and essential to drug cartels as the very distribution of their illegal drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Detroit Field Office. “This indictment shows that if we cut off the flow of money, the traffickers cannot finance their organizations. As the nation’s foremost financial investigators, we are proud to provide our expertise as we work alongside our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle transnational drug organizations."

“Laundering drug trafficking money helps the cartels reap enormous profits while Americans are harmed by their dangerous drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office. “Money laundering is a serious crime that the FBI and our partners will continue to investigate as we work to disrupt the flow of drugs and dismantle the dangerous cartels.

Yan Lin is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and concealment money laundering. If convicted, Lin faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

This case is being investigated by the HSI Cincinnati Office, IRS-CI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, including the New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, Tulsa and Atlanta offices, FBI Cincinnati, and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit. DEA’s Special Operations Division also aided the investigation.

Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Mingda Hang, and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Dornette for the Southern District of Ohio, are prosecuting the case.

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

CINCINNATI – The man who allegedly vandalized Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home now faces several federal charges related to the incident.

William D. DeFoor, 26, is charged by criminal complaint with damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers.

According to an affidavit filed this afternoon in support of the criminal complaint, around midnight, United States Secret Service (USSS) agents observed DeFoor running along the front fence of the protected residence. DeFoor allegedly breached the property line at the driveway and attempted to break the driver’s side window of an unmarked federal law enforcement vehicle blocking the driveway entrance. DeFoor was armed with a hammer.

DeFoor allegedly refused law enforcement commands to stop and drop the weapon. Charging documents state DeFoor ignored all commands and began to use the hammer to break glass windows across the front of the protected residence. DeFoor’s hammer strikes also caused damage to the enhanced security assets on each window owned by the United States government and valued at more than $28,000.

The defendant allegedly attempted to flee on foot and was detained by USSS agents and Cincinnati police officers.

Causing more than $1,000 in damage to United States property and engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds are each federal crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Rees, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, and Cincinnati Police Acting Chief Adam Hennie announced the charges. Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy is representing the United States in this case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

# # #

CINCINNATI – U.S. Attorney Gerace announced today awards for outstanding performance for employees of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in four categories. 

The awards include:

Outstanding Performance by an Assistant U.S. Attorney – Kyle J. Healey and Adam Tieger

Mr. Healey has spent most of his career in this district working difficult criminal cases involving sex trafficking of minors, coercion and enticement of minors, and child exploitation. Recent significant case examples include:

• U.S. v. Kelly Richards, in which the defendant gave cocaine to minors, kept them in his apartment, and sex trafficked them. Richards was convicted at trial and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
• U.S. v. William Scott Elam, who pretended to be a teenage boy online while coercing girls into creating nude images and videos that involved sexual conduct. Elam used self-harm as a means of coercion, even instructing one victim to engage in self-harm via cutting live on video. Elam was sentenced to 26 years in prison.
• U.S. v. Daveion Wright, a defendant who sexually exploited a toddler in SnapChat videos. Wright was sentenced in September to 29 years in prison.

Mr. Tieger, a civil AUSA, demonstrated outstanding commitment to the district by playing a key role in civil asset forfeiture matters, litigating civil immigration matters on behalf of the United States, and achieving favorable judgments in defensive litigation on behalf of government agencies. 

Outstanding Performance by Staff – Brittany Ewing and Kristine Pfarrer

Ms. Ewing is a docketing technician in Cincinnati. This past year, she has taken on additional duties including coordinating the grand jury in Cincinnati and helping with civil state foreclosure filings. Ms. Ewing has willingly taken on extra work this past year to enable the district to accomplish its mission even with staffing shortages.

Ms. Pfarrer is a criminal paralegal in Dayton. She is a dedicated member of the Department of Justice who has demonstrated selflessness and initiative in the performance of her duties.. Her work is described as detailed, timely and efficient. As a professional, she is described as competent, pleasant and a team player. Ms. Pfarrer supports many attorneys across the district and coordinates the grand jury in Dayton.

Outstanding Performance by a Litigative Team – Timothy D. Prichard, Emily Czerniejewski, Elizabeth A. Geraghty, Heather A. Hill, Kevin W. Kelley, Kim Robinson, Kelly Terry, Carolyn Delery, Deena Antoon, Alexis Williams, Brandon Harmon

These individuals were recognized for their outstanding performance in 2025 due to their participation in one or more of the following three litigative teams.

• U.S. v. Washington et al

  This case charged 23 total defendants and involved narcotics and human trafficking conspiracies. A multi-agency law enforcement task force initially announced the case in July 2022 after a federal grand jury indicted 11 defendants for distributing bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Columbus elementary school. In October 2022, the government added 12 defendants and 28 new charges. Court documents detail that the drug trafficking organization brought large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, alprazolam and marijuana into Columbus. These drugs were sold or used to coerce individuals into sexual activity for some members of the drug ring and their profit. The case also involved the overdose death of at least one individual and the violent death of a second victim.

• U.S. v. Ricco Maye

  Ricco Maye was sentenced in October 2025 to life in prison for leading narcotics, sex trafficking and financial fraud conspiracies. The defendant caused an overdose death, coerced addicts into prostitution, and used threats, violence, and manipulation of drug dependencies to ensure individuals carried out his criminal schemes. Maye was found guilty on all counts following a three-week jury trial in November 2024. Court documents and trial testimony detail that Maye used individuals to buy and sell drugs, sell women for sex, and fraudulently apply online for COVID-19 relief funds. Proceeds from all the crimes went to the defendant.

• U.S. v. Larry Williams et al

  In July 2025, Larry Williams received multiple life sentences in prison for murdering three victims and directing others to dismember and bury two of the bodies. A total of 13 defendants were convicted and sentenced in this case. Williams was found guilty on all charges following a three-week trial in December 2024. Williams was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences plus an additional 60 consecutive months in prison for murdering three victims as part of a narcotics conspiracy to rob a local marijuana dealer of drugs and cash. The defendant, who was also sentenced to five other life sentences to run concurrently to all other counts, had others dismember and bury two of the bodies to dispose of evidence of his crimes.

Extraordinary Individual Contribution to the Mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Kelly Norris

Ms. Norris served as Acting U.S. Attorney from February until August 2025 and as First Assistant U.S. Attorney from August 2025 to December 2025. In each role, she has served the Southern District of Ohio selflessly. Ms. Norris’s professional performance has been instrumental in the success that the district has experienced in carrying out the priorities of the Administration and Department of Justice.

# # #

The Justice Department announced today that the owners and operators of rental properties in and around Athens County, Ohio have agreed to pay $480,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging that their former rental manager, Joseph Earl Lucas, sexually harassed female tenants and prospective tenants of rental properties for almost twenty years, in violation of the Fair Housing Act.

“No one should have to endure sexual harassment to keep a roof over his or her head,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to holding landlords and housing providers accountable for illegal harassment of their tenants.”

“The provision of housing should not be conditioned on sexual favors or otherwise involve sexual harassment,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “My Office will continue to enforce the Fair Housing Act against landlords and property managers who engage in such exploitive conduct.”

“The defendants severe abuse of power victimized our most vulnerable community members for almost twenty years and stripped them of their basic right to safety and dignity,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG). “Sexual misconduct is never a misunderstanding of boundaries. It is coercion and it is violence disguised as authority. HUD OIG will continue to work with the US Attorney’s Office to hold housing providers accountable for this type of horrible conduct.”

The department’s lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in August 2023, alleged that, from at least 2004 until at least 2023, Lucas, a former resident of Amesville, Ohio, subjected female tenants and applicants to severe and pervasive sexual harassment. In addition to Lucas, the lawsuit named as Defendants Jacob and Emily Bush, and Joie and Jeremy Carr, who held ownership interests in properties managed by Lucas and retained him to manage the properties on their behalf. Jacob Bush and Joie Carr are Lucas’ grandchildren. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation that resulted in the department’s lawsuit.

Under the settlement, the Bushes and Carrs will pay a total of $470,000 to women harmed by Lucas’ harassment and a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States. The agreement also:

• prohibits the Bushes and Carrs from retaining or otherwise permitting Lucas to manage their rental properties;
• requires the Bushes and Carrs to adopt policies and procedures to prevent future sexual harassment at their properties; and
• requires the Bushes and the Carrs to attend training on the requirements of the Fair Housing Act, including its prohibition on sexual harassment.

If you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of  the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative, led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $16.6 million for victims of such harassment.

CINCINNATI – A Blue Ash man has been charged federally with child exploitation and pornography crimes for allegedly hiding spy cameras in the house of minor victims.

David Mitsnefes, 32, is scheduled to appear in federal court in Cincinnati at 1:30pm today for a detention hearing.

According to charging documents, between 2021 and 2025, on multiple occasions the family of teenaged victims found hidden cameras in the minors’ bedrooms. Mitsnefes allegedly used wifi to save videos of the minor occupants in various states of undress to his iPhone. He also allegedly took the victims’ underwear on numerous occasions and kept them in his bedroom.

In November 2025, the family’s Ring security camera allegedly caught an image of the suspect wearing a dark hoodie and pants entering the home while the family was out of town. A subsequent search of Mitsnefes’s electronic devices revealed videos of the victims as well as numerous images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material obtained over the internet.

A criminal complaint was unsealed on Dec. 17 charging the defendant with attempted sexual exploitation and possession of child pornography.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Blue Ash Police Chief Roger Pohlman and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A defendant in a former gang racketeering case pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. 

Eric Henderson, Jr., 26, of Columbus, was sentenced in 2019 to 78 months in prison for his role in the Trevitt and Atcheson Crips (T&A) gang-related racketeering conspiracy. Henderson sold gram quantities of crack cocaine in Columbus and Chillicothe on behalf of the racketeering conspiracy, which also included five murders, multiple attempted murders, drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, witness tampering, robbery, assault and other crimes.

In this case, Henderson was stopped by Columbus police officers for a traffic violation in June 2025. According to court documents, before the vehicle was completely stopped, Henderson fled on foot, gripping the waist of his pants while reaching under his shirt.

Henderson threw a firearm over a privacy fence before he was apprehended. Officers discovered a loaded pistol with an extended magazine. The firearm also had a machine gun conversion device, or switch, attached.

Henderson was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin W. Kelley is representing the United States in this case.

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

# # #

A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 38 months in prison and three years of supervised release in connection with his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against animals.

Robert Berndt, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty on May 6 to conspiring to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.”

According to court documents, Berndt conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against baby and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio made the announcement.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

DAYTON, Ohio – A Dayton man who allegedly kidnapped two individuals at gunpoint in two different carjacking incidents in the greater Dayton area on Tuesday now faces federal charges.

Colby Smith, 32, has been in local law enforcement custody since the day of the alleged crimes. He is now charged federally with kidnapping, carjacking and using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

According to charging documents, on Tuesday morning, Smith brandished a firearm at a victim who was inflating his vehicle’s tires at the Speedway gas station on N. Dixie Drive in Harrison Township. Smith allegedly forced the victim into his car and stole the vehicle. The victim pleaded for his release, and Smith eventually let the victim out of the car.

Shortly thereafter, Smith allegedly brandished his firearm at a City of Dayton employee who was working leaf collection on Home Avenue. Smith allegedly entered the victim’s city truck on the passenger side and pointed the gun at the victim. Smith then kidnapped the second victim, forcing him to withdraw money at both an ATM and at a local bank branch. Smith then allegedly instructed the victim to exit the vehicle and stole the city truck.

Smith then abandoned the stolen city truck and returned to the vehicle stolen in Harrison Township. Deputies located Smith in this vehicle at a local tire shop. He attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended. 

Smith made his initial appearance in federal court on the afternoon of December 11, 2025, and is scheduled for a detention hearing on December 16, 2025.

Kidnapping is a federal crime punishable by up to life in prison. Carjacking carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Displaying a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence requires a mandatory minimum of at least 7 years in prison in addition to any other sentence imposed.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal and Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck announced the charges filed on Dec. 11. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Rossi are representing the United States in this case.

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

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

# # #

DAYTON, Ohio – The lead defendant in a $1.5 million chop shop conspiracy was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 84 months in prison.

Kahrese Tracey Scott Lee, 28, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to conspiring to transport stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and to knowingly operating a chop shop.

According to court documents, between at least October 2023 and October 2024, Lee, who is also known as “Reese Lee” and “Bennett Jones,” knowingly worked with others to orchestrate an interstate stolen car ring. The defendant operated a garage in Dayton and received dozens of stolen vehicles. For example, during May 2024 alone, Lee’s Dayton chop shop housed within it more than half a million dollars in stolen cars and vehicle parts.

Lee often dissembled stolen vehicles and removed their parts for resale or for placement in another vehicle. He both received and traded or sold vehicles out of state.

On occasion, Lee also stole vehicles himself or worked with others to do so. During one planned theft incident, Lee and others traveled from Ohio to Indiana, where they stole three vehicles valued at more than $200,000 total from an auto lot.

Law enforcement ultimately discovered Lee and others in possession of the stolen vehicles in Alabama, where Lee planned to establish a new garage. Officers confiscated the cars and returned them to the Indiana dealership that owned them.

Lee and his accomplices had placed a tracking device on one of the stolen cars and tracked it back to Indiana. Lee traveled back to the Indiana dealership and attempted to steal the vehicle again; however, law enforcement apprehended him as he attempted to do so.

Lee and six others were charged by a federal indictment in November 2024.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorney Rob Painter are representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has indicted an Ashville, Ohio, man, charging him with trafficking in bulk amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and with illegally possessing firearms.

Samuel A. Griffith, 35, is charged in a six-count indictment.

According to charging documents, in October 2025, Griffith allegedly sold narcotics from a room at the Red Roof Inn on Renner Road in Columbus. When law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at the location, they discovered 18 firearms and kilogram quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.

As a convicted felon, Griffith is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Griffith has at least three prior felony convictions in Franklin and Pickaway counties for robbery, aggravated possession of drugs and illegally having weapons.

Griffith is charged with federal drug distribution and possession charges that carry potential punishments of at least 10 years and up to life in prison and five to 40 years in prison. Griffith faces up to 15 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A. Jones; Pickaway County Sheriff Matthew O. Hafey; Fairfield County Sheriff Alex Lape; and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin announced the indictment filed on Dec. 4. The South-Central Ohio Major Crimes Unit, Columbus Division of Police Gang Enforcement Unit, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit and the Ohio State Highway Patrol Special Response Team participated in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin W. Kelley is representing the United States in this case.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Federal agents arrested a Grove City man today who has been charged federally with child pornography and video voyeurism crimes.

Neil Brown, 41, worked at multiple cell phone stores in Columbus and allegedly captured nude photos and videos from customers’ phones.

A cyber tipline received in January 2025 led investigators to search Brown’s digital accounts and devices.

According to charging documents, Brown was employed by Cellular Sales and would take the phones of female customers and search through them for illicit content. Brown then allegedly created videos of the content on his own phone. To date, investigators have identified three victimized customers.

Investigators also discovered more than 75 images and videos of child pornography on Brown’s cell phone. Brown allegedly paid virtual currency on an app to receive videos of child sexual abuse material.

Brown was initially arrested locally and charged with pandering obscenity involving a minor. The federal charges have superseded the local ones, and the local charges have now been dismissed.

The defendant appeared in federal court today at 2:30pm and his case was unsealed at that time.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and other members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

# # #

CINCINNATI – Ronald Scott Daley, 53, of Miamisburg, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 54 months in prison for wire fraud and tax evasion related to a scheme to defraud clients, including elderly victims. 

According to court documents, Daley was employed by a life insurance brokerage firm in the Southern District of Ohio from 1995 through 2021 and advised several elderly clients with respect to life insurance and annuity products.

From at least 2012 until 2020, Daley fraudulently convinced client victims to withdraw certain assets from the insurance brokerage firm and to deposit the funds into their own personal accounts. Daley then influenced the victims to make payments to a bank account for an entity that Daley controlled.

For example, Daley defrauded three victims of more than $707,000 in total.

Furthermore, the defendant failed to file and pay taxes on the fraudulent income.

As part of his conviction, Daley will repay restitution in the amount of approximately $707,000 for fraud against the victims and nearly $212,000 to the IRS.

Daley was indicted in December 2024 and pleaded guilty in May 2025.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigations; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Pike County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for leading a drug trafficking ring responsible for mailing more than 2,500 parcels of steroids and distributing 11 kilograms of cocaine.

Mark Anglemyer, Jr., 42, of Waverly, Ohio, imported precursor chemicals from China and traveled across the country and internationally to secure narcotics. Anglemyer previously worked as a police officer with the Pike County Sheriff’s Office and the Piketon, Waverly and Wellston police departments.

According to court documents, from 2019 to 2024, Anglemyer ran a drug trafficking operation out of Waverly, dealing both anabolic steroids and cocaine.

As part of his operation, Anglemyer imported raw materials from China to manufacture the steroids. He then produced the powder and liquid steroid mixtures at various co-conspirators’ residences in Pike County. Finally, the defendant shipped the steroids to customers across the country via the United States Postal Service.

Anglemyer also obtained kilogram quantities of cocaine from California for local distribution in Waverly.

When Anglemyer’s California cocaine suppliers were arrested by federal authorities, he and a co-conspirator flew to Colombia to seek another supplier and attempted to mail cocaine from Colombia to Waverly.

Anglemyer and three co-defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024. The defendant pleaded guilty in April 2025 to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and anabolic steroids.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Joseph O. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit; and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Pakiz and Damoun Delaviz are representing the United States in this case.

# # #

CINCINNATI – The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued an order effective today unanimously re-appointing Dominick S. Gerace II as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. 

In August, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi named Mr. Gerace as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. Pursuant to the Vacancy Reform Act, the Attorney General has the authority to name a U.S. Attorney to serve on an interim basis for up to 120 days. After that time, the district court may appoint a U.S. Attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled through Senate confirmation. President Donald J. Trump nominated Mr. Gerace as U.S. Attorney in July and his nomination remains pending in the Senate.

“I am grateful to the district court for its vote of confidence in my leadership and honored to continue to serve as U.S. Attorney,” Gerace said. “While I am proud of what this office has accomplished during the last 120 days, our job is never done. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect the public and ensure the safety of our communities here in Southern Ohio.”

As the court-appointed U.S. Attorney, Mr. Gerace will continue to serve as the chief federal law enforcement officer representing the United States in all federal criminal and civil litigation in the Southern District of Ohio. The district covers the 48 southern-most counties in the state of Ohio and is home to more than five million people. Mr. Gerace leads a staff of approximately 100 prosecutors, civil litigators, and support personnel across three offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton.

Mr. Gerace is a former federal prosecutor with nearly a decade of experience in both the Southern District of Ohio and the Eastern District of Virginia, where he prosecuted cases involving national security, domestic and international terrorism, international drug trafficking, violent crime, bank and wire fraud, public corruption, tax evasion and money laundering. He previously served as Deputy Criminal Chief of the district’s Dayton office.

During his time as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Gerace received the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security for his work in the federal investigation and prosecution arising from the August 2019 mass shooting in Dayton. He also received the U.S. Attorney’s Award for Outstanding Performance for his service as counsel in the first international terrorism trial held in the district.

Most recently, Mr. Gerace was a Partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, where he practiced in the areas of white-collar criminal defense, government investigations, compliance, and civil litigation.

Mr. Gerace earned his law degree, magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from Georgetown University, where he was a senior board member of The Georgetown Law Journal and Editor-in-Chief of The Georgetown Law Journal’s Annual Review of Criminal Procedure. Following graduation from law school, Mr. Gerace clerked for the Honorable John M. Rogers of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Mr. Gerace earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the United States Military Academy and served as a tank platoon leader and company executive officer in the United States Army prior to attending law school.

# # #

CINCINNATI – A Franklin, Ohio, woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to distributing fentanyl. 

The plea agreement for Kaylee Back, 29, recommends a sentence of up to186 months in prison.

According to court documents, in May 2023, Back provided fentanyl to an individual in Middletown. The individual was found dead approximately two and a half hours later. The Butler County coroner’s office determined the cause of death was fentanyl intoxication.

Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and Middletown Police Chief Earl Nelson announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Frederic C. Shadley and former Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Oakley have represented the United States in this case.

# # #

CINCINNATI – Jonathan Malachi Washington, 30, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiring to sex traffic children by “paying” for sex with a minor. 

According to court documents, in November 2023, Washington solicited sex acts from a 15-year-old girl through a co-conspirator. Washington agreed to pay the co-conspirator $400-$500 to engage in sex acts with the victim.

Washington drove the victim to his apartment in Cincinnati for commercial sex. While he and the victim were gone, the co-conspirator posted on his SnapChat that he had “Pimped out his girl.” Washington returned the victim to the co-conspirator and paid him $400-$500 in counterfeit money.

Washington was charged federally in September 2024. He pleaded guilty to a bill of information that charges him with one count of conspiring to sex traffic children.

Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Matthew Stentz, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

CINCINNATI – A Dublin, Ohio, man was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 151 months in prison for arranging online to meet up with who he believed was a minor to engage in sexual conduct. The defendant drove to Cincinnati within hours of when he first started talking to the purported minor online.

Kyle Tennyson, 35, a registered sex offender, used the social media app Kasual to talk to who he thought was a 15-year-old, but was actually an undercover agent.

According to court documents, after learning of the supposed minor’s age in online conversations, Tennyson messaged “It’s just extremely risky for a guy to do anything with you sadly. :/ I hate the law.”

Tennyson sent several requests for specific images, saying he needed to verify the 15-year-old was real. The defendant told the minor what sexual activities he had in mind, proposed different sexual positions for her to look up, and ensured that her parents did not have access to her hotel room.

Tennyson also mentioned he was being cautious because he had been “caught for this a few months ago and am currently going through the legal system,” adding, “Girl on bumble said she was 18. She wasn’t. Parents found out. I got screwed.” He sent the minor a picture of his leg with an ankle monitor, which was imposed as a condition of bond in connection to his ongoing prosecution in Delaware County for charges alleging sexual abuse of a 13-year-old.

Tennyson drove from Dublin to a hotel in Cincinnati, where he was apprehended by agents. When law enforcement officials apprehended him, Tennyson had on him a grocery bag with an open box of 36 count condoms.

A federal grand jury indicted Tennyson in June 2024 with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. He pleaded guilty in June 2025. Tennyson was previously convicted in 2014 of pandering obscenity. He is also currently facing 10 charges for sex offenses involving a minor in Delaware County.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Matthew Stentz, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the sentence imposed on Dec. 3 by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Danielle E. Margeaux and Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy are representing the United States in this case.

# # #

CINCINNATI – Dominic Lindsey, 35, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for trafficking bulk amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The defendant’s fentanyl was cut with xylazine – a horse tranquilizer that commonly prevents Narcan from counteracting fentanyl overdose deaths.

According to court documents, in January 2024, the defendant knowingly sold narcotics as a high-level trafficker. He was personally responsible for more than a kilogram of methamphetamine and bulk quantities of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue.

For nearly two decades, the defendant was convicted of and sentenced for at least 15 local offenses, including multiple drug and firearm offenses. One such conviction was for aggravated assault with a firearm after Lindsey shot someone in the back of the neck. The defendant was still under court supervision from his prior offenses when he committed this most recent federal crime.

Lindsey was charged federally in April 2024 and pleaded guilty in November 2025.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Frederic C. Shadley is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Hilliard man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to two child pornography crimes. 

Austin Pittman, 35, admitted to distributing images of real child pornography and using AI to morph videos and photos of real children to whom he had access into images of child pornography.

According to court documents, in January 2025, the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received multiple cyber tipline reports regarding Pittman’s activity on Kik messenger. On the instant messaging app, Pittman distributed child pornography depicting an adult sexually abusing a child.

Further investigation revealed that, in 2024, Pittman was the target of an investigation at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where he uploaded 47 files of child pornography to Kik.

A search warrant at Pittman’s residence in April of this year led to the seizure of numerous devices. During a review of Pittman’s cell phone, law enforcement officials discovered images and videos of real children to whom Pittman had access. Pittman had secretly recorded and created some of the images and videos himself. Pittman then used AI programs to alter these images and depict the minor females as fully nude.

Pittman was charged federally and arrested on April 29.

Distributing and receiving child pornography carries a potential sentence of five to 20 years in prison. Producing morphed child pornography is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; and other members of the Franklin County ICAC Task Force announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Dublin, Ohio, man was arrested in Utah and charged federally with sexual exploitation crimes against minors.

Wade S. Christofferson, 72, was arrested on Nov. 20. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Utah today and his case was unsealed at that time. Christofferson is charged with attempting to sexually exploit a minor and with coercion and enticement.

According to charging documents, on Nov. 12, the Dublin Police Department received a report regarding the alleged sexual abuse of an Ohio child by Christofferson.

It is alleged Christofferson sexually abused the child in person 15 to 20 times.

He also allegedly engaged in a sexually explicit FaceTime call with a second minor victim and sent coded letters to her Utah home that referenced sexual activity. Christofferson also committed hands-on sexual abuse of that child as well.

A complaint affidavit details that Christofferson allegedly taught the Utah victim code words like “snow” for vagina, “friends” for nipples, “asterisk (*)” for naked, a drawn “smiley face” for rubs and “SS” for “Secret Spanks.” The defendant was allegedly overheard on a FaceTime call asking the victim if he could see her “snow” and “friends.”

Letters referenced in the charging documents include “Top Secret” hand-written messages. For example, Christofferson wrote to the Utah victim, telling her “It was nice to see Snow and her friends when we FaceTimed…” and “I can’t wait to see you and play * games! I have a new one to teach you called ‘school.’ You will like it!”

In one letter Christofferson allegedly included coupons he said were “Good for one * game with me!! You get to choose the game!”

Christofferson’s phone allegedly included search history for “criminal defense attorneys sex crimes columbus ohio” and “In Ohio do clergy have to report child abuse confessions.”

The defendant will be extradited from Utah to the Southern District of Ohio.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Dublin Police Chief Justin Paez and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force announced the charges.

U.S. Attorney Gerace commended the significant contributions to this case by the FBI Salt Lake City Division, the Payson, Utah Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.

Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

# # #

CINCINNATI – A Middletown man was sentenced in federal court here today 312 months in prison for coercing minor victims online into creating nude images and videos that involved sexual conduct. 

William Scott Elam, 53, pleaded guilty in July to 10 counts of coercion and enticement and one count of sexual exploitation of children.

“There are real-life consequences to actions taken online,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “Predators like Elam hide behind a computer screen while preying on vulnerable children. But the harm they cause is real, and so is the significant amount of time they will spend in federal prison to account for those actions.”

According to court documents, for approximately four years, Elam began online relationships with numerous minor females in at least seven states, particularly with vulnerable minors who had previously engaged in self-harm, had body issues or other social issues. He connected with girls between the ages of 10 and 16 on various online chatting apps and pretended to be a 14-year-old male.

Elam coerced victims into masturbating on live video calls with him. For example, he manipulated at least one victim into complying by threatening to harm himself if she did not do as he asked. He instructed another victim to self-harm via cutting on live video after learning the victim had a history of self-harm. Elam also coerced victims into sending him live sexual material by threatening to leak naked images he obtained of them. Law enforcement officers have identified at least 10 victims.

The defendant was arrested in October 2023.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

CINCINNATI – A Romanian national was sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati today to 12 months and one day in prison a federal crime related to ATM skimming.

According to court documents, Danut Valentin Urseiu, 32, conspired with others to commit bank fraud in the Southern District of Ohio in January and February 2023.

Urseiu conspired with others to place skimming devices onto a financial institution’s ATMs in the greater Cincinnati area, including in Cincinnati, Green Township and Liberty Township.

Co-conspirators used the fraudulent access devices to steal information from cardholders and defraud financial institutions.

The financial institution reported that multiple ATM locations were victimized during the timeframe Urseiu and his co-conspirators were operating in the Southern District of Ohio.

Fingerprints on cameras placed with the skimming devices in Ohio matched Urseiu’s prints from arrests in New York and Michigan.

Urseiu’s cell phones contained photos of ATM skimming devices, recording devices and large amounts of cash.

Urseiu pleaded guilty in May 2025.

Dominick S. Gerace II, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury indicted a Venezuelan national today on charges alleging he assaulted federal officers while resisting arrest. 

Hector Velandia-Anaya, 18, allegedly attempted to flee from immigration officials and dragged two officers with his vehicle while he began to drive away.

“We will not tolerate any action that endangers the agents who are working to enforce our immigration laws,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “As today’s indictment shows, those who threaten the safety of our federal law enforcement partners will be prosecuted.”

According to court documents, on Nov. 2, immigration officers pulled over Velandia-Anaya near Shrock Road in Columbus. The defendant turned off his car’s ignition, but when asked to step out of the vehicle, he allegedly closed the driver’s door and restarted the vehicle to flee.

One officer re-opened the driver’s side door to try to keep Velandia-Anaya from driving away. The other officer partially climbed into the passenger seat to try to stop him from putting the vehicle into drive. Velandia-Anaya allegedly accelerated the vehicle and drove forward with the officers partially inside.

An affidavit details that officers wrestled with Velandia-Anaya’s hand to regain control of the gear shifter, stop the vehicle and ultimately arrest the defendant.

He was charged by federal criminal complaint on Nov. 6. In today’s indictment, he is charged with two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal officer, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Matthew Stentz, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Kevin Raycraft, Acting Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.

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

An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

# # #

DAYTON, Ohio – A Dayton man admitted in federal court here today to threatening to kill a United States Congressman.  

Jeffery Dorsey, 60, formerly of Columbus, pleaded guilty to making interstate communications with a threat to inure.  

According to court documents, Dorsey left a voicemail on the Congressman’s main office line threatening to kill the representative if he voted to make cuts to Medicaid.  

He stated, in part, “If you vote to take my f***ing Medicaid away, I’m gonna cut your f***ing head off…But I tell you this, clearly to your brain, if you f*** with my Medicaid, you’re a dead f***.”

Dorsey was charged federally and arrested in July 2025. 

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.

# # #

CINCINNATI – United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced today numerous arrests, indictments, guilty pleas and sentencings that occurred during the recent 43-day lapse in government appropriations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office remained active during the shutdown, completing excepted duties related to national security, violations of federal law and essential public safety functions.

“The arrests and case proceedings detailed below provide just a small snapshot of the work continued by this office during the lapse in federal funding. The Southern District of Ohio is comprised of committed public servants dedicated to our office’s essential function of protecting public safety at all times. Our staff came to work each day and continued the mission of pursuing justice,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II.

• On Oct. 2, three defendants from Colorado and Oregon were indicted by a federal grand jury in Columbus for allegedly operating an online drug trafficking business that shipped methamphetamine, cocaine, and a host of other controlled substances to buyers around the country. Jesse Wasson, 27, of Parker, Colorado, Amandra Heffelfinger, 40, and Jennifer Blake, 39, both of Lebanon, Oregon, were arrested on Oct. 6.
• In Dayton, on Oct. 2, the former commander of a local AMVETS Post pleaded guilty to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars. Danny Dale Gordon, 49, of Kettering, defrauded AMVETS Post #24 in Dayton of approximately $622,000. He used the money at various local gambling casinos, for travel and hotel expenses, and frequenting a Dayton-area “gentlemen’s club.” He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and will be sentenced at a future date.
• Drey E. Lewis, 30, and Tyler J. Watkins, 35, of Middletown, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison for narcotics and money laundering crimes. Lewis, an inmate, coordinated drug activity from federal prison, including with a Mexican source of supply, and Watkins handled the drugs and money outside of prison.
• On Oct. 6, Timothy Farr, 43, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to armed robbery. Farr was indicted in January 2025 and charged with 12 armed robberies throughout southwest Ohio in December 2024. His plea agreement recommends a sentence of 15 to 25 years in prison.
• In Cincinnati, on Oct. 7, Darias Jackson, 35, of Cheviot, was sentenced in federal court to more than 13 years in prison. Jackson was a convicted felon and on supervised release for a federal drug-trafficking crime when he tried to murder his friend. Jackson shot the victim multiple times before leaving him in an apartment complex parking lot. Jackson tried to bribe the friend with $15,000 to recant his report to law enforcement that Jackson had shot him. The defendant obstructed justice and attempted to tamper with multiple witnesses.
• Eric L. Bell, 36, of Columbus, is a convicted felon who was on community control when he engaged in methamphetamine trafficking. He was sentenced in federal court in Columbus on Oct. 7 to more than 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Myron Nichols, 29, of Mt. Healthy, pleaded guilty in federal court in Cincinnati to fentanyl and firearms crimes. When stopped by Cincinnati police in November 2024 for multiple traffic violations, Nichols fled in the stolen vehicle he was driving and later fled on foot. Officers located fentanyl and a pistol in the vehicle.
• On Oct. 8, William Kisor, 57, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus to attempted coercion and enticement. Kisor had served more than 11 years in federal prison for child pornography crimes. After being released from prison, Kisor contacted the same online undercover agent with whom he communicated prior to his 2012 conviction, never realizing that the person was an agent of law enforcement. The undercover agent used the persona of an adult mother with minor daughters. The defendant contacted the agent in hopes of beginning an incestuous relationship with the “mother” and “daughters.”
• In federal court in Columbus on Oct. 8, a Morrow County man pleaded guilty to two armed bank robberies. James T. Scurlock, 45, of Cardington, admitted to robbing the same bank, Huntington Bank on Gemini Place, on two different occasions in March and May 2025. His plea agreement includes a sentence recommendation of 144 to 171 months in prison.
• Anicleto Olvera-Sanchez, 35, of Columbus, was the target of a drug trafficking investigation. When law enforcement officers searched his residence, they recovered fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. A search of Olvera-Sanchez’s cell phone revealed evidence that he paid a teenage girl to create and send him sexually explicit videos and images. On Oct. 8, he pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus to sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. His plea agreement includes a recommended sentence of 188 to 206 months in prison.
• Ronald Allen Meadows, 54, of Chillicothe, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Columbus on Oct. 8 to 10 years in prison for drug and firearms crimes. Meadows was convicted in this district in 2017 for drug and firearm offenses and was on supervised release during the commission of his latest crimes.
• Federal agents arrested Rooble D. Adan, 31, of Minneapolis, on Oct. 10, on charges alleging he robbed a bank in Columbus on Oct. 8. According to the charging documents, at approximately 9am, Adan entered the Chase Bank on Cleveland Avenue and handed a financial advisor a note claiming Adan had placed bombs on himself and on the building. The note also indicated a link to foreign terrorists. Adan allegedly smacked a female teller in the face and took nearly $3,000 in cash from tellers’ drawers before fleeing the bank. Adan was arrested by Columbus police officers shortly after leaving the bank.
• On Oct. 20, Dwayne K. Funderburke, 41, of Columbus, appeared in federal court in Cincinnati on charges alleging he caused damage to federal property by breaking into the U.S. Courthouse in Columbus. Funderburke allegedly crashed his car into the pop-up vehicle barriers outside the Joseph P. Kinneary U.S. Courthouse on Marconi Blvd. on Sept. 22. After crashing, Funderburke allegedly broke into the courthouse garage, picked up a trash can and used it to smash a glass door leading into the courthouse. Officers located him in a lower garage stairwell and took him into local custody.
• Shaheed Russell, 29, of Columbus, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Columbus on Oct. 21. Surveillance video shows Russell allegedly fleeing the scene of a homicide near North High Street and East 4th Avenue. Russell is currently on supervised release following a conviction in the Southern District of Ohio for a federal firearm offense. He was charged on Oct. 21 with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and, if convicted, faces up to 15 years in prison.
• An indictment was filed in Cincinnati on Oct. 22 charging two defendants in a violent carjacking. Trevor J. Lancaster, 20, of Covington, Kentucky, and Deondre A. Burgin, 21, of Cincinnati, allegedly aided and abetted each other in the theft of a Mercedes-Benz in June 2025. The defendants allegedly used force, violence and intimidation – including the use of a firearm – resulting in serious bodily injury.
• In Cincinnati, on Oct. 22, a local man admitted to committing federal crimes when he defrauded victims out of more than $6.5 million through an online laundry and dry-cleaning pickup and delivery business. Benjamin Cantey, 41, of Cincinnati, pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud. Cantey lied about his business experience and prior business success to recruit and defraud investors. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris announced this guilty plea.
• On Oct. 30, Ramiro Mendoza, 29, of Santa Maria, California, pleaded guilty in federal court in Cincinnati to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that involved more than 300 pounds of methamphetamine. In January 2025, Mendoza drove a box truck to pick up six pallets of narcotics that had been shipped to Middletown as purported paver stones imported from Mexico. Mendoza faces at least 10 years in prison.
• Four co-defendants pleaded guilty throughout the month of October to crimes committed as part of a multi-state narcotics conspiracy involving nearly $25 million in laundered drug proceeds. Charles Wooden, 47, of Pickerington; Courtney Musick, 38, of Pickerington; Alexis Ortega, 32, of Columbus; and Gregory Fountain, 30, of Columbus and Chicago, pleaded guilty to participating in fentanyl and cocaine trafficking conspiracies and money laundering. The narcotics conspiracy in this case is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison. Money laundering carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
• On Oct. 31, Ciriaco Garcia-Yerena, 46, an illegal alien from Mexico, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Columbus to illegally reentering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony. Garcia-Yerena has a prior drug trafficking conviction in the Southern District of Ohio.
• Hussein Mohamed, 27, of Dublin, Ohio, was sentenced on Nov. 3 to more than 10 years in prison for committing three bank robberies in Columbus. During the third robbery, Mohamed possessed a firearm.
• On Nov. 4, Wilbert Romero-Natera, 25, of Columbus, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for committing a string of armed robberies of hotels in 2021. The defendant committed four robberies in Grove City, Columbus and Hebron, and brandished a firearm during three of those robberies.
• Also in Columbus, on Nov. 4, Mexican national Jose Adin Benjume-Gutierrez, 45, pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States and to distributing cocaine. Benjume-Gutierrez was arrested after fleeing from immigration officers. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the federal drug crime and up to two years in prison for the immigration offense.
• On Nov. 6, Jermaine Dorsey, 25, of Hamilton, was sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati to 96 months in prison for conspiring to and attempting to traffic firearms and illegally possessing machine guns. In a two-week timeframe in November 2024, Dorsey sold 15 firearms, two machinegun conversion devices and more than 150 rounds of ammunition.
• Eric Campbell, 48, of Groveport, was sentenced on Nov. 6 in Columbus to 15 years in prison for child pornography crimes. Campbell was on supervised release in this district for a prior conviction of coercion and enticement of a minor when he committed new offenses, namely, receiving and possessing child pornography.
• On Nov. 6, former Kroger head replenishment buyer, Mark Disbennett, 40, of West Chester, pleaded guilty to charges related to a kickback scheme that caused consumers to pay higher prices for produce. Disbennett disclosed to co-conspirator produce vendors Chris Farley, 66, of Happy Valley Oregon, and Craig Sono, 68, of Portland, Oregon, the highest price Kroger was willing to pay for certain produce. During the height of the pandemic, Disbennett received more than $147,000 from the co-conspirators.
• Katrina D. Favret, of Tennessee, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Columbus on Nov. 7 to her involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
• On Nov. 10, federal agents arrested a Dayton man on federal charges alleging he participated in a shootout on the University of Dayton campus on Nov. 1. Dylan Hiner, 19 is charged with illegally receiving a firearm while under indictment of another felony crime.
• Myron Billups, 46, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in federal court on Nov. 12 to 126 months in prison for possessing 26 pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers observed Billups receive a plastic storage bin and place it in the trunk of a car. Billups was stopped for a traffic violation and a K9 alerted to the vehicle, leading officers to discover approximately 26 pounds of methamphetamine in the storage bin.
• On Nov. 12, a criminal complaint was unsealed in Columbus that charges Hector Velandia-Anaya, 18, with forcibly assaulting federal officers and resisting arrest. The Venezualan national allegedly attempted to flee from immigration officials, dragging two officers with his vehicle while he began to drive away, before stopping.

Indictments and criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

# # #

CINCINNATI – A local multi-kilogram drug trafficker – who was captured on camera in February 2024 shooting a rival fentanyl dealer repeatedly in the chest, after losing a bet over who sold more potent fentanyl – was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 216 months in prison.

According to court documents, Robert Lee Howard, 34, of Cincinnati, was primarily a multi-kilogram dealer of fentanyl, but also sold cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.

In June 2024, agents recorded the defendant advising he was waiting on 23 pounds of methamphetamine to come in the mail in five separate packages. Agents intercepted one of those packages and discovered it contained more than four kilograms of 96 percent pure crystal meth.

That same month, Howard’s car was shot up while he was driving around Cincinnati. The next day, he was recorded on calls offering to pay $10,000 total for “friends from Chicago” to come to Cincinnati and solve his “problem” by “putting [the rival fentanyl dealer] on a T-shirt.”

Agents then executed a search warrant at Howard’s primary residence in Price Hill – where four young children also lived – and arrested him. At Howard’s home, they discovered more than nine kilograms of fentanyl, cocaine, an industrial size pill press, press parts and other supplies for making fake “ecstasy” pills with fentanyl, body armor, ammunition and AK-47 magazines. Howard had multiple firearms lying out on his bedroom floor amongst scattered vials of fentanyl, including a Mini Draco style rifle and two pistols with extended magazines.

Howard was charged by federal criminal complaint in June 2024 and pleaded guilty in July 2025.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Joseph O. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit; West Chester Police Chief Brian Rebholz; Cincinnati Interim Police Chief Adam Hennie; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney David P. Dornette is representing the United States in this case.

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CINCINNATI – U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced today nine new federal indictments resulting from a multi-agency operation aimed at reducing violent crime in Cincinnati.

“My Office is paying close attention to the gun violence occurring on the streets of Cincinnati. Together with the ATF, the Cincinnati Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, we have charged several violent offenders who have a history of committing gun and other dangerous crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Gerace. “But our work is far from over. If you endanger our communities by illegally possessing or using a gun or ammunition, prepare to face federal consequences.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge Jorge Rosendo stated: “Today, the ATF reaffirms its commitment to the citizens of Hamilton County and the City of Cincinnati. We stand ready to leverage our resources in support of our law enforcement partners to ensure violent, armed offenders are removed from our communities and placed where they can no longer threaten or victimize law-abiding citizens.”

“I am proud of the work being done at a multi-agency level to combat gun violence and protect our communities, families, and all who have invested in our beautiful city and call Cincinnati home. The Cincinnati Police Department remains firmly committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to ensure public safety without hesitation,” said Interim Police Chief Adam Hennie.

Hamilton County Prosecutor, Connie Pillich, stated: “My office is proud to work with the U.S. Attorney, and all our law enforcement partners to protect our community from violent crime that is too often facilitated by the illegal use of firearms. Working together, we identify the worst offenders and get them off the streets as long as possible.”

Those charged include:

The indictments were returned on Nov. 5 and unsealed today. All nine defendants are in custody.

According to charging documents and local police records, each of the men has a history of violent crime and has been previously convicted of a felony, making it illegal for them to possess firearms or ammunition.

Shaw allegedly committed a murder in downtown Cincinnati on Oct. 17 while on bond and wearing an ankle monitor for a Hamilton County weapons offense. The victim in the shooting that occurred around 2am was allegedly shot more than 20 times. This summer, Shaw also allegedly wore a white backpack with a loaded firearm and ran from officers who were patrolling the Winton Terrace neighborhood.

Scott is currently facing local murder charges for what has been described as a 2021 targeted attack at a Kennedy Heights apartment. He is charged federally with illegally possessing ammunition as a previously convicted felon.

Arrest records allege that Watkins possessed a firearm while also drinking and driving a vehicle on Oct. 6.

Also on Oct. 6, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office deputies were in pursuit of Johnson, who was allegedly driving a stolen motorcycle when he lost control and crashed. Officers discovered a gun next to Johnson at the scene.

Carlos Williams allegedly brandished a firearm and pointed it at a woman inside a market on Main Street on Oct. 7.

Harell had active local arrest warrants when police officers stopped him for a vehicle violation on Oct. 7. At the time, he was allegedly wearing a loaded firearm.

On Oct. 8, Cincinnati police officers were dispatched to an apartment where Curtis allegedly assaulted his mother. Curtis also allegedly possessed a revolver in his pants pocket.

On Oct. 20, Antonio Williams fled from local law enforcement officers before being tazed and arrested. At the time, he allegedly possessed a stolen firearm with an extended magazine and a machine gun conversion device.

Cincinnati police officers witnessed Brock allegedly engaged in drug transactions on Findlay Street in the West End neighborhood while also possessing a firearm. It is alleged that Brock fled from police, leaving a firearm with an extended magazine and a Glock switch attached in a nearby alleyway. Brock was ultimately apprehended and arrested.

The federal indictments are a combined effort by criminal prosecutors in the Cincinnati U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Indictments merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in federal court here today to life in prison for leading drug, sex trafficking and financial fraud conspiracies and then attempting to obstruct justice and tamper with witnesses. The defendant caused an overdose death, coerced addicts into prostitution, and used threats, violence, and manipulation of drug dependencies to ensure individuals carried out his criminal schemes.

Ricco Lamonte Maye, 43, was found guilty on all counts in November 2024 following a three-week jury trial.

“Ricco Maye used unrelenting violence as a tool to maintain control of the people he needed to carry out his many criminal schemes and finance his criminal lifestyle. His actions caused lives to be lost and numerous women to endure physical and emotional pain,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “The devastating repercussions of his actions in this case, the many years of violence that are documented in his criminal history, and his continuing disregard for the harm he has caused all warrant the life sentence he received today.”

Court documents and trial testimony detail that Maye used individuals to buy and sell drugs, sell women for sex, and fraudulently apply online for COVID-19 relief funds. Proceeds from all the crimes went to the defendant.

Beginning in at least 2018, Maye’s drug trafficking organization primarily distributed narcotics to addicts in street-level quantities. He regularly purchased narcotics from supply sources both inside and outside of Ohio and used addicts to help sell the drugs in Columbus. In addition to cash, Maye would accept stolen goods, gift cards, Social Security numbers, and other items as payment for the drugs.

Maye initially gave drugs to women for free and later manipulated their addiction by requiring them to earn drug money through prostitution. Maye provided the means for the women to engage in prostitution – frequently obtaining hotel rooms, having the women driven to the hotels, providing cell phones, and directing Internet prostitution ads. Maye collected the prostitution proceeds, enforced specific rules on the women, and punished the women through physical violence.

Maye also provided fentanyl that resulted in an overdose death. In November 2018, Maye communicated with the victim in the hours before his death. The victim had been obtaining cocaine from Maye off and on for years and sought to obtain cocaine from Maye again on the night of his death. Maye was out of town but instructed his co-conspirators to complete the drug sale to the victim. The co-conspirator gave the victim a fatal dose of fentanyl from Maye’s stash instead of the cocaine the victim sought.

Trial testimony detailed that Maye used violence against victims as part of overseeing his drug trafficking organization, including “stomping victims out,” smacking them, punching them, breaking their bones and knocking out their teeth.

In a financial conspiracy, Maye and other defendants filed for and received more than $30,000 in fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. Maye kept all or a portion of the others’ benefits. 

Maye was originally charged by indictment in November 2020. Approximately one year later, the grand jury returned a 13-count third superseding indictment that charged Maye and 10 of his-coconspirators. After his initial arrest, while Maye remained in custody, he attempted to obstruct the ongoing investigation into his sex trafficking and other criminal activities and conspired to tamper with witnesses. Maye’s obstruction of justice included his directing the threatened murder of a potential government witness. 

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; John Smerglia, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other officials with the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, announced the guilty verdicts. Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill and Assistant United States Attorney Kevin W. Kelley represented the United States in this case.

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