Western District of Washington

Seattle – A resident of North Ireland who disrupted an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Seattle on June 19, 2026, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. James Bradley Noble, 35, spent about ten days in the King County Jail and Federal Detention Center (FDC) after disrupting the flight. He has been on home detention with electronic monitoring at a rented residence in Seattle since his release from the FDC. U.S. District Judge Lauren King accepted the recommendation of a time served sentence and told Noble, “Your behavior impacted all the people on the flight.” One flight attendant reported that the other passengers “were terrified” and had there been an inflight emergency, it would have been difficult for the crew to respond. “The flight attendants’ actions were admirable and ensured the safety of all on board,” Judge King said.”

According to records filed in the case, Noble was significantly impaired by alcohol and other medications he had taken while on the flight. He first assaulted the person sitting next to him, trying to force a pill on her and then spilling a drink on her. Next Noble went to the galley and aggressively grabbed a flight attendant from behind. The flight attendant attempted to escort Noble back to his seat. As he went down the aisle, he stumbled into the person sitting in front of him, cursed at the passenger and then violently shook the back of the person’s seat. The passengers around him had to be relocated and ultimately Noble was restrained to his seat. It took a number of flight attendants to get him securely restrained. 

On August 19, 2026, Noble pleaded guilty to Interference with flight crew members and attendants.

In asking for the time served sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “After consuming a large amount of alcohol and a prescription medication, Mr. Noble became disruptive, threatening to fight other passengers and flight attendants. While no one was seriously injured, the seriousness of this behavior should not be minimized. No one should be subject to bad and borderline violent behavior while locked in a metal tube at 30,000 feet, with no way to escape the disruptive behavior. And Mr. Noble certainly should have known better as a licensed pilot himself…. His conviction will doubtless have other collateral consequences on his ability to freely travel and pursue his current employment.”

Victims are still working to provide information on restitution for injuries they may have suffered due to Noble’s behavior. A hearing is scheduled to set restitution in late October.

Noble is expected to voluntarily depart the U.S. following sentencing. With a felony conviction he may not be able to return to the U.S.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Port of Seattle Police.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vince Lombardi.

Seattle – A 23-year-old Skamania County man will appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma today on a federal indictment for possession of images of child pornography after he used a computer program to turn public photos of minors into sexually explicit images, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Brady Bingham Hall will remain in custody pending future hearings.

“Like any other tool, Artificial Intelligence can be used to engage in criminal misconduct,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “If you make a choice to generate AI images, you better be sure they don’t violate the law. In this case sexually lascivious images of minors clearly crosses the line.”

According to the criminal complaint, Hall was arrested by Skamania County Sheriff Deputies on August 29, 2025. In his car Hall had two firearms, ammunition, and controlled substances. Police also seized Hall’s iPhone and obtained a warrant to review the phone’s contents.

A deputy reviewing the phone noted it contained images of many young people he recognized from the Skamania area. The phone contained screen shots from social media of some minors and then the same photos, but with the minors appearing nude. 

Hall agreed to speak with investigators and said he had used a phone application that removed clothing from images, making the subject of the image appear nude. Hall had used this app on hundreds of images – some on images of children as young as 12-years-old.  At least one of the photos had the words “AI generated” across the photo. 

Law enforcement confirmed the identities of some of the children in the original photos and confirmed that they are minors.

“Our children are our future,” said Skamania County Sheriff Summer Scheyer.  “We are proud to partner with Homeland Security Investigations on this case.  A crime like this has no place in either Skamania County or our country as a whole.” 

“We want to commend the diligence of the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office in identifying the child pornography images which led to this charge,” said acting HSI Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “We will always work with our local, state and federal partners in our fight against the production of these materials and the protection of our children.”

Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000.00 fine. 

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.  

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

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton.

Seattle – A 44-year-old citizen of Iran was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for his scheme to violate trade sanctions against Iran, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Reza Dindar, aka Renda Dindar was indicted by the grand jury in August 2014. Dindar was arrested in Panama in July 2025 at the request of the United States. Dindar was extradited to the U.S. in April 2026. A mere six weeks later he pleaded guilty to two counts of export to an embargoed country and two counts of smuggling goods from the United States. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “The offense was well over 10 years ago and Mr. Dindar spent significant time in a Panamanian prison.” The judge imposed a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.

According to records filed in the case, the smuggling in this case violates sanctions against Iran imposed by the President’s Executive Order in March 1995 and reimposed in 2001. The orders prohibit the unauthorized exportation, re-exportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States of any goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran; as well as the exportation or supply of goods, technology, or services to persons in third countries knowing or with reason to know that the goods, technology or services are intended for supply, trans-shipment, or re-exportation to Iran.

According to the plea agreement, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar managed a business called New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China. The company hid the fact that it was procuring items in the U.S. for companies in Iran. It fraudulently claimed the goods were destined for China. In 2011 and 2012, Dindar and his coconspirators used deception to purchase parts for three military sonar systems from a business in the Western District of Washington. Dindar and his coconspirators claimed the systems would be used by a company in China. In fact, the plan was to ship the parts through China to Iran in violation of export controls.

In asking for an 18-month prison sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “The export controls put into effect through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) are essential to the United States’ national security interests. Therefore, it is important for the Court’s sentence to provide adequate deterrence against similar offenses moving forward. A custodial sentence of 18 months would achieve the statutory goal of deterrence by exceeding the national average and median sentences for similar offenses committed by defendants with similar backgrounds.” 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security - Office of Export Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The case is being prosecuted by assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Panama to secure the arrest and extradition from Panama of Dindar. Significant assistance was provided by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).

Seattle — Cameron John Wagenius, 22, a former Army soldier who was most recently stationed in Texas, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison and ordered to pay $294,978 in restitution for conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid. In November 2024, Wagenius made two online posts that disclosed stolen confidential non-content call detail records belonging to a government official and family members of another former official and threatened to release additional confidential records unless paid a ransom. The text of one of these online posts suggested that Wagenius was motivated by a desire to retaliate for the then-recent arrest of another cybercriminal.

“Cameron Wagenius spent more than a year and a half betraying the trust placed in him as an active duty soldier by carrying out a sweeping cybercrime campaign,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He targeted U.S. and foreign telecommunications companies, compromised the sensitive data of countless people, and even sought to traffic stolen information to a foreign intelligence service. His actions reflect an alarming disregard for the security of the public and the United States. Today’s sentence demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting privacy and security.”   

“Mr. Wagenius engaged in a long spree of criminal conduct attempting to blackmail hacking victims for more than $1 million. He has repeatedly shown disregard for the privacy and security of others, the rules of the military, and the law,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. “His hacking schemes were not only aimed at getting rich, he was also motivated by a desire to achieve status within criminal hacking communities. This sentence must impose real consequences to deter him, and hopefully other would-be hackers.”

“The FBI and its law enforcement partners moved quickly to identify, locate, and arrest Cameron Wagenius, who abused the trust that came with his military service to break into the networks of U.S. telecommunications companies, steal the private records of Americans, and extort victims for profit,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI Cyber Division. “Today’s sentence of 70 months holds him accountable for those choices. The FBI, working alongside our partners at the Department of Defense (also known as the Department of War) Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the Army identified and arrested him within weeks of his public extortion threats. The FBI will continue to pursue cybercriminals wherever they are, until they face justice in a U.S. courtroom.”

“Spending more than a year stealing confidential data and then threatening to expose it, Mr. Wagenius attempted to extort multiple organizations for a combined total of more than $1 million,” said Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle field office. “It is especially shocking that a member of our armed forces, sworn to defend Americans and their Constitutional rights, would engage in such a violation of privacy. The FBI takes the theft of data seriously and will investigate, identify, and impose consequences on those who steal data or assist in trafficking and sharing it.”

“Today’s sentencing underscores the relentless efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute cybercriminals targeting the Department of Defense, the defense industrial base, and American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office. “This success is a result of our collaborative partnerships with federal law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section — sending a clear signal to cybercriminals that their actions will come at a cost.”

According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Wagenius used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. Wagenius and his conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that Wagenius helped develop called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.

After data was stolen, Wagenius and his conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. In other instances, conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.

Wagenius pleaded guilty in the Western District of Washington to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft on July 15, 2025, and he pleaded guilty in a separate case also in the Western District of Washington to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy on March 5, 2025.

At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King addressed the defendant saying, “Your actions show a shocking disregard for the safety and security of the United States… You took these actions motivated by greed and a desire for notoriety.”

The FBI and investigated the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington prosecuted the case along with Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS). 

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

Cameron John Wagenius, 22, a former Army soldier who was most recently stationed in Texas, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison and ordered to pay $294,978 in restitution for conspiring to hack into telecommunications companies’ databases, access sensitive records, and extort the  companies by threatening to release the stolen data unless ransoms were paid. In November 2024, Wagenius made two online posts that disclosed stolen confidential non-content call detail records belonging to a government official and family members of another former official and threatened to release additional confidential records unless paid a ransom. The text of one of these online posts suggested that Wagenius was motivated by a desire to retaliate for the then-recent arrest of another cybercriminal. 

“Cameron Wagenius spent more than a year and a half betraying the trust placed in him as an active duty soldier by carrying out a sweeping cybercrime campaign,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “He targeted U.S. and foreign telecommunications companies, compromised the sensitive data of countless people, and even sought to traffic stolen information to a foreign intelligence service. His actions reflect an alarming disregard for the security of the public and the United States. Today’s sentence demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting privacy and security.”   

“Mr. Wagenius engaged in a long spree of criminal conduct attempting to blackmail hacking victims for more than $1 million. He has repeatedly shown disregard for the privacy and security of others, the rules of the military, and the law,” said First Assistant Attorney Charles Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. “His hacking schemes were not only aimed at getting rich, he was also motivated by a desire to achieve status within criminal hacking communities. This sentence must impose real consequences to deter him, and hopefully other would-be hackers.”

“The FBI and its law enforcement partners moved quickly to identify, locate, and arrest Cameron Wagenius, who abused the trust that came with his military service to break into the networks of U.S. telecommunications companies, steal the private records of Americans, and extort victims for profit,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI Cyber Division. “Today’s sentence of 70 months holds him accountable for those choices. The FBI, working alongside our partners at the Department of Defense (also known as the Department of War) Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and the Army identified and arrested him within weeks of his public extortion threats. The FBI will continue to pursue cybercriminals wherever they are, until they face justice in a U.S. courtroom.”

“Spending more than a year stealing confidential data and then threatening to expose it, Mr. Wagenius attempted to extort multiple organizations for a combined total of more than $1 million,” said Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle field office. “It is especially shocking that a member of our armed forces, sworn to defend Americans and their Constitutional rights, would engage in such a violation of privacy. The FBI takes the theft of data seriously and will investigate, identify, and impose consequences on those who steal data or assist in trafficking and sharing it.”

“Today’s sentencing underscores the relentless efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute cybercriminals targeting the Department of Defense, the defense industrial base, and American public,” said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Cyber Field Office. “This success is a result of our collaborative partnerships with federal law enforcement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section — sending a clear signal to cybercriminals that their actions will come at a cost.”

According to court documents, between April 2023 and Dec. 18, 2024, Wagenius used online accounts associated with the nickname “kiberphant0m” and conspired with others to defraud at least 10 victim organizations by obtaining login credentials for the organizations’ protected computer networks. Wagenius and his conspirators obtained these credentials using a hacking tool that Wagenius helped develop called SSH Brute, among other means. They used Telegram group chats to transfer stolen credentials and discuss gaining unauthorized access to victim companies’ networks. This activity happened while Wagenius was on active duty with the U.S. Army.

After data was stolen, Wagenius and his conspirators extorted the victim organizations both privately and in public forums. The extortion attempts included threats to post the stolen data on cybercrime forums such as BreachForums and XSS.is. In other instances, conspirators offered to sell stolen data for thousands of dollars via posts on these forums. They successfully sold at least some of this stolen data and also used stolen data to perpetuate other frauds, including SIM-swapping. In total, Wagenius and his co-conspirators attempted to extort at least $1 million from victim data owners.

Wagenius pleaded guilty in the Western District of Washington to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, extortion in relation to computer fraud, and aggravated identity theft on July 15, 2025, and he pleaded guilty in a separate case also in the Western District of Washington to two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records information in connection with this conspiracy on March 5, 2025. 

The FBI and DCIS investigated the case. The U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, and the National Security Cyber Section provided valuable assistance.

Senior Counsel Louisa Becker and Trial Attorney George Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington prosecuted the case.

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

Seattle – A 29-year-old registered sex offender who had been living in Snohomish County, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two counts of enticement of a minor for his sexual abuse of two 14-year-old teens. Aqeel Ibn-Khalid Shareef was charged by criminal complaint in October 2025, with production of child sexual abuse material. The criminal complaint was filed after a review of his electronic devices revealed images of his sexual abuse of the young victims. U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson is scheduled for December 14, 2026.

According to records filed in the case, in January 2024, Shareef was convicted of state sex crimes including rape of a child. He was ordered to register as a sex offender. Following his prison term he was being monitored by the Washington State Department of Corrections. In October 2025, Shareef’s DOC Community Corrections Officer became concerned that Shareef had unauthorized electronic devices and began investigating his compliance with supervision. 

When Shareef was arrested by the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force, officers seized two unauthorized electronic devices. The investigation revealed that the electronic devices contained communications with two minor victims and sexual abuse images of those victims. Shareef was indicted on November 12, 2025. 

In his guilty plea, Shareef admits meeting the victims online and communicating with them via Discord, Signal, Instagram, and Tik Tok. One victim was contacted and assaulted in July and August 2025 and the second was contacted and assaulted in September and October 2025.

Enticement of a minor is punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years to life in prison. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend 20 years in prison while the defense can recommend no less than 15 years in prison. Judge Evanson is not bound by the recommendations and can impose any sentence allowed by law. The King County Superior Court case charging these sex crimes will be dismissed in connection with this federal guilty plea.

This case was investigated by the FBI in coordination with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) with officers from the Seattle Police Department and the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.

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

Seattle – A 40-year-old member of the Tulalip Tribes was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 17 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm in a crime of violence, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Abdul Qasim Ray Zahir shot and killed a friend who had been helping him work on a car in a detached garage at his home on the Tulalip reservation.  Zahir shot the victim during a sudden quarrel over noise from the auto work. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “This is a sad case in so many different ways… The taking of a life – it doesn’t get more serious than that…. This was a senseless act.”

“This was a completely senseless crime – Mr. Zahir used a homemade firearm to shoot the victim in the back of the head, the heart and shoulder during nothing more than a verbal altercation,” said First Assistant Neil Floyd. “The defendant’s lengthy criminal history – including firing a gun during a robbery at a Costco warehouse and a prior ten-year federal sentence for drug trafficking, mandate significant prison time to protect the community.”

According to records filed in the case, on May 28, 2022, the victim, Zahir and others were in the detached garage, when Zahir’s cousin complained about the noise the victim was making.  As the victim walked towards Zahir’s cousin, Zahir pulled out a gun and fired three shots killing the victim. Zahir refused to try to aid the victim or call 9-1-1 for aid. The victim was unarmed.

Despite prior felony convictions, Zahir possessed firearms and ammunition – the guns all self-manufactured “ghost guns.”  As prosecutors noted in their sentencing memo, “From Zahir’s garage, where the homicide occurred, agents also recovered three additional ‘ghost gun’ firearms with no serial numbers, including two AR-15 style assault rifles and one modified .22 caliber pistol. Other items recovered from Zahir’s residence made clear that he was directly involved in the manufacture of ghost guns.” Zahir was also actively selling fentanyl pills.

At the time of the shooting, Zahir was facing charges in King County Superior Court: attempted robbery, illegal possession of a firearm, and possession of a stolen vehicle. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Zahir will plead guilty to those charges, and the state prosecutor will recommend that the sentence in state court will run concurrent to Zahir’s sentence in federal custody.

Judge Martinez imposed five years of supervised release to follow the prison sentence. Restitution for the victim’s family will be determined at a later date.

“Mr. Zahir ruthlessly killed an unarmed victim by shooting him multiple times at close range, all because of an argument,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “No sentence can ever bring back the life Zahir so needlessly took. However, it is our hope this sentence sends a message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners take violent crime seriously, both on tribal lands and throughout Washington state, especially those who have failed to learn their lesson from prior offenses.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Tulalip Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.

Seattle – A 22-year-old Mexican national illegally present in the U.S. was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six years in prison for drug and gun crimes, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Jesus Cristerna Lucas delivered 5,000 fentanyl pills to an undercover agent in November 2024 as part of a Homeland Security Task Force Investigation. This drug sale came mere months after he had been arrested in California with a large load of methamphetamine and more than $100,000 in cash drug proceeds. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart highlighted the danger of fentanyl saying, “You were unleashing in this community the dire threat of death from those pills… This is someone who needs to be removed from society.”

According to records filed in the case, Cristerna Lucas came to the attention of law enforcement during a wiretap investigation of a drug trafficking organization. The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Lucas agreed to sell the undercover agent 5,000 fentanyl pills. The drugs tested positive for fentanyl.

On July 2, 2025, Cristerna Lucas was arrested while driving in Seattle. DEA agents found that he had a Ruger AR-556 semi-automatic rifle and three loaded magazines and multiple rounds of .223 ammunition in his car. He was booked federally and charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. In June 2026 he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Cristerna Lucas will next be transferred to King County custody since he has been linked to a robbery plot that resulted in a fatal shooting in November 2024.

Judge Robart ordered four years of supervised release to follow the federal prison term. However, Lucas will likely be deported following his prison sentence.

“As a drug courier, Mr. Cristerna Lucas was responsible for trafficking thousands of deadly fentanyl pills into Western Washington and putting lives at risk,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Drug trafficking and firearms are a deadly combination. When the defendant was arrested, he possessed a semi-automatic rifle. Through Fentanyl Free America, DEA is disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing its availability, and protecting American lives.”

The case was investigated by the DEA, HSI, and the Puyallup Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Casey Conzatti.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. 

Seattle –The Western District of Washington today announced the plea and sentencing in two cases as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration, and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting fraud in the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

The Western District of Washington was a key participant in this surge effort. From June 12 to September 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants, reaching approximately $245 million dollars in intended loss to American taxpayers.

“Every dollar that went to fraud is a dollar that was not available to help our small businesses who struggled to stay afloat during the pandemic,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. “Our office will prioritize holding fraudsters accountable for the harm they cause in our communities.”

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

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

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

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

In the Western District of Washington First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd highlighted that two defendants pleaded guilty to PPP-related fraud involving approximately $1.3 million in alleged losses.

• In July, Rahim Kassamali was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for fraudulently obtaining nearly $1.2 million in PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loans for four companies. Kassamali created fake tax documents and submitted a dozen false loan applications. He paid no payroll but instead used the money for stock purchases and living expenses.
• Tyler Lee Berens pleaded guilty in July to fraudulently applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in 19 states and collecting $148,206. Berens also applied for $17,500 in a PPP loan but was not successful in this fraud. He is scheduled for sentencing October 5, 2026.

The Kassamali case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Grace Zoller.

The Berens case was investigated by the FBI, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica M. Ly. Ms. Ly is an attorney with the Social Security Administration specially designated to prosecute fraud cases in federal court.

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

Seattle – A 26-year-old Seattle man was sentenced late Friday September 11th, in U.S. District Cout in Seattle to 17 years in prison for armed bank robbery, robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Michael Keylon Miller-Jimerson pleaded guilty in February 2026 to a leadership role in a series of violent marijuana dispensary robberies and bank robberies between December 2021 and June 2022. In one of the marijuana shop robberies a worker was killed when he was shot by one of the juveniles that Miller-Jimerson was working with.  At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, “You and others went on a violent crime spree, terrorizing the community for your own personal gain. You used juveniles… to commit the most dangerous part of the offenses. And you didn’t stop after a man lost his life. A lengthy sentence is needed to protect the community.” 

“This defendant recruited juveniles to do his dirty work, perhaps in the mistaken belief that it would insulate him from criminal responsibility – clearly it did not,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “His actions caused terror for store clerks and bank tellers and cost one young man his life. A 17-year federal sentence is needed to protect the public and hold him accountable.”

“For almost six months, Miller-Jimerson and his armed co-conspirators stormed through businesses around the Puget Sound region," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "By recruiting vulnerable children, arming them, and training them to commit dangerous crimes, Miller-Jimerson and another adult co-conspirator sought to minimize their own criminal liability while they shared in the proceeds, including tens of thousands of dollars of stolen cash. This conduct was epitomized on March 19, 2022, when Miller-Jimerson waited in a vehicle outside as an employee of a marijuana dispensary in Tacoma, Washington lay dying, shot by a 15-year-old co-conspirator during a robbery gone wrong. This sentencing sends a clear message: adults who exploit juveniles to act on their behalf will be targeted for federal prosecution. Together with our partners, FBI Seattle will continue to combat violent crime in its many forms.”

According to records filed in the case, On December 24, 2021, Miller-Jimerson, Shannon Hartfield, and Danesxy Ortega robbed Greenworks and Greenfire marijuana dispensaries in Seattle, Washington. Miller-Jimerson was the getaway driver for these armed, take-over style robberies. A series of other marijuana dispensary robberies followed with Miller-Jimerson and Hartfield picking targets, recruiting juvenile robbers, and acting as the getaway drivers.  On January 21, 2022, they robbed Zips Dispensary in Tacoma, on March 11, Miller-Jimerson provided a firearm to a juvenile for the robbery of Lucid Cannabis in Auburn and the West Seattle Dispensary. On March 19, Miller-Jimerson had armed juveniles rob the Bakeree dispensary in Seattle. One of the juveniles fired a shot in the air in that robbery. Miller-Jimerson traveled with the robbery crew to Tacoma where the juveniles robbed World of Weed. Miller-Jimerson waited outside as the getaway driver. An employee of the World of Weed was shot and killed during the robbery.

Following that shooting, Miller-Jimerson switched from robbing dispensaries to robbing banks. In June 2022, Miller-Jimerson and his coconspirator Hartfield sent juveniles into a Seattle Chase Bank branch. They were unsuccessful in robbing that bank, so they went to the Salal Credit Union, brandished guns and forced employees to unlock safes. The final robbery in the string was June 17, 2022, of a Chase branch again in Seattle.

Coconspirator Shannon Hartfield was convicted in May 2026 of 17 federal felonies from the bank robbery scheme.

In asking for a 17-year-sentence Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster wrote to the court, “Miller-Jimerson and others went on a violent crime spree, robbing multiple marijuana dispensaries and banks throughout the end of 2021 and the first half of 2022. Miller-Jimerson and Shannon Hartfield used juveniles to commit many of their crimes, finding the juveniles easy to control and believing that the juveniles would face lower penalties. During each robbery, Miller-Jimerson knew that his accomplices were armed with firearms and that they intended to use them. He knew that the juveniles and young adults he sent in to commit these robberies would brandish the guns, threatening the victims while demanding money. And even after a man lost his life during one of these robberies, Miller-Jimerson didn’t stop.”

Miller-Jimerson’s federal time will run concurrently with the 15-year sentence he received in Pierce County Superior Court.

Judge King imposed five years of supervised release to follow prison and ended her sentencing hearing addressing the victims: 

“The defendants not only stole marijuana and the victims’ tip money, but they also left victims with lasting emotional consequences. Many of these individuals continue to cope with fear, anxiety, and the disruption to their lives caused by the defendants. The impact of these crimes is likely to remain with the victims for years to come… But I want to emphasize that it’s very meaningful to the Court that various victims have shared their experiences with the victim witness coordinator, spoke with law enforcement about the crimes, and summoned the courage necessary to testify at trial…. By taking these actions, the victims have helped ensure that these kinds of crimes are prevented from happening to others, not just at the hands of the various defendants who have been prosecuted in state and federal courts for these crimes with the help of victim statements, but also in the form of deterring other would-be offenders from engaging in these types of crimes.”

The case was investigated by the FBI with significant assistance from Seattle Police Department, Tacoma Police Department, Tukwila Police Department, Kent Police Department, King County Sherriff’s Office, and Auburn Police Department.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United Stats Attorney’s Kristine Foerster and Amanda McDowell.

Seattle – Two Bremerton, Washington, women were sentenced this month for a long-running bank fraud scheme where they stole personal information of more than 250 people, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Emily Vranic, 34, was sentenced to three years in prison; her co-defendant, Heather Marquis, 37, was sentenced to 31 months. Both women were sentenced to three years of supervised release following their release from custody. The two were arrested on a federal complaint in April 2025. At the sentencing hearing for Vranic, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright noted that the pair engaged in what she described as a “multi-dimensional, deliberate effort to defraud many people in many different ways.”

“These defendants attempted to steal at least $330,000 from their victims over a three-year period – ID theft and bank fraud was their ‘job’ and for at least 15 victims they were all too successful,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Beyond the financial harm, these defendants stole important records: tax returns; social security cards; retirement account information; divorce filings; immunization paperwork; immigration records; and military records. And each document theft was an invasion of privacy causing harm to the victim.” 

“These two defendants made it their life’s work to lie, cheat, and defraud their very own community. Using every tool at their disposal to illicitly open accounts, redirect funds, and even paying their own mortgage while victims footed the bill.” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti, “Financial crimes of this nature inflict severe, long-term damage, forcing victims down a protracted road to recovery. Beyond the immediate financial loss, victims face the exhausting burden of closing fraudulent accounts and correcting damaged credit scores. While financial institutions may eventually reimburse stolen funds, they cannot restore the extensive time and energy required to repair the broader collateral damage.”

According to records filed in the case, from approximately 2021 until their arrests in November 2024, Vranic and Marquis defrauded victims and financial institutions in several different ways. Most often, they stole victims’ mail and used personal documents inside to activate credit cards, open new lines of credit, or gain wholesale access to online bank accounts. The pair would have documents related to their activities mailed to a third-party victim’s address, where they would intercept the mail again. Once they had fully taken over a stolen identity, statements and other records were mailed directly to their own Bremerton address.

Armed with their victims’ identities, the pair ran up credit card debt, made transfers from victim accounts to their own, and even used victim accounts to make monthly mortgage payments on the home they shared. One vulnerable victim was targeted with over $110,000 in fraudulent transfers; but for the bank’s intervention, that number would have been in excess of $170,000. Even when banks interceded to protect their customers by freezing targeted accounts, Vranic and Marquis repeatedly posed as account holders to try to get the fraud alerts removed.

In asking for a three-year sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore noted that though both women suffered from drug addiction, that did not affect the complexity of their frauds. “This scheme nonetheless required an extraordinary amount of organization, planning, and executive functioning skills. Marquis and Vranic kept records of every individual, every account, every piece of personal information that would ensure their scheme’s success. The variety of methods the women employed to steal from their victims was nothing short of labyrinthine to unravel.”

Marquis has agreed to a restitution obligation of $102,784 to the victims. Vranic will have a restitution hearing in October 2026 to determine the amount she owes.

The case was investigated by the Bremerton Police Department, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore.

Seattle – The 32-year-old leader of a drug trafficking organization that preyed, in part, on those living unhoused in “The Jungle” and in the Seattle Chinatown International District was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to eight years in prison, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Daniel Ibarra Loera, an illegal alien, living in Kent, Washington, was identified as a leader of a drug trafficking ring in a wiretap investigation in 2024-2025. The wiretap revealed Ibarra Loera was selling pound quantities of cocaine

 and fentanyl as well. When law enforcement searched his residence in May 2025, they seized six firearms and ballistic vests that Ibarra Loera admits were used to protect his drug trafficking enterprise. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “You were the source of a significant amount of cocaine and fentanyl to some of the most vulnerable in our community. I hope you recognize that what you did contributed to the suffering of a lot of people.”

“Driven by greed, this defendant trafficked both cocaine and fentanyl to some of the most vulnerable in our community while possessing firearms and after entering this country illegally,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Our office only learned of his immigration status because he was caught trafficking large quantities of drugs.  Now he appropriately faces a lengthy prison sentence and removal to Mexico.”

According to records filed in the case, in 2023, after incidents of drug trafficking-related violence in and around homeless encampments in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District and the greenbelt adjacent to Interstate-5, commonly known as the “Jungle,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and the Seattle Police Department (“SPD”) began a narcotics trafficking investigation into individuals distributing controlled substances in these areas. Ibarra Loera was identified as a source of supply of both cocaine and fentanyl for street level dealers.

On May 29, 2025, law enforcement executed 16 search warrants in Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, Seattle, Woodlake California and Beaverton, Oregon.  Investigators seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, and 17 firearms. They also seized more than $353,000 in cash.

Investigators searched Ibarra Loera’s home and a storage unit seizing guns, drugs and luxury cars that Ibarra Loera bought and sold to launder his drug proceeds. Investigators seized a 2023 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, a 2017 Cadillac CTS-V, a 2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and a 2018 Audi RS3 Quattro.

On May 5, 2026, Ibarra Loera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

“As a leader of this drug trafficking organization, Mr. Ibarra Loera supplied kilogram quantities of cocaine to distributors including, irresponsibly, to people he barely knew,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Ultimately, the poison he supplied reached some of the most vulnerable members of the Seattle community. Mr. Ibarra Loera also possessed multiple firearms to protect the proceeds of the trafficking. The FBI and our partners will continue to combat drug trafficking and violent crime in Seattle and across the state of Washington.”

“Mr. Ibarra Loera and his co-conspirators trafficked deadly drugs to some of Seattle’s most vulnerable living in homeless encampments in the Chinatown International District,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division, “DEA, along with our federal, state, and local partners, is working to stop those who profit from poisoning our community. Fentanyl Free America is DEA’s unwavering commitment to protect the United States from synthetic opioids by disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing its availability, and saving American lives.” 

Asking for a nine-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Casey Conzatti told the court Ibarra Loera dealt “deadly, addictive and destructive substances… cocaine is one of the top three deadly substances.”

The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program. Investigators also worked with the Oregon State Police and Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.

Seattle – A 22-year-old Federal Way, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to nine years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute massive amounts of fentanyl, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Sir Terrique Milam was a trusted associate of one of the leaders of the family-based drug trafficking organization – Markell Jackson. Milam was heard on phone calls arranging to go to Arizona with Markell Jackson to pick up a 150,000-pill load of fentanyl. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead noted the deadly risk of 15 kilos of fentanyl. “You were in on the conspiracy… You knew what you were selling… And you kept going even after contact with law enforcement,” the judge told him.

“Mr. Milam was a trusted member of this drug trafficking organization – trusted to travel to Arizona and meet with the primary supplier of the drugs,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “He is a young man but already has convictions for promoting prostitution and illegal firearms possession. This prison sentence is needed to protect the community and break his cycle of crime.”

“In close partnership with the leader of this organization, Mr. Milam conspired with him and others to distribute huge quantities of deadly drugs,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “He clearly has not learned his lesson from previous convictions and from his attempts to evade law enforcement and so will have to deal with the consequences of his repeated criminal behavior. I commend the work of the investigators and prosecutors on this extensive case, which reached across the United States to hold these drug traffickers responsible.”

Over the course of this investigation, law enforcement seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine and 29 firearms. They also seized more than $116,000 in cash.

Milam was identified in the wire-tap investigation and was stopped in August 2024 returning from eastern Washington. The police stop revealed he was carrying a firearm in the vehicle. But Milam later bragged on a wiretapped phone call, that he was able to get the fentanyl pills out of the car before police could search it. Despite that run-in with law enforcement, Milam continued to be involved with drug trafficking. On October 2, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at Milam’s home, seizing 323.8 grams of fentanyl from under Milam’s bed, multiple drug scales and $4,900 in United States Currency that Milam admits were proceeds of drug trafficking.

At takedown in October 2024, law enforcement fanned out across the country and in western Washington arresting 17 people on indictments and criminal complaints for the multi- state drug trafficking conspiracy. The two-year investigation culminated in search and arrest warrants in Georgia, Missouri, Texas, Arizona, and Washington State.  

The drug ring was led by Marquis Jackson, 33, his parents, defendants Mandel Jackson, 52, and Matelita (Marty) Jackson, 51, and siblings Markell Jackson, 23, and Miracle Patu-Jackson, 25. Members of the Jackson family are indicted for various conspiracy counts including drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies. Records filed in the case link some of the Jacksons to a Seattle area street gang.

The Jackson family members, and other members of the conspiracy, are scheduled for trial in July 2027.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

A number of the members of the drug distribution ring have pleaded guilty and already been sentenced:

Michael Young Jr, 45, of Tacoma, was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Treyvon Mitchell, 33, of Kent, WA, was sentenced to six years in prison.

Robert Johnson, 22, of Renton, WA was sentenced to 70 months in prison.

Tyrell Lewis, 34, of Federal Way, WA was sentenced to 37 months in prison.

Phillip Lamont Alexander, 50, of Des Moines, WA has pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing in November 2026.

This case was investigated by the FBI, (Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, Kansas City, Dallas, Las Vegas, Montana), DEA (Seattle, Kansas City, Wichita, Montana), the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, Whatcom Region Drug Task Force, the Lummi Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and United States Border Patrol Blaine Sector Targeting and Intelligence Division.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon and Crystal Correa.

Seattle – Five men have been indicted in the Western District of Washington in connection with a nationwide fraud scheme taking funds from elderly victims, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Four of the five men have appeared on the indictment and three remain detained. The indictment alleges the men were part of a conspiracy to launder the fraud proceeds, whereby the defendants sent the fraudulently obtained funds to bank accounts in China and Hong Kong. Trial is scheduled for November 9, 2026. 

“These scam groups operate like a business – some people convince the victims they must send money to “protect” their money or repair their computer. Other schemers willingly take that money and launder it through bank accounts to the benefit of the entire conspiracy,” said First U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “These five are the men who allegedly laundered those victim funds through some 21 different shell companies and 44 bank accounts. Charging them disrupts the network and, is the first step in uncovering the rest of the conspiracy.”

“In 2025 alone elder fraud cost more than a million older Americans about $2 billion,” said Acting HSI Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “In this case alone, we estimate about $11 million may have been lost by our vulnerable seniors, and the associated money laundering impacts our country’s financial institutions. HSI will continue to investigate cases like these and work to keep our seniors and country safe from financial predators.” 

According to the indictment, between October 2024 and March 2026, the men registered 21 different shell companies in Washington State and used fake identities to open some 44 different bank accounts tied to the shell companies. They also rented mailboxes at commercial entities tied to the shell companies. Using tech support scams, or by impersonating government or bank officials, the scammers convinced victims to send cashiers’ checks, money orders, or other monetary instruments to the rented mailboxes. The five men indicted in Western Washington then deposited the funds in the 44 different bank accounts and then rapidly moved the money through wire transfers to accounts held in the names of business entities based in Hong Kong and the People’s Republic of China. In all, the defendants collectively received and laundered more than $7.4 million in fraud proceeds from at least 77 victims.

The five defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, ten counts of money laundering by concealment, and ten counts of money laundering by spending.

Those indicted include:

Hung Chieh Kuo, 27, of Bellevue, WA, detained pending a hearing 8/31/26

Tung Wei Yeh, 31, of Bellevue, WA, detained pending trial

Hsin Chien, 31, of Bothell, WA, released pending trial

You Wei Liew, 26, of Seattle, being sought by law enforcement

Chengpeng Zhang, 40, of Seattle, detained pending a hearing 9/2/26

Conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering concealment are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount of the property involved. Money laundering by spending is punishable by up to ten years in prison and $250,000 fine or twice the value of the criminally derived property.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yunah Chung.

Seattle – A 44-year-old citizen of Mexico, illegally present in the U.S., appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle late yesterday charged with returning to the U.S. following removal, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Between 2007 and 2013, Isidro Ocampo-Cayetano was arrested and removed from the United States five times. Most of the removals were triggered by local arrests for crimes related to DUI. Isidro Ocampo-Cayetano returned to the U.S. at an unknown time following the 2013 removal.

In January 2025, Ocampo-Cayetano was arrested in King County based on a Kitsap County warrant for failing to appear on charges of DUI, driving with license suspended, and an ignition interlock violation. Ocampo-Cayetano was not turned over to immigration authorities. On November 2, 2025, Ocampo-Cayetano was arrested by Federal Way Police for Rape in the second degree.  Six months later, in April 2026, he was arrested a second time and booked into the King County Jail for escape, theft, and a warrant for rape. Federal prosecutors got a judicial warrant to get Ocampo-Cayetano into federal custody, and he made his initial appearance on that warrant on Wednesday August 26, 2026. 

“Even with his extensive criminal and immigration history, local jails released this criminal alien rather than turning him over to immigration authorities, which allowed him to allegedly commit rape,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd.  “Sanctuary policies have a consequence, and this is it. Fortunately, we were able to intervene this time and prevent this criminal alien from being released – again.”

Magistrate Judge Michelle L. Peterson ordered Ocampo-Cayetano detained pending future hearings. 

Return after removal is punishable by up to two years in prison.

The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (HSI-ICE).

The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Cáceres. SAUSA Cáceres is an attorney with Homeland Security Investigations specially designated to prosecute immigration matters in federal court.

Seattle – Three men were sentenced this week in U.S. District Court in Seattle for repeatedly returning to the U.S. after being removed and committing other crimes while here, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Defendant Marlon Arteaga-Calix, 42, a citizen of Honduras, was given a two-year sentence for illegally returning after removal. He was arrested while trying to flee from authorities at Joint Base Lewis McChord and leading police on a footrace across I-5. When arrested Arteaga-Calix had fentanyl in his possession.

At his sentencing hearing on Tuesday August 25th, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous substance and triggers a pattern that people die… I need to protect the public from further crimes of this defendant because of what he does when he returns to the U.S.”

According to records filed in the case, this is Arteaga-Calix’ fourth federal prison sentence for returning after removal. He has been sentenced to prison for that crime in Oregon, Utah, and Colorado. He has been removed from the U.S. in 2005, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2021. After returning he has convictions for multiple drug offenses involving cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl. He also was convicted of an assault on a health care worker. Arteaga-Calix will likely be removed following his prison term.

On Monday August 24, 2026, Dimas Alexander Mejia Garah, 35, a citizen of Honduras was sentenced to time-served for his return after removal. Garah will now be returned to the custody of Snohomish County where he faces 40 months in prison for being arrested in connection with drug trafficking.

Mejia Garah has been removed from the U.S. in 2009, twice in 2012, in 2014, and again in 2023.  Mejia Garah was found in Snohomish County in 2025 when law enforcement served a search warrant at his residence. Mejia Garah has twice been convicted in Utah of trafficking narcotics and had another drug possession conviction in Colorado. At the time of his arrest in Snohomish County, there was a warrant for Mejia Garah’s arrest in California. Following his prison sentence in the drug case, Mejia Garah will likely be removed to Honduras again.

And finally, today, Yair Ramirez Aguilar, 32, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served for returning after removal.  Ramirez Aguilar has illegally re-entered the U.S. four times after being removed. In November 2019 he attempted to enter the U.S. at Douglas, Arizona using someone else’s identification. He was convicted of illegal entry and removed. Twelve days later he was caught attempting to enter at Calexico, California, and was removed. In February 2020 and March 2020, he was caught again attempting to enter at Calexico and was removed both times.

Over the last five years, Ramirez Aguilar has been repeatedly arrested for a variety of criminal offenses. In 2021 he was arrested by the Burien Police Department for DUI and Negligent Driving – First Degree. In 2022 and 2023 he had arrests for Physical Control of Vehicle Under the Influence, DUI, and Hit and Run Attended Vehicle. He was convicted in 2025. He has a pending DUI charge from 2026. He also has pending domestic violence assault charges from arrests in 2024 and 2025.

In imposing the time served sentence Judge Lauren King said, “You have been repeatedly removed from the U.S., but your brief time here has been marked by repeated crimes.”

“Each of these cases take federal resources and court time because sanctuary policies in Washington prohibits cooperation with immigration enforcement,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “But for our intervention, the public would never know about the immigration history of these defendants, and they would have been released back into the community, to sell drugs, drive drunk, or commit assaults just as they did before we were able to get them into custody.” 

Each of these cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations’ Immigration and Customs Enforcement (HSI-ICE).

Seattle – A former King County resident who was charged with crimes in state and federal court related to his abuse of a 4-year-old was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 years in prison for production of images of child sexual abuse, announced First Assistant U.S. Assistant Charles Neil Floyd. Justin D. Carr, 38, who resided in Renton, Washington, was arrested on May 14, 2024, after images of child sexual abuse were discovered on his phone while he was driving with a witness to Colorado. Today’s sentencing is the final of three: he was sentenced to 15 years in King County Superior court for sexual assault of a child; in Colorado he was sentenced for possession of child pornography and in Seattle, 15 years in prison for producing the images of child sexual abuse. U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson sentenced Carr to lifetime federal supervised release following his prison term.

“This prison sentence will protect the public for a significant period, while the lifetime supervised release should ensure Mr. Carr cannot prey on a vulnerable child again,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “These cases and the protection of children are a priority for our office, and I appreciate the partnership we have with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to keep these offenders away from children.”

According to records filed in the case, Carr and an adult witness were traveling to Colorado when the witness discovered images on Carr’s phone of the molestation of a 4-year-old child that the witness recognized. The witness immediately called 9-1-1 and Carr was arrested.

The metadata of the images indicated it was produced in Renton, Washington. The Renton Police Department and the FBI were involved in the investigation. 

Carr will serve the 15-year federal sentence concurrent with a 15-year state sentence.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon. Ms. Harmon is a Senior King County Deputy Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute child exploitation crimes in federal court.

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

Seattle – A repeat offender, who continued to deal methamphetamine and cocaine in Thurston County even as he was on supervised release from a prior conviction, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 132 months in prison, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. 40-year-old David Nathaniel Hoffman, aka “Fat Nate,” was arrested on August 8, 2025, following three incidents in March and July 2025 when law enforcement confirmed he sold methamphetamine. When he was taken into custody, Hoffman had cocaine and a firearm with the serial number removed. Hoffman is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2019 federal conviction for drug trafficking and assaulting a fellow federal inmate resulting in serious bodily injury. 

According to records filed in the case, Hoffman was released from a 64-month sentence for drug trafficking in August 2024. While on federal supervision, he quickly returned to drug use and drug trafficking and absconded from supervision. When he appeared before his sentencing judge, he was jailed for two months for his supervision violations. On May 1, 2025, he started federal supervision a second time and continued to sell drugs resulting in the arrest on August 8, 2025.

At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright said that Hoffman had exhibited a “long-standing pattern of drug distribution and criminal conduct, including while on federal supervised release, which shows disregard for the law.”  

It was during a July 15, 2025, drug deal in a motel parking lot that Hoffman told a confidential source that he was the most “well known drug dealer in the County.”

In September 2025 Hoffman was indicted for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.  He pled guilty in April 2026 to one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.  He also admitted to conspiring to distribute suboxone within the federal prison where he served his previous federal sentence.  

In asking for a 144-month sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Crisham wrote, “Hoffman has been a pernicious presence in Thurston and Mason Counties. Simply put, whenever Hoffman is not in custody, he continues to distribute large amounts of dangerous drugs…. As evidenced by his comments to the confidential source, he has significant criminal contacts and larger-scale sources to supply him with controlled substances. Hoffman also exhibits complete disregard for the law and the Court by selling drugs and ignoring the terms of his supervision.”

Judge Cartwright sentenced Hoffman to a ten-year sentence on the drug trafficking and firearms convictions and an additional 12-months for his eight violations of supervised release on his prior drug trafficking conviction.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Olympia and Lacey Police Departments.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Crisham.

Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women has awarded grants totaling more than $2.3 million for services to survivors of sexual assault, abuse, and stalking, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Two non-profit organizations and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe received the grants. Three of the grants were awarded to API CHAYA, a survivor-led organization focused on serving survivors of sexual violence, human trafficking, and domestic violence from Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, Asian, and South Asian communities. 

“These federal dollars go directly to service providers who have experience working on issues of sexual assault and abuse in their communities,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “These grants recognize their expertise and community connections that enhance this work.”

API CHAYA received $1.4 million spread over three grants: 

• $600,000 is to provide training and services to those who are deaf and/or disabled and may be the victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault and abuse by caregivers.
• $500,000 to support and expand existing community-based programs providing service to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. The work will also develop culturally specific programs for victims who face obstacles in traditional programs.
• $384,000 to provide crisis response, create safety plans, and organize support groups for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Consejo Counseling and Referral Service based in Renton, Washington, was awarded $384,000 to coordinate safety planning for sexual assault survivors, do crisis intervention and safety planning and support victims though the law enforcement process.

Finally, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe was awarded $449,936 aimed at protecting seniors from abuse. The grant provides training for law enforcement and other personnel on recognizing abuse in later life. The project will develop protocols for identifying, investigating, prosecuting, and adjudicating cases of abuse involving victims 50-years-old or older.

Seattle – A 33-year-old California man who compelled women into prostitution using assaults, threats, fraud, and manipulation was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 210 months (17.5 years) in prison for six federal felonies related to his multi-state sex trafficking activity, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Brandon Denzel Washington was convicted in March 2026 of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion, one count of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion and four counts of transporting women for the purpose of prostitution through coercion and enticement. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones noted that while prostitution “is often referred to as ‘the oldest profession’ . . . in actuality, it is the oldest oppression.”  Judge Jones told Washington that while he “may have perceived [himself] as ‘King Bentley,’” he was “little more than a slave master.”  Judge Jones also noted that while Washington would receive a release date following his prison term, there “was no expiration date for the pain and trauma [he] inflicted upon his victims.”

“For nearly ten years this defendant supported a lavish lifestyle while preying on young, vulnerable women and forcing, defrauding, and coercing them into prostitution,” said First Assistant Neil Floyd. “Multiple victims were brave enough to testify in court and told harrowing stories of abuse – emotional, mental, and physical – that Washington employed to keep them earning money for his benefit. This lengthy prison term is justly deserved.”

According to records filed in the case, multiple victims testified about Washington trafficking and transporting them to and from Washington, Nevada, California, Oregon, and Hawaii between 2014 and 2021.

The sex trafficking scheme was first uncovered when a retired Bellevue Police Officer working security noticed a large number of men visiting a Bellevue luxury apartment building over a period of just a few weeks. From there, law enforcement analyzed financial records, travel records, ads for commercial sex posted in online forums, and social media posts to identify potential victims and to gather evidence.

Five of Washington’s sex trafficking victims testified at the trial, some describing brutal assaults and threats Washington used to keep them or other victims in his control and earning hundreds of thousands of dollars for him through commercial sex acts.

When women were finally able to get free from his control, they left without any of the money they had earned. Evidence at trial showed that Washington used his victims’ earnings to fund his lifestyle, including luxury apartments in downtown Seattle, Bellevue, Las Vegas, and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, designer clothes, fine dining, and luxury vehicles. Through one victim, he acquired a Bentley car worth over $120,000, which he then wrapped in gold. Washington then used his social media accounts to boast about his lifestyle in an effort to recruit other women.

At trial, prosecutors offered text messages and messages from social media where Washington described the hundreds of thousands of dollars he took from the women in his control. In those messages, he also discussed the violence he used to control them and the manipulation and promises he used to recruit other victims. In some text messages, Washington stated that he was searching for victims with low self-esteem or who were otherwise particularly vulnerable targets who he could force and manipulate into sex work.

In asking the court for a 292-month sentence, prosecutors wrote, “The seriousness of Washington’s crimes is magnified by his use of physical, mental, and emotional coercion to prey upon and control his victims. He put them in danger every day he used them – forcing them into being completely vulnerable to strange men who could arrest them or rape them. He used their prostitution earnings to live a flashy, luxurious lifestyle, buying himself luxury items, traveling, and living in high-end apartments – leaving his victims with nothing to show for the months and years they dedicated to Washington. He referred to them as “hoes” and “bitches” who had no worth and no dignity, and whose sole purpose was to make him money. He talked derisively about them and to them and bragged in his text messages about his vicious assaults.”

Speaking at the sentencing hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Celia Lee noted the family support Washington had from his mother and sisters in contrast to how he treated his victims saying, “He chose not to extend decency to the women he trafficked… He sold them a lie and then he sold them over and over to strangers.”

“This case highlights what is generally an unseen danger by the public – the targeting of vulnerable women who are forced into prostitution and human trafficking,” said Acting HSI Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller.  “Washington used assaults, threats, fraud, and coercion to manipulate these women into, and then to keep them in, this horrendous situation. We greatly appreciate the vigilance of the retired Bellevue Police officer and the work of the Bellevue Police Department as a whole.  The breaking of this ring and arrest of Washington may have saved lives and after four weeks of testimony, finally provided the trafficking victims an opportunity to share their stories and be heard.”

Judge Jones will determine the amount of restitution Washington must pay to the victims at a hearing scheduled for September 11, 2026.

Following prison Washington will be on ten years of supervised release with requirements that he complete treatment for domestic violence.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Bellevue Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Crisham and Celia Lee.

The United States filed a complaint seeking to permanently enjoin a Washington state pet food manufacturer from manufacturing and selling adulterated pet food.

In a civil complaint for permanent injunction, filed on Aug. 7, the United States alleges that Gary T. Tashjian, through his business, Arrow Reliance Inc., also doing business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by failing to follow preventive controls requirements and causing uncooked pet food to become adulterated. 

“Pet food manufacturers must ensure the safety of their products,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Given the high likelihood that consumers will come into direct contact with pet food products, the Department of Justice will continue to work closely with FDA and take action against food manufacturers that operate under insanitary conditions.”

“Every American pet owner deserves confidence that the food they feed their animals is safe and will not pose health risks to their families,” said Timothy Schell, Ph.D., director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. “Despite repeated FDA warnings, this company continues to manufacture and distribute products contaminated with harmful bacteria. When a company does not take responsibility for product safety, FDA will intervene to protect public health.”

The complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleges FDA found the presence of pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono), and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in the company’s finished pet food products in samples collected from 2017 through 2025. In 2024, FDA investigators also found Salmonella in the company’s Tukwila facility. Infections from L. mono, Salmonella, or STECcan cause symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting in healthy adults. For vulnerable consumers — including pregnant women, the elderly, and the immune-compromised — L. mono, Salmonella, and STEC can each cause more serious effects including death. L. mono can cause stillbirths and miscarriages.  

The complaint further alleges Arrow Reliance’s products have repeatedly infected consumers over several years. After multiple Arrow Reliance customers complained of humans or pets suffering from health problems, FDA investigators detected the presence of pathogenic bacteria in unopened samples of the company’s product. In 2024, a four-year-old child fell ill with a STEC infection and developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome after the family dog was fed Arrow Reliance’s products. Third party laboratory testing of the family’s unopened pet food from Arrow Reliance confirmed the presence of both Salmonella and STEC bacteria. 

According to the complaint, Arrow Reliance’s pet food products are sold throughout the country. The government’s lawsuit seeks an injunction that would require Tashjian and Arrow Reliance to make sanitation improvements and comply with preventive controls regulations and other federal food safety requirements before making or distributing any more pet food.

Trial Attorney David Crockett of the Enforcement Section of the Civil Division’s Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch is handling the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S Attorney Kayla C. Stahman for the Western District of Washington, and Associate Chief Counsel Rachel E. King of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.

Additional information about the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch. 

The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence.

Tacoma – A 42-year-old Phoenix man with prior convictions for drug trafficking was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 150 months (12.5 years) in prison for acting as a broker for huge amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl headed to western Washington, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Ryan Matthew Gennette was a long-time resident of Auburn, Washington, before relocating to Phoenix. Gennette was tied to large shipments of methamphetamine and fentanyl tainted M30 pills. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said that Genette was “willing to engage in the large-scale distribution of dangerous substances for money.”  

“Not only did Mr. Gennette traffick huge amounts of dangerous drugs by mail and by courier, he was also involved in sending firearms to cartel connected drug sources in Mexico,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This sentence takes a repeat offender out of the drug business for a significant period.” 

According to records filed in the case, Gennette was already on law enforcement radar in June 2024 when he shipped two large boxes containing seven kilograms of fentanyl pills, almost two kilograms of fentanyl powder, and over ten kilograms of actual methamphetamine

 to an address on Whidbey Island. Law enforcement seized and replaced the drugs with sham materials so that they could gather information on Gennette’s drug network.

Next Gennette sent nine kilograms of methamphetamine via courier – it too was seized by law enforcement.

Over time, law enforcement worked with confidential informants to place orders for large amounts of drugs from Gennette. This led to Gennette reaching out to an alleged contact in Mexico, Donald Budge. Budge is also charged in this case and is detained pending trial scheduled for December 15, 2026. Budge is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Gennette sent shipments of highly pure methamphetamine on two occasions in October 2024 – those shipments came into law enforcement custody. A shipment of 13 kilos of methamphetamine was tested as being 100 percent pure. A final shipment of over 64 kilograms of 

actual methamphetamine, plus 6.5 kilograms of counterfeit “M30” pills manufactured to look like prescription oxycodone, was seized from a courier in a traffic stop. 

Both men were arrested in November 2024 – Gennette in Phoenix and Budge in Tijuana, Mexico.

Gennette pleaded guilty in May 2026.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. 

This investigation was led by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). There is significant assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS),  the Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (Auburn Police Department, Bonney Lake Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, Puyallup Police Department, Tacoma Police Department, Washington State Department of Corrections) the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit (which includes the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, Mt. Vernon Police Department, Burlington Police Department, Anacortes Police Department and the Oak Harbor Police Department) as well as the Island County Sheriff’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vincent T. Lombardi and Crystal C Correa.

Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs has awarded more than $8 million to Washington State, its cities and counties for law enforcement equipment, training and personnel, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. The federal Byrne grants (named for a young police officer killed in the line of duty) were awarded last month to the state and ten different cities and counties. The two largest grants, nearly $6.5 million total, went to the Washington State Department of Commerce to be parceled out to cities, counties and non-profit organizations for programs that focus on community safety. 

“It can be highly competitive to get these federal funds, and I congratulate the cities and counties that developed proposals that were chosen for Byrne grants,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “We know that a strong partnership with state and local law enforcement is crucial to federal efforts to protect our community. I am pleased to be able to announce this DOJ support for state and local law enforcement.” 

Additional grants include:

Seattle Police and surrounding jurisdictions: $842,356 for programs and equipment identified by each jurisdiction – includes overtime and improved technology systems.

Tacoma and Pierce County: $395,052 for Tacoma’s Building Resilience Against Youth Violence and Exploitation (BRAVE) program to reduce young adult violence and for Pierce County Sheriff’s Office investments in safety equipment and training. 

Longview and Cowlitz County: $10,793 to support the Longview School Resource Officer Program.

Bremerton: $16,612 to maintain and develop crime prevention activities and initiatives.

Kitsap County: $46,956 to purchase equipment for digital evidence extraction and secure storage, and for purchase of high sensitivity camera for use in identifying skin bruising and other forensic material.

Everett: $38,199 for technology upgrades for investigations and for establishing a North Precinct Drone for the First Responder Operations Center to expand emergency response capacity.

Snohomish County: $84,296 for implementing the Grappler Police Bumper pursuit immobilization system on patrol vehicles, and the training for using the system to bring fleeing vehicles to a safe stop.

Vancouver and Clark County: $139,355 The two entities will evenly split the federal dollars and use the funds for technology, equipment and supplies that enhance community safety.

Marysville: $14,226 for the purchase of tactical emergency medical equipment. The first aid kits will enhance officer safety and provide immediate lifesaving care to community members.

Bellingham: $44,163 to bring back the motorcycle traffic unit which was closed due to COVID. The federal funds will pay for equipment and technological upgrades such as radios, printers, scanners, and other communication devices.

Seattle – The final defendant of a six-defendant fraud scheme that submitted fraudulent applications seeking more than $6.8 million in COVID benefits was convicted late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Jahri Asad Cunningham, 48, of Houston, Texas, is the brother of the scheme’s mastermind, Paradise Williams. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the two worked hand-in-glove to defraud a variety of relief programs. Cunningham personally received $344,240 in benefits that were intended for those struggling to keep their homes during the pandemic. The entire group collected more than $3.3 million. U.S. District Judge John H. Chun ordered Cunningham remanded into custody after the guilty verdict was returned. He scheduled sentencing for November 2, 2026.

According to records filed in the case and evidence presented in the four-day jury trial, Cunningham initially tried to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA) of more than $515,000 by creating fictitious companies in a bid to obtain funds from SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program.  The SBA recognized the applications as fake and did not pay out any money in response to the fraudulent applications.

Cunningham and his sister then turned to another program: the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which was administered by King County. In 2021 and 2022, the pair posed as landlords seeking rental assistance to prevent the supposed eviction of tenants who supposedly could not pay their rent because of the pandemic. In fact, the tenants did not exist. Cunningham did not own or represent building owners but submitted eight applications in various names posing as a landlord. At trial, prosecutors showed how Cunningham and his sister defrauded the program and narrated their activities in real-time via text message.

“They created fake tenants, they created fake documents, they created fake eviction notices for their fake tenants,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar told the jury in closing argument. “And every dollar that went to a fraudster was a dollar that could not go to a family in need.”

When King County identified the fraud and pulled back $100,000 it had paid out to Cunningham, he continued to try to get the county to return the money by providing additional fake documents. “Jahri Cunningham was trying to steal every last cent of the (rental assistance) program,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindy Chang said in the closing rebuttal.

When he realized law enforcement was investigating him, Cunningham urged his sister to get a new phone and new telephone number in an effort to hide text messages that proved damning at trial.

Cunningham was convicted of three counts of wire fraud – one for submitting fake SBA EIDL applications, and two for submitting applications to the emergency rental assistance program. He was convicted of money laundering in connection with the tens of thousands of dollars in kickbacks that he paid to his sister, Paradise Williams, for her role in the scheme.

Williams was sentenced in March 2024 to five years in prison.

Wire fraud and money laundering are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

In 2016, Cunningham was convicted in the Western District of Washington and sentenced to 75 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. 

The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Small Business Administration office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cindy Chang and Lauren Watts Staniar.

Seattle – The leader of a wide-ranging drug distribution network that was uncovered when law enforcement focused on Seattle’s International District and nearby homeless encampments was sentenced to ten years in prison today, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Octavio Salazar Palma, 34, of Federal Way, Washington was arrested in May 2025 following a lengthy wire-tap investigation. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “You were a leader in the drug conspiracy, you were the source of an extraordinary amount of drugs in our community…. Despite multiple seizures by law enforcement you did not stop, only the arrest made you stop.”

“This case began with officers on the street working their way up the supply chain until prosecutors had enough evidence to get a court approved wiretap,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “The wiretap allowed us to identify the leaders, and more importantly, interdict drug shipments before they hit our streets. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is keenly aware of the law enforcement problems facing the International District and is committed to doing all we can to address them.”

“Led by his own greed, Mr. Salazar Palma piloted an interstate conspiracy to distribute obscene and lethal amounts of dangerous drugs through the International District and homeless encampments in Seattle. No amount of profit can justify the cost of putting members of our own community at such a risk,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “I am thankful for the diligence and hard work of FBI Seattle and our partners as we remain dedicated to disrupting violent crime and making our streets a safer place.”

In this investigation in March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin. The street value of the narcotics was nearly $3 million. 

On May 29, 2025, law enforcement moved to take down Salazar Palma’s network. They executed 16 search warrants in Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, Seattle, Woodlake California and Beaverton, Oregon.  Investigators seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, and 17 firearms. They also seized more than $353,000 in cash.

On April 15, 2026, Salazar Palma pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to engage in money laundering.

In asking for a sentence of 140 months prosecutors wrote to the court, “… Salazar Palma engaged in drug trafficking not to support an addiction to controlled substances, but for his personal profit. And profit he did. When investigators searched his residence, they found nearly $20,000 in United States currency, which Salazar Palma admits were proceeds of his drug trafficking enterprise. Salazar Palma is also agreeing to forfeit a 2024 BMW M3 Competition xDrive, a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe LT, and jewelry, because that property was proceeds of his enterprise.”

“Mr. Salazar Palma led the drug trafficking organization that targeted some of Seattle’s most vulnerable, living in encampments in ‘The Jungle’, while he bought expensive cars and jewelry with the profits,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field 

Division. “Today’s sentence and the seizure of massive amounts of fentanyl, meth, and cocaine demonstrate DEA’s commitment to dismantling these criminal networks along with our federal, state, and local partners. Through our Fentanyl Free America, we are disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing its availability, and protecting American lives.”

“Our streets are safer today as Mr. Salazar Palma faces the consequences of his crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “Illicit drugs have no place in our communities, and IRS-CI is committed to bringing those who choose to harm our friends and neighbors to justice.”

Salazar Palma is a U.S. citizen who will be on four years of supervised release following prison.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. 

The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program. Investigators also worked with the Oregon State Police and Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.

Seattle – Connor Riley Moucka, 26, of Kitchener, Ontario, pleaded guilty today to a widespread computer hacking conspiracy that resulted in the compromise of over 165 victim organizations, the theft of billions of sensitive customer records and the extortion of numerous victims.

“Connor Moucka hacked over 150 companies and organizations, obtained extremely sensitive information, and extorted the victims for millions of dollars,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Moucka was arrested just six months after these breaches began, demonstrating this Department’s firm commitment to investigating and prosecuting sophisticated cybercriminals who cause extensive harm to American businesses and consumers. Today’s guilty plea serves as a reminder to all cybercriminals, regardless of where they live, that they cannot hide behind a wall of anonymity. You will be found and brought to justice.”

“As this case demonstrates, the cybercrimes unit in the Western District of Washington acts quickly and with precision when these hacks and intrusions impact victims in our district and around the world,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. “I commend the work of the FBI and our counterparts in the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section in DC for the teamwork that resulted in Mr. Moucka taking responsibility today for his actions.”

“Hiding behind a screen is no shield from justice,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Connor Moucka learned that when he was arrested just months after he began targeting U.S. companies, stealing sensitive information, and extorting victims for millions of dollars. His guilty plea highlights the FBI’s commitment to protecting American businesses and consumers from cybercrime and reflects our strong partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other international law enforcement agencies. The FBI will continue to identify, locate, and hold cybercriminals accountable, wherever they operate.”

“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message to cybercriminals: you cannot hide from justice, no matter how hard you may try to cover your tracks.,” said Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle field office. “Connor Moucka’s threats and re-extortion tactics were calculated and predatory, and his actions did real harm to his victims, be they companies targeted for theft and extortion or the millions of everyday people who are their customers. Ultimately, though, Mr. Moucka’s schemes were no match for the tenacity of FBI Seattle and this international investigative team. I am incredibly proud of their work. Let this outcome serve as a reminder: actions have consequences, and the FBI will continue to relentlessly pursue those who target American businesses and individuals in cyberspace, wherever they may be.”

According to court documents, between February and October 2024, Moucka and his co-conspirators used stolen login credentials to compromise cloud-hosted data belonging to at least 165 customers of a U.S.-based software-as-a-service company. Moucka and others used their unauthorized access to these customers’ computer systems to steal billions of sensitive customer records and download terabytes of information, including individuals’ non-content call and text history records, banking and other financial information, payroll records, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration numbers, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, social security numbers and other personally identifiable information. They then extorted victims by threatening to publish data online.

The conspirators profited from the scheme, receiving over $2.5 million in ransom payments. In at least one instance, Moucka re-extorted a victim with threats of further disclosure of the victim’s stolen data. Moucka used the stolen data of a government officer and members of a then-former government officer’s immediate family in this re-extortion attempt.

In addition to extorting victims, Moucka and his co-conspirators advertised the victims’ data for sale online, including on the cybercrime forums BreachForums, Exploit.in and XSS.is, as well as on Telegram. Through these actions, Moucka personally obtained at least $495,000. The harm to the conspirators’ victims was much greater, with victim companies suffering over $9.5 million in actual losses — a number that does not include losses suffered by the companies’ customers, totaling at least 100 million individuals.

Moucka pleaded guilty to four counts of the indictment, including computer fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and a related conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 27 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the remaining counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Louisa K. Becker and George S. Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in obtaining the arrest and July 2025 extradition of Moucka from Canada.

Several foreign law enforcement agencies provided substantial assistance in the investigation and arrest of Moucka, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Australian Federal Police, Spain’s Guardia Civil, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Turkish National Police.

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

This action is part of Operation Riptide, an FBI campaign targeting the criminal actors, infrastructure, and financial networks behind cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime, and fraud against the American people. Last year, Americans reported over $20 billion in losses to cybercrime, a 26 percent single-year increase. Operation Riptide is the FBI’s sustained enforcement response to that threat.

Connor Riley Moucka, 26, of Kitchener, Ontario, pleaded guilty today to a widespread computer hacking conspiracy that resulted in the compromise of over 165 victim organizations, the theft of billions of sensitive customer records and the extortion of numerous victims.

“Connor Moucka hacked over 150 companies and organizations, obtained extremely sensitive information, and extorted the victims for millions of dollars,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Moucka was arrested just six months after these breaches began, demonstrating this Department’s firm commitment to investigating and prosecuting sophisticated cybercriminals who cause extensive harm to American businesses and consumers. Today’s guilty plea serves as a reminder to all cybercriminals, regardless of where they live, that they cannot hide behind a wall of anonymity. You will be found and brought to justice.”

“As this case demonstrates, the cybercrimes unit in the Western District of Washington acts quickly and with precision when these hacks and intrusions impact victims in our district and around the world,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. “I commend the work of the FBI and our counterparts in the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section in DC for the teamwork that resulted in Mr. Moucka taking responsibility today for his actions.”

“Hiding behind a screen is no shield from justice,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Connor Moucka learned that when he was arrested just months after he began targeting U.S. companies, stealing sensitive information, and extorting victims for millions of dollars. His guilty plea highlights the FBI’s commitment to protecting American businesses and consumers from cybercrime and reflects our strong partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and other international law enforcement agencies. The FBI will continue to identify, locate, and hold cybercriminals accountable, wherever they operate.”

“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message to cybercriminals: you cannot hide from justice, no matter how hard you may try to cover your tracks,” said Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle field office. “Connor Moucka’s threats and re-extortion tactics were calculated and predatory, and his actions did real harm to his victims, be they companies targeted for theft and extortion or the millions of everyday people who are their customers. Ultimately, though, Mr. Moucka’s schemes were no match for the tenacity of FBI Seattle and this international investigative team. I am incredibly proud of their work. Let this outcome serve as a reminder: actions have consequences, and the FBI will continue to relentlessly pursue those who target American businesses and individuals in cyberspace, wherever they may be.”

According to court documents, between February and October 2024, Moucka and his co-conspirators used stolen login credentials to compromise cloud-hosted data belonging to at least 165 customers of a U.S.-based software-as-a-service company. Moucka and others used their unauthorized access to these customers’ computer systems to steal billions of sensitive customer records and download terabytes of information, including individuals’ non-content call and text history records, banking and other financial information, payroll records, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration numbers, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, social security numbers and other personally identifiable information. They then extorted victims by threatening to publish data online.

The conspirators profited from the scheme, receiving over $2.5 million in ransom payments. In at least one instance, Moucka re-extorted a victim with threats of further disclosure of the victim’s stolen data. Moucka used the stolen data of a government officer and members of a then-former government officer’s immediate family in this re-extortion attempt.

In addition to extorting victims, Moucka and his co-conspirators advertised the victims’ data for sale online, including on the cybercrime forums BreachForums, Exploit.in and XSS.is, as well as on Telegram. Through these actions, Moucka personally obtained at least $495,000. The harm to the conspirators’ victims was much greater, with victim companies suffering over $9.5 million in actual losses — a number that does not include losses suffered by the companies’ customers, totaling at least 100 million individuals.

Moucka pleaded guilty to four counts of the indictment, including computer fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and a related conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 27 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the remaining counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Louisa K. Becker and George S. Brown of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang for the Western District of Washington prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in obtaining the arrest and July 2025 extradition of Moucka from Canada.

A number of foreign law enforcement agencies provided substantial assistance in the investigation and arrest of Moucka, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Australian Federal Police, Spain’s Guardia Civil, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Turkish National Police.

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

This action is part of Operation Riptide, an FBI campaign targeting the criminal actors, infrastructure, and financial networks behind cybercrime, cyber-enabled crime, and fraud against the American people. Last year, Americans reported over $20 billion in losses to cybercrime, a 26 percent single-year increase. Operation Riptide is the FBI’s sustained enforcement response to that threat.

Tacoma – A 66-year-old resident of Brush Prairie, Clark County, Washington, was charged today by criminal information with violating federal law by killing a bald eagle, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Benjamin G. Allen is accused of shooting and killing the bird with a shotgun on February 5, 2026. Allen is being summoned to appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on September 8, 2026.

According to records in the case, officers from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife were called to a property in Brush Prairie regarding a dead eagle with blood around its head. A witness heard a gunshot earlier in the day. Allen kept chickens not far from where the dead eagle was discovered. Special Agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service interviewed Allen about the deceased eagle and his actions that day. An exam by a veterinarian revealed the eagle had two shotgun pellets in its brain, causing the death.

Allen is charged with a class A misdemeanor for violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. He is also charged with a class B misdemeanor for unlawfully killing a migratory bird. Class A misdemeanors are punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. A class B misdemeanor is punishable by up to six months in prison and a $5,000 fine. 

The charges contained in the information are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean H. Waite.

Seattle – The young leader of a drug trafficking ring that persisted in bringing large loads of drugs to western Washington despite multiple law enforcement seizures, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 130 months in prison, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Hector Duran Aldaco, 25, of Federal Way, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.  Duran Aldaco was the leader of the conspiracy of more than a dozen people that were indicted and arrested in May 2024. 

At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson said. “This was a staggering quantity of controlled substances.”

“This defendant is responsible for attempting to flood our community with 85 kilograms of methamphetamine, 30 kilograms of fentanyl and 2.5 kilograms of cocaine,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Despite repeated law enforcement seizures, he didn’t stop, switching from rental cars to intercity bus lines to try to get his drugs to Washington. That conduct plus his possession of high-power firearms results in this lengthy sentence which is warranted.”

“Hector Duran Aldaco sat at the helm of a transnational drug trafficking organization conspiring to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and alprazolam throughout Western Washington,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Seattle. “Today's sentencing serves as a reminder to those who might be tempted to follow in Mr. Duran Aldaco's footsteps: there are serious consequences to fueling addiction and causing harm in our local communities. The FBI and our partners remain committed to removing highly dangerous and addictive drugs, and those who push them, from our streets to make our home a safer place.”

“This sentence sends a clear message that those who traffic fentanyl and arm themselves with firearms to protect their criminal enterprise will be held accountable,” said Robert. A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Hector Duran Aldaco and his co-conspirators flooded Western Washington with deadly fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine while endangering our communities with an arsenal of firearms. Through Fentanyl Free America, DEA is working relentlessly to disrupt the criminal organizations responsible for trafficking synthetic opioids, reduce their availability, and protect American lives. DEA and our partners will continue pursuing those who profit from addiction and violence until they are brought to justice and our communities are safer.”

The investigation began in December 2022, when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the FBI identified Duran Aldaco (aka Jay Thrax) as a large-scale fentanyl distributor. During the investigation, through physical and electronic surveillance, travel records, and a variety of other investigative techniques, agents were able to determine that Duran Aldaco was being supplied by a Mexico-based DTO. Agents determined that Duran Aldaco coordinated the transport of narcotics from the Los Angeles area to the Seattle area where he then worked with his charged and uncharged co-conspirators to redistribute the substances. The DTO would often utilize rental cars to transport the drugs but also used buses after several traffic stops resulted in seizures of large amounts of narcotics. During this investigation, there were a number of seizures from individuals associated with Duran Aldaco’s DTO in California, Oregon, and Washington.

In April 2023, the California Highway Patrol seized 47 kilos of methamphetamine and 115,000 fentanyl pills during a traffic stop; in June 2023, the Oregon State patrol seized 28 pounds of methamphetamine in a traffic stop; and in November 2023, the Oregon State Patrol seized 15 kilograms of meth and 30 kilograms of fentanyl pills again in a traffic stop. The seizures continued into 2024, including in April when Portland Police recovered 7.5 kilograms of fentanyl pills that had been abandoned at the bus station by one of Duran Aldaco’s associates.

During the wiretap, investigators also heard Duran Aldaco discuss obtaining and trading firearms for drugs. When his residence and storage unit were searched in May 2024, investigators recovered three firearms as well as ammunition and body armor. They also seized more than $14,000 in cash and jewelry. In Duran Aldaco’s storage unit, investigators found over three kilograms of methamphetamine, 200 grams of cocaine, and over 10 kilograms of marijuana. Additionally, it appeared as if the storage unit was set up to support a marijuana grow operation. 

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Seattle Police Department, Oregon State Police, Portland Police Department, California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles Strike Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Centralia Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Elyne Vaught.

Tacoma – A 44-year-old Puyallup resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for his role as a significant distributor of narcotics for a Drug Trafficking Organization tied to white prison gangs, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. In February 2026, Daniel Hammond was convicted at trial of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. At today’s sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo sentenced Hammond to 11 years in prison saying, “These substances have wreaked havoc in our communities…. We are not dealing with someone who is just an addict who committed a petty crime, this was not just a one-time decision… the history shows you had a lifestyle living off of this type of conduct.” 

“Mr. Hammond had the ability to order up multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills that he then sold throughout the Tacoma area,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Even after his arrest in this case, Hammond reached out to a drug supplier in Mexico seeking to do more deals while he was on pretrial release. This lengthy sentence is needed to stop his distribution of potentially deadly narcotics in our community.”

In March 2023, the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration began a two-year, multi-agency investigation into drug trafficking by members and associates of two predominantly white prison gangs: the Aryan Family and Omerta. These gangs, as well as associates outside of prison, were involved in drug trafficking and money laundering, including the distribution of multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine throughout Western Washington and other states.

Over the course of the investigation, agents seized an estimated 223 pounds of methamphetamine, an estimated 830,000 fentanyl pills, multiple-pound quantities of fentanyl powder, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, $338,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 48 firearms from members of the conspiracy. In addition, during the coordinated arrests of the DTO members in March 2023, law enforcement seized approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine, 26 pounds of fentanyl in pill and powder form, six pounds of heroin, more than $330,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 177 additional firearms. 

“Mr. Hammond played a key role in a widespread and lethal conspiracy to traffic vast amounts of dangerous drugs into Washington state, personally redistributing multiple pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills on a weekly basis. Even after his arrest, Mr. Hammond demonstrated a complete lack of regard for the consequences and human toll of his actions, continuing to seek profit at every opportunity by flooding our streets with poison,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office.  “Alongside our partners, the FBI will continue to seek out every avenue to protect our communities from toxic illicit substances and those who traffic in them.”

The investigation identified three branches of the gangs involved in drug trafficking. Hammond was a key associate of Yehoshua Kilp – a leader of one of the three branches. A year ago, Kilp was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

In asking for a 188-month prison sentence, prosecutors noted the deadly and devastating impact of the drugs Hammond spread in our community, writing to the court: “Hammond conspired to flood Western Washington with massive quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills. These drugs have a devastating impact on the community. Users of these drugs frequently resort to stealing—from family members, friends, and complete strangers—to feed their addictions. No doubt, drug users are responsible for a large percentage of these crimes, as well as the violent crimes, in our communities.  More importantly, these drugs destroy the lives of those who use them, and the lives of the users’ families and friends. Those families and friends are prisoners, forced to watch the toll these drugs take on their sons, daughters, parents, or friends.”

“Daniel Hammond helped fuel a criminal enterprise that flooded our communities with methamphetamine and fentanyl while enriching a violent prison gang,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “DEA and our law enforcement partners are relentlessly disrupting the criminal organizations responsible for trafficking deadly drugs into our communities and holding those who profit from addiction accountable. Every trafficker brought to justice and every pound of drugs seized moves us closer to a Fentanyl Free America.” 

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. 

This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.

Seattle – A 65-year-old national of the Dominican Republic, who was arrested in Colombia and extradited to the U.S., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 96 months in prison for conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to launder money, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Jose Manuel Frias Lopez was arrested in June 2024 and was extradited to the U.S. in August 2025. Frias Lopez pleaded guilty in April 2026. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King noted Frias Lopez criminal history saying, he had been “in a revolving door with the justice system in this country.”

“This defendant was at the center of the criminal organization in this case, importing cocaine to the streets of Seattle and other parts of the U.S.,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “The undercover meetings sound like something out of a novel, but they capture the real interactions of sophisticated drug traffickers who seek to profit by feeding addiction. Even at an advanced age, with prior U.S. prison stints, Mr. Frias Lopez could not resist the lure of what he apparently saw as easy money.”

This case arose out of a joint investigation by the DEA and the Seattle Police Department (SPD). These agencies, together with other state, federal, and international law enforcement partners, conducted a multi-year investigation into a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) that imported―from Mexico into the United States―fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. The investigation ultimately led to Colombia, where investigators purchased cocaine directly from the source. 

According to records filed in the case, the investigation into DTO members in Colombia began in April 2023 and ran until January 2024. Investigators used confidential sources and undercover agents to identify Jose Manuel Frias Lopez as a cocaine source of supply. Undercover agents from both U.S. and Colombian law enforcement then met with Frias Lopez and his associates in Colombia. Frias Lopez sourced cocaine for delivery to the U.S. and laundered funds that the undercovers paid for cocaine. Frias Lopez talked about other aspects of his criminal scheme such as transporting cocaine to Florida or to Spain.

Frias Lopez has a lengthy criminal history in the U.S. with convictions in Oklahoma for drug trafficking, concealing stolen property, and DUI. In 2004 he was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine while possessing a firearm. He was released and removed from the U.S. in 2014. 

In asking for a 96-month prison sentence, prosecutors noted that cocaine is increasingly tied to overdose deaths in our community, “(D)rug overdoses resulted in 914 deaths in King County in 2025. Through the first six-plus months of 2026, there have been 394 confirmed overdose deaths, with another 44 probable overdose deaths. Moreover, and although fentanyl gets the lion’s share of attention with respect to overdose deaths—and rightly so―cocaine was the third most common drug involved in King County overdose deaths in 2025. Specifically, cocaine was involved in 218 (24%) overdose deaths in King County in 2025―often in combination with fentanyl or methamphetamine.”

“Drug traffickers cannot hide behind international borders,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “DEA is committed to identifying, investigating, and pursuing those responsible for poisoning our communities, wherever they operate. Working alongside our domestic and international law enforcement partners, we will go to the source country to locate these offenders, bring them to the United States, and ensure they face accountability in U.S. courts. This relentless pursuit is a cornerstone of DEA’s Fentanyl Free America, which is focused on disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing the availability of these deadly drugs, and saving American lives.”

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. 

The investigation was led by the DEA and Seattle Police Department. Additional assistance was provided by Renton Police Department, Centralia Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General (HUD OIG), Washington State Patrol, Pierce County and Valley SWAT teams. 

The Colombian National Police (CNP) and Colombian Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalia General) partnered with U.S. law enforcement on this investigation. The Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá provided critical assistance.

The cases from this investigation are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Silvio and C. Andrew Colasurdo in the Western District of Washington.

Seattle – A 59-year-old Bellevue, Washington and Las Vegas, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for his role in a scheme to sell stolen goods on Amazon and eBay, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.  Andrey A. Balun pleaded guilty in December 2025, to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce. Balun and his co-defendant, Vitaliy F. Bobak, 53, of Federal Way, Washington, jointly owned MBA Trading LLC which did business at a Burien, Washington storefront operating as “We Buy Gold, Silver, and Electronics.” An extensive law enforcement investigation revealed that the storefront knowingly purchased goods that had been stolen from area retailers. The pair then sold the goods on Amazon or eBay for millions of dollars in profit.

At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin told Balun the prison sentence would have been longer but for his health conditions and concern they could not be managed by the Bureau of Prisons. “You were the driving force behind this operation, and you continued for years even after you were told what you were doing was illegal,” Judge Lin said.

“Acting as a ‘fence’ for stolen goods helps organized retail theft flourish, and that harms our community in multiple ways,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “First retailers say theft brings violence against their employees; second, stores close because of theft problems and workers lose their jobs; third businesses raise prices to cope with the theft losses and that hits all of us in the wallet; and lastly, no taxes are paid on goods stolen from stores – Washington estimates it lost $600 million due to organized retail theft in 2021 alone.”

According to records filed in the case, Balun co-owned the business since 2018.  Balun trained Bobak on how to operate the business. Balun admits that the business purchased stolen goods from individual sellers knowing that the goods were stolen. The business bought primarily over the counter medications and health and beauty products. In many instances the goods still had anti-theft devices attached, or stickers saying “for sale only” at a particular retailer.

The men bought the goods far below the retail price and then posted them for sale on two websites they operated on Amazon and eBay. The Amazon store was called “Medikus” and the eBay store was called “abcstore555.” Money from the online stores was traced to the men’s bank accounts. The funds were then used by the men to operate the scheme by paying cash to the “boosters” (people who stole the goods) and payroll to employees who were involved in posting and shipping the goods for sale.  The remainder of the proceeds were funneled to the men who then withdrew money to pay themselves and for various personal expenses. Balun obtained proceeds of at least $1 million in the final years of the scheme alone. Investigators traced some of that money to his purchase of a home in Las Vegas.

The amount of stolen property in this case is staggering. At the time the warrant was executed in December 2023, Balun and Bobak possessed more than 74,000 items of stolen property waiting to be sold or shipped – worth approximately $2.4 million. That is in addition to the $4.5 million in sales between 2021 and the middle 2023, and an unknown sum pre-2021. Most of these items were over the counter medication and health and beauty products, stolen from retailers such as Fred Meyer and CVS. By any conservative estimate, Balun and his partners purchased and resold hundreds of thousands of stolen items.

In asking for a 4-year prison sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court. “Balun’s conduct was also audacious. As early as 2019, law enforcement advised him that stolen merchandise was passing through his online store. Yet rather than cleaning up his act, Balun trained Bobak to join him in the scheme. A couple years later, he directed Bobak on how to respond to a retailer complaint that the Amazon store was not authorized to sell their products. In short, he acted with impunity for years.”

In his plea agreement Balun agreed to forfeit $1,000,000 to the government as part of the resolution of his case.

Bobak was sentenced earlier this year to 11 months in prison.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant assistance from the Renton Police Department, Seattle Police Department, and the IRS, and aided by investigators from numerous retailers. 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean H. Waite and Asset Forfeiture Assistant United States Attorney Krista Bush.

Seattle – The owner of a restaurant in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood pleaded guilty today to willfully failing to pay over more than $1.4 million in unemployment, Social Security, and Medicare taxes – some of which were withheld from employee paychecks, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Ruadhri McCormick, 44, of Seattle, owns and operates Single Shot restaurant. Between 2014 and 2024 he employed as many as 87 people as servers, bartenders, and cooks. While McCormick withheld payroll taxes from employee paychecks, he kept the money and failed to pay it over to the Internal Revenue Service. McCormick faces up to five years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly K. Evanson on October 5, 2026. 

“While the restitution is owed to the IRS, those who are hurt by this conduct are the employees,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “The failure to pay over the taxes means the employees may not be eligible for many federal benefits that they paid for and may have been counting on. Mr. McCormick needs to make this right.”

“Mr. McCormick’s employees trusted him with their tax withholdings. Little did they know that Mr. McCormick took advantage of this trust and kept over $1 million of these funds for himself,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “Employers have an obligation to their employees to do the right thing. Today’s guilty plea is a step toward justice for those harmed by Mr. McCormick’s criminal actions.”

For thirty-six quarters between 2014 and 2024, McCormick failed to pay $1,027,362 in payroll taxes that had been withheld from employee paychecks. McCormick also failed to pay the employer portions of the Social Security taxes, Medicare taxes, and federal unemployment taxes – more than $400,000 – bringing the total tax loss to $1,446,341. McCormick agreed to pay that full amount as restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

Additionally, McCormick admitted in his plea agreement that he did not file his personal income taxes from any tax year 2015 through 2024. 

In the plea agreement prosecutors agree to recommend no more than 15 months in prison, however the recommendation is not binding on Judge Evanson, and she can impose any sentence allowed by law.

Willful failure to pay over tax is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar.

Seattle – A 21-year-old Kent, Washington, resident pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Saed Ali Mirreh was arrested in November 2025 as he prepared to board a plane to Turkey with the goal of crossing into Syria to fight for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”).   Mirreh was originally charged in the District of New Jersey with coconspirator 19-year-old Tomas-Kaan Jimenez-Guzel.  Mirreh’s case was transferred earlier this month to the Western District of Washington. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones scheduled sentencing for October 16, 2026.

According to the plea agreement, as early as July 2025, Mirreh began communicating with co-conspirators about traveling to Turkey to ultimately join ISIS as fighters. Mirreh knew ISIS had been declared a foreign terrorist organization. In late October 2025, Mirreh purchased an airline ticket to travel from Seattle to Istanbul on November 16, 2025, to meet other members of the conspiracy and travel onward to Syria.

However, on October 31, 2025, members of the conspiracy residing in Dearborn, Michigan were arrested for plotting an attack in the U.S. on behalf of ISIS. Mirreh and coconspirator Jimenez-Guzel moved up their flight to Turkey to November 5, 2025. Mirreh was arrested at his Kent residence on November 4, 2025.

Communications between the coconspirators reveal they discussed plans to participate in “jihad,” as well as detailed physical training, weapons, including firearms and improvised explosive devices, and how to avoid detection by law enforcement.

Conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Mirreh will not appeal his sentence if it is 20 years or less. Similarly, the government agrees it will not appeal the sentence if it is 20 years in prison.

The case is being investigated by the FBI.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg in coordination with Assistant U.S. Attorney Camila A. Garces of the National Security Unit in Newark, New Jersey and Trial Attorneys John Cella, Patrick Cashman, and James Donnelly of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.

Seattle – A 70-year-old Seattle real estate owner was sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 20 months in prison for six counts of tax evasion and six counts of filing false tax returns, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Steven T. Loo was convicted following a nine-day jury trial in June and July 2025. The jury found that Loo failed to report income of more than $4.7 million. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King imposed a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.

“Mr. Loo made a sustained, willful decision to evade taxes. The only thing that explains that is greed,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “A man who amasses $43 million in wealth can afford to pay his taxes -- just like the 85% of us who pay our taxes fully and on time.”

“While many small business owners strive for financial security, Mr. Loo spent years deliberately evading taxes to increase his personal wealth,” said Carrie Nordyke, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “This outcome ensures he is held accountable and required to meet his tax obligations.”

According to records in the case and testimony at trial, Loo had an ownership interest in, and operated, multiple commercial real estate properties, in western Washington and California. Loo hired property management companies to manage the properties. Loo had the property management companies send profits from the properties to two bank accounts in the name of shell companies he controlled. Loo spent this money for his benefit and that of his family and friends, and also re-invested funds in various businesses he controlled. However, Loo did not declare that income -- over $4.7 million -- on his tax returns. Loo used shell companies and repeated transfers of funds to conceal the income from the IRS.

At trial, the government presented evidence detailing the eight properties operated by Loo via various limited liability companies (LLCs). The income from the LLCs was funneled into bank accounts associated with two specific inactive entities that were established in Washington in 1999. Loo did not report this income to the IRS. Loo failed to inform his tax return preparer of these funds that were income from his properties.

In fact, when his tax returns over a twenty-year period are viewed in totality, Loo claimed he owed no tax at all and claimed a net refund from the IRS. Prosecutors asked for a 51-month sentence saying Loo’s motivation was simple: greed. “Loo is living the American dream yet believes he has no obligation to pay the taxes that support our nation. Loo was not content with merely failing to report his income. Instead, he contrived a plan to hide his wealth from the IRS using shell companies and money-routing schemes. When Loo’s luck ran out and an IRS criminal investigator knocked on his door, he continued his deception by trotting out a fairy tale about using imaginary losses to offset his income.”

In addition to the prison sentence and $250,000 fine, Judge King ordered Loo to pay prosecution expenses of about $5,300.

Loo has already paid back taxes to the IRS of $1,603,686.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Dion and Sean Waite for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Regina Jeon of the Department of Justice Criminal Division.

Seattle –A 69-year-old former resident of Rhode Island, Texas, and Chicago, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for three federal felonies connected to his 2021 scheme to smuggle duffle bags full of drugs across the strait bordering Washington State and Canada via watercraft, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.  John Michael Sherwood was convicted in April 2026 following a six-day trial of Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. At the sentencing hearing Judge Richard A. Jones said, “What you did came across as a mad man desperate for money, willing to do anything. At the end of the day what you were doing would cause tremendous harm to thousands of individuals.”

“The eight large duffel bags of methamphetamine found on the beach near Port Angeles are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this defendant’s drug smuggling,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Evidence uncovered in the case show he made multiple drug runs to the Washington/British Columbia border to connect with his coconspirator in Canada. Over five decades he racked up five federal felonies. This 15-year sentence is the result of his persistent and entrenched criminal behavior.”

“A family’s shocking discovery of drugs at the beach exemplified the brazenness of Mr. Sherwood’s multiple plans to smuggle huge quantities of drugs into Canada, part of a career of criminality spanning state lines, international borders, and several decades,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “He was involved in money laundering, perjury, and plotting against cooperating defendants in a series of attempts to cover up his crimes. The FBI and our many federal, state, local, and international law enforcement partners are committed to holding subjects accountable and will continue to do so, especially those who are not deterred by the criminal justice system.”

At the trial, testimony and evidence revealed that Sherwood had brought approximately 300 pounds of methamphetamine and close to a kilogram of fentanyl powder up to the Olympic Peninsula from southern California. He was attempting to use a jet ski and inflatable raft to get the drugs across the Strait to his contact on the coast of Vancouver Island.  But the smuggling attempts failed.

Describing the role Sherwood and his coconspirators played in the drug trade, Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi told the jurors, they were the transporters. “They are the FedEx or the UPS of the drug trafficking crew,” Lombardi said in closing arguments.

On April 7, 2021, a family on a beach near Port Angeles, Washington found a partially submerged duffel bag on the beach. The family alerted law enforcement who found more than 50 pounds of methamphetamine inside the bag, as well as two pounds of fentanyl powder. Close in time, a different beachcomber discovered a partially submerged and deflated Zodiac-style raft on the beach and noted a U-Haul van coming and going from the beach area.  Just days later, on April 11, 2021, a different beach walker reported another find – seven more duffel bags stashed under a bridge just up from the beach.  These bags contained 252 pounds of methamphetamine.  The estimated wholesale value of the drugs in Canada was about $1.5 million.

The FBI was able to trace the duffel bags to Walmart and pinpointed the sale.  Sherwood used his debit card to purchase the bags and was caught on surveillance making the purchases.  Other evidence such as U-Haul rental records, motel registration, and storage locker records linked Sherwood to the smuggling attempt. Phone records revealed his communication with a coconspirator in Canada about the attempt to smuggle the drugs into Canada via the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

This is the second time a jury has convicted Sherwood for these crimes. Following the first trial and conviction, the case team learned of and disclosed alleged misconduct on the part of a government witness, and the matter was set for a new trial in front of a different judge.

The conviction is the result of an extensive investigation by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol and the Border Patrol Air and Marine Unit, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET) including the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office and the Sequim Police Department.  The Kootenai County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office, the Montana Highway Patrol and the Livingston Montana Police Department also assisted with the investigation.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vince Lombardi and Sean H. Waite.

Seattle – A 27-year-old former resident of Fall City, Washington was sentenced July 16, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Seattle to nine years in prison for possession of images of child sexual abuse, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Paydan Georgy Bussey was charged federally in May 2025 following a CyberTip from the Kik platform that a had shared child sexual abuse images with another Kik user. By that time, Bussey had already been arrested in Utah for sexual assault of a child and also faces child sexual abuse charges in King County from 2024.  

At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead placed Bussey on lifetime supervised release following his prison term. Judge Whitehead said, “A lengthy sentence is warranted to protect the public.”

According to records filed in the case, as a juvenile, Bussey was convicted of child molestation of a minor under the age of 12 and was required to register as a sex offender until 2017 when he became an adult and no longer was required to register. As part of his sentence, he underwent sex offender treatment.

In February 2024, Bussey was arrested by King County Sheriff Deputies for rape of a child. That charge remains pending. In October 2024, Bussey was booked into Utah County Jail for sodomy of a child. That charge also remains pending.

In September 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received the CyberTip from Kik that 15 images that appeared to be child sex abuse material had been shared by a user. Law enforcement sought legal process to identify the user account and received the address information in December 2024. The Homeland Security Investigations Task Force Officer recognized the address from the King County investigation into child sexual abuse. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Bussey’s electronic devices and determined his laptop contained images of child sexual abuse.

In asking for a 9-year prison sentence Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Harmon wrote to the court, “Mr. Bussey’s conduct in this case is particularly troubling in light of his prior convictions and that he had successfully completed treatment. This is now his second sex offense, which demonstrates his inability to conform his conduct to the law. The recommendation is appropriate in light of all the facts of this case when taken in light of his personal characteristics.”

The case was investigated by the King County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon. Ms. Harmon is a Senior King County Deputy Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute child exploitation crimes in federal court.

Seattle – Two Seattle-area men were sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle for drug and gun crimes related to Seattle’s International District and the homeless encampment on I-5 called “The Jungle,” announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Isai Gamboa Pacheco, 56, of Everett, Washington was sentenced to six years in prison and Sang Tran, 55, of Kent, Washington, was sentenced to 66 months in prison. At Pacheco’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “Despite a previous conviction for the same offence, you came back to this country and did it again… but on a much larger scale…. You were a source of a significant amount of cocaine to members of this community. Cocaine is one of the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. What you did contributed to that suffering.”

“Both these defendants had one job and one job only – selling large amounts of meth and cocaine for distribution in the areas of our community plagued by crime and unhoused, vulnerable people dealing with addiction,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Tran had prior arrests and Gamboa Pacheco had a prior conviction and removal from the U.S. Still their greed kept them selling these poisons and carrying high-powered firearms to protect their drug trade.”

“Mr. Pacheco and Mr. Tran sought to profit from the addictions and suffering of others by redistributing huge quantities of dangerous drugs, and both were found in possession of even more drugs, along with firearms, during searches of their residences," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "The FBI and our partners will continue to hold accountable the members of this conspiracy and others like them as we combat drug trafficking and violent crime in Seattle and throughout the state of Washington.”

“These defendants fueled addiction and violence by trafficking large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine while arming themselves with high-powered firearms,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Every drug trafficking organization dismantled, and every pound of poison seized makes our communities safer. DEA and our law enforcement partners are relentlessly disrupting the criminal networks, holding drug traffickers accountable, and working to build a Fentanyl Free America.”

According to records filed in the case, the investigation began in November 2023, with the Seattle Police, FBI, and DEA focusing on drug trafficking organizations dealing fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the homeless encampments of Seattle and in drug trafficking areas of the International District at locations such as 12th and Jackson. Tran was in the first group of defendants arrested in January 2025. During the first arrest operation law enforcement seized 17 firearms and 23 kilos of a suspected narcotic powder.

Tran had been heard on the wiretap arranging to purchase a pound of methamphetamine and redistribute it to another individual. When law enforcement searched his home, they found about 330 gross grams of cocaine, a loaded 

Tauris 12 shotgun, ammunition, and proceeds of his drug trafficking activities in the form of United States currency, jewelry, and Rolex watches. In his garage, investigators found two more rifles. Tran admitted he kept the guns to protect his drugs and drug proceeds. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering for his efforts to hide drug proceeds by laundering tens of thousands of dollars through a nail salon.

The second defendant sentenced yesterday, Isai Gamboa Pacheco was arrested in the second takedown involving this drug trafficking conspiracy. Following the January takedown, law enforcement continued the investigation into drug traffickers who were distributing in Washington state. This organization made frequent trips into Oregon and California. In March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin. The street value of the narcotics was nearly $3 million.

On May 29, 2025, law enforcement executed 16 search warrants in Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, Seattle, Woodlake, California and Beaverton, Oregon.  Investigators seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, and 17 firearms. They also seized more than $353,000 in cash

Gamboa Pacheco was picked up on the wiretap making kilogram quantity deals of cocaine. When investigators served a search warrant at Gamboa Pacheco’s residence, they recovered more than $16,000 in drug proceeds. Investigators searched two of Gamboa Pacheco’s vehicles and found further

 evidence of Gamboa Pacheco’s crimes. Inside a Honda, investigators found almost three kilograms of methamphetamine and an unloaded Colt AR15 rifle with a drum magazine.

Gamboa Pacheco pleaded guilty in March 2026 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and being an alien in possession of a firearm.

In asking for a 90-month prison sentence, prosecutors noted this is Gamboa Pacheco’s second drug trafficking conviction. “Even after being caught previously and after receiving a considerable prison sentence, he voluntarily re-engaged in drug trafficking activities solely for his personal profit. Moreover, while engaging in his drug trafficking activities, he obtained a firearm knowing he could not legally possess it.” Gamboa Pacheco has no legal status in the U.S. and was previously removed to Mexico.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. 

The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program. Investigators also worked with the Oregon State Police and Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.

Seattle – A 65-year-old Bellevue, Washington tax preparer was sentenced to 18 months in prison late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle for three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Thanjavur Manavalan, the owner and operator of Mano Accounting Services, was convicted following an eight-day jury trial in March 2026.  At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, Manavalan showed “complete disrespect for the law.” This was a “long standing fraud scheme that ended only when the IRS showed up at your front door.”  

“This defendant lined his pockets and grew his business by filing fraudulent tax returns on behalf of his clients,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “He cheated the tax system out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. My office is committed to going after fraud wherever it occurs, especially for those who expand their business through lies and deception.”

“Mr. Manavalan’s actions were deliberate and violated the trust placed in him by his clients and community,” said Carrie Nordyke, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “The sentencing reflects the seriousness of his conduct and underscores our commitment to holding tax professionals accountable for their choices.”

According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, Manavalan falsified a variety of items on clients’ tax returns, including charitable contributions, proceeds and initial price (basis) of investments sold, business losses, rental income, and private loans. Manavalan’s tax preparation business attracted clients who worked in the tech field, many of whom were originally from India, and they testified that they trusted Manavalan to compute and file their taxes correctly. 

Prosecutors noted that Manavalan’s tax prep business filed thousands of returns and grew substantially over the course of the fraud scheme. By saving his clients money on their taxes, Manavalan developed a reputation that helped build his business, helping his firm’s year-over-year growth spike from about fifty additional tax returns to almost 300. He was paid per return, so the business growth meant he earned more money.

The trial detailed more than a dozen tax returns for tax years 2018-2020 alleged to contain false and fraudulent information. Judge King found that the total tax loss to the U.S. Treasury exceeded $250,000.

In asking for a two-year prison sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “This is not a story of greedy taxpayers flocking to a naïve preparer, or inexperienced staff mis-categorizing information, or innocent mistakes by Manavalan, or some combination of those excuses. Manavalan deliberately falsified the fifteen returns as part of his broader scheme to improve client results, and thus his bottom line.”

In addition to restitution of $115,672, Manavalan was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. Judge King ordered him to be on one year of supervised release following his prison term.

Manavalan has owned and operated Mano Accounting Services since 2004. He has indicated he is closing his business.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David T. Martin and Carolyn Forstein.

Seattle – A 40-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 37 months in prison for illegally possessing a loaded “ghost gun,” announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Raymond Lawrence Massey was convicted in Clark County, Washington in 2011 of assault with sexual motivation. After serving more than seven years in state custody, he absconded from community supervision and failed to register in King County as a sex offender. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson said, “illegally possessing a firearm is a serious offense.”

According to records filed in the case, Massey was convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old while claiming to be armed with a firearm. He was sentenced to 81 months to life in prison and was required to register as a sex offender. Instead, Massey left the area where he was on community corrections and moved to the Seattle area. He did not register as a sex offender. When Department of Corrections officers located him, he had a polymer 9 mm firearm, loaded with a red dot sight on the barrel. The gun was privately manufactured – known as a “ghost gun” as it lacks a serial number which can be traced by law enforcement.

In asking for a guidelines sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “Once located, the defendant ran from officers and refused commands to comply with arrest. Once caught, the defendant alerted officers to the fact that he was armed with a non-serialized handgun with an extended capacity magazine and a red dot optic designed to assist with precision aiming. The fact that the defendant committed this offense while on supervision is problematic in and of itself. Further troubling, the defendant had then twice escaped from Department of Corrections supervision for a crime of sexual violence, was not compliant with sex offender registration, was living amongst citizens unaware of the risk he posed to their safety.”  

Massey will be on three years of federal supervised release following his prison term. He is required to register as a sex offender. Judge Evanson noted that Massey will have the benefit of supervision in the federal system saying, “Our probation officers are extraordinary and want you to succeed” in a crime-free life.

The case was investigated by the Washington State Department of Corrections, the Seattle Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson. 

Seattle – A former King County Jail inmate and his accomplice were convicted today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for their scheme to target seriously ill veterans for fraud, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. 47-year-old Darryl Lamont Young was convicted of all 14 counts in the indictment while his co-defendant, 29-year-old Aqeelah Ngiesha Williams, was convicted of 12 counts. The jury deliberated about six hours following a four-day trial. Both defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft. Both were convicted of six counts of aggravated identity theft. Young was convicted of six counts of wire fraud and Williams was convicted of four counts of wire fraud. Young remains in custody while Williams remains on bond. U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead has not yet scheduled a sentencing date.

According to the records in the case and testimony at trial, Young, while incarcerated, used the jail phone system to place calls to the local Veterans Affairs medical center. These calls were free and the local VA medical center did not receive the jail’s announcement that the call was from an inmate. Impersonating a VA employee, Young would then ask to be transferred to out-of-state medical facilities. Because the local VA transferred the call, the out-of-state medical center did not know that the call was from an inmate. Once connected to the out-of-state medical center, Young posed as a VA employee — “Jason in bed control” or “Travis” in “patient registration”—who needed information about the patients currently in the Intensive Care Unit, including their names and the names and phone numbers of their emergency contact person. Having served in the military, Young had some understanding of VA hospital operations.

Once Young had information about a seriously ill veteran, he would call Williams who placed a three-way call to the veteran or the veteran’s emergency contact. Young would pretend to be a VA employee who needed the veteran’s credit or debit card information to deposit COVID stimulus benefits into the veteran’s bank account. Once Young and Williams had the veterans’ card information, they used it to deposit funds into Young’s commissary and jail call accounts. 

Young and Williams targeted more than 30 VA and non-VA medical facilities and targeted more than 60 victims. They attempted 130 fraudulent transactions on victim accounts and obtained about $8,300 from the scheme.

In closing argument Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Tea Jiang told the jury “This was a shared plan, a shared purpose, a shared role—using fraud to steal from vulnerable victims. These defendants forced their way into the hospital through the phone lines with lies and deception.”

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by two years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed in the case.

The case is being investigated by the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. (VA-OIG) and the United States Secret Service (USSS).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yunah Chung and Sok Tea Jiang.

Seattle – A 41-year-old Woodinville, Washington man has been indicted for 30 federal felonies related to his scheme to steal from financial institutions where he worked and then launder the money through other banks, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Joshua Shore will make his initial appearance on the indictment today at 2:00 PM.

“This defendant allegedly victimized two financial institutions, stealing huge piles of cash and casting suspicion on all the employees who worked there,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “His attempted cover-up – repeated deposits of thousands of dollars to other bank’s ATMs, provided a trail for law enforcement and will be part of our work to hold him accountable for the theft and money laundering.” 

According to the indictment, between July 2019 and April 2022, Joshua Shore was an operations manager of the cash vault for a nationwide bank. The facility was located in Tukwila, Washington. On December 6, 2021, Shore allegedly stole approximately $40,000. On January 28, 2022, Shore allegedly stole an additional $100,000.  The next ten counts of the indictment detail how Shore allegedly sought to launder the stolen funds by making repeated $3,000 cash deposits of hundred-dollar bills into ATM’s for the local bank where he had his personal accounts. Ultimately, Shore moved the funds from his bank to another financial institution – another count of money laundering.

From September 2023-December 2025, Shore was employed as a Market Manager at a financial institution in Renton. The indictment alleges that on the eve of the Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day (the start of a bank holiday), Shore stole $300,000 from the vault. The next 16 counts describe how he deposited cash up to $10,000 at a time via ATMs into his personal bank account at a different financial institution.

The indictment seeks to forfeit any money seized from Shore as part of this investigation.

Theft by an employee from a financial institution is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. The types of money laundering alleged in this case are punishable by up to 20 years or 10 years in prison depending on the count.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the FBI.

The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Charlotte Storey. Ms. Storey is an attorney with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Seattle – Two illegal aliens have been charged federally with returning to the U.S. after removal and both were arrested federally after being jailed for new crimes, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. The defendants have now been sentenced to prison terms.

“These cases represent the work we are doing to make our community safer, despite the efforts Washington State to frustrate immigration enforcement,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Both of these defendants were removed from the U.S. and returned illegally multiple times. They were encountered by local law enforcement multiple times and in each case, they were released back into the community to commit additional crimes including violent assaults.  When ICE learns of a state arrest our attorneys work quickly to get judicial arrest warrants so that they will not be released to our streets yet again.  All of this could be avoided if elected officials would allow for even a minimum amount of cooperation.”

Miguel Rangel Jimenez, aka Sergio Rangel Jimenez, 49, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced last week to a year in prison for illegal reentry of a removed alien. U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted that Rangel Jimenez has a history of violence. According to records filed in the case, since 2000, Rangel Jimenez has unlawfully entered the United States seven times after being removed. In 2001, he was removed from the country after receiving a 19-month sentence in Oregon for two counts of felony fourth degree assault and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. Rangel Jimenez has been removed from the country six times in total—2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2016, and 2021. 

In January 2024, Homeland Security agents were alerted that Rangel Jimenez was arrested for criminal trespassing and possession of a controlled substance in Snohomish County. Rangel Jimenez was released from state custody on these charges. On December 13, 2025, Rangel Jimenez was arrested for (and later convicted of) domestic violence assault in the fourth degree. The victim reported that he had repeatedly hit her, pulled her hair, and put his hand over her mouth, resulting in visible marks on her body. Just four days after this arrest, he was arrested again for reportedly punching a victim five or six times in the face. The victim was working at the apartment complex where Rangel Jimenez had previously been evicted. 

A federal criminal complaint was filed against Rangel Jimenez in January 2026, and he came into federal custody in March 2026.

David Ortiz Tino aka Edward Avalos, 31, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for illegally reentering the United States. In January 2020, Ortiz Tino was arrested in Nebraska for Assault in the First Degree (and later convicted of Disorderly Conduct). In 2021, he was sentenced to three years in prison for two additional convictions for child abuse and assaulting a pregnant woman, during which he caused the victim to lose consciousness. He was removed to Guatemala in January 2023. In March 2025, he was arrested in Snohomish County for domestic violence offenses. 

A criminal complaint was filed against Ortiz Tino in January 2026, and he was arrested and brought into federal custody in February 2026.

These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The cases were prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Cáceres.

Seattle – Two men have been charged in a 24-count indictment following the investigation of a string of pharmacy burglaries that stretched from Kirkland, Washington, to Chehalis, Washington, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Koumssa Wakgira, 44, of Seattle and Juston Young, 42, of Renton, Washington, are charged in an indictment alleging conspiracy to commit burglaries involving controlled substances, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, five counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and 17 counts of burglary or attempted burglary involving controlled substances. Young was arraigned on the indictment last month and is detained pending additional hearings. Wakgira was arrested by the U.S. Marshal Service this morning and will appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle at 2:00 today.

“As alleged in the indictment, these defendants were relentless in their attempts to break into pharmacies and steal narcotics,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “I commend local and federal law enforcement who worked together to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.”

“These defendants fueled the illegal drug market and placed communities at risk by stealing thousands of doses of controlled substances, targeting pharmacies throughout the Puget Sound region for nearly a year.” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This investigation demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated law enforcement efforts and DEA’s commitment to disrupting the diversion and illegal distribution of prescription medications.”

According to records filed in the case, the two have been linked to a series of pharmacy burglaries where a variety of prescription medications were the target. In some cases, the suspects failed to obtain any pharmaceuticals, but in one case they obtained more than 24,000 doses of restricted medications worth more than $37,000.

The detailed criminal complaint lays out how the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) worked with state and local law enforcement to link the two men to various pharmacy burglaries using surveillance images from cameras at the pharmacies. DNA evidence was linked to one of the suspects from a piece of clothing left at a burglary scene. Court documents outline how investigators linked various cars involved in the scheme to Wakgira and Young, how their phones confirmed their proximity to each other, and how clothing, tools, and narcotics recovered in searches of the men’s home and vehicles tied them to the burglaries.

In all, one or both defendants are allegedly tied to these burglaries or attempted burglaries:

5/2/25, Bob Johnson’s Pharmacy, Seattle - Wakgira

5/8/25, Arow Pharmacy Olympia, WA - Wakgira & Young

5/17/25, Sy Pharmacy, Seattle - Wakgira 

9/13/25, Hawks Prairie Pharmacy, Lacey, WA - Wakgira & Young

9/13/25, Good Pharmacy, Tacoma, WA - Wakgira & Young

11/16/25, Navos Pharmacy, Seattle, - Wakgira & Young

11/28/25, Ready Meds Pharmacy, Renton, WA - Wakgira & Young

12/20/25, Evergreen Professional Center Pharm., Kirkland, - Wakgira & Young

12/21/25, Swedish Arnold Pharmacy, Seattle, - Wakgira & Young

12/25/25, Fred Meyer Pharmacy, Seattle - Wakgira & Young

1/1/26, Tukwila Station Pharmacy, SeaTac, WA – Wakgira

2/1/26, Tukwila Station Pharmacy, SeaTac, WA – Wakgira

2/24/26, Sea Mar Pharmacy, Olympia, WA – Wakgira

2/25/26 Purdy Cost Less Prescriptions, Gig Harbor, WA - Wakgira & Young

3/22/26, Panorama Pharmacy, Lacey, WA – Wakgira

3/22/26, Centralia Pharmacy, Centralia, WA – Wakgira

3/22/26, Chehalis Pharmacy, Chehalis, WA – Wakgira 

As part of the investigation, in March 2026, law enforcement observed Wakgira engaged in what appears to be drug sales following some of the burglaries.

Conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Burglary and attempted burglary involving controlled substances is punishable by up to twenty years in prison. Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute are punishable by up to twenty years in prison.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by DEA Seattle Diversion Group with assistance from Olympia Special Investigations Response Team (SIRT), the Olympia, Lacey, and Renton Police Departments, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Yemini.

Seattle – A 38-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 20 years in prison for five federal felonies connected to his sex trafficking of a minor and an adult woman, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. In April 2026, a judge and jury convicted Shante Broady of sex trafficking an adult victim through force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion; sex trafficking a minor; transporting both the adult victim and the minor victim for prostitution; and unlawful possession of a firearm. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said the twenty-year sentence was justified by “the violence of events in the case” and was in line with other sex trafficking sentences imposed in the Western District of Washington.

“Shante Broady is one of six defendants involved in sex trafficking this office has prosecuted in the last six months.  Like many sex traffickers in this district, Mr. Broady took a minor to north Aurora Avenue to sell her to sex buyers.  This area – which traffickers refer to as “the track” or “the blade” – is a dangerous hub for commercial sexual exploitation of children and adults and associated violent and dangerous criminal activity,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This office is working tirelessly with our state and federal partners to assist potential victims, identify traffickers, and reduce crime in that known sex trafficking area. This twenty-year sentence, alongside other federal and state prosecutions, are helping to remove some of the most violent traffickers off the streets for a lengthy period.”

“Mr. Broady scoured the internet and various social media platforms searching for vulnerable children and women to entice into his commercial sex trade,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “He succeeded in coercing a minor victim and an adult victim through false promises of a relationship, protection, and money, to travel across state and country lines to commit commercial sex acts at his instruction. Instead of a lavish lifestyle, the victims were met with anger, threats, and violence. The FBI and our partners are committed to combatting this sexual exploitation and violence to hold these perpetrators responsible."

According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, Broady had been on law enforcement’s radar since March 2023, when they received a report that Broady had been sex trafficking a victim in Portland, Oregon. In November 2024, a former girlfriend reported being assaulted by Broady.

In April 2025, two adult women in Seattle contacted the FBI regarding Broady’s sex trafficking and threats of violence. One woman said Broady was ultimately unsuccessful in his attempt to force her into prostitution. The other reported that in March 2025, Broady had lured her to travel from Canada, paying for her plane ticket. He then pressured her and forced her into prostitution with false promises, threats, and physical violence, and brandished a firearm at her. Text messages obtained from Broady’s phone document the threats. The victims obtained a civil restraining order to try to keep him away from them. The woman from Canada was ultimately able to return home.

Records in the case and court testimony also detail Broady’s involvement in transporting and harboring a minor victim who had run away from a boarding school in another state. The minor victim was encountered on North Aurora Avenue and taken into custody by law enforcement. She was ultimately safely returned to family members. Information obtained from Broady’s phone demonstrated that he was aware of her age and that he was directing her how to interact with potential sex buyers.  Broady was convicted of sex trafficking this minor.

In a second short bench trial after the first, prosecutors presented evidence that Broady possessed a firearm, even though he was prohibited due to convictions in Stafford County, Virginia for Burglary of a Dwelling while Armed with Deadly Weapon, Robbery, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, and Attempted Robbery. When police searched Broady’s residence on April 11, 2025, they recovered a black Ruger LCP, .380 caliber firearm with a loaded magazine. Judge Coughenour found he committed that crime.

In addition to the 20-year prison term Judge Coughenour ordered that he be on 15 years of supervised release following his prison term.

In asking for the 20-year prison term and 15 years of supervised release, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Crisham told the court Broady “is a violent man and a sexual predator who targets vulnerable young girls.” Broady will be required to register as a sex offender following his prison term. 

The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Seattle Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Crisham and Michael Harder. Ms. Crisham leads the Anti-Trafficking prosecutions in the Western District of Washington.  

Tacoma – A 26-year-old citizen of India will appear in U.S. District Court in Tacoma today charged with two counts of abusive sexual contact aboard a cruise ship, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Pranit Narayan Pawar was arrested late last week when the cruise ship Brilliant Lady docked in Seattle. Pawar was employed on the ship as a hairstylist. The complaint alleges he sexually molested multiple passengers under the guise of giving them a massage. Pawar will make his initial appearance in Tacoma at 2:00 today.

According to the criminal complaint, Pawar was hired to provide hair care services, but during a recent cruise to Alaska he began offering massages to women who booked hair appointments. In one instance he allegedly offered a free massage to a victim if she agreed to book three appointments with the salon. In the two cases charged in the complaint, Pawar allegedly moved the victims into a small room next to the salon, and while offering a massage, Pawar allegedly moved his hands under the victims’ shirt and onto their breasts. In at least one instance Pawar allegedly locked the door before assaulting the victim. 

The case is being prosecuted in federal court because the crimes occurred within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. The FBI is tasked with investigating physical and sexual assaults within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction.

If you have been a victim of one of these crimes on a cruise or have witnessed one take place, report it to cruise ship security staff immediately. If you are no longer on the cruise and want to report the above, contact your local police and the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov. Learn more about FBI investigations of crimes committed onboard cruise ships: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/crimes-onboard-cruise-ships

Abusive sexual contact is punishable by up to two years in prison.

The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean H. Waite.

Seattle – A 58-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Keith Witt was convicted by a jury in February 2026, finding he molested the 19-year-old victim on an August 11, 2023, flight from Billings, Montana to Seattle. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez noted that Witt testified falsely at the trial. “It was a deliberate attempt to get the jurors to look at the evidence in a different light… Perjured testimony to try to convince the jury the conduct did not happen. Abusive sexual contact on an aircraft is a serious offense with serious consequences.”

“The Western District of Washington is leading the way in holding offenders who prey on victims aboard aircraft accountable,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “The office has prosecuted at least 15 of these cases in the last three years, and at least six of these cases have gone to trial before a jury—each resulting in a guilty verdict. We will keep doing this work to get justice for victims and to deter those who mistakenly think such conduct on an aircraft will escape punishment.”

According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, the victim was in the window seat, and Witt was next to her in the aisle seat on the 90-minute flight. Witt engaged the victim in conversation immediately upon boarding. The victim testified that he asked a number or personal questions that made her uncomfortable and touched her shoulder and earbuds, invading her space. The victim moved as far as she could towards the wall of the plane and feigned sleep to avoid having to interact further.

As she pretended to sleep, the victim felt Witt’s hand first move to her seat and touch her thigh. After pausing, he continued to move his hand up along her thigh onto her inner thigh. Witt pulled his hand away when the flight attendant came by but placed it back on the victim’s thigh once the flight attendant had left. The victim flinched, and Witt would remove his hand, only to move it slowly back a few moments later. She flinched again and after pulling his hand away quickly, he would soon return his hand to her thigh and slowly move up toward her genitalia. When the victim opened one eye, she was able to see that Witt appeared to be sexually aroused, and he was rubbing his erection. When Witt’s hand was within one to two inches of her genitalia, the victim pretended to wake up and go to the lavatory to get away from Witt. She went to the front of the plane, where she reported the conduct to the flight crew and closed herself in the restroom. In tears, she texted her mother about what had happened.

The flight attendants moved Witt to a seat at the back of the plane and reported the incident to the flight crew. The flight crew alerted personnel at SeaTac Airport, who contacted the Port of Seattle Police who met the plane and interviewed both Witt and the victim.

In asking for a 21-month prison sentence, prosecutors told the court that Witt sexually assaulted and traumatized a teen-aged girl. The sentence should send a message of deterrence to such abuse. “A plane is a uniquely vulnerable environment: passengers are often seated in close proximity to strangers, with little room and few options for removing themselves from unwanted situations; passengers regularly attempt to sleep on planes while sitting next to unknown persons, increasing their vulnerability; and outside of a passenger’s immediate neighbors (assuming there are any), there is limited visibility and a low likelihood of witnesses, particularly when cabin lights are dimmed and other passengers are asleep or focused on screens. These factors embolden perpetrators who believe they can engage in sexual misconduct with impunity,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo. 

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Martinez ordered Witt to pay a $10,000 fine and more than $4,000 in restitution to the victim. Witt will be on five years of supervised release following prison and is required to register as a sex offender.

Judge Martinez noted the courage of the victim in coming forward saying, “Unfortunately, this type of offense happens more often than reported. Victims may decide to live with it rather than go through reporting to law enforcement and a trial.” The judge noted that the sentence must deter others from thinking they could get away with abusive sexual contact on an aircraft.

“The courage this young woman showed in reporting her traumatic and disturbing experience to the flight crew is admirable,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Many people may not know it, but sexual misconduct on aircraft is a federal crime, one the FBI takes seriously. We encourage victims and witnesses to report these crimes to the flight crew, Port of Seattle Police or your local airport police, and the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Port of Seattle Police.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Yemini and Brian Wynne.

Seattle – A 53-year-old Federal Way, Washington, woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three counts of wire fraud and two counts of bank fraud in connection with her phony financial advisor scheme, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Jenni Yoon Jeong Lee held herself out to members of the Korean community as an investment advisor. In reality, the investments went into accounts controlled by Lee and were used for her personal expenses. In her statement of facts Lee states that she had a gambling addiction and used other people’s money for gambling. The FBI investigation revealed she defrauded at least 28 victims of over $3 million. Many of her victims are elderly and were relying on the funds for retirement. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez scheduled sentencing for September 18, 2026.

According to records filed in the case, Lee created various business entities with names that made it seem they were financial investment companies. Lee opened and controlled bank accounts for these shell companies.

Lee held herself out as a financial advisor employed at the shell companies. She claimed both orally and in writing that she would place victim investments in funds that would guarantee a safe return, sometimes as high as 10%.  She often represented that the principal was fully guaranteed so there was no risk associated with the investment.

Lee got the victims to write checks to one of the shell companies for ‘investment,’ or she induced the client to fund a self-directed IRA at a legitimate financial services company and to then give Lee access to manage the account. Lee would sometimes provide the financial services company with a promissory note to make it appear the client was loaning money to one of Lee’s shell companies. In this way she gained control of the investor funds.

In all Lee took in at least $3 million. Some money was paid back to investors in the style of a Ponzi scheme, making the actual loss amount above $1.5 million. Of that, at least $900,000 was spent at casinos.

The three counts of wire fraud are for specific transfers of funds from self-directed IRA accounts. The two counts of bank fraud are for depositing client checks into one of the shell corporation accounts. These counts are representative acts of the alleged scheme.

The charges are punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean H. Waite

Seattle – One of the members of an armed robbery crew that carried out a series of home invasion robberies in 2022, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 25 years in prison for racketeering and conspiracy to commit RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.  Christopher Joseph Johnson, 24, aided and abetted the murder of Irah Marcello Sok who was fatally shot in midst of a Snohomish County home invasion robbery in August 2022. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, “You used violence, fear, and intimidation… The victims face unthinkable trauma due to you and your coconspirators insatiable greed.”

“This crime ring terrorized people up and down the I-5 corridor – women, children, families – anyone they thought had valuables they could steal,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This lengthy sentence keeps this defendant off the streets until he is well into his 40’s, protecting the public and hopefully making a change in his behavior.”

“Throughout the summer of 2022, Mr. Johnson and his co-conspirators conducted a series of terrifying and destructive home invasions, stopping at nothing in pursuit of their ill-gotten gains, including murder, kidnapping, and other violence,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “It is heartbreaking that these victims endured these horrific experiences, and no sentence will ever undo the harm or bring back a loved one. Today, however, justice has been served thanks to the hard work of multiple agencies joining together on this case. FBI Seattle and our partners will continue to work relentlessly to hold those responsible for these violent crimes to account.”

Johnson pleaded guilty in February 2026, admitting he was involved in a pattern of violent crimes allegedly committed by codefendant Kevin Thissel, 29, and their co-conspirators. In the summer of 2022, Johnson and his coconspirators targeted certain families for robberies. To create a climate of fear, the robbery crew burst into homes in the middle of the night, dressed in black with guns drawn, often claiming to be police. They wore masks and used zip-ties to restrain the victims – including children as young as nine. They would steal any valuables they could ransack from these homes. 

Each member of the robbery crew had a certain job: identifying potential victims based on social media posts about their wealth or collections; surveilling the target homes; serving as a driver; kicking in the door; corralling the family; holding the victims at gunpoint; and ransacking the homes for valuables. Some of those participating in this violent robbery scheme were juveniles.

The crimes Johnson committed include:

• May 24, 2022, the armed robbery of a family in Mount Vernon, Washington, and the kidnapping of a young boy in connection with the Mount Vernon robbery.
• May 24, 2022, attempted burglary on Mercer Island – one robber fired a gun but did not hit one of three victims inside the house.
• May 27, 2022, burglary of an unoccupied Kent, Washington, residence.
• June 19, 2022, the attempted burglary of an occupied residence in Kent. One of the residents fired at the robbery crew causing them to flee.
• July 14, 2022, the armed robbery of a couple in Burien, Washington.
• July 28, 2022, the armed robbery of a woman in Kent, Washington, and her kidnapping to force her to obtain cash from ATMs.
• August 12, 2022, the robbery of two Kent residents who were locked in a closet while their home was ransacked.
• August 19, 2022, the Snohomish County armed robbery of a couple and their child and the murder of one of the Snohomish County robbery victims.

Some of the criminal acts described in the plea agreement were not formally charged. They were considered by Judge King to determine the sentence. Restitution for the victims will be set at a hearing on September 22, 2026.

As anticipated with the plea agreement, Johnson pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Snohomish County Superior Court for the August 19, 2022, fatal shooting of Irah Marcello Sok. He was sentenced to 25 years for that crime which will run concurrent with the federal sentence. Judge King agreed to Johnson’s request and recommended that he serve his sentence in the Washington State Prison system. 

In recommending the 25-year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “…(D)uring the course of approximately six months, Johnson and others committed a series of violent offenses across Western Washington, including home invasion robberies, kidnappings, and murder. Johnson willingly involved himself in the enterprise and actively participated in the efforts of the enterprise, which used violence and the threat of violence to coerce victims into yielding to their demands.”

Johnson will be on five years of supervised release following his prison term.

The case is being investigated by the FBI with significant assistance from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, the Mount Vernon Police Department, the Kent Police Department, and the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Todd Greenberg and Brian Wynne are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs and Michael Lang worked closely with the Snohomish County Prosecutors Office on investigating and charging this case. 

Seattle – A 21-year-old Lakewood, Washington resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 84 months in prison for leading a drug trafficking organization distributing pound quantities of methamphetamine, announced Fist Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Antonio Velazquez Encinas first came to the attention of law enforcement in 2022 when he was just 17 years old. The teen was stopped with his aunt (codefendant Martha Velazquez Sanchez) as the two were driving up from California with a load of 14 pounds of methamphetamine. Neither was charged at that time, but two years later Antonio Velazquez Encinas was leading a drug trafficking organization.

At today’s sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “The impact that controlled substances have in our communities are immeasurable,” and noted that Velazquez Encinas “had been involved in this conduct for some time,” and had “role models . . . guiding you on how to engage in this conduct.” 

According to records filed in the case, the Velazquez Encinas drug trafficking organization (DTO) was indicted on March 12, 2025. Antonio Velazquez Encinas was the lead defendant. He arranged for multi-pound drug deliveries that were distributed by his brother Keven Velazquez Encinas or his aunt, Martha Velazquez Sanchez. In all, eight members of the DTO were indicted and linked to some 20 pounds of methamphetamine deliveries.

In asking for an eight-year prison sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court that “Velazquez Encinas distributed large quantities of methamphetamine to numerous local redistributors in the South Sound region. He acted as the leader of the drug trafficking network, taking orders for methamphetamine, setting prices, and directing others to distribute the drugs on his behalf. . . .  The drug epidemic that has been raging for years has shown that this is by no means a victimless crime. Controlled substances have led to hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths a year. It is as if we are living in an unending pandemic. But this epidemic only persists because of drug traffickers such as the defendant.”

Chief Judge Estudillo sentenced Velazquez Encinas to be on four years of supervised release following his prison term.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.

This investigation was specifically led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force (TNT). 

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner.